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Thread: The Old Dutch Cafe, Smithdown Rd

  1. #1

    Default The Old Dutch Cafe, Smithdown Rd

    Hi all,

    I am the grandaughter of the owners of The Old Dutch Cafe. Betty and Frank owned the cafe from the fifties until 1972 when grandma was too ill to carry on. She died that year and Frank a few short years after. I would be interested in hearing any memories you may have of them or times spent there when the cafe was in it's heyday.



    Thank you
    Donna

  2. #2

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    Hello, my ggreat uncle had the Capaldi Cafe on 266 smithdown road!
    I dont suppose you have any photo's?

  3. #3

    Default OLD DUTCH aka DUTCH EDDIE'S

    Quote Originally Posted by Bloonose View Post
    Hi all,

    I am the grandaughter of the owners of The Old Dutch Cafe. Betty and Frank owned the cafe from the fifties until 1972 when grandma was too ill to carry on. She died that year and Frank a few short years after. I would be interested in hearing any memories you may have of them or times spent there when the cafe was in it's heyday.

    Thank you
    Donna
    Hi Donna,

    I and many others in the late 1960's always knew it as "Dutch Eddies" - and it was absolutely brilliant!!

    I'd just migrated from my sister's Li 150 Lambetta [bored out to 200cc] to a 500 Goldie DBD34...!! BIG jump huh! Used to go to the Merseyside Lambretta Club [Edna.....Ahh! Sigh!], and when I got my Goldie I needed to find somewhere else to hang out with like-minded people i.e. petrol heads and speed freaks! Then one night one of the guys at Christchurch roundabout said he'd come across this Rocker/"Greaser" cafe on Smithdown road that had over 100 bikes outside......Nah, he must be dreamin we thought - as in too good to be true!

    Anyway, we went for a ride to have a looksee - and it was like arriving in Heaven...really, it was!! Great juke-box with 100% bikie music, great grub, and I always remember Frank as a great bloke who was always friendly, kept the peace whenever anyone got a bit too boisterous, and also all the great guys who went there.

    I used to be called Mad Angus by my mates, who included Knocker [[whaaaay!] on a Triumph Speed Twin], Justin [time], Jake the Whaler [Ariel Arrow- but ridden like a KAMIKAZE PILOT!], Phil Worseley [Wild man of Borneo!], Little Nick [Nick Bailey - but on a not so little Norton 650SS!], and lots of others.

    If any of you guys are still out there then drop me a line at india39@hotmail.com - you too Donna if you want, and thanks for stirring up very happy memories Donna! How good was Dutch Eddie's! If I won the lottery today I'd buy out whatever is on the site tomorrow and re-open Dutch Eddies.

    Cheers,

    Lawrence [Mad Angus]

    ---------- Post added at 08:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:36 PM ----------

    Quote Originally Posted by Bloonose View Post
    Hi all,

    I am the grandaughter of the owners of The Old Dutch Cafe. Betty and Frank owned the cafe from the fifties until 1972 when grandma was too ill to carry on. She died that year and Frank a few short years after. I would be interested in hearing any memories you may have of them or times spent there when the cafe was in it's heyday.

    Thank you
    Donna
    Hi Donna,

    I and many others in the late 1960's always knew it as "Dutch Eddies" - and it was absolutely brilliant!!

    I'd just migrated from my sister's Li 150 Lambetta [bored out to 200cc] to a 500 Goldie DBD34...!! BIG jump huh! Used to go to the Merseyside Lambretta Club [Edna.....Ahh! Sigh!], and when I got my Goldie I needed to find somewhere else to hang out with like-minded people i.e. petrol heads and speed freaks! Then one night one of the guys at Christchurch roundabout said he'd come across this Rocker/"Greaser" cafe on Smithdown road that had over 100 bikes outside......Nah, he must be dreamin we thought - as in too good to be true!

    Anyway, we went for a ride to have a looksee - and it was like arriving in Heaven...really, it was!! Great juke-box with 100% bikie music, great grub, and I always remember Frank as a great bloke who was always friendly, kept the peace whenever anyone got a bit too boisterous, and also all the great guys who went there.

