Restaurant
Reminiscences
By May Gray
Connie Beak (S.M.) with May Gray (waitress) Serving behind the bar at a retirement party.
JLP Archive Collection
(L to R) Janine Simonds, Irene Goundry, Mary Cross, Terry Kelly, Peggy Maher, June Taylor, Mr. Niogi (manager), Bessie Andrews, Nellie Ellisdon, Doris (?), Trudy Burton (supervisor), May Gray and Eva Adams.
JLP Archive Collection
Branch Council Dinner. October 1982. (L to R) Peggy Maher, Janine Simonds, Irene Goundry, Mr Boggia, May Gray, Mary Cross and Eva Adams.
JLP Archive Collection
Restaurant with the check tablecloths
JLP Archive Collection
The restaurant opened in August 1965, in the new building of the old Trewins in Queens Road, Watford. It was a family restaurant (complete with high chairs etc.) which served morning coffee, lunches and teas.
When I was part of the team of waitresses, the lunches were served as Silver Service under the management of Mr. Adami. We had long queues of customers for most of the day. When we had a new manager we changed over to plated lunches, green check tableclothes instead of the white damask ones, which was also popular with our customers. Our waitresses had regular customers who were willing to queue for a table with their own preferred waitress.
We catered for Branch Council Dinners Silver Service, retirement parties and many other functions.
During my nearly 24 years service I had six different managers. When I retired, Mr Carlo Boggia was the restaurant manager, who was very popular with both customers and staff alike.
It was a very happy time for me as a waitress in the Trewins restaurant.