The day Coventry Telegraph sports reporters bought shares in a racehorse

Memories of days gone by at the Coventry Telegraph were shared as an appeal was made to help trace its past. The newspaper’s former headquarters on Corporation Street is set to open as the four-star Coventry Telegraph Hotel in 2021. And bosses there want to hear the colorful tales of its previous use, when everything from Coventry City’s FA Cup triumph from 1987 until the royal visits. were covered.

Among the first to share was Darrell Giles, sports reporter from 1987 to 1993, who will be staying at the hotel on a visit from his current home in Brisbane, Australia, later this year. He said: “I have amazing memories of working for the sports office. I even bought shares in a racehorse called Coventry Kid and celebrated long and hard when he won a race. The sports office spent much of its time across the road at the Town Wall Tavern engaging in a song or two over a pint or three great days.

Another look back was Kate Humphries, whose father James Sheenan spent 21 years as an electrician for the Coventry Evening Telegraph from 1964. She said: “My memories as a child of walking into the Telegraph to see my father would smell like fingerprints when he came home from work, his hands were always black.

Read more: ‘Ultimate’ summer beach and fun fair near Coventry returns for families

“I also loved walking into reception and asking if my dad was there, he always appeared with a cheeky grin on his face. He was also a prankster and almost everyone who worked at The Telegraph would have been on the receiving end of one of his pranks, including the bosses.”

The hotel, which was built over two years at a £15m investment, is now looking for more stories and photos from the Telegraph’s history. It is hoped that an interactive timeline can be created on the hotel’s website and parts of it shared via social media. The newspaper has occupied the building for more than 50 years, and reminders such as black-and-white front page prints and printing equipment can still be seen throughout the hotel.

Amy Windsor, now General Manager, said: “We hope that the personal stories, memories and photographs from years gone by will really help bring the history of the Telegraph Hotel to life. The Coventry Telegraph has played a huge role in the city’s recent past. and we want to hear the stories of the people behind it.

“We are regularly visited by ex-employees who will come for a coffee and love to share their stories. This is a wonderful opportunity to capture them.” To submit your memories visit the hotel website.

Get daily headlines and breaking news delivered to you by email – it’s FREE