The Cosy Cafe

My family owned the Cosy Cafe on Lyme Road in the 1950s. I did not start working their until 1957 as I was still at school until then, but I still remember a lot of the customers who use to come in for their cups of tea. John Goddard the school caretaker, Charlie Pengelly, who owned the ironmonger's opposite, Wyndham Welsh the local character, who used to raise thousands of pounds for charity, Johnny Betts and many more too numerous to name. The really busy time was Carnival night, when Mum use to make at least a 100 pasties that invariably use to go before the night was over. Opposite was a car park that Herberts Fun Fair use to use during the week, and when all the festivities were over each night the men from the fair came over to the cafe for free cups of tea, which enabled myself and my brother Brian to have unlimited rides on the Dodgems, oh happy days.