Art College

I wondered if anyone fancies talking about the old art college memories? I went there when I finished school, to the annexe in Radford Rd. I only stayed a month, and didn't think it was for me (mad fool, went into engineering! ) But it was quite entertaining. First day in October 1962, we had Life Study. Poor model, standing or sitting there, in a draughty old nissen hut in the back garden, with about 8 electric fires around her. Broken windows, gaps around doors - you name it, it blew a draught! Then when I got home that evening, my mother said "What did you do?" "Life Study" "A model?" "Yes" "Woman?" "Yes" "Nude?" "Yes" That was the last thing she said to me until bedtime. Parents were more easily embarrassed in those days!

I've never been to any art classes but I know they use live models who get paid for sitting. Was that the Boy Scouts hut on the corner of Beake Ave and Radford Road where the art classes were.

No. The Radford Road annex (necessitated because the proper art college was bombed) was a very large and rather nice (once) Victorian house with a large garden behind it. Space was created with erecting two nissen huts (the precast concrete type) in the garden. I started to do a DipAD course, same basis as the old DipTech, both of which were later dropped, and reverted to BA (Hons) and BSc (Hons) respectively. People who did them were able to swap for the 'proper' degree when the change was made. I'm not sure that I did the right thing in walking away from it; but my daughter has a BA (Hons) and MA in art, and she's never really had a meaningful job, so I probably did. However, my cousin is also an artist, and he has made a successful career out of it.

Wonder if it was the big house just over the rail bridge in town which by the TA, or the only other one I can think of is the Radford House which use to be a pub owned by Spence the Ribbon manufacturer.

Maybe dutchman will know! It was on the left going out of town, about a mile from the town end of Bishop St.

The annexe was in the house called Hill Crest. I think it may have been demolished? Anyone out there know?

Looking it up all it states it was on the Radford Road but doesn't state whereabouts and states it was used as an annex, all I can think of it's either still there and renamed or been knocked down, it wasn't Barrs Hill School by any chance was it, at the top of the hill from the ring road.

Keith it was Barrs Hill School where they had the annex, the big Victorian building they knocked down, like all lovely buildings.

I can confirm what Morgana states. I took a painting exam there in 1962 to gain a free scholarship to enable me to go to the main art school which is across the road from the new Cathedral. Was it called "The Lancaster College of Art"?

Well, I reckon my father was right when he said the council did far more damage to Coventry than Hitler ever managed! mattash, I don't remember it being called anything other than Coventry College of Art and Design. I went to the new art college for pre-selection interview, but otherwise never ventured in.

The reason I asked about the name was that I attended the College of Art in Ford St until it closed in 1968, approx. They then moved to temp. accommodation on the A45 by Baginton. Where to after that no idea?

Just found out. The Coventry College of Art, The Lanchester College of Design and the Rugby College all amalgamated in 1970 to become The Lanchester Polytechnic. Knew it was something like Lancaster.

Ah, ye-e-e-s. I attended the Lanchester College of Technology from 1965-68. Spent many "happy" hours in D Block! I didn't realise that the Art College was made part of the 'Lanch'. I had assumed it was separate, and wouldn't have given it a moment's thought while I was embroiled in my studies there. I was studying Communication Technology.

Hi Keith, The Art College was originally in Cope Street I think. I attended Technical Illustration day release course there in 1965/66. Later, when I was a Product Design lecturer at "The Lanch", there were several lecturers originally from the Art College, Norman Wilkinson, Colin Saxton and John Ragsdale spring to mind. I wonder if anyone else remembers them?

I'm afraid I don't remember any of their names - I didn't stay long enough! I well remember a fair haired guy who taught us art history, going on and on about Hokusei. And the life drawing lecturer whose idea of getting us over our initial embarrassment was to talk about the model's body parts in somewhat, er, intimate terminology.