ST. JOHN’S WOOD MEMORIES
Brian Franklin

November 2011.
My parents ran the shop at 31 St. John’s Avenue for many years, having moved down to the city from Tambourine Mountain. Mum (Lorna) and Dad (Eugene) took over the store around 1950, when I was 9 years of age. None of the children ever served behind the counter. In 1955, Mum and Dad leased the shop out and we relocated to Alderley. Over the period of 1950-1955 I was considered to be to a bit too young to ever be assigned to the counter. I don’t remember the Hintons, but I do recall the ‘other’ shop, beside the Ambassador Theatre and tennis courts. If I am correct about the location of the Hinton’s store, then I seem to remember this store being smaller than ours and therefore holding less stock (but again, I may be doing them an injustice). I don’t recall any serious liaison between my Dad and the ‘opposition’.
I don’t remember any of Dad’s regular customers having come from over on the picture theatre side of St. John’s Wood, so maybe the Hintons did have enough stock to fully satisfy the needs of the ‘other side’ of town. I can confidently say that our customers were all drawn from SJW, with my further recollection being that they generally came from nearby streets, not those people living over on the other side, near the bridge.
Dad, having come from a small crops farming background, was always a “Fruit and Vegies” man. He made daily, early morning trips into the Brisbane markets to select ‘the best’ for his customers. I therefore recall if nothing else of note, he built up a pretty high demand for the shop’s fresh food items. We also sold an awful
lot of cigarettes too! On a happier note, I have fond memories of the children coming in with small amounts of pocket money (anything from 1 penny to 3 pence) to eagerly choose a selections of sweets from the large glass fronted counter.
These youngsters actually drove Dad crazy on many an occasion; he would have a shop full of waiting customers with a small child taking an inordinate amount of time to carefully select a very few choice morsels. The family laugh about this now. Dad also took weekly orders over the phone and would then, on a nominated
day, make the deliveries. Bills were supposed to be settled on a monthly basis. Sadly I do remember the serious discussions which would often occur between Mum and Dad regarding the few serial offenders who had no scruples about not paying their account when due and continuing, nevertheless, to phone in with further orders. He was too nice of a man to ever say, “Sorry! No more until you pay”.
I can remember the periodic flooding of the St. John’s Wood Bridge, necessitating all St. John’s Wood children being sent home early from Ashgrove School to avoid being stranded on the other side.
At some stage Mum and Dad made the decision to close the store and convert the building into a ‘larger’ family residence.
When we arrived in 1950, there was a prominent (quite elderly) identity living just up the road from the shop. He was Senator Gordon Brown. His wife’s name was “Pos”. I vaguely remember him flying off to Canberra, but I think he finished his time in the Federal Parliament soon after we arrived in St. John’s Wood.
‘Pos’ was a cousin (far removed) of my mother’s (Lorna), which is why I do recall us being been invited to the Brown residence to partake of tea and scones once. At that time, being a small child, I had no knowledge of just what being a Senator meant.
My parents ran the shop at 31 St. John’s Avenue for many years, having moved down to the city from Tambourine Mountain. Mum (Lorna) and Dad (Eugene) took over the store around 1950, when I was 9 years of age. None of the children ever served behind the counter. In 1955, Mum and Dad leased the shop out and we relocated to Alderley. Over the period of 1950-1955 I was considered to be to a bit too young to ever be assigned to the counter. I don’t remember the Hintons, but I do recall the ‘other’ shop, beside the Ambassador Theatre and tennis courts. If I am correct about the location of the Hinton’s store, then I seem to remember this store being smaller than ours and therefore holding less stock (but again, I may be doing them an injustice). I don’t recall any serious liaison between my Dad and the ‘opposition’.
I don’t remember any of Dad’s regular customers having come from over on the picture theatre side of St. John’s Wood, so maybe the Hintons did have enough stock to fully satisfy the needs of the ‘other side’ of town. I can confidently say that our customers were all drawn from SJW, with my further recollection being that they generally came from nearby streets, not those people living over on the other side, near the bridge.
Dad, having come from a small crops farming background, was always a “Fruit and Vegies” man. He made daily, early morning trips into the Brisbane markets to select ‘the best’ for his customers. I therefore recall if nothing else of note, he built up a pretty high demand for the shop’s fresh food items. We also sold an awful
lot of cigarettes too! On a happier note, I have fond memories of the children coming in with small amounts of pocket money (anything from 1 penny to 3 pence) to eagerly choose a selections of sweets from the large glass fronted counter.
These youngsters actually drove Dad crazy on many an occasion; he would have a shop full of waiting customers with a small child taking an inordinate amount of time to carefully select a very few choice morsels. The family laugh about this now. Dad also took weekly orders over the phone and would then, on a nominated
day, make the deliveries. Bills were supposed to be settled on a monthly basis. Sadly I do remember the serious discussions which would often occur between Mum and Dad regarding the few serial offenders who had no scruples about not paying their account when due and continuing, nevertheless, to phone in with further orders. He was too nice of a man to ever say, “Sorry! No more until you pay”.
I can remember the periodic flooding of the St. John’s Wood Bridge, necessitating all St. John’s Wood children being sent home early from Ashgrove School to avoid being stranded on the other side.
At some stage Mum and Dad made the decision to close the store and convert the building into a ‘larger’ family residence.
When we arrived in 1950, there was a prominent (quite elderly) identity living just up the road from the shop. He was Senator Gordon Brown. His wife’s name was “Pos”. I vaguely remember him flying off to Canberra, but I think he finished his time in the Federal Parliament soon after we arrived in St. John’s Wood.
‘Pos’ was a cousin (far removed) of my mother’s (Lorna), which is why I do recall us being been invited to the Brown residence to partake of tea and scones once. At that time, being a small child, I had no knowledge of just what being a Senator meant.