Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Snaps # 5 Pancakes at Parramatta

Another walk down story loaded memory lane!!
This scan is of the menu from "Pancakes at Parramatta" which we went to lots in the 1980s in Church St all the way from Newcastle!! At one time you could buy a copy of the menu for a few dollars and then when times weren't so profitable and the allure waned they were a bit more circumspect.... so this one pictured made it out under a girls jumper of course!!

"Pancakes' was open 24 hours on weekends and genuinely included out of work 'Home & Away' actors and sports stars....

How it worked is that we'd be sitting around on a quiet night after a video or a party and someone would ask 'Supper?' which always meant piling into the car and heading down the Highway [only part of the F3 existed back then...] to Parramatta and back in one night... where the food was brilliant!! My favourite was the pancake stack with a beef pattie and a hash brown like potato pancake... fat city... but great flavours!!

There were a number of memorable nights where hopefuls times were completely ruined by misinterpreting the attentions of a young lady who genuinely wanted to be your 'friend' and became horrified that you took her attention any other way!! Will those other lads never learn I often thought!!!!!!!

On one memorable night a few years in, we had actually been to a late movie first and it was way after 10pm when someone said "supper?" We had to travel around and collect several girls jumpers before heading off.... It was the LA Olympics and we saw many Finals and memorable races on the screens at 'Pancakes'...

Driving home included a sidetrack to East Maitland where it was so late we turned off the motor and glided down Jelly's street... then down the road and started the car around the block to head back home!! A total waste of time when Jelly realised she had no key and climbed into the kitchen window stepping into a sink FULL of plates and cutlery.... making a little noise as you'd imagine!!

On the way back thru Mayfield under the orange highway lighting you notice that cars are all grey and grey cars are nearly invisible. By now its 5.30am and as I drift off to sleep at the wheel Woz calls out "ummm!! CAR!!" as I swerve into the centre lane and miss running up the back of a stationary Falcon car by about 15cms....

On arrival at our Islington Unit I recall falling asleep on a loungeroom beanbag watching athletics on TV at about 6am!!

Those were the days!!

6 comments:

Neale said...

Then there was the night when you were coming home from the cricket at 2:30am (cricket finished at 6pm incidentally)and turned right at a no right turn sign. Of course the only other car on the street was a plain clothes police car from the theft squad. As i remember there may have been two other people with you at the time: a young innocent man from Queensland and a gentleman from Malabula. Can you remember any more about that night? I'm sure there was a meal involved somewhere that evening. Derby St pie shop, or was it the crap hamburger joint on Tudor St. Ahh yes, those were the days... I'm sure you could have fitted a few more things other than just a menu underneath Jelly's jumper though!

Book Crasher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Book Crasher said...

Ahhhh! yes... hi Neale I was only just retelling that story this last Easter late at night as Far Nth QLD had a new Camp and we were stiing around talking about 'trouble' we'd been in... courtesy on this occasion of one Warwick Reginald Cadenhead!! Who in answer to the Detectives question, what are your name and contact details says "why?"

I don't know what happened to that innocent young man from Queensland?

Neale said...

Just to show that that evening was an aberration and proof of being led astray by his elders,
queensland is now leading a respectable life in
Canberra. In fact so respectable that he has now just become chaplain to the junior school at canberra grammar. SO he can now put back on his shorts and long socks once again. Finally a culture that will understand him.

Book Crasher said...

I suppose the school would be full of recalcitrant QLDers kids too....

Canberra Grammar, clearly they have lost the plot!!

Hey I'm in Canberra the first weekend in December [at least for a day and a bit... what time is AM worship on Dec 2... and where are u again ???

I'm at North Belconnen Cafe worship that night and planning to visit the public gallery of Parliament on the Monday!!

Book Crasher said...

I suppose the school would be full of recalcitrant QLDers kids too....

Canberra Grammar, clearly they have lost the plot!!

Hey I'm in Canberra the first weekend in December [at least for a day and a bit... what time is AM worship on Dec 2... and where are u again ???

I'm at North Belconnen Cafe worship that night and planning to visit the public gallery of Parliament on the Monday!!