Trees of Spon End

The Man Who Planted Trees is a novel by the French author Jean Giono. The book tells the story of a man, a shepherd actually, who over a period of four decades successfully re-forests a desolate valley in the foothills of the French Alps. By the end of the story, which is translated into many…

Gibo

Gibo was one of the original volunteers that established the new ROSE ("Residents of Spon End") community centre in 2010. For Gibo, “the centre is about trying to bridge the gap between the kids and the older generation and get a sense of community back" (in Coventry Telegraph, 2011). It seemed fitting, therefore, that Gibo would commence…

The G.E.C., Rudge & Whitworth and IKEA buildings

The now-demolished G.E.C. Factory on Crow Lane, Spon End, was built in the final decades of the 19th century. Before G.E.C. purchased the building in 1939, it was the home of the well-known Rudge & Whitworth Cycles company. The Coventry (Rudge) / Birmingham (Whitworth) -owned enterprise employed at its height over 1,800 people and was among the largest cycle…