The Simla, Oswestry

However much a pub or restaurant has a place in the tradition of a town it will not survive if it does not move with the times, writes Sue Austin.

The Simla Restaurant in Oswestry, has been part of the town's social scene for more than three decades and it would have been easy for it to become stuck in a comfortable rut.

But on a recent visit it was good to see that the eatery has managed to combine the best of the old and the new.

It was a favourite place of mine to eat as a teenager growing up in Oswestry.

And so I was delighted when son Joe chose it when asked where he wanted to go on his sixteenth birthday, some days after his official and somewhat manic party.

In this belt-tightening climate I wondered if the restaurant was going to be too quiet on Tuesday night.

But when we arrived there were diners at several tables, showing the strength of its reputation.

Despite not dining out much these days, Mel and I were greeted like friends by the Simla's owner, George Miah. He and his wife Julie brought Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine to Oswestry in the mid-seventies.

The couple stayed in the town to raise a family and become a much respected part of the community.

They were recently honoured for their charity work, holding fundraising events in the restaurant and each year giving a class at their local primary school the chance to sample some of their culture, dressing in authentic dress and trying some of their food.

Joe and his friend Rob, both now turned sixteen, were chuffed to be able to order a beer or cider with their meal.

It was strange to see the lads having a drink while designated driver mum stuck to her boring jug of water with ice and lemon.