Official Coventry Thread 6

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by morestoreysplease

I can't believe that no franchise has thought of it there. In Los Angeles they have drive-thru ATMs as well as all the other kinds like fast food, pharmacies, post offices! I like cycling here and keeping it real!
But it does prove as you said NT that the bays that do charge are now empty so it could be a bad move....

Believe me, I'm sometimes cursing in the morning because the parking's all full. This morning I did stop and checked what the metered time was: 8am to 6pm. So I drove off.

Coventry is absolutely pitiful for getting a decent coffee in the mornings. I stopped at a place on the way through Stoke and they were serving INSTANT coffee. I could not believe it. Where I work it's just junk food and supermarkets, who sell coffee of such low quality it should be illegal to sell it. The only decent place, on Earlsdon High Street, is closed when I go past in the mornings. I read an article by AA Gill who likened Coventry to a third world city.

I've got a Nespresso machine to take into work now and a pile of capsules.

Oddly, I quite enjoyed stopping off and wandering through the city centre in the mornings. I'm there anyway dropping my wife off, and it killed a few minutes... but nope, the greedy council think they can make some cash. But not from me. They can shove their shitty city centre up their bottoms! Lol! (There goes my toys!)

[Typhoon2000]

Originally Posted by morestoreysplease

I can't believe that no franchise has thought of it there. In Los Angeles they have drive-thru ATMs as well as all the other kinds like fast food, pharmacies, post offices! I like cycling here and keeping it real!
But it does prove as you said NT that the bays that do charge are now empty so it could be a bad move....

We kind of have a drive-thru postal dump box at the Birmingham Royal Mail sorting office.

One thing I do miss at the Coventry sorting office is Sunday postal deliveries - or more accurately the side office on the sorting office used to be open on Sundays to pick up mail or to send mail on... was really useful!

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by Typhoon2000

We kind of have a drive-thru postal dump box at the Birmingham Royal Mail sorting office.

One thing I do miss at the Coventry sorting office is Sunday postal deliveries - or more accurately the side office on the sorting office used to be open on Sundays to pick up mail or to send mail on... was really useful!

I know a lot of people who miss having the main sorting office in a more centralised location! Of course now there's no sorting office as such, but two delivery centres, one located near the airport and the other somewhere in Foleshill. (Sorting is done in Northamptonshire.)

[NewTroll]

Former Tin Angel building may be student flats and another takeaway:

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/new...2746-32152424/

Sigh.

[Sebadude]

The former Dogma unit has been split in two and the first half of this is now open as Rix's Bombay Cafe and bar, serving Indian meals/snacks and drinks.

The Beer Engine is back open again following a refurb and a proper sign being added - it's back to being about real ale and live music again which is great.

The buildings along Gosford Street are looking great, the existing businesses have clearly been investing in new signs, and some of the more delapidated buildings (Cobwebs? The one with the angled roof?) have been knocked down and reconstructed.

Riley's has also been replace with 'Hush' - I believe this is a nightclub/bar owned by the University.

[NewTroll]

Good news about the Beer Engine. Ian did a great job turning that round. RIP.

Gosford Street does indeed look good. I particularly like the Topshops.

Not convinced by Priory Place. The last time I was down there most of it looked shut, and I had the worst Chinese meal I'd ever had. They appeared to be turning the units on the bottom into junk food takeaways. (2.50 for fried chicken and chips.) This is hugely disappointing for what was an expensive and, at the time, prestigious development. I remember the chap who was managing the development saying that if can't come back in ten years and have a coffee outside a restaurant in Priory Place, he'd consider it a failure. Ah well, we had a few years of decent stuff there.:-)

Rix's looks interesting, though, contemporary looking 'Bombay Street food', hopefully things will improve in that little enclave:

https://www.facebook.com/RixsBombayCafeBar

Will have to give this place a go. Not had an Indian for ages.

What happened to 'Big Buddha' or whatever it was called? Where was that, next door?

[NewTroll]

I noticed today that the Dolland and Aitcheson opposite the Library is turning into a cafe - can't recall the name, but it was a bit strange sounding, maybe Eastern European. We use the Eastern European cafe on Trinity Street which is good, although the staff are a bit... Um, odd. I think this is a decent spot as there's a lot of footfall down this way and some big retailers (The cafe that opened up in Shelton square didn't last long, which didn't surprise me as it's a shithole round there - always has been.) Some European folk opened up a cafe on Ball Hill selling really decent coffee and food, but really got it wrong.

'Appyfeet' in West Orchard's Link appears to be reopening as something. There are boxes of stock inside. It looks like it'll be some sort of 'popup' store for Xmas...

Chameleon now have two shops - they are in 'Premier Leathers' old unit (And it looks very upmarket now). Premier Leathers appear to have moved into the old 'Game' store in West Orchards and now sell suitcases...

There's a Firework store on Hertford Street, and what appears to be a new hairdresser in the Bullyard (Although it might be an old shop front that's been uncovered.)

