1 00:00:00,670 --> 00:00:02,921 I'm Lauren Padgett, Assistant Curator of 2 00:00:02,921 --> 00:00:04,796 Collections. Since Fountains Cafe closed 3 00:00:04,796 --> 00:00:07,047 in 2023, Bradford District Museums and 4 00:00:07,047 --> 00:00:09,297 Galleries have been working with the 5 00:00:09,297 --> 00:00:11,923 family that owned it so that we 6 00:00:11,923 --> 00:00:14,548 can acquire some of the material culture 7 00:00:14,548 --> 00:00:17,174 of the cafe so that it can 8 00:00:17,174 --> 00:00:19,800 enter our collection to be preserved for 9 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,633 future generations. After months of 10 00:00:21,633 --> 00:00:24,227 planning, we were able to put some of 11 00:00:24,227 --> 00:00:26,498 these objects out on display in February. 12 00:00:26,498 --> 00:00:28,768 The mural and painting that was on 13 00:00:28,768 --> 00:00:31,038 display in the Cafe. We've got the 14 00:00:31,038 --> 00:00:32,984 interior and exterior signage. We also 15 00:00:32,984 --> 00:00:35,578 have some crockery and a table and chair 16 00:00:35,578 --> 00:00:38,173 set. It's Sunday, the 16th of March and 17 00:00:38,173 --> 00:00:41,091 I'm onsite about to meet members of 18 00:00:41,091 --> 00:00:43,428 the family who ran Fountains Cafe for 19 00:00:43,428 --> 00:00:45,721 three generations and for 55 years. I'm 20 00:00:45,721 --> 00:00:48,342 really excited to meet them and hear what 21 00:00:48,342 --> 00:00:50,962 they think about the display as it will 22 00:00:50,962 --> 00:00:53,583 be the first time that they've seen it 23 00:00:53,583 --> 00:00:55,876 here. Let's head down and meet them. 24 00:00:55,876 --> 00:00:58,169 Well, around 10 members of the family 25 00:00:58,169 --> 00:01:00,790 have arrived today to see it spanning 3 26 00:01:00,790 --> 00:01:03,080 generations. And it's been so lovely to 27 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,248 hear them talk about Fountains Cafe and 28 00:01:05,248 --> 00:01:07,727 the new display here. So we have Mary, 29 00:01:07,727 --> 00:01:10,206 who, I hope doesn't mind me telling you 30 00:01:10,206 --> 00:01:12,685 this is, 90 years old and she originally 31 00:01:12,685 --> 00:01:14,544 set up Fountains Cafe with her husband 32 00:01:14,544 --> 00:01:17,332 Paul in 1968. And we also have her son 33 00:01:17,332 --> 00:01:19,811 Chris and they have kindly agreed to sit 34 00:01:19,811 --> 00:01:22,681 down with me for a chat. So 35 00:01:22,681 --> 00:01:24,730 Mary told us about the other 36 00:01:24,730 --> 00:01:26,437 establishments that came before Fountains 37 00:01:26,437 --> 00:01:29,168 Cafe and how there was a disaster in 38 00:01:29,168 --> 00:01:31,216 its early days. Chris: Mum and Dad used 39 00:01:31,216 --> 00:01:33,948 to have the cafe, which is now part 40 00:01:33,948 --> 00:01:36,679 of the Alhambra, just going up Godwin 41 00:01:36,679 --> 00:01:37,362 Street, is it? Mary: Morley Street. 42 00:01:38,045 --> 00:01:38,386 Chris: Morley Street, sorry. Lauren: Ok. 43 00:01:39,410 --> 00:01:39,752 Mary: Above the Alhambra. 44 00:01:39,752 --> 00:01:40,093 Chris: Above the Alhambra. 45 00:01:42,870 --> 00:01:44,874 So they used to have a cafe called 46 00:01:44,874 --> 00:01:45,160 Metropolis. 47 00:01:46,530 --> 00:01:46,904 Mary: That was our first one. Chris: That was the first one, first cafe 48 00:01:48,024 --> 00:01:48,398 Mary: In Bradford. 49 00:01:48,398 --> 00:01:48,771 After Metropolis, it was the 50 00:01:51,012 --> 00:01:52,880 Continential at Godwin Street. 51 00:01:54,450 --> 00:01:57,296 And then we got the Fiesta 52 00:01:57,296 --> 00:01:59,667 on Market Street. Chris: So the 53 00:01:59,667 --> 00:02:01,090 Continental was a ... 