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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to hate living in Coventry?

225 replies

Destinysdaughter · 08/02/2017 18:36

Inspired by the I hate living in Manchester thread, I lived in London for many years but moved back here as I had been made redundant and my dad had severe dementia and was going blind so I moved back home to look after him. He's now in a home because after 2 years, I couldn't cope with it any more. So I'm now living in a city I really do not enjoy being in. I find many people to be both narrow minded and overtly racist, there's virtually nothing going on artistically or culturally, the bars and restaurants are shit and its just dull dull dull. I feel like I'm just biding my time waiting to die here.

I miss London so much but I could never afford to live there now as its got so ridiculously expensive. I used to go back a lot but I've stopped as it made me feel too depressed. The job opportunities are v poor here in comparison ( used to work as a trainer for a charity ) and am struggling to find any meaningful, well paid work. Final moan, there's a real lack of decent, interesting, cultured men up here, so haven't met many guys on my wavelength. In London I dated men who were journalists, lawyers, architects, writers etc but up here most pp seem to work in the motor industry and I just have nothing in common with them!

Only good things about being here is that drinks are cheaper, air is cleaner and its an easy city to get out of!

OP posts:
sonlypuppyfat · 09/02/2017 07:53

It's the only place I've ever called a shit hole ,because it is!

HairsprayBabe · 09/02/2017 08:05

Grew up there, it wasn't so bad. Now I live in Birmingham and I hate it for similar reasons to you, I find a lot of people narrow minded and racist. But I think that is the area I live in, lots of ex council houses and white working class. MIL and FIL don't help that either.

Try Earlsdon and Allesley Village, they are much nicer than Holbrooks, Radford and Keresley.

I think it is more to do with who you know in a place. I don't have very many friends here so don't like it that much.

RaspberryPi1 · 09/02/2017 08:10

Coventry is like most large towns or cities. There are always parts that are less... nice, but coming from London the contrast shouldn't be that surprising, I've seen the greatest contrast between rich/poor, educated/uneducated, etc in the capital. But by no means is coventry as bad as the worst parts of London! (I love it here and hope never to move, but I dont pretend to ignore the issues here).

Also depends where in London and coventry you are used to Smile
Some say both are shitholes... I just think that says more about the person spouting out bs!

Maryberryjam · 09/02/2017 08:58

I live just outside cov and find plenty to do in cov , arches music venue - great for live bands, fargo village , coventry music museum, herbert art gallery - loads of bars and restaurants !
Highly recommend akbars ( butts lane) for a really nice indian Smile

HairsprayBabe · 09/02/2017 09:13

I think one of the issues with it as a city is it is mainly chain stores and pound lands. It is a very poor city with one of the busiest job centers in the country so that gives some inkling as to why.

There are nice places to go you just have to look
Millsys in Earlsdon
Conroys round the corner from the Belgrade
Playwrights near the cathedral
The Establishment also near the cathedral
Creams by the Swanswell
Fargo village

All independant and all really nice. There is stuff there, you just have to look!

BertieBotts · 09/02/2017 09:55

If you learn to drive in Coventry you'll be able to drive anywhere Grin

The ringroad used to scare me - the issue is it was designed in the 50s and they didn't anticipate the volume of traffic it would have today. But actually now I live in Germany it all makes sense and it is very efficient space wise. German motorways have the same set up with the entry and exit lanes being one and the same. If you stay on the merging lane and don't merge in time most of the time you'll end up coming off the motorway. The difference being that in Coventry there are only one or two lanes to merge into and the merging lanes are very short, which is why they ask you to keep in the right hand lane until you see signs for your exit. But as it's only 40mph it should in theory work, even without this.

karmacoma1 · 09/02/2017 10:07

I learnt to drive and passed my test in Cov, maybe that's why I don't find the ring road as intimidating as some people do. It just makes sense to me. OP if you learn to drive here, you will be able to drive anywhere. Smile

The Foleshill road however, Jesus Christ. Always fuckwittery afoot there. Avoid at all costs.

ChasedByBees · 09/02/2017 10:13

This thread is bringing back memories!

Earlsdon is nice and Leamington has good shops and is very close. In London, you'd think nothing of a short trip on a tube which would take longer than the journey to Leamington or Birmingham.

Not everyone is narrow minded and racist - I think you're hanging out in the wrong places! Are there any clubs (maybe book clubs or something connected with Warwick uni?) where you could meet like minded people?

beela · 09/02/2017 11:31

The ring road is just a giant roundabout. Stay in the middle and move to the edge when you want to exit. Just never try to use your satnav on it because the gap between junctions is too small and it gets confused.

