Dissing Coventry is dangerous

How many of us have ventured beyond the chip van outside Kasbah? 

Warwick students have a problem with Coventry; this is something that is taken as a given. We’ve all been guilty of saying disparaging things about the city on our doorsteps. Whether it is berating the brutalist concrete tomes of the skyline, the perceived lack of ‘history’, or some other (unwarranted) prejudice, Coventry has always been viewed as ‘the other’ in British history. To be ‘sent to Coventry’ is an English idiom meaning to deliberately ostracise someone. In fact it seems to be Warwick students who are deliberately ostracising the city itself.

The bombing of Coventry during the Blitz is emblematic of the general disregard for the city. Churchill ordered that no defensive measures should be taken to protect Coventry, lest the Germans suspect that their cipher had been broken. This was one of the most destructive raids in the war on the British homeland and has had a marked effect on Coventry in the national consciousness.

The root of student disaffiliation stems from the naming of the university. Taking its name from ‘Warwick’, despite the majority of campus being in Coventry rather than Warwickshire, creating an initial distance between students and the city. This mentality is exhibited when the rush for off-campus accommodation leads straight to Leamington. Any thing else is seen as a failure – if you’re late to the game you’ll ‘end up’ in Coventry… (and we wouldn’t want that?!) – Coventry is seen as second best, somewhere to be avoided at all cost.

The automatic rejection of Coventry by Warwick students is dangerous

In reality though, how much effort have we taken to get to know the city? Like any city Coventry has its problems, but it also has masses of hidden treasures which are ignored by students at Warwick because of our initial prejudice. The automatic rejection of Coventry by Warwick students is dangerous. We are creating barriers between the people of Coventry and the University. Warwick students are already worth £222m to Coventry, although if students fully embrace the city, we could have a much greater impact on the city. Between them both Coventry and Warwick University have over 50,000 students.

Coventry could, amongst Leeds and Sheffield, stand as one of the best student cities in the country. Instead the allure of white Georgian facades in Leamington is too strong for most to resist. This is despite the average Warwick student rarely venturing past the Church bus stop except for the clamber up to Smack on a Tuesday. Choosing to live in a town ten miles away from campus is almost unique compared to any other universities around the country. Sure, it’s a pretty place with good amenities, but if students chose to live in Coventry more, surely these facilities would follow.

Students make up almost 14 percent of the population in Leamington, which is a huge proportion.

Students in Leamington seem to be reaching a saturation point. As the fervent rush for Spa Town real estate increases so too do calls from residents and the council to curb student lets. Students make up almost 14 percent of the population in Leamington, which is a huge proportion. Overall relations between students and other townsfolk are harmonious and students have a positive effect on the place,  but as the pressure of the demand for affordable housing stock continues to be outpaced by students wanting to live in the town, will this always be the case?

This may be slightly radical anyway. Uprooting Warwick students from Leamington and plonking them in Coventry is unlikely to happen any time soon. What could
be done though is encouraging more open-mindedness about the city: many pass judgement before even stepping foot within it. It has a lot to offer – a mix of new and old, a vibrant and growing cosmopolitan population and many pubs, clubs and bars to explore.

Our views on Coventry are largely based on misperception. The best way to overcome this is to hop on the bus and explore the city for yourself. You never know, you might even change your mind.

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Photos: flickr/ell-r-brown