The date is March 29, 2020. Aliens have landed in Coventry. Nobody has spotted them. Mainly because most people are at home under Prime Minister’s orders.

They’re here on a fact-finding mission. What does the city have to offer? They’ve timed their visit perfectly. Even a waltz around the usually bustling aisles of Primark would not avoid detection - assuming they can teleport through its locked doors.

Upon completing their 24-hour mission, our visitors from another planet have some questions about our city. We allowed them to ask eight, and eight only. Use them wisely...

Q: Where are the humans?

Crikey, where do we start? Simply put, a disease has spread from China and across the world. Thousands are dying. It’s called Covid-19, or coronavirus, and we’ve been told to stay at home unless we absolutely have to go outside the house. It’s serious, so keep your distance and hash your hands, all four of them.

Broadgate with Primark in the background

Q: But there’s queues of people outside Tesco in Arena Park?

Ah yes, people have got to eat, you’re allowed to venture out for essentials and to exercise, once a day. Also if your job is a key one to keep society ticking over and they can’t work from home, those people are heading to work.

Q: While we were there we spotted something else confusing. We did some research using literature we sourced in 2013 about sport before setting out for earth, why is there a Wasps logo on the Ricoh Arena?

You had to ask this didn’t you. Coventry City (CCFC) wanted to build a new stadium as Highfield Road, their old ground, had no room for expansion or other income generating facilities.

They embarked on project but got relegated and couldn’t afford to complete it.

Coventry City Council stepped in to help as it was also part of their regeneration plans for that area of the city.

A stadium company formed with council and CCFC, but the football club still had money problems and sold its share to the Higgs Charity to pay off its debt with them. So the club lost control of the stadium before it was even built. They could have bought back charity’s share for a formula price at any time.

CCFC logo and Wasps logo on the Ricoh Arena.

CCFC was bought by Sisu in 2007. They ploughed millions into the club chasing promotion to the Premier League rather than buying the stadium. When that tactic failed, they switched attention to the stadium.

ACL was the stadium company. They had a loan, with Yorkshire Bank - effectively its mortgage provider.

CCFC were being charged £1.3m annual rent. They eventually stopped paying it, putting ACL under financial pressure.

Council bought out the bank loan - effectively becoming mortgage provider.

The highest court in the land upheld a judgement that said Sisu’s tactic was to try and distress the company and pick it up on the cheap.

CCFC’s owners eventually took club to play in Northampton having broken the lease.

That continued to distress ACL and the stadium company was on brink of collapse before Wasps stepped in and bought the stadium.

CCFC did make an offer for the charity’s half share, but it was rejected as it was conditional where as Wasps’ offer was straight cash.

In reality, the deal would not have happened, even if the charity accepted. Wasps had already purchased the council’s share and therefore had the right of veto over the sale of the other half.

Q: The Coventry City Football Club logo is still on display, do they still play there then?

The Coventry City badge

They did, but not this season. There has been a lot of legal back and forth between the two clubs but an agreement could not be reached so Coventry City FC is playing its home games at Birmingham City this season. Well they were, until the coronavirus prompted the league to be suspended.

Q: Okay, that sounds complicated, let’s leave it. Why is there a giant elephant shaped building in your city centre, they live many thousands of miles away, don’t they?

It used to be a swimming pool and leisure centre, with building work starting back in 1966. It was part of the ‘central redevelopment of our great and ancient city’ said the chair of Coventry's baths committee E.J. Williams.

The 'Elephant' Coventry Sports Centre in Fairfax Street

The elephant has long since been connected with Coventry. The city’s coat of arms boasts one as does the Coventry City FC logo you saw on the Ricoh Arena and Coventry Rugby Club.

Some historians believe it was a popular symbol to adopt by our forefathers because the elephant represents strength and piety.

The animal is so strong that he can carry a castle on his back, and in some myths and legends he killed an evil dragon.

Q: There’s a statue of a naked woman riding a horse just down the road from there. Seems a bit rude?

That dates back to the 11th century. The statue is a tribute to Lady Godiva, wife of Leofric, Earl of Merica. She was a patron of various churches and monasteries.

Lady Godiva statue in Broadgate



Q: While they’re in very different conditions, it appears you have two cathedrals?

Indeed, we’ve got one to spare. During the Second World War, 500 Luftwaffe bombers gathered from airfields all over occupied Europe headed for Coventry on the night of November 14, 1940.

500 tons of high explosives were dropped on the city. It flattened the city, damaging or destroying more than half of the city’s housing stock as well as the medieval church of St Michael’s. It was the only cathedral to be destroyed in the Second World War.

King George VI is said to have wept as he stood in the ruins.

Coventry Cathedral

Those ruins remained in place and a new cathedral was built and consecrated more than two decades later, with an opening ceremony held in 1962.

Q: One final question, what does 'FERODO' mean?

So you’ve been up London Road have you? Those caps lock letters have been on that bridge for 50 years. The markings date back to an advertising deal between British Rail and a Derbyshire-based business Ferodo.

The 'Ferodo' bridge in London Road

The company, which made vehicle brake pads and developed the first modern brake friction materials, decided railway bridges were the best place to advertise. The result was a handful of railway bridges around the country emblazoned with the company name.

The advertising deal came to an end in 1998 when Ferodo was taken over by Federal Mogul.

Until recently the logos were left where they were, giving the company the best part of two decades of free advertising.

But now some, particularly ones in London, are being painted over by Network Rail. For now, it's Coventry advertising campaign remains.

Well that's it from us, thank you human. Unfortunately our spaceship has broken down and we need to drive out of here via your city centre ringroad. Any tips on how to negotiate that please?

I'm sorry, but you're out of questions, safe travels!