gillyflower Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Ocelot Cafe was owned by Mick Housley who went on to become successful in antiques. He also jointly owned a cafe in Broomhill called Che Bryon with a guy called Bryan Mooney (of the famous family I believe). My husband and his friends took over the cafe in Broomhill and called it The Faintest Idea but it did not stay open long after that! The Favorita was the first Italian coffee bar to open and was frequented by many of the mods in Sheffield (myself included) after we had danced the night away at the Esquire club. I always thought there was a downstairs to Favorita as well but that was obviously the Ajanta next door. Hppy days!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubydazzler Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I don't remember Mick owning the Ocelet, I only remember Ivor having it, before taking on the Montgomery. Did it change hands later? I went to live in London in 67 so I pretty much lost touch with all the goings on after that. I loved LaFav... there was a downstairs, but I think it was just the loos? We might even know one another, gillyflower, there weren't really that many Mods around at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooeg Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 I don't remember Mick owning the Ocelet, I only remember Ivor having it, before taking on the Montgomery. Did it change hands later? I went to live in London in 67 so I pretty much lost touch with all the goings on after that. I loved LaFav... there was a downstairs, but I think it was just the loos? We might even know one another, gillyflower, there weren't really that many Mods around at the time. After Ivor there was a lad, who I think was blowing his inheritance, I can picture his face but can't remember his name. Drove an MGB, pretty stylish at the time. Pennyfarthing most nights. Not really his sort of work, so Mick took it over. Got it. Russell Beamer, Last I heard he was selling cars in Handsworth. Years ago I heard he had a glass bottomed boat in the Bahamas. Although that may not have been him. Earlier someone mentioned the coffee bar on chapel walk, The Sidewalk, was it Harry Hart who owned it. The place to be and be seen, Saturday afternoon. Sorry I've just re read it was Calver St not Chapel walk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubydazzler Posted September 7, 2008 Share Posted September 7, 2008 Earlier someone mentioned the coffee bar on chapel walk, The Sidewalk, was it Harry Hart who owned it. The place to be and be seen, Saturday afternoon. Sorry I've just re read it was Calver St not Chapel walk. OMG! The Sidewalk, we all used to go in there on Saturday afternoons! Posing! As I said the gillyflower earlier about La Fav, we probably all know one another, at least by sight! Although probably hardly recognisable these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeke Posted May 1, 2009 Author Share Posted May 1, 2009 All these memories of Sheffield in the sixties, oh I wish I was back there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vox2 Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Ocelot Cafe was owned by Mick Housley who went on to become successful in antiques. He also jointly owned a cafe in Broomhill called Che Bryon with a guy called Bryan Mooney (of the famous family I believe). My husband and his friends took over the cafe in Broomhill and called it The Faintest Idea but it did not stay open long after that! The Favorita was the first Italian coffee bar to open and was frequented by many of the mods in Sheffield (myself included) after we had danced the night away at the Esquire club. I always thought there was a downstairs to Favorita as well but that was obviously the Ajanta next door. Hppy days!!! I've been searching for years to find someone who used to go to Mick's Cafe in Broomhill. I don't remember it as Che Bryon but it was definitely called The Leprechaun(we called it The Lep) in 1965-7. While we were there Mick had the cellar done out for us young Mods. We were about 16/17 then, and Mick would be in his 20's I guess. He used to put up with us as long as we stayed out of the way downstairs when he came in with his friends late on in the evenings. Remember the wall in the Cellar made of coloured bottles with lights behind? I've lost all my photos from that time and have been looking for someone who may have pics of the scooters parked outside and some of the people who used to go there. I remember Rob Clarke and his elder sister Dinah. Kath Streets, Janet Cass and Rocco Madoni by name. I kept in touch with Mick for a while into the 70's because I worked at a junk shop at that time. Also used to go to the Fav amongst other mod cafes of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooeg Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 The Che Bryon was Brian Mooneys cafe 3 or 4 doors above, now the Chinese. If you look behind the counter, the notes on the stair rail are C and B I'm not sure whether The Lep was ever called the Che. Thinking Back I think Bill Woodhams opened The Lep originally, what name I don't know. At the time Mick had the little Cafe on the corner of Crookes and Heavygate Rd. where the bus drivers went. Then he took over from Bill who was by now disillusioned with Cafe life, at Broomhill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tooeg Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 All these memories of Sheffield in the sixties, oh I wish I was back there!! Sheffield or the Sixties Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vox2 Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Zeke I'm know I used to go to the Ocelot now and then (we used to ride around between 2 or 3 cafes most nights) but I can't think for the life of me where it was or what it looked like. I know you've said "near Bramall Lane" but that's not jogging my memory either. - still hoping for any pics that anybody may have from any of the Mod haunts that have been mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillyflower Posted May 2, 2009 Share Posted May 2, 2009 Catching up after ages on history of Ocelot, etc! Confirming other information, the Leprechaun WAS opened first by Bill Woodhams who went on to own newspaper shop for years at Crookes. Then Mick Housley. I am sure, tho, that it was also at some time owned by Bryon Mooney and called Chez Bryon, and I do know for sure, as I said before, that my late husband, Michael, and his mates took it over and called it The Faintest Idea without much success! Mick Housley and wife Laurel lived for some time in a flat at the back of the cafe on Glossop Road. I also remember the cellar he converted downstairs with the glass bottle wall - I remember getting slaughtered there one night in the company of Mick Cowan (ex boxer now deceased unfortunately) amongst others. As for the Sidewalk cafe, it WAS on Chapel walk and I spent many a Saturday afternoon there "posing" as Ruby said. I do believe she was right in saying it was owned by Harry Hart, but I think he had a son who was a right little squirt who used to run it - think his name was David, and he, like Ruseel Beamer (a friend of Mick Housley and my late husband) used to show off in a sports car. Do any of you remember the Mods congregting outside Peter Robinson's store where Primark is situated now? It was a great time to be young - all the scooter boys, of which I dated one! All nighters at the Mojo - saw Ike and Tima there - also the Blue Moon Club, also run by Pete & Geoff Stringfellow - oh those were the days as Mary Hopkin sang - "my" tavern was the Broomhill Tavern where I met my late husband in 1968! Kids today don't know the half do they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.