WI open meeting

Yes ‘open meeting’ means non-members and even men are welcome too! This month’s meeting takes place at 7.30pm on Thursday 13 March at St. Barbara’s Church Hall.

This will be an opportunity to meet Joe Elliott MBE (pictured, right). Joe is a well known Coventry businessman, Chair of Trustees at the Coventry Transport Museum and founder director of Culture Coventry, running the city museums. He is former life president of Coventry City Football Club.

Joe will also be highlighting the work of the NSPCC Business Board raising money for projects in Coventry and Warwickshire.

The cost of entry is £5, including refreshments and you can pay on the door.

 

Teen romance gets steamy

 

Off the back of the commercial success of her debut novel “Wicked Games”, Earlsdon based author Kelly Lawrence has launched a new novel.  Set in Coventry and aimed at older teenagers, “Unconditional” is the story of  Ashley, an A grade college student who falls in love with a boy from the “wrong side of town”.  Fresh out of prison, Joe is out of bounds but Ashley can’t seem to keep away. He’s the one that she wants, and she wants him to be her ‘first’…but at what cost? Unconditional is on sale now.

 

Private libraries galore

Last month we printed a letter from Mrs A D Atkin of Armorial Road enquiring about the privately owned lending library which used to be on Earlsdon Avenue North from the 1950s to the 1970s.  We have had several responses about that and similar libraries in the area.

Mrs Brannigan wrote to say that her friend remembers the small library on Earlsdon Avenue as she worked there as a part time assistant.  She says “It was run by a lady called Mrs Wise from the front room of her house and it was especially busy on a Saturday afternoon”.  Elaine Parnell confirmed that there was a library on Earlsdon Avenue just past Kensington Road, on the right going towards Hearsall Common and David Lloyd sent us a photo of what he thought were the premises, although this was not the case.

Colin Armstrong, who ran Armstrong’s Books and Collectables in Albany Road from 1983 to 2007, tells us he didn’t remember the library himself but sent a copy of a book jacket from ‘Hearsall Library’.  This establishes the address as 200 Earlsdon Avenue, with opening hours of 2.30pm to 7pm Mondays and Wednesdays, 2.30pm to 8pm on Tuesdays and Fridays and 10.30am to 1pm and 2.15pm to 8pm on Saturdays – no less than 28.5 hours in all!  The library claimed to stock ‘all the latest Fiction: Westerns, Romance, Mystery, War, General, Science Fiction and Period’.  The book jacket also advertised several nearby businesses: June Evans, hairdressers at 169, grocer J Wheatley at 123 Earlsdon Avenue and P A Shore’s betting shop at 5 Coniston Road (now a barbers).

It seems that there were other private libraries in the area.  Mrs Brannigan told us that there was a small library in Melbourne Road and Elaine Parnell gave details of one in Albany Road, known as the Sweet Library because it was part of a sweet shop.  It was on the opposite side of the entry where Statham’s Flowers is now and is believed to have been run by sisters.

ECHO would like to thank all those who helped provide information – and we would welcome more, particularly details of the years that the libraries operated.

 

Dear ECHO

GUM REMOVAL

I was interested to read of Councillor Andrews’s commendable efforts to improve the cleanliness of our streets by urging the council to invest more in equipment to remove chewing gum from the pavements.  It struck me however as a low key issue compared with other issues, particularly the general state of our pavements.

I am constantly concerned that my wife will either trip or fall on the uneven surfaces that present themselves when visiting Earlsdon shops.  This, coupled with the hazard of negotiating cars, vans and even lorries parked on our pavements, is a very real problem, particularly for older citizens and people with disability.  The damage caused by these parking practices is plain to see.  A very good example is outside the City Arms, where the beer lorry can often be seen parked totally on the pavement, despite the pub having a perfectly useable car park.  And yet nothing is done.

The speckling of chewing gum on our pavements is certainly far from aesthetically pleasing but it is no threat to life and limb.  The general state of our pavements on the other hand most certainly is.  I would like to see Councillor Andrews’s undoubted energy focused more on the real priorities which face us in Earlsdon.  The chewing gum issue can surely wait.

James Powell

Rochester Road
ECHO invited Councillor Andrews to respond and he replied:

Whilst I accept that the removal of gum may be considered a ‘low key’ issue compared with other issues, I can assure readers that I am able to campaign on numerous fronts simultaneously.  The ‘street pride’ scene is a regular complaint I receive from residents and my work on gum removal was a response to a rise in complaints about chewing gum, specifically on Earlsdon Street.

