Frank Fotiou

My family has been here for 33 years; we came directly from Greece. I was born in Samos. My father-in-law, Con Lerantges, and I were running the shop at first, and then my wife Gina and I took over. We were married in 1986, and Gina has worked in the shop for twenty years.

My earliest memories of Glebe are good memories. People used to shop locally more often. The new generation is different. There are more vegetarians, and people eat less meat now. They also shop at large shopping centres like Broadway and they shop online because it is convenient for them. These changes have made a big difference to local shopping. In the old days there were seven butchers’ shops on Glebe Point Rd.

Another change is the development of The Tramsheds area near Jubilee Park. In the lower part of Glebe Point Rd, we lose customers to The Tramsheds because this shopping centre is more convenient for people who live at Glebe Point. Other changes I notice are not big ones. For example there are not so many buses as there were previously, although there is heavier traffic generally.

And socio-economic mix? There is a different clientele today, with more upper-class people who have more money to spend. I don’t remember any particular ‘colourful characters’, but I miss a lot of the people who have died.

And the Valhalla Cinema has been redeveloped, and that also makes a change to the local landscape.