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Cafes in and around Birmingham

Reading through all the cafe posts, I have used most of them in my various driving jobs around the Birmingham area,from Smoky Joes in Northfield that used to be open 24 hours, John and Margarets also in Northfield with his cry of Take it easy now and the choice of hard stuff or soft (Steralised or Pastuerised milk) the 2 cafes in Ryland st, Dentons just above Ryland garage, the Drome in Kingsbury Rd and the transport cafe opposite Pype Hayes park on Chester Rd. But one that really deserves a mention is Aldo's cafe in Witton a really first class cafe.
 
I remember Aldo's cafe in Witton well as they used to deliver moms dinner and not charge delivery. The food was very good. Jean.
 
Certainly remember the Cafe in Ryland st. When I started work in 1960 at Ryland Garage the most important job was to collect the older mechanics sandwiches, usually double deckers (bacon and sausage) for them and free a tomato dip for me for fetching them. Loved the smell, cooking and smoke (though I never smoked myself) and someone always feeding the juke box, how times have changed.
 
I worked at the ETS in Loveday Street we had a cafe next door they made the best bacon and tomato sandwiches bread as thick as door steps. I don't know what the cafe was called but still remember the sandwiches.That was over 50 years ago.
 
nickcc101 said:
Certainly remember the Cafe in Ryland st. When I started work in 1960 at Ryland Garage the most important job was to collect the older mechanics sandwiches, usually double deckers (bacon and sausage) for them and free a tomato dip for me for fetching them. Loved the smell, cooking and smoke (though I never smoked myself) and someone always feeding the juke box, how times have changed.
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Hi Claribel i was a truck driver for over 54 years the cafes you mention i used to use myself. nearly all served good food
thw best cafe i liked was Ernies and Olives cafe on witton road. at the time i worked for ansells Brewery went in there every morning for breakfast. they did move to Pershore road and opened another cafe.
gret days
 
Pete used Ernie and Olives too and said Ernie new everyone in the area both good and bad. He was only talking about the place the other day with his brother.
 
I remember Bobs cafe on the A45 dunchurch used to call in there on my way to london at 4 oclock in the morning for breakfast.
used the place for years
 
Does anyone remember a cafe on the Ryland Cafe corner of Grosvenor Street and Island ?? Street. Back in the 19320's 30's maybe 40's it was run by Mary Turner. Her husband Richard drove for Pickfords. Does anyone remember them? Any memories you can share would be great.
 
hi all.i remember the drone cafe on kingsbury rd.a mixed grill for breakfast yum yum and it was a plate full.not sprayed on like some cafes gave you
 
Hi. Just noticed this thread and having read all the past postings I notice that no-one has mentioned "Bill's Cafe" in Great Hampton Row in the 1950's. It was opposite "W. Canning & Co" by the "Gothic" pub. He did a roaring trade with the local firms. Apart from his sandwiches he had a cook called "Elsie" who cooked appetizing meals. The cafe famously made the local papers with a photo of the cafe displaying a notice board outside that read "No Dinners - Elsie's Off!". She was probably passed her "sell by" date. Happy memories. willey.
 
Hi
I remember that cafe well. We used stop every morning in our trucks on our way to the tip. If i remember the owner lived in sheldon. If i remember the breakfast was about 50p. Good food, good price.

Stars
 
hi stars
i think you will find that was billy jelfs cafe and elsie was his wife
and thats was his one and only cafe he ever had prior to that he tried his brothers cafe ;georges
on the corner of aston rd north and rocky lane opersite the golden cross pub
and the number eight bus stop which takes you to hockley brook and where the other brother had on on the flat on the corner of park rd
i will check it out about elsie they either seperated [divorced and remarried to another lady
or vice aversa ; but i do not think its was either it could be the other way around he was married to another lady by the name of golby and then met elsie and married her and i think she died on him ;
i will recheck his status on my records but i am sure as i am thinking of them now she died on bill
after that bill never went back unto bussiness all the other members of the family carried on in there bussiness of running shops around brum until they died as they died my grand father took over them one by one all except
the fathers he left it to charles the one on tyburn rd along with the ware housing
charles ran it for a while along with his book keeping bussines on holly lane ajoining the cafe and the cafe and booking office in alma street aston wher eventualy he handed it to there sister ivy where she remained until death
so thats the only one he could not get hold off but gettingback to bills cafe on grt hampton street
thats where he handed it to his brother my grand father and my mother lived there for a while when she was young but that was whom dear old elsie was his head cook and bottle washer for the bussiness
he has a son whom his a high flyer within the goverment up in oxford along with cameron ;
have a nice day best wishes Astonian
 
