67 faces of Coventry city center shoppers from 2001 to 2009

VaselineJune 23, 2024

0 7 minutes read

67 faces of Coventry city center shoppers from 2001 to 2009 – CoventryLive

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Those were very different times

of Rachel Stretton
05:00, 23 June 2024

DS141107SHOP_10 LATE NIGHT SHOPPING, DOWNTOWN… LUKE JONES (LEFT), CHARLOTTE TRUSTLOVE, LUCY JONES AND BECKI TRUSTLOVE.

It’s hard to believe in today’s world of high streets full of cafes and restaurants, but Saturday shopping in the city center was a big deal. In the early 2000s, it was a normal activity to go “into town” to pick up the latest bargains.

And that was just the weekends – add in the late pre-Christmas shopping and Boxing Day sales (Black Friday wasn’t a thing back then!) and shopping was practically a hobby.

We’ve taken a look back at Coventry city center shoppers in their shopping glory days in this week’s nostalgia feature.

Take a look through the photos below and don’t forget to share your memories in the comments.

You can see more nostalgia content here.

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Boxing Day sales in Coventry city centre, Sophie Knight walks past the Bank clothes shop

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Coventry Transport Musuem Christmas Craft FairTracy Dix of Su Lin Designs shows Sandra Kite from Allesley some of the characters she made from socks

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Coventry Transport Museum Christmas Craft Fair Linda Hartlett from Bedworth on her stall

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Coventry Emma O’Brien Transport Museum Christmas Craft Fair at the Lock Gallery, Canal Basin

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Smithford Way, Coventry. Italian market. Kathleen Adamonis (right) from Walsgrave, Coventry, at the pastry stall.

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Smithford Way, Coventry. Italian market. Marzena Kopik (center) collects her bread.

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West Orchards Shopping Centre, Coventry. Shoppers invited to ride a bike on an exercise bike. The aim is to time 90 miles, the distance from Sheffield to Coventry. Coventry will host the Westfield Health British Transplant Games, Sheffield hosted the event last year. ltor Blake Forsythe (Coventry Blaze player), Cllr Jack Harrison (Deputy Lord Mayor), Emma Dean (Games Events Manager), Laurie McGlone (Coventry Rugby Club)

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Woolworths store, Coventry city centre. Last trading day. Violet Wilson

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Woolworths store, Coventry city centre. Last trading day. Janet and Peter Squires

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Woolworths store, Coventry city centre. Last trading day. Michelle Timms and son Aaron

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Woolworths store, Coventry city centre. Last trading day.

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Woolworths store, Coventry city centre. Last trading day. Martin Oboe

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Upper Precinct, Coventry. Boxing Day sales. Ahmed Daya.

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Upper Precinct, Coventry. Boxing Day sales. Elaine Barton and son James Barton.

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Upper Precinct, Coventry. Boxing Day sales. Jim Maloney.

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DJ111208WOOL_9.jpg Woolworths closes, shoppers scramble for last-minute bargains Sarah Jones

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DJ111208WOOL_8.jpg Woolworths closes, customers scramble for last-minute bargains Malcolm Clayton

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DJ261207SHOP_2.jpg TIN DAY SHOPPING IN COVENTRYL L: AREEG SAEED AND YANAA SAEED (TWINS)

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DJ261207SHOP_5.jpg SHOPPING DAY IN COVENTRYADRIAN MILLER

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MR221207SALE_9.jpgMark RadfordCoventry City Centre, popular shopping and general views. Anita and Richard Callan

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MR221207SALE_5.jpgMark RadfordCoventry City Centre, vox pop shopping and general views. General view.

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MR221207SALE_7.jpgMark RadfordCoventry City Centre, vox pop shopping and general views. Gary Cutler

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DS141107SHOP_10LATE NIGHT SHOPPING, DOWNTOWN….. LUKE JONES (LEFT), CHARLOTTE TRUSTLOVE, LUCY JONES AND BECKI TRUSTLOVE.

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DS141107SHOP_6LATE NIGHT SHOPPING, DOWNTOWN….. RICHARD MCKERNAN (LEFT), JOHN MCKERNAN AND REBECCA MCKERNAN

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MR221207SALE_8.jpgMark RadfordCoventry City Centre, vox pop shopping and general views. Rose Cutler

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DS141107SHOP_9 LATE NIGHT SHOPPING, DOWNTOWN… DARREN GREEN

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JB020607RAVE_14.JPG*JAMES BALFOUR*Lower Precinct, Coventry.Flash mob in Lower Precinct organized on MySpace. Reporter: Sam Clarke.. It was a typical Saturday afternoon in Coventry city centre. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, shoppers were shopping – and lots of young people were grooving to drum and bass tunes on their iPods in the middle of the precinct below! Amazed shoppers gathered in hundreds like about 20 young men. and the women – all dressed in blue and equipped with iPods and MP3 players – gathered in a corner for a “silent rave”. making its way across the UK. The idea is to bring a group of strangers together to do something random that will draw crowds. The events are organized on the Internet. There’s no point – other than fun – and those involved in flash mobbing keep doing what they’re doing until they’re moved on. Just after 3pm, a whistle blew and the ‘ravers’ put on their headphones and danced wildly to themselves as hundreds watched from nearby shops, cafes and the top floor of the venue. The dancers dispersed after exactly two minutes to the cheers and applause of the crowd. One of the dancers, Steve Kerr, 22, an insurance adviser from Allesley, said: “It was excellent. It’s the first to be done in Coventry and it was really funny.” Charlotte Haggett, 21, a student at Coventry University, who lives in Radford, added: “It was listening to a garage song. I don’t know what it was. I saw a lot of people following us – it caused quite a stir.” Marc Scheimann, 21, traveled all the way from Copenhagen, Denmark, to attend the rave. He said: “I was listening to a drum and bass song by Pendulum. It was really exciting. Many people think flash mobbing is youth anarchy, but it is subculture. It is an expression of art. “It was a great experience and I would love to do something similar.” Rave footage can be seen at www.myspace.com/silentravecov

