An institution

Lord Ponsonby's Antiques has been on this corner of Ponsonby Road and Williamson Avenue for many many years. When we bought the old villa, we had very little spare resource to furnish it, and for many years we went to the second hand shops of Auckland, or responded to advertisements in the Saturday newspaper. Got some great pieces that way. At that time Lord Ponsonby's did not have the additional word.

During my training at Auckland Hospital, one of the secretaries happened to be married to the owner of a second hand (some would say, junk) shop in Mount Eden; he called it (rather grandiosely) Antique Alley. Years later he bought out Lord Ponsonby's, adding the Antiques bit and losing the Alley.

My first postgraduate exam was held in Dunedin. The young woman who was secretary, and also wife of shop owner, was from Dunedin and I was offered a place to stay while I was there fore the exams. Very pleasant, and it appears that it helped.

More recently Lord Ponsonby's specialised in importing large chunky painted furniture from China. We got one large cabinet for the apartment. Ownership changed again, and I have seen the signs for another business (Flotsam and Jetsam) in the windows, and the stock has become more in keeping with its roots.

The sign for the Thai restaurant is surplus and is available to be bought, although exactly where one would put it I'm unsure.

Another shot on Ponsonby Road, which is my street for the One Street project, initiated by kendall.

EDIT I did mean to suggest that this is better in large