Category Archives: Algernon

Steve the Butcher

16 Saturday Apr 2011

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Steve the Butcher / Bus Driver / Great Bloke

Story by Algernon, photo courtesy of the RTA’s 251-252 bus timetable

We moved here around 18 years ago. Familiarizing ourselves with our new environs we came across a butchers shop being run by a couple slightly younger than us. In the early 90’s butcher shops outside shopping centres or strip shops in the suburbs were becoming rarer and rarer. The couple recently bought the family business and not long after the recession we had to have had hit. What impressed me was the quality of the meat and foods on display. One Saturday we took Algernon Junior who would have been about 12 months old to buy some meat for the weekend.

I like my food and always look for the quality rather than the quantity. The couple had both been chefs at City restaurants combined their skills with the family trade and produced a wonderful array of goods. They cured their own hams and have won prizes including firsts for their hams, sausages and other goods at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

Steve the butcher offered Algernon Junior on this trip a piece of ham, which he woofed down and a friendship developed from that time. Steve offered small pieces of ham to all the kids who entered the shop and well as the adults. Since then we’ve bought ham for Christmas to share with the family. Junior recalled this marketing in his HSC years and this small offering as being one of his earliest memories.

Some years later they moved down the road to a small shopping precinct called Midway. They bought out the butchers who where there a butchers shop one wonders how it ever survived. It rarely looked to have anyone there. Their claim to fame seemed to be chicken boilers!

Steve could be called upon to supply our local primary school for snags for our fireworks night at a good rate. His kids didn’t ever go to the school. In fact he’d supply all the local schools for their fetes, father’s day BBQ’s or even election days. Saturday Netball at Meadowbank the Lions club would be cooking his snags. The local football clubs the same.

About three years ago Steve took up a new career bus driving, it’s a natural progression. He still worked in the shop two days a week. The bugger cut me off on a couple of time a roundabout when picking up one of the Algernoninas. That usually met with mock indignation the next time I saw him.

For Steve good food, family and friends were important things in life as well as sharing those things with others.  Too much sport was also barely enough to quote the great HG and Roy.

On the 6th of April, Steve suffered a massive heart attack and died. On the 12th Mrs Algernon and I had the privilege of attending his funeral with some 500 others from all parts of our local community. Whilst a sad occasion, there was much to laugh about as we recalled collectively his life and the way that he’d touched us. One of those was Steve being chosen to adorn the 251-252 Sydney Buses timetable, such a handsome bugger.

That evening Mrs Algernon, Algernonia the younger and I attended the Sydney Royal Easter Show Arts Preview where Algernonia is an exhibitor. She went close to a ribbon though the thrill of being hung is satisfaction for her. Of course they feed and water you as well.

As for Steve’s wife Ann, well she’s out the front of the store talking with people clearly comforted by the concern and love shown by the community. Rest in Peace, Steve it’s a privilege to have called you a friend.

Bumper Christmas Edition 2 – The Big Day Out

24 Friday Dec 2010

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Doyles at Watson's Bay, Sydney

By Algernon

Earlier this year, I moved from self employment to working for State Owned Corporation. Some of the benefits are a slower pace and a nine day fortnight. With the nine day fortnight it means every other Friday off.

For a number of years I have come to loath the commercial aspect of Christmas, the gluttony and materialism that go with it. Now I’m not trying to put a religious spin or anything here, I looking at how it is celebrated and the excesses that go with it.

Watson's Bay Camp Cove - source Wikipedia

In recent years one of my clients had harbour cruises. This year the SOC I work for had a Christmas Lunch in a restaurant and the section I work for has what they like to call a “Big Day Out” the following day. The Big day out is always held in the same place, The Watsons Bay Hotel. Now Watsons Bay is a place of my youth, many years watching the yachts head out and down the coast on Boxing Day or maybe a day trip when visiting grandparents at Bondi.

The Big Day Out is always held on a RDO in December and has done so for around a decade. Tradition stipulates that all those attending must wear Hawaiian shirts and never the same one two years in a row. I was proud of the gem I found at St Vinnie’s for 50% off for $3. Others managed to find some real stunners. We would all meet at Circular Quay to catch the ferry arrive in time for opening returning on the last ferry around 4:00pm. One of life’s simple pleasures is catching a harbour ferry.

For many years I’ve noticed that the Christmas decorations hit the stores at the end of September, in my youth it was the end of October. The stores are spruiking stuff much of it overpriced and that much of it we don’t need. A lot returned on the days after Christmas. Another thing I see is the desperate need to get together with “friend’s” and “family” at this time of year when some would not even consider at other times.

