Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya is located in the arcade off 2nd road opposite Mike shopping mall. In the same arcade you will find Patrick’s & the Beefeater.
A table or a booth sir?
Plenty of space between the tables. 🙂
Walking Street
This is dated 1960, however it should show 1980, the reason is I actually took the photo on my first visit to Pattaya.
The original photo
That’s my friend Rob Symonds walking towards the camera. We have visited Manila & Hong Kong on the way to Thailand. Follow THIS LINK for more 1980 photos.
July promotion was exceptional value.
B595 or $19 USD.
Lobster Bisque to begin
It tasted as good as it looks. 🙂
Australian Ribeye
At Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya this Australian Ribeye was extremely tender & tasty.
Guess who was celebrating his birthday?
Guilty as charged. 🙂
Creme Brulee is a favourite of mine.
It was a toss up between this & the Tiramisu. Creme Brulee is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a texturally contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar. It is normally served slightly chilled; the heat from the caramelizing process tends to warm the top of the custard, while leaving the center cool. The custard base is traditionally flavored with vanilla in French cuisine or with cinnamon and lemon in Catalan cuisine, but can have other flavorings. It is sometimes garnished with fruit.
Toast Skagen, one of my all time favorites.
The Beefeater also offers Skagen. Toast Skagen is an appetizer and Swedish food. Consisting of two slices of toast, mayonnaise and many prawns. Sometimes crabs are used instead of shrimp. The name of the dish originated from Skagen in Denmark, but the dish is not very well-known and most popular in Sweden, which was created by the restaurant and chef from Stockholm Tore Wretman. He introduced the Toast Skagen … Wikipedia
Australian Shiraz
Tonight I chose to take my own wine as it was a special occasion, the corkage fee is B300, or $9 USD.
Tiramisu
Very rich, I prefer the Creme Brulee.
Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya
Thanks for visiting my Longhorn Steakhouse Pattaya photo blog, I highly recommend this excellent restaurant. Don’t forget In the same arcade you will find two other very good restaurants Patrick’s & the Beefeater.
First six months 2020 happily living in Thailand with a view to die for. For most of December & January we have had severe pollution in Pattaya (and elsewhere), the government seem to lack the skill & the will to solve this unhealthy problem. Most of it seems to come because farmers burn off their sugar cane crops, surely they would be easy to find & 6 months in jail may make them think twice next year.
The first was January 10 & finally we got clean air on January 26, however within a couple of days the pollution was back. The 2nd photo is June 12th, what a fabulous clear day it was.
Beach Quarter
Mid January the old Mantra site (part of the Amari Hotel) is almost completed, can’t wait for it to open. 🙂
Two new chairs
I’m guessing I spend 8 to 10 hours a day in both these chairs.
Pothole & one of the Squabblers
Pothole, aka John Martin has 2 sons aged 9 & 11, this is Tyrone who has just busted open his piggy bank to find just over B110,000 or $5,300 AUD, both sons are very good savers.
Fabulous chicken teriyaki skewers.
The food park at Central Marinais one of my favourite eating spots. Normally I have a wonton soup & 2 chicken skewers for a B100, or $4.80 AUD, this day I had 4 skewers for B60, or $2.90 AUD.
Genki Soi 4 North Pattaya
A very authentic Japanese restaurant with good quality reasonably priced food.
View from my balcony
Without a doubt I am lucky enough to see some of the best sunsets in the world from my condo, for more please follow THIS LINK.
New drains on Beach Road
For many months they have been digging up Beach Rd to improve the drainage system, only time will tell if it’s worth the effort. 🙂
Painting Markland Condo
These guys seem to have no fear. 🙂
Spiderman is here wearing thongs. 🙂
I would certainly have a heart attack if I tried this. 🙂
Toast Skagen
My favourite entree at the Beefeater restaurant.
