Tales Of Heartache & Homelessness In Coventry 🇬🇧
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- Growing up in the West Midlands, I was given the impression that Coventry was a dump! Maybe this was a West vs East Midlands rivalry at work 🤔 On a recent trip via Birmingham I thought I would go and check out Coventry after approximately 20 years since my last visit… After all, the city was voted UK City Of Culture 2021! It now has much improved architecture that is slowly replacing the infamous 1960's eyesore precincts that were built after the WW2 bombings that destroyed much of the centre. In addition, Coventry also has a notoriously vibrant multicultural population. I went on a mission to find out; Is Coventry the infamous dump I had been led to believe or a vibrant multicultural paradise?
#reallife #britain #uk #england #coventry #homeless #poverty #costoflivingcrisis #streetinterview #multiculturalism #architecture
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That Indian cracked me up, "my problem is not drink" (camera pans to can of Super), "I think my problem is ... some drugs are very good!" :'D
Loool he aint ever seeing his kids again 😂
He is not mentally stable sadly.
As a black lad from brum I agree coventry people are not racist they just don't like brummies 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You mean yam yams
But remember you can always tell a brummie but you cannot tell him much😊
Aw! I like brummies, they’re always so lovely and friendly 💙
I think it's mutual tbf - my friends from Brum give us shit for cov😅
@@jamico7yam yams are from the black country.
Born and bred in Coventry; Great memories of Foleshill and Jenna Street… christened in the cathedral in the 70s and proud of my grandad Who was an air raid warden during the Blitz… God bless Coventry and great video ❤
small world so was my grandad maybe thay knew each other
@@stugill4513And my grandpa,
I’m from London but worked in Coventry and went to folsehill fucking hell
poor you m8@@len4834
I’ve lived in Coventry for 18 years. Born and raised in London, but I love it here. It’s not a place for young people, not much for them. It’s not as violent compared to where I was in London. Most people are friendly, there is a sense of community that tries and strives, I never felt that in bigger cities. Coventry is a good place.
How cud u even compare London to Coventry? London has a variety of areas where u can feel safe in so when theres one bad area u can easily move in another nearby area thats safe, if u didn't like London specifically u cud still live in one of the surrounding areas of it which gives u that sense of community feel. In Coventry u cud unexpectedly end up in the deprived areas just by going on a 10 minute walk.
@@abovethelaw4417 I can compare them because I’ve lived in both places for over ten years. You could go to any city and find pockets of deprivation within a ten minute walk. I never moved to Coventry to feel safe, I left LDN because it is an expensive, depressing place where you can’t see the sun because of all the buildings. As bad as some places are in LDN you have no clue unless you have lived there. The places you think are so called good, Kensington, Chelsea Westminster are always coke head territory with high class heroin users. I’ve survived though the IRA terror attacks, various other bombings and gang wars. LND has too many serious problems that leak to the surrounding areas, Kent used to be nice but now it’s flooded with county lines drugs.
Spent a weekend there last year to visit the motor museum. It was very inexpensive and there was enough to do for a couple of days. The cuts to local authorities and the police, along with mental health services in the UK being privitised, means the same issues appear again and again. We need a radical change to the attitude of meanness and "not my problem" to turn places around. Empathy and proper services.
Well said mate.
You're 100% right!
Keep doing these UK videos, they’re easily the most interesting ones. Every man and his dog is videoing Greece, Italy, etc. 🙏
Coventry is full of wonderful people, who are kind and all look out for each other. Since this video there has been a lot of changes.
The area where Subway was is being knocked down and redeveloped. The majority of the shops that are closed have moved to other areas of the city. Noodle Bar in the corner will be relocating at the end of the year. City Arcade by the market is also being knocked down for redevelopment. That is why they're all borded up.
That's good then.
@002lisamarie No, it's not. The shops are being replaced by 1,500 high rise flats.
My grandad was based in Coventry during WW2. He was on the anti aircraft guns during the blitz. Didn’t really talk about it much though.
Many didn't, not a good time in there life's, rip to the brave,
My old nan, bless her, spoke a bit about The Blitz and how terrifying it was - she had to walk 4 miles to school with her 10 siblings amidst the destruction and people searching for survivors, not knowing if the school was even there anymore.
She didn’t talk about it much, and her dad (my great grandad) served in WWI at The Somme.
The British stiff upper lip was very noticeable in her side of the family.
I was born and raised in Cov city centre in 83, live in Birmingham now. It’s been sad to see the decline of my hometown, but I believe development will bring it up to speed again in the next twenty years, and the success of the football club has helped reinvigorate the people too. We lost our world famous speedway team recently which was a big blow. Great video and now subscribed
I think Cov is on the up 👍
@@WendallExplores Coventry is irredeemable.
