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Flashback Sydenham Cellars

August 12, 2020 by David Herd

Flashback Sydenham Cellars

Flashback Sydenham Cellars

Flashback, Sydenham Cellars was the name of my liquor store from 1980 to 1985. Situated in Unwins Bridge Road adjacent to Sydenham station. The photo above was my opening night in March 1980, the gorgeous girl Debbie Don who lived near me in Drummoyne.

A closer look at Debbie.

Flashback Sydenham Cellars You must admit she is very easy on the eye. 🙂

The original shop

Flashback Sydenham CellarsAfter three years I decided to renovate & sell the business.

Let the facelift begin

Flashback Sydenham Cellars

Here I am with my best friend Madison.

Flashback, Sydenham Cellars

Flashback Sydenham Cellars Lucky for me my best friend & his brother Wolf Wotke & Hank were bricklayers.

What an improvement

Flashback Sydenham Cellars Far too classy for a downtrodden suburb like Sydenham. 🙂

Madison’s favourite spot

Flashback, Sydenham Cellars

Perched on top of a stack beer cartons in the middle of the shop, he scared the hell out of some of the customers. 🙂

Here he was at 6 weeks old

Flashback, Sydenham Cellars My ex girlfriend Carol Aboud decided I needed a watch dog. 🙂

This is how it looked around 2001

Flashback, Sydenham Cellars

A wholesale clothing shop.

I owned the business for 4 years & amassed losses of around $150,000 due to the council closing the road for 3 months each year for various roadworks.

This really destroyed any chance of me making a profit. Plus my clients were mainly purchasing cases of beer & cheap flagons of wine, both of which had very small profit margins. Looking back I should have done my homework on the demographics.

However it was not all bad news, I enjoyed a terrific lifestyle during these four years, I only worked 3 or 4 days a week & enjoyed myself the rest of the time on Sydney harbour in my 25′ Bertram. Check out my life in 1983.

Say no more, wink wink, nudge nudge.

Flashback, Sydenham Cellars

Life was very good as you can clearly see. 🙂

I also spent 3 months in California in 1982 while my brother Warren & auntie Dorothy looked after the store. The real upside was the decision I made at the beginning to buy the actual property, the profit when I sold was about $160,000, tax free because it was before 1984.

One of my best years ever was 1982, check it out.

Then in 1984 I got engaged to a lovely lady & sold the business. See more on THIS LINK.

Many thanks for visiting my Flashback, Sydenham Cellars photo blog, who was it that said “nostalgia is a thing of the past”?

Check out these great photo blogs.

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Newport peninsular Sydney 1984

June 30, 2016 by David Herd

Newport peninsular Sydney is my personal photo history not part of my travel blog.

Newport peninsular Sydney

Newport peninsular Sydney

 Newport peninsular Sydney was my home for three years from 1984 to 1987. After becoming engaged to a beautiful Melbourne lady Karen Smith, I purchased a timber home perched on a hill above the Royal Motor Yacht Club. The cost was $128k, and I sold it after our engagement fizzled out 4 years later for $360K. I guess it would be worth nearly 2 million dollars today.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Newport peninsular Sydney

 As you can see Karen was a beautiful lady, it took me anther 10 years before I realised I was just not cut out for marriage or long term relationships. There is probably a multitude of reasons why, fear of commitment, too independent etc etc.

Dinner party at Herbert Avenue

Newport peninsular Sydney

We were very happy at Newport 80% of the time, I tried hard to settle down and enjoy life as a couple, every now and then however the “call of the wild” would interrupt our utopia.

Wolf Wottke (with the beard) had been my best friend for a number of years, I left him renting my Drummoyne apartment for a year or so until I got fed up chasing the rent. Consequently I sold it which in hindsight was probably a mistake.

Lots of birds & wildlife

Newport peninsular Sydney

These beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets would visit every day for their snack on the balcony.

Life was very good

Newport peninsular Sydney

I had all the toys, a beautiful Mercedes Sports, a cabin cruiser moored at the yacht club, a liquor store in Sydenham which I was in the process of selling and a good sales job with Canon Australia.

