South Town, Cheltenham - 200 Years of Local Trading History
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  • South Town
  • Interactive Map
    • Tivoli map >
      • An Introduction to Tivoli
      • Tivoli Triangle >
        • 2a) Severn Furnishing
        • 3a) ATC Floors and Doors
        • 4) Tivoli Stores
        • 5) Tivoli Butchers
        • 6) W. L. Langsbury
        • 7) The Tivoli Pub
      • Tivoli Street >
        • 8) Patrick Oliver Antiques
        • 9) St. Stephens Sports and Social Club
        • 10) W.A. Williams clock repairs
        • 11a) Nick's Barber Shop
        • 11b) Helene Hair and Sun
      • Andover Road (West side) >
        • 12a) Catherine Colebrook
        • 12b) Cheltenham Hot Tubs and Spas
        • 13) Tivoli Trading
        • 14) Hard Pressed for Time
        • 15) Read Maurice Estate Agents
        • 16) Century 21 Cheltenham
        • 17) Maison Chaplais
        • 18) Vale Kitchens
        • 19) Tivoli Wines
      • Lypiatt Street Area >
        • 20) Tivoli Glass
        • 21) Groves Batteries
        • 22) Prinbox Works
        • 23) The Royal Union
        • 24) St. Stephen's Anglican Church
        • 25) www.glos.info
    • The Suffolks map >
      • An Introduction to The Suffolks
      • Suffolk Parade area >
        • 1) The Beehive
        • 2) Roylan Cycles
        • 3) Ebury Interiors
        • 4) 5 Suffolk Parade
        • 6) Once
        • 5) Moss Prints
        • 7) Suffolk Rock
        • 8) Gorgeous Hair
        • 9) The Retreat
        • 10) Charlie Allen's Canine Comforts
        • 11) Zizzi
        • 12) India Lounge
        • 13) Vallenders
        • 14) Sorella Hair Boutique
      • Suffolk Parade (Daffodil Street to Suffolk Road) >
        • 16) Timber Windows of Cheltenham
        • 17) Cheltine
        • 18) Falcon Estates
        • 19) Suffolk Coffee
        • 20) The Daffodil
        • 21) Chef's Pantry
        • 22) The Copy Shop
        • 23) Triton House
        • 24) True Tone Music
        • 25) David Hayward Design
        • 26a) The Giltwood Gallery
        • 26b) David John Barbers
        • 27) 32 Suffolk Parade
        • 28) 33 Suffolk Parade
        • 29) Bodega
      • Suffolk Road (Suffolk Parade to Bath Road) >
        • 30) RJ Spicer Jewellery
        • 31) Atelier 19
        • 32) Centrepiece
        • 33) Paco Delgado
        • 34) Daniel Keenan Interiors
        • 35) Cheltenham Computer Centre
        • 36) Signature Barber's
        • 37) Cotswold Physiotherapy Centre
      • Suffolk Road, south side (east of Suffolk Villas) >
        • 38) HSBC
        • 39) 2 Suffolk Road
        • 40) My Face
        • 41) Ko Hairdressing
        • 42) B Ten Tandoori
        • 43) Siam Smile
        • 44) Antique Restoration
        • 45) Mo22 Gallery/Turtle Framing
        • 46) The Guild Hairdressing
        • 47a/b) QEC Militaria and Cotswold Dental Lab
        • 48) Le Champignon Sauvage
        • 49) The House Clearance Shop
      • Suffolk Road, west of Suffolk Villas (south side) >
        • 49a) 32-38 Suffolk Road
        • 50) The Suffolk Arms
        • 51) El Barbero
        • 52) Eden Health and Beauty Spa
        • 53) Newcombe Residential Lettings
        • 54) Baker & Graze
        • 55) Fifty Lounge Bar
        • 56) bhoomi
        • 57) Armada Exports
      • Great Norwood Street (Suffolk Rd. to Bath Terr.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 58) 2 Great Norwood Street
          • 59) Baby Face
          • 60) Cygnini
          • 61) Cafe Boho
          • 62) Tea at Ten
        • Part 2 >
          • 63) Revamp
          • 64) Bloomers
          • 65) Mint
          • 66) Hounam
          • 67) Gilchrist
      • Great Norwood St (Bath Terr. to Andover Rd.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 68) The Shoe Repairer
          • 69) MacDonald vets
          • 70) Leckhampton Chiropractic Clinic
          • 71) Antique & Modern Fireplaces
          • 72) ShoeMed
          • 73) Sam Oldfield Photography
          • 74) Graeme Wright Hairdressing
        • Part 2 >
          • 75) Wonder Food
          • 76) Llewellyn-Smith & Co.
          • 77) Goose Chase Quilting
