A view from Gallowgate street of the original wooden Castelvecchi cafe.

nother view of the original cafe from the pier. Leo Castelvecchi is pictured below.

The Castelvecchi family links with Largs go way back to 1902. Similar to their Italian cousins, the Nardini's, the Castelvecchi family have made a huge contribution to Largs over the years. Their cafes, restaurants and other businesses have helped attract visitors to Largs for over 100 years and have helpedshaped Largs into the popular seaside resort it is today.

It all started with Leo Castelvecchi, the son of an Italian farmer. Leo was 10 years old when he decided farming was not for him. In his late teens he went to America. He had no money so his father lent him the fare of 300 dollars which he paid back in full later. On arrival in America he went to work for his brother in law who had a small business in a Kentucky township. He stayed for 6 months and then started to look for a shop of his own. He had no money but he set up a shop in Paris Kentucky from borrowed money from a friend. After 9 months he sold his new business to his assistant.

He then went back into partnership with his brother in law who shortly after went back to Italy. His next partner in business was another Italian who unfortunately conned him out of a lot of money and forced him to sell his share. He was only 17 at this stage. Leo eventually got even with his partner by approaching the owner of the land the business was located on. He bought the land and then increased rent of the premises.

By this time he was thinking of heading back home. He had two cousins in Largs who had two shops and in 1902 the young Leo moved to Largs and entered into partnership with them. The two shops were located where in WH Smiths is today on the Main Street and one in School Street.

As the two businesses grew he found himself in competition with a rival Italian in Largs who vowed he would clear Casteececchi out of Largs. However, young Leo declared that his rival would go first and sure enough 8 years later he was left with the field to himself.

As his business flourished he was presented with a chance to buy ground at the Pier head along with his partner and brother in law from Paisley, Mr Nardini. At that time the old wooden Cafe on the site was owned by Cornelli Antori. Soon after he proceeded to build a new wooden building called the Pier head Cafe with shops attached. Later more cafes and shops were opened in Nelson Street, Main Street and Tron Place.

As the years passed the summer time visitor trade to Largs increased and so Leo's business grew rapidly. By 1935 plans were being laid to start on the building of the Moorings Cafe which would include shops, a restaurant and ballroom. Work began on the construction of the Moorings in 1936.

By this time Leo Castelvecchi had passed the burden of his business to his three sons Corrado, Leo and Cosimo. They emulated their father by carrying on the business. The architect chosen for the new Moorings building was James Houston of Kilbirnie who also designed the Largs Viking Cinema.

In 1936 The Moorings café and restaurant opened on the seafront at Largs. It incorporated its own ice-cream factory and bakery, and housed a ballroom with a capacity of 1000 people. The building had a distinctive nautical design, in keeping with its location. It featured porthole windows, a third floor sundeck and a cut-away corner echoing the prow of a ship.

This magnificent building was the jewel on the Clyde for many years until the 1970s when its popularity started to decline. By the late 1970s the once popular pastime of traditional ballroom dancing had lost its popularity. Messrs Castesons were forced to look for some alterative use for the magnificent ballroom on the top floor of the Moorings. So in 1981 they opened the Moorings Leisure Club at a cost of £100,000.

In 1984 Mr Paul Castelvecchi announced the Moorings would not reopen the following summer. He stated that the Moorings was no longer a viable commercial venture because of crippling rates and overheads. Discussions took place with the Scottish Development agency about the possibility of converting the building into a motel. However these plans never came to anything and eventually the restaurant, cafe and gift shop closed for good. The Snooker Club managed to stay open for a while longer.

The Moorings building was eventually demolished in October 1989 and replaced by the new Moorings building which incorporated shops and flats. The design of the new building took inspiration from the old with its distinctive ship curved at the front.

The original bus terminal located at the pier next to the Moorings.

Aerial view of the Cumbraen Amusements and the old Moorings.

The Moorings in the late 1970s.

A 1960 Advert for the Moorings.

The Moorings being demolished.

Today's new Moorings building