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The early 60s was a world where young people had freedoms that their parents had only dreamt of. They had the time to hang out in cutting-edge coffee shops and milk bars that were ‘the scene’ in Soho and other parts of London. Someone could buy a cup of coffee and sit for hours chatting with friends, without getting any pressure from staff to spend more money or leave.
Some coffee bars had jukeboxes with all the latest hits on them, while The Troubadour and Bunjies had live poetry and jazz performances. Perhaps the most famous and popular of these was the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho’s Old Compton Street. In its small cellar, you could listen to the emerging sounds of skiffle and rock ’n’ roll – performed by people who in some cases went on to become legends.
No drugs or alcohol were on offer, just coffee and soft drinks. A calm, non-violent environment, the 1960s was an exciting time to be young!
The idea is to recreate the 'vibe' of the coffee and milk bars of the 60s, but with an update. Fresh fruit smoothies and healthy foods could be served. Environmentalists could offer talks about, for instance, edible wild plants and food-growing projects in London. Such 60s Smoothie Bars will help the new generation to illumine and shape the future of our city, just as coffee bars did in the 1960s.
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