Ideal Cafe, Coventry Road

[Astonian]

I THINK YOU WILL FIND THE IDEAL CAFE WAS JUST BEFORE FLORA RD
AND THE PETROL STATION AS YOU CLIMB THE HILL HEADING TOWARDS THE SWAN
I TRAVELLED UP THE COV TODAY AND THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT ,IT WAS DEFINATELY IN THE LITTLE SHOPS AND EVENTUALY IT BECAME A INSURANCE OFFICE
AND LATER AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS IT BECAME SOME THINK ELSE
THERE FORE IT WAS NOT NEXT TO THE JOB CENTR IT Was mistake and at the time it was painted dark blue and it was a little small shop Astonian ;;;

 

[lindyloo]

earlgary..The Wagon and Horses was pulled down eventually, after being subjected to much vandalism and a couple of fires, it was an eyesore for ages. An Aldi supermarket now stands on the land and yes, the block of shops opposite the Old Goodies site is still there....I live just a few minutes walk from there.

 

[lencops]

Who needs the Ideal Cafe when you could get free liquid refreshment here & then get relief just a few yards away!!, location just past the "Bill & Old Bush pub, outside Oaklands Rec, Coventry Rd, the Water Fountain is still there but not working, the urinal was demolished years ago. Len.

 

[Astonian]

hi len
i remember then very well
so if you walk back down the cov from that point of view
towards hay mills you come to my old friends pub
barry the gaffer or is family not to sure if he as emigrated to spain and his daughters running it now
but do not enter the pub ' ha . ha .
but walk past the pub for afew yards you have a side rd
then what used to be an old gareage but now they sell
second hand cars / just past that compound was hammon d house with hamnd insurance company on the first ground floor
and that was hammond house then changed its name there was houses on that plot before they built the office block
and a little row of house many years ago and they was converted to little shops, and the very last little house converted to a cafe and thats where the little ideal cafe was invented
then it was sold to some body whom set up an isueance company for axis and commercial insurances ,s
then later on in time 12 mnths to two years even 3 yrs max
thats when they done some demolishing and built that office block
and refuge came in ansd a couple of finnace merchants
then they moved out and went up the rd where you said
the original door painted dark blue at the old cafe was also by the insurance taxi insurance company and that little door is still there
where i am maintaing where the oringinal idea cafe opened
and tonight i am going to my daughtrs and i am asking my sonfor the loan of his digital camera and take that picture and possible the house number on the door and that will tell us rge excact number of covenyrty rd
regarding the big malins family i do know a lot if them
like a lot in hay mils we have got quite afew new members now on the forum like the wards family jacko and is family and there is more prople whom would remember the little ideal cafe
and i know these people also know the wards and the malins
because they are life time members in hay mills and the local clubs
such as the working mans club ran by sqizzer a shop steward from the old morriswhomalso knows the natives of hay mills
he was brought up arounf there and ran the club for donkey years
the malin are part of the swan exservivesmans club
or may be they used be on the committe there
but i have not seen them in years
any way len i should havethe number for you p cross checj the number of the property ans see if it was listed okay best widhes astonian , ;;;;;

 

[lindyloo]

Hi suemalings, it's been a while I know, but for the past few days, I have been looking for another shop that was next door but one to The Ideal Cafe in Kelly's 1908 Directory. The shop was that of K Lane, wife of Charles Arthur Lane, listed in the 1908 at Excelsior, Coventry Road. Going by Lencops (rip) posts, I figured that Lane's may have been the one I have highlighted in the attached picture (or if not that one, one out of shot to the left) and so the Cafe would have been close by going towards the later built Tivoli Cinema..
I would be grateful for your thoughts and anyone elses.
Hope you and yours are keeping well

 

[mikejee]

Lindy loo
Its probably me not seeing properly, but I can't find your Lane in the 1908 directory. Was it definitely 1908?

 

[lindyloo]

Hi mikejee, well I'm baffled now because I could have sworn I found it in the 1908, but I can't find it now and have checked the other years I have access too. But it is definitely on the "List" for 1911 under the name Lane and the couple were listed twice in the 1911 as they were at 865 Coventry Road too, which I think I worked out to have been demolished for The Singer Factory

 

[pjmburns]

865 Coventry Road was outside Birmingham - just after 727 it says "boundary" so I assume it would be under Warwickshire??

Janice

 

[lindyloo]

Thanks Janice, I have noticed that too on some lists, but on the 1911 census "List" it is listed nextdoor but one to Rylands Farm which was before the Churches going up towards Oldknow Road.