I still can't understand it. Hundreds of years ago there were no such things as planning departments. Yet our ancestors managed to create highly attractive towns in a mixture of styles. Now we have regulations galore - but we end up with Coventry (and other UK towns too) looking like shitholes. Seeing these pictures is enough to make you weep.
@markgraham11098 жыл бұрын
+John Craske You are so right
@tony68mc7 жыл бұрын
Very true. You should see my local new modern architect designed corrugated sheet "monstrosity" railway station & compare it to the old Victorian building. I think the explanation is down to costs. Nowadays everything goes to the cheapest quote, using the cheapest materials and cheapest construction methods. Can't pay for the best if we have to cough up 13 billion quid in overseas aid can we.
@savvageorge6 жыл бұрын
All it takes to make a nice buildings is skill and hard work. They had a lot of that in the old days but unfortunately this is in short supply in modern Coventry especially within the council.
@matthewmcintyre44536 жыл бұрын
Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was the old Coventry. Yet after the war these cities were all asked to be rebuilt in a metaphorical "day" .... and what we see today is the result. This is also what happens when everything is done in the name of consumerism. So so sad.
@JEANNEBOLEYN6 жыл бұрын
My sentiments exactly. Germany restored its war-torn cities to their former spendour but Britain just sent up grotesque monstrosities. to replace the bombed edifices
@tardiskeeper68 жыл бұрын
Feels like watching a trajedy
@davidanderson35865 жыл бұрын
Yep :-(
@golden.lights.twinkle23292 жыл бұрын
Because you are!
@JRLNeal11 жыл бұрын
This is a work of devotion. Thanks for putting it together. It must have taken ages. Well done.
@roborland5 жыл бұрын
My pleasure, it was indeed a work of devotion to take them and display them on my website historiccoventry.co.uk which is where these were all copied from!
@azharoff2 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much for the beautiful presentation of Coventry then and now. I was reading my undergraduate studies at Coventry Lanchester Polytechnic from 1977-1981. Love the city!
@rich197710 жыл бұрын
How beautifully old Coventry was, so sadly ruined by men of war but far more sadly by mankind and futuristic development of the 'modern' day society. Apart from the ravages of war I would love to have seen the city then in all it's fine decadence, at 46 I missed all the true beauty of a historic city and it's picturesque qualities where monstrosities of new buildings now stand.
@gerhardheydrich31464 ай бұрын
The 'men of war' comment isn't the whole story, Coventry City Council began pulling down many of its old buildings before WW2. Then of course there were the German bombing raids in retalliation to those over German cities - curious how the German planes were able to fly over the Channel and all the way to the Midlands without being intercepted by RAF and US Airforces.
@BallymurphyBabe4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely brilliant! Ye did a grand job! Very sad to see such beautiful history torn down and disappear.
@brendadrumm97084 жыл бұрын
Cov is finished over crowded filthy streets people walking around in their night clothes in the day sunflower seeds spat out when they've ate them on pavements filth and muck everywhere scrap metal vans dead rats etc
@JacksMSR11 жыл бұрын
lives what you make of it no matter where you live im proud to come from Coventry and thankyou to whoever posted these old and new photos of cov I really enjoyed looking
@yardelli10 жыл бұрын
Coventry was almost entirely medieval pre-war and its a complete tragedy that its know today for being such a concrete jungle when it could have been a European treasure but for the war. Unfortunately timbered buildings burnt very well thanks a night of incendiaries.....
@golden.lights.twinkle23292 жыл бұрын
The old buildings could have been rebuilt as they were in many German and Polish cities.
@cwealthforces9 ай бұрын
Wasn't the war, most of it was the Planning Dept!
@markgraham11098 жыл бұрын
Magnificently put togther! Coventry barren and empty now in comparison to those beautiful older photos!
@johnneville4032 жыл бұрын
This is brilliant and heart breaking at the same time. Evidence of what the Luftwaffe and Coventry City Council did to what was one of the best preserved historic cities in England.
@66Viscount Жыл бұрын
It once had an atmosphere and character, but now it is pretty much soulless. I loved the 60s and 70s in Coventry.
@hathegoldenyears744210 жыл бұрын
As usual, the place looked better in the past. Some of thee 'afters' were shocking and disgusting.
