Model Railway Forum

Various ranges of coffee's were never sold in the UK until the 1990's It was a plain Black or a White coffee in the early 1960's. Then an Italian influence was often sold in clear glass cups and saucers. You never asked for a Cappuccino etc! It was just Black, White or a Frothy coffee.
At a railway stations Tea or Coffee kiosk would in the period - 1960 to early 1980's provide a simple Tea or Coffee in a cup or mug with milk and sugar. Cardboard take away cups hadn't really begun their insertion into the take way coffee or tea business then!

You obviously lived in the wrong place.

Walkingthedog wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 7:35 pm You obviously lived in the wrong place.

No not at all! As a BR employee (from 1964 to 2008) I drank 'many gallons' of tea or coffee from Southern railway buffets all provided *At staff discount price", all were served in white or a light blue/greenish coloured china cup or mug, right up to the early 1980's.

So from personal experience, I can vouch that (Southern) railway station buffets never sold any modern coffee variations in the period being discussed, that is 1960's to early 1980's. I'm unsure when the styrene cup came into being? Guess around the early 80's in the UK??

I was replying to Journeyman Brian. Your reply wasn’t there when I hit Submit. Well I must have missed it.

Lets face it Brian (FB) British Railways were never at the forefront of what might be termed fashionable food offerings. For instance their choice of sandwiches and week old pies is legendary, so many jokes have been made about it. Away from BR the big cities and particularly London, did have a bigger choice. So you are right regarding BB's platform snack bar in the 60s.

teedoubleudee wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 4:19 pm

bulleidboy wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 2:25 pm .................. Did they have cappuccino's in the early sixties? I think the choice was black or white, with or without sugar?

Yes, late fifties coffee bars opening everywhere selling "frothy coffee" the forerunner of capocino I guess. I was taken to one in the west end of London where the tables were all coffin shaped and the walls draped with fake cobwebs, skeletons etc. It was called the Le Macabre (Google it).

I went there many times in the 60s - Meard Street Soho, very trendy then!!
Ted

twalton1145 wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:12 pm

teedoubleudee wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 4:19 pm

bulleidboy wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 2:25 pm .................. Did they have cappuccino's in the early sixties? I think the choice was black or white, with or without sugar?

Yes, late fifties coffee bars opening everywhere selling "frothy coffee" the forerunner of capocino I guess. I was taken to one in the west end of London where the tables were all coffin shaped and the walls draped with fake cobwebs, skeletons etc. It was called the Le Macabre (Google it).

.......................very trendy then!!
Ted

So was I................then

I'm not old enough to remember the 1960s as such, but a chap once told me that when he was a young man about town in the 60s, coffee bars that sold frothy coffee were popular and they were referred to as 'espresso bars'. Many years later circa 1990, he was in an Italian restaurant and ordered an espresso, expecting to receive frothy coffee. Of course, he was most disappointed when he was given a tiny tiny cup of black coffee, and complained to the ITALIAN waiter that his hot beverage was NOT an espresso.

Ha ha what a plonker.

A new addition to the collection This has been on my wish list for sometime. Hornby R2562 "Britannia" 70000 was introduced to the range in 2006 and as it has in the past run past the bottom of the road with "steam specials" a number of times, it needed to join the collection - this one came along at just the right time.

IMG_0989 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr