C4.43 Coventry 2021
Coventry 2021: The Third City of Culture in UK History
First, this is a look back at old news. Coventry was announced as the "UK City of Culture for 2021" on December 7, 2017 (UK time), standing out among numerous competing cities in the UK.
Currently, Coventry is developing an exciting 2021 events program, which is expected to be announced in autumn 2020. The events include large-scale song and dance parades, music festivals, theater performances, poetry recitals, and other diverse activities to showcase Coventry’s cultural history. Therefore, students studying in Coventry in 2021 are in for a treat, as they can fully experience the unique charm of the UK’s City of Culture
First, let’s explain the background: What is the UK City of Culture?
The "UK City of Culture" is a competition among UK cities, held every four years. The winning city holds the honorary title for one year and hosts a series of large-scale special events, gaining more opportunities to promote its cultural history.
The initiative was proposed by the UK government. It was inspired by Liverpool’s success after being named the "European Capital of Culture" in 2008—an honor that brought the city numerous international promotion opportunities, significant social impact, and economic benefits.
In January 2009, Andy Burnham, then UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, proposed establishing a UK-specific City of Culture prize. The winning city would host events such as the Turner Prize, Brit Awards, Man Booker Prize, and Stirling Prize. Following the formal submission of the proposal in June 2009, the selection process began in July. It was decided that starting from 2013, one UK city would be designated as the "UK City of Culture" every four years.
The first UK City of Culture in history: Derry-Londonderry
Derry, also known as Londonderry, won the inaugural 2013 UK City of Culture title. Ben Bradshaw, then UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, announced the launch of the competition in July 2009, with voting closing on December 11, 2009. A total of 14 cities applied, and four made the shortlist: Birmingham, Derry, Norwich, and Sheffield. Finally, Ed Vaizey, then UK Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, announced Derry (Londonderry) as the first UK City of Culture in history.
As shown in the image below: Derry, UK—also known as Londonderry.
Source from James Miller
As shown in the image below: Derry’s fireworks in 2013：
Source from Moya
As shown in the image below: Arlene Foster, First Minister of Northern Ireland, promoting "Derry-Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013" at the Irish Travel Trade Show
Source from Mark Henry
The second UK City of Culture: Hull
Next, the honor of the second "UK City of Culture 2017" was awarded to Hull. In June 2013, four cities were shortlisted for the 2017 title: Dundee, Hull, Leicester, and Swansea. Hull won the award because it presented the most compelling theme at the time: "A city coming out of the shadows". Living up to expectations after being selected, Hull attracted £220 million in investment, created 800 new jobs, and drew over 5 million visitors.
Notably, on January 1, 2017—the first day of Hull’s tenure as UK City of Culture—the opening ceremony gained significant influence through a series of events, including Hull’s unique fireworks display and audio-visual installations. Collectively titled "Made in Hull", these activities attracted 60,000 visitors on the day, according to BBC reports. A week later, approximately 300,000 people had participated in Hull’s events.
Hull celebrating the New Year on January 1, 2017:
Source from Business Link
Source from BBC
As shown in the image below: The light display with the slogan "WE ARE HULL":
Source from Absolutely Cultured
As shown in the image below: One of Hull’s events – "Urban Legends: Northern Lights with Ship Of The Gods".
Source from Absolutely Cultured
Source from Innes Photographers
The third UK City of Culture: Coventry
Source from coventry2021.co.uk
Coventry is the city where Shishengmiao studied abroad, so naturally I’ll share a bit more about it—hahahaha! If the word count ends up less than the previous cities, just pretend I didn’t say that, ahahahaha
The competition for the third "UK City of Culture" launched in January 2017, with applications closing on February 28 and the result announced on December 7. As shown in the image below: The 2017 competition timeline:
Source from gov.uk
Among the 14 competing UK cities, only 5 made the final shortlist for the third "UK City of Culture": Coventry, Paisley, Sunderland, Swansea, and Stoke-on-Trent. Ultimately, Coventry won the title of UK City of Culture 2021.
