Derby, Kardomah was the perfect place to watch world go by

STIRRING STUFF: Above, the mid-1960s photograph of the Kardomah that sparked Gladys Allcock's memories and, left, as it looked towards the end of its days.
By [spowlson]

IT was lovely to see a photograph of the old Kardomah restaurant in Bygones.
I went there regularly from the 1940s until its closure in the early 1980s.
It was beautiful inside. The walls were oak-panelled, with each panel having an art deco motif in its top centre.
One remains today on the staircase in the restaurant that replaced it.

There were square wooden tables that seated two or four and crisp, white tablecloths or, sometimes, blue gingham.
The meals were simple but delicious British fare – mixed grill, toasted teacakes, little sandwiches and cakes.

It was rather like the Lyons Corner Houses that used to be in London. Right to the end, I think the waitresses were in smart black and white uniforms.

We used to call them "nippies" – presumably because they nipped around the tables so quickly.

I remember service was certainly always quick.

Up until the 1950s, you could buy loose tea in the downstairs restaurant, while upstairs was a coffee bar, where you could buy fresh coffee, which was weighed and put into little linen sacks. The aroma of freshly-ground coffee beans was heavenly, especially as instant coffee was not widely available at that time.

The decor upstairs was slightly different – sort of Moorish in design. It was rather exotic, I thought.

The Kardomah was usually open late and, after the cinema had finished, we'd go in there for a late-night coffee.

There were also often quite a few journalists from the Derby Telegraph in there, as it was an ideal place to conduct interviews.

Situated as it was at the junction of the Cornmarket and St James's Street, with a police officer standing in the middle of the road directing traffic, it was the perfect place to watch the world go by.

I always tried to get a table near to the window.

At a time when there were few eating places in Derby, it was THE place to go. Whether it be breakfast, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea or late supper, the place was always full of people.

My friend had a job there washing up in the kitchens – no dishwashers in those days.

I was sad when its closure was announced and had my lunch there on its final day.

It was packed out. Somehow, egg and chips has never tasted quite the same again.

I suppose its successor was the Swiss Cottage, in the Audley Centre – still a good, old-fashioned British cafe.

If I am in London, I like to eat at Simpson's, on The Strand. Its decor is almost identical to the Kardomah and the atmosphere is similar.

Happy memories come flooding back when I am there.

Did you frequent the Kardomah or were you a regular at the other popular Derby haunt, the Boccacio Cafe, in the Market Place? We would love to read your memories, contact details below.

With Thanks

By [spowlson]

http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/Kardomah-perfect-place-watch-world/article-1557660-detail/article.html

Derby Kardomah

THE manager of a former Derby cafe which became a meeting place for the rich and famous has died, aged 103. Tributes have been paid to Albert Ragg, who ran the Kardomah Cafe in the Corn Market for more than 33 years.
During its heyday the cafe was the place to be seen, attracting the likes of Brian Clough, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and stars appearing at the Hippodrome theatre.
Mr Ragg, who had lived in the same house in Chaddesden since he moved to the city from Merseyside in 1934, died at Derbyshire Royal Infirmary on Saturday.
His daughter, Susan Nuttall, 69, who now lives in South Africa, said her father had loved running the cafe.
She said: "He used to talk about it all the time. My father used to talk about the people who went into the cafe such as the actor Richard Todd. My mum was a huge football fan so she always used to tell me about the Derby County players that visited regularly and the manager Brian Clough."
Born in Birkenhead, Mr Ragg moved to Derby with his wife, Marjorie, who died in 1993.
He took over as manager of the former Kardomah Cafe and stayed in the job for 33-and-a-half years until he retired in 1969.
During the Second World War, Mr Ragg was in a reserved occupation in catering, so he was not able to join the armed forces. Instead, he signed up to Derby's Home Guard.
The Derby County fan was also a member of the former Derby Society of Lancastrians for many years.
Mr Ragg also leaves his son, Ian Ragg, 73, of Chaddesden, 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Susan added: "My father was always very interested in people. He was a gentle person with a patient manner and loved chatting to anyone."
The cafe was owned by a firm called Kardomah Ltd which, at the start of the Second World War, had 30 branches around the country, including six in both Liverpool and London.
Mr Ragg eventually went on to become area manager, overseeing the branches in Derby and Nottingham.
The firm finally sold out to a major catering chain which closed the venue in 1980.
Mr Ragg's funeral takes place at Markeaton Crematorium on Monday at 2.20pm. Nov 2008