"Some dishes are so traditional they are untranslatable" - See what The Willow was like in 1973...

In latter years, it has operated primarily as a late-night disco, loved and lamented by thousands.

But how did it all begin?

The Willow had been a cafe from 1936 through to the 1960s - and when Tommy Fong opened a Chinese restaurant in 1973, he decided to keep the name.

Keen to build up some early trade, he did what any sensible businessman would do - and paid for an advertorial feature in the then Yorkshire Evening Press.

Extracts from the 1973 article

42 years on, that article makes for fascinating reading, promising delicacies akin to those served to Emperors in ancient China, dishes so traditional their names can't be translated, and authentic Chinese artworks on the walls.

• Want to see more? Enjoy this nostalgia gallery of 8 old photos, from inside and outside The Willow

>>> 8 photos of The Willow since 1973, inside & out

Speaking to The Press this week, Mr Fong said there had already been several Chinese restaurants in York before The Willow opened, starting with Chopsticks in Colliergate in the mid-1950s.

He said The Willow had a four-piece band playing at weekends during its first year, playing songs such as Tie a Yellow Ribbon, but this did not prove popular, and a disco was launched after a year or so to create a dinner dance.

He said business had been very difficult in the early days of the restaurant but had gradually built over the years.

>>> 8 photos of The Willow since 1973, inside & out