Hometown - Coventry (1959)

Coventry, Midlands.
Top shot looking down on ruins of the bombed Cathedral. Side shot showing spire and damaged walls. WS and top shot of the rebuilt town centre. Hotel Leofric. Street level scenes of the new Coventry and wide Square. Statue of Lady Godiver on a horse. Modern clock with doors opening and model of Godiver appearing on a horse.
Entrance to Standard Motors car works as their cars drive out the entrance. Int. Shop floor making tractors. A Ferguson tractor comes off the assemble line and is driven away. Standard cars on the production line, a woman changes a sign for "Daily Output" to 331. Women polish the windows as cars leave the line. Entrance as new Standard and Triumph cars drive past.
FILM ID:2279.11
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. www.britishpath...
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT www.britishpath...
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpat...

[@paulbroderick8438]

At one time, a major hub of engineering and manufacturing. All long gone.

[@sandowngirl]

In the days when we were so proud of our City.

[@darrenbaker3195]

Still am

[@stevem-h3562]

".... do you remember the good old days before the ghost town?
We danced and sang and the music played
in our new boom town...."

[@chrisweeks6973]

Being born there in 1946, I remember largely from the 1950's-60's and worked Triumph's Radford factory 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. I migrated in 1972 and each time I return on a visit, the city seems to have deteriorated further.

[@TangoVictorSierra]

Agreed, it's horrible and soulless now. 'The city of culture', as some call it (or as I call it, the city of gang culture).

[@mel4333]

I agree with your comments.

[@ColinDyer-nm5ol]

You did not have to worry about stabbings and drug taking. We used to go into the City on a Saturday morning to the cinema. Happy days

[@kevinprior3549]

Wow.... Coventry building cars

[@chrisweeks6973]

There were, at one time, more car companies in Coventry than in the rest of the country put together.

[@bond0666]

Jaguar cars

[@egastap]

Armstrong Siddeley, Daimler, Jaguar, JLR, Standard Motors, Triumph, Alvis, Allard, Chrysler,, Coventry Climax, Excelsior, Francis Barnett, Hillman, Humber, Lanchester, Lea Francis, Maudslay, Massey Ferguson, Riley, Morris Motors, Singer, Sunbeam, SS Cars, the list goes on......and on......That's when the UK was an auto industry City. Now...I'm not sure what its claim to fame is. Left there in the early 80's as the industry was being closed down by the Unions.....and Thatcherism which wanted to make the UK into a non-industrial, service oriented country. Look where that got you !!

[@masterperros]

Those industries were long outdated and improductive by the 70s, Thatcher didnt kill the industry, she was just the nail in the coffin. Most Western countries have abandoned manufactured industries and have develop high-tech, creative economies, the UK is a great example.

[@mel4333]

@@egastap Plus Rolls Royce, GEC, Bicycles etc

[@alfindigo]

I was born here in 1955. I loved the city, but I’m afraid it’s just a mess now. I moved away in 1999….

[@TangoVictorSierra]

Dodged a bullet there mate

[@zombiekillerronsta]

it is 2023

[@mel4333]

Daddy used to work at Armstrong Siddeley then Rolls Royce as an Aeronautical Engineer. Look at it now, no more factories in Coventry and all because of those strikes they used to have.

[@EnyawYorlig]

This is when Coventry was a proud snd indigenous city. Then we git immigration.