Holes now repaired at Old Grammar School

TWO gaping holes in the stonework of one of Coventry’s oldest buildings have finally been fixed – after SEVEN months.

The gaps in the stonework of the Old Grammar School in Hales Street appeared in January – 18 months after the completion of a £1.5million restoration project

One of the holes was a couple of feet deep and filled with rubbish, while the other had three bricks wedged inside, but workmen have been out this week and made some proper repairs.

The restoration of the 12th century building was part of the £9.5million Coventry Transport Museum redevelopment project.

The building, which had been left empty and neglected since the 1970s, needed extensive repairs to make it safe.

It was in such a bad of state of repair that it was rated as “poor” on Historic England’s At Risk Register.

The back of the school was covered in ivy and various windows were missing.

Archaeological digs needed to take place, new foundations were installed and several crumbling walls had to be rebuilt. It’s also got a new floor and new heating. The £1.5million cost came partly from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant with the condition that the public must be given appropriate access. And when the renovation was first completed in July 2015 there was talk of the much-loved old building being used as an exhibit and educational space showcasing its rich history, including archaeological finds. A new shop front was even built next door to provide access, but that remains empty and the big old wooden doors to the school always seem to be closed.

It has only been used a handful of times for private functions and has just been licenced for weddings

Keith Draper, chairman of the Coventry Society, which nominated the building for a Civic Voice blue plaque in honour of the restoration work, previously said: “Our aspiration is that it should be available on a more regular basis than it is now.”

The building dates back to the 12th century when it was the church attached to St John’s Hospital.

In the 16th century, as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries, it was passed to John Hales who turned it into King Henry VIII School before it moved to Warwick Road. A THIRD of Britons believe they will be the last generation to use cash, a survey has found.

Some 34% of people believe the country will be cashless within the next 20 years, according to research among more than 2,000 people by YouGov.

But nearly as many, at 29%, do not think coins and notes will ever die out.

A quarter of people surveyed said, at present, they use cash every day.

The research also found some people had fraud concerns over newer ways to pay.

Nearly two-thirds of people surveyed feel that using mobile or cashless payments increases the chance of suffering fraud or theft.

But the survey also found that some people who are not currently using mobile payments could be likely to try them in the future.

One fifth of people surveyed who do not use mobile payments said they would be open to doing so.

The growing number of places where contactless “tap and go” payments are accepted has made it easier for people to pay with their card in recent years as an alternative to cash.

But a recent report from payments industry body Payments UK found that despite the move towards plastic, cash is still predicted to make up around a fifth of payments in 10 years’ time.