Fond memories of market punk rocker
Get in touch – tell us what YOU think
I REFER to your Remember When photo (Feb 2).
I worked at Coventry Retail Market from 1976 and have very fond memories and made many friends.
Many have now died sadly but some still exist just older like myself – and being the only punk rocker working there and listening to my Sony Walkman, I got told off by my manager but never took much notice.
I left the market in 1985 to get married and raise a family, and I returned in the late 90s. I just had to return it my roots to say the retail market was my baby. I took part in the Coventry Market musical but I have now retired.
I still miss the market. I try to get down there to see friends and have a laugh when I can. Paul Sadler Henley Green
Fly-tipping issue not new to us
THE photos of fly-tipping in Bolingbroke Road (Feb 2) should be truly shocking, but sadly locals are getting used to this sort of scene. Some weeks ago, a group of us, accompanied by Councillors John McNicholas and Catherine Miks and two council officers, walked around streets in the Lower Stoke area. Things were bad then, and are getting no better. There are fewer officers who can deal with this sort of nuisance, and more and more houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). Settled residents –including long-term renters – have been complaining for the last six years or more about the rapid deterioration of areas with a large proportion of HMOs in shortterm lets. There are good landlords as well as bad, but bad ones think nothing of dumping old furniture, mattresses, fridges and even old bathroom fixtures in streets and alleyways. All landlords should be required to register with the local authority, to provide decent accommodation and to maintain grounds and gardens to a reasonable standard.
Some councillors and council officers do try to deal with problems brought to their attention, but this is like trying to mend a broken leg with a sticking plaster.
What is needed is a city-wide policy to protect areas that already have more than enough HMOs from more conversions. Other university towns have already used an Article 4 Direction to prevent the uncontrolled proliferation of HMOs. Our council’s only policy is to hope that purpose-built student accommodation will solve the problem.
For some reason, Coventry planners seem to have set their faces against taking the effective action open to them. The results of this are plain to see in streets like the one featured in your article. Barbara Moore Stoke
We’re struggling to contact British Gas
WE are well used to getting no response from the city council, or being told to call India if you want anything from BT.
Our British Gas Homecare Agreement offers a service which says they will remove obsolete appliances (our dishwasher) and fix new at a cost. This is if you can access their replacement team. Not likely.
Despite waiting half an hour for no response, I finally got through to be told they had no idea. Contact British Gas directly. They tell me to contact the replacement team.
After five times today, the latest engineer has said he is the wrong man for the job.
Complain, they say – but their email does not work. We are supposed to pay for this service.
This is one case of a service that should be returned to public ownership. Simon Whitehead Cannon Park