I have done a great deal of work to campaign for numerous issues in Earlsdon, including for better pavements.  In the ward, a total of £165,000 has been spent on improving pavements in this financial year. Specifically in Earlsdon Street, we have explored bollards to protect the pavements from things like business delivery vans, but we received objections on highways grounds based on bus movements and traffic flow. With regard to the City Arms,  I can assure you that I have raised this matter previously with highways officers, and we have written to Wetherspoons to raise this concern.

I work very closely with my ward colleagues, Cllr Ken Taylor and Cllr Michael Hammon, to lobby for funding for pavement improvements and we have had some success in the ward.  We are also working with the bus companies to protect local services, we campaigned successfully to protect the clock roundabout, and regularly support local residents with numerous endeavours.  I also led the campaign at the Council House to return the Earlsdon Festival to the community, which is now made possible thanks to the extreme dedication of local volunteers.

I can assure readers, that by campaigning for one particular issue it does not mean that I am downgrading other issues.  I of course recognise the need for better and safer pavements in some areas, and I am regularly out and about in Earlsdon gauging the views and opinions of local people.

Cllr Allan Andrews

Earlsdon Ward

 

THERE IS A CALL FOR REAL ALE

This letter is in response to one we printed late last year. Unfortunately we received it in December during the two month gap between issues and then due to a mistake on our part it did not appear in the February issue, for which we apologise.

I am told that someone wrote in recently and misquoted me as saying that there was no call for cask ales here.  Just to clarify. When I first took over in August we did not have many customers asking for cask ales. Some customers started to ask for it from end of September time and I got in some Hobgoblin to try it out. Obviously, cask ales are tricky as they have such a short shelf life. I needed to ensure that I would have enough real ale drinkers in to sell it all so that it was not wasted. The first barrel – there was some waste, the next one a bit less. It has had to be a gradual process to ensure the good quality of beer is always served, but trying to keep waste to a minimum.

Now I am normally offering a choice of 2 cask ales – a combination of either a medium, a light or a dark one, including the very popular Marstons EPA. Clearly, in order to maintain our high standards of real ale and to be able to continue to sell it, we need plenty of real ale drinkers to keep coming here!

I know from personal experience that the Albany was a well known cask ale pub. I worked here back in 1977-78 (my first job when I left school at 16 years old) and when Anne and Cliff ran it, we sold different cask ales such as Marstons Pedigree. As this pub is a traditional old pub, I would very much like to continue with the cask ales and increase the choices. So real ale drinkers – please take note – the Albany Pub sells cask ales again!!

Lizzi Maxted-Bluck

Albany Pub

Albany Road

 

Music round-up

ECHO’s area is very well served for live music, with more than a dozen venues hosting performances to suit many tastes.  Here are some upcoming highlights.

The Fab Beatles play the Arches on 14 March
The Fab Beatles play the Arches on 14 March

There’s another assortment of tribute acts at the Arches, starting on 7 March with a journey back in time to the original 1970s punk era, as the Sex Pistols Experience return, this time with support from Lizzie and the Banshees, who recreate the look and sound of Siouxsie Sioux and her band mates.  Travel back a further decade and a half on the 14th, to experience the Fab Beatles, who promise the definitive sound of the Beatles, then it’s fast-forward to the ska revival of the early 1980s, when Ska Britannia perform a tribute to the likes of the Specials, Madness, the Beat and more, on 21 March.  Snowblind, purveyors of early Black Sabbath classics for die-hard fans appear on the 22nd, followed on 28 March by Tina Turner tribute Tina and the City Limits Band.  The Arches’ last gig of the month sees a return visit from the Jam Pact, recreating the live energy of the Jam, on the 29th.

The Arches also plays host to Fargo Tours’ Bands Night on 15 March, when raucous entertainment will be provided by Milton Keynes punks RSI (Routine Social Incompetence), Manchester’s space noise punk band Black Light Mutants, venue regulars The Army of Skanks and local post punk trio Bad Mouth Men.

