A.J.Foster & Son - 128 Taieri Road
Photograph (K198) courtesy of Janet Bai (nee Foster)
The gentlemen at side of shop are left to right:
Norman Foster (Janet's Uncle), Clifford Foster (Janet's Father) and Arthur Foster (Janet's Grandfather).
Check out a 2007 View of this address.
Dear Alan
I have just had a quick look at your fantastic site on my old stamping ground, Kaikorai.
I think you have done such a wonderful job, and it brought back such a lot of wonderful memories. My bio is on the old friends website, so you can read it to find out who I am.
I was born at Redroofs, on Highgate, which is now an old folks home, and raised in Kaikorai at my parents home at 154 Taieri road.
My dad, who sadly passed on in 1995, was Clifford Foster, and the house at Taieri Rd. belonged to his parents, Arthur & Annie Foster.
My grandfather owned the bootshop on Taieri Road, just up from Nairn Street. When he died, my dad and his brother Norman took it over.
It was named A J Foster & sons. Later dad worked at the Roslyn Mills as a carpenter and Uncle Norm bought the Treasure Chest shop (crockery) in Princes Street.
The shop was sold to Roly Padman, who continued on with shoe repairs etc.
The Foster family was very well known in Kaikorai. I remember Olive Webster had the dairy one down from the boot shop and on the corner was a grocer shop then around.
In Nairn Street was a hairdresser and a book shop. Along on the corner of Nairn & School St was another grocer shop. The other direction towards Mellor St was a fish & chip shop.
And of course on Kaikorai valley Rd was Tim Wong (fruiterer) and Ellis Coal merchants. Mum used to send me there to pay the coal bill! I remember the coal truck calling and the guy carrying the sack on his back to dump the coal in our cellar.
It's so neat to relate these memories Alan, and I hope not to bore you. Dad told me lots of tales of old Kaikorai, and the cable cars etc.
Don’t think I have any photos, but will remember you if I come across any. Mum is still alive and lives out at Brighton. My eldest brother Jim lives in Whangarei, Graeme is in Dunedin and the youngest Brent lives at Brighton. He is in the fire service and is stationed at Roslyn Station which is in Nairn Street.
Love to hear from you sometime,
Kind regards,
Janet Bai (nee Foster)