June 12, 2013

West End Memories Project: Nadine – 2

“West End Memories Project: Growing Up in Vancouver’s West End”

This project initiated by three old classmates from the area aims to collect stories and letters from old West Enders – a history of the people and by the people rather than a more traditional historical piece.   
Nadine Jones grew up in the West End in the Depression Years with the kind of spirit that allowed two girls and their young mother to survive and go on to lead very productive lives.  
Here is Part 2.  Part 1 here.  (To contribute a story, check below the fold below.)

.

Eng Bay 1933

English Bay 1933

.

Other memories of living on Morton Avenue was watching the fishermen at night with flashlights in the little triangle park at the foot of Davie St., looking for long fat dew worms.  And a man who had a tropical animal called a Kinkajou on a long leash and it used to go up into the street car overhead wires and crawl around while we watched.

Across the street at the English Bay bath house there was a small aquarium owned by Ivar of “Ivar’s Acrs of Clams” fame in Seattle.  The aquarium didn’t last too many years.  Down on the beach were the two very good looking Economy boys, Jimmy (the Shadow) and Bill (both deceased) who were lifeguards and had a great female following. …
Across the street was a den of iniquity according to my mother callGames of Chanceed Alex the Greek’s.  A small restaurant and what went on there I never found out because mum would never allow me to even peek in the door.
Every summer the huge raft with it’s slide called Big Bertha was towed from her winter quarters in Coal Harbour to English Bay for summer fun.  “I’ll meet you at the raft” as just as common a saying as “meet you under the Birk’s Clock” (Granville and Georgia).
We lived at English Bay but Second Beach and the muscle men, Tommy Bradko, Lucien Roy (Frenchie) and Al Reid and others showed off on the high bars and rings and were a great attraction to me. I was very tall in that era, (five foot eight and a half inches) and was very popular until a little cutie called McKinnon … I forget her first name … moved in on me, and the boys liked her because she was so small and feminine.  I hated her.

.

Gary Pennington welcomes your contribution:

Please take this as a sincere invitation to write your story or stories about Growing Up in the West End.  Use whatever styles that suite you. Stories or letters can be anywhere from 25 words to 2,500 words.
We may have to break down lengthy pieces into shorter stories in some cases.  We will not indulge in any extensive editing other than what is absolutely required.  Prior to portrayal on the website or publication in print, we will ensure that issues to do with potential libel or defamation are dealt with to protect writers and those written about.  While we encourage candour and disclosure, if there are things that you feel are too sensitive for real names to be used, please use pseudonyms and state this in your writing.
We would ask you to contribute your stories as soon as possible so that we can meet the goal of producing a memorial book for the 100th anniversary of King George High School in 2014.  Please send your stories, pictures, memorabilia, and certainly any ideas that you have about the project to the address below.  If you have the technical skills please send stories as attachments in MSWord format.  If you don’t have that skill set, please send us your stories by the postal service.  If that is not convenient, we can likely arrange for a personal or telephone interview. We also need contact information for other former West Enders.  Please send us any such information that you may have.
Thanks very much for considering this invitation to be part of what we feel will be a truly grand project for us and those who follow.  Again, please know that what we wish to do is to give voice to much of the joy and sadness that marked our lives as West End youth.  We are happy to answer questions that you may have.  All good wishes.
Gary Pennington, 2838 Hwy 101, Roberts Creek, BC, V0N 2W3
E: gazpen@gmail.com  T: 604-886-5746

Posted in

Support

If you love this region and have a view to its future please subscribe, donate, or become a Patron.

Share on

Comments

Subscribe to Viewpoint Vancouver

Get breaking news and fresh views, direct to your inbox.

Join 7,284 other subscribers

Show your Support

Check our Patreon page for stylish coffee mugs, private city tours, and more – or, make a one-time or recurring donation. Thank you for helping shape this place we love.

Popular Articles

See All

All Articles