Piccolo Cafe On Cambridge Street

[carsupplier]

Some of you will remember the 'Piccolo' opposite where Cole brothers was, but can anyone remember the names of the people who worked there?

There was a gentleman who I think was the owner and two ladies who assisted him.

 

Thanks.

[liamdsmith]

The owner was called Bernard Pethers, and he ran the cafe with his wife Sue Pethers

[crookesey]

It looks just like it used to, other than it appears to be having quiet times, that could be unfair as I only noticed it 9.00 to 5.00.

[golfseven]

I used to go to the Piccolo quite a lot late seventies, I think one of the girls was called carol, The owner once gave me a superb valve Hi fI system, would be worth quite a lot now? great times, and superb sausage egg and chips!!

[Little sal]

I worked as a Saturday girl from 1976 to 1979. The owner then was a guy called Murt. He sold it to a guy who's name i can't remember. Every other Friday we worked after school serving the Halle Orchestra who were performing at the City Hall. There were 3 full time ladies. One was called Maureen, the other Dorothey, but can't remember the third.

[echo beach]

In the 1950's my dad used to work for John Needham ( Tyres & batteries ) in Cambridge Street - where Coles / John Lewis now stands - and during the school holidays he would sometimes take me to a cafe right across the road.

I'm not sure whether that was the Piccolo but some others on the Forum might know whether it goes back the far.

[zakes]

The Piccolo cafe was situated in part of what is now John Lewis educed (what a joke) furniture shop on the right hand side going down Cambridge Street. Piccolo cafe was not on the site of what is now Chubby's (Piccolo could have given them a lesson in hygiene), it was lower down towards the Barley Corn pub. The cafe had a similar facade as the Sportsman pub regarding the doorway and windows but had a much lower step outside the door. I recall the cafe well because I went there almost daily for a sandwich (egg, bacon, tomato) as at the time Ｉused to play snooker at Faulkner's near the top of Cambridge Street about 1975 time. The cafe was quaint in an old fashioned way with 4 or 5 tables which had fresh table cloths everyday and on these tables were also a pot of mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, tomato shaped plastic jobs filled with ketchup, bottle of vinegar, brown sauce, white ashtrays and a vase of flowers. I can't remember if cutlery was also on the tables.

Happenings:-

 

1. University students

 

Coming into the cafe one day I saw 2 spewdents with mischievous smiles upon their faces because one of them was in the process of eating the full contents of a jar of English Mustard with a teaspoon. Scruffs!

2. Thoughts of magic flute in Piccolo cafe

 

On another day I was stood at the counter waiting for the woman (early 30's) who was serving to finish making (cooking) my sandwich to take out and she had her back to me. Greedily ogling the legs of this lovely bird and thinking of what obscenties I would like to perform upon her body she suddenly turned around and caught me. Within an instant my face was as red as the snooker balls I would soon be potting back at the snooker hall.

 

I also remember Cambridge Street being full of parking meters and if you fed a matchstick into the coin slot the machine (meter) would make the noise as if it had received a coin, but parking time wasn't credited. I mentioned this because 2 such meters were outside the Piccolo cafe.

[peter bush]

I can remember going in the Piccolo in the early-mid sixties for a toasted tea cake and tea (lovely) so it was open then. It used to be our favourite cafe.

[crookesey]

The Piccolo cafe was situated in part of what is now John Lewis educed (what a joke) furniture shop on the right hand side going down Cambridge Street. Piccolo cafe was not on the site of what is now Chubby's (Piccolo could have given them a lesson in hygiene), it was lower down towards the Barley Corn pub. The cafe had a similar facade as the Sportsman pub regarding the doorway and windows but had a much lower step outside the door. I recall the cafe well because I went there almost daily for a sandwich (egg, bacon, tomato) as at the time Ｉused to play snooker at Faulkner's near the top of Cambridge Street about 1975 time. The cafe was quaint in an old fashioned way with 4 or 5 tables which had fresh table cloths everyday and on these tables were also a pot of mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, tomato shaped plastic jobs filled with ketchup, bottle of vinegar, brown sauce, white ashtrays and a vase of flowers. I can't remember if cutlery was also on the tables.

Happenings:-

 

1. University students

 

Coming into the cafe one day I saw 2 spewdents with mischievous smiles upon their faces because one of them was in the process of eating the full contents of a jar of English Mustard with a teaspoon. Scruffs!

2. Thoughts of magic flute in Piccolo cafe

 

On another day I was stood at the counter waiting for the woman (early 30's) who was serving to finish making (cooking) my sandwich to take out and she had her back to me. Greedily ogling the legs of this lovely bird and thinking of what obscenties I would like to perform upon her body she suddenly turned around and caught me. Within an instant my face was as red as the snooker balls I would soon be potting back at the snooker hall.

 

I also remember Cambridge Street being full of parking meters and if you fed a matchstick into the coin slot the machine (meter) would make the noise as if it had received a coin, but parking time wasn't credited. I mentioned this because 2 such meters were outside the Piccolo cafe.

 

Oh yes it was.

[bullerboY]

Was piccolos previously called the cambridge coffee house?early sixties.