The Island News

Hambone Cafe fears for its future

The 102 year old Hambone Cafe, East London's oldest traditional English cafe could be serving up its last breakfast amid fears that it will be lost to developers.

Investors are eyeing the mother & son run East Ferry Road (Opposite Jack Dash House) cafe as relentless development threatens to erase yet another historic reminder of the Isle Of Dogs' industrial past.

Business Owner Ronnie Bristow said,

" Our Landlord was going to sell last year. Developers want the property, but that's all we know. We're in Limbo at the moment.

Its a shame. We get all the characters in here, they come and have a laugh & a joke for 10 minutes of their day, but that's goin to end

Property Developers are buying up every bit of small land & small businesses cannot survive anymore. "

He said Tower Hamlets Council hadn't helped by introducing paid parking permits on the street, denying him two parking bays outside the cafe & charging residential rates instead of business rates on the property.

The inconspicuous cafe, housed in a brown shed on the northern end of East Ferry Road, is the last traditional English cafe on the Isle Of Dogs. Formerly known as Georges, Ronnie's Family took over the cafe 32 years ago when there were dozens, serving the industrial workforce.

Now it is the last bastion of a bygone era, feeding former dockers, residents & labourers.

The cafe used to serve dinner & ham off the bone, hence its name, but now closes at 1pm and on weekends, and most of the fare is old fashioned, and includeds hearty & cheap fried breakfasts.

" You won't pay £11 for a bacon sandwich & tea like in Canary Wharf! "

A single dad, he runs the cafe with voluntary help from mum Irene & neighbour Harry Parish, and says without their help he would have to close.

A docker from 1953 to 1989, Harry has lent a hand for the past two years, to keep himself busy after the loss of his wife.

He recalled how no docker went without a meal if he really needed it.

The caffs were always open and no chap was too late to get a meal if he wanted one; they never turned anyone away.

" If a man was skint and the people who ran the cafe knew he was skint, they'd let his pay another day. Ronnie & Irene are good friends of mine- she feeds me with a golden spoon "

Source: Renato Castello

posted by Island News Editor @ 7:00 PM