list of Coventry's Pubs, which existed in 1912. In the late 1800s the city's pubs were catalogued in a musical monologue by a variety-hall entertainer, Harry Dale. He called his recitation, "The Drinker's Dream", and it survived its originator to be used by pub and club entertainers until - and maybe after - the second World War.

This monologue will be reproduced beneath the full pub listing below.

Coventry's Pubs in 1912

The Drinker's Dream

I dreamt that I travelled by the Railway Inn to The Old Half Moon then round The Globe on The Golden Horse and through The Canal Tavern with Lord Rodney and Admiral Codrington on Board as The Pilot who steered by the Compasses to The Castle where Boadicea The British Queen gave to Samson and the Lion The Bulls Head from The Butcher's Arms after a fine Old Chase with The Hare and Hounds through The Smithfield and The Bull Field and up The Primrose Hill Inn through The Gate Inn to The Vine Cottages where I got The Bunch of Flowers Inn which was The White Rose and The Shamrock just New Inn from The Ivy Cottage where The Bablake Boy gave his Hand and Heart to The Angel for finding Five Ways to milk The Dun Cow that tossed The Black Dog that worried The Leopard that killed The squirrel that ate The Malt Shovel that lay in The Red House that The Builder's Arms built for The Brewer and Baker to play Chequers Inn with. Sir Thomas White and Sir Colin Campbell from The Alma who drove in The Coach and Horses from Coombe Abbey with The Old Friar carrying The Golden Cross to The Priory where the Pilgrim's Rest whilst The mermaid goes into The Old Baths which Peeping Tom tried to see and that made Coventry Cross and The Jolly Weavers with The Mattock and Spade knocked him onto The Dirty Duck in The Swanswell then told The Horse and Jockey to take him in The Waggon and Horses to The Hospital where The Craven Arms nobody but keeps his eye on The Sundial Inn The Watchmaker's Arms thinking at The Rising Sun that William the Fourth The Royal Sailor would introduce him to Lord Nelson from Trafalgar at The Wine Lodge where Robin Hood had had cut by The Woodman from The Royal Oak The Hop Pole which O'Rare Ben Johnson (The old Turk) was told to Mount Pleasant and hold The Golden Cup to catch The Dewdrop weighing Three Tuns to water The Rose and Woodbine at The Nursery where The Prince of Wales who rode the Black Horse shod with The Three Horse Shoes came from The Kenilworth Castle after hunting The Stags saw The King's Head Inn The Queens Arms they were waiting for The Hen and Chickens and The Pheasant to be cooked for The Recruiting Sergeant who fought at Waterloo cut off Toby's Head and jammed it into The Glue Pot grabbed The Peacock saying The Bird in Hand is worth The Antelope and The Bluepig in The Unicorn anyday. I then saw by The Lamp lit from The Gas Tavern The Dolphin and The Talbot in The Fountain at The Crystal Palace as busy as The Spotted Dog chasing The Fox through The Beehive then seeing The Rainbow I said to Royal Albert and The Queen that's a Criterion that we'll see no Reindeer for which she gave me The Star and Garter made of Elastic which I made a Royal Exchange of with Britania for The Sword and Mace to give to Shakespeare The Old Star at The Theatre Vaults who was playing Summerland or The City Mill at The Spittlemoor for the benefit of The Green man who came on The Old Wheel on The Tramway with The Forester's Arms full of Grapes to The Sydenham where we sat round The Punch Bowl and received a welcome Salutation.

Anyone interested in a more in-depth pub history for Coventry might like to visit https://pubhistory.historiccoventry.co.uk