Clean up Pattaya Beach
The beach will be clean, the water not so much. 🙂
Holiday Inn at happy hour
Drinks & dinner at Holiday Inn with Mark Yagalla, buy a bottle get one free. 🙂
Healthy lunch at home
It’s hard to find good avocados in Thailand, most of the time I use them for smoothies. The avocado bistro in Bangkok is an exception.
Soi 2 North Pattaya
Lots of construction & renovations happening in Soi 2, I’m directly above this hotel on the 20th floor in Markland Condo.
Rain at last
It’s March 15 & this is the 1st significant rain we have seen this year.
2nd Road North Pattaya
Only 9 am & this tall LadyBoy is dressed to kill. 🙂
March 2020 and Chinese tourists are not allowed to swarm into Pattaya, many business owners are suffering but residents like myself are loving the peace & quiet.
February 2020
What a fabulous smile, this is little Charli with her mum Laura, my gorgeous niece.
Two of our local lads at the Holiday Inn
Greg Clee & David Rose enjoying a drink at the Holiday Inn.
My million dollar view
From my balcony on March 26 2020.
First six months 2020
Now anybody who has been to Pattaya & some parts of Bangkok knows the uneven footpaths are rather treacherous. Yesterday morning while walking I was briefly distracted which resulted in “a leap of death.” With 109 kg crashing to the ground strangely enough, (don’t laugh) it was my two big toes that came out the worst. Both toenails were damaged rather badly, but I assure you my friends I was shaken not stirred, I’m guessing no morning walks for a few days.
Takeaway only
Starbucks & the few restaurants that are open can only serve takeaway due to Covid-9 restrictions. No big deal, I’m happy to sip coffee by the beach. 🙂
Pattaya beach has never looked so beautiful.
However the thing I miss most are the restaurants.
More drinks at the Holiday Inn
John Martin & David Robertson, aka Pothole & Chocolates. Chocs lives in Surfers Paradise & spends quite a bit of time in Pattaya, he rents one of Pothole’s studios in Markland, & pays far too much rent. 🙂
Beautiful clouds
April 20th & a beautiful morning.
Combating the virus
Who is that masked man?
Hamish has a barbecue
That’s Jonathon Sheaffe & his girlfriend Anne with Hamish Elton.
Sausages & chicken
So much food & such little time. 🙂
Proud father with baby Jasmine
One month old & gorgeous.
Creme brulee
Perfect end to lunch at the Longhorn Steakhouse.
Amazing cloud
May 5th at sunset.
Robin Hood Tavern
Sunday roast is very good value at around $16 AUD.
First six months 2020
Another of the many business closures due to Covid-19, this was a massage parlour in Soi 1 opposite my condo.
Pattaya Bay looking fabulous
I never grow tired of the view from my balcony.
Ancient timber ferries
Lots of character but I( would not like to be onboard in a storm. 🙂
Beach re-opens June 1st.
After many weeks you can now go to the beach.
First six months 2020, at last a foot massage
I can now enjoy a massage after the salons have been closed because of Covid-19.
Lunch at Miyazaki
Teriyaki chicken was delicious.
Best pancake I have ever tasted.
Holly’s cafe at Terminal 21.
Magnificent clouds June 1st 2020
The view from my balcony.
Safe at last
Building lifeguard towers on Pattaya Beach. 🙂
And here it is.
I really wonder if it will ever get used. 🙂
Soi 2 hotel construction
View from my balcony June 29th.
Holiday Inn opens again June 25
So happy to be able to relax here after 2 months of shutdown due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Delicious food
Fettuccine with smoke salmon & asparagus, washed down with 2 glasses of Wolf Blass shiraz.
Thanks for visiting my First six months 2020 photo blog, life in Thailand has been very good even with the virus restrictions.
For what it’s worth in my humble opinion the danger from Covid-19 has been greatly exaggerated.