Below is the official competition promotional video for Coventry’s bid to be UK City of Culture. At the 40-second mark of the video, you can see Sophie Li—an outstanding 2012 graduate of Coventry University, originally from Shanghai, and now a designer at Jaguar Land Rover.
Video link:Sorry, the video cannot be played. Please check other videos.
Source: Coventry City of Culture 2021
So, why was Coventry chosen?
There’s plenty of information on the official Coventry City of Culture 2021 website, but as expected, it’s all very formal—totally not my style! I’m the kind of playful, charming, and universally adored meow, after all. Hahahaha, just kidding! Actually, I’m just breathtakingly beautiful and elegant—wow, you can really trust me :)
Alright, let’s get down to the reasons:
Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Coventry and Coventry University on January 16, 2018.
It’s December 2019 now! With me posting over 10 WeChat Moments a day, how long will it take to find the ones from January 16, 2018, featuring the royal couple? I’m crying... But for you guys, I’ll dig them up... Wow, I can really find them :)
Look, I actually found them! But I’ll only share 3 photos and 2 videos here—there are dozens of photos and over ten videos in total. If I posted all of them, you’d all fall in love with the Duchess and forget about me. I know you must love me more, haha...
What? You say you don’t love me? You don’t love Shishengmiao???
Okay, that’s 1 minute up—let’s carry on... Wow, I can really continue...
As seen in the video below: Prince William and Kate Middleton at Coventry Cathedral. One of my fellow alumni is so enviable—I was totally green with envy 🍋! This girl not only saw the Duchess up close but also shook her hand twice and had a short conversation with her:
Sorry, the video cannot be played. Please check other videos.
As shown in the image below: Prince William and Kate Middleton at Coventry Cathedral
As shown in the image below: Prince William and Kate Middleton at the entrance of Coventry University’s Faculty of Health & Life Sciences. The building was newly completed in 2017, with a total investment of over £60 million, making it another iconic structure of Coventry University.
Coventry University’s Faculty of Health & Life Sciences is among the first in the UK to have real ambulances, full-scale simulated operating theatres, and mock hospital wards. It is also an institution that directly supplies talents to the UK’s NHS (National Health Service).
As seen in the video below: Prince William and Kate Middleton at the entrance of Coventry University’s Faculty of Health & Life Sciences in Coventry:
Coventry University (ranked 15th in the UK) is located in Coventry
Coventry University, whose full English name is Coventry University, is a top university ranked 15th in The Guardian University Guide 2020. The Guardian’s UK university rankings are among the three major authoritative university ranking lists in the UK.
As shown in the image below: The authoritative 2020 UK University Rankings by The Guardian:
According to The Guardian’s subject rankings, Coventry University also has multiple programs ranked among the top 10 in the UK, as follows:
Engineering: Mechanical – Ranked 3rd in the UK
Social Policy & Administration – Ranked 3rd in the UK
Hospitality, Event Management & Tourism – Ranked 3rd in the UK
Nursing & Midwifery – Ranked 4th in the UK
Film Production & Photography – Ranked 4th in the UK
Building and Town and Country Planning – Ranked 4th in the UK
Architecture – Ranked 5th in the UK
Journalism, Publishing & Public Relations – Ranked 8th in the UK
Geography & Environmental Studies – Ranked 10th in the UK
As shown in the image below: The authoritative 2020 Subject Rankings by The Guardian:
Among these, Coventry University’s Automotive Design program is exceptionally renowned worldwide. The Lykan Hypersport, a rare supercar featured in the movie Furious 7 (driven by the protagonist) with only 7 units globally, was designed by Coventry University alumni Anthony Jannarelly and Ralph R Debbas—both graduates of the university’s Faculty of Art and Humanities
As shown in the more than 20 images below (I actually have hundreds of them, but I’ll share just over 20 here to feast your eyes). Every year, students majoring in Automotive and Transport Design from Coventry University’s Faculty of Art and Humanities showcase numerous stunning automotive design models, as seen in the images below:
Which of the many cars above is your favorite?
