Looking back in pictures at Moscardini's cafe - the Manor Street institution loved by generations of fish tea lovers

Although the name Moscardini’s remains above the door of the premises in Manor Street, the last involvement with the Italian family was in 2009 when Paul Moscardini decided the time was right to retire.

It had been started by his grandfather Leopaldi and two great uncles in 1893 when they emigrated to Scotland from their home village of Barga in the Tuscany region of Italy.

Within a few years they had established a chain of ten cafes, three in Falkirk High Street alone, and an empire stretching across the district from Larbert to Avonbridge built on the back of their traditional fish teas, homemade ice cream, ginger beer and champagne cider.

Leopaldi married and produced a family of four, Paul’s dad Primo, Joe, Peter and Anita.

As soon as they were old enough, the sons all had hands-on interests in the business and, by the time Leopaldi retired and moved back to Italy, Primo and Joe were running Manor Street and Peter the West End Cafe.

Paul joined the firm in 1970 and was made a partner in 1972 before taking over the business, by this time solely based in Manor Street, with his siter Anne when Primo retired in 1977. But by 2009 he had decided it was time to put his feet up and leaving making the fish teas and serving the customers to others.