@WattzEditin10 жыл бұрын
Due to the blitz, not much we could do considering all of the funding went to rebuilding London after the war
@allchannels62916 жыл бұрын
Reiss Watts again, everything’s a shithole still its not like London is the cleanest place
@sagearkless4 жыл бұрын
I mean, it was literally bombed to bits and they were given virtually no money to rebuild it, and most of it happened in the 60s. Its a shame but it was better than letting it sit in rubble :/
@eleanorgilmartin40722 жыл бұрын
Lived in Coventry in the early 1980's and hated the ugliness of the the post war buildings. Just been reliving some memories on street view and then watched this. Seems we learned nothing and now even more old buildings gone and modern eyesores erected. It is worse than ever. So sad and depressing.
@stevierox38316 жыл бұрын
Such a beautiful but sad compilation. Thank you for sharing.
@aristotle3589 жыл бұрын
I like the way how you made the new shots fit exactly with the old. By the way, some of the comments on here decrying the current architecture are in one sense right to do so but let us not forget that lots of good post-war rebuilding was actually knocked down and replaced by the crap we have now. So Coventry in the early 50s and 60s was arguably better than it is in the 2000s, although that could be a matter of taste.
@golden.lights.twinkle23292 жыл бұрын
Yes, the 1950s rebuild of the upper and lower precinct was excellent. Unfortunately, it has been butchered since.
@michaelcole94439 жыл бұрын
What a brilliant compilation! Well done.
@alfindigo11 ай бұрын
Despite the rebuilding of much of Coventry after the war, it still retained much of its prewar charm. The town planners after the early ‘70’s have progressively turned it into one of the ugliest cities in England. Thank goodness we moved away.
@paulscales29584 жыл бұрын
Cologne in Germany was blasted by the RAF and has some hideous post war construction. But on the whole, they kept the prewar street plan, so it feels more intimate and in touch with its past. In Coventry the prewar street plan seems to have been almost entirely ignored so not only do you have cheap looking buildings, but they look as if they had been just dropped randomly on the city and if that meant that a street had to end in a brick wall or multi storey car park, tough!
@paulbroderick535811 жыл бұрын
Good job. I was brought up on Primrose Hill Street Hillfields. I used the Swanswell Park for soccer, letting my dog swim and some schoolboy fishing. Glad to see Cook Street gate still standing well marked by long ago cannon rounds! Memories, memories. Thank you so very much.
@sarnobat20009 жыл бұрын
Breathtaking stuff. Why anyone would downvote a video like this is beyond me.
@FloTheArtist6 жыл бұрын
So fucking sad it was a beautiful city I love the old building they have more character . Now they have built endless university accommodations next to historical buildings it’s so off why they give it so much emptiness
@thebohemian.3 жыл бұрын
Very nice. So much lost, but so much restored. ♥️
@suprematica10 жыл бұрын
Coventry is just a nasty pile of concrete these days. Burges and the arcade are the worst of all
@harrygearing72735 жыл бұрын
Agreed
@anonanon77433 жыл бұрын
Looks like the old buildings in the Burgess are being left to deteriorate, maybe they'll go next to make room for yet more student accommodation.
@jebson111 жыл бұрын
thank you - fantastic - really nostalgic! :) Love Coventry!
@hayaakallaah77836 жыл бұрын
This is tremendous. Deserves more credit, well done. I love Coventry.. It's simple and not spoilt like other cities
@t1000eg11 жыл бұрын
Lived in cov all me life....really nice watch and lovely music..thank you
@gerrytravers34633 жыл бұрын
Fantastic pictures, bring back the sun-blinds to shade the shoppers, or protect them from the rain!
@sundelight82303 жыл бұрын
Coventry now looks like a student city miss the old coventry! 😢
@anonanon77433 жыл бұрын
So do I. I remember Broadgate having a roundabout filled with mature trees and Lady Godiva's statue standing in the middle, now we have concrete slabs and sickly little trees. Councillors listen to Coventry people most of who hate what you've done.
@mel43337 ай бұрын
@@anonanon7743 I agree
@rozfrost11 жыл бұрын
Fascinating to try and recognize some of the old places, very sad to see so many historic places disappear !!!
@Sarahfreckle10 жыл бұрын
The 'before' photos are invariably more pleasing than the 'after' photos. I guess that means Coventry is getting uglier year by year. The number of beautiful old buildings that have been demolished is very sad.