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JB020607RAVE_9.JPG*JAMES BALFOUR*Lower Precinct, Coventry.Flash-mob in Lower Precinct organized on MySpace. Reporter: Sam Clarke.. It was a typical Saturday afternoon in Coventry city centre. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, shoppers were shopping – and lots of young people were grooving to drum and bass tunes on their iPods in the middle of the precinct below! Amazed shoppers gathered in hundreds like about 20 young men. and the women – all dressed in blue and equipped with iPods and MP3 players – gathered in a corner for a “silent rave”. making its way across the UK. The idea is to bring a group of strangers together to do something random that will draw crowds. The events are organized on the Internet. There’s no point – other than fun – and those involved in flash mobbing keep doing what they’re doing until they’re moved on. Just after 3pm, a whistle blew and the ‘ravers’ put on their headphones and danced wildly to themselves as hundreds watched from nearby shops, cafes and the top floor of the venue. The dancers dispersed after exactly two minutes to the cheers and applause of the crowd. One of the dancers, Steve Kerr, 22, an insurance adviser from Allesley, said: “It was excellent. It’s the first to be done in Coventry and it was really funny.” Charlotte Haggett, 21, a student at Coventry University, who lives in Radford, added: “It was listening to a garage song. I don’t know what it was. I saw a lot of people following us – it caused quite a stir.” Marc Scheimann, 21, traveled all the way from Copenhagen, Denmark, to attend the rave. He said: “I was listening to a drum and bass song by Pendulum. It was really exciting. Many people think flash mobbing is youth anarchy, but it is subculture. It is an expression of art. “It was a great experience and I would love to do something similar.” Pictures of the rave can be seen at www.myspace.com/silentravecov

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JB020607RAVE_13.JPG*JAMES BALFOUR*Lower Precinct, Coventry.Flash-mob in Lower Precinct organized on MySpace. Amazed onlookers. Reporter: Sam Clarke.. It was a typical Saturday afternoon in Coventry city centre. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, shoppers were shopping – and lots of young people were grooving to drum and bass tunes on their iPods in the middle of the precinct below! Amazed shoppers gathered in hundreds like about 20 young men. and the women – all dressed in blue and equipped with iPods and MP3 players – gathered in a corner for a “silent rave”. making its way across the UK. The idea is to bring a group of strangers together to do something random that will draw crowds. The events are organized on the Internet. There’s no point – other than fun – and those involved in flash mobbing keep doing what they’re doing until they’re moved on. Just after 3pm, a whistle blew and the ‘ravers’ put on their headphones and danced wildly to themselves as hundreds watched from nearby shops, cafes and the top floor of the venue. The dancers dispersed after exactly two minutes to the cheers and applause of the crowd. One of the dancers, Steve Kerr, 22, an insurance adviser, from Allesley, said: “It was excellent. It’s the first to be done in Coventry and it was really funny.” Charlotte Haggett, 21, a student at Coventry University, who lives in Radford, added: “It was listening to a garage song. I don’t know what it was. I saw a lot of people following us – it caused quite a stir.” Marc Scheimann, 21, traveled all the way from Copenhagen, Denmark, to attend the rave. He said: “I was listening to a drum and bass song by Pendulum. It was really exciting. Many people think flash mobbing is youth anarchy, but it is subculture. It is an expression of art. “It was a great experience and I would love to do something similar.” Pictures of the rave can be seen at www.myspace.com/silentravecov

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DJ271206SALE_11.jpg COVENTRYMARK RILEY JANUARY SALE

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DJ271206SALE_10.jpg JANUARY SALES IN COVENTRYJANICE AND RAY WYKES

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DJ271206SALE_9.jpg JANUARY SALES IN COVENTRYPEOPLE NEXT

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JB291106TREE_1.JPGLower Precinct, Coventry city centre. The Giving Tree is Coventry City’s annual mission where Coventry shoppers buy gifts for the underprivileged.L-R…………Helen Davis, Frank Cooper and David Martin (all of Coventry City Mission) with Stephen Spence (of The Entertainer Store). Reporter: Sam Clarke

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JB221106SHOP_1.JPGUpper Precinct, Coventry city centre. Christmas shoppers.

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MR221106SHOP_4.jpgMark RadfordBroadgate, general view of shoppers with Primark store in background.

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JB201006SHOP_3.JPGPrimark, Broadgate, City Centre. A busy first day. Reporter: Hannah Murdoch

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JB081106BABY_4.JPGM&S, Upper Precinct, Coventry City Centre. ‘Celebrities’ pack shopping bags in aid of Baby Lifeline. A “star-studded” crowd watches as “Dev” packs groceries. Reporter: Sam Clarke

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JB201006SHOP_2.JPGPrimark, Broadgate, city centre. A busy first day. Reporter: Hannah Murdoch

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JB221106SHOP_2.JPGUpper Precinct, Coventry city centre. Christmas shoppers.

VaselineJune 23, 2024

0 7 minutes read