Wharf Street, which runs alongside the Kowie River in Port Alfred, already has a fishery, fruit market, antique shop, pub and restaurant. But it’s about to get even busier. An unused building in the street is owned by a family who feel it's full of potential. They're bursting with ideas to revive the street and put the town on the map.
Mark and Micky Pauls own Sparg's Furnishers and the Paddle Inn, an antique shop facing the river. They recently bought the building next door and are turning it into an arcade with a theatre, small retail outlets and a library/café to be called the Cup and Chaucer.
Micky said they'd seen a gap in the market and when the building was put up for sale, they saw an opportunity.
Wharf Street, which runs alongside the Kowie River in Port Alfred, already has a fishery, fruit market, antique shop, pub and restaurant. But it’s about to get even busier. An unused building in the street is owned by a family who feel it's full of potential. They're bursting with ideas to revive the street and put the town on the map.
Mark and Micky Pauls own Sparg's Furnishers and the Paddle Inn, an antique shop facing the river. They recently bought the building next door and are turning it into an arcade with a theatre, small retail outlets and a library/café to be called the Cup and Chaucer.
Micky said they'd seen a gap in the market and when the building was put up for sale, they saw an opportunity.
“Port Alfred is a place that needs entertainment – we've been deprived of it,” he said. There were performers just waiting for a stage and Mark and Micky believe a theatre here would fit the bill.
Reminiscing about Wharf Street, Micky remembers it being the heart of the town. There had been a cinema, and theatre, where she recalled playing the mouse in Hickory Dickory Dock.
She just loves the thought of a theatre in Port Alfred once again.
The idea of a theatre and sidewalk cafe has become the core of the project, inspired by the family’s recent trip to Vienna.
“It’s untapped. It’s just waiting for something to happen,” said Mark.
But he knows he can't do it alone.
“It’s impossible for one individual to get this street going. You have to have a team – and we do have a team at long last.”
It’s a family affair, with their daughter, Jade, now also involved. The Cup and Chaucer was her dream.
Others have also shown interest in reviving Wharf Street, including Ian Cook, owner of the brewery and pub, and Rob Mann, owner of a boat called The Blue Bonnet.
“Minds are beginning to synergise,” said Mark.
The courtyard behind the antique shop is being converted into a tea garden, which leads on to the Cup and Chaucer.
The theatre, complete with red curtains, will include supper-theatre facilities.
During the day, rooms along the sides of the theatre will be rented out as shops. They have already signed up a delicatessen, a curry den, a clothing store, and an arts and crafts shop.
A ferry to connect Wharf Street with the bustling street across the river is in the pipeline. So is a pirate ship, for children’s entertainment and education. They even want to extend the sidewalks and pave the street with cobblestones. Micky’s imagination is on fire.
“My vision is to have Wharf Street become a waterfront, where there’s camaraderie and everyone’s working together. No competition, just happy-go-lucky.”
People have already shown considerable interest and among the stars already signed up for the new venue are Dozi and Heinz Winkler, who will be performing on 16 and 22 December.
Mark tells about buying a baby grand piano when he was a young man and storing it in one of the Wharf Street buildings.
“One Friday afternoon I walked in and music was being played. I couldn’t see anyone behind the piano because the pianist was bent over. But it sounded like Beethoven. There was an old lady meandering through the building, so I walked up to her and asked, ‘Can I help you?’ and she said, ‘No thank you, I’m just waiting for my husband to finish playing the piano.’ So I asked ‘Who is he?’ and she answered, ‘Just leave him for a little while. He was a concert pianist in Vienna.’”
And that's the kind of folk they hope to attract as they bring Wharf Street back to life.
For more information contact Micky at 083 479 2177.
