Vinyl records, teak sideboards and the kind of mess that filled our homes of yesteryear mingle with moggies on Great Yarmouth’s bustling waterfront.
The vintage Darling Darlings cat lounge has reopened in larger, brighter premises on the Golden Mile with its squad of feline friends and volunteer staff.
Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
On its first opening day, Tuesday, May 18, it saw a surge of bookings and walk-in tours with people keen to see for themselves the transformation that has been underway since December.
With new recruit Stanley on board, there are now four cats waiting to be petted including Teddy the tabby, Maverick the hairless Sphynx and three-legged Coconut who got caught in an illegal trap in Caister.
Coconut the Cat at Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
For project owner Caroline Graham, coffee, an oasis for all things vintage, is a passion that combines all of her greatest loves, including helping people – coffee with a strong therapy philosophy.
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Getting through the first day was a relief, supported by positive customer reviews who were transported back in time through themed areas spanning the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, she said.
See-inside-seafront-cat-cafe-with-a-joyous-vintage-vibe
Maverick the Sphynx Cat at Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
This means people can sit on retro furniture and flip through Smash Hits and Look In or hear an old LP crackle through life on a record player, while enjoying the company of cats.
It all happened after working in education with vulnerable adults, the 39-year-old gave up her job to care for her terminally ill father.
Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
With her blessing, she decided to give cat cafe a boost, soon outgrowing his home in Howard Street South, where he started with one cat, Teddy.
To make it easier for humans and cats to return to work after such a long absence, she made sure to keep a cover over the numbers inside the cafe.
“We have four cats, but for us it’s the therapeutic side and it’s a question of quality and not quantity,†she said.
Caroline Graham, owner of Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
Coconut the Cat at Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
“We hope to have another rescue by the end of the year, but we need to get our feet on the ground here first.”
Summer opening hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily except Monday, with reservations taken until January 2022.
The cats have access to a human-free area and return home to Caister every evening.
Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
Darling Darlings Cat Cafe on Marine Parade in Great Yarmouth. Photo: Danielle Booden
– Credit: Archant 2021