          • 79) The Jolly Brewmaster
          • 80) The Stick Club
          • 81) Cleevely Motors
          • 82) Ecctis Ltd
          • 83) Falcon Residential Lettings
    • Bath Road map >
      • Bath Road (North) >
        • Suffolk Road to Victoria Place >
          • 80) Thirlestaine House
          • 1) Christian Science Reading Room
          • 2) Moran's
        • Kew Place to Clare Street >
          • 3) Perry Bishop
          • 4) Subway
          • 5) Cheltenham Independent Eyecare Centre
          • 6) Indian Brasserie
          • 7) Andy's and Co.
          • 8) The Natural Grocery Store
        • Victoria Retreat to Bath Terrace >
          • 9) V.W. Lane
          • 10) Cheltenham Nutrition Centre
          • 11) Sainsbury's
          • 12) Rowlands Pharmacy
          • 13) Balti Walla
          • 14) Age UK
          • 15) Nat West Bank
        • Clare Street to Exmouth Street >
          • 16) Coral
          • 17) Bath Road Butchers
          • 18) 162-164 Bath Road
          • 19) Big Fish
          • 20) Dodwells Direct
          • 21) Post Office
          • 22) Cotswold Care Hospice
          • 23) Andrews Estate Agents
          • 24) Newman & Bloodworths
          • 25) Norville Opticians
          • 26) Parsons
        • Bath Terrace to Upper Bath Street >
          • 27) Bath Road Cards
          • 28) Domino's
          • 29) Bath Road Beers
          • 30) Sue Ryder Care
        • Upper Bath Street to St. Phillip's Street >
          • 32) 163 Bath Road
          • 33) Toasties
          • 34) The Exmouth Arms
      • Bath Road (South) >
        • Exmouth Street to Hermitage Street >
          • 35) MY Coffee
          • 36) The Co-Operative
          • 37) Jane's Pantry
          • 38) British Red Cross
          • 39) Red Cross Bookshop
          • 40) Thompson Dry Cleaners
          • 41) The Curious Cafe
          • 42) Burger Star
          • 43) Ella Hairdressing Salon
          • 44) Lee Longland
        • St. Phillip's Street to Suffolk Street >
          • 45) Bargain Booze
          • 45a) Lucy's Cafe
          • 46) Emporium
          • 47) Beauty Box
          • 48) Lloyds Bank
        • Hermitage Street to Francis Street >
          • 49) Adcock Shoes
          • 50) Flames Restaurant
          • 51) Ocean Fayre
          • 52) Hair Systems
          • 53) 226 Bath Road
          • 54) Linc
          • 55) Inside Out
          • 56) Five Alls
        • Suffolk Street to Gratton Road >
          • 57) The Cheltenham Clinic
        • Francis Street to Norwood Roundabout >
          • 58) The Corner Shop
          • 59) Happy Gathering
          • 60) Jim's Barber Shop
          • 61) Timpson
          • 62) Robi's Indian Takeaway
          • 63) The Brown Jug
          • 64) Rowlands Pharmacy
        • Grafton Road to Shurdington Road >
          • 65) Rosa Blue
          • 66) Brew & Bake
          • 67) Twig Clothing
        • Norwood Roundabout >
          • 68) Daisychain Benevolent Fund
          • 69) Fat Flyers
          • 70) Cook
          • 71) Roots and Fruits
          • 72) Bath Road Market
          • 73) The Norwood Arms
        • Shurdington Road >
          • 74) Norwood Interiors
          • 75) The Record Shop
          • 76) Peter Ball and Co.
        • Norwood Road >
          • 77) Paul Malvern
          • 78) Shurdington Stores
          • 79) Studio 19
  • Tramroad
    • The Norwood Triangle Project
  • Local Memories
    • Percy Nash Fruit and Flowers
    • E.C. Waltham, Butchers
    • Armada Antiques
    • R.E. Caudle, Fruiterer
    • E.C. Waltham horsemeat article
    • E.C. Waltham Golden Jubilee article
    • E.C. Waltham 60 Years feature
    • Gilbey Cooles, Ironmonger
    • Thomas's Newsagents 9 Suffolk Parade
    • Leckhampton Dairies
    • Burrows Newsagents, 54 Tivoli Street
    • Gurnsey Cottages
    • V.W. Lane, Butchers
    • R.R. Skemp
    • Banks Bakers & Confectioners, 17 Suffolk Parade
    • Big Fish
    • Robert Young's
    • The Five Alls
    • Dolman's Chemists
    • Bath Road Butchers
    • The Corner Shop
  • Books
  • Local School Projects
    • 2011 Local Trading History Project
  • Cheltenham Connect
  • Contact
  • Links

