The third episode of the fifth series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this edition John travels the Northeast and North Yorkshire to sample the culinary delights of the regions café’s in order to enlighten the viewer as to what actually is an English café? Sitting on a park bench presenter John Grundy eats a fruit scone stating he is getting into shape for this week’s programme all...

The third episode of the fifth series of ‘Grundy’s Wonders’ produced by Tyne Tees Television and written and presented by architectural historian and broadcaster John Grundy. In this edition John travels the Northeast and North Yorkshire to sample the culinary delights of the regions café’s in order to enlighten the viewer as to what actually is an English café? Sitting on a park bench presenter John Grundy eats a fruit scone stating he is getting into shape for this week’s programme all about the English café. An animation of a book with its pages turning revealing different buildings and architectural styles ending on presenter John Grundy holding the programmes title card. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Walking along West Sandgate in Scarborough in North Yorkshire John asks what does it mean to be an English café? A montage followed of people sitting at outdoor tables at a variety of seaside and urban cafes across the region. As John asks does this include coffee shops a barista sprinkling cocoa powder onto a Cappuccino and more people at tables chatting happily over their food and drink. Asking what about snack-bars a variety of venues including the ‘Harbourside Diner’ in Scarborough with John eventually admitting that yes, all of the above would be included with the intention of ripping the wrapping of as many comestibles as can be eaten in a program. The sequence ends on customers sitting at tables outside the Café Royal on Nelson Street in Newcastle. Sitting at an outside table at the Catwalk Café in Harrogate in North Yorkshire drinking coffee John tells the story of an Ethiopian goat herder who discovered that coffee was a pick-me-up. As he pours himself a second cup, he provides details on the development and history of coffee starting in the Arab world before moving to England in the 17th century. On Stonegate in York pedestrians walk past a mime performing next to the snickelway leading to Coffee Yard. As customers at a café in Coffee Yard place an order with a waitress John explains that during the 16th century this was a popular haunt for hardcore coffee drinkers. Back on Stonegate a series of signs for various coffee shops or cafes ending on John standing outside a potential example of one of the earliest being a late 18th century shopfront that is now Betty’s Café Tea Room. Inside over views of jars of coffee and cakes available for purchase John provides details on how coffee was the first real alternative to alcohol and how it became popular with professional people looking for good conversation. Upstairs sitting at a table John explains that coffee shops became known as ‘penny universities’ and attempts to order a coffee for this price. Back downstairs various types of tea in large caddies with John talking about how tea became so popular that it eventually eclipsing coffee houses during the 18th century. Heading into Betty’s Tea Shop in Harrogate, one of the most famous tea shops of them all, John admires the building build in the Scottish Baronial style and gives a history of the company started by Swiss national Fritz Butzer in 1919. As he is directed to a table by a waiter, he talks about the eleven blends of tea that are available. Sitting at his table John jokingly exclaims that Betty ‘swings both ways’ not limiting herself to one beverage but also has on offer fourteen different blends of coffee. With the Producer paying John decides to splash out on the most expensive coffee along with a round of Cinnamon toast. With other customers enjoying their food and drinks John coffee is brought to his table while on shelves around the dining room a collection of teapots on display. With his toast brough over he explains why he likes Betty’s for its slightly old-fashioned Englishness with a hint of the old British Empire. Having finished his meal John departs Betty’s and heads down Montpellier Parade pointing out how the classic English café has changed while walking past the ‘Blues’ Café and a little further on a contemporary style and pavement cafés. However, as he makes his way into Valley Garden, he comments that it contains a café as English as the come. As people and family enjoy the park walking past a decorative flowerbed laid out like a Union Jack John provides a background on Harrogate as a health resort during the 19th century and stands beside the Magnesia Well Tea Room which is John favourite park café. Not knowing when it was built, he believes the 1880s due to the Moorish styling which was fashionable during this period. Over views of the glorious gardens of Howick Hall along the Northumbrian coast near Alnwick John explains there is nothing nicer than drifting around the grounds of an English country house reassured in the knowledge that at the end of your exhaustions a cup of tea is available. Heading into The Earl Grey Tea House which now forms part of the hall, John sits at a table beside a selection of cakes and a pot of tea. To him this is a quintessential English place, a garden outside and tea and scones inside. On the wall of the room that is a former ballroom a portrait of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey former Prime Minister and for whom the Earl Grey tea blend