DROVE GARAGE

I remember a newsagents shop to the right of the takeaway. Does anyone else remember this? or can you remember what is was called?

My parents owned the Harbour Bar Cafe and I did waitressing in the school holidays. They were called John and Joan Smith. My mother was a great cook and we were always very busy.

I remember there were always lots of hungry dockers! Often they would arrive with crates of fruit or veg as gifts for my mother! The Parker Pen girls would order their sandwiches very early in the morning as our cafe would be open at 7 am for breakfast.

There was a wonderful old juke box at the front of the cafe. I still have some of the records.

The sweet shop next door was also owned by a Mr Smith!

I ate some good meals in that cafe.  A tall man was the proprietor in those days. I think he was called Brian and he was rather thin on the top!!!

I also remember when it was called the "Green Parrot"

The Garage was known as the MCM and sold "Cleveland" petrol.

I used to frequent the cafe on Saturday mornings in my Hush Puppies. Later I bought a Mk 2 Cortina from the garage, much to my new girlfriend's displeasure. I part exchanged it for my Austin Healy 'frogeye'. I married her later but she never forgave me.

Yes I remember the Grreen Parrot cafe. A school friend of mine, Michael Poll, lived in the flat at the back before the garage canopy was built. We used to go up the outside steps to call for him on the way to school.