A new cafe has opened on Smithfield Rd.opp. the bus station,we went there today for a coffee and was amazed by the 'secret garden' atmosphere of the place,you would not believe how peacefull it is,considering how close it is to a busy road.The gardens are done in a oriental theme and the service is first class,try it and i think you will agree.The owner told me they will be geting a mention in the Chronicle shortly.

Haven't been in, but have seen the garden from the other side of the river.

I noticed the signs for this tea room recently and wondered how long they have been there.

A very awkward place to try and cross over. That side of Smithfield Road is so lost to the town and under-used.

Perhaps the 'maggot' as I have heard it described will be the start of some much needed better town planning and regeneration for that area. I quite like the look of the new sculpture and not just because it hides the double whammy of awful architecture behind it, namely the Guildhall and now the hybrid Severn theatre expensive/expansive garden shed. <_<

Did there not used to be a tea room/cafe there many years ago?

I noticed it a while back when I hired a rowing boat and took a trip on the river.

"A very awkward place to try and cross over. "
There is a pedestrian crossing controlled by lights within 10 yds ..... :o

There was a cafe there but it had to shut because a culvert/old sewer filled with methane and blew up destroying half the garden,part of the embankment has just been rebuilt thus enabling the cafe to reopen,the owner told me it was about 10 years ago when it closed.

Good job we have a smoking ban then! :o

Not a good job for this
poor woman. Dispicable twats!

How much lower is it going to get Andy before something is done about this breakdown in our society.

This is a bit off the thread. Not sure if its breakdown in soceity these idiots are the minority, hopefully . It seems to be total disrespect for the law, mainly because IMO the law is so imbalanced and many people do not fear it. You can be fined more for having an overfilled dusbin than for shop-lifting, I'm not endorsing this. Our prisons, co-incidentally fitted with large flat screen TV's on every wing are full and petty criminals seem to be aware of this and flaunt the law and seem to get away with it. Some prisoners enjoy their sentences so much they offend to return. The solution, for me, I think i'm going to move to Aus! Didnt we used to send prisoners there? B)

The platform is described as "packed" and the two get away? I guess my mindset is different since I'm in law enforcement.

I thought the floods of 2000-1 put paid to the last little cafe there?