Lion Island

Newport peninsular Sydney

This great photo (excuse the quality) was taken on Lion Island in the Hawksbury River, from left to right we have Graham La Roche aka “Biff”, his girlfriend at the time Mona, Ross Ansell from Melbourne and Karen Smith & I.

Me Tarzan

Newport peninsular Sydney

Ross doing his Tarzan impersonation on Lion Island.

31 Herbert Avenue Newport

Newport peninsular Sydney

About 25 years later around 2012 I paid a visit to Herbert Avenue to see if things had changed. Apart from the colour scheme and far less vegetation nothing much had changed.

 Another day on Pittwater

Newport peninsular Sydney

My good friend Tony Murphy and his beautiful wife Inge join Karen & I on my 26 foot cabin cruiser. After 29 years I caught up with Inge in Melbourne in 2014.

My back veranda overlooked Bayview

Newport peninsular Sydney

Here is my good friend Paul Slaughter with two gorgeous girls, on the left is Trish and on the right an old girlfriend of mine Shirley.

Big Tim Bristow, dinner at Herbert Avenue.

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

 Tim Bristow was a friend of mine dating back from the time we met in 1971 when he was on my tail to give me a hiding, but that’s another story just follow THIS LINK. In the 70s just the name Tim Bristow struck fear into the heart of all those who knew him, an enforcer with a reputation of being one of the most brutal street fighters in Australia. Put simply he was legend, a bouncer at the Newport Arms hotel, would be contenders for his crown would travel from all over Sydney to try their luck, many came and all of them were sent packing battered and bruised.

 Sydenham Cellars

Newport peninsular Sydney

I sold my liquor store in late 1984 which took the pressure off me. I had been working with Canon for a few months and travelling to Sydenham (a one hour drive each way) at weekends to work in the liquor store. Meanwhile I dug a wine cellar underneath my Newport home and stored a huge amount of wine that I took home from the shop.

Unwins Bridge Road

Newport peninsular Sydney

 That’s Madison my beautiful 4 year old German Shepherd who used to diligently guard the store overnight.

 Newport peninsular Sydney Brian Millard

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Brian was a boat broker at Newport and a regular drinker at the Newport Arms hotel. He lived just up the road at Bungan Beach before moving to Noosa where I believe he still resides.

 Richard on the left and Rob Carnahan

Newport peninsular Sydney

Two very nice guys who were customers of mine when I was with Canon. Their office was opposites the Oaks Hotel in Neutral Bay so more often than not we would meet in the pub. 🙂

A bunch of my nephews & nieces come to visit.

Newport peninsular Sydney

Amazing seeing these old photos, all of these cute kids now have children of their own.

Sue and John Heatherington

Newport peninsular Sydney

A lovely couple who lived in the next street from us, John also worked at Canon in the computer division.

Malaysia 1985

Newport peninsular Sydney

John & Sue, Karen & I went on a Canon conference to Penang, here we are driving from Penang to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur.

Singapore Xmas 1985

Newport peninsular Sydney

Here we are in Singapore, notice the cigarette. I smoke on and off for most of my life until 2003. Usually 2 or 3 years then I would quit for a similar time before returning to the grip of the nicotine.

 Newport peninsular Sydney with Phil Parkinson 

Newport peninsular Sydney

Phil has lived most of his life on the Newport peninsular Sydney and I believe still does in 2016. He is the brother of my ex girlfriend Di Parkinson.

Melbourne Cup 1985

Newport peninsular Sydney

Karen & I at the cup with friends including another ex girlfriend Helen Burke who is on the left of the photo. Helen has a vineyard at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsular, I spent a few day there in October 2014 drinking wine with her and her partner Jack.

Oscars Coolangatta 1985

Newport peninsular Sydney

I can’t remember the name of the beautiful dark haired princess, she was the girlfriend of my crazy chiropractor from North Sydney.

Newport peninsular Sydney

Newport peninsular Sydney

Prior to buying my cabin cruiser I had this little run-about, it was a lot of fun, do you like the name? 🙂

Another guy from my rogues gallery.