Lately I’ve wondered about the Christmas food. Legs of Ham, Turkeys, fruit cakes, puddings etc all winter food and not really appropriate for Australia at this time of year. Growing up, we’d visit an aunt where a cousin would appear bearing gifts of lobster, prawns, fish and other seafood wonders. Being fisher folk they’d bring this fresh off the trawler.

Now a Christmas dinner is a meal you don’t eat at any other time of the year. We eat leg ham all year around and eat half a leg between Christmas and New Year what is left over is saved for pea and ham soup in winter. The turkey is always a small so it’s gone a few days later. Now I know people who wouldn’t eat ham except at this time of year then buy a whole leg for a small family now a leg weighs between 11 and 15kgs it’s a lot of ham. I’d hate to think how much is wasted. That goes for the giant turkeys as well. Our butcher tells us the Turkduckins are popular. That’s a chicken stuffed into a duck which is then stuffed into a turkey and will set you back around $150.

The discussion at the BDO came down to what each was doing for Christmas. One spoke how family members had their nose out of joint as they always did Christmas lunch and had done so for over 40 years was not impressed that lunch would be at their place. Forget the fact that they were getting slower and forgetful and that this person had a young family. An interesting time ahead for them. Another said they had a family do on the weekend where half the family was at loggerheads with the others and some were not even welcome. Afterwards they are off to somewhere in New England with partner and their mother who is just as insistent about doing things even though they are less able to cope compared to years past. Even in my family we are have Christmas here though it’s not our turn with everybody doing something towards it. One family member feels put out even though they are having day surgery this week.

I’m sure we’ll all have good days!

As for presents, I ask for peace and goodwill to all people. No one seems to understand this. I’d prefer no presents or would prefer someone buy me a goat in Bangladesh or a toilet in the Congo or even a permanent clean water supply in Malawi. I live in hope.  This year however, one of the children has taken to buying presents, something they haven’t done in the past. They don’t have much money apart from some pocket money. They’re a little concerned as they feel it’s not much. I told them it’s something I’ll cherish as they have given it from the

As for the day, celebrate it as you do and can I offer all of you peace and goodwill. If you can’t get enough of Christmas music here is a link to keep you out of trouble. Every day is Christmas at this station.

http://radiotime.com/station/s_89803/181FM_Christmas_Standards.aspx

 

Good Luck to All !

Also a Happy New Year to all the Piglets.

The Black Dog

01 Monday Nov 2010

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The Pig’s Arms welcomes Algernon.

50th birthdays

I’m in the middle of a second wave of 50th birthdays for family and friends. Last week a family member rang to say that the police needed to be called to the 50th of one of their friends. Their 18 year old son had become violent due to a psychotic episode – related to taking drugs. The lad has been suffering with mental illness similar to Bi-polar disorder. His drug-taking started with smoking dope, I suspect, to ease the pressure of having to perform at top levels in sport and attending a school where none of his friends went. In the end, he was dealing at school. His parents have been doing their best to help him cope with his mental health issues, in silence for a number of years and they have only recently been aware of the dealing.

October was Mental Health month.

I bring this to you as I also have a child with mental health issues although illicit drugs are not the issue.  This child was first diagnosed with depression at the age of nine.  With good therapy they managed to excel for a few years. Recently after starting high school the wheels slowly started to fall off again. Off to the psychologist we went again and made improvements but not as quick as the first time. By last Christmas holidays there seemed to be much improvement.  As the year progressed they slowly went downhill again. Around July anti-depressants were prescribed reluctantly, given the age of the child, however they seemed necessary. One day in August the child had a breakdown at school and was taken home. A parent was speaking on the phone, the child tells them that they loved them and went upstairs. The parent realizing the risk, immediately ends the call and follows after the child who by the time they got to them was attempting suicide.

We live in an area with some of the best mental health facilities in the country; however they seem to be overwhelmed by the high levels of mental health issues that affect the community. I can say that we’ve built a good support network around the child and they are now making good progress.

The hardest thing about dealing with this is watching the wheels slowly fall off, seeing them withdraw from the activities that they love and watch them just hang onto the small things that mean the most to them. As a family, life just seems to come to a standstill.  Generally the family suffers in silence.

Even though people are more enlightened than in years gone by the stigma still remains.  Given how prolific mental health issues are, one wonders why. You also are careful who you do and don’t confide in. Some of those you do will judge, most I’ve found are very supportive. Above all talking with others who are supporting gives an outlet to express yourself and how you’re coping.

We know that one day the child will improve and after recently changing friends who are encouraging to them for what they are has seen the mood change for the better.

Pic borrowed from http://asitoughttobe.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/sunday-poetry-series-presents-robert-archambeau/