    I used to be called Mad Angus by my mates, who included Knocker [[whaaaay!] on a Triumph Speed Twin], Justin [time], Jake the Whaler [Ariel Arrow- but ridden like a KAMIKAZE PILOT!], Phil Worseley [Wild man of Borneo!], Little Nick [Nick Bailey - but on a not so little Norton 650SS!], and lots of others.

    If any of you guys are still out there then drop me a line at india39@hotmail.com - you too Donna if you want, and thanks for stirring up very happy memories Donna! How good was Dutch Eddie's? If I won the lottery today I'd buy out whatever is on the site tomorrow and re-open Dutch Eddies.

    Cheers,

    Lawrence [Mad Angus]

  4. #4
    Newbie Fat scouse's Avatar
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    Hi Donna and All-I used to hang around in the Dutch cafe in the early 60's I lived around the corner in Garmoyle road then, I block away from where John and Cynthia Lennon first lived in a bedsit. ( I guess Julian Lennon was concieved there as he was born in Sefton General hospital on Smithdown Rd. (same as me) anyway back to the Dutch cafe, The beatles used to go there and play on the pinball machines in the back room, the same as I did. A lot of motorbike lads used to hang out there too. My Mam used to go mad at me if she found out I'd been in Franks cafe! I was just 15/16 at the time and I favoured the obsolete ( by then) teddy boy style. I had long sideboards and Skin tight jeans. Couldn't afford a Teddyboy suit till I joined the Army, and by then it didn't matter anymore as my lovely hair with the big quiff and the sideboards had been chopped off! It was a very lively scene in that area of Smithdown road in those days. Franks cafe had a jukebox and I remeber an American country record that we used to play a lot -Walk On By -by Leeroy Van Dyke- it was a great song and it was one of Franks personal favourites. I also used to visit Capaldis coffee bar further along Smithdown road near the railway bridge. I did a fair bit of courting in that place and the Capaldi family were great they really got on well with all the local teenagers. I used to go there with a girl who lived around the corner. Happy days!
    Last edited by Fat scouse; 11-02-2010 at 02:13 AM. Reason: forgot the intro

  5. #5
    Senior Member ChrisGeorge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fat scouse View Post
    Hi Donna and All-I used to hang around in the Dutch cafe in the early 60's I lived around the corner in Garmoyle road then, I block away from where John and Cynthia Lennon first lived in a bedsit. ( I guess Julian Lennon was concieved there as he was born in Sefton General hospital on Smithdown Rd. (same as me) anyway back to the Dutch cafe, The beatles used to go there and play on the pinball machines in the back room, the same as I did. A lot of motorbike lads used to hang out there too. My Mam used to go mad at me if she found out I'd been in Franks cafe! I was just 15/16 at the time and I favoured the obsolete ( by then) teddy boy style. I had long sideboards and Skin tight jeans. Couldn't afford a Teddyboy suit till I joined the Army, and by then it didn't matter anymore as my lovely hair with the big quiff and the sideboards had been chopped off! It was a very lively scene in that area of Smithdown road in those days. Franks cafe had a jukebox and I remeber an American country record that we used to play a lot -Walk On By -by Leeroy Van Dyke- it was a great song and it was one of Franks personal favourites. I also used to visit Capaldis coffee bar further along Smithdown road near the railway bridge. I did a fair bit of courting in that place and the Capaldi family were great they really got on well with all the local teenagers. I used to go there with a girl who lived around the corner. Happy days!
    Great post. Thanks, Fat scouse. I remember the Old Dutch Cafe from traveling back and forth on the 80 bus to where I lived in Mossley Hill. As I recall, it was light blue... Delft color... and had a cutout (wooden?) picture of a windmill on it. Can anyone come up with a photograph of it?

    Chris
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  6. #6
    Came fourth...now what? Oudeis's Avatar
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    Hello Fat Scouse

    You also forgot to mention that Pete Best worked for Frank and Betty in his post Beatles years.

  8. #8
    Newbie the_yankee's Avatar
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    Hi Cuz!
    I have a couple pictures of our Grandmother (Betty) and Frank inside/outside the cafe. Nana visited us once or twice a year in Massachusetts when I was little. I was a young kid, but remember her well. My cousin Donna (creator of this thread) can expand/confirm more details about the following info: but Nana and Frank's plan was to sell the cafe (supposedly, one potential buyer was John Lennon) and then move to the states and live with us, but her Cancer took hold quicker than expected. Nana passed away in the early 70's, the cafe was sold, Frank moved to the US and lived with my family in Massachusetts for a few years (great memories of 'Grampy'). Frank remarried in Massachusetts and passed away a few years later.