Destinysdaughter · 09/02/2017 12:42

Says a lot about Coventry that so much of this discussion is about the bloody ring road! Grin

OP posts:
allertse · 09/02/2017 12:55

YANBUI lived there for several years and hated it too. And I lived in Earlsdon which is one of the nicer parts. Leaving was the best thing I ever did, it sucked out my soul.

Didn't help that I didn't have a car - that would have improved it a lot. 11 minutes on the train to leamington is great except they only run once an hour. The bus takes the best part of an hour and they never run to time.

There's plenty of nice places to eat. But there was sod all else!

Writerwannabe83 · 09/02/2017 13:00

I used to live in Coventry and work there. I still work there but have since moved to another town about 15 miles away (quick trip down the motorway).

I have never been on the Ring Road and never will. It scares the shit out of me Grin

Godivacrapname · 09/02/2017 13:03

But how many other roads have had a 40th birthday party thrown for them?

Where else can you see a building in the shape of an elephant?

There are play reading groups and book reading groups in the libraries, for children and adults.

It always takes ages to settle in a new place, you will find the same anywhere else. You need to look for the good in the city and see the friendly people and forget the twats, (you get them everywhere) If you do not want to, then move because you will never be happy if not.

Pleasemrstweedie · 09/02/2017 13:08

I moved to Coventry from London in 1980 and I'm still here.

I did three gigs in two days last weekend and still missed another band I wanted to see because I just ran out of time.

There is just so much going on it's not true.

Come out to play OP!

Godivacrapname · 09/02/2017 13:14

www.cbrd.co.uk/articles/coventry-ring-road/ for those who are thinking, "ring road, don't all cities have a ring road?"
There is a half marathon, the ring road is closed for cycle rides, there have been carnivals, and cultural events in Broadgate, Coventry hosted part of the Olympics at The Ricoh City of Coventry Stadium. There is a history trail and a sculpture trail. There are medieval buildings (Weavers cottage).

BelafonteRavenclaw · 09/02/2017 13:15

Awww, my hometown. After finishing uni I moved to London and found this a more depressing place, but I didn't live in a nice part. I moved again to somewhere totally different. I will return to Coventry a few times a year to see family. The city has many great features but I like living in a village now in the middle of no-where. It's not Coventry that I dislike, it's cities in general. I do have to agree about the ring road. It makes my Welsh DH break out in a sweat when I mention taking it.

Destinysdaughter · 09/02/2017 13:29

"There is just so much going on it's not true."

Guess so if you like cars, tribute bands and bingo...

OP posts:
HairsprayBabe · 09/02/2017 13:30

Move then Destiny it is clearly not for you as you aren't even attempting to take on board any of the suggestions people have offered you.

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 09/02/2017 13:35

Ikea. Is the only half decent thing I can think of in Cov. I avoid it at all costs. My dad needs treatment in Walsgrave after his chemo is finished & I'm not looking forward to having to get there multiple times a week for 3 or 4 weeks. And yes the bloody ring road.

Don't mive to Stratford either simply because of the traffic lights.

Ghosttownspecials · 09/02/2017 13:45

I was born and bread in Cov.... The ghost town. I left 18 years ago, havent been back for 13.

Kenilworth and Lem nice.

I have some fond memories and some not so.

BlackeyedSusan · 09/02/2017 13:49

sounds like you are determined not to like it because it is not london. people have listed lots of activities on the thread that are not cars,tribute bands or bingo.

people have mention theatre, cafes, warwick arts centre, book groups, museums, sports venues.

Move. you are never going to like it if you are determined to think badly of it. life is not worth it. find somewhere you do want to be.

Ghosttownspecials · 09/02/2017 13:55

It could be worse. hinckley

Ghosttownspecials · 09/02/2017 13:56

And we don't speak like brummies.

Rugbyplayersarehot · 09/02/2017 13:58

It's vile. Move to brum much nicer sourh side

BertieBotts · 09/02/2017 13:59

I don't know. I do get what the OP is saying. Coventry has a depressing air IMO. I don't think it ever quite recovered from the war. You had all those beautiful historical buildings lost and then they had to build it up again very quickly, so everything is in this very 1950s and 60s concrete style (that's why it feels like MK). It feels a bit functional, dated now, and held together with duct tape. That might have a certain charm but for the most part it just feels depressing. It's not Coventry's fault. It's just that they had nothing left, other cities have historical buildings, they still had enough functional parts left after the war to allow for slower, well thought through plans. Coventry was one of the first to be rebuilt and it just had to work.