I'm Alive This Evening; It was Love at First Sight

When I was 16 I went for an interview in this bank. It was the start of two hellish years of crap. But enough about that, the Venice next door has been there for as long as I can remember.

When I was little it was owned by the Corbani Family from Italy. Mr and Mrs Corbani, and Mrs Corbani's sister named, if I remember, Ilyana. There were two rows of booths - in the centre of the cafe; and three round tables to either end. You couldn't look out the window - it was blocked with paneling and displays.

The main counter was full of chocolate and sweets. Coffee was hot and milky, and the ice-cream.... was out of this world. It was a favourite evening place to sit with your friends, eeking out a hot vimto and a bag of cheese and onion for 2 hours. We must have driven them insane, as we sat there and all giggled and shouted and whispered for as long as we could.

The older we got, the times we visited changed. It became a lovely stopping off place the morning after the night before. A wee cup of tea and a roll with egg. Oh godness, I still remember the huge margin of utility that provided!

I thought it would be there for ever, but the Corbani's decided to retire to Italy.

It's changed hands now at least three times, but it's still a nice spot for a coffee. The Corbani Recipe Ice-Cream is still available, just round the corner, in a little Shop named "The Ice Cream Factory". They use the Corbani's Original vanilla ice cream recipe, and to it add amazing flavours. My best is Vanilla with Scottish Tablet.

It's all very lovely, but it isn't the same as the evenings in the Venice a long, long, time ago with the dim lights and the Corbani's keeping a close eye on our behaviour.