ORIGINAL COLD BEER STORE

I just recieved this picture from Ted Beer's daughter, Karen.
Thats George, "Bobby" and Ian.
They are standing in Beer's backyard.










This shows the front of the store, look to the right of the photo and you will see a kid sitting there. Anyone know who it is?
That is Found's house in the background.



I don't know who is standing in front.





The store was located on Hawthorne Avenue behind their house on St Peters Road, we always called it Beer's Store.
Notice the "Buckingham Cigarettes Sign" on the side.
This was one tough smoke, I remember when I worked at the drugstore in the mid 60's these were still available.
When a man came in to buy a pack he would say
"Give Me A pack of Bucking, hack hack, cough, hack cough, hams", the word was too long and required to much lung capacity for the men who were addicted to them.
I can recall buying some candy there at various times and a bottle of Wynola Pop, the original cherry coke. I barely remember George's father who I think ran the store, was his name Russell?

I forgot about the gas pump at the front.
Ian looks about 2 years old so that would make this picture about 1947/48.
I think the store had Insulbrick siding and "Beaverboard" ceilings. The counter was on the right side and there were living quarters above.
in the mid fiftys Art Rynes ran the store and he also raised chinchillas, I wonder if he made any money?
The store burned one evening in 1956, we were allowed to go over the fence to sit on the stairs that led up to my sister Shirley's apt. above Vera's.
I think that my Father had a mild heart attack that night also.
I recall the intense heat and how bright and high the flames were. Parkdale Fire dept fought the blaze and I remember the "Old Federal" 1916 I think, fire truck which was used as a ladder truck.
The next day we went up to check out the remains, no one was hurt but I think Art's father had to jump from the second story, those who were there can correct me if I'm wrong.
As kids we were facinated by the burned out building and one thing that sticks out in my memory about was, Mr Matthews from the CAA grounds ( Charlottetown Athletic Association)
was there with his horse and dump cart beginning the clean up.
As we arrived he was opening the front door to the store and was coming out with Rynes's dog on the end of his pitch fork, I remember him as being a black Lab.
The dog had made it to the front door and died from the smoke. The site of that has stayed with me this 50 years.
The store was then torn down and a house built there.