Page 30 - Bulletin 12 2008

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Greek who has been there and not found great hospitality. We have a lot of entertainment in
her house.” In December of the same year he writes again in this connection. He says: “You

didn’t write to me if the koumbara came to see you. Her husband is here, we are everyday
together, we are the best of friends. I imagine that you didn’t receive her well the first time

she came to bring you my letter. That’s why she never came back again.” Subsequent

correspondence shows that the koumbara never did contact Ariadne again!

The Olympia Cafe, Windsor Road and ‘Arcadia’

I have mentioned that the year was 1919 when my grandfather started the Olympia
Tearoom in the new building. (Fig. 2.9). The date the building was finished, 1919, can be

seen in the photo, although it has since disappeared off the building.

The first home Arthur and Judith rented on arrival in Kalk Bay was Windsor House beside

the Olympia - where Kalk Bay Modern is now. It was here that my Uncle Nick and my

mother were born. They later stayed in other houses in Windsor Road. Whilst renting, a
plot came up for sale in Windsor Road. My grandmother suggested to my grandfather that

they buy it. “With what wife?” he asked. My grandmother told him she had the money.
Apparently when takings had been good she had set aside the odd 2/6d or so from the till

and saved it for a rainy day!. The plot was bought and the house (which is now the house
we live in) was built Greek style - first the bottom which was built around 1923. (Fig.

2.10). A view from Trappieskop in 1931 shows that Arcadia is in the process of having a

second storey added on to it at the time. (Fig. 2.11). The contractor was Mr McCarthy, who
later founded McCarthy Construction. My grandfather had helped him to start his business

at some stage by lending him £12. The house is still called Arcadia - after the Greek
prefecture which my Grandfather came from.

When they were first married it was my Grandfather who did most of the cooking. He had

learned to cook whilst serving in the Greek army. It was he who taught my grandmother to