    One of the pictures I have may be Pete Best with Nana at the cafe, on the back it just labels a 'peter' in the photo, so I'm not sure....I have posted over at petebest.net to ask Pete if it's him or not. (whatcha think Donna? you've seen the picture, is it him?)

    After I upload, links to the cafe pictures will be posted here shortly. I scanned them hi-res, so they are too big to post on a forum.

    p.s. Hi Donna!
    -Ed Morris

  9. #9
    Came fourth...now what? Oudeis's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by the_yankee View Post
    Hi Cuz!
    I have a couple pictures of our Grandmother (Betty) and Frank inside/outside the cafe. Nana visited us once or twice a year in Massachusetts when I was little. I was a young kid, but remember her well. My cousin Donna (creator of this thread) can expand/confirm more details about the following info: but Nana and Frank's plan was to sell the cafe (supposedly, one potential buyer was John Lennon) and then move to the states and live with us, but her Cancer took hold quicker than expected. Nana passed away in the early 70's, the cafe was sold, Frank moved to the US and lived with my family in Massachusetts for a few years (great memories of 'Grampy'). Frank remarried in Massachusetts and passed away a few years later.

    One of the pictures I have may be Pete Best with Nana at the cafe, on the back it just labels a 'peter' in the photo, so I'm not sure....I have posted over at petebest.net to ask Pete if it's him or not. (whatcha think Donna? you've seen the picture, is it him?)

    After I upload, links to the cafe pictures will be posted here shortly. I scanned them hi-res, so they are too big to post on a forum.

    p.s. Hi Donna!
    -Ed Morris
    Should that not be..."Hey-hey Donna"?

  10. #10
    Newbie the_yankee's Avatar
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    pictures of the cafe and Betty Morris (Nana) during 60's:




  11. #11
    Mossy Mossy's Avatar
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    Brilliant photos Yankee thanks for sharing them with us

    Mossy
    You Can Lead a Horse To Water But You Cant Make Him Drink

  12. #12
    Came fourth...now what? Oudeis's Avatar
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    I wonder did this cafe have one of those fascinating coke machines;a big white-painted metal box. You ask for a coke, the 'girl' takes a bottle from the shelf and drops it into a slot on top of the box and hey-presto an ice-cold bottle of coke drops into a tray in the front; I thought it was magic.

  13. #13
    Senior Member lindylou's Avatar
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    Smashing photies Yankee.

  14. #14

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    Hi Donna,

    I am a commercial photographer and have been asked by the current owners of 'THE DUTCH CAFE' to produce a framed print of the history of the Cafe and the surrounding shops. It it now hanging up inside the shop that was the Dutch cafe ! It is a bathroom showroom. They have also asked be to make a framed print, detailing the history when Frank and Betty ran the cafe and the Beatles meet there ! It you want to see the print and photos of the shop, now.Let me know. Regards Laurence
    Quote Originally Posted by Bloonose View Post
    Hi all,

    I am the grandaughter of the owners of The Old Dutch Cafe. Betty and Frank owned the cafe from the fifties until 1972 when grandma was too ill to carry on. She died that year and Frank a few short years after. I would be interested in hearing any memories you may have of them or times spent there when the cafe was in it's heyday.

    Thank you
    Donna

  15. #15
    Newbie the_yankee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sirlori View Post
    Hi Donna,

    I am a commercial photographer and have been asked by the current owners of 'THE DUTCH CAFE' to produce a framed print of the history of the Cafe and the surrounding shops. It it now hanging up inside the shop that was the Dutch cafe ! It is a bathroom showroom. They have also asked be to make a framed print, detailing the history when Frank and Betty ran the cafe and the Beatles meet there ! It you want to see the print and photos of the shop, now.Let me know. Regards Laurence
    Hi Laurence, I think we'd be very interested in seeing that if it's not too much trouble to scan/post what you have....or you could send to us thru e-mail. Thanks!

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