The legendary Edna's Café
Used by locals and lorry drivers who were using the main A120 which ran past right outside in this days before the by-pass was built. Also one of the meeting places of the 'Coggeshall Bastards' - see below

Brian Burton; 'I used to work at Coggeshall Motors used to be Lakes Garage and used to collect sausage rolls for tea break.'

Patricia Woods; 'My first job was in the photo processing [next door] and for lunch would go to Edna's and get a cheese roll and hot blackcurrent drink.'

Geraldine Spencer; 'I used to go into Edna's cafe quite a bit as I worked in Photokraft next door. I was the designated person to get for example bacon sandwiches or what ever was wanted by the workers. Photokraft was the old Kinema. This was in the 60s.'

Trudi Gould . 'Used to love popping into Aunty Edna's for sweet when we went to see Dad. That's a LONG time ago.'

Iris Bearman 'My brother was friends with Edna’s daughters so the cafe was a regular haunt . As long as I was small enough to walk under the counter top opening I got a free wagon wheel.'

Pauline McGoldrick; 'This was the place that I nearly lost my life. My mum sent me with a note for a packet of 10 cigarettes for her, Edna served me using the note from my mum, I was so proud that I'd been allowed to buy cigarettes I came straight out of the cafe and straight across the road without giving a thought to cars and in them days lorries too. I was just so pleased I had 10 no 6 for my mum. The car knocked me to the ground some of the car was over my body I was only trapped no big harm done but the telling off they gave me was worse.'

Rita Humphreys; 'I remember having fried egg sandwich the bread came from Firmins bakery I worked at Cozrelats next door we always had our lunch there. When Edna left, Cozrelats took it over for the staff canteen.'

Carol Heckford Tearle; 'Edna’s cafe made the most wonderful sausage sandwiches with warm bread from the bakery . Used to have them for my lunch when l worked at surridge and son. Happy days in 1964/5.'

David Wade; 'Happy days. Loved playing on the Pinball machine in Edna's cafe with an Embassy no10 hanging out my mouth, whilst listening to 'Spirit in the Sky' by Norman Greenbaum on the jukebox. Loved Edna.'

Doug Wood; 'Spent many an hour in there on the pinball machine three pence a go.'

Susan Turner; 'This is were my best friend met her husband married 50 years, he just passed away in August..'

Neil Everett; 'I remember the old coke a cola fridge in the cafe. The drinks so cold in the summer they would freeze to slush when you opened them.'

Roderic Miller; 'O lingering smell of hot fat and bacon sandwiches

Julie Convery; 'Wish there was still an Edna’s Cafe, just like that!'

Edna's may have been one of the gathering places of the equally legendary 'Coggeshall Bastards' a motorbike club famous for having no motorbikes. (There was a cafe on Doubleday corner which was the main hangout I understand)

According Grayson Perry the Essex artist who is a biker, one of his local gangs was the Coggeshall Bastards, who were so tough they decided not to wear leather jackets, so they wore pac-a-macs and Wellington boots.

'Coggeshall Bastards (CB's) MCC From Essex, a large infamous Club formed In The Late 60's And remained together through 'till the early/mid 90's. Associated clubs included the Billericay Bastards, Suffolk Bastards, Iron Cross Club from Clacton, the Filthy Few from Essex & East Coast & the Dirty Dozen from Harwich.
The Coggeshall Bastards MCC formed in Coggeshall and would meet in a local cafe, the original members and founders got together partly to have battles with Braintree & Colchester bikers. They used to party in a local barn and among others the London Road Rats would party & ride along with them.'
The club may still exist.
Collated by Trevor Disley updated Jan 2024
Date; 1960's
Ref; 102/22