Report - Nuneaton Co-operative Society, Nuneaton July 2019

[dweeb]

Bit of a local explore for local people really but there was enough dated to keep Clebby and I amused for a hour. This building takes up about a quarter of Nuneaton's center and was quite a blow to the town when heart of England CO-OP pulled the plug on it a few years back. Like any Nuneaton kid it was a treat to be taken into the CO-OP as it had the town's only escalator and a rather large toy department!! I always remember it being very 80's in there but the facade was a cracking mixture of early 20th C, mixed with 30's deco 50's brutalist and 80's food hall.

Nuneaton council ended up buying the building and are now attempting to sell it to an escape room company apparently! Bizarre if you ask me but the town council don't have a good track record of decision making if you want my opinion....

Anyway on with some snaps...

The 80's paneling I recall as a kid had been pulled off revealing sections of the original 30's Vitrolite in Jade green. Must have looked smashing in it's day

Board room

Ghost staircase with some nice 30's tiling

Staff Gent's. I thought the tiles looked naff 80's but they were 1930's just in a horrid colour scheme.

Top of the epic 30's frontage. Each letter is a glazed brick and look as good as new even up close

The inside of the "tower" is in fact a funny shaped broom cupboard on each floor!

 

[HughieD]

Some great original features left still. Love the board room and the tiling at the top. Great report.

 

[raisinwing]

Lovely looking building, nicely done!

 

[Exploring with Andy]

That's pretty nice! Loving the lettering on the front, glad you got up close to that.

 

[Bugsuperstar]

That’s very nice mate. Some lovely bits of craftsmanship in there.

 

[Esoteric Eric]

This does it for me, 30's Co-op never fails!

 

[ManyFunAdventures]

Hahahaha... I lived in Nuneaton most of my life and you are so right with Nuneaton & Bedworth Council. Useless is one word for them! So many dealings with them and every occasion they are a total waste of space. LOL!
Great explore of that huge building. Is it as big as that monstrosity Ropewalk? I can't tell. One thing I would love to know is how on Earth did you manage to dodge those many black round security cameras that are all around the outside of the building??? WOW! Obviously I don't expect you to answer this, but that's a feat in itself!! lol
GREAT pics dude.

 

[dweeb]

www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/live-building-collapse-nuneaton-16713318.amp

Oops!!

 

[Scottieboi]

cooperative here in Ipswich was an amazing place to see alot of old features in that building

 

[albino-jay]

Thats a wee beaut that Dweeb. Nice one fella.

 

[LukeyBoy46]

Always wondered what was in this part of the Co-op. A nice little explore!

Thank you.

 

[Milliejones]

I used to work in the restaurant here, until I got made redundant due to closure, The building was massive however even when open was very run down! Wasn’t long after closure it “collapsed” however some amazing building work and the detail to this building ! Loved working here, sad to see the state it has been left in.