Bath Road │19  previous / next │main map / bath road map


166 Bath Road (formerly 1 Clare Cottages)

Picture
Arthur and Mary Chapman
In 1883 Mr Charles Smith, an accountant and collector of debts resided here but left to live in Regent Street in 1885. By 1889 this was the home of a Post Office clerk called William Woodward, who lived here with his wife and five children. The house still had a front garden at the time and the children played in the street but this situation was somewhat spoiled in 1892, when the owner of the adjacent property built a shop on the front of his premises. A similar fate had befallen 1 Clare Cottages within a few years.
 
Around the turn of the 20th century this became one of three adjoining properties owned by the Dix family. This one was an ironmongers and had a brass strip announcing that fact along the pavement. In 1911 Samuel Dix informed readers in a local newspaper that his was the ‘cheapest and best house for kitchen utensils’.

​On 22nd January 1918 these premises were taken over by the National Restaurant, otherwise known as a Communal Kitchen. This was part of a national movement during the Great war, in a time of food shortages, whereby local authorities set up kitchens to cook nutritious food at affordable prices. Customers would take their own dishes to the shop and take the food home to eat. Cheltenham had three such Communal Kitchens, the first being at Trinity mission hall in Winchcombe Street. 

The National Restaurant closed late in 1920 and was immediately followed by the next tenant, electrician Arthur Chapman, his wife Mary and their five children. Two more sons were born here during their 4 year stay. The shop was a double fronted shop and in one window Arthur had a black china cat and in the other a black china dog. He replaced the eyes on both creatures with flashing lights. On one occasion an elderly gentleman was quite cross with him saying it was an outrageous waste of electricity.

Arthur, a motor mechanic during the First World War, loved to tinker with anything mechanical and made himself a radio receiving station in a room above the shop, where he was able to receive British broadcasts. For this he had to purchase a licence for ten shillings from the Postmaster General. Great care had to be taken when listening to the radio, however, as when a tram rumbled along the Bath Road huge sparks would fly out of the set!

​Mary was born in Cheltenham to Italian parents, who arrived here in the late 19th century. Her brother, Louis Cascarini, lost his life in the First World War and is commemorated on the memorial in the Promenade. When Arthur and Mary’s family grew to seven children they moved to Karoo Cottage in Leckhampton.

