Local's favourites

Set among the terraces and 19th-century buildings of Paddington, I am endlessly intrigued by the presence of businesses you may relate more to 'regular suburbs'. For instance, one of the great retail outlets we have is Sunlite Mitre 10 on Oxford St.

What would we do without that gem? Schlepp out to a Bunnings in Saturday morning traffic for a new hose connector? No thanks. Mitre 10's presence in Paddington allows me to pick one up along with my morning coffee. Need a new shrub for out the front? Easy. Deluxe.

I used to feel the same about Paddo Fresh. Its closing rocked me. Where will I duck into now to pick up some schnitzel for the kids or a steak at the last minute?

Another favourite of mine is Kennards Hire. Tucked on the left side of Oxford St across from Centennial Park, it’s been a godsend over the years. I go twice a year and hire a super-powered high pressure water cleaner and a hedge trimmer. Bang ... in one afternoon, the pavers in the back courtyard are moss free and good to go for six months. And the ivy is kept in check.

While I’m at it, and on a roll, I knock over the neighbours’ place. You should have seen what we did during lockdown when Kennards let us keep it for three days for the price of one. We even did everyone’s car.

I erred badly once. Overcome by FOMO, and, intoxicated by the throw-away hardware ‘experience’, I bought a cheap water gurney from Bunnings. How good, I thought. I could be out there in the courtyard once a fortnight. But it didn’t do it for me. Once you’ve tried the real deal, cheap imitations are just that.

On frequent morning dog walks I noticed that in the upper part of James St, Woollahra — tucked behind Kennards — disposable properties including a big empty block were being prepared for the eastern suburbs obvious: the addition of a new apartment development.

Space is so tight, and with the terraces protected by heritage listing, any available square inch is much sought after for more high-density living. It’s only natural.

I never took much notice of what was going on there. Until I returned from Christmas holidays. There, on the front of Kennards, as well as the neighbouring business, the Resene paint shop, was a dreaded sign that stopped me in my tracks: 'Permanently closing, February 2023'.

I immediately phoned my wife.

“Yes?” She answered, wondering why I was phoning 10 minutes into a dog walk.

“The Kennards is closing,” I said.

“What?”

“Yep. Gone. I don’t know what I am going to do.”

And I still don’t. Finding a different Kennards in a different suburb doesn’t do it for me. Because that’s not my Kennards. Where I hired the exact same high pressure hose every time.

A short time later I saw my neighbour in the street. Before I could tell him that the Kennards was closing, he said unprompted: “Oh, I’ve been meaning to tell you ... I bought a water gurney from Bunnings over the holidays so we can do our courtyards without going to Kennards.”