Newport peninsular Sydney

Danny Rose one of Adelaide’s true characters, we had a day of the water, you can see “Stamped Urgent” in the background.

Beautiful Karen Smith

Relocate Sydney Gold Coast

Certainly my life on the Newport peninsular Sydney revolved around lots of good friends and my beautiful fiancée Karen. My thanks to her for being the most important part of my life for those great years.

Thanks also to you for visiting my Newport peninsular Sydney photo blog.           

Here are some more posts to check out

         Life 2015                     Family history                   Life 1982

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  Adelaide 1972                 Iron Bar Freddy               Sydney 2006

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Thailand 2008                Gold Coast Babes               World trip 2003

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             Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book
                  through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
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1g Duck
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A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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More great photo blogs here;

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil 

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

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Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

January 8, 2016 by David Herd

Melbas on the Park

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy is a huge part of Surfers Paradise folklore. Here is my photo record spanning over 25 years showing my friends and I having fun at this iconic nightclub and bar in Surfers Paradise. In the early 80s it was also one of the best restaurants due to the expertise of owner/manager the late great Paul Allen.

My Melba’s three L scenario, Legends were made, Lies were told, Ladies were pursued. 🙂

This is not a travel blog just a personal photo collection from Surfers Paradise Australia.

New Years Eve 1990 Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

On the left is Tony Fazio who was manager at the time, now living in Perth I believe, on the right is Steve Jones one of the legendary bouncers who sadly passed away far too young, RIP.

Adam & Eve

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

 I think her name was Amanda but don’t hold me to it. A cocktail waitress who was a very sexy lady.

Dinner before we hit Melbas

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

In those days there was a Japanese restaurant next door where I regularly had dinner before hitting the club. Melbas was only on the 2nd floor then, downstairs was all shops.

 Paul’s son Dave Allen part of Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

Dave is a terrific guy, in 1990 he was working behind the bar, in later years he was General manager.

Another New Years Eve around 90/91

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 Harley Bradstreet one of my greatest long time friends, no Melba’s blog would be complete without him. For a while in the 90s he was actually one of the chefs there, it’s still unknown how many diners were rushed to hospital after eating one of his creations, forgive me mate I’m only joking.

A mutual friend of ours Southport solicitor Larry Wilson coined a famous phrase regarding Harley, he said “anyone can have a bad decade”. That really summed it up beautifully, I often used to refer to this great little guy as my own personal disaster area, but a nicer guy than you could never meet.  Narrelle with the great smile worked behind the bar and was Tony Fazzio’s main squeeze at the time, a few years later I recall introducing her to her future husband, Jack Delanty, a one eyed Collingwood supporter from Melbourne.

 July 7 1992

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 July 7 1992 was my birthday so naturally we celebrated at Melbas. Great friend Andre Buzek on the left was dentist on Chevron Island who was always offering cut price dental work to any sexy young lady who crossed his path. Sadly Andre lost his life in a car accident in Cuba about 4 or 5 years after this photo was taken.

Greg Johnstone on the right now lives in Thailand as I do, we occasionally have a beer together. At the back are Roger Williams and Len Jones, Roger went back to Adelaide and Len now lives in Sydney, the name of the girls eludes me.

A very happy bunch of people

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

The young guy at the back is Justin, another one of Paul Allen’s sons.

The legend himself in 1992

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

Paul was larger than life and ran Melbas with an iron fist. I originally met him when he was head waiter at Eliza’s restaurant in Cavil Avenue. Two of his customers financed Paul into Melbas around 1981, they saw potential in the way Paul interacted with customers and figured he could develop the best restaurant night club on the coast, they were right.

I vividly recall my first visit on January 1st 1982, we had a huge night on Sydney harbour on New Years Eve which ended at dawn, so on the spur of the moment we flew to the Gold Coast checked into St Tropez in Orchard and wound up at Melbas that evening.

At the start Melbas was 75% restaurant and 25% night club separated by a glass wall. Even though the restaurant was top class each passing year saw it get smaller and the nightclub bigger until it disappeared altogether.