Picturephoto courtesy of Nik Thomas
​On 21st January 1924 these premises were taken over by the High Class Supper Bar and Fish and Chip Restaurant, which advertised "delicious hot cutlets of fish and chips every evening at 7 o'clock". The first fish fryer was Mr Thomas Arthur Nicholson, who was here until the mid 1930s. He used a coal fryer to cook the fish and chips and local people could tell how cooked or burnt the food was by how thick and black the smoke was! One penny worth of chips, or tuppence for fish, was wrapped in newspaper and at the end of the day the scratchings could be had for next to nothing.

PictureWWII Poster
​When Mr and Mrs Albert Hill took over the fish shop little did they know how popular it would be in the middle of the night.  During World War II the Bath Road Traders had their own night-watch wardens who would take it in turns to patrol the area looking out for incendiary bombs. Each evening those on duty would meet at one of the shops and use it for a base. During the winter months the Hill's shop was by far the warmest of the bases. Mr and Mrs Hill moved in the late 1940s to Edward Terrace, where they opened the Norwood Fish Bar.

Picture1950
The Bath Road shop was then bought by Arthur Camsey and his wife Lydia, who had other shops in Cheltenham, including one in Cambray. The Camsey family were prominent in the Salvation Army, where their son Terry was a musician who played the cornet. 

In 1948 Mr Albert Richards bought this shop from Mr Camsey and throughout the 1950s and 60s it was called the Bath Road Fish Restaurant. He then sold it to the Ashton family in 1965.

The shop was renamed "Big Fish" by Mr Derek McCardie, who owned the business from the late 1960s until about 1977. It was he who designed the fish logo on the sign that for many years projected from the front of the building (it was still evident when the shop was named The Rainbow). In 1990 Mr and Mrs Williams took over the shop and won many awards for the quality of their fish and chips, including one issued by the Government to very few establishments.

From the 1970s to the 1990s this fish and chip shop was known as The Big Fish. It then became The Rainbow for several years, until in the summer of 2014 it underwent a major refurbishment and resumed the name Big Fish. Remarkably we have a continuity of trade here lasting almost 100 years.


See the Local Memories page for this property.



Researchers: Marilyn West & Stuart Manton (September 2018)

