Then & Now 1: The Station Chef

Those who can remember travelling by train to Skegness back to the late 80's and early 90's, will probably remember the Station Chef buffet. It managed to survive one closure by Travellers Fare in 1983:

It was subsequently rented out as a cafe/bar by the then BR Property Board, and subsequently was in the hands of private enterprise (initially Mrs. A Miles). Unfortunately, this was only to be a stay of execution and it was eventually closed for good a decade later, when it was latterly run by the Late Mrs M Wilson.

The Station Chef Chef c.1986.

The Station Chef as it is today (a shot from the identical position to above was prevented by a notice board!). Despite attempts to mask the dereliction by having murals on the boards, it's still a very depressing scene. A nearby kiosk continues to serve refreshments on the station, but is nothing anywhere near to the scale of the former buffet. The original now is slowly deteriorating and plays host to a large pigeon population. It's fate can best be described as "uncertain".
Returning back to when the Station Chef was open, this c.1989 photo shows proprietor Mrs A Miles with Assistant Andrea man the platform refreshment trolley. Behind are an interesting collection of "Heritage" dmu's!

Taken at the same time as the above, the presence of two BT Police Officers indicates this was taken on a Bank Holiday - a wet day by the look of the previous photograph!
Mrs Miles converted the rear of the buffet to a Tea and Beer garden, unfortunately the weather on this occasion was not ideal! Plans to take a contemporary comparison shot were scuppered as the area is now so overgrown as to make photography impossible!

One item which has survived is this Refreshment Trolley which now resides in the National Railway Museum.