Having recently had to take my remaining annual leave in a block (I was off for 14 days in a row, I don't even take that much time off when I DO have plans) I have struggled to find places to visit locally.
We have the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, which is a fantastic space and a beautiful building, but I have never found the exhibits there as fascinating as I do the building they are housed in.
We have the Coventry Transport Museum, which has recently undergone building works and now has a larger floor area to house the exhibits. As the museum has had free entry for many years now, I used to spend my lunch breaks in there, especially if it was raining, so I will have seen all the exhibits as they were rotated in and out of storage.
We have the Cathedrals, all three of them, but I worked in the new Cathedral for a time, so why pay to visit a place where I have already seen for free a lot of areas that the public don't?
On the outskirts of the city we have Coombe Country Park, great for young children as it has large areas where they can run about, there is pond dipping, holiday activities and play areas. Not so good for single adults who are a bit too old for climbing frames.
We used to have a zoo and dolphinarium in Coventry, the entrance was guarded by a huge statue of a Zulu, it wasn't the best location for a zoo being pretty much in the city centre, but it was another place to visit.
There are currently works going on in the centre to open up the hidden Sherbourne River, There will be waterfront bars and restaurants so at least the students whom the City Council seem so desperate to hand the city centre over to will be happy. Frankly I have no interest in getting all the way into and out of the centre to be Billy-No-Mates in the midst of all the beautiful people.
I like aquariums, but that means heading into Birmingham or out to the coast.
I like zoos but that means Dudley or Twycross.
I like big museums but that means London, Manchester or Liverpool.
I like outside spaces with more to do than just walk about, but that means going to places like High Lodge in Norfolk.
I like Ghost Hunts but they are rarely held locally.
I struggle to leave the house when I am not at work, and frankly, there is little around here that is worth leaving the house for.
Do you have interesting things to do where you live?
Coventry city centre is failing. Shops are closing and moving out. If a building remains empty for more than a week it is turned into student accommodation, or so it seems.
In the last few years, the Leofric Hotel, main Post Office, a 7 floor office block and a Yates's have been turned into student halls.
The Post Office sorting office in Bishop Street has been sold for redevelopment, presumably for more student accommodation.
We have a 3 storey Primark, several pound shops, cheap card shops. We also have many, many phone shops and bookmakers. We have 2 Costas and a Starbucks, plus several independent coffee shops. We have several charity shops.
And we have pubs.
Lots and lots of pubs.
All of which could be located in any town or city within the country.
Whilst both city centre Wetherspoons have local photos adorning the walls, they are still very obviously Wetherspoons, and whilst the beer is reasonably priced and the food good they are still just part of a chain.
I know that it is a problem everywhere, but we are losing all the pubs with individual character, everything is becoming an identikit pub, almost flat packed to be assembled anywhere.
We still have a few independent pubs, or at least pubs owned by small breweries, hanging on, such as The Old Windmill in Spon Street.
Also known as Ma Brown's, it was in here that my Great-Grandmother, called Granny Brown (no relation) by everyone, knocked a man unconscious with one punch as he was pestering another woman and wouldn't leave off.
There is The Whitefriars Ale House in Gosford Street.
There are a couple more, but they are few and far between and get very busy with people who like to be able to tell what town they are drinking in.
This week we had the news that Cathedral Lanes, another White Elephant shopping centre, has been sold to be changed into yet more pubs and restaurants.
Will they be like a breath of fresh air?
Or will it be same-old-same old?
The first establishment is due to open in December 2015, so I guess we will have to wait and see.