Big Fish


Picture
Picture
Assistants of the Bath Road Fish & Chip Restaurant
Picture
The Rainbow in 2013
Picture
The Big Fish 2015
If you have any further information or photographs of this property please let us know via the contacts page.
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  • Home
  • South Town
  • Interactive Map
    • Tivoli map >
      • An Introduction to Tivoli
      • Tivoli Triangle >
        • 2a) Severn Furnishing
        • 3a) ATC Floors and Doors
        • 4) Tivoli Stores
        • 5) Tivoli Butchers
        • 6) W. L. Langsbury
        • 7) The Tivoli Pub
      • Tivoli Street >
        • 8) Patrick Oliver Antiques
        • 9) St. Stephens Sports and Social Club
        • 10) W.A. Williams clock repairs
        • 11a) Nick's Barber Shop
        • 11b) Helene Hair and Sun
      • Andover Road (West side) >
        • 12a) Catherine Colebrook
        • 12b) Cheltenham Hot Tubs and Spas
        • 13) Tivoli Trading
        • 14) Hard Pressed for Time
        • 15) Read Maurice Estate Agents
        • 16) Century 21 Cheltenham
        • 17) Maison Chaplais
        • 18) Vale Kitchens
        • 19) Tivoli Wines
      • Lypiatt Street Area >
        • 20) Tivoli Glass
        • 21) Groves Batteries
        • 22) Prinbox Works
        • 23) The Royal Union
        • 24) St. Stephen's Anglican Church
        • 25) www.glos.info
    • The Suffolks map >
      • An Introduction to The Suffolks
      • Suffolk Parade area >
        • 1) The Beehive
        • 2) Roylan Cycles
        • 3) Ebury Interiors
        • 4) 5 Suffolk Parade
        • 6) Once
        • 5) Moss Prints
        • 7) Suffolk Rock
        • 8) Gorgeous Hair
        • 9) The Retreat
        • 10) Charlie Allen's Canine Comforts
        • 11) Zizzi
        • 12) India Lounge
        • 13) Vallenders
        • 14) Sorella Hair Boutique
      • Suffolk Parade (Daffodil Street to Suffolk Road) >
        • 16) Timber Windows of Cheltenham
        • 17) Cheltine
        • 18) Falcon Estates
        • 19) Suffolk Coffee
        • 20) The Daffodil
        • 21) Chef's Pantry
        • 22) The Copy Shop
        • 23) Triton House
        • 24) True Tone Music
        • 25) David Hayward Design
        • 26a) The Giltwood Gallery
        • 26b) David John Barbers
        • 27) 32 Suffolk Parade
        • 28) 33 Suffolk Parade
        • 29) Bodega
      • Suffolk Road (Suffolk Parade to Bath Road) >
        • 30) RJ Spicer Jewellery
        • 31) Atelier 19
        • 32) Centrepiece
        • 33) Paco Delgado
        • 34) Daniel Keenan Interiors
        • 35) Cheltenham Computer Centre
        • 36) Signature Barber's
        • 37) Cotswold Physiotherapy Centre
      • Suffolk Road, south side (east of Suffolk Villas) >
        • 38) HSBC
        • 39) 2 Suffolk Road
        • 40) My Face
        • 41) Ko Hairdressing
        • 42) B Ten Tandoori
        • 43) Siam Smile
        • 44) Antique Restoration
        • 45) Mo22 Gallery/Turtle Framing
        • 46) The Guild Hairdressing
        • 47a/b) QEC Militaria and Cotswold Dental Lab
        • 48) Le Champignon Sauvage
        • 49) The House Clearance Shop
      • Suffolk Road, west of Suffolk Villas (south side) >
        • 49a) 32-38 Suffolk Road
        • 50) The Suffolk Arms
        • 51) El Barbero
        • 52) Eden Health and Beauty Spa
        • 53) Newcombe Residential Lettings
        • 54) Baker & Graze
        • 55) Fifty Lounge Bar
        • 56) bhoomi
        • 57) Armada Exports
      • Great Norwood Street (Suffolk Rd. to Bath Terr.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 58) 2 Great Norwood Street
          • 59) Baby Face
          • 60) Cygnini
          • 61) Cafe Boho
          • 62) Tea at Ten
        • Part 2 >
          • 63) Revamp
          • 64) Bloomers
          • 65) Mint
          • 66) Hounam
          • 67) Gilchrist
      • Great Norwood St (Bath Terr. to Andover Rd.) >
        • Part 1 >
          • 68) The Shoe Repairer
          • 69) MacDonald vets
          • 70) Leckhampton Chiropractic Clinic
          • 71) Antique & Modern Fireplaces
          • 72) ShoeMed
          • 73) Sam Oldfield Photography
          • 74) Graeme Wright Hairdressing
        • Part 2 >
          • 75) Wonder Food