54 00:02:01,090 --> 00:02:02,987 Mary: The Continental then we opened 55 00:02:02,987 --> 00:02:05,833 downstairs, the first part in the 56 00:02:05,833 --> 00:02:08,204 basement as Romantica Club, and then 57 00:02:08,204 --> 00:02:11,050 we knocked a hole through the 58 00:02:11,050 --> 00:02:13,896 wall further up the street in 59 00:02:13,896 --> 00:02:16,825 the basement and made it The Hole 60 00:02:16,825 --> 00:02:19,791 in the Wall disco. And then the Fountains 61 00:02:19,791 --> 00:02:22,757 was the last one we opened. Chris: Yes, 62 00:02:22,757 --> 00:02:25,724 I was born in 1968. So the Fountains 63 00:02:25,724 --> 00:02:28,690 opened. It was when, in the old John 64 00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:30,915 Street Market. Mary: And then we got 65 00:02:30,915 --> 00:02:33,139 burnt down in the fire. Great 66 00:02:33,139 --> 00:02:33,510 fire. Horrendous. 67 00:02:36,420 --> 00:02:38,407 Chris: Certainly the Fountains, they've 68 00:02:38,407 --> 00:02:40,394 retained, you've retained the 69 00:02:40,394 --> 00:02:41,388 character haven't you 70 00:02:41,388 --> 00:02:43,871 since it... Mary: We've retained it all 71 00:02:43,871 --> 00:02:46,852 the while even after fire we 72 00:02:46,852 --> 00:02:49,832 got back to the same structure 73 00:02:49,832 --> 00:02:50,826 and everything. Lauren: Fantastic. 74 00:02:50,826 --> 00:02:53,806 Chris: So the decor is very 75 00:02:53,806 --> 00:02:56,112 retro, 19-late 60s. Which is obviously, 76 00:02:56,833 --> 00:02:58,036 it's time-less to be quite 77 00:02:58,036 --> 00:02:59,720 honest with you, some would say that, you 78 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:01,404 know, it's it needs an upgrade, but 79 00:03:01,404 --> 00:03:02,847 obviously that's what the attraction is 80 00:03:02,847 --> 00:03:04,290 for a lot of the old Bradfordians. 81 00:03:06,090 --> 00:03:08,899 And even, even new Bradfordians. Mary: It 82 00:03:08,899 --> 00:03:11,791 was a really nice set of 83 00:03:11,791 --> 00:03:14,684 customers we had, regulars, old 84 00:03:14,684 --> 00:03:17,577 and young, each generation came 85 00:03:17,577 --> 00:03:19,891 one after the other, grandparents, 86 00:03:19,891 --> 00:03:22,784 mothers and children. Lauren: Fantastic. 87 00:03:22,784 --> 00:03:25,677 Lauren: Over the years, they had 88 00:03:25,677 --> 00:03:28,570 some famous faces. 89 00:03:28,918 --> 00:03:29,217 So they had the Metropolis. And David Hockney, when he was not well known, used to come in. And he used to do sketches on the napkins that we had. 90 00:03:33,694 --> 00:03:36,082 And he used to do sketches on the 91 00:03:36,082 --> 00:03:36,380 napkins that we had. 92 00:03:40,415 --> 00:03:40,930 My dad must have thought they were rubbish and threw them away. 93 00:03:43,168 --> 00:03:43,655 He knew him quite well. 94 00:03:45,490 --> 00:03:46,537 The film crews were attracted to 95 00:03:46,537 --> 00:03:48,632 the Fountains, pure and simple, because 96 00:03:48,632 --> 00:03:51,426 of the decor inside and when you're 97 00:03:51,426 --> 00:03:53,870 looking at a film set and you're doing a 98 00:03:53,870 --> 00:03:56,314 70s style, 80s style, or 60s style film 99 00:03:56,314 --> 00:03:58,758 or documentary, it saves building a film 100 00:03:58,758 --> 00:04:01,551 set when you can just, you've got it 101 00:04:01,551 --> 00:04:03,646 already there for you. So we 102 00:04:03,646 --> 00:04:05,392 had, as you've probably aware, the Great 103 00:04:05,392 --> 00:04:08,124 Train Robbery Part 1 and 2. And then 104 00:04:08,124 --> 00:04:10,230 Part 2 was Jim Broadbent. 