Trevor S 2,003 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 I could be wrong about a petrol station as such but do seem to remember a place with the old style pumps of those days. Perhaps we may be lucky and Robbie has a picture from back then? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 There was a petrol station and garage workshop into the mid eighties, as I used them when I lived in Saxondale village. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coffers77 34 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 I am fairly sure the Elbow had three entrances. One on Mansfield Road we all agree about, one up the steps direct into the café from Huntingdon Street, that's the one I used most mornings having walked up from the gas board (always a big pile of gas board tool bags near the rear door). A further one on Huntingdon Street that led to the B & B side of things. I think you are right - can't quite picture the exact location but I recall residents did enter from outside the café on the Huntingdon Street side. Anyone remember the Geo Akins bookies next door? - my that was grim but probably of its time Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 Washed my smalls in the coin op- bacon sarnie while the long cycle is on-nip next door for a fiver on a favourite at folkstone-- Sorted for cica -'78!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 #127 The Harlequin caff was before my time, but if it was on the corner where the post office used to be, as shown in #122, the garage and petrol station was a couple of hundred yards away situated here... https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.949473,-1.016449,3a,37.5y,171.3h,91.64t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1soe9tA1nMKzMkA3oDLUqbYA!2e0 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 Does this help? Early 1950s. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 #130. TBI. Interestingley, I delivered the bricks there for that building ! (The building on the left) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 #128 If I remember correctly off the pavement you went up 3/4 steps on to an open walkway, the café entrance was directly in front of you, but you turned left along the walkway for the entrance to the B&B. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 Harlequin Building is still there and I'm told has reopened recently as a cafe, Used to be run by a family called Gentry, talking of 1970/80's. Have trawled through all these postings but can't find any reference to one opposite the eland pub at new basford, I'm sure I posted about it, opened by a foreign guy maybe Polish? who had name of "Chet" and his wife, they also had one in Hucknall both cafe's full of pinball machines,had to get 3,4 or 5 in a line and "won" replays, once they got to know you they would buy back those (I think illegal) if lucky or pinball wizard type could get alot of money from them. In later years the eland st one was owned or managed by I think an Irishman and his wife, if I remember correctly she murdered him and locked his body in the outside toilet after a week or two the chemists next door complained re the drains smelling! Council workmen broke down the door, it was said at the time " hundreds of flies as big as sparrows" were eating the body! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 I remember that murder. Nice . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Coffers77 34 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 #133 Again I think you are right on the third entrance. I hung in and about there around 1978 when I was on the dole and for a bit afterwards when I started work. It was closed for a long time before eventually being demolished. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 ^^^^^^^^^^ My first visit to the Elbow would be Feb 1962, as an apprentice for EMGAS I was based at Woodborough Rd, so it was just a short walk up the hill for a cracking bacon and tomato sarnie and a big mug of tea. EMGAS split Nottingham into six 'districts' and as you were moved from one to another the first thing you did was sort out the local cafes. One of my favourites was on Wollaton Road Beeston, just up from the high road on the right, lovely and clean, good food and a great selection on the juke box, you could get a half decent dinner in there for just a couple of bob. That's 10 pence to the young'uns. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 I have just remembered something else about the café in Beeston. Back in those days we travelled on public transport using bus tokens supplied by the board. Nottm corporation for their bus's and big green and blue jobs for the likes of Trent, Barton and West Bridgford.You could clear your bill at the café for double what it cost using these bus tokens, helped the lady who owned it and we got free meals. Another way of using shall we say 'surplus' big greenies and blueys was to save them up to pay for your run to Skeggie in the summer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Booth 7,364 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 After reading these posts I'm expecting one from trevorthegasman. