Author Topic: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno  (Read 43709 times)

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Offline DaveR

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Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« on: October 18, 2010, 05:37:22 pm »
Shortly before the old Llandudno Local forum closed, we were talking about the 'Swiss Cafe', which was on the first floor above where Burtons is in Llandudno. Gogarth has kindly sent in two photos taken in the Swiss Cafe, from Glyn Goodyer's 21st Birthday Party, on the 27th February 1939:

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It was certainly a different world back then.

Offline Suey

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2010, 12:27:44 am »
Hi whoever this may interest. When working as a Saturday girl in Sumners 1970-74ish - does anybody remember Paul who worked on the deli bar. I sometimes see Richard Bleakley in the Deganwy area. The ladies who worked in Sumners were all great characters. Sumners was ahead of its time because they made sandwiches to order. There was a customer who liked a cold baked bean bap. Sumners had their own bakery too - it was at the back of another builidng on Mostyn Street towards M&S. Their bread was out of this world, the cream cakes were always sold out quite early on in the day. Mrs Bleakley, was a very fair boss and wow what a business woman she really new her stuff and was on the ball.


Offline Barbiroli

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2010, 06:37:19 pm »
Hi Suey,

   I think we have talked about Sumners on the old forum, I worked in the cocktail bar at the back from 1974 - 1978.  I knew Paul very well he married Penny, a lovely girl who came to work there.  They moved away after getting married.   I saw them when they came back for a visit and they had a little baby in tow.   Mrs Bleakley was lovely and always very fair, I also got on very well with Richard and David.

   They were the best four years of my working life, no two days were the same.   I went back to work there after my children were older, and was there on the last day before closing down.  It was Christmas eve,  I think in 1989.   All the staff were having a Christmas drink together after closing but it was sad to think that was the end of Sumners. 

Offline DaveR

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2010, 06:42:32 pm »
I thought it would be good to start a separate thread, all about Sumners....does anyone have any pics of the interior  and the shop front?

As I remember it, it had quite an expensive refit at one time in the late 70s/early 80s and looked quite modern afterwards? You walked in and there was a central counter in front of you, with the cafe bit round to the left, with tables along the left-hand side wall?
« Last Edit: November 22, 2010, 06:49:30 pm by DaveR »

Offline Michael

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2010, 07:52:52 pm »
Anyone know if it was connected to the Sumners cafe in Rhyl?   I knew a Dougie Sumners from there. The building was next to Woolworths on the High Street, two stories, cafe mainly upstairs and counter service on the ground floo.r. As you will imagine, mega busy in that position in the 1950s/60s. In the summer of course. In winter----no comment

Offline Paddy

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2010, 09:03:37 pm »
I worked in the cocktail bar at the back from 1974 - 1978. 

My first job was in Sumners. I was the dishwasher in the restaurant from 6 til 10 at the tender age of 13, around 1977, so I was there the same time as Barbiroli.

I remember spending weeks plucking up the courage to ask for a pay rise and when I eventually approached Mr David he instantly bumped me up from 50p/hour to 80p/hour. I felt like a millionaire!

I used to pick Mrs Blakely up in the cab before her sad demise and she would always say "send the bill to one of the boys, they've made enough out of me over the years". they always coughed up without question.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2010, 09:46:56 pm »
[smg id=1062]

Yorkie

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2010, 09:53:20 pm »
My introduction to Llandudno was a visit to Sumners for G & T's with my in-Laws to be on a week-end visit to my Wife's family home.    ZXZ

Offline DaveR

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2010, 09:56:31 pm »
I can still remember the taste of the Ham Rolls I used to eat there as a kid on a Saturday in the 1980s.

Offline LlandudnoGirl

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2011, 09:54:46 pm »
I used to love going to Sumners, and remeber going there before starting my waiting on summer job at Tribells. I was about 14 at the time.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2011, 10:05:06 pm »
Did we ever find out why Sumners actually closed? As I've mentioned before, I'm sure it was only a few years after they had an expensive refit?

Yorkie

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2011, 09:22:52 am »
Probably Peggy wanted to retire and the boys were not interested in spending their life in catering.   She may well have also received a good offer for the premises which prompted the decision.

They went on to buy Diamond Stylus.   Unfortunately David died a few years ago whilst still in his prime.   Not sure if Richard is still associated with Diamond Stylus or whether he has also retired.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2011, 09:29:15 am »
Good info, thanks Yorkie.  $good$

Yorkie

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2011, 09:43:40 am »
The Diamond Stylus Company was very much a family business, which Ernie Coathup started practically single-handed after many years as a skilled worker in a firm using fine diamond particles in the making of grinding wheels of all kinds (J K Smidt ??). About 70% of the company's output was exported, a fine record of which the founder, Chairman and Managing Director, Ernie Coathup, was proud and which contributed to his having been awarded the MBE.


Offline Trojan

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Re: Vanished Cafes & Restaurants of Llandudno
« Reply #14 on: January 27, 2011, 01:56:16 am »
The Diamond Stylus Company was very much a family business, which Ernie Coathup started practically single-handed after many years as a skilled worker in a firm using fine diamond particles in the making of grinding wheels of all kinds (J K Smidt ??). About 70% of the company's output was exported, a fine record of which the founder, Chairman and Managing Director, Ernie Coathup, was proud and which contributed to his having been awarded the MBE.


J.K. Smits was based in Mochdre and the Diamond Stylus Co set up shop close by. Arthur McElroy also worked for Smits then went on to work for Ernie at Diamond Stylus. His nickname was "Arthur Thou" as in "Half-a-thousand-of-an-inch" due to his work requiring close tolerances.
Diamond Stylus made record player needles, hence the name, and Arthur was always a handy chap to know when my Dansette needle became worn.

I see they still use the same Man playing the flute logo.

http://www.diamondstylus.co.uk/
« Last Edit: January 27, 2011, 02:00:18 am by Trojan »