AT 118 Summer Street, the tin of TAB soft drink that sat in the front window since 1980 has gone. In those days Mayfield’s lemonade quenched the thirst in summer and the Orbell’s soft drinks jingle of “eight great flavours” played on 2GZ radio.
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It was the days of Barret’s ice cream, delivered in huge steel cans, fresh from the dairy, milk in glass bottles with aluminium lids and a thick gooey layer of cream floating on top. Arnott’s biscuits sat loose in large aluminium flip lid tins at the rear of the shop.
Cigarettes like Cool, and Benson and Hedges, Malboro and Camel (in the soft pack) sold for two shillings and six pence (25 cents). The Sunday papers were the Mirror, the Telegraph and the Sun and they cost sixpence (five cents each).
George Anthony Kaloutsis, my father, was a migrant from Greece and bought the shop in 1956. It cost five thousand pounds (about $10,000).
De la Salle Catholic boy’s school used to be up the road, where the Orange Summer Centre is now located, and it did not take long for some of the larrikin teenagers to find and push dad’s button at the penny lollies counter, and be chased from the shop, dad in pursuit waving arms wildly and yelling.
Directly across the road, where Shell garage is now located, was the old hotel which used to front onto Summer Street and wrap itself around into Sale street.
Behind the main entry to the hotel, in Sale street, there used to be two massive timber gates, and every year on bonfire night the gates were opened and a massive fire was lit in the yard. All the local children went to enjoy the spectacle and sound of tom thumbs hissing and cracking, tuppenny bungers vibrating the eardrums, rockets lighting up the cold Orange sky and the spectacle of whizzing Catherine wheels.
Bonfire night was almost the undoing of 118 Summer street in the late 60’s when a group of youths thought it would be funny to light a rocket inside the shop. (In those days anyone could sell fireworks.) The smoke was stifling and we dodged and danced out of the way as the rocket hissed past.
At 116 Summer Street, where the current Sweet Sour Salt restaurant now resides, was Berry’s dress shop. The shop was run by a lovely couple of either German or Jewish extraction. All I can remember is huge grins and a strong accent and welcoming smile. Somewhere in that there was a huge gold tooth. It was a chic place to buy clothes.
Stan’s fish shop is still located at 114 Summer and has been there as long as I can remember. There really was a Stan: a dark, tall and handsome Greek man. And just as if out of a Hollywood movie he drove a red sports car with the top down. He had a young lady friend in his youth whose nickname I was told was “Skinny Minnie.” All I can remember is a short skirt and long blond hair, and big, black sun glasses.
Brennan’s sport and toy shop was located where Percy’s now sits at 120 Summer. I spent many hours next door with the Brennan’s road testing the new toys. Some of you may have been taught by Mr Brennan at Canobolas High School. He went back to teaching after the shop closed.
In Sale street, where the entry and exit to parking for Woolworths is situated, used to be Orange Infants School.
Next to the school was O’Grady’s shop where one could buy the best lollies in town, called traffic lights. They were about the size of a fifty cent piece, coloured red, green or yellow, wrapped separately in cellophane and preceded by many years Orange’s first set of traffic lights.
Dad could never understand why it was necessary to buy lollies from another shop. Some things never change.
Next door to O’Grady’s was Robert’s photography. The photographer was the brother to Owen Roberts who owned the best cake shop in Orange situated in Summer street opposite the old Coronet picture theatre. Many enjoyed sweet delights such as the rich cream buns with lashings of strawberry jam from Robert’s cake shop and other old favourites.
Hatters was further down Summer Street where the Orange Arcade now resides. Hatter’s made one of the first thickshakes in town. Scoops of fresh ice cream creamed soft in the aluminium container, with milk and your choice of strawberry, caramel, vanilla or chocolate syrup. A straw would stand to attention in the slushy mixture.
Across Summer street was the Coronet picture theatre. Theo and Alma ran the Coronet Milk bar on the right of the coronet and Conomos fruit shop was on the left.
Next door was the Cherry inn café which made the best sandwiches in town. People used to queue down the street. My favourite was local honey on a fresh bread roll which was smothered in fresh butter. The Cherry Inn had one of the first televisions in town and we eagerly watched while sitting in the old timber cubicles.
Down the street as teenagers we used to gather at the Popular café. It resembled a bit of happy days from the television series. There were thick shakes and colourful sodas, fizzing with ice-cream. What always struck me was the sea of colours from all the different school uniforms: De la Salle navy blue, Orange High black and yellow, Santa Maria maroon and Canobolas high green. The juke box played the latest songs.
Also down this end of town, near the railway crossing was Andronicus hamburger shop. If you had a burger from Con’s you would still crave the taste. Con also had a wicked sense of humour. When his mother used to visit dressed in the traditional black garb of the Greek widow, Con told his young kids that the witch was coming.
At some point it was decided that the main street could use new and more impressive garbage receptacles. This was a big step into the future, except people starting posting their mail in the bin outside the post office. The problem was so bad that it had to be advertised it was a new garbage bin and not somewhere convenient to post letters.
118 Summer Street is being redeveloped and will house a new business in the near future.