An article from the “Age” in May 1981

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

The whole paper and other articles can be seen here.

Grahame aka “Biff”, Kitty & Helen Burke.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

January 1982 a couple of days after we arrived the party continued on the Gold Coast. The new sexy girl in the middle was “Kitty” a totally uninhibited Dutch girl who I knew from Sydney, but that’s another story.  🙂 Helen Burke on the right was soon to become my new girlfriend, in November 2014 I visited her at her winery at Dromana in the state of Victoria, my how time flies when you are having fun. The big guy is Graham La Roche aka “the Biff”, a legend in his own lunch time.:)

Lets jump forward to the year 2000

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

One of Paul Allen’s rules was to hire the best looking girls to work behind the bar, in my book the best of them all was Aurora. She is definitely part of Melbas Gold Coast Legacy.

The usual suspects Xmas 2000.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

From the left we have Jim Bell, John Sinclair, David Herd and Tony Murphy. Jim rented a room in my home for 15 years from 1995. John moved to Thailand around 2001 and Tony still lives on the Gold Coast.


Lovely Kerry

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Xmas 2000 and Kerry Townsend-Smith was one of the head girls, I first met her when she was a waitress at the Boardroom, a well known Southport gentlemen’s club. From memory after Melbas she moved to Koi at Broadbeach, a lovely lady with a great personality.

A definite highlight in 2000

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

One of the most gorgeous ladies I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, Skye Edwards from Launceston.

Skye-Jilly Edwards (born c. 1972) is an Australian beauty pageant titleholder who won the Miss Globe International 1994 in Istanbul, Turkey and represented her country in the Miss World 1994 pageant in Sun City, South Africa. She was rated in the top 50 models in Australia by Ralph Magazine.

Perfect except for one small thing

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Yes, Skye was a smoker, come to think of it so was I in 2000. I finally quit for good 2 years later.

Dean Martin Original Release LITTLE OLD WINE DRINKER ME

Here is an article on Skye’s current life.

Melbourne Cup 2004 with Michelle

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

You could always guarantee the best eye candy on the coast would wind up at Melba’s on Melbourne cup day.

Paul McCartney - MICHELLE - HDTV-FullHD

 The Butterbean Brothers in 2005

x120Butterbean20brothers

Two legends in their own lunch time, the Butterbean brothers aka Larry Krausz & Ross Kennedy. Larry just moved to Pattaya on November 28 2015 and is now my neighbour. (Sadly our buddy Larry passed away in January 2017 after suffering a major stroke in Thailand October 28th 2016)  Rossco originally from Melbourne where he sold hot dogs outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and is now a mover and shaker on the Gold Coast. He quit his holdings in Surfers Paradise strip clubs and restaurants to become the glass splash-back King of the Coast. We have a long & happy history together with the highlight being a legendary road trip to Sydney, Falls Creek & Melbourne in 1996. What an incredible year 1996 was, read all about it here.

 December 2003 Xmas lunch.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Sadly two old friends in this photo have passed away. Second from the left Ron Collier died April 26 2012. I first met Ron in Melbourne in the 70s before he & Yvonne moved to Byron Bay, a great character who loved life to the max. Second on the left is Noel Smith a regular Melba’s customer who passed away in 2011.

Graham La Roche aka “The Biff”.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

A true Aussie legend, I also met Graham in Melbourne in the 70s, as his nickname suggests he was a hell of a fighter. Fought with the famous Jimmy Sharman’s boxing troupe throughout Victoria in the 60s and was never defeated. Graham was on-board by boat in Sydney Harbour on New Years Eve 1981 when we got smashed by fireworks because I stupidly anchored in the drop zone, read about it here.

For many years Graham has run a successful tiling business at Carrara on the Gold Coast.

Historic photo from National Library of Australia

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

 Lovely Linda in 2005

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

I think this beautiful lady was Maltese, I only wish I was 20 years younger and 4 times wealthier.

