Christopher Bennett

Memoir Reflections

Chris Bennett

Col-Van Potato Chips

‘Please sir, I want some more’ – photo by Chris Bennett

As a kid I used to love eating Colvan potato chips.

You could buy them at any milk bar in Fitzroy. I usually bought my packet of potato chips from Nick the Greek’s milk bar, next door to Eve’s toy shop.

If you were smart enough you could hang about outside the Colvan potato chip factory in Rose Street and beg for a free packet from one of the workers there.

Occasionally you would strike it lucky and get a free bag of chips.

As I’ve researched the history of Fitzroy for my memoir I’ve discovered some interesting facts about Colvan potato chips.

The name Colvan was invented by Ted Mayes the owner of the factory in the 1940s. ‘He bought the business for his two sons, Colin and Ivan and the brand is a combination of their names.’

After several takeovers of the company over the years the name disappeared but it has never disappeared from my memory.

Even now I sometimes ask shop keepers for a packet of Colvan potato chips and all I get is a puzzled look.

Ah well, their loss. They probably have never experienced the delicious taste of a Colvan potato chip.

If they have I’m certain they’d say, ‘please sir, I want some more.’

Footnote: You can learn more about the history of Colvan potato chips here.

Fitzroy’s Mount Everests

As an adult walking down Brunswick Street, Fitzroy and looking at the buildings around me I can see interesting examples of 19th Century architecture.

As a ten-year-old kid walking down Brunswick Street in the early 1960s these buildings represented a challenge. And that challenge was to figure out a way of climbing these buildings to explore the roof tops, with my mate John.

Left: Corner of Argyle and Brunswick St. Right: Between Argyle St and Johnson St in Brunswick St. – photos by Chris Bennett

There were two reason why we had to explore roofs. It was exciting, because once you reached the summit you felt like you were on Mount Everest – on top the world. The other reason? Well, the challenge of not getting caught doing something naughty was worth the effort of having a go.

The garage roof in the lane way outside of John’s place was easy and we’d often climb to the top by scaling bricks that jutted out from the wall.

One day we achieved the ultimate thrill by exploring several roofs at once. John and I climbed onto his roof, from his backyard, and then explored the roofs along Brunswick Street, between Argyle Street and Kerr Street

Between Kerr St and Argyle St – photos by Chris Bennett

In old Fitzroy terms that’s from Mr O’Brien’s milk bar to Frank Dempsey’s butcher shop.

I’m not sure what curtailed our roof climbing – it may have been because we got too old for kid’s stuff.

Or perhaps it was curtailed when we got sprung one day and people in the nearby house yelled at us.

Down Memory Lane

Fitzroy Lane Way – Photo by Chris Bennett

This blue stone cobbled lane way is one of the many lane ways scattered around Fitzroy.

As a kid I played cricket in our nearby lane way, used it as a short cut to get to my mate’s place and as an escape route so as to avoid any ratbags that may have been lurking around.

The lane way in this photo is located in Fitzroy Street, near Gertrude Street.

If you walk along, and snake around another lane way you’ll get to Nicholson Street, a main road, that divides the suburbs of Fitzroy and Carlton.

In the distance you can see part of the Royal Exhibition Building.

This photo was taken recently but it could very well have been taken in the 1950s and 1960s when I grew up in Fitzroy.

To me the blue stone cobble lane ways of Fitzroy are like time machines – they take me back to old Fitzroy in an instant.

The Story So Far

Fitzroy at Night – Photos by Chris Bennett

About ten years ago I decided to write a memoir about growing up in Fitzroy in the 1950s and 1960s.

I thought I could knock over this project within a few weeks of solid writing. But I soon realised it would take a lot longer to write a fair dinkum memoir rather than a ‘doughnut memoir’. By that, I mean one with substance around the edges but nothing in the middle.

With the advice of a friend, I soon realised I had to reveal more about myself and experiences. This wasn’t easy to do as I consider myself a private sort of person.

Anyway, the need to write the memoir was stronger than my feelings of privacy. Perhaps I’m loosening up in my old age.

There were several delays over the years. Work and other projects intervened, so the research and writing has been haphazard. But now I’m back on track writing consistently.

This week I’ve managed to put aside five consecutive days for writing which for me is like ‘hens teeth’. Running two businesses, house renovations and my training in Tai Chi doesn’t leave much time for writing.

But if I’m to complete this project, I’ll just have to make the time – which I’m determined to do.

Here’s what I’ve done so far …

Research
Libraries – Fitzroy, Collingwood , Thomastown, State
Web research
Court records
Several walks around Fitzroy taking photographs
Visited the home where I grew up
Visited cemeteries
Travelled overseas
35 interviews with family, relatives, and friends

Writing
156 short vignettes – first draft
156 short vignettes – rewritten
11 reflective pieces
145, 722 words – first draft
30,713 words – second draft – as of now

Thinking
Countless hours!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to writing about the bloodsucker that helped me win many games of marbles at George Street Primary School, in 1959.