My Long Winding Road has been a wonderful journey, born way back on July 7 1943, & grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney Australia. One of the great benefits to me with this photo blog, is I get to re-live all the fabulous experiences in my life, I’m certain that without photos as a reminder, I probably would forget 80% of what I have done in life.
I was the eldest of 5 boys with the most wonderful parents any child could wish for.
Rather than focus on the early years just follow THIS LINK for lots of old photos of all the family.
This post covers memories from the 60s & 70s, part 2 will be the 80s & 9os.
Please note this is not part of my travel blog, it is my online photo album.
My 21st birthday in 1964
We celebrated a couple of months early as I was about to leave for England on the cruise ship Fairsea with my best friend Glen Beasley. Here is the story of THE CRUISE.
May 1964
After 18 months of working 2 jobs, I just qualified as a toolmaker, plus I worked weekends for Don Talbert the Australian swimming coach, my friend Glenn Beasley and I prepared to leave on May 7th to sail to England on the Fairsea.Just before I left I took my young brothers the the barber and had them shorn. They loved the new haircuts but poor Mum almost fainted. 🙂
A girlfriend from the 60s.
Veronica Crocker lived at south Granville, such a sweet beautiful lady, in fact breaking up with her really motivated me to head overseas. I have been so lucky to have know so many GORGEOUS GIRLS.
My Long Winding Road
Halfway to England we took in some very famous sights.
The White Lion Hotel in Cobham
Glen & I worked as barmen for a few months, I think we drank as much as we served. 🙂
7th Engineer on the La Marea
After 12 months away I needed to earn some money to pay for my trip home. Spent a few months working on the ship, we took Volkswagens to America & bought back grain to Europe.
My first job in Sales
I joined Macdougals LTD in Clarence St Sydney in 1966 selling Victor calculators, this was the year of decimal changeover. Then in 1969 I became Victorian state sales manager for Victor calculators, Smith Corona typewrites, Elliot addressing machines & SCM copiers. I had a staff of 30 salesmen, & what a shit fight that was.
Living in Alma Rd St Kilda & working in Swanston St in the city. From the left we have David Adams, aka the Animal, Adrian Yates, Mike Wright, DH, Graham Edwards & ???.
Sydney 1971
Moved back to Sydney after 2 years in Melbourne, here I am with good friend Peter Lewis & one of his many girlfriends Marilyn.
Living in Adelaide 1973.
This shot was taken at a party I organised on the beach at Semaphore in 1973, at the home of Maria Martin. Lots of photos HERE.
The music in the 70s produced many of my all time favourite songs, here are 3 of those.
Piano man 1973
Hotel California 1977
Suttans of Swing 1978
Darwin airport 1972
Ansett hosties & Arch Wilke (RIP) an ex north Adelaide Aussie rules player.
The following day
Manton dam south of Darwin.
Anzac Highway Plymton in Adelaide.
The cool dude on the right is Grahame Farquhar who was one of my regular drinking partners. I last saw him in 2014.
Melbourne Cup 1975
Di Lett & the man in the black hat. 🙂
Wood St North Melbourne
I transferred from Adelaide to Melbourne with Sanyo, in 1973, lived there 2 years & met many new & interesting people, got engaged to a beautiful lady and narrowly escaped an attempt on my life. 🙂 I was 1 year at Lexton Grove Windsor & 1 at North Melbourne.
I love this photo
It was 1975, I’m with Di Parkinson, her brother Phil, Wolf Wottke & Angie.
A little bit of erotica. 🙂
As they say in the classics, two ladies called Dianne are better than one. 🙂
The Herd family in 1979
A rare photo of the five brothers together with our beautiful Mother.
Adelaide in 1975
Sadly as time goes by we lose some friends, that’s Hank Wottke between Angie & Parko, he passed away while living in Western Australia, RIP. Kneeling at the front is Trevor Beach, worked for City Ford in Sydney for a number of years, RIP old buddy.