Melbourne Cup 2006.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Important evens were always celebrated at Melba’s, here I am with good friends David Robertson aka “Chocolates” and Phil Thomson aka “Baldrick“. Chocs was famous for the huge volume of “Forsters Light” he would consume daily while Baldrick was famous for……… nothing really. 🙂          

Xmas 2006

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Here is my good mate Craig Sulzberger aka “Sudzi”, this was around the time we were planning to visit Rio de Janeiro for Carnival in 2008.  We also had a great time in Florianopolis and Balneário Camboriú.

Xmas 2006 Greg Craig aka “Noodles van Cleef”.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Another terrific old friend who was a regular member of our Melba’s drinking crew. Also known as “Coupons” which he collects to swap for free stuff. 🙂

Another gorgeous staff member

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

  Service with a smile.

2007, German and gorgeous.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Not only gorgeous but a sparkling personality as well. I can’t remember her unusual name, Zea or something like that.

Concentration plus

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Keep that red wine flowing my dear. 🙂

2007 Alan Jones

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Twice world Formula 1 champion, a true living legend if ever there was one. Pictured here with myself and well known Gold Coast sycophant David Hoskit.

My birthday 2008

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

As I said previously all important events were celebrated at Melbas. One of the clowns, I think it was Noodles decided I was old enough for a wheelchair. I can guarantee one thing for sure, Chocs would not have paid for that bottle of red, & everybody who knows him would agree with me. 🙂

Just so cute

 Melbas Gold Coast Legacy It was 2009 and I think her name was Linda, another one of the super cute Melba’s bar staff.

Dani Tobin, a real wild child.

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Over the 25 years of drinking at Melba’s I met some wild crazy ladies, and Dani certainly makes it into my top 10. I see her occasionally on Facebook and she seems to have quietened down a little little, hopefully we may catch up again one day. This photo is from 2009.

The usual suspects in 2008

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

We usually met around 5pm most days and left around 7 pm to sneak home dodging the breathalyzer.

2008 Drinks for my AFL tipping comp

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 I ran an Australian Rules tipping competition for around 10 years and Melba’s were one of our sponsors.

2009 AFL footy tipping dinner

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

  Here is part of the mob at our end of year dinner in 2009.

Straight out of the Folies Bergère

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Another gorgeous drink waitress who contributed to Melbas Gold Coast Legacy.

I’m including this song just because I like it.

It’s a happy song and for some strange reason it makes me think of all the happy times I had at Melba’s.

ZAZ - Champs Elysées (Clip officiel)

 Isabella Rovai and Marilia Costa

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

These two beautiful Brazilian girls worked behind the bar in 2011.

Another knockout

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 

Is it any wonder we made Melbas our local pub?

Rolando Hanipale

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Rolando was one of the big happy bouncers at Melbas.

Another Legend Lloyd Ross 2009

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

When and why did Lloyd become a legend you may well ask? Well sometime around the turn of the century Lloyd relocated his office from Bundall to 50 Cavil Avenue right next door to Melbas. I am sure that no other customer has ever spent more in this bar than Lloyd, for a start most days from 11 am he would conduct his business in the south east corner of the bar surrounded by various friends and associates. He would normally pull up stumps around 6 pm and head home to Main Beach.

One memorable evening around 2007 Lloyd was enjoying himself so much he stayed on much later until the place was jumping. The crowd in the bar at that time was several hundred, so without any fanfare he ordered 600 shooters at a cost of $5,000, guaranteeing his place in Melba’s on the Park folklore for evermore. It didn’t stop there, he followed up with another 600 to consolidate his legendary status. 🙂

Ross Kennedy September 24 2011

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

Only a few days before making my huge life changing move to Thailand I started having farewell drinks at my favourite bar with my favourite friends.

My last visit November 2014

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

After my road trip from Adelaide to Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road I flew to the Gold Coast to catch up with friends and family. Phil Thomson and I kept alive our tradition of drinks at Melbas on Melbourne day.

Nothing changes

Melbas Gold Coast Legacy Here is a group of old friends in August 2017, still rocking on after all those years. 🙂

The Brazilian girls are still gorgeous.

