Page 24 - Thrapston Life February 2022

GLANCE AT
THE PAST
Eric Franklin looks back
During one of our 2021 lockdowns I was asked if I could write a brief item on the various cafes in Thrapston. Amongst those I discovered in Leayton’s Directory dated 1936 were:
• C. Loveday’s Café at 13 Bridge Street by the Temperance Hall which was originally Mr Pelosi’s shop and café which became Mrs Onley’s Café who sold teas, rolls and sandwiches to lorry and bus drivers, and passengers on the buses and trains. This is now the Thrapston Tandoori restaurant.
• Miss Williamson’s Café at 55 High Street which became the Lounge Café run by Colin McKay.
• Others mentioned to me were the Teapot Café, Olive’s Café in Oundle Road and Barlows.
The phrase Café Culture arose during the 17th Century when coffee became available, and cafes became popular meeting places for those wealthy enough to be able to afford it. Cities on the continent retain this culture, two which come to mind being Paris and Vienna.
The Lounge Café was above Lynn’s Hardware Store on the High Street and is marked by the red arrow on this picture of the High Street taken on 25th March 1966. It was originally run by Mr and Mrs Brigstock but by 1951, had been taken over by Mr and Mrs McKay. There was still rationing in 1951/1952 and the Cafés ration book in Mrs McKay’ name is shown with an advert from the 1947 St James’ Church yearbook. The Café was upstairs and entered through a door to the side of the store entrance. Miss Williams ran a library in the premises.
On Oundle Road, Olive Tebbs ran ‘Olive’s Café’ which doubled as a fish and chip shop. One of their adverts is shown – regrettably I failed to note where I found this and the date although the telephone number suggests the 1960’s. The Northants Evening Telegraph, on 20th December 1957 reported that Thrapston firemen were called to Olive’s Café, Oundle Road on the day before when fire broke out in a frier. The outbreak was confined to one pan, although some damage was done nearby.
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