RENE’S restaurant has been a popular hub of community life in Liscard for more than 60 years.

Locals and visitors from far and wide dined there, lasting friendships have been made and people met their future spouses at the Seaview Road café which first opened its doors in 1955.

Wirral Globe:

Back in the day - the cafe in a photo believed to be from the early 1960s

Stars of stage and screen have also popped in for a bite to eat over the years.

But now the café has closed for good – but the Globe was invited in for a final look at this once-bustling eatery.

Chairs are now stacked on tables, the doors of empty fridges and coolers hang open and the clock has stopped at just before 9am.

A sandwich board also stands in the doorway advertising a menu that would have enticed customers in.

You get a real sense of the character.

The one-time café turned licensed restaurant was opened by Joe and May Connor way back when. 

They bought the building from its previous owner and kept her name on the shop’s fascia as a tribute.

Their son Dennis joined the business after leaving school in 1970 and took over in 1978. He ran it with wife Anita, who was a waitress.

Wirral Globe:

Dennis and Anita Connor take one last look around their cafe

The couple have made the heart-breaking decision to call it a day for health reasons and told the Globe they are really going to miss the place.

Anita said: “We just want to say a huge thank you to all our customers over the years.”

“Even after we closed there were still people knocking on the door or calling the number asking to be book a table.

“They didn’t realise we had shut for good and were sad when we told them.”

As you can imagine,work in the café – as with any service industry - was never nine to five.

Dennis recalled: “My longest shift was 25 hours. We had a bowling presentation night. By the time I’d closed up I realised I’d been working for 25 hours solid.”

Recalling some of the café’s regulars, Dennis said: “There was a couple called Joe and Hilda, who both had dementia and used to meet every day for their first date.

“Hilda had the same dinner of soup, roast lamb, pudding then coffee.

“There were hundreds of people like them,who we took under our wing over the years.

“We’ve had waitresses who have befriended customers. One was left a house in a will.

“We’ve nearly had a birth in the café and there was even a bloke who won the lottery.

“We’ve had some famous people through the doors, too including Shobna Gulati, who played Sunita in Coronation Street.

“I think she was appearing in a play at the Floral Pavilion and had sausage, egg and chips here.

“We had the Glitter Band without Gary in here too.”

Wirral Globe:

Sign of the times - shutters down on Seaview Road

Dennis’ father Jo was born in America and ran a diner.

He met future wife Mary as she was on her way back to England from Australia and had decided to take a detour.

Looking back on his time at Rene’s Dennis said: “I was 21 when dad asked me whether I’d like to take over the business because if I didn’t want to it was going to be sold.

“We took it over and I’m so glad we did.

"We’ve served literally millions of people over the years; at a conservative estimate I’d say about 3.5m.

“I’d like to thank them so much.

“Without the customers there would have been no Rene's.”