Comments on: John Claridge’s Cafe Society

By: Elisabeth Widstrand

Elisabeth Widstrand — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 21:39:23 +0000

please give me ideas for cafés like these in London -for when I go there next time!
Thanks beforehand/Elizabeth

By: Marina Ferrier

Marina Ferrier — Sat, 11 Jan 2014 21:48:56 +0000

Alfie Ferrier is my dad and Michael ferrier is my twin brother luv em both xx

By: June H

June H — Fri, 10 Jan 2014 15:00:09 +0000

The pictures of both Micheal Ferrier and Alfie Ferrier are brilliant. And yes my brother was like the artful dodger. Sadly Alfie Ferrier was laid to rest yesterday (9.1.2014) in true East End Style. R.I.P. Dad x

By: john tucker

john tucker — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:42:44 +0000

photo of micky ferrier looks like hes up to no good, nothings changed, he still owes me 10 shillings from 1974

By: Les C

Les C — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:40:47 +0000

Photo of Mick Ferrier must be a rare one. Not often seen on his feet!!!

By: mike ferrier

mike ferrier — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:33:33 +0000

Boxing managers rip Davey Benmore mike

By: Terry Basson

Terry Basson — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 20:04:36 +0000

Oh how I wish I could have added my Black and white picture of my Dad’s ‘Pop’s Cafe’ in Woodbridge Suffolk during the war I943. My dad was born in Plaistow – mum in Bow – I was born in Stratford.

Dad was a coal Merchants Hawker in the the East End. We moved to Suffolk to escape the bombs.

By: john edwards

john edwards — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:40:55 +0000

Stained glass, stained mugs – worn floors – all china & wood then mostly. Some Italian gaffs were
streamline zinc and formica and we’d hunt around for The Greatest Greasy Spoon.
One in Parkway hard by Regents Park was terrific. Italian run, clean bright and spacious.
Amazing pork chops [ With The Kidney Oh! Yes. ] with ratatouille. Fortified we’d go forth
to seek a questing au pair to enchant & be enchanted by by Saturday early evening til lazy Sunday afternoon and dream our dreams away.
Then of course the drab legends out on the Watford bypass – Ace & Spiders Web all tension
and gloom, couldn’t tell the salt from sugar pourers, pale young intense black leathered greasers
/bikers with metal zips and zip like stitches & strange dented foreheads where the contest to order a tea get on the bike fly to the roundabout and back before tea was cold, had not gone as, planned would be superlative, so, scheduled. Hence the tension and quiet. Either screwing up the bottle to make the run, or straining to hear the throb of a returning Triumph, Matchless or AJS … or – silence – as the [ basket] case,may be…..
Then there was Ted’s at the foot of Back Hill Clerkenwell – Stil have the snap of Alfie holding a plate
of watery beans on toast on high like an auction clerk showing an ‘ As seen’ article while grumpy Don readies to thump the large metal tea urn on the zinc counter & mouse Mary peeking out from the kitchen. Place was streaming with condensation, roaring with ‘conversation’ blue with swearing & rollup smoke and packed with printers wearing their newspaper forage caps like pinnocchio, plus the
likes of Jack Spot, Albert Diamond and other assorted Clerkenwell nee’r do wells. The mighty roaring was mainly about the nuances of difference between ” West F*****G HAM!!!!:” & ” F*****G ARRSE – EN – ORRRL???????” . All very good natured and a riveting workout for both body and soul.
Brilliant stuff JC – Love the lumpy knuckles on the languid hands of the boxing managers, every one sporting a Craven A or some such. then there was Jimmy’s in the Soho basement. Still see Jim with his eyes screwed tight, an inch long ash on his cig poised over the large bowl of fruit salad … furious waiters hittnig the table with their dishloths , & ‘Yeh. Whaddya Want? Sit up STRITE!’ Aaahh.X

By: marie james

marie james — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:46:15 +0000

Like John, I grew up in the East End. Occasionally on a Saturday my dad would take me to Upton Park to see West Ham play. After the match we would go to a cafe near the Boleyn ground for a cup of tea. Often the players would come in for a cuppa as well. Oh, how times have changed! Happy memories – and these photos so expertly bring them to life.

By: Olga Secerov

Olga Secerov — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 21:26:37 +0000

‘Boxing Managers’ is just brilliant and I love’ Under the Light, Puma Court’. They are all so mesmerising. These cafe’s should have been listed buildings, so sad to see them go.