Cafe's & Coffee Bar's

[9teen48]

Phil,
 
We are probably both going nuts !  I'm still looking for a picture of that lay-by and shops.  I think that the shops in my picture of Bonanza & Smoky's were swept away by the Grosvenor Shopping Centre development, which commenced in 1966.  As you know that site stretched from the corner of Church Road and Bristol Road, removing the landmark Parsons Woodyard on that corner.  The site goes quite a way along the Bristol Road.
 
Brian

[Phil]

Brian
 
What it is, I think both these photos the one you have posted and the one I have just posted were took standing on that grass verge. Otherwise the photographer would have been standing in the middle of Bristol rd. A dangerous thing to do even back in the early 60's.
 
Phil

[mikejee]

Phil
Would Smoky Joes be down in the directory as bonanza coffee rooms. that seems to be the only listed place around there that seems to fit , though "coffee rooms" doesn't seem to have the right note exactly. If so , then in 1969 and 1973 it was at 672/674  bristol rd south and in 1962 it was at 664
mike

[roy one]

smokes and the bonanza was just down the road from the shopping center and was still there after they built the shopping center  i was living in vineyard road at the time down by meritsbrook and the Alans cross

[Phil]

Roy
 
My sister lived in Vinyard Rd, but that was in the 70's thats when I used to use a few of the pubs round there. I used the Merritts quite often and the Allens Cross club.
 
Phil

[pickard.r]

Phil,Roy,9teen48


I think I,ve mentioned before that my brother lived just off The Holloway in the early 70,s which meant that I ended up using the pubs/clubs in the Northfield area, the lay-by you all mention was used by us as a pick-up & drop off point for the works van. I was dropped off there on many an occasion to catch the 18 bus home only to end up in either The Travellers or Bell, I remember Smokey Joes but never used it


Bobby

[jaykay]

Smokey Joe's was the iconic greasy spoon cafe, good grub, old fashioned juke box and always very busy.
When it was replaced by the Bonanza a place just filled with pin tables, it swiftly went downhill and didn't last long.
I lived in Ley Hill Farm Rd., and Bentham Court (off the Holloway,Northfield end) and Phil the Merritts was my local, I'm talking 1990-93.
 Ialso used the Travellers when Brian and Jean kept it, Rita was one of the barmaids I remember.

[Phil]

Hi John1
 
I drank in most of the pubs round Northfield way during the early 70's the reason being my brother in law was my best mate a long time before he became my brother in law. I even drank in the new one under the shopping centre. The only pub I wasn't keen on was the Black Horse. The big lounge at the back always smelt damp to me.
 
Phil

[oznow]

Roy,

I noticed your post about living in Vinyard rd in Northfield, I went out with a girl for a short time that lived in Vinyard rd just before or just after Field ave in a 3 or 4 storey block of flats, It was about 63-64,
Infact there were two and I remember their names Marian and Linda.
 
 
  . 

[roy one]

hi ozz the only flats that i remember was down the bottom of vineyard road  and the only thing that i can remember was a young child falling out of the top window of one of the block of flats i think she was about three  at that time i only new two or three people in that road   one was called ray street  ginger street and his mate Benny summers but i only new them by name   ray was a fairground boxer and he used to drink in the highlander pub and that was in 63 to 64

[9teen48]

Phil
Would Smoky Joes be down in the directory as bonanza coffee rooms. that seems to be the only listed place around there that seems to fit , though "coffee rooms" doesn't seem to have the right note exactly. If so , then in 1969 and 1973 it was at 672/674  bristol rd south and in 1962 it was at 664
mike

Hi Mike,
 
Thanks for the details.  I only have the 1956 Kelly's and there is one shop visible in the photos which was listed at that time, the sports shop, A.E. Brookes at 682. As you can see they were only a few doors away from the two cafes and your 1969 numbering would match.
 
Phil,
 
Your explanation of the cameraman being situated on the verge makes sense.  I haven't come across a shot of this location which includes the verge and lay-by yet.
 
Brian