The Coffee Bars

'The froth and the fury'

After the War, British families holidaying in France and Italy would have had their first taste of espressos made by Gaggia machines, a far cry from the bland brown liquid served at home.  Britain’s first Gaggia machine arrived in 1952 and helped fuel the explosion of coffee bars in London.  

By 1960, there were over 2000 coffee bars in the UK.  For a generation of teenagers rebelling against the traditional pub and tea shop, the coffee bar provided a welcome alternative.  Of the few coffee bars in Bradford, there were two such places that could be said to be the cradle of the 1950s coffee bars in the city, namely, the Allasio and the Olympus.  

The Allasio was situated on New Victoria Street, facing the Gaumont ballroom entrance and a few yards from the popular Students Club. Opened in 1957 the Allasio comprised a small restaurant on the ground floor, with the coffee bar situated downstairs.  The owner and manager were an Italian by the name of ‘Costa’.  Surprisingly the restaurant cooked and served mostly English meals. As holidays abroad were very few and far between for the English, most foreign cuisines had not yet been tried and tested. 

Because of the large student population (mostly art students) or so, it seemed, the coffee bar with its formica tables and frothy coffee as it was called, attracted both young students and rock 'n’ roll fans.  The beauty of these places was they were cheap and informal.  You bought your coffee or orange juice and you made it last.  Nobody bothered you so long as someone from the party you were sharing a table with went to the counter occasionally to order another drink.  Usually frothy coffee was the main request. However, sandwiches were also available. Costa, the owner, did apply for a music license hoping to install a jukebox in the coffee bar. 

However, this was refused due to the small size of the coffee bar and being adjacent to the restaurant upstairs. Looking back it would have spoilt a wonderful atmosphere.

The other popular coffee bar venue was the Olympus situated a few doors from Seabrook Fisheries up Great Horton Road. This, like the Allasio, was well patronized, owned, and run by Greek Cypriots .The coffee bar was situated on the ground floor with seats and tables close to the entrance.  A small flight of stairs leading to the rear of the building gives more table space with the counter running the full length of the room.  Again rock 'n’ roll patrons of both the Majestic and Gaumont flocked there with the usual contingent of students and the odd beatnik, most using the Italian word 'ciao' for hello and goodbye. 

Whilst later other coffee bars started to open it was both these coffee bars that achieved quite a reputation and nostalgia, especially as a popular meeting place during the local rock 'n’ roll music boom of the fifties and sixties.

When Screaming Lord Sutch appeared at the Gaumont ballroom in 1961 where I was the DJ, it was during the afternoon that I was chatting to him, and I asked what name to call him. Eddie, he said, and "where is somewhere to eat", and I told him across the road to the Allasio, he then invited me to join him for a meal before the show, and said, ‘he would pay’. 

During the meal, he did most of the talking and I was enthralled about what and who he knew in show business. When the bill came he took it, looked at it, gave it to me and said ‘thanks’  and walked out, and across the road to the ballroom.  How it transpired I shall never know other than that I ended up paying the bill of 17/6d a small fortune in 1961, it being half of my DJ pay. On the same bill was Ricky Valance, and later I mentioned the cafe incident to him and he said, 'You're not the first '. 

Later Ray Moore, the Gaumont manager, reimbursed me as he said he 'didn't want a fracas'.

Screaming Lord Such was a fan of Screaming Jay Hawkins and changed his name by deed poll, his real name was David Edward Such.

In April 1961 as the DJ  I met and introduced on stage at the Gaumont Ballroom Screaming Lord Such

In March 1965 as the DJ, I met and was introduced on stage at the Victoria Hall ballroom Keighley,  Screaming Jay Hawkings. A coincidence!