@edydj11275 жыл бұрын
Because of the blitz
@anonanon77433 жыл бұрын
Not just the blitz. Butcher Row had some of the finest examples of mediaeval buildings. A builder (who was a Councillor) started to dismantle it. This stopped when the second World War broke out. Even after the war it was still standing although with some damage. The builder then smashed it all to the ground. Thank goodness Stratford didn't get our councillors to decide the fate of their beautiful city. Builders should not stand as councillors because of conflict of interest.
@golden.lights.twinkle23292 жыл бұрын
The Hippodrome, later the Coventry Theatre, a beautiful and historic Art Deco building was not destroyed by the blitz, it was destroyed by Coventry Council.
@craigdoran68116 жыл бұрын
That music is so melancholic, suits the sadness of losing a much nicer looking coventry.
@tony68mc7 жыл бұрын
Sickening to see what's being done to our once beautiful country. It's not just in Coventry, this is happening all over. I wish my son could see how it used to be, so much better than it is now.
@HalStargazer2 жыл бұрын
i lived all my childhood in the 60s about 100 yards behind the camera that took the picture of the arches. what a pity there was no google street view so i could walk virtually back up the road. a better time, a better place.
@chrisweeks69732 жыл бұрын
As an objective observation, it's a pity that the locations are largely unnamed; if they were, it would make identification easier. Some of the 'old' places I remember from the 1950's but, for me, the city has subsequently lost its heart, focus and direction. Even poor old Lady Godiva was shuffled off from centre-stage in the middle of Broadgate to a non-descript location, where people walk past and ignore the historical significance. It's almost as if she's an embarrassment... I suppose in a way that's symptomatic of Coventry, being a place where the 'planners' rushed to complete the job that the Luftwaffe started in November 1940. Such a shame - and what a completely wasted opportunity.
@adrianward3622 жыл бұрын
What the Blitz didn't fully achieve the Council did!
@franceslawless49034 жыл бұрын
I miss all the diverse trade we had, the yellow pages used to be massive, now its barely a sliver, so sad.
@A123cov456785 жыл бұрын
Brilliant video wow Coventry has changed so much in some areas and not much in others it looked a lot better in the old days not much of the old Coventry left now great shame.
@stevebuckley24294 жыл бұрын
What have they done to my City?
@norffc15482 жыл бұрын
Still the saddest video I think I’ve ever watched. Look how they destroyed the place
@shanefrance5071 Жыл бұрын
Wish i could turn the clock back
@edwardcottrill5842 жыл бұрын
It really hits you hard when you see what they did to Hertford Street at 2:39. What a monstrosity. True story: "San Ling Centre" (shop on the left) was a "rub and tug" (now closed down). I found that out by accident after venturing in one day...
@stramash1004 жыл бұрын
Great shots... does anyone remember the washing powder in the Belgrade fountain ?
@keithfrmcov4 жыл бұрын
I can remember it. With all the suds. I remember the time too when someone put a yellow die in the fountain too.
@golden.lights.twinkle23292 жыл бұрын
Yes.
@mel43337 ай бұрын
No I don’t!
@johncraske10 жыл бұрын
By the way, I forgot to say how excellent this video is. It must have taken a lot of work. So many thanks, Christopher (only problem is that having watched it, I now want to shoot myself.)
@tony68mc7 жыл бұрын
I'd rather shoot the architects, designers and those holding the purse strings who coughed up for this rubbish.
@allchannels62916 жыл бұрын
It’s rubbish, I would’ve loved growing up back then when everything was natural and built with hard work and skill 🤦🏼♀️
@Derwent039 ай бұрын
I can almost forgive the planners having to rebuild so quickly and cheaply after the war bombing. What is totally unforgivable is the post war destruction of so much of our surviving Victorian heritage in the name of modernisation. Birmingham city centre, Euston Station, The Imperial Institute, Nottingham Central Station. The list is endless. Stunning architecture that could have lasted a 1000 years. Lost forever to cheap concrete tat.
@mel43337 ай бұрын
YesI agree
@keithfrmcov12 жыл бұрын
My family and I are not pleased in the way Coventry has been changed.
@golden.lights.twinkle23292 жыл бұрын
You are not alone.
