Hitchin's, Brilliant Breakfasts and the Old Sweet Shop...
My friend and colleague Graham was visiting me and around interruptions by Welsh Water and an Irish gentleman trying to sell me new guttering we decided to go for lunch.
In the " old days" we had Moruzzi's - a typical "Bracchi" Welsh-Italian caff as wonderfully evoked in this book by Colin Hughes.
Lime,lemon and sarsaparilla
Mr Moruzzi made his own icecream and it was very cool to hang around the caff when I was young, but I was never that cool!
Now we have two cafes and I've visited both. One is in the square - Catrina's - and there is Hot Pots at the top end of the village, on the way to Tondu.
Treat of the day was Hot Pots - I had a brilliant breakfast and Graham had a veggie curry jacket potato with a big pot of tea between us. Hot Pots is what was Hitchin's- a grocery store and off licence, when one could only buy booze from the pub or offie - now there are three general grocers all selling alcohol and it's hard to believe that buying alcohol was less easy a few decades ago.
I was convinced that Hot Pots had been the strange sweet shop I remembered from my childhood, but it seems it was next-door and is now a house. Hot Pots has great windows and pillars and lots of pictures and Aberkenfig memorobillia as well as fab food! To my surprise and pleasure my ex-neighbour walked in while we were there. Christine lived several doors up from me and was part of the general gang of kids who all hung out together in the sixties. She's recently returned to the village and filled some gaps for me re people and places.
Later I was chatting to Steven my neighbour (another of the gang who has been living back in our street for some time) and talking about shops old and new when we got onto "Chistmas clubs" and catalogues. Like many predominantly working class places, saving money with a local shop for your Christmas booze and/or food was quite common. As was getting clothes and presents from catalogues for which you had a "club" as well. I also recall the "Provident" where you would pay regularly into a fund for "cheques" which you used in cetain shops.
Steven and I were also reminiscing on all the callers and deliveries in those days. As well as the Provident, there was "Blooms" of Cardiff with his van a cornucopia of household goods and clothes and most things you requested - a more modern version of the old tally men* and another way of getting credit before our flexible friend.
Looks like they're still going and moving with the times:
Blooms of Cardiff
Insurance men and the rent man were also regular callers as were the bakery van (the Co-operative Society I think) and Yeoman's the veg man and a fish seller I seem to remember as well...
It was all very busy and very like Peter Hall's account of Vanmen and Collectors:
Dragged up in the West Riding: My Mother
* I've read about tally men in a Bernice Rubens novel - possibly "Brothers". Tally men were itinerant sellers and in the Welsh valleys I believe they were often Jewish. Will write more if and when I find something...
In the " old days" we had Moruzzi's - a typical "Bracchi" Welsh-Italian caff as wonderfully evoked in this book by Colin Hughes.
Lime,lemon and sarsaparilla
Mr Moruzzi made his own icecream and it was very cool to hang around the caff when I was young, but I was never that cool!
Now we have two cafes and I've visited both. One is in the square - Catrina's - and there is Hot Pots at the top end of the village, on the way to Tondu.
Treat of the day was Hot Pots - I had a brilliant breakfast and Graham had a veggie curry jacket potato with a big pot of tea between us. Hot Pots is what was Hitchin's- a grocery store and off licence, when one could only buy booze from the pub or offie - now there are three general grocers all selling alcohol and it's hard to believe that buying alcohol was less easy a few decades ago.
I was convinced that Hot Pots had been the strange sweet shop I remembered from my childhood, but it seems it was next-door and is now a house. Hot Pots has great windows and pillars and lots of pictures and Aberkenfig memorobillia as well as fab food! To my surprise and pleasure my ex-neighbour walked in while we were there. Christine lived several doors up from me and was part of the general gang of kids who all hung out together in the sixties. She's recently returned to the village and filled some gaps for me re people and places.
Later I was chatting to Steven my neighbour (another of the gang who has been living back in our street for some time) and talking about shops old and new when we got onto "Chistmas clubs" and catalogues. Like many predominantly working class places, saving money with a local shop for your Christmas booze and/or food was quite common. As was getting clothes and presents from catalogues for which you had a "club" as well. I also recall the "Provident" where you would pay regularly into a fund for "cheques" which you used in cetain shops.
Steven and I were also reminiscing on all the callers and deliveries in those days. As well as the Provident, there was "Blooms" of Cardiff with his van a cornucopia of household goods and clothes and most things you requested - a more modern version of the old tally men* and another way of getting credit before our flexible friend.
Looks like they're still going and moving with the times:
Blooms of Cardiff
Insurance men and the rent man were also regular callers as were the bakery van (the Co-operative Society I think) and Yeoman's the veg man and a fish seller I seem to remember as well...
It was all very busy and very like Peter Hall's account of Vanmen and Collectors:
Dragged up in the West Riding: My Mother
* I've read about tally men in a Bernice Rubens novel - possibly "Brothers". Tally men were itinerant sellers and in the Welsh valleys I believe they were often Jewish. Will write more if and when I find something...
Labels: Aberkenfig, cafes, catalogues, Christmas clubs, Co-op, collectors, Hitchin's, Hot Pots, Italian-Welsh cafes, life, memories, Moruzzi's, off-licences, Provident, Sheilagh Gunston, South Wales, vanmen
posted by Sheilagh Gunston | 5:38 PM
3 Comments:
I've just performed a google search of "Moruzzi" "Aberkenfig" as this is/was my family. I am living in Bridgend and have absolutely no information on my family apart from what I know from my father. I was just wondering if you know anything about them, or memories you have of Mr Moruzzi (my great grandfather)and his children? I only met Joan who unfortunately died when I was around 10 years old. I'm 26 now.
Hi Mike,
I do indeed remember Mr Moruzzi and his wife. I seem to remember they had a daughter - The cafe made more of an impression though. I am generally interested in the the Italian/Welsh cafe history and know that Moruzzi was one of names connected with Bardi. Do you know the book "Lime, Lemon and Sarsparilla"?
http://www.serenbooks.com/book/lime-lemon-and-sarsaparilla-the-italian-community-in-south-wales-1881-1945/1854110837
If not, you may find it of interest.
Happy to chat, if you'd like to do so.
Sheilagh
Hello Sheilagh
I have just come across your blog. I too grew up in Aberkenfig in the Forties and Fifties - rather a long time ago I'm afraid.
I don't have much to say about Moruzzi's cafe although I remember it well. It was always another world with its darkish interior and strong smell of coffee - unlike anything else I knew.
I just wanted to say that I have written and published an autobiography of my earlier years, up to leaving University in Cardiff. The book is "The Boy Who Caught The Dragon" and apart from being available on Amazon it is also at Bridgend Library.
Regards
Tony
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