THE new owners of the Bluebird Tearooms in Malvern are trying to trace the building's long history.

Clare and Vincent Dolan, who took over the Church Street business in October, are keen to find out more about the building, which has been a feature of the town since before the First World War.

Clare said: "We're trying to trace the lady who opened the tearooms in 1913. We believe her name was Miss Hunt but we're not really sure.

"We'd like to know why she set it up and what her background was."

The couple are also hoping to find out more about a picture that hangs in the cafe.

The watercolour painting is captioned "The Blue Bird Tea Rooms" and features a young woman dressed in blue with a bluebird perching on her arm.

"We think this was the original advert for the business but don't really know," said Clare.

"The signature shows four letters but we can't make out what they are."

The couple are keen to keep the original look of the building.

"It's amazing the number of people who come in and say their mother used to work here," said Clare.

"People have a lot of happy memories of the place."

Clare said that the tearooms were renowned for their homemade ice cream and they hoped to produce a variety of flavours for next summer.

"I love making ice cream," she said.

"We've got a few flavours for puddings at the moment but I hope to make a wider selection. I've even been given an original recipe to try.

"We love it here and people seem to enjoy it."

Anyone with information about the tearooms or the picture can contact Clare on 01684 561166.