Thanks for visiting my My Long Winding Road photo blog, PART TWO is coming soon
Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya at Trattoria Pizzeria Toscana is a delightful experience. TripAdvisor obviously agree with a rating of 45 out of 1,111 Restaurants in Pattaya. Owner & chef Luca Marchetti is originally from Pracchiola, a tiny village in the mountains to the north of Tuscany.
Flashback to 2006
The original restaurant was on the block where the Holiday Inn is now situated.
Here’s to old times in 2006
The restaurant was much smaller & more intimate, in fact I preferred the atmosphere to the current location which seats over 700 people.
Pizza with parma ham.
Definitely one of my favourites.
Fettuccine is absolutely delicious.
Of course they serve every kind of pasta & pizza imaginable.
Memories of 2012
Dinner & red wine with Irina from Ukraine.
Take your pick
It all looks so good, Toscana’s menu is huge.
There are several sections of the restaurant
This is my preferred area to dine.
What a fearsome sight this is.
The big fellow Luca with a knife in his hand should be avoided at all cost. 🙂
Lots of stock in the cold room.
Luca operates his own organic and sustainable farm not far from Pattaya where he grows his own vegetables, rears free-range chickens, rabbits, ducks, pigeons, guinea fowl, wild boar, goats, sheep, pigs and cows. No processed food, no growth hormones, no chemicals, no problem. 🙂
Another pizza
Notice the anchovies on the side, delicious.
The boys from Oz in 2014
Lenny, yours truly & my brother Warren. Sadly we lost Lenny early 2016 after losing a battle with cancer, RIP.
Seafood anyone?
Toscana has recently opened a new seafood section in the front garden.
Lots of wine, mainly ITALIAN.
Quite a few wines available y the glass.
A very friendly waitress in 2014.
As you can see I’m not a person who misses a photo opportunity. 🙂
Dinner with friends January 2019
From the left we have May, Alex, Hamish & Gary.
Hamish’s favourite
Beef carpaccio tasted as good as it looked.
May chose the Baby Clams aka Pippies.
This is the same dish she had on New Years Eve.
Quail for dinner December 2021
Quite tasty but very fiddly to eat.
Thanks for visiting my Italian food Beach Rd Pattaya photo blog.
Coffee with Luca
February 6th I met Luca for coffee during my morning walk.
Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya is certainly one of my favourite restaurants. TripAdvisor rating is #22 of 1,025 Restaurants in Pattaya, however in my opinion it is in the top 10.
Perhaps a salad to start with.
Lots of choices at Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya.
The photo does not do it justice.
The Oxtail soup is fantastic, I often drop in and have it for lunch, followed by a waffle of course. 🙂
Of course I sometime have the pancake instead of the waffle. 🙂
They are both delicious.
Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya
Dining with my friend Hamish & my brother Warren in May 2018 just after the renovation was completed.
The Tuesday night special.
Without a doubt they serve the best lamb shank in Pattaya, perhaps even the northern hemisphere.
Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya
The new decor is attractive & modern. This was at 6.30 pm & I was the only customer. 🙂
In case you were wondering, here’s Patrick.
He used to be a parachuter, now he is a biker. 🙂
Early May 2018 they gutted the restaurant.
The finished product is excellent.
Here we are at the old restaurant.
I’m with Greg Clee & Hamish Elton celebrating Hamish’s birthday in 2015. Notice the old fashioned decor?
Can you believe the size of this Tomahawk? 🙂
A whopping 1.5 kilo, I think Hamish could handle it. 🙂
A terrific dinner with friends.
August 31st 2018, 3 Aussies, a Belgium & a Yankee.
Good food & nice people.
From the left we have Dan Escamilla, Hamish Elton, David Herd, Sally Schmidt & Wayne Schmidt.
Another Tuesday night dinner
Half the table ordered the lamb shank. 🙂 From the right we have David Rose, Brendan Tate, Jessica, Hamish Elton, David Herd, Dan Escamilla & last but not least Possum. 🙂
That is a great looking slab of beef.
