Buy Australian!

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Living in Paddington my father drove with his job but we didn't have a car, a couple of time i remember when mum was in hospital at Rydalmere we borrowed a neighbours car to drive out and visit, he also borrowed the car once and drove out to the newly opened Kentucky Fried Chicken at Pagewood in 1969. When we went on holidays to Long Jetty we would catch a taxi to Central, catch the train to Gosford then the red bus that went to Long Jetty/ The Entrance.

Living in Paddington we were always a close bus trip to Bondi Junction and even the city, used to love going to Grace Brothers with my mother as she would always have a cake with coffee or tea and i would have raisin toast and a strawberry milkshake at the cafe there.

We've had similar experiences. When Mum was in hospital at the very end, which will be 20 years next year, my sister had use of my uncle's car for us as we would go and sit with her for 10 hours a day. My auntie did have a car at my grandmother's house in Campsie and I remember she drove us to the first McDonalds at Yagoona. I was only 4 then and I remember her asking if they had fish on the menu. We'd otherwise catch the train to the city, get out at St James and go to Woolies cafeteria, Mark Foys or David Jones. I also remember when the eastern suburbs rail line opened and we came on the train to Bondi Junction. We always came to Sydney on the Greyhound bus.

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Even in Sydney those local milk bars were often run by Greek families and they had those machines that sat at the counter with stuff like orange cordial or pineapple juice or similar in them, so refreshing on a hot day. Funny even though my father worked for the PMG which later came Telecom we did not have a phone on at home, although one of the tenants in the flatettes in the back had a phone which we could use for local calls, any STD calls were made from the public phone up the street, my father drove for work but we didn't have a car, it was only after we had moved to Kingsford after a few years that he bought a second hand car. We would play out on the street in Paddo till dark, playing all sorts of ball games, hop scotch and other things, life was very basic but never went with out, hated the move to Kingsford, it was like another world. It was like me and my older sister had a different up bringing being bought up in Paddington then my younger brother and sister were bought up differently because they were products of Kingsford and spoiled and allowed to get away with murder, i preferred being bought up in Paddington and so did my older sister.

We never had a landline either and the neighbours next door would let us use it in an emergency, when my Sydney based grandmother was getting very unwell. Or they would ring our neighbours and they would come and let us know there was a call for us. Otherwise, we'd walk around to the public phone in one of the side streets off the main road. I'm still not a fan of phones and happily turn my Nokia off at 6pm every night.

Dad had someone put a netball hoop up for me even though we lived across the road from my school so I could practise shooting goals and I could land them from anywhere even with the sun in my eyes as I would practise shooting from whever the ball landed. Mum painted my sister's old bike green for me and we had an old hula hoop as well. The girls from the local butcher shop would come and play with me after school and we'd do our homework at the kitchen table. We had 20 cents for after school and Fridays we got 50 cents. That got you a bag of mixed lollies, chips and a paddle pop. There was us and 2 other Lebanese families who ran the pub and also drapery shops and a Greek family who owned a sit down cafe where my sister would take me for waffles. I can still taste them and the smell was amazing. Most of the Italian families lived at Stanthorpe and ran the wineries. There was one Italian family and my cousins and I were good friends with the daugher as she was our age. Her father was a mechanic from memory and was a good friend of dad's.

[Bates]

Living in Paddington my father drove with his job but we didn't have a car, a couple of time i remember when mum was in hospital at Rydalmere we borrowed a neighbours car to drive out and visit, he also borrowed the car once and drove out to the newly opened Kentucky Fried Chicken at Pagewood in 1969. When we went on holidays to Long Jetty we would catch a taxi to Central, catch the train to Gosford then the red bus that went to Long Jetty/ The Entrance.

Living in Paddington we were always a close bus trip to Bondi Junction and even the city, used to love going to Grace Brothers with my mother as she would always have a cake with coffee or tea and i would have raisin toast and a strawberry milkshake at the cafe there.

The cinnamon donuts at Eastgate were my reward if I helped my mum with the grocery shopping at Coles. I'd also head down to Kmart and froth over the fishing section.

[Red.]

Even in Sydney those local milk bars were often run by Greek families and they had those machines that sat at the counter with stuff like orange cordial or pineapple juice or similar in them, so refreshing on a hot day. Funny even though my father worked for the PMG which later came Telecom we did not have a phone on at home, although one of the tenants in the flatettes in the back had a phone which we could use for local calls, any STD calls were made from the public phone up the street, my father drove for work but we didn't have a car, it was only after we had moved to Kingsford after a few years that he bought a second hand car. We would play out on the street in Paddo till dark, playing all sorts of ball games, hop scotch and other things, life was very basic but never went with out, hated the move to Kingsford, it was like another world. It was like me and my older sister had a different up bringing being bought up in Paddington then my younger brother and sister were bought up differently because they were products of Kingsford and spoiled and allowed to get away with murder, i preferred being bought up in Paddington and so did my older sister.

My family moved to Paddington in 1970 and never moved. Every milk bar and Deli on Oxford street was run by a Greek or Italian family and we all went to Paddington Public. What a time to be alive.

[horrie hastings]

My family moved to Paddington in 1970 and never moved. Every milk bar and Deli on Oxford street was run by a Greek or Italian family and we all went to Paddington Public. What a time to be alive.

