OLD HALKI

[howard]

I thought that some of you might like to see what the harbour looked like in the late 1980’s. At that time they were still building parts of the quay and the surface was rough concrete, not paving like now. The slipway was not boarded over in the summer, so you had to take care you did not fall down the hole.
Back then, the electricity supply was generated on the road to Pondamos and an oil tanker came into the bay to fill up the tank that was there. The water from the taps then was brackish, if you wanted fresh water, you collected it from a tap below the Church, and we had 2 5 gallon cans for the purpose at the house we rented.
The 2 local ferries were the Halki, now replaced by Nissos Halki and the Aphrodite, the forerunner of the Nikos Express.
There were I think 3 tavernas, none still remaining and 3 or 4 bars. The only road was the Boulevard Tarpon Springs and that was surfaced only as far as Pondamos. At Ftenegia there was nothing and the only way there was to scramble over the rocks. Nick’s Taverna at Pondamos was open but there were no sunbeds or umbrellas on the beach, you carried your own shade.
There were 3 shops, the only one remaining being Petros, who was nicknamed Fortnum and Mason’s, because he either stocked or could get virtually anything that you needed.
Sorry about the picture quality, these were taken on a steam driven camera!

[Amanda]

Thanks Howard for those great pictures. You can see how the place has changed and yet the 'feel' is much the same from what I can see. What my late mother-in-law called "the same thing only different"! ;D

What is the small white building where Maria's now is?

[Amanda]

How exciting! I see I've just become a junior member!

[carol]

Thank you so much Howard, great to see how it was before most of us started visiting the island. ;D

[Jane V]

Hiya Howard,
Great to see pics of Halki as it was when I first knew it! But amazingly it's true that it hasn't changed that much really... Aren't we lucky, when you consider the sort of thing that could have happened to the island...?

[daisy]

Fab piccy's thankyou Howard.

We brought some really old sepia ones when we visited the church museum a few years back and it was great trying to work out what is still there now.

[fatcat]

Great pictures - a real treasure chest

[howard]

Regarding Amanda’s question, the small white building was, I think, the pump house for the island’s water supply. If not, it could have been either a fisherman’s net store or the kiosk where Zak sold sweets and cigarettes.
Having said that, I think that Zak had his kiosk at the bottom of the Church steps. Sorry but the memory from that far back is a bit hazy.
Jane V may be able to help if her memory is better than mine.
I do remember that when the water boat came in, the sound of the pumps echoed round the harbour.
The other small building that has gone was the Ice House, but that was on the other side of the jetty near to what is now Lefteri’s shop. Back then the shop was a Taverna run by Yannis & Apostolia.

[Liz]

They are great pictures Howard ..I'm like Daisy , love looking to see what is still there and what has changed ......and a tanker at Pondamos
Thanks for showing us those pics