The row of shops opposite Debenhams now has two "EE" mobile phone stores about two shops apart from each other. Bizarre. Both seemed busy as well.

I'm amazed Costa and Starbucks haven't opened up more units. Both seem to be heaving all the time, even when the city centre is quiet! Today Costa had a queue out of the door.

I find these days that when we visit Coventry, we don't really both going outside the 'Upper Precinct/West Orchards/Lower Precinct' area. I _sometimes_ go to City Arcade to the American shop or that WOW store (Wasabi Peas).

[Typhoon2000]

A bit of a shocker as there's no plans to bring 4G into the city for at least 12 months.

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by Typhoon2000

A bit of a shocker as there's no plans to bring 4G into the city for at least 12 months.

EE is just Orange/T mobile retail rebranded... Orange phones now show up as 'EE',whether 3g or 4g...

[Sebadude]

It also looks like there's a new restaurant / cafe opening opposite inspire in the former job centre building.

[JayPeeDee]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

I don't think so. Tesco own the whole mall, and they were planning ro keep it and add more stores. It's a bit of a dump. I remember what it was like before they enclosed it!

Edit: i think you are thinking of Asda at Walsgrave... It originally had a small row of shop units inside, but they got rid of them when they built the new store a few years back.

Tesco at Cannon Park has just finished a refurb. Car park has also been reconfigured and has nice wooden signs but is still a nightmare. The rest of the shopping centre is still a dump and the store refurb has done absolutely nothing to make it a better shopping experience. Tesco stores always seem to be full of people wondering around in a state of bemusement because they can't find what they're looking for. Best avaoided if possible.

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by JayPeeDee

Tesco at Cannon Park has just finished a refurb. Car park has also been reconfigured and has nice wooden signs but is still a nightmare. The rest of the shopping centre is still a dump and the store refurb has done absolutely nothing to make it a better shopping experience. Tesco stores always seem to be full of people wondering around in a state of bemusement because they can't find what they're looking for. Best avaoided if possible.

I guess the big plans for the new store on stilts and the apartments/student flats are on hold, then!

http://planning.coventry.gov.uk/port...ageName=799152

I think they got permission for that lot 4 years ago.

I always found that store to be poorly stocked and dirty. Even though it's close to us, we never go there.

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by Sebadude

It also looks like there's a new restaurant / cafe opening opposite inspire in the former job centre building.

Good spot, I reckon, with passing trade and easy access. Far better than sites like the old Post office, this was marketed for restaurant use for years without any interest.

Please, don't let it just be another curry house or Chinese buffet.

[NewTroll]

There is an empty unit in Skydome, next to Wetherspoon. What used to be there?

[skybluecity]

Originally Posted by Typhoon2000

A bit of a shocker as there's no plans to bring 4G into the city for at least 12 months.

Which is shocking in itself, especially when you consider places like Derby and Southampton will have it by Christmas. Just another reason not to set up business here.

Edit: Actually just read that Coventry should have it by May.

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by skybluecity

Which is shocking in itself, especially when you consider places like Derby and Southampton will have it by Christmas. Just another reason not to set up business here.

Edit: Actually just read that Coventry should have it by May.

Early adoption is not always good... By next year it might be better and affordable!

[Typhoon2000]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

Early adoption is not always good... By next year it might be better and affordable!

I doubt it, EE are really trying to push hard to monetise these contracts and their refusal to apply a max. tariff for unlimited data plans has been seen as a major sigh of relief to their competitors. - Effectively the others felt hoodwinked in to the 3G contracts, particularly when 3 stuck with their all-you-can-eat plans. And it appears the others are continuously jacking up the prices to compensate.

Apparently though, I've been reading that 4G is actually cheaper to implement than 3G as much as the existing infrastructure can be used. What they are perhaps forseeing is the slow death of profits from voice and texts and are realising that they need to squeeze as much money out of data as possible, including putting in unrealistic caps on the service for far more money than would possibly have been earned through 3G.

[Fernando Partridge]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

There is an empty unit in Skydome, next to Wetherspoon. What used to be there?

Which side? There was an Old Orleans on the side closest to the cinema entrance. The other side used to be the Orange House bar and is now some dump of a club I think.

[Fernando Partridge]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

Good spot, I reckon, with passing trade and easy access. Far better than sites like the old Post office, this was marketed for restaurant use for years without any interest.

Please, don't let it just be another curry house or Chinese buffet.

It's going to be the 'Muffin Mill Coffee House' according to the Planning Portal. Would've been another option for you on New Union St, NT.

Not particularly exciting but good to have a unit occupied and better than a 'shit in a tray merchant' or another buffet!

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by Fernando Partridge

Which side? There was an Old Orleans on the side closest to the cinema entrance. The other side used to be the Orange House bar and is now some dump of a club I think.

Old Orleans is now Harvester.
The unit in the middle is Wetherspoons
The unit on the end towards the Arena is empty.

The clubs have all gone. Jumpin' Jaks is still there, I think.

Pretty depressing place.