105 00:04:11,410 --> 00:04:13,891 He was there and obviously I remember 106 00:04:13,891 --> 00:04:16,373 upstairs they had the green room where 107 00:04:16,373 --> 00:04:19,267 they used to sit outside in the old 108 00:04:19,267 --> 00:04:21,335 courtyard. I remember Jim Broadbent 109 00:04:21,335 --> 00:04:24,230 being sat there, you know, in between 110 00:04:24,230 --> 00:04:27,125 his scenes and had a chat with him and, 111 00:04:27,125 --> 00:04:30,019 lovely chap, and he remembered the old 112 00:04:30,019 --> 00:04:30,846 Greek Turkish 113 00:04:30,846 --> 00:04:31,260 cafes in Bradford when he was younger. 114 00:04:34,114 --> 00:04:37,097 We had Maxine Peake there from, she 115 00:04:37,097 --> 00:04:40,080 was filming Funny Cow as well, a film, so 116 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:41,784 she came. Maxine Peake, Mary: Yes 117 00:04:41,784 --> 00:04:42,210 . Chris: She met my mum. 118 00:04:44,590 --> 00:04:46,523 Lauren: Mary talks about how it was hard 119 00:04:46,523 --> 00:04:49,008 work and all the family used to pitch in 120 00:04:49,008 --> 00:04:51,653 to help. Chris: It's hard work is 121 00:04:51,653 --> 00:04:54,480 catering. Mary: It's very hard. I mean, 122 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:55,893 when you're making all 123 00:04:55,893 --> 00:04:56,247 different dishes. Moussaka. Lasagna. Braised steak. 124 00:05:02,420 --> 00:05:02,760 And all those, they all take time, it's time-consuming. 125 00:05:06,890 --> 00:05:09,697 All the children have worked in, in 126 00:05:09,697 --> 00:05:10,900 the school holidays. Lauren: Ok. 127 00:05:12,310 --> 00:05:13,545 Mary: You know everything, 128 00:05:13,545 --> 00:05:16,427 they've all helped and Saturdays if we're 129 00:05:16,427 --> 00:05:17,250 being stuck, they've come and helped. 130 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,419 Chris: So we had to come on, you 131 00:05:21,419 --> 00:05:22,507 know, when we were abit older, we have 132 00:05:22,507 --> 00:05:25,408 to come on the bus onto the cafe 133 00:05:25,408 --> 00:05:27,947 and work in a cafe on 134 00:05:27,947 --> 00:05:30,810 Saturdays, you know. Just, just , 135 00:05:30,810 --> 00:05:33,049 so we've lived and breathed that cafe 136 00:05:33,049 --> 00:05:35,607 environment for a long time, many years, 137 00:05:35,607 --> 00:05:38,486 and to the extent where I got my own 138 00:05:38,486 --> 00:05:41,364 job. But I always used to go on Saturday 139 00:05:41,364 --> 00:05:44,243 to help out even when I was working full 140 00:05:44,243 --> 00:05:46,802 time because obviously you just have it 141 00:05:46,802 --> 00:05:49,040 in your blood, really. I mean you've, 142 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:50,000 you've enjoyed it, haven't you? 143 00:05:50,350 --> 00:05:51,972 Mary: I've enjoyed every minute of it. 144 00:05:51,972 --> 00:05:54,891 You know it was hard work then. We used 145 00:05:54,891 --> 00:05:57,811 to work hard. Go work all day, come home 146 00:05:57,811 --> 00:06:00,406 get the kids ready for bed, get the 147 00:06:00,406 --> 00:06:02,352 babysitter, my aunty, the babysitter. Get 148 00:06:02,352 --> 00:06:02,677 ready, go out to a dinner dance or I'd have a 149 00:06:03,974 --> 00:06:06,894 dinner party. It was nice 150 00:06:06,894 --> 00:06:08,516 when we finished not to do 151 00:06:08,516 --> 00:06:08,840 book-keeping. Chris: So my mum was still involved, weren't you, right until the end. 152 00:06:10,220 --> 00:06:12,640 Mary: Until '23. 