Marrickville Greek Style

Greeks have been a big part of Marrickville history. While Vietnamese noodle places now dominate Marrickville Road, some Greek remanets remain. As does Alexander the Great Macedonian Club.

I decided to visit the place with my buddies on Saturday.

Our Greek Goddess buddy Maria took control of the food order. We ordered dips, bread and a mixed seafood and meat platter. Red wine was also the order of the day.

Five minutes into the conversation, the musicians began. It wasn’t exactly background music. Rather it pierced into every word we said. We thought of finishing up our feed and buggerig off to the REM,

Then Leo Sayer came out and serenaded us. There was no escape. Instead we smiled duly and watched him duet with Dolly Parton. In order to sustain any conversation between us, we resorted to note writing. At that stage it was time for a jug of ale.


Leo serenades Maria


While Dolly Parton works the crowd


Note taking was the only way to converse

For Penny it was time for a smoke. We needed to get out.

“As a Greek chick I am really embarrassed about the place.” Maria said. Sam reassured her by saying that Aussies have their RSL clubs.

We waved goodbye to Leo and that was that. Outside Penny and I had a conversation with one of the security guards.

“It used to be happening, this place. Now everyone goes to places like the Ivy.”

I asked him if he was Greek.

“I am part Macedonian and part Jewish. I am thinking of becoming fully Jewish. That way I can start making some money”.

Night of the dirty dirty martini

Time: Friday night
Venue: Hemisphere Bar
Snogging: Nil


It was one of those night’s – I’ll just stay for one and then one ends up lasting till 11:30pm.
The bar staff got a bit excited with my dirty martini, allowing the olive to flow a little too freely and so ended up with a dirty dirty martini. My mate darin called it the Filthy Martini. Enjoy the pics.


Pip bites into Renovation Pete


DTC and Jeff


Vish hangs back with a beer


Satisfied staffers

Camera by Juli

On the house

The morning after. Julia and THAT Kevin Rudd wish

Last night Julia Newbould met Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. She asked him to sign a birthday card for her mum. He did.

Last night I met the Mayor of Marrickville Dimitrios Thanos. I asked him if I could take a pic of him with my friend Peter. He did.

“Please just call me Dimitri” he said to me after I addressed him as Mayor Thanos.

After some light conversation, he gave me his business card and said “call me anytime”.

I was at Petersham Town Hall to honour my mate Peter’s entry in the Marrickville Medal awards ceremony.

“The prestigious Marrickville Medal for Conservation has been awarded annually since 1995. It awards and celebrates conservation and restoration works that contribute to the understanding and preservation of Marrickville’s rich cultural and architectural heritage,” according to the council website.

Peter’s beautiful home was one of the finalists. On the back of the award presentations, the night included speeches from heritage experts – clearly they don’t get to speak much.

One chap spoke for 40 minutes, a presentation that included PowerPoint slides of heritage sites around Australia and pictures of his daughter, her pet dog and a hen with five chickens.

The other chap who won a special heritage promotions award spent a bit of time thanking his sub-editor. God Bless.

Finally it was time for the presentations. The homes were fabulous; clearly Marrickville is home to some fine architecture and residents with taste. Even the Maronite Sisters were up for a nomination. Their Novena must not have worked as they didn’t take home a medal, but at least they had their pic taken with the Mayor.

The winner was a home in Newtown, which is in fact leased out as holiday accommodation. “It was the worst house on the street” we were told.

The sandstone cottage was built in 1858 by a family of funeral directors. The architects (also the homeowners) subsequently renovated it into a modern gem, no doubt with a 4-star wells cistern label dunny.

Check it out!

http://www.australiastreetcottage.com/


The audience views Peter's home as part of a PowerPoint presentation


Peter, his certificate and Mayor just call me Dimitrios Thanos


Peter and his home


The Martonite Sisters with their certificate


The booze was free and it flowed all night