Brown's Cafe published by Paul Tregelles on Sun, 08/01/2017 - 10:50
Does anyone know the date Brown's cafe was opened and the address, as the current building is located at 76-78 High Street, but a photo I have of the cafe in the 1930's appears to indicate it was at number 25?
As far as I understand it Brown's Cafe, did not move but the numbering of the High Street properties were changed when High Street was extended to include Union Street. Before this development (in the early 1960s) High Street numbering began at Grove Park but today it starts at the Oxford Street end.
This is an advertisement in a 1923 Street Directory but a very similar one appears in the 1917 Directory,
You can compare the frontage to 76 High Street on Google Street View.
Are you aware the Brown Bros had two shops in the High Street. No 26 Oriental Cafe which had a chocolate factory at the rear where my wife worked. and No 31 Cash Grocery Stores, Provision Dealers and Fruit Merchants who imported exotic fruit that could not be bought elswhere.
Submitted by Paul Tregelles on Wed, 11/01/2017 - 16:15
Thanks for this David.
As part of my research involving my great granfather (Wilfred Marriage Brown) I have only just started to look into Brown Brothers, so any info/background you can provide will be greatly appreciated. I am planning to travel down to Weston this Saturday and intend to visit the library to gain more info.
I am aware of Brown Bothers Cafe being located at 25 & 26 High Street, and did know that there was cake and confectionary business at the rear, as my father remembers visting the chocolate factory to 'get sweets' and also remembers Margaret Peck (who was my grandmothers governess at Hillcrest, 31 Trewartha Park and then worked at the chocolate factory) making him birthday cakes and Easter eggs.
I was not aware of the other shop (Cash Grocery Stores, Provision Dealers and Fruit Merchants) at No 31, but that is really interesting as I knew that Wilfred Marriage & Emily Brown were living at 31 High Street at the time that my grandmothers brothers Wilfred Maurice Brown & Charles Reginald Brown were born in July 1894 & February 1897 respectively, before living at Brantholme, 8 Grove Park, at the time of the 1901 census.
Do you know the name of the shop that currently is at these premises?
Thanks for your help again David, it is much appreciated
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