Roy's Rolls is a café, owned by Roy Cropper, that is currently located between Prima Doner and Elliott & Son
butchers in Victoria Street, Weatherfield having moved there in 1998 from its original location on Rosamund Street.
Rosamund Street (1978-1997)
The original Roy's Rolls, located at 12 Rosamund Street had gone through various owners and name changes prior to ownership by Roy. In August 1978 the premises were purchased by Joe Dawson and opened as Dawson's Cafe which was managed by Emily Bishop.
The cafe was bought in by Jim Sedgewick in January 1980 who transformed it into a transport cafe, renaming it Jim's Cafe in the process. Following his divorce in 1982 the ownership of the cafe transferred to his former wife Alma Sedgewick. in 1989 a 40% share of the cafe was sold to Gail Tilsley. In 1997, Alma decided to sell up and offered her share of the cafe to Gail who was unable to afford it.
Following lengthy negotiations Alma sold her remaining share to Roy Cropper for £35,000, resulting in Roy becoming majority shareholder, much to Gail's chagrin. Roy immediately put his own stamp on the place by removing the slot-machines and introducing a newspaper rack and later renamed the cafe "Roy's Rolls".
Towards the end of 1998, Roy was offered £65,000 from the next door bike shop for the café and the flat. Roy accepted the offer with Roy and Hayley Patterson moving to the current premises on Victoria Street.
There was also a flat located above the cafe. Its residents included: Angie Freeman, Fiona Middleton, Steve McDonald, Maxine Heavey, and Tanya Pooley.
Victoria Street (1999–present)
The current Roy's Rolls on Victoria Street has seen a few incidents, the first was just before the opening of the new café a water pipe burst and water went everywhere, the new Roy's Rolls eventually opened in February 1999.
In mid-1999 Roy and Hayley were set to be married, but unfortunately, Les Battersby spoiled the celebrations by tipping off the press about Hayley being transsexual. Roy was furious with Les for ruining the festivities. Roy and Hayley were married in the café on Wednesday 21st April 1999.
In 2012 Milton Fanshaw - the friend of Roy's mother Sylvia Goodwin - had come up with an idea to expand Roy's Rolls into an American themed diner and merge it with the empty Elliott & Son property next door. However Roy was against the idea as he liked the cafe how it was.
On the 20th January 2014 Hayley had taken her own life in the flat above the shop after battling pancreatic cancer for several months and had died in Roy's arms.
Owners
|
Owner |
Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Dawson | 1978–1980 | |
| Jim Sedgewick | 1980–1982 | |
| Alma Sedgewick | 1982 - 1997 | Majority shareholder with Gail (1986–1997) |
| Gail Tilsley | 1986–1998 |
Minority Shareholder with Alma (1986–1997) Minority shareholder with Roy (1997–1998) |
| Roy Cropper | 1997–present |
Majority shareholder with Gail (1997 - 1998) Co-owner with Hayley (1999–2014) |
| Hayley Cropper | 1999–2014 |
Co-owner with Roy (1999–2014) |
Staff
- Emily Bishop (Dawson's Café)
- Janice Stubbs (Dawson's Cafe)
- Elsie Tanner (Jim's Cafe)
- Audrey Roberts (Jim's Cafe)
- Phyllis Pearce (Jim's Cafe)
- Debbie Webster (Jim's Cafe)
- Martin Platt (Jim's Cafe)
- Percy Sugden (Jim's Cafe)
- Gina Seddon (Jim's Cafe)
- Toyah Battersby (Roy's Rolls I)
- Ken Barlow (Roy's Rolls II)
- Becky Granger (Roy's Rolls II) (2006-2008)
- John Stape (Roy's Rolls II)
- Kylie Turner (Roy's Rolls II)
- Anna Windass (Roy's Rolls II) (2008-)
- Vera Duckworth (Roy's Rolls II) (2000-2007)
- Frankie Baldwin (Roy's Rolls II). (2004-2006)
- Sarah Platt (Roy's Rolls II)
- Sylvia Goodwin (Roy's Rolls II) (2011-2013)
- Fiz Stape (Roy's Rolls II)
- Mary Taylor (Roy's Rolls II)
- Jenna Kamara (Roy's Rolls II) (2013-2014)
- Gary Windass (Roy's Rolls II) (2015-)
Roy's Rolls holds the phone number of
0161-715-7028.