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 The ruins of the old Cathedral
The ruins of the old Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral is Coventry's most well known landmark and visitor attraction. The original 14th century cathedral was largely destroyed by German bombing during the war, leaving only the outer walls and spire. The new Coventry Cathedral was opened in 1962 next to the ruins of the old. It was designed by Basil Spence and contains the tapestry, "Christ in Majesty" by Graham Sutherland and the bronze statue of St Michael and the Devil by Jacob Epstein. Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, regarded by some as his masterpiece, was written for the opening of the new Cathedral.
Another major visitor attraction in Coventry city centre is the free-to-enter Coventry Transport Museum, which has the largest collection of British made road vehicles in the world. The most notable exhibits are the world speed record breaking cars, Thrust2 and ThrustSSC. The museum received a major refurbishment in 2004 which included the creation of a striking new entrance as part of the city's Phoenix Initiative project. The revamp saw the museum exceed its projected five-year visitor numbers within the first year alone, and it was a finalist for the 2005 Gulbenkian Prize.
The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum is a major art gallery in the city. Just outside Coventry is the Midland Air Museum next to Coventry Airport.
Major improvements continue to regenerate the city centre. The Phoenix development reached the final shortlist for the 2004 RIBA Stirling Prize and has now won a total of 16 separate awards.
Coventry City football club have also recently started playing at their new home, The Ricoh Arena, in the Foleshill area of the city.
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 The "Whittle Arch" outside the Transport Museum, built to commemorate Frank Whittle
The "Whittle Arch" outside the Transport Museum, built to commemorate Frank Whittle
During the early 19th century Coventry was well known to the famous author George Eliot who was born near Nuneaton. The city was the model for her famous novel Middlemarch (1871).
The Coventry Carol is named after the city of Coventry. It was a carol performed in the play 'The Pageant of The Shearman and Tailors', written in the 15th Century as one of the Coventry Cycle Mystery Plays. These plays depicted the nativity story, the lyrics of the Coventry Carol referring to the Annuciation to the Massacre of the Innocents, which was the basis of the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors. These plays were traditionally performed on the steps of the (old) Cathedral, and the plays are believed to have been performed for both Richard III in 1484 and Henry VII in 1584.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Coventry was the centre of the Two Tone musical phenomenon, with bands such as The Specials coming from the city.
Today Coventry is recognised for its range of music events including one of the UK's foremost international jazz programmes, The Coventry Jazz Festival, and the award-winning Godiva Festival.
Venues
Theatre, art and music venues in Coventry include:
The Warwick Arts Centre: situated at the University of Warwick, Warwick Arts Centre comprises an art gallery, a theatre, a concert hall and a cinema. It is the second largest arts centre in the UK, after London's Barbican.
The Belgrade Theatre: one of the largest producing theatres in Britain, the 866 seat Belgrade was the first civic theatre to be opened in the UK following World War II.
Also currently being built is the Belgrade Plaza.
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 Statue of Lady Godiva
Statue of Lady Godiva
Coventry's most famous resident was Lady Godiva, who according to legend, rode through the city naked on horseback (actually, she likely rode the horse bareback, not barenaked), in protest at high taxes being waged on the cityfolk by her husband Leofric. According to the legend, the residents of the city were asked to look away as she rode, but one man didn't and was allegedly struck blind, he became known as Peeping Tom thus originating the term. There is a statue of her in the city centre.
Other famous people from Coventry include Frank Whittle the inventor of the jet engine, the poet and novelist Philip Larkin, the actors Nigel Hawthorne and Clive Owen, the record producer Pete Waterman, Jason John (also known as Jason Herbert) of the boy group Big Fun, the athlete David Moorcroft, Ian Bell, the Ashes winning cricketer and the Rugby Union World Cup">2003 Rugby Union World Cup winners Neil Back and Danny Grewcock. Jerry Dammers writer of the song "Free Nelson Mandela" and Hazel O'Connor, George Coles who starred in the infamous play The Caucasion Chalk Circle, a pop star and actress of the early 1980s, were also from Coventry.
In the 19th century the inventor James Starley and his nephew J.K. Starley lived in the city, and were both instrumental in the development of the bicycle, and for starting the British bicycle industry. J.K Starley was also responsible for founding Rover.
The late politician Ireland secretary grew up in Coventry. Joseph Paxton, the designer of the Crystal Palace, was a Member of Parliament for the city from 1854 to 1865.
Two Tone ska bands The Specials and The Selecter are both from Coventry - one of The Specials' best known hits, Ghost Town was written about the city.
The city's list of more infamous individuals includes:
Porn star Debee Ashby, who achieved notoriety during 1983 when she appeared nude with her mother in an adult magazine.
Nazi Colin Jordan who led the National Socialist Movement during the 1960's.
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Coventry was the first ever city to 'twin' with another city and hence began the now common worldwide practice of twinning. It started after World War II when Coventry twinned with Dresden as an act of peace and reconciliation, both cities having been heavily bombed during the war.
Coventry is now twinned with 26 places across the world:
Coventry, Connecticut - Coventry, New York - Coventry, Rhode Island
Netherlands
Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
Italy
France
Cork, Republic of Ireland
Canada
Germany
Hungary
Romania
Granby, Quebec, Canada
Austria
China
Hungary
Kiel, Germany
Kingston, Jamaica
Czech Republic
Ostrava, Czech Republic
Australia
Saint-Etienne, France
Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina
Russia
Poland
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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