Okay. Bit of a random one this. But, as a resident of Bearwood (for those unfamiliar with the 'wood it's couple of miles from Birmingham, thanks to some bizarre stoned planning bod in the 1970's it actually falls under something called Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council...then this Council of assholes - the same people presumably who spent £54million on an arts centre that went bust before it opened - and the Post Office declared Bearwood no longer existed...don't get me started) I couldn't let this go unmarked. The Little Nibble Cafe, on Bearwood High Street, has been repossessed and shut down. Why does this matter? Why is it on music blog? Well, The Little Nibble was namechecked on one of the greatest records ever made 'This is what she's like' by Dexy's Midnight Runners. I've never been to The Little Nibble (so I guess I can't moan and grumble about it shutting down too much) and I'm only presuming it's the same The Little Nibble in the song. But I seem to recall reading an interview with Kevin just a year or two ago that said he'd been there recently and they still made a cracking cup of tea (so you can safely assume that it is...and not just a Little Nibble tribute cafe in the same way that The Cavern in Liverpool has jack all to do with the Cavern that The Beatles played in). Anyway. It looks like it's about to vanish, no doubt to reopen as another mobile 'phone shop, Poundland or 'Amusement' Arcade. Shame. I always used to look through the steamed up windows and imagine Kevin and the band plotting world domination back in the late 70's over a cup of tea and fried egg sarnie. So, here's to The Little Nibble, Dexy's, proper cups of tea and steamy cafe's... Oh, and Bearwood too. It does still exist. Fuckwits.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Dexy's Midnight Nibbles
Okay. Bit of a random one this. But, as a resident of Bearwood (for those unfamiliar with the 'wood it's couple of miles from Birmingham, thanks to some bizarre stoned planning bod in the 1970's it actually falls under something called Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council...then this Council of assholes - the same people presumably who spent £54million on an arts centre that went bust before it opened - and the Post Office declared Bearwood no longer existed...don't get me started) I couldn't let this go unmarked. The Little Nibble Cafe, on Bearwood High Street, has been repossessed and shut down. Why does this matter? Why is it on music blog? Well, The Little Nibble was namechecked on one of the greatest records ever made 'This is what she's like' by Dexy's Midnight Runners. I've never been to The Little Nibble (so I guess I can't moan and grumble about it shutting down too much) and I'm only presuming it's the same The Little Nibble in the song. But I seem to recall reading an interview with Kevin just a year or two ago that said he'd been there recently and they still made a cracking cup of tea (so you can safely assume that it is...and not just a Little Nibble tribute cafe in the same way that The Cavern in Liverpool has jack all to do with the Cavern that The Beatles played in). Anyway. It looks like it's about to vanish, no doubt to reopen as another mobile 'phone shop, Poundland or 'Amusement' Arcade. Shame. I always used to look through the steamed up windows and imagine Kevin and the band plotting world domination back in the late 70's over a cup of tea and fried egg sarnie. So, here's to The Little Nibble, Dexy's, proper cups of tea and steamy cafe's... Oh, and Bearwood too. It does still exist. Fuckwits.
Baron, I will try and find out from Kevin if he is in fact referencing Bearwoods - The Little Nibble next time we hook up - should be some time in August.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bobbyd. I'm sure he's looking forward to it...can you get him to play Bearwood as you're such great mates?
ReplyDeleteNobody is more miffed than I, as it was my wife and I who were turfed out from this establishment!! We have had this place since May 2002 and only yesterday (Sunday 16th March 08) was completely out of it by way of removing all my kit under the watchful eye of a bailiff (whom we will probably end up paying double time for at some stage no doubt!!). Thanks to my nice new ex-landlord (tosser!) and my solicitor dropping a bollock (and me being a bit behind with the rent at some stage) we are now Nibbleless!! Yes my wife and I took this place on a few years ago and spent a few bob on it, from ripping up the sticky, cake and tea saturated carpets to kitting out the near-to being closed down by the HSE kitchen. But as you mentioned previously re the closing of the post office did not help our business, along with other shops which rely on passing trade. Donkey's years ago pre supermarkets items were purchased at individual bespoke shops selling books , meat , clothes etc... On the opening of a supermarket these individual shops either had to become specialised and sell something not sold in supermarkets or go bust. Not averse to supermarkets myself having grown-up during this era I have no problem with this to a point, but what did get up my hooter was the closing of this particular supermarket. Once the town had adapted itself to feed from the crumbs from Safeways table, the surrounding businesses became reliant on the supermarket’s one-stop-shop, in-house post office and ample free parking to attract folks to the area and hope they wander into their little edifice and purchase some ’local things for local people’, ‘special meat’ and the such like. When the supermarket closed and Royal Mail whom must have decided that a post office brimming with coffin dodgers, dole-ites and the odd loon comparing envelope prices was not worth relocating anywhere on the high street leaving a vacuum of amenities behind. Suddenly there is no reason for people to go to this town anymore. Semi-lazy people like I don’t have the time or energy to wander up and down a High Street clutching a screwed up bit of paper in hand and most probably getting pissed-down upon by rain and who will most probably return to their car to find that the local (that’s if you’re from Zimbabwe or Cambodia) Parking Warden has left an expensive love letter behind your windscreen wiper. Compelled with the fact that Cape Hill (shit-hole) has be ‘regenerated’ and incorporates, you guessed it... a supermarket, with ample free parking and all that jazz, Bearwood has become a relative ghost town. Am I sounding bitter...? Well good because I am! Despite all of the above for some reason little coffee shops and cafes still keep appearing trying to take a portion of what little trade there is left and to add insult to injury my new ex-landlord (tosser!) tried to increase our rent by 90%!!!, are these greedy bastards for real? If I’m honest I’m glad out of it. It was always a pain in the arse but it was, and always will have been my first business. As for the musical link it was the ‘little nibble’ mentioned in the song. A few years back a show presented by Noddy Holder called ‘Rock Legends’ or something like that asked if they could film an interview past members of Dexy’s in our front window. I saw it on TV a few months later and instead of listening to what Mr Dexy was saying I was watching some old biddy in the background drowning her bacon sandwich with ketchup. Anyway it’s now 7:00pm and I’m still at work goodbye Little Nibble and good riddance! If you are my new ex-landlord (tosser!) reading this, Burn!!!
ReplyDeleteYou are right on both counts - 1) it is The Little Nibble referenced in the song, and 2) This Is What She Like is one of the greatest records ever made.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad, oft-repeated story. It should be a fully-functioning cafe, whether it makes money or not. The Criwn in Station Street could go the same way, and that is arguably even more culturally important, being the venue of six of the first Black Sabbath gigs. I’m no heavy metal fan ( much prefer Dexy’s) but there is no doubt that it’s birthplace should be maintained.
ReplyDeleteSad. Like the Crown in Station Street, the birthplace of heavy metal, it should be maintained. At a loss if necessary.
ReplyDelete