THE IMPERIAL CAFE, HEREFORD

Long term readers of this blog (and who is not?) will undoubtedly recall the central importance of the "Capital & County Dining and Refreshment Rooms" - situated at the top of Commercial Street, just by the Old House - as the hub of all gossip in the Hereford VBCW campaign. New readers can obtain a flavour (together with a cup of Earl Grey and freshly made rock cake) HERE, HERE and HERE.

Indeed, such is the importance of the "Capital & County" that the outrageous gossip amid its aspidistra and drifting smoke of Woodbines has been blamed for His Majesty's Government's recent dramatic (and somewhat embarrassing) loss of Leominster to the forces of the newly founded Social Democratic Republic of Bromyard. "Careless talk", it is said, has cost lives:

A typical Herefordian "femme fatale" relaxes at the Capital & County.
Very probably a Communist. Or an Anglican. Or Social Democrat...
In any event, clearly an ancestor of present day Herefordettes!

In response to reports from his Intelligence Section, Lord de Braose, HM Governor of Hereford and Lord Warden of the Marches, has now issued a special "Order of the Day" to all troops under his command - if they really must have an "off-duty" cup of tea and rock cake, they should do so around the corner from the "Capital & County", at the patriotically named "Imperial Cafe and Restaurant" of St. Peter's Street:

"Read, smoke, rest & inwardly digest"
at the Imperial Cafe.

Like the Capital and County, the Imperial Cafe is close to the Old House - indeed, so close and in such a position that its presence is usually masked in photographs by the Old House itself - see this illustrated history of The Old House Hereford through Time on the Bishop of Ludlow's Blog. Photographs (even slightly blurred ones) of "the Imperial" are therefore somewhat difficult to source (but we managed it):

Now that HM Forces have fallen back to the Dinmore Hill line, the last geographical defensive feature before Hereford itself, Lord de Braose and his Commander - in - Chief, Major (CRO) Everard, can only hope that there are no further "security breaches" over the inviting tables of "the Capital & County".... 

VBCW Historical Notes : Researchers and VBCW Re-Enactors in search of the Imperial Cafe will sadly be disappointed. The building that housed the Capital & County Dining & Refreshment Rooms (No.62 Commercial Street) is still there - formerly a "Starbucks" but now unoccupied and unlet (and has been for a number of years):

Modern Day Hereford - "To Let" signs above the once bustling
Capital & County Refreshment Rooms at 62 Commercial Street

Unfortunately (as can just be seen in the photos above and below), the fine Edwardian facade of the Imperial Cafe (around the corner in St Peters Street) is gone - replaced by a rather cheap and undistinguished post war red brick shop front (equally with a "To Let" sign). Quite what caused the entire destruction of the Imperial Cafe is, of course, one of the most famous stories of the Hereford VBCW (see later blogposts!) 

To the right of the white "Capital & County" building, the red brick shop front
replacing the former Imperial Cafe in St. Peters Street. What can have caused
such destruction - in the very centre of Hereford - during the VBCW?

Add edit - a better view (January 2023) of the former site of the
Imperial Cafe and Restaurant. Gone is the pale Edwardian elegance
of the original building, replaced by an uninspired red brick and blue/grey facade.
Was the building a victim of Hereford's town planners - or a VBCW 'outrage'??
 

Add Edit:

Another photo of the Imperial Cafe in its heyday.