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<\/a><\/div>\n‘I am a dull and simple lad, cannot tell water from champagne, and I have never met the Queen’ wrote Ray Davies of The Kinks and sang by both Ray and Paul Weller.<\/p>\n
Those lyrics have always resonated with me as I too have never met the Queen. And my life is relatively simple. Yet, like many. The Queen’s passing has still shocked me. <\/p>\n
If you agree with monarchy or not, as a person, you cannot, I think, criticise the Queen for her devotion to service and dedication to her duties. The lady will without doubt be remembered for all time. <\/p>\n
Another aspect of my simple life is how I somehow tend to turn every event into something music related. And it struck me that the Queen’s entire 70 year reign covered the whole gambit of rock n roll. <\/p>\n
The Queen also visited Coventry on many occasions. Whether it be for a service at Coventry Cathedral, an official opening, a visit to a working men’s club or visiting the Royal Show at Stoneleigh here are dates for when The Queen visited the area and what was happening in our musical world that day. <\/p>\n
This is not a definitive list of dates just those I managed to find. There may be others. <\/p>\n
May 22 1948 – Princess Elizabeth visits Coventry Cathedral \u2013 I cant find anything specific for that date but Arthur Askey had recently appeared at what was then The Hippodrome Theatre, later known as Coventry Theatre <\/p>\n
March 23 1956 \u2013 Arthur Willis Broadcasting Orchestra appeared at The Rialto <\/p>\n
May 25 and 26 1962 \u2013 Len Baldwin’s Dauphine Street Six at the Mercers Arms \/ Terry King and the Saints at The Matrix Ballroom <\/p>\n
July 5 1963 \u2013 Tony Martin and the Echo Four at the Heath Hotel <\/p>\n
June 30 1970 \u2013 The State Three at The Smithfield Hotel <\/p>\n
July 7 1972 \u2013 The Sun at the West End Club <\/p>\n
July 27 1977 \u2013 Chris Tarrant and the Tiswas Team appear at Tiffany’s <\/p>\n
July 12 1981 \u2013 Nick Dowe at The Burnt Post folk club <\/p>\n
November 13 1986 \u2013 The Travelling Riverside Blues Band at the Sir Colin Campbell <\/p>\n
March 25 and 26 1988 \u2013 Doc Mustard at Stoke Green Community Centre \/ Some Kinda Earthquake at the General Wolfe <\/p>\n
July 5 1989 \u2013 The Jolly Dwarfs The Bulls Head on the Binley Road <\/p>\n
December 8 1994 \u2013 Tim James at The Broomfield Tavern <\/p>\n
April 13 1995 \u2013 The Hamsters at The General Wolfe <\/p>\n
July 3 2002 \u2013 Paul Downes at the White Lion Folk Club <\/p>\n
March 4 2011 \u2013 Moonbears at Taylor Johns House <\/p>\n
Hopefully the above list revives a few memories of venues that no longer exist. <\/p>\n
Such was her stature The Queen’s death was felt so keenly around the world. We now enter a whole new era and life moves on. <\/p>\n
Finally, further to Ray Davies lyric – I don’t ever expect to meet the King either. Although I do wish him well in all he does. <\/p>\n
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The Queen and Coventry ‘I am a dull and simple lad, cannot tell water from champagne, and I have never met the Queen’ wrote Ray Davies of The Kinks and sang by both Ray and Paul Weller. Those lyrics … Continue reading