Ditch the TV! organiser Malc Evans launches his new 3-track EP, Glimpses, at this month’s show, which is at the Maudslay on 28 March.  For those who can’t wait to hear his new material, the songs can be enjoyed online ahead of the launch.  Malc will be joined on the bill by ambient acoustic, post-rock musician Andy Mort, who performs in the guise of Atlum Schema, along with singer/songwriters Kerry Devine and Joe Dolman.

Warwick’s Americana duo K2Acoustic bring their combined wealth of playing experience to the Broomfield Tavern, Broomfield Place, on 29 March.  Expect to hear a fusion of rhythm and blues, country, bluegrass, roots-rock, jazz and funk.

For acts with a wider appeal, cover and party bands play each weekend at Carey’s and the Albany Club.  Available details are in the Diary of Events, near the back of this issue. Artists and venues: if you’d like your forthcoming gig included in a future issue, please let us know by email.

 

Marathon stitch project gets a new home

You may remember that some time ago, ECHO ran a feature on the Marathon Stitch Project organised by the Phoenix Stitchers, a local group of needlework enthusiasts. The idea behind the project was to invite local people to get involved with creating a large hanging that would be displayed in various places across the city to mark the Olympics and other significant events in 2012/13. Di Powell, project organiser explains.

“The Coventry Freemen’s Guild had made us a generous grant as they were keen for us to promote the textile skills which have underpinned Coventry’s fame and fortune for over a thousand years.  We felt that getting citizens (and visitors) to contribute to making a celebratory, colourful, embroidered textile filled this bill really well, so six, 3 metre long calico panels began to make their appearance in all sorts of public places.  It has been a long process as people are so very shy about picking up a needle and trying out stitching but a number of local groups have got involved including the Earlsdon W.I. who went to with a will and completed a panel within an impressive time scale.

“Taking the other three panels out and about, we had a hard time persuading passers by to actually “have a go”.  Quite a lot of younger women claimed that grandmothers or mothers did the family buttons and repairs!  Men generally regarded sewing out of their skill range, handling a hammer or a chain saw being more in their line.  However, some delightful men were much braver and cheerfully sat down, discovering to their surprise that creative stitching is relaxing, enjoyable and satisfying.

“Our under fives in the Earlsdon children’s library corner amazed us all!  Taking up their needles for the first time, they  concentrated unbelievably hard and were soon making neat stitches in pretty colours as to the manor born. In fact school children of both sexes have contributed some outstanding stitched motifs.  After establishing most of our more recent sessions in Central and local libraries we are now on the last leg and will be concentrating from  now on on finishing the last two panels with established groups, where much better progress is made.

“We’re now planning how to make up the panels individually yet with the ability to be joined together and are talking with the local Library Services about using them to provide a cosy corner for children’s story times as well as possibly to display them in libraries around the city to promote needlework as a creative and rewarding activity as well as showing them in conjunction with other arts and crafts events.  Please keep your fingers crossed that we manage to settle the Marathon Stitch Project into a loving home with a worthwhile future.

“As the project is almost complete, we don’t really need to meet at Earlsdon library on such a regular basis but anyone who’s interested will be invited to continue making their input in informal groups we hope to organise locally. I really want to thank the Earlsdon library staff for being incredibly helpful and welcoming. Sheryl in particular has been very supportive and enthusiastic, including through her artistic advertising boards and putting us on the website.  We are also very grateful for the continued support of ECHO and will certainly keep in touch about developments in coming months.”

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Di on 024 7667 3099.

 

Mummy MoT

Catherine Flamson, founder of local fitness company “Fabulously Fit Mums” is launching a brand new service this spring.

The “Mummy MOT” is  a holistic and bespoke post natal check for new mums to help optimise the body’s recovery following the birth of a baby.

Catherine explains: “Most new mums have weakness in the muscles of the tummy and the pelvic floor after giving birth and a caesarean delivery can further weaken the tummy muscles. The lower back and pelvis are also vulnerable after childbirth and when looking after a young baby. The idea of the Mummy MOT is to help new Mums to identify any areas of weakness so that they can be addressed.”

If you are a new mum, or you’re looking to start a family and want to check that your body is ready, contact Catherine on 07762 179 232.

To launch this exciting new venture, Catherine is offering all ECHO readers the chance to win a FREE Mummy MOT. All you have to do is send your name and address to Catherine by email.

 

Cable work underway

Kensington Road closed with cabling work being carried out
Kensington Road closed with cabling work being carried out

The impact of electricity cabling work is now being experienced by residents and road users in streets across Earlsdon.

