It’s known simply as The Club, a little venue where post-war immigrants and the generations since come together to dance and sing, cook and cavort. In years past, The Club was open almost every day. Children would be left there to play snooker, cause mischief and buy sweets from the snack bar; on match days, perhaps when Juventus were playing, members would watch la Vecchia Signora (the Old Lady) with a beer; and on Sundays, it was — and gracefully still is — part of a ritual: church, shop, coffee. Fiercely good coffee, by the way. St Peter’s Catholic church remains next door, as does Terroni, London’s first Italian deli.
Josh Barrie at Casa Italiana: May the heart of Little Italy beat on
