Exiled in 1961
New Member
The Minerva Cafe was run by my grandfather ,Joseph Fletcher with my Uncle Ernie ,Uncle John was the man producing teas,coffees and sausage/tomato sandwiches,My Aunt Lily assisted and produced apple pies etc. She is the last of that generation but is still living in Hall Green with my cousin,Tony. I spent time there in the late 50s and often late morning headed to Edgbaston to watch Warwickshire play in summer. The clientale were market traders ,and other workers.At the beginning of thread the Minerva Café that was adjacent to Smithfield Garage gets a couple of mentions. The photo attached here shows Smithfield Garage and part of the café. My only recollections of the café are whilst working on Morgan's Sausage Manufactory next to Digbeth Police station when we were converting it to the Manzil Restaurant. Every working day for about three months I would walk down to café with the breakfast order for the lads working on the site. To be honest my recollections of the place were that of any greasy spoon café of the period, although I have to say that I thought the sos & tom sandwiches were outstanding