Not the kind of shops you want if you're promoting your city as a high quality destination: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/bhs-coventry-city-centre-matalan-16572754?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=exchange

Dear God! I told you O'Boyle couldn't be trusted, he's a bl**dy fool if he thinks these are 'quality anchor' stores.

Coventry could do well taking inspiration from Birmingham's regeneration.

What's happening to the BHS store in Stratford? I miss that one, we used to eat in their restaurant and have a Christmas dinner there. It was nice looking over to the river. What a shame its all gone.

There are plans to convert it into another hotel, although no parking will be available.

I used to hate hotels like that, especially when I was carrying a dozen laptops in the boot. Despite my protestations, the company kept using them, presumably because they could save a few quid. Wouldn't be much of a saving if I'd ever had the car broken into though!

There are similar plans for the Debenhams building, although there is a car park on the other side of Bell Court. Frankly, I wouldn't be impressed at having to pay for parking on top of the extortionate cost of booking a hotel room in Stratford.

The usual agreement, Lex, was that I would be reimbursed by the Hotel or given a special pass code. But, it's the inconvenience that used to rattle me.

In Manchester I had to make a massive diversion to get to the carpark a few hundred yards behind the hotel. "Oh just nip the wrong way down the oneway system, nobody will notice," was the helpful advice from the reception desk!