"Old" Skegness Greenwood's Cafe

[lydiaann]

How many people remember Skegness in the "old days"?  I'm thinking possibly the late 1940s/early '50s.  The reason I ask is that, in cleaning out drawers for the charity shop, I came across a set of 6 fish knives and forks that I got from my mother's house following her death in 1987.  They are hall-marked silver (although to me they look plated, so why the hallmark?) and also marked 'Greenwood's Cafe, Skegness', suggesting they were bought in a jumble sale (my maternal grandmother was an inveterate attendee at these events, which were more 'social mornings with coffee').  My grandparents moved to Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire in 1948 (having previously moved away from the area in 1920 to Derbyshire) which is where this cutlery probably came from.  Does anyone remember, or know of, this cafe?

[bibliotaphist]

According to this website it was at 61, Lumley Road, and was established in about 1885...

https://oldadverts.wordpress.com/2008/12/23/greenwoods-cafe/

[lydiaann]

Thanks so much for that.  I see it was a 'fish restaurant' in its heyday so the cutlery makes sense! Next time we're in Skegness we'll be sure and have a look for it!!

[bibliotaphist]

I fear it's long gone... think Poundland is there now!

[lydiaann]

Of course - don't they and their ilk take over all of these lovely old places?  I hope they haven't changed the building too much!!  Having said that, have you ever been to Stokes' Cafe on the High Street in Lincoln.  This is in a 16th century building and I remember being taken there by my mum and granny in the early 1950s.  Sixty years later, I go there with Himself and we have coffee before hitting Waterstones and the like.  Recently, they have changed the uniform of the waitresses and they are all in 1920s-style caps and aprons...such memories!

[bibliotaphist]

As it happens I walk down the steps along the side of the High Bridge and Stokes' cafe in Lincoln every morning on my way to work

I'm not even sure that the original building which was Greenwoods' cafe in Skeg still exists. That whole row is a 1960s looking building now.

[Geoff-E]

Looking at Streetview, I agree that 61 is now part of Poundland (once Woolworths it looks like).

69 and 71 still survive, looking very much like 61 used to, upstairs at least. www.instantstreetview.com/@53.142784,0.340047,-344.49h,5.77p,1z

There is a menswear shop called Greenwoods at 47 Lumley Rd.

Stokes in Lincoln ... used to be in part of what is now M&S, they moved to High Bridge in the 1937.

See the timeline here (see how much the building was refurbished in 1901) http://stokes-coffee.co.uk/story/