Let me tell you a secret—don’t tell anyone! Actually, this handsome and talented outstanding meow (that’s me) is a student at this university.
It’s an open campus university in the UK, meaning its buildings are scattered throughout Coventry city. Campus facilities can be found all over the city, with the main concentration in the city center. Transportation is also convenient: it takes just over 10 minutes by train to Birmingham and around 1 hour to London.
As shown in the image below: In addition to being ranked 15th in the UK university rankings, Coventry University has also been awarded a Gold rating in the UK’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)—a key indicator for assessing the teaching quality of higher education institutions in the UK (the following content is from Coventry University’s official website):
As shown in the image below: Coventry University was awarded five stars in individual categories of the 2019 QS Stars Award (QS Star Rating System), including Teaching, Employability, Student Facilities, and Internationalization & Inclusiveness
The University of Warwick (ranked 62nd in the QS World University Rankings) is also located in Coventry
Surprised? Besides Coventry University, the University of Warwick is also situated in Coventry. The University of Warwick is actually located in Warwick town, along the River Avon, 18 kilometers south of Coventry city center.
Many people know about the University of Warwick but are unaware it is in Coventry. Therefore, the University of Warwick is equally proud of Coventry’s honor as the "UK City of Culture 2021" and has a dedicated section on its official website to introduce this.
As shown in the image below: The top right corner features the University of Warwick’s official website introduction to Coventry, the 2021 UK City of Culture. Below it is the University of Warwick’s address: Coventry CV4 7AL, UK—confirming it is in Coventry.
The University of Warwick is a top university consistently ranked among the world’s top 100. It is a member of the Russell Group, known as the UK’s Ivy League, and one of the founding members of the M5 University Group. Its Warwick Business School is widely recognized as one of the best business schools in the UK.
As shown in the image below: The University of Warwick ranked 62nd in the 2020 QS World University Rankings
As shown in the image below: The University of Warwick ranked 10th in the UK in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020. The UK university rankings published by The Times are among the three major authoritative university ranking lists in the UK
As shown in the image below: The University of Warwick ranked 9th in the UK in the authoritative 2020 UK University Rankings by The Guardian:
As shown in the image below: The University of Warwick ranked 9th in the UK and 77th in the world in the 2020 Times Higher Education (THE) University Rankings
Arden University is located in Coventry
It is a small private university, with its headquarters near Coventry Airport. Founded in 1990, it was initially established by Resource Development International (RDI), later acquired by Capella Education, and awarded university status by the UK government in 2015. Since August 2016, the university has been part of Global University Systems.
In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate programs, Arden University also offers blended learning programs and online distance education courses. It has study centers in Birmingham, Manchester, London (UK), and Berlin (Germany).
However, when I checked the university’s official website just now, Coventry was not listed as a study location, but the contact address of the Main Office is in Coventry. I also searched for the university’s rankings but found none for now. This is the first time I’ve come across this private university.
As shown in the image below: Arden University’s headquarters is in Coventry:
Arden University：
Coventry is an important automotive industry city in the UK
In 1896, Britain’s first Daimler car was born in Coventry. Daimler is the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, the world’s largest luxury car producer, and the second-largest truck producer, with brands including Mercedes-Benz
Since as early as 1896, Coventry has been a manufacturing hub for motorcycles and automobiles, with the automotive industry at the core of the city’s industrial sector.
Automobile manufacturers based in Coventry include Coventry Motette, Great Horseless Carriage Co, Swift, Humber, Riley and Daimler, as well as Triumph Motorcycle, which originated here in 1902.
Jaguar’s headquarters and manufacturing plants are also located in Coventry. France’s Peugeot also has a factory in Ryton, just outside Coventry.