I remember you mentioning about living in Paddington Red and i think you mentioned it was at the Ambulance station on Oatley Rd. I lived at Paddington from when i was born in 1963 till we moved out on New Years Eve 1970, it was a great place to grow up, i went to the Catholic School St Francis from 1968- 1970, one of the girls at school her parents owned the fruit shop across the road from the school but i remember my father used to shop at a fruit shop down near where the Paddington Inn is, it was either run by Greek or Italian then. Also used to go the fish shop a lot on Fridays which was across the road from the Catholic School. My mother used to play tennis down at the gully and when i went with her she would buy egg sandwiches from the deli for our lunch before we walked down, still have very fond memories of those egg sandwich wrapped up in white butcher paper

[horrie hastings]

The cinnamon donuts at Eastgate were my reward if I helped my mum with the grocery shopping at Coles. I'd also head down to Kmart and froth over the fishing section.

When we were living at Paddington and going to Bondi Junction there wasn't even a K Mart or even Eastgate centre, there may have been a Coles or Woolies variety store but not certain. I do remember Grace Brothers and also Mc Dowells ( which later became Waltons ), always shopped at Grace Brothers for lots of things, it was a huge department store then. There was also a Wimpy burger on Oxford St near Grace Brothers.

I remember for donuts my mother took me a few times to Downey Flake donut shop on the corner of Liverpool and Elizabeth St in the city opposite Mark Foys, their cinnamon donuts were yum, they also did raisin toast which i loved as a kid.

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Random Rooster Thanks very much for starting this thread. It's been very enjoyable to read the contributions on here.

[horrie hastings]

We've had similar experiences. When Mum was in hospital at the very end, which will be 20 years next year, my sister had use of my uncle's car for us as we would go and sit with her for 10 hours a day. My auntie did have a car at my grandmother's house in Campsie and I remember she drove us to the first McDonalds at Yagoona. I was only 4 then and I remember her asking if they had fish on the menu. We'd otherwise catch the train to the city, get out at St James and go to Woolies cafeteria, Mark Foys or David Jones. I also remember when the eastern suburbs rail line opened and we came on the train to Bondi Junction. We always came to Sydney on the Greyhound bus.

The Woolies and Coles cafeterias were fabulous, used to love how you would get a tray and then go along and select what you wanted and it was good honest food, they would have good sandwiches, salads, hot dishes and often roasts, then the deserts, the jelly trifle in the glass were so good. I remember both Woolies and Coles being just behind Mark Foys in Liverpool St at the time, not sure how we decided which ones to go to but they were both great in that part of the city.

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The Woolies and Coles cafeterias were fabulous, used to love how you would get a tray and then go along and select what you wanted and it was good honest food, they would have good sandwiches, salads, hot dishes and often roasts, then the deserts, the jelly trifle in the glass were so good. I remember both Woolies and Coles being just behind Mark Foys in Liverpool St at the time, not sure how we decided which ones to go to but they were both great in that part of the city.

What I also remember about those days is that no-one ever pushed in, we all got dressed up to go into the city and the food was satisying for sure. I still get off the bus near the old Mark Foys building and change buses at Hyde Park to get to work, going past Woolies Town Hall in the process. It's good that Big W is now in the city like in Melbourne for everyone who needs it but it's not like the old days. I remember when Waltons was near Town Hall station as well. I think my cousin who passed away recently worked at Waltons too when he was young. I remember chips and gravy and anything in a glass for sweets as well..it wa such a treat.

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The cinnamon donuts at Eastgate were my reward if I helped my mum with the grocery shopping at Coles. I'd also head down to Kmart and froth over the fishing section.

I never worried about Mum if I knew she was at Eastgate later in her life when she visited me at Clovelly and I was working at the bank. I still go in there at least once a month as I like the Reject Shop to get Australian made skincare as it's better they pick up the discontinued stock rather than it go to landfill. I often will get products to take down to the Wayside Chapel as well. The K-mart scares me as it's so big. I spent 15 mins looking for a small white frame that cost $2.50..LOL..

[Red.]

Great memories Horrie. I didn't live in the Ambulance station on Oatley road a good friend of mine did. Her dad was the chief. I lived in one of the streets near the Dunbar Hotel.

[Bates]

I'd buy my footy boots from Kevin Junee's on Ebley Street. Black and Orange Tigers were the go.

[Bates]

Bondi Junction back in the day.

Billy The Pigs. Friday night
Players Night Club.
Archies Night Club on a Sunday after the Clovelly Hotel.
Disposal Store on the Mall.
Whale Car Wash
Pizza Hut all you can eat on Tuesdays.
Grace Brothers
David Jones
380

[redwhiteblue]

Bondi Junction back in the day.

Billy The Pigs. Friday night
Players Night Club.
Archies Night Club on a Sunday after the Clovelly Hotel.
Disposal Store on the Mall.
Whale Car Wash
Pizza Hut all you can eat on Tuesdays.
Grace Brothers
David Jones
380

You've just described my 90's..
The Carousel shopping centre as well.
Being able to get around Westfield without needing a map, Bex and good lie down after getting home from there.

Don't forget our neighbouring Clovelly RSL/Airforce Club and the steaks at the DOG.

Best memory of all...drum roll please...Summerhaze Books & Music run by the Summerhays family..I still have a rare David Bowie DVD I bought from them.

[horrie hastings]

Great memories Horrie. I didn't live in the Ambulance station on Oatley road a good friend of mine did. Her dad was the chief. I lived in one of the streets near the Dunbar Hotel.

Ah ok, i remember talking about the ambulance station with you as one of the guys i went to school lived there also but i think they moved away even before my family moved from Paddington, i remember going to a birthday party there one year, We were not far from the Dunbar, just down on Stewart St, the property had two entrances, the other was on Leinster St. There was a vet on the corner of Walter and Renny St opposite the Dunbar which we took our dog to a couple of times.