Melbas Gold Coast LegacyThis gorgeous creature hails from Rio di Janeiro.

Caught up with Geoff Robinson from Gosford.

Melbas Gold Coast LegacyA Thailand tragic, much like yours truly. 🙂

That’s all folks for Melbas Gold Coast Legacy

 photo Farewell David 001.jpg A final gathering of the usual suspects before leaving for Thailand. I hope you enjoyed my Melbas Gold Coast Legacy post.

Here is Glenn to describe how I now feel in September 2017.

         

                      Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
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          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
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           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
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            Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you            
          book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
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That’s all folks

1g Duck


Counter only started June 16 2020.

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Nana Plaza Bangkok sex sin sleaze

December 15, 2014 by David Herd

Sex in the city

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza Bangkok sex sin sleaze it’s all there. I have been a frequent visitor for 20 years & have seen the LadyBoy population rise from 10% to around 40% today. This does not suit me at all, give me the sexy young girls any day. 🙂

Was Lollipop, now Suckers

Nana Plaza Bangkok

I prefer the name Lollipop but I guess they are now referring to the people who enter the premises. 🙂

Here is the name a few months ago

Nana Plaza Bangkok

This post is going to show you the old and the new Nana Plaza Bangkok

The more things change the more they stay the same. Can you believe it’s 2018 & Lollipop returns. 🙂

Nana Plaza Bangkok Lollipop just refuses to die.

 Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza Bangkok seems to be forever changing not always for the better. In fact Soi Cowboy is more spectacular and the girls seem friendlier, the downside is that it is more expensive.

December 2014 with friends

Nana Plaza Bangkok

I like to stay at the Dynasty Hotel which happens to be only 40 meters from Nana Plaza so it is a very convenient drinking spot for me. In the photo above is Bow, Matt Harkness and Roland Bonnici.

The Plaza comes alive after 9 pm

Nana Plaza Bangkok

The later it gets the busier it becomes.

Entrance from Soi 4 to Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza Bangkok

The plaza does not look too appealing in daylight.

Spellbound

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza Bangkok is square-shaped, with a single opening on the west side, and consists of a ground floor and two additional floors. It started as a restaurant area in the late 1970s. During the early 1980s, a few go-go bars appeared and gradually replaced the restaurants.

The composition of the bars has changed over the past few years; the last non-go-go bar, the Woodstock Pub, was sold in 2005 to the Rainbow Group and reopened as “Rainbow 4.” A few bars offer a more pub-like or beer bar format without dancing; as of late-2009 only the Cathouse remained. Three short-time hotels operate on the top floor. Short-time hotels rent out rooms by the hour or more to the NEP patrons to take a bargirl (or kathoey) for commercial sex.

Most bar girls working at bars in Nana Plaza are willing to leave with customers upon payment of a bar fine.

Spellbound is now Bangkok Bunnies

Nana Plaza Bangkok

The more things change the more they stay the same. It is a never ending cycle at Nana Plaza, one business goes bust and another steps in. Bangkok Bunnies is one of the largest clubs in the complex. The photo was taken February 20 2016 as was the following YouTube video.

Now in November 2018 there has been a name change.

Big Changes Nana Plaza Plus Soi 4The more things change the more they stay the same. I first came to Nana Plaza in 1996, & here I am again in October 2018 drinking ice cold Tiger beer & listening to the Eagles sing Hotel California, the perfect song for this incredible venue. “You can check out any time you want but you can never leave.”

Nana Plaza Bangkok at sunset

My favourite Nana plaza girl

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Her name in Phung but to me she will always be Cleopatra. I met her at the Plaza in 2001 and for the next 7 or 8 years each time I would visit Bangkok I would look her up. She left the Plaza 3 or 4 years ago and I believe she now lives with a guy in Europe.

