Now I wonder what Mrs Jessie Owen, who sold tobacco on Burton Road would have made of pizza.
To be fair she was selling her tobacco back in 1911 and I doubt that she would have ever eaten pizza.
All of which is a shame because her shop today is occupied by Proove who make a fine pizza.*
They also serve up some of my favourite street foods, including Pizza Fritta and Croccheè.
Croccheè originated in Sicily and is made from mashed potato and egg, covered in bread crumbs and fried, while Pizza Fritta is made by sealing the toppings between two layers of pizza dough and deep frying until crispy.
I first had Pizza Fritta at Rosa’s home in Varese, north of Milan and I was instantly hooked on it.
Rosa is from Naples which is where the fried pizza comes from and now whenever we go back to the city it is always something I order.
But yesterday I had a mushroom pizza while Tina went for one with several toppings made to order.
And while we waited, we passed the time talking to the staff, many of whom like Tina are Italian and so the conversation ebbed and flowed touching on Naples, and Rome and some tiny villages tucked away in the north.
We had gone in during the late afternoon and already the place was busy, and by the time we left was becoming very busy which is always a sign that the food and the service is good.
So, that just leaves me thinking about Mrs Jessie Owens, who in 1911 was 35 years of age, had been married for fifteen years and had two children.
She owned and ran the business while her husband was a commercial traveller for a soap manufacturer, and like many, she employed a servant, who was young Elizabeth Simcock from Cheshire.
In time I will find out more about both the Owen family and Miss Simcock and will go looking for a picture of the shop.
Sadly the only one I have of the stretch of Burton Road which included that tobacconist, just misses off Mrs Owens shop, but no matter, someone will turn up with a photograph along with others who have also eaten pizza at Prooveor its companion restaurant in Sheffield.
We shall see.
Location; West Didsbury
Pictures; pizza, courtesy of Proove and Burton Road, date unknown, from Didsbury Through Time, 2013, Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping
*Proove, westdidsbury@proove.co.uk 160 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 1LH 0161 669 9061
All of which is a shame because her shop today is occupied by Proove who make a fine pizza.*
They also serve up some of my favourite street foods, including Pizza Fritta and Croccheè.
Croccheè originated in Sicily and is made from mashed potato and egg, covered in bread crumbs and fried, while Pizza Fritta is made by sealing the toppings between two layers of pizza dough and deep frying until crispy.
I first had Pizza Fritta at Rosa’s home in Varese, north of Milan and I was instantly hooked on it.
Rosa is from Naples which is where the fried pizza comes from and now whenever we go back to the city it is always something I order.
But yesterday I had a mushroom pizza while Tina went for one with several toppings made to order.
We had gone in during the late afternoon and already the place was busy, and by the time we left was becoming very busy which is always a sign that the food and the service is good.
She owned and ran the business while her husband was a commercial traveller for a soap manufacturer, and like many, she employed a servant, who was young Elizabeth Simcock from Cheshire.
In time I will find out more about both the Owen family and Miss Simcock and will go looking for a picture of the shop.
Sadly the only one I have of the stretch of Burton Road which included that tobacconist, just misses off Mrs Owens shop, but no matter, someone will turn up with a photograph along with others who have also eaten pizza at Prooveor its companion restaurant in Sheffield.
We shall see.
Pictures; pizza, courtesy of Proove and Burton Road, date unknown, from Didsbury Through Time, 2013, Andrew Simpson & Peter Topping
*Proove, westdidsbury@proove.co.uk 160 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 1LH 0161 669 9061
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