What success? You're 20th in the Championship 😂
I think you should do a TH-cam video in other areas of Coventry such as Foleshill Road, Woodend and Hillfeilds.
It will make Coventry City Centre look like paradise!!
Yeah I canvassed around Woodend and there was blocks of houses with 1 or 2 homes lived in. Others burned out or border up. It’s definitely worse than the centre.
Haha yeah those are the three you're right😂
Woodend lad here I agree 🤣
Agreed I like to see that
Funnily enough, there's an area in Coventry actually called 'Paradise'. Just next to Foleshill. 😮
Amazing work here, Wendall! Your soothing, calm, collected and knowledgeable Journalism.
If you ever get the chance to come to Nottingham in the future, let me know and I’ll be happy to show you around sand some stories about “the city of legends” keep up the good work, my friend!
Some good hearts in this video, I hope they turn their lives round.
I met good people in Cov
Coming originally from the South East, I’ve lived in Coventry for close on 10 years. Aesthetically, it looks and feels like a London Borough which may be why I’ve felt more settled.
Yeah admittedly it’s not the prettiest place, but it doesn’t pretend to be something it isn’t and though there’s better, there’s also worse places.
There's much worse places than Coventry.
A very good non judgmental video , Will always have a soft spot for COV because it gave us 2 Tone and The Specials , good people too .
Interesting video, I live in Cheltenham, when I'm in UK and we visit Coventry now and again, to visit the market to buy Chinese provisions. There's a good Chinese restaurant near the main car park, but a bit expensive.Their stir fry cabbage is about £12, compared to less than a quid, in China. Always gravitate towards the cathedral and see there's a TV programme about the West Orchard shopping mall.
Born and bred in Coventry. I feel like a stranger in my own city. I do not recognise it anymore. It has changed so much from the 90s.
You warrant your own television programme on mainstream TV because you're a natural speaker, host narrator
Not interested in TV mate, keep it free speech👌
@@WendallExplores right on - not into Establishment mass Media myself, don't go near TV myself - yup keep it free and independent ✊🏻
@@WendallExploresthe pay would be better Wendell….but i wont recommend you to the BBC…as i know its better not to sell out and keep your integrity…a man of the people…thank you Wendell..
You should go back and visit some of the suburbs of Cov, get the real insight to life.
Try Hillfields, Willenhall, Wood End, Stoke Aldermoor etc.
Love these inner city videos you are doing. Keep up the good work
With extreme caution.
You trying to get this guy killed 😂
The people of Coventry are brilliant, lovely people.
Was my closest city. Home of 2tone. Always proud to be a Midlander at heart. ❤
Glad you had a positive time but there is so much more to see. The City Centre South development is literally all of the derelict area - everyone has been removed ahead of the new year.
I grew up 5 miles from Coventry, left when I was 18 to move South. I enjoyed going there for shopping and clubs in the early 90's. It was always a little rough but no more than any other city. It has a rich and interesting history and is very multicultural. I visited there last year and it seemed OK, I was alone and did not feel at all uneasy or vulnerable.
I lived in Coventry for nearly 4 years. Its a bit rough and ready but I generally always felt safe, even when walking around at 2am in the morning. I heard there used to be conflicts between Asians and Cov City footie fans but that was all well out of the city centre area. I like that Cov doesn't pretend to be something its not. I do feel sad for its decline. Selling off our car industry to Germany & India really hurts places like this. Its softer side, it seems to be a major university town these days which brings new blood to the place and potential opportunities.
The old sports centre and the Britannia hotel is a big eye sore and need renovating massively
The whole of the black country, Birmingham and Coventry are hell holes, the nice parts are the Lichfield area, Solihull town and it's rural areas and the south of the West Midlands
They aren't though, Cov is perfectly OK.
@@fatdaddy1996I've lived in Cov for a few years before (Radford, Stoke Aldermoor, Willenhall, Coundon) it's a dump, travel about the country a bit, and you'll see what I mean
Bromsgrove also nice
@@Shandyboy8612that's the south of the West Midlands as I mentioned, it's alright down there compared to wolves > brum > cov area
Oh yes sorry my bad
You could quite easily make another video on Coventry where you would not see so much deprivation, but focus on the majority of the good things of the city. History, culture, sport, art, Coventry has many beautiful rural areas. There’s another side.
i don't think Wendall is going around slagging places off, I think he is just highlighting how some on the UK is getting left behind. I'm sure there are lots of nice places around the area, but they are not the places in need
I love to see this.
