Giovanni Giacomo Luigi Zeraschi

Today I met with Giovanni Giacomo Luigi Zeraschi, the eldest son of Frank and Luisa Zeraschi. We sat and chatted about how it all started, whilst sharing his memories of the Island and his family. Giovanni was born at Glanlay St Penrhiwceiber in the Cynon Valley.
There his parents had a fish and chip shop and a typical brachis cafe at Rheola St. Later, they bought the Piccolo Bar at Barry Island, where he started work in 1960. Giovanni was not even a teenager back then, but it was an old Welsh Italian way, if you were able to work and serve the customers, you did it!
Seven years later his parents sold up and the family moved home to Woodlands Rd, Barry in 1967. After working for his parents, Giovanni bought into the shop on the promenade at Barry Island in April 1976, now known as 'Giovanni's on the Prom'. Giovanni and the Zeraschi family will this year celebrate 60 years of service to the community of Barry Town. Giovanni told me that "customers still come just to see if I'm still here, Where have the years gone?" The Piccolo Bar remains as a family business, and when asked what it felt like to serve the people of Barry for such a long time, he replied "Its been a pleasure, cheers". A Year in Barry would like to wish Giovanni and his family many more succesful years ahead.