The Taj Mahal

Dear Letters Editor,
                             I am writing in response to the article in last week's paper on the fire at what was latterly the Barum Bazaar building in Boutport Street. At the end of the article it was stated that during the 70's and 80's the building was used as a " hippy shop"  ran by Mike Tanner, who called it "Barum Bazaar". I feel I should point out that during the 70's and indeed into the start of the following decade the building was in fact the Taj Mahal Indian restaurant. Which at the time was Barum's premier purveyor of Asian cuisine, our very own jewel in the crown. To my mind the building should have been listed there and then and the establishment kept intact for posterity as it was a sterling example of an Indian restaurant of that era, all burgundy patterned carpet, dark recesses and flock wallpaper. The only lighting in the place seemed to come from the bar area, complete with obligatory stand-alone lager tap, and a large eerilly illuminated tropical fishtank. I recall that the Gothic frontage was adapted to make it appear like a row of minarets from the bulding in Accra India after which it was named. It was also painted in what looked like turquoise and white cake icing and had a selection of neon lights to add a rather uncertain dubious effect As a youngster growing up in the town I have fond memories of collecting take-aways on special Saturday nights and as a student at North Devon College it was a convenient place to hang out after the pubs had closed. Their vindaloo  was infamous and their beef madras was memorable!
                            I also have to point out that although Mike Tanner and his cohorts were apparently a bunch of hippies Barum Bazaar was divided up into units and sold all manner of things, although it did contain a stall selling joss sticks, painted tobacco tins and associated paraphenalia.  Otherwise, it was mainly junk and a couple of craft stalls. Upstairs was Crazy Dave's second hand record shop which was a magnet for impoverished students looking to liquidise their assets, making ready for a weekend on the town. I think he must have had the biggest collection of the Adam and the Ants second album in the Southwest.

                            Yours faithfully,




                            Pitt Mannings