Completely agree with the guy outside the transport museum all the violence isn't really in the center and the youths that create it use postcode as the reasoning but really its because they are bored and the government over the last 20 years has cut a lot of the facilities, created the housing crises and everything else they could use etc
Diversity is our weakness.
Oh shut it
@@Sim-sim-mahintelligent reply
Unskilled immigrants are just attracted to dying parts of the country due to the lower housing prices. Especially if there are unskilled jobs available.
WOKEY COKEY@@Sim-sim-mah
Thanks 4 sharing great to see u in Blackpool with wild side
The area that is boarded up is shortly to be re-developed, most of the store owners have moved out due to being given notice and leases not being renewed.
@Wendall - Please do Penge, London. A Great history and its more than rough and down stroden these days. I do enjoy the historical aspects
Great video again. It is good you got a more positive impression than you thought you would get 😊
Born and bred in Coventry mate. Growing up there in the 70's and 80's was fantastic and it was safe. Since the 90's the city centre has been closed down bit by bit in order to hand it over to the University and associated 'entertainment and service businesses', all the small independent businesses in the city centre were priced out by the corrupt council. There are areas of the city that are 'no-go' for women and young white people now, the housing estates where I grew up are filthy and occupied by enclaves of immigrants who don't want to integrate, just form their own ghettos and live in filth, whilst giving nothing towards what is left the communities they have split by taking housing from locals. I moved my family out of there 5 years ago when our local area became over run and filthy. There's more to towns and cities than speaking to a few local homeless and addicts.
That area of units boarded up is part of the clearance plan for redevelopment.
The area you first visit in the precinct has a demolition order. Hence, the boarded you shops
You are such a good documentary filmmaker! I’d love for you to come back to coventry and see the bits you’ve not had time to show in this video.
I was sent to Coventry, now nobody will talk to me
Man: i lose everyhing but i dont know what happened
Also man: i do drugs, alcohol, weed lose money...
Of course she going to leave you pal
So you the people,without a clue??
Its easy to make comments like that.
Till the walls come crumbling down around you.
Have a Heart.
Its not so far away from you as you think.
Wicked video Wendall, I’m watching one’s back since seeing my hometown one in Walsall and subscribing to the channel. I now cover Coventry for work and people as most are in the Midlands are salt of the earth. I go through places that are not so great but that’s the UK full stop. Mohammed’s story touched me…. It can be so easy to lose everything and so hard to get back to where you want to be. I hope he succeeds!! ….. Smithy
What time did you go there ? They aren't boarded up they are just not open yet. I go to some of those shops all the time.
The area where the shops are boarded up is going to be knocked down and redeveloped. Most of the shops have moved to other parts of the town centre.
I prefer brutalism to the new curved glass structures.
I’ve been to Coventry twice and I’ve had a good time there. Combe Abby is nice also. That old cathedral is really cool . Yes it’s had a bad reputation back in the 1980’s and 90’s as a rough and violent town especially on a Friday and Saturday night. But I met some really cool people from Coventry.
I’m from Leeds and I now live in Atlantic Canada 🇨🇦. Been here 25 years went to Cov in 2014 and 16.
Hello Wendell thanks for the video, I do think this would have been a lot better if you moved out of the centre a bit it feels like you have stayed in the safer places. Go visit Hill fields, Woodend, bell green etc. I would go with some backup. stay safe-Ashley
cov the only city in europe where the ikea had 2 shut down , the city centre is nice now but get a mile out of there in any direction and watch your backs its not safe and yep i live there
stivichall?
Some of the buildings that are boarded up are part of the city that are going to be redeveloped as the City centre south project. I’ve lived in Coventry for 40 years and yes it has problems, but it’s like any big city…..
@04:01 , if the lad knew something about Coventry , the area "thats all boarded up" the city arcade - is due to be demolished and modern new facilities and buildings are going to be built
I've lived in Coventry for about 20 years. It's by no means the worst place I've lived (Corby / Oldham the winners of that category). If you keep your head down and don't mix with chavs it's reasonably safe. But, there's a pervasive feeling of gloom & depression (imo a hangover from WWII). It's very multicultural. I'm moving away this month, and tbh I won't miss the city. Too many religious nutters, often with a crowd of nodding bigots agreeing with their horrid shouting. No real nightlife to speak of unless you like sitting in a pub.
Coventry's aspiration for the future seems to be to ram it full of students. There are devs coming soon so hopefully one day I'll visit and find it a nicer place!
What you may not know is nearly every single one of those new buildings you pointed is student accommodation, it's all student housing, The office block covered in the blue reflective glass you shown in the video is completely empty, maybe one or two floors used if that.
