 The establishment soon developed as a coffee house, where gentlemen smoked cigars with their coffee, browsed over the daily journals and newspapers, indulged in lengthy conversations about the politics of the day and played chess, sitting on comfortable divans or sofas.Regular visitors would pay one guinea a year for the use of the facilities and cups of coffee.The daily entrance fee for others was 6d (2½p), or 1/6d (7½p) with coffee and a cigar.