MADAM, At the time I knew it ,which was a fairly short period in the early half of the 1960s the front of the building was the pottery shop. You then went along a short corridor into the rear part which comprised two sections, the main counter area where you bought your tea or coffee and then you could walk through into the area shown in the photo. It was one of the main meeting places for youngsters of my age ( ie too young to get into the pubs!) along with the Magnet Cafe in Brookend Street. The owners were Mr and Mrs Trow who came from Birmingham and had a very good relationship with all their customers and were very tolerant of us youngsters. As long as you bought at least one drink you could stay more or less all day and if you were particularly strapped for cash a black tea or coffee cost less than with milk! Tragically George Trow was killed in a car accident which resulted in the business being sold and the cafe was closed so we had to move our business, or lack of it, to the Magnet or Toni's in High Street.
People of a certain age are said to be able to recall where they were when the news came through about JFK 's assassination - for me it was the Pottery Pantry
David Lewis, Ross