Davy's on Haymarket

[Texas]

I can just about recollect going into Davy's on Haymarket. That was a long, long time ago. I guess I was impressed because I seem to remember off white and blue tiling on the walls, the food smells, cheese and coffee and stuff. That was before World War 2.

My Dad first worked there after leaving school, that must've been 1923-24. He worked as a van lad. I remember him telling me that his first job every morning, before he went to help loading the van, was to clean the Black Pudding and Polony, especially on Monday.

He had to get a bottle of Olive Oil, and a brush, and carefully clean of the accumulation of mould which had gathered on the links over the weekend. Well, after all, there wasn't much in the preservative line in those days.

He also said about going somewhere near Grindleford to deliver a quarter pound of cheese. Do me a favor, good old days?

[pegaso]

PAULR back in the 60's my then boyfiend and I used to get a roast chicken on a sat night and some crusty bread and a botle of champagne (when we could afford it!) and send my mum to her sisters, happy memories

[mikep57]

Whilst doing a family history for my son at school this week, my mum told me about our connection to Davy's. My great, great grandfather, Samuel Llyewellyn Nicholls co-owned the buisness with Arthur Davy. My Grandfather (my mums dad) was sat in the restaurant on Fargate at the age of 16, doodling on a napkin. He drew a logo for the shop and they were so impressed that they used it as the company logo on all their crockery etc. He then went onto be the chief architect for Sheffield City Council!!

 

The chain was bought out by Hagenbachs (sp) and finally by Greggs.

 

My father was the electrician and maintainance engineer for many years and I had some of the passed down toys of either John Davy or John Davy's son, (I can't remember which) and the neighberhood kids thought we were rich as I had a real Canadian sledge, red indian outfit and a 4 spliced cricket bat.

When dad was maintaining the lifts on Sundays I went with him and from the roof above Fargate found out for the first time that the trams had their numbers painted on the roof.

Dad was firewatching on the roof during the blitz and saw the bombs coming up the Moor and up High street and thought he would be next. Luckily he only had a couple of incendiaries to deal with.

[MH36]

Hi Everyone,

Greetings from Northumberland. I have just found the forum relating to "Davys Coffee" and it immediately brought to mind the wonderful smell of roasting coffee whenever you walked past their building in Faregate which is one if my fondest childhood memories of Sheffield.  Now at 84 I still have my Grandparents hand shaped Davy's coffee dispenser that has been handed down to me from my parents who kept it in our tea caddy instead of a spoon. Printed on it are the words ONE HANDFUL OF DAVY'S PURE COFFEE FOR EACH BREAKFAST CUP.   Maureen

[bdbooth]

My godmother (90) talks about Davys, she went there a lot when she used to work on Wellington Street. She thinks there was another cafe above Davy's that also had ground coffee (not Pollards, that was further over on Charles Street believe). I think she's getting mixed up and there was only Davy's but does anyone know if she's right? 

[Kidorry]

On 29/09/2005 at 14:51, detectorist said:

Quote

Originally posted by pauline

i used to work at davys at haymarket and my boyfriend ,who became my hubby ,worked at davys on paternoster row.

Hi--I used to work at Paternoster row in the maintenence dept. about 1968 to 1973/4. Does any names come to mind?

I knew a Billy Rocket who was a van driver there. He once had a big pinky coloured car.

[inessex]

My Great Grandad was a French polisher. I remember my mum telling me he put the wooden panels on the walls in the Cafe.  I wonder if they are still there under the present plastic.  He also did panels in 'The New Town Hall'. My Gran was invited, as a lttle girl, to the opening by Queen Victoria as her dad had worked on it.

[kickstart12]

my mum worked at davys in the 70's  she worked in the cafe upstairs i can remember going in on a saturday with my mate from school chips sausage and beans, i think later it became hagenbachs