London’s famous black cabs are manufactured by the London Taxi International (LTI) based in Coventry. As shown in the image below: Black cabs in London, UK:
Source from Fern's Travels
Coventry Story 1: Coventry
Coventry is a city in the West Midlands of England. It is famous for its medieval Coventry Cathedral, which was destroyed in the Blitz during World War II.
There is a story about Coventry in World War II, and the name "Coventry" has been used as a metaphor in many films and TV dramas to imply certain events. One example is the well-known British detective series Sherlock
This World War II story about Coventry happened on November 14, 1940. At that time, the citizens living in Coventry were going about their daily lives as usual.
At 7:15 p.m., air raid sirens suddenly blared across the urban area. Five minutes later, German Heinkel aircraft appeared over the city and launched a 10-hour bombing campaign.
The massive explosions shook the ground violently, and Coventry was instantly reduced to ruins.
It is said that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had known about the German plan to bomb Coventry in advance, but he did not take any defensive or evacuation measures.
After the incident, the British people were stunned when they learned the truth—why did Churchill act this way?
During World War II’s European theater, Germany’s military strength had long worried neighboring countries, and other nations were racking their brains to obtain German intelligence.
If a small sacrifice could secure its military secrets, it would be deemed worthwhile. Coventry was a victim of this situation.
Coventry became the most devastated British city by bombing during World War II.
However, after the war, the city was rebuilt from the ruins and emerged before the world with a brand-new modern look, known as "the golden phoenix rising from the ashes."
Therefore, the word "Coventry" is used as a metaphor in certain English contexts:
Coventry Story 2: Lady Godiva
Another legendary story of Coventry revolves around its heroine, Lady Godiva.
In Coventry city center stands the Lady Godiva Statue—a sculpture of a nude woman riding a horse. This figure is Lady Godiva, the heroine of Coventry. Her paintings and story introductions can be visited at Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, an art museum in Coventry city center. I have been there twice and found it very special. The museum houses many interesting stories and is well worth a visit
A Legend from Coventry
Lady Godiva, born around 990 and passing away on September 10, 1067, was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman in England.
According to legend, Lady Godiva was the beautiful wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. At that time, Leofric imposed heavy taxes on the citizens of Coventry. Lady Godiva repeatedly pleaded with her husband to reduce the taxes, but he stubbornly refused each time.
Finally, annoyed by his wife’s constant pleas, Leofric said he would grant tax relief only if she rode naked through the city streets. True to her word, Lady Godiva ordered all citizens to stay indoors and close their windows. She then rode through the streets completely naked, covered only by her long hair.
A tailor named Tom defied the order, drilling a small hole in his window to peek. Immediately after, he went blind. This man later became the origin of the English term "Peeping Tom" for a voyeur. "Peep" is an onomatopoeic word—with "p p" representing two hands leaning on a door and "ee" symbolizing two eyes peeking through.
Subsequently, Lady Godiva’s husband kept his promise and abolished the heavy taxes.
As shown in the image below: This is Tailor Tom in Coventry’s city center square. Every hour on the hour, Lady Godiva emerges to ride around. When she reaches the center, Tom sticks his head out to look. It is an animated clock that tells a story.
Be sure to watch it when passing through the city center square—it’s quite fascinating
However, Lady Godiva did exist in the early 11th century, with records of her in several ancient documents—such as storage licenses, quarrying permits, and the Domesday Book—though there are many variations in the spelling of her name.
The Chronicle of Ely (written in the late 12th century) states that she was originally a widow who married Leofric in 1040. In those years, she funded a monastery in Lincolnshire.
In 1043, she persuaded her husband to build and endow a Benedictine monastery in Coventry. Her mark—"di Ego Godiva Comitissa diu istud desideravi" (I, Countess Godiva, have long desired this)—was also found on a charter issued by her brother to the Benedictine monastery.
She was also a patroness of many other monasteries across different regions. The Domesday Book records her as one of the few Anglo-Saxons who retained their lands after the Norman Conquest of England, and the only female landowner mentioned. She died a few years later and was buried at the entrance of a major monastery.