I didn’t know that, and that is interesting, thank you 🙏
Coventry doesn't look too bad these days. I went there for my honeymoon in 1980, before moving to Ontario. It looks better now than when I was there. You've certainly been to worse places Wendall. the people seem to be quite accommodating.
I grew up in the Stoke and Hillfields areas of Coventry, in the 80’s and 90’s.
It’s always been rough, especially places like Hillfields, Wood End and Stoke Aldermore. The drug culture has been rife for decades, and violent crime was something I never witnessed, but heard about so often. Stabbings, shootings, acid throwing, gang violence. The kind of place you were afraid to even make eye contact with your own peer group, in case they started on you. Hillfields, wow, the sights I saw on a daily basis.
I was glad to leave Coventry in 2003.
Different breed of people, though, especially those that survived The Blitz. I’ll always have fond memories of my grandmother and grandad, who lived in Wyken Croft, over the other side of the city. The town centre was amazing during the 80’s, especially that massive Woolworths we had.
I visited Coventry recently and a man who was relieving himself against a wall turned around a shouted to me "WELCOME to Coventry!!"
And then he told me how he just got out of prison.
Nice place.
He only went to the city centre and spoke to almost every fucker that aren’t originally from Coventry, not a true representation to me.
No one is actually from Coventry.
Hey wendall you are featured in the daily star newspaper today (online) BTW you ever thought about going to Rhyl in North Wales?
They’ve put all this money into in the city centre and left all the people on the estates without funding
What did they invest in, in the city?
@@originalunoriginal4055 replacing a lot of the prefab buildings from the war and building student housing. Completely ignored the poverty, crime and drug issues everywhere else
Didn't really go to the rough parts but sound overview
This country has fallen on its own sword .
I know sensationalism and lies get lots more views than the truth, but all of the ‘boarded up’ shops he’s showing at the beginning of the video are because the buildings as you enter the city centre are being redone, I like how you skipped past all of the brand new student accommodation just to show a few temporarily closed shops 👍
Terry B telling man to not go gosford😂
Alcohol, is legal because it equals huge profits. Things like cannabis get in the way of big pharm so are banned!
Amen
Just came across videos today I love watching this and it’s very sad of amount of homeless and derelict buildings and no jobs around .here in Scotland is same many abandoned buildings lots of homeless and tough area ie Glasgow anywhere in Scotland small towns there is struggles
Ripping things down is one thing, but building things up and having a successful business center is quite another thing. I wouldn't count on much, but I do hope it works out.
I like the brutalist architecture!
The best part of Coventry- is no part 👍👍👍
i read somewhere that covenrtry was first city in uk to be bombed using pencil beam radar from french coast (Knickebein direction beam)
I grew up in Wood End in the 80s , interesting place 😂
Me too ,hell hole , didn't realise till I got out.
My heart breaks for the guy at 10:40. I really hope he gets back in contact with his children and gets back on his feet.
He’s drinking 8% cider in the daytime, he’s not getting anything back
@@psyick9543 What a sickening comment
@@lukeaspley3116 Its a realistic comment. He cares more about drugs and drink than his kids and family.
Cries about his family and kids not wanting to know him…. then he asks why has this happened? I don’t know ? Oh yeah I’m a selfish drug addict that puts drugs before my kids…. I can’t stand people like that , self destructive, self loathing , always a sob story , always someone else’s fault… This guy does not represent anything about the majority of Coventry
@@psyick9543 it's because he did the marijuana.
Guy at 11.00 mins mate I'm so sorry
Go to wood end,wear body armour .
With my idea and development plans I’m gonna put Coventry on the map let me tell you that… it needs a hero and I’m gonna be that hero, for EVERYONE!
As a regular tourist to Britain and Ireland, I have decided to keep away from most bigger cities there.
I'm not gonna lie, I saw the title and assumed this was going to be a right wing rant of some kind, but was peasantly suprised with the inquisitive and balanced documenting of my hometown. Got a new sub!
Unless its london there is no money left
Nice one mate. Cov ain't for everyone, but like all cities there is good and bad. It would have bitten you if you went deeper though!
3:30 the reason why everything is boarded up is because they are being knocked down. Everything in that area is being knocked down to make space for new things. Coventry is going up in the town you’ve just picked out everything that is shit.
I used to hate it here tbh still do but it has got a lot better over the years as in looks wise. Needs to do more for the people and not students.
Once a great area, but sadly in decline
I live in Chesterfield I think u should pay a visit lots of history to it.
I love a bit of brutalist architecture but I appreciate I'm in the vast minority 😂
Boarded up lol are you there on a sunday when half of towns closed?!
no one wants to say it but well all know.
