The Parakeet club and Margate teenage memories of the 1960s

"Unlike teenagers today who seem to meet in pubs and clubs. We used to meet up in Cafe's. The one that I used was the Parakeet in Northdown Road. In those days, it was run by a truly lovely couple called Doug and Pam. They were very tolerant of us and early evening, before the real money spenders arrived, we could sit and chat with a cup of tea and a bowl of chips. There always seemed to be a strange or weird waitress working there, who normally added to the fun of the place. One would be eating your chips as she walked to the table. Another one would disappear for days to London, get stoned, come back and be in a daze for days. Friends were made, relationships developed, marriages, even divorce amongst the older ones.

There were the two Jewish boys who turned up one day with brand new matching cars with consecutive number plates. Barry who married a girl called Iris, who made him change his surname from Plant to Grant. Sadly, Barry went out fishing one day and never came back. A girl called Cristal who had quite a lot of success as a singer. Brenda who worked for the local hairdresser "Monsieur Jacques" He was always referred to in a fake French accent. Jo-Anne, always winning beauty contests at the Lido.Buzz, who worked at a bank, but when chatting up strangers always told them he was a photographer for the magazine Honey.Brian who was a real photographer.

I could go on and on, but would love to know if there are any old “ members “ of the Parakeet “ club “, still around and maybe we could swap memories of a calmer time. "

A teenage memory by Robin Lovell received by email