Good morning .....

I love St Andrews too. Going for a couple of days in early March. Have a son at uni there. He must like it cos it's his sixth year there!! I like coastal walks near places like St Monans and Crail.

* Bella* no it was in George and Bertie cafe
I hadn't heard the term 'nippies' although I understand why they would be called that if they were nipping (quickly) between tables
I have the the term clippies (from my father)
Which was the bus ticket collecter

50s too early for me too. I meant the 60s. Was your lime soda at Lyons Cirner House Cherry? The waitresses were called nippies.

I'm afraid 50s is a bit too early for me
The only cafe that stands out in my mind is George & Bertie.
In the Seventies my Mum would take my sister & I for a lime soda with ice-cream on the top
All the waitresses were dressed in long black dresses with white aprons and caps.

We used to go to Heaven and Hell in Old Compton Street, Heaven upstairs and Hell, predictably, downstairs. First time I'd seen a Gaggia machine. There was also the 2 is and lots of other coffee bars. I think my mother would have disapproved had she known but we thought it was exciting especially the jukeboxes. We being other girlfriends. There was a Kardomah in the Strand and that was certainly "nicer" than the Soho places. Quite innocent times really.

Roses - I wouldn't mind the chance to find out whether a Kunzles cake in a chocolate shell would be too sweet. A terracotta bakery in Birmingham (Wimbushes?) had an attractive landmark copper dome visible from many parts of the city, until it was demolished a few years ago and a big supermarket took its place. All efforts to 'Save the Dome' were in vain.
Even when I didn't like coffee to drink I loved the coffee smell of the Kardomah. That and the huge wooden mandarin with a long thin moustache which was part of the decor. Did all Kardomahs have a mandarin, I wonder, and are any still in existence?

My mum and Dad met in the Kardomah in Derby! It was slightly old fashioned by the time I was old enough so my friends and I met in one called the Boccaccia (sp?). We had to sit in the gloom at the back because my parents banned me from using it. It was a den of iniquity apparently.

My dad used to take me to a milk bar after wed been swimming for horlicks and a bacon roll - a highlight of my week aged about 8!

No Ann ( although I have heard of the Kardomah) it was called Collinsons.
Mmmmm. kunzle cakes! I would find them unbearably sweet now though.

Would that be the Kardomah roses? Or weren't they as upmarket as that?. My very fond memories are the milk bars of the early 50's with milk shakes and Kunzle cakes after school. We had to sit at the back by the counter though, as if seen by a teacher we would have been in serious trouble.

I have very fond memories of cafes from the late fifties and the sixties. There used to be a very 'posh' coffee house, a sort of Palm Court sort of place, which is I where I first fell in love with the aroma of freshly made real coffee ( as opposed to Camp coffee at home!) There really were palms there too and a discreet quartet of musicians playing background music.This was a rare treat though.
Other cafes were more basic and had a vat of orange squash in the window ( churning around with a fake orange on the suface) formica tables and chairs, and where we had milkshakes and a bacon roll or something, often a toasted teacake.
Then, in the sixties came the coffee bars! A great place to meet friends ( and boys)
And to play the jukebox while being sophisticated with a 'frothy coffee'.

A'tnoon all. Thought I'd pop in to the Cafe & have a cup of hot choc after lunch () Mmmm!.. and before I settle in to some studying.
The word cafe always makes me think of my two favourites, both of which were in Darlington. The Green Tree cafe used to be a regular haunt on a Saturday morning for me & my dad (milk shake & coffee)...some years later, Saturday & holiday working whilst I was at Tech College & then TT, saw me using The Four Squares Cafe just down the road, where they used to sell the most amazing bacon butties.
Anyone else got fond memories of 50's & 60's cafes?

Cherrytree you certainly have not upset me. I feel I am too long in the tooth to start again anywhere.

charleygirl sorry if I have upset you Home is where you are happy & comfortable.
As I said I'm also going to continue to live in England where I am happy with my family & friends

I think that you are correct to say that there are as many Scots on GN living in England as there are in Scotland.

Often it is the Scots who are living elsewhere that tend to wave the Scottish banner more.
I'm including myself in that .

Cherrytree, no I do not play golf. Much as I like St.Andrews from the practical side a decent hospital, in fact any hospital, is many miles away and things like that have to be taken into consideration. I have no intention of returning, my life here is in London.

There are as many Scots on GN living in England as there are in Scotland.

Greetings one & all.
Thank you Kitty, N&G, & Charley for your thoughtful responses; I'm still not sure whether I was over-simplifying or over-complicating matters for myself, so I'm following Cherry's advice & going for the magazine approach. Life's too short to fret when you don't have to!

Many congrats Ankers, to family.

Here's a plate of for all to share in the Cafe

charlie St Andrews is Lovely.
I'm sure if you did decide to go back you would soon meet people.
Do you play golf?
If not there's always the club house bar and cakes.
I have thought about what it would be like to go back as I do still have some relatives there.
But my DH , DC and DGC are all from south of the boarder so here I will stay.
My dream when my DGC are older is to take them on a road trip all the way round Scotland.
It is nice that there are so many Scots GNers, I feel I have one foot in Scotland

Congratulations to you all Ankers

Cherrytree we have done well surviving for so long in a totally foreign country. I have my hard hat on and am sitting behind the sofa.

In the ideal world if I knew anybody in Scotland or had any relatives I would love to live in St. Andrews, having lived close to it during my childhood and teens.

Poshgran I don't think of you as a newbie now.
I remember your thread and also another that spurred off from your name

I look on GN as I would a magazine to dip in out of articles (threads) as the mood takes me.
If I don't like what's being said the I think what load of tosh and move on.
I sometimes start a thread that is hopefully light hearted.
In the past I have also had helpful advice on the health site.
If you are happy posting in the cafe then just carry on

The cafe has had its first birth announcement!

Charlie I have nearly done my half century as an expat.

Congratulations Ankers what a joy!
Let us know all the details later when you have time. x

Baby girl born early this morning!!!!
Everyone fine
Thanks for the enquiries.

Lovely flowers, Maw but this isn't Mick's good morning thread. Confusion in action!!

PoshGran It may take a day or two to get to know us old kitchen hands but once you get to know us and the pets we own and love, it will appear to be very different. We do not bitch or bicker there. There are some exceptionally nice people and it comes out loud and clear re the conversations and virtual help given. With few exceptions we all live many miles apart so cannot hep physically.

I don't think you are more confused than the rest of us Poshgran.

I don't think much can be done about posts referring to other threads , that's like conversation isn't it? You're heading down one path and then someone comments with a related/unrelated comment and the path changes.

I'm not sure where 'fur has been flying' , I tend to avoid some thread ( I'm thinking specifically the political ones here and some of the games ones )if I don't like the 'style of posting.

Kitty is right , the Kitchen is a good place to start. Despite some pooh pooing from posters who see no value in it , its a place where conversation is relatively easy to keep up with, and there is much support to be found whatever your issue. Pop in - virtual cake abounds ( and wine !!)

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Good (oops) afternoon Mick and everybody! Lovely and sunny here in my corner of N Bucks and my day made even sunnier by the arrival of another stunning "Bloom and Wild" bouquet from SIL(who as my "Secret Santa" gave me flowers every month for 6 months!) - mega brownie points there SIL. January flowers and today's shown left. "Oh flower(s) of Scotland....."? ?
? Rugby starts this afternoon, quiver!