THIS week the nostalgia section features the Piccolo Barry, in Paget Road, Barry Island in 1968.

The photograph shows staff and customers at the Zeraschi family’s Whitmore Bay business – named after the Piccolo bar in Bardi, Italy.

The Zeraschi family has seen three of its generations working at their Barry Island base – since Francesco Zeraschi arrived in 1947 after the war.

Marco Zeraschi, who owns Marco’s Café, on The Square, Barry, said: “We were the first ones to do the Hawaiian burgers on Barry Island. A hotdog back then was one shilling and there was a 10p cheeseburger. A beef burger was one shilling 11 (nine-and-a-half pence) and a pineapple burger 12-and-a-half pence – two and a half shillings. A ’99 ice-cream would be 4p.”

His father and mother Louisa settled in Penrhiwceiber, Cynon Valley, in 1958 and sons Giovanni (John), 68, Tino, 60, Marco, 58, and daughters Paola, who would have been 56, and Franca, 50, all worked in the family businesses from the age of 11.

Mr Zeraschi said: “It used to be manic. Barry would have the Miners Fortnight and we’d have more than 200 coaches come down on excursions. It was mad and we did long hours.”

The Barry & District News would like to thank Marco Zeraschi for providing the photograph.

Send your photos to sha@gwent-wales.co.uk