You would need a huge appetite to get through that. 🙂
Irish stew was exceptional on October 21 2020
Great value at B250 or $8 USD.
Location
Opposite Mike shopping mall in an arcade opposite the Beefeater.
One final look at the Tuesday special.
Lamb shank (French style) & potato au gratin. I only have one criticism of this fine restaurant, the house wine is far too expensive. Everything else is excellent, many thanks for visiting my Patrick’s Belgian Steakhouse Pattaya photo blog.
July 31 st 2020
Belgian waffles & red wine.
For more Pattaya steak restaurants just CLICK HERE.
Patrick discovers El Mercado
Here is what Patrick had to say about El Mercado; “Didn’t know where to eat tonight in Bangkok so I asked my good friend David Herd who is an expert in Bangkok restaurants. He suggested El Mercado. Wow, what a surprise. Never saw anything like that in Thailand. All those choices of cheeses, cold cuts, seafood and fish. Many wines as well, but a bit on the expensive side. I enjoyed a mixed platter with cheeses and cold cuts, my wife went for the oysters and seafood dish. All in all a success and very enjoyable. Book in advance, packed all the time. Worth a visit when in Bangkok.”
Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018 was a noisy affair as usual. There is a bandstand on the beach which blasts very ordinary music until the early hours of the morning. My condo is on the 20th floor 400 meters away & the sound hits me full blast even with the door closed. 🙂
Beach Road Pattaya
One of the bigger kitchens along Beach Road.
Prawns, crab & shell fish
A good variety & freshly cooked.
Big variety of meat including crocodile. 🙂
I’m surprised there is no snake or buffalo. 🙂
Pattaya Seafood Festival 2018
One of the many stalls lined along Beach Road.
Here is my favourite shot
A typical spontaneous Thai smile, no wonder we love living here.
Time for a mango shake
Another huge benefit of living in Thailand, the mangoes are wonderful.
OK, I’m confused…..
I have no idea what these bamboo tubes are for.
Busy ladies here on Beach Road
The festival runs for 5 nights and really draws the crowds.
This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.
Secret cities worth visiting, well actually they are not all cities & not all secret, but they are all worth visiting. These are places mostly off the beaten track, places that many people may not have heard of.
Above is The lovely French village of Breil-sur-Roya which is particularly known for trout fishing. The Roya river runs through town and is open to trout anglers from March to September. Located in the mountains near the Italian border just north of the French Riviera.
Breil-sur-Roya
French and Italian rail lines run through Breil so it is very easy to travel anywhere. There is a great market every Friday at Ventimiglia on the border 30 minutes drive or 20 minutes by train from Breil.
Talking about Italy
In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, San Gimignanowas a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican, as it sits on the medieval Via Francigena. The city’s development was also improved by the trade of agricultural products from the fertile neighbouring hills, in particular saffron, used in both cooking and dyeing cloth and Vernaccia wine, said to inspire popes and poets.
Secret cities worth visiting include San Gimignano
San Gimignano is famous for its Medieval village architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form “an unforgettable skyline”
Have you ever heard of Florianopolis?
Most people outside of South America have not heard of this fabulous city which currently has an estimated population of 420,000 people. The GreaterFlorianopolis Metro area is home to about 1 million people. Florianopolis is a wonderful Brazilian city which should go on the bucket list for anyone intending to visit this wonderful country.
Friendly people who love to party.
January 11, 2009. Newsweek placed Florianópolis in the “Ten most dynamic cities of the world” list in 2006. Veja magazine, a Brazilian publication, named the city as “the best place to live in Brazil.
