"Rene's Cafe was situated at the opposite end of Turner’s Road which was last week’s featured painting and formed part of the triangle of Locksley Street, Clemence Street and Turner’s Road. When I first saw the cafe in 1983 it reminded me of the greasy spoon cafes in the Potteries where I grew up; on the other hand the faded blue and white paintwork incongruously recalled seaside cafes lining the promenade at northern seaside towns such as Blackpool and Rhyl. The watery ‘white light’ of the East End along with the tall austerity of the building, built at the end of the 19th century, compounded this reaction.

It opened early for the council workers and bin men, about to start their day’s work. When I passed it on my way to work as a life-model early in the morning, the windows were steamed up and it exuded an aroma of bacon and cigarette smoke wafting through the frosty morning air. Sounds of raucous laughter would emanate from within and, to my eternal regret, I never ate a ‘full English breakfast’ there as it seemed the epitome of a male preserve. By the time I came home the cafe was closed, as you see in the painting, shutting up shop shortly after lunch, a chalk blackboard announcing Steak & Kidney Pudding or Liver & Bacon followed by Spotted Dick or Apple Pie and Custard as the speciality of the day. Vegetarians were very rare in those days".