Upcoming Events

April 2024

Thursday 11/04

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc AGM

Monday 15/04

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

May 2024

Thursday 09/05

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 20/05

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

June 2024

Friday 14/06

All Day
CovSoc Visit to Pershore

Saturday 15/06

All Day
Civic Day

Monday 17/06

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

July 2024

Monday 15/07

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

Thursday 18/07

14:00 – 16:00
CovSoc Visit to Maxstoke Castle tbc

August 2024

Thursday 08/08

14:00 – 16:00
CovSoc Visit to Sherbourne Valley Project

Monday 19/08

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

September 2024

Wednesday 18/09

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting

Monday 23/09

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting

October 2024

Wednesday 09/10

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 14/10

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting

Saturday 19/10

All Day
Heritage Conference

November 2024

Wednesday 06/11Friday 08/11

Feister gathering

Wednesday 13/11

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 18/11

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

December 2024

Wednesday 11/12

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 16/12

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

January 2025

Wednesday 08/01

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 20/01

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

February 2025

Wednesday 12/02

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 17/02

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

March 2025

Wednesday 12/03

19:30 – 21:30
CovSoc Meeting
Recurs monthly

Monday 17/03

19:00 – 21:00
Coventry Society Committee Meeting
Recurs monthly

Thread Through Time – Robert Conybear & Uta Molling

Thread through time

‘Thread Through Time’ in the Bull Yard was made by Robert Conybear and Uta Molling in 1999 after a public choice from a range of models exhibited in a shop in Bull Yard in June 1998. Each model explained about the proposals and a short questionnaire was filled in by Coventry citizens for their thoughts. The sculpture is a cone shape with the point facing up. Within the point is a six metre high tube which has a laser inside that points to infinity (this no longer works). The cone was cast using recycled crushed concrete, stone and bricks from the nearby old Rolls Royce factory (formally Armstrong Siddeley) on Parkside.

Rolls Royce factory Parkside

Parkside factory

It represents a spool of thread that is intertwined with the story of Coventry’s past.

Thread through time

Designs have been cut and carved into the surface of the sculpture, first into clay then a mount is made and into the cone shaped mould was poured the concrete mix of rubble from the factory embedding itself in the work. Amongst the designs are a ‘Bull’ sitting in a yard in front of a building with an archway and behind that is the Coventry spires, this is because this statue is in ‘Bull Yard’.

Thread through time

Thread through time

There is also a picture of Greyfriers Gate that once stood near this spot and was once an important entrance gate into the city.

Thread through time

Thread through time

It has many other symbols around it starting, with the Sun. It also includes an ‘Elephant’, a symbol of Coventry on its Coat of Arms. The elephant was seen not only as a beast of strength, but also as a symbol of Christ’s redemption of the human race. The Elephant was also seen as a dragon slayer in Medieval thinking.

Thread through time

The statue is painted in a dark olive green with red and black flecks. It could do with a bit of love and care as some stickers have been fly posted on it.

The artist Robert Conybear is from Swansea and has done many commissions for his home town in partnership with his fellow sculptor Uta Molling, who is from Germany. Their work includes a Lighthouse sculpture for the Swansea Marina, a sculpture called ‘Ecliptica’, a weather vane for the Marina Tower Observatory and a wall mosaic for the sea cadets’ headquarters. They have also done other work including 24 mosaic ceramics panels for Luton town centre.

Thread through time

Return to Public Art in Coventry Page.