Shareen Campbell and Phil Saunter, owners of Los Gatos and Bistro Les Chats in Wood Street, and the Swindon Business People of the Year, talk about life in the restaurant business

It is in the nature of the restaurant business that we see a lot of life. On a quiet morning a customer may pour their heart out over a coffee; on a busy night, another may pour their stomach out over the pavement.

Some parts of the job are more interesting than others.

We can’t help noticing how things have changed since we have been in the business. When we first opened, our evening staff would often stand outside the front door in Wood Street when they finished at around midnight, chatting and smoking before they walked home or shared a taxi.

These days, sadly, the street is no place to stand and chat at night. At the weekends, regardless of how cold it is, Wood Street is crowded and noisy with young people “having a good time”.

For some reason this involves the girls shivering with hardly any clothes on, the boys shoving and punching each other, both sexes publicly relieving themselves in any corner they can find.

The police stand and watch, seemingly interested only in “serious crime”, not in what used to be called “drunk and disorderly” behaviour, which society didn’t want to tolerate. Now we have no choice.

Not so many years ago, one Wood Street establishment was threatened with losing its licence because of the noise of jazz music emanating from its open doors on a summer evening.

Now all the neighbouring bars are blasting out ghastly dance music through open doors onto the street, winter and summer, until 3am.

If you happen to live in Wood Street, you have to tolerate that too.

We are constantly reminded of the wisdom of our decision to close both our restaurant and tapas bar before midnight.

These days, our staff wait inside for a taxi to take them home. If you don’t, as one of our chefs found out last week, you may end up in hospital with a split lip because you don’t smoke and therefore couldn’t oblige a passing stranger with a cigarette.

Are we just grumpy old people, or is enough enough?

Los Gatos can be contacted in 01793 488450 or go to www.losgatos.co.uk.

Bistro Les Chats can be contacted on 01793 527082 or go to www.leschats.co.uk