A Clitheroe cafe that appears to be 'frozen in time' is drawing visitors with its retro charm.
Colborne House Cafe, better known as Swales, is a Clitheroe cafe that hasn't changed much since the 1970s.
The family-run cafe, which dates back around 50 years, on Wellgate is owned by Gillian and Anthony Swales.
The retro aesthetic, including red vinyl seating, and Formica tables, appear to transport customers back in time.
Gillian said: "We haven’t really changed since the 70s. When people come in they are a little bit amazed.
"There aren’t many cafes around here that are old-fashioned.
"We have those old-fashioned tables and people like that sort of thing. It just seems to work for us."
The cafe originally belonged to Anthony’s parents. When they died they passed their business down onto Gillian and Anthony and the couple decided to keep it just as it was.
Hearty, homemade dishes are at the heart of the business' menu with jacket potatoes, toasties, corned beef sandwiches, ploughman’s lunches, sausage rolls, and beyond on the menu.
The desserts, which are homemade, look incredible.
"We don’t do chips or anything like that but we serve homemade food, including freshly made sandwiches. It is homemade and hearty food," Gillian said.
"We can keep our prices low too as we own the property and have no rent to pay, which is lucky."
Gillian said: "We didn’t realise it would be so popular. It’s quite refreshing [to see a retro cafe] in this day and age I think."
The cafe has also found a niche in television.
In 2023, the cafe featured in the musical Greatest Days, inspired by music from Take That.
It was also a filming location for the comedy show Will & Ralf Should Know Better with Ralf Little and Will Mellor.
Shoe company Lanx filmed a campaign there, and influencer Robbie Thompson recently visited and described it as an "unpretentious time capsule" that "serves up traditional British food." His videos has amassed more than 180,000 views on TikTok.
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