FLICKS FOR SALE
News that the Millenium Cinema building in Fremantle’s Collie Street is for sale might wet the appetite of developers looking for a prime location in the port city. The complex is just behind the Dome cafe on the cappuccino strip, and also contains the Porchetta pizza restaurant, the Pink Rice sushi train, and the newish Thai restaurant, whose name has escaped me.
Roel Loopers
LET’S GET ON WITH IT
Now that the Carles/Buswell tabloid stuff is hopefully behind us, let’s get on with making Fremantle a better place. I hope Adele Carles will work hard on trying to get state government funding for our city.
My wish list for Freo:
A performing art centre/migrant museum.
Light rail to South Beach and further along the coast, ideally down to Rockingham.
Pedestrian crossings along Marine Terrace so people can get to and from the Esplanade more comfortably.
More small wine bars. Why is it made so hard for people who want to open them?
A speedy solution to the Woolstores disgrace.
The urgent extension of Clancys’ lease, so they and we know they will remain in Fremantle.
Make Freo far more pedestrian friendly. Discourage cars, encourage walkers. Closure of the Cappuccino Strip on weekends. Retail trade will not suffer from that. It’s a bulldust argument, since no one can park in the street anyway!
PHOTO COPYRIGHT ROEL LOOPERS
FREO STREET ART FESTIVAL
The annual street art festival always brings a buzz to Fremantle during the Easter weekend and yesterday was no exception. There were no huge crowds but they are expected today.
By chance I happened to be up at Kulcha where a very good band played Oriental music and a fantastic belly dancer performed. This was part of Kulcha’s Music on the Balcony series. Check it out next Saturday afternoon. The bar is open.
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT ROEL LOOPERS. PROFILE PHOTOGRAPHY
MASSES STRIPPING
The suburbians were out in force ‘stripping’ in Fremantle on the long Labour Day weekend. The Cappuccino Strip seems like a magnet for those who like big crowds.
PHOTO COPYRIGHT ROEL LOOPERS. PROFILE PHOTOGRAPHY
FREMANTLE FESTIVAL IMPRESSIONS
The 2009 Fremantle Festival is over and it was a good one, but for a few dull moments at the Wardarnji on Saturday and the fact that the Bhanghra dance party was no longer a street party. Many people complained about the latter, even on Facebook. It was so much better when it was on the cappuccino strip and should return there next year.
The overzealous security guard who poked me hard in the back on Saturday, while I was doing my job and not interfering with anyone, was luckily not there on Sunday. He would have gone ape about people having almost unrestricted fun. The fact that he thought it necessary to step in front of me and obscure my view, after I had obeyed his orders and stepped two metres to the right “you know the rules” shows that this man is unfit for the job.
Anyway. I had a lot of fun and so did thousands of people. Here a few of the many shots I took.
Roel Loopers
click on photos to enlarge
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT ROEL LOOPERS. WWW.PROFILEPHOTO.COM.AU
MAD MONK NOT BAD MONK
I have been reluctant to try out the Mad Monk bar and restaurant because I don’t like the barn-like appearance it has got from the outside. I dislike those big timber slabs and feel they are more suited to a country town, rather than the centre of Fremantle.
But yesterday I went in after all with two friends and got a pleasant surprise. Here was a place staffed with young people who made us feel very welcome. They were friendly and highly efficient and knew their stuff.
Inside the restaurant is modern and has a sense of sophistication. We did not eat, only a few cubes of fried potatoes, which were pricey at $ 8.00, but we did the Mad Monk beer tasting. Six small glasses with porter, kolsch, rauch bier, wheat beer, pale ale and a light beer made for a nice change and we all enjoyed it very much. It was not over-priced at$ 12.00 either.
Well done you Monks. You are doing a good job and I’ll be back soon!
Roel Loopers
Photo by Beth Hutchison (there is one tasting glass missing in the photo. I was drinking it 9>)
ONLY FOUR MORE SLEEPS
Only four more sleeps till the Fremantle Festival bursts into life. A weekend to look forward to with the biggest parade ever on Sunday at 4 pm.
PHOTO COPYRIGHT ROEL LOOPERS. WWW.PROFILEPHOTO.COM.AU
PEDESTRIAN FREMANTLE
Something is not right with our attitude toward cars and pedestrians in Fremantle. A city of the size of ours should embrace pedestrians and make it far more friendly and safe for them to stroll down the streets.
There are no safe crossings on the cappuccino strip or Marine Parade. Especially on Sundays it is a nightmare to get to and from the Esplanade and that is wrong, since there are hundreds of people who want to go to the Fishing Boat Harbour, and many major events happen on the Esplanade.
Instead of looking after the people on foot, we keep pushing traffic through the centre of town and even built car parks there, not on the edge of town where they should be.
The recent election forum saw strong support for a piazza like development on Marine Terrace, so let’s look into that.
The beauty of the facades of the buildings on High Street in the west end make it very suitable for change that will attract less, or ideally no, traffic and create more comfort for pedestrians. It is a far more attractive street than Marine Terrace and should be the top street in Fremantle, with cafes, small bars, al-fresco dining, etc. Have a look at the golden glow on the buildings at sunset and sunrise. It’s stunning! It could and should be a real tourist attraction, and might even entice Notre Dame students to remain in the city after uni is over for the day.
The future of this city is connected to it’s past, but should not be limited by it. Let’s move forward and create something great!
Roel Loopers
PHOTO COPYRIGHT ROEL LOOPERS. WWW.PROFILEPHOTO.COM.AU
FREMANTLE FESTIVAL
The annual Fremantle Festival is upon us soon and there is a big weekend planned for the 14 and 15th of November! It starts with the opening concert by the Fremantle Chamber Orchestra, The Proms, at the Fremantle Art Centre on Friday the 13th at 6.30pm.
One new event is the Norfolk Lane Youth Festival on Saturday the 14th of November from 1 pm. There will be music and art and market stalls. Of course the Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Celebration is also on from 2 pm that day on The Esplanade. (Don’t get confused by the program. There is a typo that reads it is on Saturday the 15th!)
On Sunday the 15th from 2pm is the Fremantle Carnival and Village Vibes. At 4pm we will see the traditional Street Parade. Freo Shuffle is from 5-6pm and then the big Bhangra Dance Party starts at 6pm.
Apart from the street parade all events on Sunday are on the Esplanade Reserve and not on the cappuccino strip as was the case in the past. I liked the party in front of the Sail&Anchor and am not sure why it has been moved from there.
There is also a fringe festival, so get the program and don’t miss out.
Let’s go and have fun!
Roel Loopers
PHOTOS COPYRIGHT ROEL LOOPERS. PROFILE PHOTOGRAPHY. WWW. PROFILEPHOTO.COM.AU
3 comments