@leigheastham897910 жыл бұрын
What I don't understand is, wouldn't Coventry have had some sort of reparation payments from ze Germans after the war for the damage done? If so, it's pretty obvious that the rebuild was done on the cheap. Therefore, did someone line their own pockets with the cash?
@jcoker29910 жыл бұрын
Cov was bombed heavily, but we returned the favor x10 to Germany. Should we pay them reparations ? Instead look how our sister city Dresden has rebuilt since 1990. Perhaps as Cov is again redeveloped we can rebuild many of the old buildings - perhaps in time for the anniversary of the blitz in 25yrs ? PUSB.
@hoppinonabronzeleg94777 жыл бұрын
The winners of any war have to rebuild the losers country. Companies like Wimpey , etc wre getting lots ofcontracts out there. That is why we rebuilt Berlin, Hamburg etc. If Ze Germans had won, it is they who would have had to rebuild Coventry, Kingston Upon hull, Newcastle & London
@simonedgbaston3 жыл бұрын
⭐ Think of the Richo sale. Before the latest rebuild of Pool meadow it was sheds as shops on fairfax street from the 50s . Concrete in town & Prefabs accross the City. Yes they always pocket the money 🌙
@mel43337 ай бұрын
Yes I agree but 11 hours of bombing has taken away the heart of Coventry and Germany had no money to rebuilt the damage they did then.
@HughJason5 жыл бұрын
I didn't realise how beautiful Coventry used to be.
@derpytwerpgameryt49557 жыл бұрын
this is my home....I remember looking at the images of weelright lane were the bus stop is and it being an open field in Morrisons in holbrooks and getting to the point of tears....we lost so much on the 14th November but we lost so much more in the 60's
@anonanon77433 жыл бұрын
Still happening. Town is an absolute disgrace. Too many tacky buildings (mostly student accommodation). So many people I've spoken to don't go into town anymore. For a democratic country we should get a say in what buildings should go up and in what style. The idiots that have ruined my city should have been left to play with lego.
@fredgrove42204 жыл бұрын
A lot of the "NOW" photo's have changed with this new redevelopment going on. The Royal Mail depot is no longer there, they are building ugly tower block, and most of it is for students.
@thethe62329 жыл бұрын
I think there are some council officials of the post ward years, that should be made accountable for there very poor judgment, regarding rebuilding Coventry after the war. The city centre in its current state is appalling, although there are sighs of redevelopment. The problem is they only have the 50s and 60s architectural devastation to work from.
@thestonedabbot95514 жыл бұрын
There's many great things about the new Coventry. For one we had the world's first modern pedestrianized city centre, and set a precedent for healthier urban living And though the architecture of past days seems beautiful and lost to us, a lot of those buildings were essentially slums that were not pleasant places to be. A main reason that so many 19-20th century buildings were demolished post-war was because many of them were decayed, bodge-built and simply unsafe to live in. You can see on some of the photos many buildings with crooked frames and rough brickwork That being said, the newer architecture is a plastic injection that's incompatible with the soul of the city. It feels like what remains of our history is concealed and unprioritized as if it's some kind of wart, such as the block of restaurants concealing the window of the Old Grammar School The city needs it's architecture to breathe and reflect it's soul as something more than just a business hub for students and VIPs to pass through
@keithfrmcov12 жыл бұрын
It's damn shame the Hippodrome was demolished.
@marklittler7847 жыл бұрын
with online shopping were back to the old days when milk floats delivered, shops in major cities becoming bars, jobs going from shops to warehouses and their delivery drivers. More people using bars, takeaways, cafe's and restaurants outdoor life becoming more to do with recreational activities.
@jcoker29910 жыл бұрын
Thanks, after many years on the other side of the planet this was sad and nostalgic for me. Much was destroyed, but enough remains to perhaps rebuild the city as has been done with Dresden - perhaps in time for the 100th anniversary of the blitz. My folks were in Holbrooks, and the 14th November was my Grandfather's birthday. PUSB.
@martinadams88363 жыл бұрын
well researched and well presented. thank you. having grown up in post war Coventry i was always envious of the beautiful city that was destroyed. destruction initiated by german bombs and completed by city planners.
