Richard Magli At The Regent Cafe New Street

A Memory of Chipping Norton.

I was quite young in 1962 but it was then that my parents purchased the leasehold on the Regent Café in New Street. We moved in at the start of the big freeze of that winter. The café was a meeting point for the then local teenagers and motorcyclists, it was a very lively place with some great characters. We found a host of things such as rooms walled up and a cellar that was not on the plans, it was our intention to renovate the same and make it into a proper club for the teenagers but planning was never reached, but I do know the old cellar has been cleared and opened out since the Tourist Information people took over the premises.
There was a cinema in the same car park which I think was also called the Regent. I remember going to the local school which I think was at the bottom of Church Street, certainly the Church and Graveyard was at the end of the Street which was a very steep road. I made some great friendships during my time there and would like to hear from anyone still left in the area, I know unfortunately quite a few have moved away as we did, but I'm sure there is a memory or two about old Chippy still floating around.

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