153 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:15,664 Chris: So she 154 00:06:15,664 --> 00:06:18,023 used to do all the books still even at, 155 00:06:18,023 --> 00:06:20,855 when she was, you know, 84, 85 156 00:06:20,855 --> 00:06:22,270 she was still 157 00:06:22,270 --> 00:06:22,742 involved weren't you? Mary: Yes. Chris: Still 158 00:06:23,686 --> 00:06:25,102 used to go to the cafe, 159 00:06:25,102 --> 00:06:26,990 still, you know, speak to the 160 00:06:26,990 --> 00:06:27,461 customers, walk round, didn't you? 161 00:06:27,461 --> 00:06:29,821 Mary: Yes. My son 162 00:06:31,237 --> 00:06:33,124 Michael, he ran it 163 00:06:33,124 --> 00:06:33,596 for me didn't he? Chris: Yes he did. 164 00:06:34,790 --> 00:06:35,408 Mary: I'd just supervise it 165 00:06:35,408 --> 00:06:37,882 all. Chris: He was there right until the 166 00:06:37,882 --> 00:06:40,636 very, very end. A lot of our 167 00:06:40,636 --> 00:06:43,323 customers up to the end will know Michael 168 00:06:43,323 --> 00:06:45,338 well. Lauren: I think that's what makes 169 00:06:45,338 --> 00:06:47,688 it so unique is that the three 170 00:06:47,688 --> 00:06:48,360 generations. Mary: Yes. 171 00:06:51,660 --> 00:06:53,474 Lauren: You know, and having that kind of 172 00:06:53,474 --> 00:06:56,013 personal link and connection to it and 173 00:06:56,013 --> 00:06:58,553 the kind of consistency for customers as 174 00:06:58,553 --> 00:07:01,455 well going in, you know, it didn't matter 175 00:07:01,455 --> 00:07:04,357 whether they were going in one day and 176 00:07:04,357 --> 00:07:07,259 then you know, 55 years later, it's still 177 00:07:07,259 --> 00:07:07,984 the same 178 00:07:07,984 --> 00:07:09,261 family behind it. Chris: Correct. No, 179 00:07:09,261 --> 00:07:11,746 it's true. Mary: I mean, when I used to 180 00:07:11,746 --> 00:07:14,542 go in, I used to pop in, you know, 181 00:07:14,542 --> 00:07:16,405 just to check everything and the 182 00:07:16,405 --> 00:07:16,716 customers were like 'Mary's here', 'Look at Mary'. 183 00:07:20,550 --> 00:07:21,620 Lauren: Mini celebrity when 184 00:07:21,620 --> 00:07:23,760 you walk in. Chris: But even, I mean 185 00:07:23,760 --> 00:07:26,257 the great testimony, when my dad sadly 186 00:07:26,257 --> 00:07:26,613 passed 187 00:07:26,613 --> 00:07:26,970 away, Telegraph and Agus did a big piece on him on 188 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,413 the front page, which 189 00:07:31,413 --> 00:07:33,327 was, you know, which was nice because 190 00:07:33,327 --> 00:07:34,967 everybody knew him in the market in 191 00:07:34,967 --> 00:07:37,933 Bradford. And I think as 192 00:07:37,933 --> 00:07:40,379 well, the beauty about it was, that they 193 00:07:40,379 --> 00:07:42,519 always related to my mum and dad, 194 00:07:42,519 --> 00:07:43,436 didn't they?Mary: Yeah. Chris: Everybody 195 00:07:43,741 --> 00:07:46,493 used to, you know, my dad used to sit 196 00:07:46,493 --> 00:07:48,633 in the window on his chair looking 197 00:07:48,633 --> 00:07:51,079 outside all the time. And he always used 198 00:07:51,079 --> 00:07:53,524 to wear a suit. Lauren: When we were in 199 00:07:53,524 --> 00:07:55,664 the closed cafe unit, taking the objects 200 00:07:55,664 --> 00:07:57,677 out, people were bobbing in, you 201 00:07:57,677 --> 00:07:59,411 know, 'What, what you doing?' 'What's 202 00:07:59,411 --> 00:08:01,435 going on here?'. So we're telling them 203 00:08:01,435 --> 00:08:04,038 and someone said that, and said 'this is 204 00:08:04,038 --> 00:08:06,640 the window and the chair that the owner 205 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:08,086 used to sit in'. Other people 206 00:08:08,086 --> 00:08:08,664 remember that. Mary: Always 207 00:08:08,664 --> 00:08:09,821 a suit and tie. Chris: That's right. I 208 00:08:09,821 --> 00:08:12,712 mean, he was 89 when he died, but he was 209 00:08:12,712 --> 00:08:14,736 still working in, you know, he'd go to 210 00:08:14,736 --> 00:08:16,760 the cafe when he was about 88. 211 00:08:16,990 --> 00:08:18,703 Still there, you know, every day 212 00:08:18,703 --> 00:08:21,102 obviously sat on his chair and he'd get 213 00:08:21,102 --> 00:08:23,843 up and down and meet the customers. You 214 00:08:23,843 --> 00:08:26,585 can see he's head print, actually, on the 215 00:08:26,585 --> 00:08:27,955 back of the Formica. 