I always thought the coffee smell came from a shop called Bewley’s where you passed a pipe and tobacco sales area before you went up stairs to a tea room. Where ever it came from you could smell it a mile off.
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Cornwall Street, unpopular opinion?
- Thread starter Old Gunner
- Start date
I remember Bewleys (was it spelt that way?). Opposite Debenhams in New George Street. Would join my Mrs on her Saturday lunch break in there.
Albert Pengellys the TOBACNIST, deliberately spelt without the O. Reference the original Ivors from Cornwall Street which were Ambrosia the modern version is pathetic in comparison, and not influenced by nostalgia.
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I haven’t smoked for over 25 years but I still remember the wonderful smell of a proper tobacconist’s shop. I loved the smell of the different pipe tobaccos but sadly most of them were completely different if you actually smoked them.
Edit to add: Not many left now, the last one I recall seeing was in Barnstable last summer.
Edit to add: Not many left now, the last one I recall seeing was in Barnstable last summer.
- Sep 15, 2003
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Two of the places that I remember from my childhood.
The Magnet Restaurant. That was really posh! Birthdays and special treats only. The owner was Stafford Williams who was Argyle's Chairman.
And, right at the bottom of Cornwall Street...Pirella's (Prellies). Best fish and chips in the city!
The Magnet Restaurant. That was really posh! Birthdays and special treats only. The owner was Stafford Williams who was Argyle's Chairman.
And, right at the bottom of Cornwall Street...Pirella's (Prellies). Best fish and chips in the city!
Omg Peter Russell hifi. Got my amp repaired in there once. It was an aladdins cave of nerdy audio gear. Loved it.
Sangster Sports right in the corner - next to the old cornerhouse pub. You had to go up a massive staircase to get in but boy was it worth it to me. I would get most of my Subbuteo stuff in there - I would try to get every team going. If a new team came out I would walk to Arcadia - up the top. Compare prices with Sangsters Sports... then shop accordingly. Being a proper nerd I would write the players names on the bases and keep track of how many goals each scored and run a league table.
For food I liked Zeus or the Steak and Omelette Bar I loved. The Maharajah was excellent.
For food I liked Zeus or the Steak and Omelette Bar I loved. The Maharajah was excellent.
Al Fresco’s cafe bar … was a favourite meeting place even though Al was never there…
Has anyone been to the Cornwall Street Fish Bar? Been highly recommended and reviews look good, but just popped in - and I have been to some dodgy chippies and definitely not a snob with these things - walked straight back out again as it was a bit filthy and clientele a bit too ‘interesting’ 
West Hoe Fryers definitely still hold the crown!
West Hoe Fryers definitely still hold the crown!
Please help me out here, Andy, bearing in mind that you have unearthed what was a major bone of contention between me and my ex-wife.
Let me set the scene. I am a Janner - born in Plymouth but travelled around with my Navy family from the age of 8 until coming back to Plymouth when I was 12. My ex-wife is a Janner and has spent all her life in Plymouth. When we were first going out she asked me one night to go and get some fish and chips from 'Prellies'. I hadn't a clue what she was talking about. 'Prellies!' she repeated, 'In Cornwall Street.' It dawned. 'Oh, you mean Perillas,' I said.
'No, Prellies!'
'But the name of the chippy is "Perillas" - it's written above the door.'
'Yes, Prellies!'
I'm afraid I couldn't let this one go. 'It's spelt P-E-R-I-double L-A-S, and pronounced "Per-ill-as". Why would you call it 'Prellies'?'
'Because everyone calls it 'Prellies'!' and she looked at me as if I was mad.
We had far too many of these 'discussions' over the years and that probably accounts for her being my ex-wife, but it all started with 'Prellies'. Am I the only Janner to call the place 'Perillas'?
Possibly, maybe you also say directly which is an obvious mispronunciation of dreckly.Please help me out here, Andy, bearing in mind that you have unearthed what was a major bone of contention between me and my ex-wife.
Let me set the scene. I am a Janner - born in Plymouth but travelled around with my Navy family from the age of 8 until coming back to Plymouth when I was 12. My ex-wife is a Janner and has spent all her life in Plymouth. When we were first going out she asked me one night to go and get some fish and chips from 'Prellies'. I hadn't a clue what she was talking about. 'Prellies!' she repeated, 'In Cornwall Street.' It dawned. 'Oh, you mean Perillas,' I said.
'No, Prellies!'
'But the name of the chippy is "Perillas" - it's written above the door.'
'Yes, Prellies!'
I'm afraid I couldn't let this one go. 'It's spelt P-E-R-I-double L-A-S, and pronounced "Per-ill-as". Why would you call it 'Prellies'?'
'Because everyone calls it 'Prellies'!' and she looked at me as if I was mad.
We had far too many of these 'discussions' over the years and that probably accounts for her being my ex-wife, but it all started with 'Prellies'. Am I the only Janner to call the place 'Perillas'?
- Sep 15, 2003
- 6,830
- 3,315
- 73
Dunno mate!Please help me out here, Andy, bearing in mind that you have unearthed what was a major bone of contention between me and my ex-wife.
Let me set the scene. I am a Janner - born in Plymouth but travelled around with my Navy family from the age of 8 until coming back to Plymouth when I was 12. My ex-wife is a Janner and has spent all her life in Plymouth. When we were first going out she asked me one night to go and get some fish and chips from 'Prellies'. I hadn't a clue what she was talking about. 'Prellies!' she repeated, 'In Cornwall Street.' It dawned. 'Oh, you mean Perillas,' I said.
'No, Prellies!'
'But the name of the chippy is "Perillas" - it's written above the door.'
'Yes, Prellies!'
I'm afraid I couldn't let this one go. 'It's spelt P-E-R-I-double L-A-S, and pronounced "Per-ill-as". Why would you call it 'Prellies'?'
'Because everyone calls it 'Prellies'!' and she looked at me as if I was mad.
We had far too many of these 'discussions' over the years and that probably accounts for her being my ex-wife, but it all started with 'Prellies'. Am I the only Janner to call the place 'Perillas'?
Just a Janner thing really. Bit like going Asders to get the lottos. Or Tescos.For me though...since I was knee high to a grasshopper, it's always been Prellies...and it was always cod and chips, bread and butter and salt and vinegar on the table. Fading a bit but from memory, you sat down to eat upstairs.
As a kid, I also had another "favourite" and that was the restaurant upstairs in John Yeo's. Pasty and chips followed by a chocolate mousse! For the younger ones, John Yeo's was the forerunner to Debenhams and taken over somewhere around 1964/65ish?
One of the Perilla's children was in my class at St Peter's RC Primary in Whitleigh when I were a nipper in the late 70s: I think one of her brothers was behind us in years as I do remember the family volunteering their time and serving chips at one of the sports days (or could have been an open day) when I was at Bonnies.
I could have been wrong, but I have a vague memory of almost going under financially which led to them having to close their take-away in Cornwall Street and opening a smaller, cheaper-to-run one.
I could have been wrong, but I have a vague memory of almost going under financially which led to them having to close their take-away in Cornwall Street and opening a smaller, cheaper-to-run one.
