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 6^th of April, Steve suffered a massive heart attack and died. On the 12^th 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.