hi paul ;
like wise here ; its nice to hear from you as you say its some ime i have spent alot of time at the hospital as my young son had a operation and the surgeon botched it and puntured his lung ;and its been weeks trying to repair and getting to breath thank god its just about sorted but also i have been out of action myself i had a couple of accidentsin a matter of weeks the lates was when i was at brean and i got thrown by the horse and also i was attacked by a mugger and broke my collar bone and damage all the muscles arond my should blade and the should i am stil in great pain and struggling bit being an aston iad and dragged up in the slum i am tough as old boots
i will survive take care paul be in touch soon ;; alan ;;
 
Alan. Only just caught up with this piece of news of yours. Im so sorry to hear about your young son. What a terrible thing to happen. I hope everything turns out alright for him, I really do. And you? I cant believe you where attacked. I just dont know what this country is coming to. I know you are as tough as old boots, but take it easy mate, and let nature take her course. I hope you are back to fighting fit very soon. Take care Alan, and keep in touch. Barry.
 
BazzM said:
Alan. Only just caught up with this piece of news of yours. Im so sorry to hear about your young son. What a terrible thing to happen. I hope everything turns out alright for him, I really do. And you? I cant believe you where attacked. I just dont know what this country is coming to. I know you are as tough as old boots, but take it easy mate, and let nature take her course. I hope you are back to fighting fit very soon. Take care Alan, and keep in touch. Barry.
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I too feel the same, Good advice from Bazzm, take care and rest.
 
Alan,

I am really sorry about all your misfortunes and hope that you and your son are both soon 100% fit. If you find out where that mugger lives set George Cummings on him. George used to frighten the life out of the Blueboys.

Chris Beresford (Old Boy)
 
Alan I knew you had not been well but you have really gone through the mill as they say. It took a long time for my broken funny bone to heal but I persevered with the exercises the physio told me to do. You take care from Jean and Peter.
 
Re: Cafes.

hi, ive got some photographs of heath street mid 1900s there are shops on the picture but cant quite see if the cafe is on there x
 
thanks for the reply Alan, so sorry to hear of your troubles, and am pleased your son is now well on the mend, but I hope your own injuries are healing too, this year has been a long and difficult one for me and my family, my wife is very ill, and my son in Afghanistan,but as you say we from Brum are a hard lot.
paul
 
HI SYLV;
Whattons grocery shopwas bout fifty yards past the the billard hall on aston crosss park lane
i remember there shop very well and it was about twenty yards past cryrils fish and chip shop
the jelfs sold the shop to cyril [ little cyril ] in height hy used to wave to each other every day ;
ernie jelf grand fatherhad the chip shop facing theone he sold to him and the exit betwen the shop was 237 rear park lane was the one of the jelfs provision ware housing for all there bussiness around brum set up by there father george jelf the jelfs cafe was next to the chipy and the entrance when grand father ernie jelf sold the cafe to some indian family they painted the offee shop in a dark purple coulourit was terrible
but prior to that he tv people came around for there foods when this happenend and he sold the coffee shop is when the whatton family openend up therecoffee shop as they seen the marketfor the servives and fair play its sounds whatton family idea payedofffor them which i am pleased to hear because at the time my emediate thougts was no ne from the studio wood go into this dirty looking colour cafe so i presume the whatton won them over as there was no where else aroud the corner
thats where our friend whatton parents had there shop it was a proper grocery shop before i remember them very well nice people ; and our famiy was good friends of most people aound there in fact almost of aston
every body knew the jelfs and therebussiness and for what they did for people in and around
when i was a nipper i always remember when grand father was around i hisposh over coat and bowler hat people would stop ad say good morning mr jelf its was much later in my life i learnt of whom they was and behind the scenes and where they orinated from and learnt from two old senor detectives from steel house lane for what and whom they was they was a secretive family and hardley ever spoke to each other they kept a lowprofile
any way i think i will stop here going on a i do ;have a nice day best wishes astonian ;; alan
 
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Thought i would add this to thread.
 
Topsy there,s just no stopping you now since you cracked the posting photos keep up the good work. lol. Dek
 
Here! Here lyn! , Thanks Dek.
I Find it more interesting to see the pictures if any attached to the stories. So i have been going through the ones i kept and trying to do my bit to get some back on that were lost.
 
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