Arndale's Welcome cafe swaps venues

The Welcome Cafe at the Arndale Centre in Morecambe closed over the weekend and will be reopening in the former Victoria pub on Victoria Street, which closed several years ago.

Elaine Oldfield and Cath Evans, owners of The Welcome Cafe, were both awarded by Morecambe Town Council for their efforts, along with customers and friends, to raise the money to buy a defibrillator which was housed at the cafe, which shocks the heart if it stops.

The defibrillator has already saved a lady’s life. Elaine, who has owned The Welcome Cafe with Cath for six years, said: “The defibrillator will be coming with us, because our customers helped raise the money for it. It will still be local.

“It was lovely to be recognised but we couldn’t have done it without the help of our friends and customers. Thank you doesn’t seem enough.

“Our new premises are absolutely beautiful, we will be occupying the ground floor and the biggest thing is it has toilets for men, women and disabled.

“The cafe will be the same as we run it now, our customers like a proper, ordinary cafe where they can come in and have a coffee and a slice of toast.

“They don’t want this bistro food they just want home cooked decent meals.

“We won’t change the name, it is the right name for what we do. This job is my life, I love people. It’s going to be wonderful. a new start and a new chapter in our lives.

“With the link road and all the work on Victoria Street, I hope its a new start for Morecambe.”

The Welcome Cafe will be opening in its new location soon.

A spokesman for the Arndale Centre said: “The cafe is much loved but it was Cath and Elaine’s decision to leave. I am looking at getting a defibrillator for the Arndale Centre.

“We are upgrading all the entrances and considering options with other retailers but nobody has signed up for these units yet.”