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 He will be along soon, he must have memories to share of those days. It was quite an education for a young lad, we worked from the city slums to the biggest house in the Park, where the tradesman's entrance was still opened by the downstairs maid. I remember going into a cellar in the Park to check the meter and walking into a wine cellar, must have been 2000 bottles down there most of them covered with dust. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 15, 2015 Report Share Posted May 15, 2015 Ashley:you are spot on- i used to sign on at Davids lane then walk to the Silver Teapot cafe for a brew!- she dumped him in plastic and constantly bleached the outside loo! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 16, 2015 Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 Great caff on Hunto- opposite playland- remember eating chip baps on bar stools and kopping buses- what a life!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted May 16, 2015 Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 A bit off topic but some of these caff's were quite simply the downstairs and kitchen of terraced houses on main roads, same with grocery shops which struck me as being odd as a few doors away esp in New Basford there would be a former corner shop used as a dwelling house with the big windows covered in closed lace curtains 24/7, this was very much a DIY thing as opposed to today's trend of turning empty shops into houses crammed full of students (Mansfield Rd for example,) ££££££££££££££££,s lol 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted May 16, 2015 Report Share Posted May 16, 2015 This one on Hartley Road likes to advertise that it won an award in 2011 and 2012 for 'Britains Best Builders Breakfast'. I wonder what that consisted of. You can even sit outside and watch the local scenery. https://goo.gl/maps/wLv4z Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted May 17, 2015 Report Share Posted May 17, 2015 Loved Tess's cafe on the bottom of Derby rd. oppisite kiddies corner shop. George and tess were family friends and the apple pie in there was to die for. I had a serious eye accident when i was a kid and practically lived in the eye hospital on the Ropewalk. 5hours waiting to see Dr. Haworth and i was hungry!! Food in Tess's was top notch. PS food in the Amoy chinese next door was good an'all!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mercurydancer 1,104 Posted May 22, 2015 Report Share Posted May 22, 2015 Some of my favourites, all long gone. Blyth Hill Top services. Theres a mobile phone TV mast there now and nothing else, but it was an all nighter and saw many police officers during the night and early morning. I recall one bloke in a jag, who was as drunk as a skunk, coming into the cafe. I advised him not to get into his car and drive away. I was in full uniform at the time. He didn't really say much as probably he could not. He got into his jag in the car park, I pulled in behind him, and flashed my lights. He went onto the A1 and as soon as I could I put on the blues. He didnt stop! He was doing possibly 25MPH so not difficult to catch, but I had to overtake him and push him into the hard shoulder. First thing he said to me - "My friend is the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire." I had to remind him I was a Nottinghamshire Constabulary officer. Cafe opposite the bus station in Worksop. Again a copper's haunt.. Third was a cafe on Fleet Street in London. Used to work around the clock. Totally reliable and had lawyers, drivers, market people at all hours. I went searching for it a couple of years ago. its now a coffee shop (of a certain well known brand) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,326 Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Ashley #143: There was a café on Ilkeston road that fitted the description you give of "the downstairs and kitchen of terraced houses on main roads". In 1974 or perhaps '75, I approached the owner of the Café ( I think it was called "The Shangri La" and asked if she would sell the illuminated sign. She wanted a small noticeboard for the wall outside, so in exchange for making one for her, she gave me the sign. I set it up in my bathroom, where it was the main source of lighting for many years afterwards. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted August 22, 2015 Report Share Posted August 22, 2015 My late Mother used to tell me stories about dyeing her legs with tea and drawing a "stocking" line and going to the Mikado cafe next to Griffin & Spalding's. She worked at Dolcis and said the rock cakes were the best in town.washed down with tea in very posh pots! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,326 Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 It's a long time since I found a good transport café; the last one was Jim's greasy spoon on the A74 at Beattock southern Scotland; demolished to make way for the M74 some years ago. Are there any good transport cafés still remaining? Flash of memory.....Last time I visited Jim's I found a fiver on the central reservation of the (then) dual carriageway - which was nice Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted December 15, 2015 Report Share Posted December 15, 2015 The Limes on the A614. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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