Pittwater Life November 2020 Issue

1980 flashback:
the f irst Avalon Fair
News
Curse you COVID-19: if it weren’t for Coronavirus, this
month Avalon would be celebrating the 40th anniversary
of its popular ‘Market Day’ – or ‘Village Fair’ as it was
known when it kicked off in 1980.
Leigh Haines, who used to own and operate the Avalon Toy
Shop, remembers the occasion with pride. He recalls the Fair,
which took place on Saturday October 25, was the brainchild
of Mike Menson, the first President of the newly formed Avalon
Beach Chamber of Commerce and the proprietor of Mensons
Pharmacy at 40 Avalon Parade (now Saad Khan’s Avalon Beach
Pharmacy).
Leigh was his deputy and the Fair’s convenor.
“Mike had visited the Queen Street
Fair at Woollahra and believed that
a similar event could be staged in
Avalon to boost the local business’
trade and promote Avalon Village as a
‘destination’,” Leigh tells Pittwater Life.
“The fair was to be open strictly to
Avalon Beach traders, charitable organisations
and local craftspeople.”
Leigh remembers the local Warringah
Council was approached for permission
to temporarily close Old Barrenjoey Road
between Sanders Lane and Avalon Parade,
but the Traffic Committee “would not hear
of such a bold idea”.
“A fall-back request was for the angle
parking bays along Old Barrenjoey Road to be occupied
by traders to set up tables with Village Fair specials,”
Leigh continued, “But that was refused too.”
So, shopkeepers were strictly limited to having
a table on the pavement outside their business
and craftspeople and charities occupied the space
outside banks and other spaces not otherwise
used on Saturdays.
“There was nothing like the street closures
enjoyed by traders, the community, and visitors in
recent years,” Leigh said.
The Fair was promoted through street banners and bunting,
signs in shops and a fully paid-for supplement in the local
Manly Daily newspaper.
There were a few highlights from 40 years ago that would
raise eyebrows today.
“The Avalon Village Fair in 1980 featured a Miss Avalon competition,
with judges selecting three winners from shoppers on
the day,” Leigh explained.
“The winner received a $50 cash prize and the two runnersup
received gifts of merchandise.”
Leigh said Newport car dealership Sundell Motors displayed
one of only 500 HDT Brock Special Commodore cars, the model
which had filled the first eight places in the 1980 Hardie Ferodo
1000 car race at Bathurst just three weeks before the Fair.
“As Marlboro cigarettes was a major sponsor, the Marlboro
25 Girls were there ‘to excite the interest of the more mature’,
according to the Manly Daily
supplement, and promoted their
product,” he said.
Fair entertainment included the
Barrenjoey HS Band, which played
on the Avalon Theatre steps.
“The band had been unbeatable
over four years in the school band
championships,” recalled Leigh.
Also, the Fair hosted displays by
the Australian Army, Avalon Sailing
Club and Avalon Surf Club.
Searl’s Health & Bulk Foods and Avalon
Health Foods gave out free samples
and had specials (dried apricots were
$5 a kilo).
For children there was a merry-goround,
a jumping castle and fairy floss, with
special appearances by Alcoa’s early environmental
ambassador ‘Aluminium Man’ and by Holden’s
mascot, Rory the Lion, who gave out balloons.
The Manly Daily supplement listed Fair specials
including Johnnie Walker Scotch for $11.99
and Penfolds Bin 231 Rhine Reisling for $1.99 a
bottle at Avalon Drive-in Liquor; dinner at Avalon
RSL for $1.50; 115cm wide dress fabric for $1.99
per metre at Avalon Fabrics; childrens’ sandals for
$5 at Shoeland; Fisher Price toys at half-price at Avalon Toy
Shop; a Polaroid camera for $35.95 at Plunketts Chem-Mart
Pharmacy; and men’s poly-cotton shirts for $6.50 at Haslam’s
Avalon.
– Nigel Wall
*Were you there? What do you remember? Tell us at readers@
pittwaterlife.com.au
Get ready for jibe talking
Turns out sailing is one of the most COVID-safe
pastimes we can enjoy this Summer, writes James Judd
Sailing is a sport of many tribes,
from the cruising sailor, kids in
dinghies, youths in skiffs, twilight
racers to offshore ‘gruelers’ and classic
boat enthusiasts. Some sailors race,
while others cruise, so Pittwater’s club
managements and volunteers busy
themselves with diverse programs to
cater for all.
The dinghy clubs are perhaps the
spawning grounds for many a sailor’s
lifetime passion. Robert Warnes of
Bayview Yacht Racing Association
(BYRA) speaks with a genuine passion
about helping children discover the
simple pleasures of sailing. BYRA’s learn
to sail classes are affordable and fun,
with a large beach area to rig on and
events as simple as an ‘adventure sail’
to another bay, to competition racing at
a high standard. COVID has closed their
canteen and made what is a fabulous
boatshed wedding venue available only
to small groups; otherwise it’s business
as usual out on the water.
Avalon Sailing Club is another Dinghy
sailing club on the shores of Pittwater
with a very community-oriented
approach to sailing and other sports.
Commodore Larry Eastwood says their
clubhouse is available to other community
groups for yoga, art classes and
the like at very affordable rates, adding
it’s a beautiful venue for these pursuits.
The growing paddling division includes
a local community of SUP and kayak
paddlers. He reports their learn to sail
classes and sailing calendar is unaffected
by COVID, with all on-water events
going ahead.
Woody Point Yacht Club’s Ian Major
suggests they have arguably the most
COVID-safe club in the world – “since
we don’t have a clubhouse!” They have
a large enthusiastic membership, with
their Wednesday evening twighlight
‘stern chaser’ race attracting over 70
boats. It’s an eclectic fleet of yachts,
from old wooden classics to discarded
ex-Olympic boats to pretty much anything
with a keel and sails.
Pittwater Aquatic Club at Mona Vale,
with its sound financial position, enjoys
a membership kept at 400 and a waiting
list to join. Run by volunteers, its
excellent DIY facilities make it the club
of choice for boat owners who like to do
their own maintenance and/or restorations.
Its calendar and activities include
racing and cruising for keelboats;
because of COVID restrictions there are
no clubhouse prize-givings or social
events but on-water activities remain
unaffected.
The Royal Motor Yacht Club conducts
events for motor, sail and angling that
keeps Events Manager Jaz Rowntree very
busy. Like other clubs, their busy on-water
calendar is unaffected by COVID. The
multihull division continues to grow
as a part of the RMYC diverse boating
culture. For the clubhouse activities, the
management has engaged with advisors
to fall in with all legislation relating to
COVID including staff training for social
distancing and cleaning. They have curtailed
any large clubhouse events and
otherwise obliged members to socially
distance with all that requires in a club
setting. A popular trend is ordering
takeaway from the clubhouse, so members
can still head down to the club for
the weekend and enjoy a meal aboard,
cooked for them at the restaurant.
The RPAYC’s focus is on sailing, from
learning to sail for kids or adults to high
performance training, gym facilities,
cruising and racing inshore/offshore
divisions. The club hosts state, national
and world championships. Unfortunately
COVID has stopped national or
international competition for the time
being. In March each year, the club runs
one of Australia’s premier ocean races,
the Pittwater-Coffs Harbour race. Whilst
the 2020 event was cancelled, the 2021
event is expected to attract a large fleet.
News
14 NOVEMBER 2020
The Local Voice Since 1991
The Local Voice Since 1991
NOVEMBER 2020 15