S. P. O. Dining Rooms
Previously Malcolm Mitchell's, a furniture dealer and located at 11 Sturdee Place circa 1900.
A SPO was a type of restaurant, such as Fish and Chips or Pie and Mash restaurants, with SPO standing for "Sausage, Potato and Onions".
In about 2008 I was stopped at traffic lights with my then 90 year old Father in Garratt Lane, Wandsworth, travelling north - at the junction with Earlsfield Road. On the shop wall in front of us were the faded letters SPO (as of 2023 on Streetview, the letters are still there). My Father told me this stood for Sausage, Potato and Onions. I think this may have been a London and the South East favorite. I asked my neighbour (born 1926) if they had this type of restaurant in Worcester or Birmingham and he said no. Searching The British Newspaper Archive I found Ads. for SPO restaurants in Horsham and Ipswich from the early 1900s. The Ipswich Ad. gave 1907 prices - sausage and a roll was 2d (two old pence) - everything else was one old penny per item - mash, chips, fried onions, tea.
Images[edit]
- Images
SPO Dining Rooms
