| Tchai-Ovna founder Martin Fell first discovered teahouses in Prague, his mother’s home city. There, they had sprung up as a reaction to the overwhelming influx of rapacious consumerism, in the uproarious years that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Its founders created relaxed venues where guests could sit for hours in cosy surroundings, sipping their tea at their leisure whilst enjoying a book, a board game or conversation with like-minded souls. Banning alcohol from their teahouses helped keep the chilled vibe intact. After finishing his studies at The University of Glasgow, Martin was looking for a project to get his teeth into and discovered a rickety, somewhat run-down former stables, tucked away at the end of a West End lane. He and a group of friends transformed it into a teahouse space that eventually became a much-loved cultural hub and Glasgow institution. Taking its name, an anglicisation of the Czech cajovna, and much inspiration from the Prague scene, one of the reasons for its popularity was that it provided something that is all too rare in Glasgow, a late-opening for socialising and events space that isn’t dominated by hard-drinking and raucous pub energy. As well as being a go-to for a wide range of people looking for a somewhat quieter than than norm hangout in the evenings, it was popular amongst various ethnic communities in Glasgow for whom pubs were not suitable meeting places. Even though the cafe is no longer with us, it is fondly remembered by many. |
