The earliest I remember (late 40s early 50s) there was a fish and chip van which belched out smoke and lardy steam as it went round the village where I was born and other villages on other nights. The smell was pervasive. either tempting or off-putting depending on whether you were in the mood for greasy food. By the late 50s the proprietor had acquired a shop which remains in the same place until today, though it has had many guises - pizzeria, Indian, etc. It has always mainly sold fish suppers.
The original owner was decidedly foreign, Italian perhaps, with a darkish skin and huge black moustache. He was pleasant enough to the customers but much given to shouting and swearing at his helpers. Although this was done in a foreign tongue you could tell that it was sweary words and the village boys used to shout these words at each other and grown ups, while insisting they were not swearing.
