WilliamCran

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. The Academy Street chip shop was owned by Pagliaris Think the Locarno was owned by the Serafinis (had a great juke box) Mario Bernardi was certainly not interred and served as an intelligence officer in the Royal Air Force during WW2 You are forgetting Barneys on Castle Street which used to be one of the few shops open on a Sunday (Bernardis) - Hettys was another, Marios was open in Eastgate long decades before the Stephens Brae shop and had its own cafe!! But there was also a wonderful Italian fish and chip shop in Eastgate across the road from Marios and I cannot be sure but the Washington Soda Fountain cafe at the foot of the Market Steps may have been Italian as well. The Rizzas were never shop owners and sadly never seemed to prosper, going bankrupt in the fifties.. Giorgio Guibarelli and his family lived across from us when we resided at 57 Craigton Avenue, Kessock Ferry and were primarily involved in the fish and chip van business for decades I walked into the Hilton Chip Shop a couple of years ago and expected to see "Pop" and JoJo behind the counter!!.

Brian Lipton was in my school year at the IRA and was a formidable rugby player. My pals and I watched the Beatles playing the Royal Variety Performance in the "Castle Snack Shack" munching crisps and drinking Coca Cola, feeling really sophisticated 15 year olds!! I was madly in love with Lauara Pagliari but she was a foot taller that I was - she a sixth former and me a first former in short trousers!!!. My favourite cafe was The Mayfair at the foot of Stephens Brae. Rosie had a soft spot for us louts and used to let us sneak out without paying for a shillingly plate of fish and chips. "Mama" was still working in those days (66ish) Rosie was definitely italian but I cant remember her surname. We used to work for Mario Bernardi as shop assistants/paper boys and as soon as we got paid it went on plates of chips and cups of tea. Happy carefree times!!