The legend of Lady Godiva was first established as a commemorative festival in Coventry on May 31, 1678, and continued until 1826. It was revived between 1848 and 1887 and remains one of Coventry’s commemorative festivals to this day.
In the engineering departments of many universities, military engineering units, and other engineering associations, Lady Godiva is regarded as their mascot, known as the "Patron Saint of Engineers" or the "Goddess of Engineers."
Source:Lady Godiva by John Collier, c. 1897, Herbert Art Gallery and Museum, Coventry
Nowadays, Coventry hosts the Godiva Festival once a year. The three-day event invites many top British musicians, artists, and performers, organized by Coventry City Council. In 2019, 75,000 people attended the Godiva Festival.
I’ve been there too—there were plenty of food options and various amusement rides. Each stage featured different music styles, with rock being the most popular, along with many interactive activities. If you’ve seen the Minions movie Despicable Me, Gru won a unicorn by playing carnival games. I tried those games too, but didn’t win a single one... The unicorn in the GIF below is the same one Gru won:
Godiva Festival：
Source from Coventry Godiva Festival
Coventry Transport Museum
Coventry Transport Museum is a major highlight for automotive enthusiasts. The historical vehicles on display include Queen Mary’s 1935 Daimler and a 1943 wartime armored vehicle.
As shown in the images below: Some of the cars in the Transport Museum:
This transport museum has always been free in the past, but it has started charging admission since July 2019. However, each ticket allows free re-entry within 365 days from the date of purchase.
As shown in the image below: The price list of Coventry Transport Museum:
Uh, let me tell you another little secret here—if you have a Go CV card, you can visit Coventry Transport Museum for free. You can also get free entry or discounts at many paid venues in Coventry. The full name of this card is Go Coventry.
Surprisingly, this Go CV card is free of charge. Of course, only a seasoned genius like me knows everything—wow, you can really apply for it...
However, there’s a restriction on this card: only Coventry residents and Council tax payers are eligible to apply. That means anyone living in Coventry and paying council tax to Coventry City Council can get it for free at any Coventry customer service center
Coventry Cathedral
You can climb the tower to overlook the entire city of Coventry. It’s incredibly beautiful, truly picturesque—I accidentally discovered that the tower is accessible
10, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum
It’s the museum I mentioned earlier—admission is free. It houses numerous little stories about Coventry, along with many works of art that are quite fascinating. There are also plenty of stories about Lady Godiva
11，Wyken Slough
There are many swans and small animals by a pond—all the swans belong to the Queen. The address is CV2 1SE
12，Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden
This castle is located in Kenilworth, a town in Warwickshire, at postcode CV8.
13, War Memorial Park
War Memorial Park features a visitor center, a children's playground, and sports facilities, including 12 football pitches. Many music festivals and large-scale events are held here
14, St Mary's Guildhall
This is a historically significant event venue of the town hall, and these buildings are all medieval artistic architectures
15，Warwick Castle
I really like this place—it’s quite spacious, but admission is required and there are lots of stairs to climb. You can truly experience British city gate towers, especially those non-stop spiral staircases... There are also eagle shows and peacocks here..
Coventry MotoFest
Coventry MotoFest is an annual motorsport and car show festival in Coventry. As reported by British media on November 10, 2014, Coventry became the first city in the UK to host motor races on public roads through MotoFest. At that time, Coventry City Council passed new government legislation allowing motorsport events in the city, giving the green light to the races.
First held in 2014, MotoFest takes place annually from late May to early June. You can see cool car exhibitions on the streets and lanes of Coventry city center, including outside the teaching buildings of Coventry University. Besides taking photos of the cars, you can also sit inside them for photos. Various types of motor races can also be watched on the roads.
As shown in the images below: Cars displayed in Coventry city center in 2019:
Source from MotoFest Coventry
Uh, it feels like I’ve written more and more—so that’s it! Welcome everyone to visit Coventry more often, and hope you grow to love Coventry, and by the way, love me too, wow, you can really love.