People

By Jon Cleaver

A Binley Woods entrepreneur Ron Bye, owner of the Cocked Hat, in Binley Woods, pulled his last pint on Saturday July 26, where regulars had gathered to bid him a fond farewell after 29 years at the helm.

Ron and ex wife Janet purchased the dilapidated seventeenth century, listed building, Binley Common House for £70,000 in 1979, turning their dream into a successful à la carte restaurant and an eight bed-room hotel business with a turnover of 1.5 million.  

By Stuart Lanigan

I have lived here most of my life, like so many I left, and later returned to what I consider to be a hidden gem, an island of tranquility in a sea of chaos.

Sarah Biggs is a 21-year-old student studying medical microbiology and virology at Warwick University and, in her spare time, is a cheerleading coach for Coventry Dynamite Cheerleaders.

She has also just set up her own company, CHEER 1, offering cheerleading coach services.

Here she explains why cheerleading is an excellent way to get the younger generation - especially girls - and the not-so-young to exercise and how she believes it could help with the current obesity crisis.

And she challenges the cynics who think cheerleading is not a sport, but is all about pompom shaking, to go and see some serious participants in action...

VOLUNTEER Don Newman has been honoured by the Rotary Club of Coventry for his outstanding work in the community.

Don, from Whitmore Park, is chairman of the Coventry older people's forum and helps out at University Hospital in Walsgrave.

by Mrs Trudy Wiles of Delaware Road, Styvechale

Re. the article on the Whitley zoo in About CV3

My family were involved in trying to save the zoo.

We made friends with the people that were looking after everything; they lived in their caravan next to the bungalow.

By Barbara Goulden

A MUCH-LOVED local singer who was rehearsing for an International Festival of Church Music collapsed and died in Coventry Cathedral just an hour before the concert.

Tony Gibbs, aged 69, was a leading member of Saint Michael's Singers, but is better known to thousands of Coventry and Warwickshire people as conductor of the Tony Gibbs Singers.

Ivor Mitchell, who worked for the Royal Mail in Coventry for over 40 years, has died in hospital at the age of 75. Mr Mitchell, who began his working life as a messenger boy and rose to become a manager in Bishop Street in the city centre, lived in Quinton Road, Cheylesmore, Coventry.

Marjorie Vincent of Woodside Avenue celebrated her 90th birthday on June 5th.

She held an open house for friends and neighbours on the day. On Sunday 8th June she gave a party for 67 guests, including all her family and close friends.

Six-year-old Amy Cook, of Glencoe Road, Stoke, Coventry, is pictured with a cauliflower grown by her grandad Peter Parkes, of Tonbridge Road, Whitley, on his allotment.

He said: "Amy enjoys going to the allotment. She also enjoyed eating some of this giant cauliflower which was 11lb in weight and 38" in circumference."

Joyce & Wally Flatman of Princethorpe Way, Binley, celebrated their 65th Wedding Anniversary on 29th May.