Coventry, Old and New.

 We were off just before 1000 this morning after a quiet night in Coventry Basin.

This is the entrance to the basin that is a nice spot as it is not too far at all from the city centre and the buildings protect you from the traffic noise too. We were booked in to the Two Tone Exhibition at the Herbert Gallery at 1045

We went via Priory Row which has some lovely old buildings. Timbers of this , the Lychgate Cottages are dated at 1414/15 and formed part of a the old monastic range of buildings prior to Henry VIII closing the monasterys.

A little further down Priory Row is this lovely Georgian house. This enclave seems to be a little area of calm just next to the city centre,

St. Michel's Church is the parish Church and right next door to the old and new cathedrals

I think the new cathedral actually looks more imposing from the outside and the area between the new and old is linked by a covered porch to show the connection. St Michael stand over the devil on the east of the new Cathedral, a sculpture by Jacob Epstein.

The Herbert Museum is just close to this place and we were there soon after 1000. Our plan was to look round the other exhibits until our booked slot at 1045. They said as they were quiet we could go in straight away, so we did. The exhibition about the rise and fall of 2 Tone music here in Coventry was very good, and just goes to show that saving everything pays in the end. All the old fag packets that had lyrics written on them were very interesting as much as the more conventional items.

After a coffee we decided that we would head over to the Transport Museum. We got there to see that the entrance was £14 each! Neither of us thought that when we had been before that we had had to pay. Being good Yorkshire folk we decided we had 'done' it so declined to pay this time. It always makes us realise how lucky we are in Hull to have magnificent free museums. This is Millennium Square in front of the Transport Museum and the large artwork is the Whittle Arch after Frank Whittle who designed the turbo jet engine. His statue is just between the two vertical arms.

This is the Coat of Arms of the City. It is red and green as they have been associated with the city since 1441. The elephant is a symbol of strength and Christ's redemption. The wild cat is for watchfulness. The motto 'Camera Principis, The Prince's chamber, is said to refer to the Balck Prince who inherited the manor of Cheylesmore near Coventry.

A small part of the Medieval walls survive, as do two of the gates in and out. 

This is Cook Street Gate.

Completely different is the Elephant Building, alluding to the symbol of Coventry. It was built in 1977 as an extension to the public baths. The zinc cladding gives it a 'look' of an elephant along with the prism shapes, it is said! We were then walking to FarGo that is a craft.boutique coop type place that independant people have opened up in an old industrial building and in old containers. There was little of it open, but I did get roped in for some publicity photos of an exhibition of local artists just opening! We had a nice cup of tea and homemade Victoria sponge to go with it. (Just thought that makes me sound very old!). Fargo is on Far Gosford Street that has lots of timber framed buildings and is a fusion of old and new, with plenty of international foods etc. Well worth a stroll out to see, when open.

On the rear of the Herbert Gallery, or main road side, is these two sculptures called 'Man's Struggle, inside and outside the mind. It was done by Walter Ritchie in 1959. The were facing each other either side of a fountain in the precinct. If you like 50's/60's art like this and brutalist concrete architecture there is still a fair bit around Coventry.

On Earl Street is the Coventry Council House. The foundation stone was laid in 1913 and it was finished in 1917. Obviously WWI added some delays. It was designed by two Birmingham architects in the Tudor revival, Elizabethan style. The official opening was carried out by the future King George VI in 1920 due to the War. The statues over the main door were added in 1924. On the left is Leofric who was patron of Coventry monastery, Lady Godiva is on the right who did the same and above the door is the figure of justice.

On the east side of Broadgate Square is the Lady Godiva Clock. On the hour, every hour Lady Godiva comes out on her horse and peeping Tom does his thing from the upper window. In the legend Peeping Tom was struck blind for looking, and Lady Godiva took to riding a horse naked as her husband wouldn't listen to her regarding reducing the taxes of the poor. He said he would only do it if she went naked round the town!

I had overheard somebody talking about good pub called the Gatehouse on Hill Street and as we needed a sit down we headed there. On the way we passed this fine collection of buildings which is the college of Bablake and Bond's Hospital. In 1344 these were the collegiate buildings of St. John's Church. The priests quarters were rebuilt in 1560 as a boy's hospital and later as a boy's school. The school remained until 1890 when it was developed on another site. Endowed by the will of Bond or Bablake in 1506 it still.

We had a couple of pints and then fatally the barman told me of another pub just round the corner so we went there for another, and as we had seen a new micro pub also nearby we went for one there too. It was with a light tread that we landed in Sainsbury's for a top up shopping. We got a curry meal deal too, so that was tea sorted. 

I am thinking that Hull made a better fist of the City of Culture Thing, but realise that we didn't have to contend with COVID, but there were no volunteers in the their nice blue uniforms handing out stuff and giving positive vibes. In Broadgate there are a lot of streamers hanging above it. We heard that these were all done by the local school kids. We could see no info about this and when we did talk to a volunteer on Monday afternoon, underneath them, they never mentioned them! I'm sure it will grow and grow when restriction are less severe and of course they are City of Culture for 4 years. Don't forget that you are now supposed to book to moor in the Coventry Basin, but just outside the moorings are fine and do not require pre booking.