Queen's visit 'led to creation of Coventry Transport Museum'

The Queen accepted an invitation to visit Coventry Working Men's Club in her Silver Jubilee year

The creation of Coventry's transport museum owes a lot to the Queen's visit to the city in 1977, according to a local historian.

Paul Maddocks said he was involved in arranging the visit and "it threw Coventry into a bit of a panic".

A committee decided to present the Queen with a leather-bound book of Coventry's motoring heritage and arranged a display of cars.

Mr Maddocks said that got "everyone thinking" about a permanent display.

The Queen's visit, in her Silver Jubilee year, included a visit to the city's working men's club in Cox Street, which originally opened in 1862.

It had just been rebuilt and it was believed to be the monarch's first visit to a working men's club.

A committee was put together to plan the Royal visit and think of a suitable gift for the Queen

Mr Maddocks said he had worked "day and night" to prepare for the visit and the idea for the commemorative book of motoring heritage came from Peter Mitchell, Keeper of Industry at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum.

He said the Chamber of Commerce approached the museum after the Queen's visit and then started raising money to create a permanent transport exhibition for the city.

"The fact that the Queen came got everybody thinking about doing something," Mr Maddocks said.

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