Sounds a bit OTT, I guess, but was simpler than the title suggests.
On the Friday 22nd, I went to the Retro-Race Show/Exhibition in Stoneleigh Park, the big agricultural centre, located between Leamington Spa and Coventry. Retro-Race is apparently the biggest international historic motorsport show in Europe, so right up my street ! Again one of those things I wanted to do before, etc, etc……..
I decided to make a bit of a weekend of it, so stayed up in Coventry and went to see some of the places I lived in and frequented in the area. It’s been 50 years since those formative university years, so I expected a lot to have changed – I was not disappointed !
The show was interesting, a bit like the annual Autosport show held in January, but for old stuff. A mixture of trade stands, engineering service suppliers, motor clubs, various static exhibitions, a “live” stage with celebrities, auto jumble – all sorts. Few pictures below:
There was a complete shed full of rally based/Group A cars ( park ferme as they called it). Unfortunately for me, they only ran the rally stage on the Saturday and the Sunday of the show, so I missed that bit.
One of the themes of the show was a a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the first victory by a turbocharged car, so the display included some interesting machinery.
Some of the other stuff that caught my eye….
And just to finish off. Here’s a sample of the sort of thing available in the autojumble. “A genuine Mk 1 Escort front trim panel, sir ? That’ll be £295 please……..” WOW !
Enough cars………. Off to Leamington Spa. Or should I say ROYAL leamington Spa.
After I left school and started my Student Apprenticeship at Automotive Products, I lived in the company hostel, a big rambling mansion of as place, run by a rather eccentric Irishman, inevitably called Mr Sweeny. The house is still there, but now turned into 10 flats. Looking back, it was a bit Dickensian workhouse style, but I guess it at least provided a reasonable place of safety, and didn’t cost much to live there.
I also went through Leamington (not changed drastically – can’t change the layout of a Regency town too much) to look for the old Automotive Products (AP) works site. The majority of it has vanished, to be replaced by a big trading estate called Spa Park.
At one time, AP employed 5000 people, with whole families involved – Dad on the production line, daughter in the offices and Mum working in the canteen – it was that kind of a place. It gradually went into decline, due to competition and “changed world trading conditions”, ending up as just a ghost of its original self. See the Wikipedia page highlighted above. I only found one building still standing – empty. It was the Borg and Beck clutch division front offices. Spent time there during my Student apprenticeship. Bit sad really.
After that first year at Lancaster Poly (now Coventry University), I ganged up with one of the guys on my Degree Course ( Pete Hunnisett, originally from Eastbourne – we are amazingly still in touch !) and we moved into a terrace house in Newcombe Road with 4 other guys. As you imagine, 6 guys in 1 small house was an “experience” ! It’s saving grace was that it was less than 5 minutes stagger to the nearest pub, The City Arms in Earlsdon. Ideal location, some would say !
In the latter part of our Course, Pete and I moved out to a flat above a VG Convenience store in Easter Green, Unicorn Avenue to be precise. It’s now a door and window shop !
Had a quick look round the Coventry main shopping precinct – Including a pint at the Golden Cross pub – not changed much ! There was one bit of nostalgia that seemed to have disappeared. One Rag Week, I was persuaded to play in the Precinct. It was a bit dodgy, as the pedestrian walkway above was dripping rain onto the amplifiers below – not good ! The platform has now disappeared. Here’s living proof of my debauched past…. Happy days…….
After a long day I crashed into my bed at the Ibis Hotel Mill Lane – that certainly wasn’t there 50 years ago ! Ideally suited for a walk into the City Centre, though. They’ve re-cycled an existing building for the reception area and then added a modern wing behind for the bedrooms.
So on the Saturday 23rd AM, it was more exploring. The Poly (now Coventry University) has expanded out of all recognition. Overall, I reckon the campus must be 5 or 6 times the size it was, spread over many sites within the city. The old library has now been converted into the main “front office”. Even the coffee bar where we used to watch the Magic Roundabout has been absorbed. The Engineering block has been completely demolished and moved elsewhere, replaced by a building called The Hub, which seems to be a community centre type building with student services, a Costa coffee, a fresh food shop, etc, etc.
One thing that seems to have drastically changed since I was here last is the explosive growth of great high rise blocks of commercially run student accommodation. I counted at least 4 – not including what Coventry Uni itself was also building. We had to use our own devices to find something – too easy for students these days, I reckon !
Then on the way home (for the ill-fated England rugby defeat….) I quickly drive onto the Warwick University campus – where 50 years ago a few “pleasant” evenings were spent in the bar or watching some band or other. Again unbelievably bigger and impossible to identify the original buildings. Need to dig a bit for more info.
All in all though a thoroughly interesting experience. I must go back to the Leamington area for a couple of nights and have a better look round.