216 00:08:27,955 --> 00:08:30,354 Lauren: Yeah, we saw that. So the two big 217 00:08:30,354 --> 00:08:32,753 questions that I had were 'why was 218 00:08:32,753 --> 00:08:34,809 Fountains called Fountains?' And 'who did 219 00:08:34,809 --> 00:08:37,207 the mural and the painting of the 220 00:08:37,207 --> 00:08:39,497 fountains?'. The reason why it was called 221 00:08:39,497 --> 00:08:41,592 the Fountains is because, obviously, you 222 00:08:41,592 --> 00:08:44,287 may not know this, but there was a there 223 00:08:44,287 --> 00:08:46,683 was a fountain in the entrance of the 224 00:08:46,683 --> 00:08:47,581 market. Mary: Oh, yes. Chris: So the 225 00:08:47,581 --> 00:08:48,180 original market 226 00:08:48,180 --> 00:08:49,078 had a fountain in it. Mary: Before the 227 00:08:49,078 --> 00:08:51,473 fire. Lauren: Could you tell me a little 228 00:08:51,473 --> 00:08:54,168 bit about the artwork, the artist behind 229 00:08:54,168 --> 00:08:55,665 it. Mary: It was Geoffrey Beck from 230 00:08:55,665 --> 00:08:58,061 Halifax. He did that and he had a fountain 231 00:08:58,061 --> 00:09:00,930 . And we had water coming from underneath 232 00:09:00,930 --> 00:09:03,672 and it came up, came round and down 233 00:09:03,672 --> 00:09:06,072 into the fountains and it kept doing 234 00:09:06,072 --> 00:09:08,814 that, circulating all the while , and 235 00:09:08,814 --> 00:09:11,557 we had lights on to it. He put 236 00:09:11,557 --> 00:09:14,299 lights on to it and it was fantastic. 237 00:09:14,299 --> 00:09:17,042 And then the fire came. He didn't want 238 00:09:17,042 --> 00:09:19,659 to replace it. And so 239 00:09:19,659 --> 00:09:22,506 he did the one of the 240 00:09:22,506 --> 00:09:25,354 Italian fountains. He used to do 241 00:09:25,354 --> 00:09:28,201 the Victoria Theatre scenery for there, 242 00:09:28,201 --> 00:09:29,150 that's how. 243 00:09:30,680 --> 00:09:31,083 Lauren: Ah, yes, I can see that now with the painting in particular, it does look like a back-drop. 244 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,093 Mary: Yes, he used to do sceneries 245 00:09:36,475 --> 00:09:38,003 you see for the theatres. Lauren: What 246 00:09:38,003 --> 00:09:40,678 did the family think of the new 247 00:09:40,678 --> 00:09:43,507 display?Chris: T 248 00:09:43,507 --> 00:09:44,836 hat's what, you know, that's what I 249 00:09:44,836 --> 00:09:47,496 think Bradford's all about. You 250 00:09:47,496 --> 00:09:50,155 know, we've got to retain your 251 00:09:50,155 --> 00:09:51,485 character. You got to 252 00:09:51,485 --> 00:09:53,702 retain your nostalgia because once it's 253 00:09:53,702 --> 00:09:56,361 gone, it's gone. Which is why 254 00:09:56,361 --> 00:09:59,021 it's really good that the Fountains 255 00:09:59,021 --> 00:10:01,680 interior and a bit of the exterior 256 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:04,377 has been retained. You know, 257 00:10:04,377 --> 00:10:07,144 it's testimony to Bradford Council that 258 00:10:07,144 --> 00:10:09,218 the Museums, that this has happened. 259 00:10:09,218 --> 00:10:12,111 Thank you. A massive thank you 260 00:10:12,111 --> 00:10:14,553 to Chris and Mary there for being so 261 00:10:14,553 --> 00:10:16,690 generous in sharing all of their stories 262 00:10:16,690 --> 00:10:18,521 and memories about Fountains Cafe with 263 00:10:18,521 --> 00:10:21,268 us. A big thank you to the family for 264 00:10:21,268 --> 00:10:22,795 all their support throughout this 265 00:10:22,795 --> 00:10:25,237 process. And if you haven't seen it yet, 266 00:10:25,237 --> 00:10:27,068 get yourself down to Bradford Industrial 267 00:10:27,068 --> 00:10:29,205 Museum and see the new Fountains Cafe 268 00:10:29,205 --> 00:10:29,510 display.