          • 76) Llewellyn-Smith & Co.
          • 77) Goose Chase Quilting
          • 79) The Jolly Brewmaster
          • 80) The Stick Club
          • 81) Cleevely Motors
          • 82) Ecctis Ltd
          • 83) Falcon Residential Lettings
    • Bath Road map >
      • Bath Road (North) >
        • Suffolk Road to Victoria Place >
          • 80) Thirlestaine House
          • 1) Christian Science Reading Room
          • 2) Moran's
        • Kew Place to Clare Street >
          • 3) Perry Bishop
          • 4) Subway
          • 5) Cheltenham Independent Eyecare Centre
          • 6) Indian Brasserie
          • 7) Andy's and Co.
          • 8) The Natural Grocery Store
        • Victoria Retreat to Bath Terrace >
          • 9) V.W. Lane
          • 10) Cheltenham Nutrition Centre
          • 11) Sainsbury's
          • 12) Rowlands Pharmacy
          • 13) Balti Walla
          • 14) Age UK
          • 15) Nat West Bank
        • Clare Street to Exmouth Street >
          • 16) Coral
          • 17) Bath Road Butchers
          • 18) 162-164 Bath Road
          • 19) Big Fish
          • 20) Dodwells Direct
          • 21) Post Office
          • 22) Cotswold Care Hospice
          • 23) Andrews Estate Agents
          • 24) Newman & Bloodworths
          • 25) Norville Opticians
          • 26) Parsons
        • Bath Terrace to Upper Bath Street >
          • 27) Bath Road Cards
          • 28) Domino's
          • 29) Bath Road Beers
          • 30) Sue Ryder Care
        • Upper Bath Street to St. Phillip's Street >
          • 32) 163 Bath Road
          • 33) Toasties
          • 34) The Exmouth Arms
      • Bath Road (South) >
        • Exmouth Street to Hermitage Street >
          • 35) MY Coffee
          • 36) The Co-Operative
          • 37) Jane's Pantry
          • 38) British Red Cross
          • 39) Red Cross Bookshop
          • 40) Thompson Dry Cleaners
          • 41) The Curious Cafe
          • 42) Burger Star
          • 43) Ella Hairdressing Salon
          • 44) Lee Longland
        • St. Phillip's Street to Suffolk Street >
          • 45) Bargain Booze
          • 45a) Lucy's Cafe
          • 46) Emporium
          • 47) Beauty Box
          • 48) Lloyds Bank
        • Hermitage Street to Francis Street >
          • 49) Adcock Shoes
          • 50) Flames Restaurant
          • 51) Ocean Fayre
          • 52) Hair Systems
          • 53) 226 Bath Road
          • 54) Linc
          • 55) Inside Out
          • 56) Five Alls
        • Suffolk Street to Gratton Road >
          • 57) The Cheltenham Clinic
        • Francis Street to Norwood Roundabout >
          • 58) The Corner Shop
          • 59) Happy Gathering
          • 60) Jim's Barber Shop
          • 61) Timpson
          • 62) Robi's Indian Takeaway
          • 63) The Brown Jug
          • 64) Rowlands Pharmacy
        • Grafton Road to Shurdington Road >
          • 65) Rosa Blue
          • 66) Brew & Bake
          • 67) Twig Clothing
        • Norwood Roundabout >
          • 68) Daisychain Benevolent Fund
          • 69) Fat Flyers
          • 70) Cook
          • 71) Roots and Fruits
          • 72) Bath Road Market
          • 73) The Norwood Arms
        • Shurdington Road >
          • 74) Norwood Interiors
          • 75) The Record Shop
          • 76) Peter Ball and Co.
        • Norwood Road >
          • 77) Paul Malvern
          • 78) Shurdington Stores
          • 79) Studio 19
  • Tramroad
    • The Norwood Triangle Project
  • Local Memories
    • Percy Nash Fruit and Flowers
    • E.C. Waltham, Butchers
    • Armada Antiques
    • R.E. Caudle, Fruiterer
    • E.C. Waltham horsemeat article
    • E.C. Waltham Golden Jubilee article
    • E.C. Waltham 60 Years feature
    • Gilbey Cooles, Ironmonger
    • Thomas's Newsagents 9 Suffolk Parade
    • Leckhampton Dairies
    • Burrows Newsagents, 54 Tivoli Street
    • Gurnsey Cottages
    • V.W. Lane, Butchers
    • R.R. Skemp
    • Banks Bakers & Confectioners, 17 Suffolk Parade
    • Big Fish
    • Robert Young's
    • The Five Alls
    • Dolman's Chemists
    • Bath Road Butchers
    • The Corner Shop
  • Books
  • Local School Projects
    • 2011 Local Trading History Project
  • Cheltenham Connect
  • Contact
  • Links