@stevebuckley24294 жыл бұрын
Heartbreaking
@carloakley53673 жыл бұрын
Music is shocking
@amenxv631311 жыл бұрын
man u earned ur self another like and subscribe nice job
@221jamo11 жыл бұрын
interesting slideshow though thanks for putting together :)
@TheDanielCoyle12 жыл бұрын
great video :) where did you get all those old photos from?
@coreywoodbridge28856 жыл бұрын
growing up in the city right now and seeing wat it was like jesus christ its changed for the worst in places
@bobgibb27814 жыл бұрын
This wonderfully made video needs to be retitled Coventry Then and Then because so many student accommodation blocks have been thrown up that the city is barely recognisable . And they are still building more and more . Meanwhile there is an entire population of Street Sleepers inhabiting the city centre .
@WellnessRoady5 жыл бұрын
After I had been to Coventry, I was shocked to find what this city used to be. Thanks to town planners and the Luftwaffe, this once beautiful city is lost, probably forever. This video is wonderful and really gave me some insight into what this city was, however at 3:40 that lake was not at the sight of the whittle arch, it was at Swansell pool. Great work nevertheless, thumbs up.
@eyesofisabelofficial6 жыл бұрын
Nicely matched up, even though the now photos are out of date.
@golden.lights.twinkle23292 жыл бұрын
Because 'now' is a moving target! Even your comment is now out of date.
@joehawkings96348 жыл бұрын
Brilliant thank you
@MrDragonsmoker11 жыл бұрын
Lovely job...well done..thoughtful and reflective. Time come and gone..sad and beautiful at the same time..Coventry indeed had some beauty back then but for the most part you can see what a disaster the civil planning has been...atrocious decisions! Play Up Sky Blues by the way!
@harrygearing72735 жыл бұрын
Agreed
@stevedaly36342 жыл бұрын
Brilliant
@wolflupus7887 жыл бұрын
good informative video.
@ScottMG6 жыл бұрын
Since i wrote that comment four years ago, there has been a change....for the worse.
@michaellovegrove79538 жыл бұрын
I left in 78 and it is sad to think the town council could start with a pretty, architecturally magnificent town and by spending quite a few millions turn it into a total s**t hole.
@-a-25188 жыл бұрын
Fuck you to
@OsKBLaZe10 жыл бұрын
These need robe redone again with the ever changing face of coventry
@WatcherOfYT11 жыл бұрын
And they call it progress, I'd much rather live in the streets show from many moons ago. Great video by the way.
@Steerpike076 жыл бұрын
Building companies have missed a trick. They're always on the look out for reasons to persuade 'planning' departments to let them knock something down and build something 'new'. For their next trick they could get people on their side and propose knocking down everything they've just finished building and rebuild in a style that restores the elegance and style the majority of people actually prefer. This could be a money-making bonanza for the construction industry - surely they can spot an opportunity like this?
@RadekZielinski.6 жыл бұрын
who needs a time machine? when you can watch this.
@jebson111 жыл бұрын
no my friend - depends on your prespective -it has changed a lot over the years like everywhere but that's life! Greatb old photos of a Coventry from years back!
@CEWDICU4 жыл бұрын
Now they are trying to remove some of the gaudy stuff they've built over the years for the City of Culture 2021. It's kind of offset by the growing number of massive blocks of apartments in the city centre that are all student accommodation. It's mixed feelings on those, as the students bring in a lot of money to Coventry, which I think would be pretty much dead if they were not there, as a lot of the big manufacturing has long ago gone. I hope Coventry rises like the phoenix one day, it's a good city with good people but has lost a lot of investment, made worse by 'fashionable' directions of the planners over the years.
@suprematica10 жыл бұрын
2/3 of Coventry city was destroyed on 14th November 1940 in the blitz. After the war the city was rebuilt quick as possible to try and make the city functional once again . The city centre is undeniably ugly but that may be down to the fact that the city planner who also designed the (ridiculous) ring road was german
@JEANNEBOLEYN6 жыл бұрын
Yet the Germans managed to do an excellent job restoring their war-ravaged cities.
@LafayetteDS4 жыл бұрын
@@JEANNEBOLEYN Not at all many are ugly as shit
@dcsMagazine8 жыл бұрын
0:15 is now completely different again :D
@mel43337 ай бұрын
Lovely old Coventry now Concrete Coventry.
