A PICTURESQUE cluster of traditional seaside cafes and restaurants underneath the arches is still going strong after more than 100 years.

The Palmeira Arches is home to 13 restaurants and cafes, crammed in beneath Shorefield Road, Westcliff, which were previously fishermen’s storage units.

Back in the early 1900s the cafes offered passers-by a selection of cakes and afternoon tea before branching out to offer cooked meals.

Now tourists and residents can enjoy a selection of traditional English food, including fish and chips, while enjoying the views over the Thames Estuary.

This unique dining experience has recently come under threat by council officials who have almost doubled the rent for all cafe owners, prompting fears that some would be forced to shut up shop.

Last August, the future of the cafes was also threatened over a row with Southend Council about how late the nearby council-run toilets could stay open.

Many of the owners were worried they would lose vital evening trade if the council forced them to close when the toilets were shut at dusk, but council officials agreed to work with the traders to ensure that would not happen.

Despite these problems, Ray Holden, owner of the Fountain cafe said he would not change anything about his time under the arches.

Ray, 57, gave up his IT business five years ago to pursue his dream of owning a cafe along the seafront. He said: “I always wanted to run a pub, but when this came on sale I thought that there is no better place to be than here.

“The biggest problem is with space, but it is like Doctor Who’s Tardis in here. We can fit a lot in, but it does get very hot in the kitchen sometimes and space is a bit of an issue.

“I still love it here, meeting all the people and the views are gorgeous.

“It is good fun, but hard work. I would not change any of it.”

Ray appreciates the strong sense of community.

He added: “We all help each other out and if someone has run out of something, they borrow from other cafes. This place is such an important part of my life.”

Husband and wife team Carol and Andy Smillie fulfilled Andy’s dream of owning a cafe and cooking food when they bought Smiley’s cafe 30 years ago.

The couple have hosted wedding and birthday celebrations in their seaside-themed cafe.

Andy, 70, said: “We have generations of customers come in and we know all of our regular diners.

“My grandmother and mum used to be chefs and it was always my dream to go down the same route, so when we saw this for sale we jumped at the chance.

“It is just lovely here and we have loved every day of it.”

John Watson used to visit the cafes with his family in the Seventies before buying the Jolly Roger restaurant 23 years ago.

John, 63, said: “We used to run pubs in Southend and the surrounding area, but decided to change and serve tea instead of beer.

“The location is good, the view is great and we get a lot of regular customers.”