Vertical Coventry

After my drive “up north”, visiting Warwick Castle, and getting to the hotel, I had a carvery dinner, then flopped out on the bed and watched the new version of Flight of the Phoenix on Film 4. In my opinion, not an improvement on the old version, but watchable enough. Next morning I was in the centre of Coventry.

Once the usual flap with road signs, lanes, one way systems and a car park had been negotiated, I found myself in the centre looking at the statue above. I’ll admit to completely mis-reading the name, and thinking “strange”. Later I realised it was “Godiva” as in Lady Godiva and that me reading it with a “soft i” was the problem!! For those (like me) who know the name and nothing more, she was a local landowner with her husband, and rode through the streets of Coventry naked to convince him to lower taxes on the citizens of the town. Apparently she is the first woman mentioned in the Doomsday Book, and along with her husband funded the towns church and abbey. This statue was erected to boost morale while the city was re-contructed after World War II.

It seems I was in a “vertical” mood this morning – both banks looked very Roman and imposing. While the main shopping precinct was typical 50’s, although down there on the left was a pleasant enough Costa where a coffee and a muffin made a good breakfast! Dodging the rain I got my bearings and made few images..

All these images were made on Ilford’s HP5, rated at box speed and developed in D23. I rather like this combination when I need something faster. In the left hand image above, the spire, in the centre is of the old, bombed cathedral – that’s the next post!