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Inverness Restaurants


dougal

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Renzo Serafini - definitely the Locarno at 31 Academy Street.

Dorandos had a confectioners and tobacconists shop at 36 Church Street (down from Fraser's Auction Rooms). Was the man who owned this shop related to Henry who ran Dorando's Cafe at 89 Academy Street ?

 

Caley 100 answered that in an earlier post.  It was his brother, Bianco.  A lovely man who made "fudge" that tasted just like I remember my grandmother making 50 years ago.  I blame her for the state of my teeth today.

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Funnily enough I thought it was Serafini too, He had at least two cracking daughters one blonde and the other whom I believe went to live in the USA was a dark haired beauty. That was in my BB days again we were a noisy bunch when we went in there on a Friday night. but nobody ever objected to us. I was madly in love with the blonde one but then so was everyone else. Those were the days.

 

BM I am virtually certain that the Serafinis had the West End Chip Shop opposite the Tarry Ile.

 

I've been trying to pair Inverness-Italian families with their establishments with only partial success. Can anyone help?

 

Serafinis - West End chipper.

Salvadoris - Greig St cafe.

Coffrinis - Ness Cafe.

Pagliaris - wee blue ice cream van with the Harry Lime tune.

????? - Locarno

Bernardis - shop at the bottom of Stephen's Brae.

Turrianis - ??????

????? - Rendezvous.

Guibarellis - Bught then the Hilton chippie.

 

Also, was the Locarno the one on Adacemy St that opened through into the market as well or was it the one up nearer the Phoenix? In that case, what was the "other" one? And who owned the Academy St chipper? Were the local branch of the Rizzas also active in the business in Inverness?

 

As far as I am aware, the only Italian family still in the food retailing business is the Guibarellis at Hilton because after Mike died last year the son took it over.

What a loss all these establishments are to Inverness culture and what a huge part they played in the middle years of the 20th century.

 

When I was in the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden a few years ago I came across an audio interview of I THINK Scotty Bernardi describing playing football whilst in internment on the Isle of Man during WW2. In 1940 Churchill simply said "collar the lot" and every single British resident of Italian and German extraction was interned on the spot, including, one supposes much of the Inverness Italian community who had been here for years.

Forgot this lot:

 

The Bannermanis - various supermarket caffs, e.g. Lipton's, Coop (Montague Row), Presto's, Safeway (Academy Street--sadly missed).

 

 

When ye think about it, the Italians introduced a whole lot of junk food to town--wonder what the Sneckites did for quick foods before that?

Charles, re the question of names and connections, Bianco Turriani ran the sweet shop on Church Street, His brother Henry ran the cafe opposite the AI welders offices in Academy st, His two sons Michael and Alex, and Henry's son Renato still live in Inverness.

Bianco's shop was a wonder of confectionary of which the quality was never seen in Inverness till the Belgian chap Lucas opened the chocolate shop in the market.

Mario Bernardi ran the shops in old eastgate then at the bottom of stephens brae, Bernardi's brother also ran a hairdressers in Academy street just past the market entrance.

The Serafini's ran the Locarno cafe, their son Sergio still lives in Inverness, they also ran the cafe/carry out on harbour road/Burnett road junction.

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First time I ever tasted Coca Cola was in Bianco's on Church Street. It was at room temperature and best of all it was free! He wanted to stay in my good books because he was courting my cousin Mary MacLean at the time and she was living with our family on St. Ninian Drive. They later married.

I recall Scottie Bernardi had a barber shop across the street from a chip shop on one corner and Rossleigh garage on the other. I believe he served in Italy in WWII and was almost captured there. The story went that he was with two lads from the Western Iles who spoke Gaelic to the Germans and were released.

Enjoyed hearing of the places I frequented as a wee boy.

Small world though, I was in a pub in London , Ontario in 1981 and met a lad who was in my class at the Central School. Dr. Bob Lindsay. Shares in Tennents Breweries got a real boost that night I can tell you! I had left Inverness for Canada in 1953.

Got back in 1967 while on leave from Germany and managed a week in Inversnecky but could not find any old pals. They are all in their seventies now! Lads like John MacDonald, Robbie Barron, Donnie Stewart, Donnie Cameron, Arthur Butchard and Duncan Chisholm.

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I assume that you mean "over 65" now? Otherwise they most likely are dead and gone and  have no further interest in her? :laugh:

 

To jog my memory--was Salvadoris in Greig Street?  If so I wish to report that my hormones are still functioning; if not, I don't remember but that is due to a slight case of galloping Alzheimers not hormonal incapacitation.... :wave:

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As jock Watt is five years older than us Scarlet I have a feeling it may have been Maria's elder sister that he had a fancy for. Am I right Jock ? the dark haired sister in your case ?, she too was a stunner. Maria was around our age.......much , much too young for old Jock  :lol:

As for Herr Bannerman, well he would be far too young to dare fall for either, after all there weren't any toy boys in those days just real men.. unless there were further additions to the family ? 

:crazy:

And to answer your question yes it was Greig Street.

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I remember going to the castle Snack Bar as was back in the late 50s.

Sadly no one has mentioned one of my old favourites - the Queensgate Snack Bar enjoyed a coke after school and a plate of egg and chips - great Also used to enjoy Charlies and its Juke Box - 6d for 1 play and a shilling for 3.

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I assume that you mean "over 65" now? Otherwise they most likely are dead and gone and  have no further interest in her? :laugh:

 

To jog my memory--was Salvadoris in Greig Street?  If so I wish to report that my hormones are still functioning; if not, I don't remember but that is due to a slight case of galloping Alzheimers not hormonal incapacitation.... :wave:

Indeed, Scarlet. Slightly ambiguous wording on my part. And yes, I was just that bit too young to be among the rather large group of fans.

Salvadori's was indeed in Greig St, down from the Post Office (the words are still inscribed in fading gold on the pavement), almost directly across the street from Diggar's and I THINK next door to what used to be the Coop before that became Highland TV Service which has fairly recently closed. Salvadoris I think closed late 60s/early 70s and the premises became a series of takeaway establishments.

Salvadori's had great ice cream and especially good when you got raspberry cordial on it. There was old Mr Salvadori and the son Vaaro and how many daughters were there? At least two and as it happens a bit like earlier versions of Nicola Benedetti who I think is also of Italian ice cream extraction. Also working in the shop was Mrs Mitchell who stayed in St Valery Ave. She was the former Highland League player Ronnie Mitchell's mother, and a Glaswegian.

On one occasion the little girl next door to her had been setting about her dad's garden with a pair of scissors, so Mrs Mitchell knocks on their door to announce: "She's went an' cut the taps aff a' they ingins" Then, on realising that the damage was even more extensive: "Oh, an' they buggers tae!!"

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My goodness Charles. For such a young lad at the time you have a remarkable memory for the hotties of the town; not to mention an excellent set of puberty- advanced hormones. Did they have Viagr. in them thar days perhaps? :crazy:  :clapoverhead:

 

How many ice creams did you buy to develop your observational acuities..Ha! Ha!  And how many cold showers did you have to take at the end of each day....? :lol:  :lol:

 

Anyway, it's good to know that you are no less human than the rest of us..it's the highland air I suppose :laugh:

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