was specially made, a blend that has gone on to become one of the world’s most popular teas. Taking the programme into a commercial break over his tea and scones John ask could there possible be a café more English than this? Only time can tell. Title: Grundy’s Wonders End of Part One Part Two On a summers day families enjoying the beach at Scarbrough while along the seafront shops sell candy floss and ice creams. Over a montage of traditional tearooms nearby John asks those who grew up in the 1950s and 60s to remember these genteel places which you visited with aunties, but when let out on your own the teacloths were replaces with Formica and the teapot with a gleaming Expresso machines. Siting at the bar inside the Harbour Bar along Scarborough’s Sandside John sips his coffee at this 'very' milk bar. As milkshakes and ice creams are being made for customers either sitting at the bar or tables, John gives a history of the development of coffee shops in England and of this particular outlet which opened in 1945. He goes onto talk about the development of the Art-Deco style which would be seen in Britain for decades to come. As staff continue to make coffee and other refreshments he talks about the development of Formica and how it became the definition of the modern urban café along with chrome and shiny red leather, a vibrant explosion of joy in the years after the end of World War Two. Now standing outside John smiles as he is handed a very large ice cream and talks about the Alonzi family who started the bar and how due to his and other family’s economic migration to Britian in the 1890s hardly a town in Britain is without a café with an Italian name. A montage of other Italian family café’s such as Pacittos and Jaconelli ending on a woman inside one Italian café making a cup of coffee and placing it on the bar. As a group of boy play and swim off the harbour wall at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland John explains that while the town has recently had a successful makeover, one part of its history has remained unchanged. Coming to stand outside the Café Riviera John admires the 1930s modern style building with Art Deco features and over archive stills of him talks about its founder Benjamin Bertorelli who opened the café in 1937 and whose interior has barely changed since. Inside sitting at a table while a waitress makes a coffee John explains why his comments on it not changing aren’t a criticism. He explains that as part of his research for the programme he was hoping to find loads of examples of unaltered 1960s cafes, however the Café Riviera is the only one and a wonderful repository of everything that is typical about a mid-20th century British café. As he speaks a montage of cafes 1930s interior with people playing vintage one-arm-bandit and other arcade games. As he leaves after purchasing a Bertorelli ice cream he laments the ‘For Sale’ sign on the wall outside and can hardly bear this place going. Going for a paddle in the sea with a knotted handkerchief on his head he sees it as a little piece of all our childhoods and makes it this weeks ‘Grundy’s Wonder’. An animation of a fanfare of trumpets over the following title. Title: Grundy’s Wonders Over a montage of people chatting and enjoying drinks outside a variety of American coffee houses around Grey’s Monument in Newcastle, John asks what is he going to crush with his ‘Great Boot of History’? With a woman sitting in a window at a branch Costa Coffee he explains he’s going to crush a whole heap of cafes that have burst out of America in the past twenty years and have exploding all over the world. Walking along Grainger Street past a branch of Starbucks he explains that while he is happy to drink at these types of coffee houses in America, this is a programme about the quality of the English café and so he is crushing this global American import into our café culture. An animation of a giant book coming down on this Grainger Street branch of Starbucks. Over views of the Tyne Bridge crossing 19th century brownstone building along the Side in Newcastle John explains how the view reminds him so much of New York. A window cleaner comes out of a top floor and begins to clean some windows changes to a group of workmen sitting at a nearby café enjoying coffees with a sign for ‘hot stotties’ nearby. Standing on the Side John explains that after much research there are two cafes across the road from each other that he believes typifies the British café today. Tossing a coin to decide where to go he ends up at a table inside a café called ‘Scandal’s’ which John confesses to frequenting regularly over the past twenty-years for its ‘all day breakfast’, thick coffee and the chance to read a newspaper. Over a montage of the café with other customers enjoying sausage sandwiches and other foodie delights, John points out those elements that make it an English café today such as its menu with foods from around the world, something not ‘oldy-worldly’ but where we are today. With the programme at an end John sends the viewer away so he can finish eating his sausages. Over the closing credits a montage of some of the locations featured in this programme. Credit: Written and Presented by John Grundy Camera Simon Elphinstone, John White Sound Paul Graham Lighting Gordon Porteous, John Mason Production Manager Christine Stewart-Tilling Production Assistants Karen Sharp Graphics Dave Richardson Title Music & Dubbing John Cook Editor Mark Duncan Executive Producer Jane Bolesworth Series Producer Steve Robins Title: © Tyne Tees Television 2004 End title: ITV Tyne Tees. An ITV Production