Tracy Underwood new tender for the cafe with her son Oliver

Community cafe back in action

Bethan Evans, Reporter Monday, July 2, 2012
3:00 PM

A MUCH-LOVED community cafe has finally opened its doors to the public again after being left as a burnt-out shell for almost a year.

Tracy Underwood with her Staff.

Clarence Park cafe was forced to close in August last year, after an arson attack which left the community park without a cafe for almost 10 months.

But hopes for a new cafe have finally been realised, as businesswoman Tracy Underwood has taken over a new tenancy for the summer.

Tracy, of Thornbury Drive, in Uphill, owns Stoneleigh care home, in Clarence Road South, and applied for the tenancy because she felt the community needed to be given back its meeting place.

She said: “I did not get the tender for the whole park, just the cafe, and so for legal reasons I will have to re-apply for the whole tender in September.

Tracy Underwood new tender for the cafe with her son Oliver

“But I have got the opportunity to open up over the summer and we need to get the cafe up-and-running.

“My friends and family have said they need a cafe and I have had a lot of support from the community. We are going to do fundraising for Barnardos and the hospice.

“The cafe does not have to be massively profitable, I just want it open again.”

Tracy has decided to rebrand the cafe to give it a fresh look for summer and has named the venue after her four-year-old son Oliver, dressed her staff in black and white and provided a new menu.

Tracy said: “I want to claim back the café’s identity and it will not be anything other than what I would expect to get in a café. The quality is going to be excellent and will be affordable.

“I remember thinking in January how sad it was not to have a meeting place there. I thought to myself don’t sit around and moan, let’s do something about it.

“I know I can make a difference. It’s going to be great and hopefully it’s going to be long term.”

3 comments

This is the first time I've felt the need to write a comment on anything like this, but after spending what turned into the whole afternoon on Saturday in Clarence Park with my two children and having lunch at the lovely little cafe I just wanted to say a big thank you to the staff for making it such a great day! I don't know the history of the cafe so the above comment ( which looks more like an attempt to advertise the previous owners new cafe than an actual constructive comment ) has passed over my head! The food was amazing, there was a real buzz and also bouncy castles and music, the place was packed and the service was first class. My two little ones did not want to leave, so it looks like I'll be spending my summer weekends in Weston this year!! I'll also be telling all my friends about this little find and I'm sure they will be making the short trip down to see what all the fuss is about....... I know they won't be disappointed ! I would Advise anyone to go along and see for themselves, rather than listening to destructive bitter comments from others. Thank you again to all concerned with the cafe for such fantastic experience :)

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Bristol11

Wednesday, July 4, 2012
I d like to say a huge thankyou to all the wonderful people that worked around the clock to get 'Olivers' open on Saturday and the local support shown at the weekend. The team at Stoneleigh and all the local buisnesses that pulled out all the stops to get this community hub open again within a week. Also a big thankyou to Julie Nash and Richard Tilley from A1 gardening that worked with me for the initial tender. Onwards and upwards and any ideas or requests for events will be most welcome...

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Tracy Underwood

Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Whilst I and everyone else agree that the cafe was an important part of the community, I think that it is disgraceful how Mr Munden has been treated and it is great to see that most of his regulars are bypassing the revamped cafe and using his cafe in Severn Road. The Cafe under the tenancy of Mr Munden was open come rain wind and snow and was affordable to young and old alike - as a regualr visitor to the park it was interesting to note the discreet lack of customers over the past couple of rainy days. At least it is good to know that the cafe menu and atmosphere that was provided before the arson attack last August can still be found just a stones throw away.

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andystar08

Tuesday, July 3, 2012