THE curtain came down today on a meeting place that has been at the heart of Earlestown life for four decades.
It was back in 1986 when Brenda and Aidan Illidge bought The Forum café, overlooking the town’s market square.
Since then, it has been a true family affair. Their three sons and four grandchildren have grown up in and around the traditional café, which has become as much a meeting place as somewhere to eat.
That friendly, cosy atmosphere is what has made The Forum so special, with generations of customers coming through the doors who have long since become friends.
On Thursday, with regulars dropping in to say goodbye, pass on gifts and share memories, Brenda and Aidan sat down with the St Helens Star as they prepared for a well‑earned retirement.
“When we bought it, it was the only café in town,” says Brenda.
“Coffee shops and cafés are everywhere now, but it was very different back then.”
Asked about the secret to its long‑standing success, Aidan smiles.
“A forum is a meeting place – somewhere people can come and talk,” he says.
“We’re traditional too – eggs and bacon, cooked breakfasts, fish and chips.”
Value has always mattered as well. Brenda says the couple have tried to keep prices “as low as possible and be fair with people”, mindful of the loyalty of their customers.
The pair admit that working alongside your other half is not always easy, but say the enjoyment outweighed the difficulties – with both continuing well past the age when they could have retired.
So why step back now? One factor, they say, is the regeneration programme under way in the market square.
“We don’t agree with it – we think it will kill the town,” Brenda says, fearing the redevelopment will remove vital parking in an already congested area.
“Parking places are full by 7.30am because of commuters catching trains to Manchester and Liverpool, ” she adds.
But as doors close, today is about celebration rather than complaint.
“We’ve had customers who have come in every day we’ve been open – for 40 years,” the couple say.
Among those paying tribute was Diane Roberts, 64, who explained how she first visited The Forum in her twenties.
“I started coming in with my little ones, and they grew up coming here,” she says.
“What’s special is the friendship – it’s just a really lovely place.”
By chance, The Forum has recently featured in new BBC drama The Cage, starring Sheridan Smith, filmed on location in April last year.
Written by former St Helens police officer Tony Schumacher, the series has brought the café to a national audience just as Brenda and Aidan bow out.
But for its regulars, fame or the spotlight was never the measure of what made The Forum special.
The business will go up for sale and its future remains uncertain. Maybe someone else will yet take on the reins?
What is certain is that Earlestown will feel the loss of its meeting place – and Brenda and Aidan will be greatly missed.
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