Life above the shop

1:34pm Thursday 30th August 2007

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A chance find in a rubbish skip earlier this year has revealed the forgotten past of a café in Chippenham.

The discarded photograph of the Rendezvous restaurant, which used to stand in Market Place next to The Angel Hotel, now takes pride of place in the Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre.

Clarence Marder and his wife, Edith, bought the café in 1930 and lived in one room above it until their only child was born 17 years into their marriage.

They took over the lease after they managed to borrow £100 from a friend.

Tony White of Chippenham Civic Society said: "Whilst Clarence baked bread and cakes, Edith ran the restaurant and shop as well as preparing the daily menus.

"As a treat on Fridays they shared one cigarette between them and also treated themselves to a night out if a dance was being held in town.

"On these occasions they would return home in the small hours and immediately change into their working clothes.

"Clarence's particular specialities were the lardy cakes and doughnuts which earned him special praise - he was also exceptionally good at decorating wedding cakes.

"The restaurant and shop managed to survive the war years where many others failed.

"Following the evacuation of Allied Forces from Dunkirk, many soldiers stopped off at the café on their way home.

"Although staff gave them a heroes' welcome, many were too exhausted or upset to enjoy their meals.

"The couple dedicated themselves to the residents of Chippenham, earning them a great deal of admiration and respect along the way."

After their daughter was born, the family moved into a house in New Road and Mr Marder turned the spare room into a bookmaking office.

In the early 1960s the couple retired from the café and Mr Marder opened up a turf accountants in Bath.

Mrs Marder enjoyed her retirement and spent most of her time in the couple's garden.

She died after a short illness in 1979 at the age of 76 and Mr Marder died in 1996 at the age of 93.

The old café was turned into a bank more than 20 years ago and is now used by Nationwide Building Society.