Most depressing place in England
Nice to be honest love to everyone
Geezer should have went to Hillfields 😂
Coventry city council and Coventry university work hand in hand through martin reeves he's top boss at the council and on the board of the uni it's just being catered for students and post industrial under labour past 40years everything has left Peugeot/jaguar cov press loads now the city is now a carcus
Next time if you could beep the childs name it would be better for protection 11:24
the 18 year old?
@@stationtostation8311 yes just for the child's security
Multi culture is our strength 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just saw Chrissie normolt that says it all😂
Calling somewhere a Shithole is such a cliche and shows a limited vocabulary and lack of intelligence it really makes me Cringe
Still doesn't change the fact that it's true.
coventry home of two tone music
After you live in a non-multicultural society for a few years it's impossible to go back.
such as...?
I can't imagine seeing a Kenyan just complaining about the government and am in Kenya jobless I wish could get that chance to be in UK . Walai mungu I would be rich as 😊
JLR is probably the main employer.
No mention of the Lady Godiva or story behind it, probably what Coventry is most famous for along with Coventry Born Sir Frank Whittle with his creation of the Jet Engine. There is also saying being ''sent to Coventry'' which originates from the English Civil War, when Parliamentarian supporters would take Royalist prisoners of war to Coventry usually to be hung.
The govt have spent £100 billion on HS2. And it’s a total waste.
We could’ve spent £10 billion modernising the existing rail system and £90 billion on hospitals, schools, the needy, etc, etc.
@@MrBearNetworkcompletely agree. Investment in helping people get off the streets is required. As a country we also need genuinely affordable housing.
governments seem quite dumb in general
I might be wrong but is one of the reasons for hs2 is so that people in London and surrounding areas can travel further maybe to live so it's cheaper and work in London I also think it's a waste of money and time when like you say hospitals schools need the money we also need affordable housing
The cost of building HS2 is not £100 billion, £100 billion is just what government laziness 🦥 brought up the price to.
Not to mention £7 million a day on housing and supporting illegal criminals coming to this country for a free ride, dealing drugs, abusing children and organised crime. Coventry council have lapped this up housing them, supporting them at the expense of its local people
I can imagine someone coming here to justify their disgust with the homeless, then having to actually hear their side of the story through Wendall's compassionate interviews. Dammit! They're human!
9mins44seconds. That’s me with the ginger hair and beard and wendll was very kind and easy to talk to. I’m no longer homeless thankfully. Comments like yours mean so much.
@@DrewJohn86
Hope life is still on the up for you.
I'm a wheelchair user and recently went to a gig in the Fargo area of Cov. Surprised you didn't go there. The people I came into contact with from bus drivers to the gig organizers were so friendly and helpful. Fine proud city.
Far Gosford Street is one of the places where the most stabbings and shootings have happened in recent years, and then you got the gentrification of student accommodation and FarGo Village coming off it at the same time - it's an interesting part of the city centre for sure. Quite a few homeless people up that way too, so might be a place to visit next time if Wendall comes back.
Been watching your latest uploads thinking 🤔 “this bloke is underrated as an interviewer!”. Top content and wish you continued growth and success with the channel buddy 👍🏻
I remember Barnaby’s Toy 🧸 Shop in Coventry 💙. Back in the 70’s
That was my favourite shop, used to get all my subbuteo accessories from there, good memories 👍
It’s a great city centre because there’s no room to put a retail park next to it so if you wanna sell your stuff in Coventry, you have to take a shop. I really like the little squares of shops, it’s so easy to walk around.
A great point. The needless proliferation of the mall/shopping centre concept really hurt Birmingham. There wasn't enough business and footfall for all of it. So even way before internet shopping became popular it resulted in dereliction of the small unit shopping streets I do greatly prefer..and now , both the most central flagship malls and high streets are suffering long term empty units and dereliction.
Half of the bull ring shopping centre was built around Debenhams. Now that Debenhams has been closed for years.
Grand central (new st station) was built around John Lewis as the flagship store. And now that is also permanently closed.
The only place seemingly doing good business is the monstrously sized primark. Which I am terrified of even entering. A place which consumes all the business a hundred or more independent shops could be thriving off.
@@dfpguitar The big one will be when Selfridges call it a day, it’s only the food hall that’s busy in there. I agree though that the Bullring, along with resisting of bus stops to the peripheral of the centre, has destroyed Corporation St, Bull Street, Union St etc, it really is looking sad now.
There are plenty of retail parks they are just on the outside of the city centre, there is one right next to the train station he got off and there is a small shopping centre in the middle. The video doesn't even show half of the town centre.