Sunday, June 1, 2008

Monthly Theme Day: My local Corner Store


This little cafe, round the corner from our house, is one of that dying breed of old fashioned family stores, which sell everything. You can't imagine how it all fits into the small space, but no matter what obscure item you ask for (enamelled coffee cup, paraffin lamp, fishing tackle, you name it) they seem to have it in stock.

It is in Richmond Hill, and as you can see from the architecture, was built some time in the 1930s. It literally is a corner store, built on a narrow triangular plot at the intersection where two streets run down the hill into another. So it is on the corner of 3 streets! It is still owned by members of the original Chinese family who started it. Last year the owner gave me copies of two treasured old family photos, which were taken in 1960. As you can see, aside from the Pepsi sign on the top, it has barely changed after all these years.

This one shows the whole family of the current owners (the man on the right was her father-in-law who owned the shop then, and the girl next to him was still at school then and is now 61!




Many other Cities around the world are participating in this theme day.
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

17 comments:

  1. That has to be the most cornered corner shop. I love the "now and then" shots, too

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  2. A kind of before and After scene but the store remains the same and still in business. I wonder where all those people are?

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  3. Truly a corner shop. I like your then and now comparisons. Jones? a Chinese name?

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  4. That is great that he let you use those photos. It gives the store context and heightened interest to see the people behind it all these years.

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  5. Wonderful choice for theme day! It truly is a corner store, which we sometimes call "wedge" buildings. They always remind me of small towns, lakes and resorts...and childhood!

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  6. I enjoyed the before and after photos! It's cool that it is still in the same family after all this time.
    I echo Gordon's comment about the name Jones!

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  7. Your photo epitomizes the definition of a "local corner shop". Locally owned and just around the corner.

    The family photos are special. Please tell the owners thank you for sharing their treasured photos with the world.
    Denton from Greenville and the Daily Photo Map.

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  8. How incredible that the shop hasn't changed a bit!

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  9. Another real corner store. Love seeing the historical perspective in the theme day post! Very nice!!

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  10. This is fantastic. This corner shop certainly has a lot of historical significance. It's really marvellous that it's still able to generate a living for its owners, considering the proximity of the city centre & Greenacres shopping centre.

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  11. What a nice comparison you were able to do....the Pepsi sign looks nice.....and the color is great too...

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  12. Those are wonderful images - yours and theirs! I an age when most people change jobs every few years, it's comforting to see the continuity in a place like this. My thanks to the family for letting you show us these pictures.

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  13. I remember this shop! My best friend lived in a house right across from it (in the early '90's!). So nice that one of the dying breed of corner shops are still surviving

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  14. hehe, yes, the name is something of a mystery, I must ask them about that!

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  15. Lovely pics. It looks like such a friendly shop.

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  16. They used the name Jones to avoid hassles with the authorities who were moving all Chinese to Kabega Park and elsewhere. There was another shop nearby, also owned by Chinese, who use the name Alfond instead of Liao Chong Alfond - for the same reason!

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