Who remembers having a knickerbocker glory in Fortes?

Wendy Weaver… They always looked lovely but my mother couldn’t afford things like that. When I had my own money I never got around to buying one😋 We had several large Forte establishments in Bournemouth including The Barbecue where Ted Heath, Edmundo Ros, Mantovani played. Charles Forte lived in Bournemouth for a while.

Matt Thomas… They still do them in Rainbow Restaurant

Alan Wood… Yes, was a Grans treat for me, very occasionally in Hastings

Nicola Barfield… Omg yes and they used to do the extra large brandy glass with Eccles cake in bottom so many other cakes with ice cream then loads of cream

Eric Harmer… Free one from Phil ? I think , as my mum worked there

Dennis Torrance… Yes and also lime ice cream sodas

John Coleman… Had one yesterday! In Liverpool! WTH cookie dough & salted Caramel!

Charlie Ball… Yep

Steve Thorpe… Nice ones in Dimarcos!

Jan Warren… Fortes on Bexhill Seafront opposite “Ags” amusement centre, we all used to hang out there in the 60s/early 70s!!

Lyn Humphrey… Yep, and also had one last month in Simply Italian at E/B Harbour!

Pauline Richards… Banana split was my favourite

Monica Bane… No way as good as they use to be with jelly and real cream not cheap at over a fiver!

Mike Guy… My goodness, you were rich!

Dave Nattress… In Bexhill as Jan Warren said we had the Forte’s Ice Cream/knickerbocker glory/coffee bar on the seafront on the corner of Wilton Road opposite the amusements, round the corner from the Wimpey bar in Devonshire Road, and along from the Continental cafe/restaurant and basement club. Used to gravitate from one to another. Across the road by the amusements was a little late night club – drinks after hours – forget the name now – was it the Arcadian? Could have made that name up. There might even have been another little place along from that one for a short while. On the corner the RAF club. Further along was the Bexhill club – far too straight for a bunch of long-haired weekend hippies, no way would we have got in there, or wanted to. It was for people back then who were at the age I am now – which is very old! We were never gonna be that old. Never thought about getting old or anything like, being young was going on forever and in many respects you bet, it has. You know the old gag, went out with a girl the other night but it was all knickerbocker(s) and no glory!! Had to lower the tone!! The Criterion – one in Western Road the other (think it was also The Criterion opposite the DLW did knickerbocker glories and all sorts of ice-cream. The old type with little chunks of actual ice – remember those? Hastings seemed to have many more ice ream parlours.

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Dimarco’s Hastings circa 1979 – ice cream display

Supplied by Gavin Ronald Upstill via Hastings and Area, Past and Present

https://www.facebook.com/HAPP1066/

John Mcewen… Used to go in there all the time as a kid. Those knickerbocker glories look pricey tho. In 1979 I was only earning £16 a week!

Roger Simmonds… My wife was a waitress in Dimarcos many years ago, happy times!

Deb Hoad… Remember going in there and having knickerbocker glories !!!

Helena Kingshott… Vera Dimarcos was one of my friends. a lovely family x

Lloyd Johnson… Helen, my Mum was friends with one of the ladies of the Dimarco family and we would visit her upstairs in their home above the cafeteria. I remember going there in the 1950s and she had just had a charcoal Mural drawn on the wall of an Italian landscape.It was really well done just in black line drawing… I remember being so impressed by it !  It seem like complete relaxed freedom compared to the average home decor of the time.

Pete Houghton… Omg yes!! I Remember going for a Coffee in Dimarcos in the 70s

Mick O’Dowd… I worked in Iorio DiMascio(now Italian Way) and we had the fake displays. One day a woman came up yo the counter with 2 of them and said these look nice i’ll have them please. They were covered in dust!

Jim Breeds… How much did you charge her?

Mick O’Dowd… 2 chocolate coins!

Harry Norcliffe-hic… Great looking prices

Peter Brazier… Lorna worked there!

Tracy Birrell… Spent a lot of my teenage years in here.