Bella Pasta / Bella Italia in Stafford to close

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Is that not where Currys was, before they had the fire and moved further up the street on the other side, before eventually moving up to Madford....?
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I don't remember that and I ought to if it was then...

This is it, pre-war, but it was still there when I came here in '74 and the fire wasn't long after that...

22480-0.jpg
 

Moby Dick

Well-Known Forumite
Reaching back in the memory cells and yes there was a fire! Regarding Bella Pasta, ate there once and once only; nuff said.....

Sad another empty shop looming though.....
 

Darren

Well-Known Forumite
Sounds like i should be happy i never ate there, but it is sad that another shop is closing, i remember the fire didn't Curry s after the fire move to were McDonalds is now wasn't it first a Cafe then curry's then McDonalds , i could be wrong but wasn't the cafe called Jenkins i was only young so properly completely wrong.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Sounds like i should be happy i never ate there, but it is sad that another shop is closing, i remember the fire didn't Curry s after the fire move to were McDonalds is now wasn't it first a Cafe then curry's then McDonalds , i could be wrong but wasn't the cafe called Jenkins i was only young so properly completely wrong.

I think Curry's moved to where Clinton Cards is now, but can find no evidence of that period.. McDonalds was Court's furniture shop when I came here - I don't remember anybody else in the premises..
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Clinton cards sounds about right, my mum worked there for a while.

I do remember it being a 'double-fronted' shop - a friend had one of those watches that had an infra-red TV remote control built in and used to stand in the door and turn all the tellies up to full blast...
 

Darren

Well-Known Forumite
I thought Currys moved twice before moving were it is now, first time because of the fire and then once more further up town on the right.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I thought Currys moved twice before moving were it is now, first time because of the fire and then once more further up town on the right.

Dixon's was further up on the right - almost opposite the end of Stafford Street - where Ryman's is now, I think...?
 

Goldilox

How do I edit this?
Around a fortnight ago I was reading a newspaper column that noted Bella Italia had gone from 300+ branches at its peak, to around 80. My initial thought was, "Gosh, I wonder how the Stafford branch has managed to hang on".

Sure enough, two days later the To let signs were up.

Edit: Found it - Will Self in the New Statesman
 

gilbert grape

Well-Known Forumite
I'd be surprised if it doesn't close, refurb and reopen as another eatery.
Up until my last visit I'd never had a bad experience there.
 

Sir BoD

Well-Known Forumite
I think Curry's moved to where Clinton Cards is now, but can find no evidence of that period.. McDonalds was Court's furniture shop when I came here - I don't remember anybody else in the premises..
Are you sure Maccys wasn't Bratt and Dykes when you first arrived? From what I can remember reading up about it, it was the first shop in town to have a lift. If it was Courts, it couldn't have lasted long there as Bratt & Dykes was built there mid to late '70s and then Maccys was there circa 1982ish.
I do always remember Currys being where Clintons is, and Dixons being further down the road where Ryman's is because when I used to work at Top Man (now Burtons) I used to nip out at 4:45 on a Saturday afternoon and join the crowd of (mainly) men hogging the shop windows waiting for the vidi-printer to put up their footie teams scores on the rows upon rows of tellies displayed.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Are you sure Maccys wasn't Bratt and Dykes when you first arrived? From what I can remember reading up about it, it was the first shop in town to have a lift. If it was Courts, it couldn't have lasted long there as Bratt & Dykes was built there mid to late '70s and then Maccys was there circa 1982ish.

I came here in late '74 and don't remember ever seeing Bratt & Dyke's there - I am quietly confident that it was Court's between their time and the arrival of McDonalds, before they moved to the corner of Eastgate and Malt Mill Lane..

..though, I can find no evidence on-line..
 
Top