Kathoeys or LadyBoys

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Most bars in Nana Plaza do not employ kathoeys, but several do so exclusively. As of mid-2013, these venues are Obsession, Voodoo (ground floor), Casanova, Temptations (middle floor), Carnival and Cascades (top floor). With the exception of Voodoo which exclusively employs post-op kathoeys, the staff at the remainder are almost all “pre-operation”, in contrast to the kathoey bars in Patpong. A number of post-op kathoeys can be found at other bars managed by the Crown Group, namely Lollipop,Hollywood Rock, Fantasia, and G-Spot as well as the independently run Erotica.

Here is Cleo in June 2006

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Hard to believe 15 years has flashed by.

September 2006

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza Bangkok with some Australian friends in 2006, from the left is Tony Murphy, David Herd (me) John Sinclair & Brian Rawnsley.

Sinclair has a black list.

Nana Plaza Bangkok There are quite a few of us on s black lit so I thought I would design a shirt in appreciation. 🙂

 More friends at Nana in 2008

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Good friends Nick & Sharon from the Gold Coast and Rod Perrin from the NSW central coast who lived in Pattaya. RIP

Here is a quick video from 2008

Nana Plaza Bangkok 2008

Nana Plaza 1999

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Poor quality photos from the early digital cameras.

Nana Plaza 1999

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Very different now in December 2015.

 Nana Plaza 1997

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nineteen years ago and nothing much has changed.

 Gorgeous girls in Nana Plaza 1997

7Nana Plaza Bangkok

Nana Plaza in my opinion was much better in the 90s.

My gorgeous Jane

Nana Plaza Bangkok

  I met Jane in Nana Plaza Bangkok in 1999  and I took her to Pattaya and Koh Samui.

Here is beautiful Cleo saying goodbye

Nana Plaza Bangkok

I have great memories of time spent with Cleo.

Hooters arrives in Nana

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Right opposite Nana Plaza Hooters on December 23rd 2015, it may prove to be a little too expensive for the Soi 4 Nana Cheap Charlie’s.

         Nana Plaza Bangkok          Nana Plaza Bangkok

Hooters Bangkok Nana Plaza

The entrance to Nana Plaza, Hooters and the Hillary bar.

This photo says it all. 🙂

Nana Plaza Bangkok

Quintessential Nana Plaza. Here is the my history over the last 20 years.

When I’m in Bangkok I like to stay in Sukhumvit Soi 11, here is an excellent budget hotel, if you USE THIS LINK you will get a great rate of around B1100 per night, or $30 USD.

Nana Plaza Bangkok

The best Bangkok budget hotel I have ever stayed in.

Check out this link to see the surrounding area.

  

นานา - กับอีสานโปรเจ็ค - NANA - The Isan Project Ft Errol Reid and Pui Duangpon

Well you have now seen the old and the new Nana Plaza Plaza Bangkok, thanks for visiting.

 

                  

                     

 Here are some more posts to check out 

         Sydney                               Paris                                   Bangkok           
 497d0b6e-c0bd-4ba2-86be-c02100f050a8        65470622-d17a-4b90-bf97-2574df4c412d        1a2160c1-41f7-465a-954c-631e083eb229
          Tokyo                        Rio De Janeiro                        Budapest
f59e958e-8eaf-48b4-8e96-c291a0c13d1a        f044491e-69aa-4082-b49b-1ff33557d7d4        a6a948cd-f30a-49ea-a905-82be4d202cc9
           London                            Beijing                            Capetown
2246c6cf-5fa6-4fbe-ac30-b569253ad2a6        f65d714b-f44c-4b2e-9505-3511ebecbb80        4e82052a-24d0-41e1-ab84-10e8f27634d1
 
                        Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you                                
                         book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
                                                                 Plus free cancellation .
                                               Bangkok Hotels                    Pattaya Hotels
                                            d0c59ff5-7f2b-41b5-9312-4556d4a62037            01a75360-9573-473f-acba-3a187f779b7f
 

Slide show here.

Click bottom right hand corner for full screen.

That’s all folks

1g Duck

  Here is my post on Soi Cowboy

Lots more photo blogs here;

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil 

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Pattaya live webcam

 

While your here check out this post

 

Walking St Pattaya

 

 



Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos