Les meilleurs hôtels à Coventry

What a kooky history Coventry has: cars, bombs and a famous naked bombshell. The central England county is mainly known for being an industrial center, sort of like a UK Detroit. Uppercrust car companies like Jaguar and Peugeot make their home here, as well as London taxi cabs and Scorpion Tanks. It was because of Coventry's industrial character that the city was innundated with bombs during World War II. Saint Michael's Cathedral, originally built in the 14th century, was almost completely destroyed by the bombing. It has since been rebuilt, but the nave and spire were left standing to bring back bittersweet memories of the bombings. And speaking of bombs, more about that aforementioned bombshell. It is Lady Godiva of whom we're speaking, and it is through the streets of Coventry that she made her famous ride. The story goes that the good-hearted lady, a civil rights proponent way before the phrase entered the language, was incensed when her husband Leofric, Earl of Mercia, raised taxes to an excessive level. Lady Godiva tweaked her husband's conscience by riding naked through the town on a white horse. Supposedly, only one person disobeyed her orders to remain indoors behind closed shutters: a tailor known afterward as Peeping Tom peered through a window and immediately became blind. A festival in her honor was instituted as part of Coventry Fair in 1678. Locals also claim that St George, the brave man who slew Britain's mythical dragon, was born in Coventry. A walk around the city turns up many references to the patron saint of England. Pop culture watchers may also be interested to know that 80s ska-pop band The Specials, Molly Ringwald's favorite band and a fixture in John Hughes movies, wrote their hit song "Ghost Town" about Coventry.