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| The historic Shingle Inn, with its mock Tudor facade, pictured on the day it closed on August 3, 2002. Photo: Peter Dunn, www.ozatwar.com |
A big thumbs up to those in the Brisbane City Council who have put plans in place to bring back to life the much loved Shingle Inn as reported in today's Courier-Mail!
The original Shingle Inn opened in 1936 on Edward Street in Brisbane. I remember meeting my grandmother there for tea. She was wearing a hat and gloves and I was dressed in my Sunday best accompanied by my mother. The dark wooden booth seating seemed mysterious and cosy at the same time and the silver sugar basins an institution.
They had the best assorted sandwiches in town which was pretty fancy eating for that era.
Then along came the Queens Plaza development and the Shingle Inn went into storage. The promise was that it would be re-instated but that never happened. Instead the furniture, ornaments and crockery have all been in storage.
Modern interpretations of the Shingle Inn have opened in various developments and shopping centres around town but, for me, it's just another coffee shop.
Here's one rate payer who is happy to foot the installation bill, expected to cost $600,000 to $900,000 to relocate the Shingle Inn into City Hall. Well done!
I'm looking forward to taking tea with my daughter in the new/old Shingle Inn. I'll have a cup for grandma Ruby as well.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if my daughter was able to take her daughter to the Regent Theatre and enjoy the grandeur of that venue as well? Doesn't seem likely at this stage - another bit of heritage soon to be lost.