Kagoshima Japan
Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan Sakurajimahad been peaceful since 2013 until July 2016, then suddenly plumes of smoke, cracks of lighting and a flow of lava came bellowing out of Japan’s Mount Sakruajima in July 2016. Located in a scenic bay on the southern island of Kyushu, this 1,117 meter high volcano has been a sleeping giant for the past three years prior to this fiery spectacle. The incident took place at 12:02 am on Tuesday at the mountain’s Showa crater, which resulted in a 5,000 meter high column of ash – but officials say no fatalities have been reported. Credit to STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Read about it here.
Fabulous food
One of the many reasons I visit Japan often is the fabulous food. A village near the railway station is called Kagomma Furusato Yataimura. There are about 25 small restaurants that seat only 8 or 10 people.
Forster Tuncurry east coast Australia
A population of over 18,000 people it is a holiday destination for many Sydney people who are only a 4 hour drive away.
A great area for fishing & boating.
At the Northern tip of the Great Lakes, these twin towns are where Wallis Lake meets the ocean. The twin townships are surrounded by National Parks and feature majestic headlands and long secluded beaches. Boating, fishing, diving, paddling, cruises, whale watching and coastal walks combine with galleries, unique shopping and award-winning restaurants to create an experience rich coastal destination.
Thailand Beach Resort Mae Pim on the gulf of Thailand is only ninety minutes by car east of Pattaya, and 2 hours south of Bangkok. Beautiful white sand and clean water, and so quiet and peaceful.
Secret cities worth visiting
Lots of great Thai food & seafood in Mae Pim.
Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina
It’s known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), a reconstructed medieval arched bridge. The nearby alleys are full of shops and market stalls, and the Old Bridge Museum explores the bridge’s long history. More on THIS LINK.
Cevapcici, the best I have ever had.
Cevapi, or Cevapcici, are homemade sausages traditional of the Balkans area.
Thanks for checking out my Secret cities worth visiting photo blog, drop me a line if you need any information.
Pattaya Life Absolutely Perfect place to live for a guy like me. Good friends & great restaurants, what more could I want? Plus a reasonably short plane ride to many outstanding locations. Above is the incredible view from my Markland apartment on the 20th floor.
We went to Chiang Mai for 4 days which was excellent then 8 days in Cambodiawhich was not so good. Reason being we all caught a dose of the flu which really took the shine off our holiday.
A terrific beach side restaurant with very good food.
Surf & Turf hamburger
Guaranteed to fix your appetite.
Geriatrics are us. 🙂
I think the combined ages were 272 years, from the right we have David Herd, Richard (Stingy) Blair, John Hunjadi & David Robertson who is even more Stingy than Stingy. 🙂
Bali Hai wharf.
This was supposed to be completed by October 2017, however given the fact that this is Thailand it will more likely be Xmas 2018.
And so this is Xmas….
Light show at the A-One hotel.
One last Mantra dinner on December 28
Hamish & I had a 20% discount voucher. 🙂
Fabulous food as usual.
Finally on the subject of food which is very dear to my hear.
Fresh prawns & Aussie lamb chops & cutlets from Big C.
Now you can understand why I make the following claim “Pattaya Life Absolutely Perfect.”
Newport peninsular Sydney is my personal photo history not part of my travel blog.
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.
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
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
These beautiful Rainbow Lorikeets would visit every day for their snack on the balcony.
Life was very good
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
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
Ross doing his Tarzan impersonation on Lion Island.
31 Herbert Avenue Newport
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
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
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.
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
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
That’s Madison my beautiful 4 year old German Shepherd who used to diligently guard the store overnight.
Brian Millard on Newport peninsular Sydney
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
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.
Amazing seeing these old photos, all of these cute kids now have children of their own.
Sue and John Heatherington
A lovely couple who lived in the next street from us, John also worked at Canon in the computer division.
Malaysia 1985
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
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
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
Karen & I at the cup with friends including another ex girlfriend Helen Burkewho 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
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
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.
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
Certainly my life on the Newport peninsular Sydney revolved around lots of good friends and my beautiful fiancee 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.
Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book through these links below. Book now & pay later.Free Cancellation. Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels
FiveStarVagabond favourite photos taken over many years by me, David Herd. To many people they will be nothing special, however they are very special indeed to me. Sometimes it’s the image itself that appeals & other times it’s the memory of where I was at the time.
Where else but New York City, it was a cold February night on the corner of 8th & W 48th st, I was about to have dinner in a terrific French Brasserie called Pigalle.
My number one Songkran photo taken in Pattaya. Each year a massive water fight is held to commemorate the new year. The downside is the hundreds of lives that are lost on the roads during the Seven days of madness.
I was in HCMC aka Saigonwhen approached by this little girl begging for money. I knew she would give it to her mother waiting nearby, & possibly the mother would have to hand it over to local gangsters. Consequently I filled a plate of food which she devoured rather quickly.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 and 81 living on the waterfront in Drummoyne with the view you see in the header on this post. I drove a white Mercedes Sports, had my Bertram 25 moored in front of my apartment, and a liquor store in Sydenham, quite a few good friends and a long line of beautiful girlfriends, life was very close to perfect. The Watsons Bay hotel shown above was one of my regular haunts as was Doyles restaurant. It’s a great place to stay when in Sydney, for an excellent room rate just book through THIS LINK.
This is not part of my Travel Blog. It’s part of my personal history, check it out if you wish.
My boat
I had an absolute perfect mooring right outside my apartment, it was so much fun on Sydney harbour visiting all the great beaches & restaurants. They really were Great years Sydney 1980 to January 1987 when I pulled up stakes and moved to the Gold Coast.
Smooth operator
It seemed the parties and drinks never stopped at my Drummoyne apartment, life was very good indeed.
Jeff and Debbie Don
Gorgeous Debbie & party animal Jeff, another smooth operator.
Sade - Smooth Operator - Official - 1984
The party never stopped
Looking back to my 6 years at Drummoyne I feel I made a serious mistake getting engaged and moving to Newport. My decision was based on a particular mindset we grew up with, eventually we all should settle down, marry & have children. In hindsight I now know that’s OK for the majority of people, but not everybody, & I’m certainly in the category of “not everybody”. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Talking about being engaged, here is my future fiancee in 1981
Karen Smith and Dirk Kammerling were an item for several years until her and I started going out in 1984 which led to our engagement.
Karen & I in 1981
Who would have thought in 3 years we would be engaged and living together at Newport?
Castle Cove 1980
Two of the girls here were sisters, Carmen & Antionette Sherry, plus my good friend Rob Symonds and Peter H.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 included Carmen & Antoinette
Decorating my XJ 6 in 1980.
Antoinette Sherry
What a beautiful redhead. 🙂
Here are some of the usual suspects
John Malouf, Peter Singleton and Dennis Moran at another one of my Drummoyne gatherings.
Joanne Barrett came 3rd in Miss Universe 1969
What a beautiful face, is it any wonder she was 3rd in the Miss Universe?
Singapore 1980
Some people who have seen this photo have been cruel enough to suggest that I looked like a Miami drug dealer, and here was I thinking I was just a very cool dude. 🙂
Rob Symonds & I in Singapore 1980
Rob & I had a great trip to Manilla, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore. This was when I first got hooked on Thailand, little did I realise 31 years later I would move there permanently. Take a look at my photo blog, just follow THIS LINK.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980, the blondes are here
That’s Teresa on the left sitting at my bar, and I can’t believe that I have forgotten the name of the other beautiful creature. 🙂
Here is the beautiful anonymous blonde as a redhead
Now is that a fantastic face or what?
When can I start having fun?
Right about now I would say, in fact I clearly remember a ménage à trois with two of these gorgeous babes. 🙂
Tall gorgeous redhead
Her name was Louise and we had a brief fling, Antoinette & I are checking her prowess on the BBQ. She knew how to handle a sausage. 🙂
I told you she was gorgeous
An absolute knockout.
