On Thursday 4th Jan Dicks Tea Bar in
Val d'Isere celebrates its 21st Birthday.
Dicks opened for business for New
Year's Eve 1979 in what was originally a games hall.
The eponymous Dick (Yates-Smith) rebuilt
the venue with a saw and hammer: the ceiling was made out
of chip board and the lights were mounted in old yoghurt
pots.
On rainy nights the plaster uses to
drip into the punters' beer and on one particular rainy
night Dick himself accidently put a broom handle through
the ceiling and completely drenched himself.
There
were no freezers or fridges and the bar survived on an allowance
of 60 ice cubes a night from a neighbouring bar. Initiative
played a major part in survival - Dick would re-use the
ice cubes when the empty glasses came back in and beers
were kept in a bucket of snow.
When he ran out to restock from next
door, an extra long record would go onto the record player
[yes it's true, there was a world before CDs).
There are now three Dick's Tea Bars
in Val, Meribel and Chamonix, which pull in over 700 clients
per day in the winter. There's even ice machines now.
The
pictures show some of this winter's staff training, featuring
Heath, manager of Dicks in Val, and his team lining up for
B52s, Scott the 'head' floor boy with Karen and Lisa -
The 21st Birthday celebrations will
feature music from the last 21 years with dressing to match.
Entrance is 100f on the door.
There
were no freezers or fridges and the bar survived on an allowance
of 60 ice cubes a night from a neighbouring bar. Initiative
played a major part in survival - Dick would re-use the
ice cubes when the empty glasses came back in and beers
were kept in a bucket of snow. 
The
pictures show some of this winter's staff training, featuring
Heath, manager of Dicks in Val, and his team lining up for
B52s, Scott the 'head' floor boy with Karen and Lisa - 
