Phoenix City
Peter Stewart is sent to Coventry
TO be “sent to Coventry” has always had negative connotations. Meaning to ostracise someone, it’s thought the idiom dates way back to the English Civil War when, as a Parliamentary stronghold, Royalist prisoners of war were held at Coventry and shunned by all and sundry. Even today, though, when I tell my friend from the West Midlands that I’m off to the city for the weekend he seems a bit surprised.
Perhaps Coventry’s proud industrial history, emerging from the depths of destruction, is too widely forgotten. It was once one of Britain’s most important cities due to its cloth and textile trade, later leading the way in manufacturing with the production of bicycles, cars and jet engines, and in design – seen in its post-World War II urban reconstruction.
This year might just change that, as Coventry takes on the mantle of UK City of Culture 2021, beating off competition from the likes of Swansea, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland and Paisley.
“We are thrilled that Coventry is now the UK City of Culture. This is a major initiative which takes place every four years, shining a spotlight on the culture, people and stories of a UK city,” Laura McMillan, director of audience strategy for Coventry City of Culture Trust, says.
After London, Hull and Plymouth, Coventry suffered more destruction than any other British city during the
Luftwaffe attacks of World War II. The Luftwaffe air raid of 14-15 November 1940 changed the face of the city forever. The medieval centre – which had been widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest – was almost completely obliterated, as was its cathedral, and around three-quarters of its industrial sites. The bombings left thousands injured and homeless.
In 1938, before the war, a young architect, Donald Gibson, came up
with a vision for the Coventry of the future. After the cataclysmic raids, his plans finally came to fruition in the 1950s and 1960s. Emphasis was placed on creating ample space for pedestrians to shop and socialise, with cars relegated to the city centre’s new ring road. By the 1960s, Coventry boasted a two-level shopping precinct, the first of its kind in Europe, complete with tree-lined boulevards, floral displays and public art installations.
A full calendar of events is already underway in the city’s special year. Autumn highlights include the Turner Prize and Coventry Biennial, from October, and the BBC’s poetry and spoken word festival, Contains Strong Language, in September.
“Coventry UK City of Culture will also shine a light on the amazing variety of attractions that already exist in the city. If you’re thinking of visiting Coventry this year, I can promise you’ll have a great experience,” McMillan adds.
One of these attractions is, of course, the cathedral. Rather than tearing down what remained of Saint Michael’s after the air raids, it was decided that instead the shell of the old cathedral would be preserved and an adjoining, modern one constructed.
This new structure is a bold and ambitious response to the depravity of war, in a thoroughly modernist style. There is a huge floor-to-ceiling tapestry of Christ, designed by renowned artist Graham Sutherland; a space for all Christian denominations to come together and pray known as the Chapel of Unity; and the Baptistry window, providing a kaleidoscope of colour through its 195 panes and occupying the entire height of the baptistry. The ruins of the old cathedral serve as a memorial space reminding all of the tragic loss of war.
“Being crowned UK City of Culture gives us the chance to share Coventry’s unique story as a place which has risen time and again from the ashes. This is a story which has the cathedral at its heart, of course, in our response to the destruction of 1940,” John Witcombe, Dean of Coventry Cathedral, says. “We expect to see hundreds of thousands of new and returning visitors to the cathedral over these coming months, and we look forward to welcoming them.”
Another top attraction is St Mary’s Guildhall, considered the country’s finest remaining medieval guildhall. Happily, the £1.4 million bid to transform it into a major visitor attraction was recently accepted by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with plans to restore the medieval kitchen and enhance the showcasing of the remarkably preserved 16th-century Coventry Tapestry. Depicting the Assumption of the Virgin Mary the artwork, at more than nine metres wide and three metres high, demonstrates the skill of its Flemish weavers, and Coventry’s wealth at the time. Current plans are to have the Guildhall fully open for this December.
The city’s rich past is further recalled at the Transport Museum, home to an astonishing collection of British motor vehicles, and at the
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, which boasts an eclectic range of artworks. View works by Lowry, Spencer and Hockney, as well as intriguing history galleries full of archaeological finds. This much-loved Coventry museum recently underwent a £1.2 million refurbishment and will be hosting the Turner Prize – a first for the West Midlands.
For those venturing out of the centre, on the city’s eastern outskirts lies Coombe Abbey. This 12thcentury Cistercian abbey, which was once owned by Henry VIII, has 500 acres of parkland to explore, as well as splendid Georgian formal gardens.
As the gateway to the city, the railway station is also set to receive a makeover with an extension and the refurbishment of the current
Grade II listed building. Particular flourishes for Coventry’s City of Culture status include a special welcome sign – made with embroidery done by residents; a rewilding mural for the car park’s façade inspired by local wildflowers; and a new vinyl window treatment for the station concourse windows, the design highlighting local landmarks.
There is a palpable buzz on the city’s streets. Residents Gill and Mike Waverley, whom I bump into near the cathedral’s entrance, sum up Coventry’s energy.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for us to show the rest of the country what we’re made of, and although we’ve taken many knocks over the years, we always come back stronger. Coventry is going to make the absolute most of its City of Culture status.”
No doubt. And those naysayers? They can send me here any time! coventry2021.co.uk