Ordinary Coventry people, but special to us

Hi all. It is with deep sadness & sorrow in my heart that I tell you that a life long friend of mine has died, after a ten year battle with cancer. Michael Gibbs, former pupil from Bablake, was a Technical Illustrator for most of his working life with the JRT group, Jaguar Rover & Triumph, after his earlier days with Reeves in Coventry. He leaves behind, a devoted wife, two daughters & four grandchildren.

How very sad. My thoughts are with you and his family

Sorry for your sadness Philip, we can only imagine how you feel as we lost a very close friend of Tony's a while ago and being so far away was unable to be near his family at a time when I should think they would have needed his friends around. It's a good job we can hold on to our dearest memories and always remember the good times. *****************************************************

Hi & thank you. Growing up, most of us get used to events like funerals, usually aged people of past generations in our families. Having been a church organist (now retired) brought me into contact with families who had lost loved ones in tragedies, parents that had lost children & so on. Failing eyesight forced my retirement from official organ duty at the end of 2006. Since then, I have atteneded funerals of my generation of family, as well as friends. It's what I think is called getting old. Mick, as I always knew him was a special friend. Our views on life were similar. I will tell you just a strange thing that happened once. During the Falklands conflict 1982, after HMS Coventry was hit, that same evening I could not sleep. At about 2am, still awake I told Pam that I was going to see Mick. (this is 2am)! I pulled up outside his home, only to find that he was coming out of his drive, to come and see me. He could not sleep that night either. We had common interests in astronomy, railways as well as history. He was a historian & I would have loved him to have been part of our site here. He knew his history, not like me.

I'm so sorry Philip. Your friend Mick was special, you will have lovely memories - treasure them.

I knew Mick well as I worked with him at Jaguar in Tech Pubs until he took his redundancy/early retirement some years ago. Sad news.

Hi Kimbo I don't think that Mick ever let on about how ill he really was, from quite early on too.

Hello all A very sensitive issue. Can anyone help? Over the years living in Coventry & involved with music, brought me into close contact with various music shop owners & dealers. One was my friend Paul, who ran Musical World, first in the old Brightwalls shop in Hillfields & then at the corner of Far Gosford St & Binley Rd. Some very sad circumstances forced him to stop trading just a few years ago, which also coincided with my retirement from all public playing. So for a couple of years I have lost contact with him. Speaking with an electronic organ engineer yesterday, brought me some very very sad news about him. Before I actually say on here what I was told, can anyone on here help with any info. I have trolled through the Coventry Telegraph history but have found nothing.

Just curious Philip, in which years was Musical World based on the corner of Far Gosford St & Binley Rd as I only ever remember it as being H.H. Spicer (and later Gibbs)?

Hi Dutchman His Binley Rd shop was what used to be a shoe shop for at least two decades. It was almost opposite the Lloyds Bank building on the corner of Paynes Lane. Edit. Google map still have it as Pauls shop with the big parcels outside, Dutchman. Photo from Google maps.

Thanks Philip The numbering system in that area is quite bizarre. Far Gosford Street ends at 87-88 (Lloyds) on one side then resumes with 89 which is the second* shop after Grafton Street! The next three are Nos 89a, 89b, 89c. *Grafton Street bisects Nos 1 & 2 Binley Road. Musical World was at 90 Far Gosford Street. Spicer's was on the corner at 91-91 (the old bakery). It just seemed natural to me that Musical World would occupy the shop next door which was previously used for a similar business.

Hi again & thank you Dutchman It's Paul, the business owner who I was trying to locate but learned some very bad news about him. He was an outstanding organist quite apart from his music shop business where he did his level best to make sure that his customers were getting what they really wanted.

Philip - I have PMd the information to you

Hello. Thank you, Midland Red. The info I had received was very second hand so I needed confirmation before I posted anything. So I can now state that my friend Paul Collins died at the end of February this year. He had a young family too.

Sad that you have lost your friend Phillip and at a young age. Six years ago today I lost my soul mate and Husband of 41 years. It was a day such as this,pouring with rain and we were in Devon. All we can do is remember the good times and be grateful we had them. Best wishes to you and Pam.