The Italian cafe is just as popular today with a new generation of loyal customers, many of whom go several times a day, queuing outside in all weathers to sample the roast dinners and home made cakes (see photo album).

People love the fact that the cafes hasn't changed since they first started coming 30 or 40 years ago. We know our customers and there is a lot of banter. It is like one big family."

The Bracchi's, as they were collectively known after the first Italian family to set up cafes in the valley, were frequented by miners and factory workers gagging for refreshment after their long shifts. Over the years the mines and factories have shut and many of the cafes have gone with them, but Mary Strinati's café in Treherbert still sells frothy coffee, sweets and cakes to faithful locals who rely on it as a meeting place.

Despite mine and factory closures business is still booming at Prince's in Pontypridd. The beautifully preserved art deco style café has customers queuing for tables on market days, despite the fact that it has more than 200 seats.

Owners twin brothers Joseph and David Gambarini put the café's success down to not meddling with a successful formula established by their parents Dominic and Glenys in 1948. As one satisfied customer put it: "This is the best place around. It's like you go back in time when you come in here."

The eye-catching display of cream cakes and patisserie in the window ­ all homemade on the premises ­ also helps to pull in the customers. "We start off with coffee and toast and then after an hour we have another coffee and a cake," said one regular who says she comes to the café every Wednesday "for a two hour gossip".

The café is equally popular with its staff, many of whom work there from the day they leave school until they retire. They even keep coming back for more: "When I retired I used to keep popping back to help out behind the counter because I missed it so much," said Diane Morgan, who worked as a waitress there for 31 years.

They miss the cakes too: "It spoils you, really, because you don't fancy anyone else's," said Daphne Angwin, who spent 27 years working at Prince's.

Strinati's
The mines and the factories may have disappeared from the South Wales valleys but some things stay the same - Mary Strinati's café in Treherbert still sells frothy coffee, sweets and cakes to faithful locals who rely on it as a meeting place.

55-year-old Mary, whose father Camillo ran the shop before her, is looking to retire, but says her customers won't let her. "Where else would they go?" she said. Mary started work in the shop 34 years ago. In those days they opened at 6am to catch the early morning workers and closed at 11 or 12 at night. "It was very good money in those days. The men used to queue up to buy cigarettes and sweets in the morning. We had eight double deckers of workers parked on the hill. Since all the mines and factories have closed down our trade has gone down too. We take only half the money we used to take 20 years ago."

Photo Album