@littlebopeep21904 жыл бұрын
The then looks better than the now
@TIDYJOKER4 ай бұрын
Thumbs up, but i feel like it should be a negative one. The video is great though. Just a sad one
@derrickjacques81613 жыл бұрын
What do u think
@coventrywatchmuseum10 жыл бұрын
the old cottages t court number 7 in Spon street which house our museum are still there but need major renovation. Funding has been refused by Heritage lottery. check out picture etc regarding the museum on our facebook page
@slaglauz4 жыл бұрын
City planners of late need sacking, how much nicer was it before all these monstrosity's were built in the city centre.... Disgrace, take me back to the 1950's
@kiamorant91711 жыл бұрын
I like it in cov, better than other places i guess so u just have to be gratefull gor everything u have
@jameshollyoak82302 жыл бұрын
Completely different now again in 2022
@russelljameswhitehea10 жыл бұрын
Back then the council also demolished the rest of what wasn't bombed.
@shorney1111 жыл бұрын
Sorry I don't undestand what you'r saying. I was merely lamenting the destruction of the beautiful timeless achitecture that has mostly disappeared and/or replaced over time. There are many reason to wish the war never occured, to me part of it is the loss of art as well as lives. Coventry today looks like a mass of grubby concrete blocks and the streets are rarely clean in some areas. I'd feel more pride in my home town if thing were otherwise.
@stevebuckley24294 жыл бұрын
The Ring Road has strangled the City Centre.
@Martin-ef4xh9 ай бұрын
I wish I could see it back then. Amazingly, even though I am in the US and visit occasionally, I can still recognize some of the structures. I really just wished I could see it then before Hitler went and "boogered" everything up.
@PEYIAKID8 жыл бұрын
Ignore that really stupid comment by Janchura, he should have gone with the blitz, have to say as a Coventry Kid with a button in my cap it brought a lump to my throat, I now live in Cyprus but lived and worked at MF Banner lane. Miss the old town as it was..Jim
@brendadrumm97084 жыл бұрын
People don't know how old cov talk if it was going to rain we used to say looks black over bills mother's meaning the clouds looked black over the houses we used to say if someone was ugly looks like someone has stood on their face to wind the clock up and if my aunt had balls she would be my uncle if we didn't like someone we would call them Dracula arse
@jenniferfulford3871 Жыл бұрын
Wht did They replace those beautiful old buildings with square boxes. Does not look like they even tried to replicate the damaged old buildings
@abc33944 Жыл бұрын
Look into Tartarian buildings,, council/gov buildings are the most grandest and a lot older than we are told.. Built in a time when horse and cart was the mode of transport? ...i think not..
@mattyj.5 жыл бұрын
Such nice old buildings replaced by crap what a shame
@221jamo11 жыл бұрын
what a same this used to be a lovely city, the blitz xause destruction but the coucil have done worse :( Makes me feel very sad to see such carnage thats why I moved to Bedworth, but the same is happening here :( when will coucils realise me need little shops and style to buildings not bland dull grey concrete which only fuels despair and high rates that leave these dull shops empty, what a shame :(
@mrrumpledumple21324 жыл бұрын
Oh dear.. I came here expecting to see improvement!! Not severe damage. Wow this is extremely, sad, disappointing and somewhat scary... just imagine how dull it will look in years to come 😳. The cities today have no character at all, soulless. And walking through some areas you get a lot of stares your way. It’s a bitter country England has become
@sagearkless4 жыл бұрын
Yea thats kinda due to the fact that Coventry was destroyed completely in 1940 and they had virtually no money to repair
@JEANNEBOLEYN6 жыл бұрын
If the Germans were able to restore their flattened cities such as Dresden and Braunschweig to their former pre-war appearance why couldn't the British have done the same? Instead all major cities outdo themselves erecting hideous architectural monstrosities like those seen here in Coventry.
@roryscottish80536 жыл бұрын
Super city
@brendadrumm97084 жыл бұрын
Shit hole but I took my first breath in cov seventy one yrs ago gonna take my last
@torontoboy4512 жыл бұрын
I'm thinking that the luftwaffe was as much responsible as the 60's town planners. am I anywhere near right?
@suprematica10 жыл бұрын
It's a shame the most of medieval city was destroyed by the luftwaffe, the old pictures are so much more pleasant but you can't help modernisation.