The chips were down in Valley Leisure Centre’s cafe

There was a bad taste in the mouth for local young people at the Valley Leisure Centre when portions of chips were taken off the menu in the cafe in August 1980.

After a make-over, the cafe changed its menu, which resulted in portions of chips not being able to be purchased.

Local teens voiced their anger as the chips that they looked forward to after their swimming sessions could no longer be bought on their own. If they wanted chips, they would have to buy them as part of a meal.

One disgruntled diner said at the time that the options available to them such as hamburgers and toasted sandwiches were too expensive and not what they wanted.

The council said that if there was enough opposition to the new menu then portions of chips may be introduced again.

Their reasoning behind the menu alteration was that after the refurbishments had been carried out, they did not want the new carpet being damaged by the fast food favourite.

The same week, Newtownabbey student Bernard Conlon embarked on a 2,000 mile cycle around Scandinavia before coming home to start his final year of studies.

Related topics: