Willmore's 1938, the Washington Buildings cafe, celebrated its fourth birthday yesterday.

Run by partners in life and in business Matt Holland and Charlotte Court, the cafe has in this short time become an icon of the high street.

Nub News has written various stories about Willmore's in the past, many of which have focused on their emphasis on community and their ability to adapt in the face of adversity.

None, however, have explored how it all began. Today we ask Matt to take us back in time to day one.

"Charlotte was looking to return to work after having our daughter, and we have 30 years between us in the industry," he says.

"We thought, do we want to work for someone else or do it for ourselves?

"We wanted to do something and make it part of ourselves, make decisions our own decisions on the concept of the shop, that sort of thing."

Willmore's has a very distinctive feel, with its trinkets and nods to bygone Penarth.

The name commemorates the WIllmore brothers, two entrepreneurs from London who came to Penarth in the 1910s, setting up a cinema and designing the renowned Washington Buildings where the cafe is based.

"They were entrepreneurs, we were entrepreneurs and we just wanted to bring Penarth's history back to life," Matt explains.

"We also have cameras, film cans and film reels - that sort of thing. The building used to be a butchers too, so you we have butchers tiles and meat hooks and all that. This is a great town with characters and people from the past who shouldn't be forgotten."

The extent to which this preservation of historic identity explains Willmore's success is unknowable. All that is certain is that Willmore's has managed to thrive in difficult circumstances.

Nub News asks whether their success has come as a surprise.

"We always knew we'd do it right, but we're overwhelmed by how much the local people have taken us up and supported us," he replies.

"This has been especially true during the lockdown, which has been pretty diabolical. But we're there for them and they're here for us. And it's not just the people, it's the local authority too. People have given them a hard time, but we really appreciate both the Vale Council and Penarth Town Council for all we've done.

"There have been tough times, especially this year, but we'd do it all again."