Restaurant is now a concrete slab

No story about local restaurants of the 1950s would be complete without mentioning the Ship Ahoy on the corner of Augusta St and The Esplanade, Umina.

Established by a Greek couple Jim and Lorna Nanidis, they created a smart modern building with an island bar where Jim lorded over a newly-imported espresso machine.

The theme was very much nautical reflecting Jim's previous life in the merchant navy.

Unfortunately the building was located below the dunes which denied patrons a view of the ocean.

The restaurant was the venue for many wedding receptions as well as a meeting place for service clubs.

I played there several times with a folk group to raise money for the Pandora Committee.

Many years later, Paul and Denise Chong acquired the property and changed the name of the restaurant to the House of Chong.

They introduced an Asian menu and also conducted cooking classes which attracted a long waiting list.

Regrettably the restaurant is no more with only a concrete slab and a "For Sale" sign marking the site.

There was one other cafe which deserves a mention.

It was a bit like that popular song of the day: "What's behind the Green Door?"

It was the Pink Camel located above Sunshine Coast Fashions in Ettalong, owned by Bill and Edna Tomkins.

The proprietor of the Pink Camel, Yvonne Beavis, served light meals and coffee and was particularly popular with young people looking for somewhere to meet, talk and hold hands in a romantic setting.

Yvonne, by the way, was the compere and entertainer at the RSL Club at a time when Claude Knight was the president.

Email, 30 Nov 2010 Fred Landman, Daleys Point