Does anyone remember Davy's restaurant above what is now W H Smiths.It used to be a great meeting place on a Saturday afternoon.You used to go upstairs to it via a door at the side of the shop.Dont know what shops were downstairs at the time,but it was when Jacksons tailors was open and Austins at the top of the Moor.

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I was taken there in the mid 50s. The walls were French Polished by my Great Grandad and Grandad. They also did the walls to the Town Hall.
I wonder if the woodwork is behind the WHS plastic?

I was born 1940, and my gran took me in there at least once a week for lunsh when we were in town shopping. I remember that the food ad good there at that time (1946/7/8/9. I remember that downstairs in the window was an ancient coffee bean grinding machine with huge wheels on it. You could smell the roast coffee for quiote a distance either side of Davies.

I also went with my gran quite frequently into Davies in Rotherham, they too had a coffee bean grinding machine with the smell of roast coffee wafting all along the bus station road. Again, the food in there was good. Soemtimes we had lunch and if it was later in the day we had afternoon tea and lovely cakes whilst waiting for the bus back to Swallownest.

Best Regards - Grey Eminence - Subag Jaya - Malaysia

My Mum used to work at the Hay market Davy's restaurant, at the corner of King street above the shop, in the Fifties....

Used to call in for a treat when my mum was shopping, ice cream and a separate little jug of cream.

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So what? :huh:

It's a nice subject that interests the OP, when did your mod's badge drop off?

Was the restaurant upstairs? I seem to remember it being at the back of the shop, through a door on the left

Was the restaurant upstairs? I seem to remember it being at the back of the shop, through a door on the left

No tasha, you went up the same staircase that is in W H Smith, I think that it was on the top floor, the restaurant was at the front and the kitchens at the rear.

thanks Crookesey. Well it must be 50 years since I was last there.

thanks Crookesey. Well it must be 50 years since I was last there.

Not far off for me tasha, it was after my old bosses funeral in 1971, this is really sad, but I recall that I had the tomato sausage. :(

I worked at the Rotherham shop when I first started work in 1965,very lovely staff there.

I walked past the one on Haymarket this week what a dump it is now just like the rest of town,we new it at its best Crooksey,next time any of you walk past W H Smiths look up to the front of the building and you will see the pigs and bulls heads looking down on you.

My father was Davy's electrician and during the Sheffield blitz he was fire warden on Davy's roof putting out an incendiary bomb. He saw the bombing coming up the Moor and up High Street and thought it was his turn next. Luckily Fargate was relatively unscathed.

Davy’s Restaurant.

Hello BrianJ,

I worked at Davy’s in Fargate 1969. It was my first job after leeaving school aged 15. The restaurant you mention was the Victoria Café and the man in charge was Mr Otley. Mr Otley was always immaculately dressed like a hotel director.

Downstairs in the shop there was also a small café, it was at the very back on the left hand side just past the butchery counter. When the café had half day closing (Tues or Thurs), I and three workmates (John Taylor, Spike and Dave) used to raid it for it’s biscuits etc. I also remember we also drank loads of orangeade from the machine with the plastic orange floating on top.
At dinner times we four with two others would wait in the mens changing room for the cook to come down in the lift from the Victoria Café. The cook we named the ‘Vicar’ because he was in the Salvation Army. Anyway, he would bring a cauldron (bamborine?) full of the soup of the day, then we would sit on the floor crossed legged and dip bridge rolls in the soup and have a feast. What got left over would be tipped down the lav.

Part of my job was to go up to the Victoria café each late morning to fetch a piping hot freshly cooked salmon. The salmon was for Reaney and Winney, two wonderful elderly ladies working at the delicatessen counter. The salmon always arrived at the counter with about twelve holes in it because I couldn’t resist……now licking my fingers lol.

Inside, through the back of the shop there was a ramp that led to lots of rooms, giant sized freezers and lifts. There was a covered bridge from the second floor that spanned across Exchange Gateway to storage halls and idle standing cast iron ovens. All this area covered behind the now O2, New Look, Headlines Elite, perfume shop shops. Everything has been rebuilt now up that lane, but I will explain loads more about my time at Davy’s at a later date on another thread of mine. Anybody worked here? 20/5/2010.

Zakes.

P.S. My direct boss was Mr. Reid.

I worked as a commis chef there from leaving school in 1970, i originally went for the haymarket job but got the fargate one instead, the restaurant kitchen was on the floor above and all the food ( and sometimes me ) was sent down on the dumb waiter. I remember Mr Otley quite a fearsome looking chap in those days, we went into work up the little alleyway at the side, i remember john who drove the mini bus that took the staff home at night and a few of the waitresses.

My mum worked there as a silver service waitress and every evening she would come home totally exhausted, they walked miles throughout the day,it was very hard work and very heavy work lifting those silver salvers when full, and then when she got home, she'd wash her cap and apron ready for the next day.I never begrudge tipping for good service, I was brought up on her tips which she had worked very hard for. A

wonder how many people (like i did) viewed this thinking it was davys on prince of wales rd

yes i remember davies resturant great place to eat, and the coffee grinding i also used to get off the buss at the corner of west st and wellington st and to be greated by that wonderful smell of freshly ground coffee. talking abuout smells i used to love the smell of the brewerys when they were malting it would hang in the air for hours , this ones a bit strange bit i love the smell of tar being laid or melting in that great big tank o

My Mum used to work at the Hay market Davy's restaurant, at the corner of King street above the shop, in the Fifties....
My mom used to take me in there also i remember the waitresses in the lovely black and white dresses.