Tuesday, 29 March 2011

Mt Victoria

Let's start right at the top. Mt Vic is a town seemingly not going places. People go through it on their way to elsewhere. The two empty shops on the highway just stay that way, with businesses intermittently trying and failing to stay open there. The Old Post Office is...I don't know what - quiet, shut up. Is there even a resident. Ooh, spooky!

But Mt Vic has a lot going for it. Bikers (of the nice variety) stop at The Imperial Hotel (beautifully newly refurbished); locals post their letters and buy their lunchtime sushi at the General Store (greetings Ronnie and Nolene); cinema enthusiasts drive for miles to enjoy the experience of the old time Mt Vic Flicks; abseilers abseil; snow falls; it is the first and last and highest town of the beautiful Blue Mountains

This spot is dedicated to celebrating in vibrant images the village of Mount Victoria. There's life in the old dog yet!


Mount Vic Flicks is the local cinema open Thursdays to Sundays. The building was originally the town's public hall and was built in 1934. It is now one of eight 'significant cinemas' listed on the Australian cinema map and is twinned with another 'old time' cinema in Thirsk, North Yorkshire. It offers a cinema experience of times gone by complete with pre-movie enterainment, namely an organ player who works her way through an entire repertoire of movie music, accompanied by her partner on maracas, ending with a rousing rendition of "That's Entertainment". There's a snack bar with choc tops, soft drinks and mugs of tea. The seats aren't the most comfortable in the world but that all adds to the experience. What's more they put on art house, foreign language and alternative movies with less of the action blockbusters. And at a cheaper price and a more intimate experience than the big chain movie cinemas could ever provide.
You can book ahead and it's highly recommended for the more popular movies - I queued for half an hour to get the last seat in  the house for "The King's Speech".





 

Ronnie and Nolene run the Post Office and General Store. Ronnie also makes sushi and you can get a warming tea, coffee or hot chocolate. Despite their long hours they are always cheery, knowing all the locals and having a joke with (or on!) them.




One shop success story is the interesting gallery and toy shop, Trains, Planes and Automobiles still surviving in this little town since 1997. Occupying the old bakery on the Great Western Highway, it houses a countless array of toys, games and memorabilia and the brick oven can still be seen hiding behind the shelves. It is certainly worth a visit for both the young and not so young, with authentic antique toys lining the cabinets as well as shelves of currently popular toys. The shop is full of colour with it's walls packed with toys from ceiling to floor and is a great place to find an unusual or interesting gift.


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