As ECHO went to press Kensington Road was closed, with access for residents only and Westwood Road was due to be affected, while works in Spencer Avenue were due to be completed at the end of February.  Disruption along the line of the cabling route between Hearsall Common and Whitley is likely to affect the Earlsdon area until at least 9 April.

The work is being carried out to improve electricity supplies to the south of Coventry.   It involves upgrading equipment in major substations and laying 6km of 132,000 volt cable, which will help to safeguard supply to around 33,000 customers and allow for future increases in demand.

As well as residents and drivers being affected, there will also be disruption to bus passengers with stops being temporarily closed over the coming months on routes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 6A, 11, 12, 18, 18A, 19, 21 and 27.

 

 

80 years old – going stronger then ever

It was eighty years ago next month that St. Mary Magdalen Church in Chapelfields opened its doors for the first time.  And as ECHO discovered recently, the church is growing, active and as vibrant as ever.

The Reverend Stella Bailey, who arrived at ‘the church with the blue roof’ in 2011, explained how the congregation had been working hard in recent years to become more relevant and outward looking, seeking to address needs in the local community while retaining its distinctive Anglo-Catholic style of worship.  One small but important sign of this has been the ‘refreshing’ of the Magdalen Centre.  New carpets, toilets and double glazed windows have made the church annex, which sits on the site formerly occupied by the ‘tin tabernacle’ that pre-dated the current church building, much more welcoming – as guests at the Coventry winter night shelter (see February’s ECHO) are discovering.

The night shelter is just one of a number of impressive projects being hosted by the church – and welcomed by the local community.  ‘Messy Church’, a craft based church service designed to be attractive to children and their parents, draws between 40 and 60 people on the first Sunday each month.  “Most of these are people who’ve had no previous contact with the church”, Stella explained.  It’s probably just as well the church has doubled its numbers under Stella’s tenure, as the range of activities it undertakes is dizzying.  “We run a Work Club on a Wednesday morning”, Stella told ECHO.  “It draws on the expertise of retired members who can help with everything from online job searches to CV writing and interview skills – we can even organise suits for when people get interviews!”  No sooner has Job Club finished than the increasingly popular Jolly Tots, a parent and toddler group, fills the centre.  On a Thursday, there’s a luncheon club for older people.   The world beyond our shores is not forgotten, either – the church has made the anti people trafficking charity ‘Stop the Traffik’ its campaign cause for the year, with attractive information displays in the centre raising awareness of the issue.  A brightly coloured Fair Trade banana tree, made by the growing Sunday School, suggests, too, that education in awareness about social concerns starts early!  Somehow amidst all this, Stella finds time to chair the Board of Governors at Hearsall School, having forged close and supportive links with the school since her arrival.

It’s clear that the priest and her congregation see their ‘mission’ in the local community as integral to their purpose.  But all the activity is built on a foundation of continuing attention to accessible worship exploring what Stella terms ‘the mystery of God’, and the spiritual growth of congregation members, including a thriving young adults’ group.  With children now much more actively involved in worship services, groups meeting in members’ homes during the week, the ‘Pilgrim’ course for those exploring Christianity, and a Lent study course about to begin, it’s clear what underpins the congregation’s commitment to becoming more relevant.  St. Mary Magdalen has come a long way since the ‘tin tabernacle’, an offshoot of St. Thomas’s parish church in Spon End, was built.  But, as Stella put it, it’s still “on a journey” to becoming a more visibly Christ-like community in this little corner of Chapelfields.

 

Resource Centre cash and courses

Thanks to all those who collected the Wish tokens for Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind.  They will receive £382.38 as a share from the Coventry Telegraph campaign.

The Cook and Eat Well sessions for visually impaired people have been taking place in the teaching kitchen on Wednesday mornings and have proved very popular – with a chance to eat or take away the results!

New courses to start soon include Care and Share, which offers the opportunity to talk about any issues or problems causing concern.  Craft classes will begin, including card making, sewing and art, with an option to incorporate any new ideas.  There are a few vacancies in the IT classes where visually impaired people can learn to touch type, send emails, order shopping online or trace family history.  So go along to enjoy the company and improve your skills.

If you feel a talking watch, talking clock or any other daily living aids would help you, call in to the Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind at 33 Earlsdon Avenue South or phone 024 7671 7522.