Two more knockouts, Kerry & Terry
Two of my favourite Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980.
Shirley Jones 1980
Shirley was an air hostess for TAA which does not exist anymore. She & Debbie Don were flatmates who lived around the corner in Drummoyne ave and came to most of my parties. Compare us in the following photo. 🙂
After many hours of booze
At the end of the day decorum would go out the window. 🙂
Another Shirley
This Shirley worked for Stripper-gram, we used to go out together occasionally. A very funny thing happened at my Dad’s retirement party, he had worked for Berger paints for 46 years. We were celebrating at what was then the Silverwater Businessman’s Club, in came a gorgeous girl in a bikini, draped in feathers, and proceeded with her well-practised routine.
The shocked look on my mother’s face had nothing to do with the girl sitting on Dad’s knee, it was when she walked over to our table and said to me, “hi David, nice to see you, when are we going out on your boat again”? Yes, it was Shirley, somebody had hired a stripper-gram for him. 🙂
This was Vickie in 1980
The long line of Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 continues, it seemed there were so many babes and such little time. 🙂
Carol Aboud the ultimate party girl
Even though Carol was the mother of four young children she was the ultimate party girl. Part of a wealthy eastern suburbs family, her father was the managing director of Century batteries & in his eyes she could do no wrong.
We really had some great times together over a four year period, although it was one of those on & off relationships that ran into quite a few road blocks along the way.
Talking about party animals
This is Roger “Ramjet” Williams who could always be relied upon to put on a show. Two of his party tricks were drinking a Bloody Mary containing 1/2 a bottle of Tabasco sauce. If a normal person had one sip it would set your mouth on fire. His 2nd trick was to take a raw onion and eat it like an apple, this man obviously had no taste buds. 🙂
A Mexican bandit? No it’s Chris Adams
One of the Adelaide guys I knocked around with when I lived there in 72 to 74, Chris wound up in Sydney then I lost track of him. I have always had a knack of giving people nicknames that seemed to stick with them, in Chris’s case his name was “The Mouth”. 🙂
Another Shirley, Xmas 1981
A gorgeous little girl from the eastern suburbs who had a wealthy father and lived at Darling Point.
Ron Walsh from Broken Hill with Donna.
Ron was a close friend for many years, he owned the Retravision store in Broken Hill and would find any excuse to visit me when I lived in Adelaide, we had some wonderful fun times together.
Debbie Secombe another of the Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980
Debbie a cool Aussie chick who worked at the Manilla Playboy Club for a few years before turning up at one of my famous parties.
Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980, Di Parkinson Xmas 1981
Di was one of the most beautiful ladies I ever knew, also one of the craziest. No woman has caused me more problems in my life than this one. Apart from all that we had many great times together during the last 10 years.
One of the great nights of my life, and one of the best NYEs of my life, we overloaded my boat with 16 people and headed off to a seafood restaurant at “the Spit” for dinner before heading to the Opera House for the incredible fireworks. My girlfriend for the night was the gorgeous one in the middle, very unusual that I can’t remember her name.
I considered Wolf Wottke my best friend since we met in Adelaide in 1973, that friendship continued until I moved to Newport in 1984, sadly after that it was never the same.
Sydenham Cellars grand opening 1980 featuring Debbie Don.
In the 4 years I owned my liquor store I never really made too much money, 3 of those years the road was was closed for 3 or 4 months which effected my turnover rather badly. Luckily I had purchased the property and made a killing when I sold.
OK, one last look at Debbie.
She is certainly worth a look don’t you think?
Thanks for visiting my Gorgeous girls Sydney 1980 photo blog, what an era that was. No doubt at all 80, 81 & 82 were amazing years for living large & gorgeous ladies.
It’s now 2017 and here is Glenn Frey to tell you exactly how I feel today.
Great hotel rates here, just book through THIS LINK.