More Memories, Good and Bad
"Thanksgiving Day, 1975"
I don't know what it is about the Auberge that seems to induce amnesia in some of its owners!
On his own website, Chris Squire -- the fellow who bought the Auberge from us -- claims that he started working there in 1971 (the restaurant opened in June 1972), and that he bought it in 1976 (even though we owned it until 1979).
The last time I was at the Auberge was in the early eighties, but I didn't eat there. I was living in Mexico then, and I came to Canada for a visit. I passed by the Auberge but I couldn't go in. I had a very bad memory of how Chris and his lawyer handled the purchase of the restaurant. I won't go into the details now.
I wasn't really in the Auberge; rather, I was visiting Jamelie Hassan, the painter, who was still living in the small Victorian cottage behind the restaurant. I had rented it to her when she worked with us in the restaurant. She was the first person we hired, and we never regretted it.
Sometimes she couldn't make the rent, and gave us a painting instead.
I still have one of those paintings, a watercolour of that very same little cottage. Here it is. Click to enlarge it.
Jamelie called Chris and told him I was there. He came over, and though he knew better than almost anyone how much I enjoyed good wines, he brought a bottle of cheap plonk.
That was the final nail in the coffin of our relationship, as far as I was concerned.
On his own website, Chris Squire -- the fellow who bought the Auberge from us -- claims that he started working there in 1971 (the restaurant opened in June 1972), and that he bought it in 1976 (even though we owned it until 1979).
The last time I was at the Auberge was in the early eighties, but I didn't eat there. I was living in Mexico then, and I came to Canada for a visit. I passed by the Auberge but I couldn't go in. I had a very bad memory of how Chris and his lawyer handled the purchase of the restaurant. I won't go into the details now.
I wasn't really in the Auberge; rather, I was visiting Jamelie Hassan, the painter, who was still living in the small Victorian cottage behind the restaurant. I had rented it to her when she worked with us in the restaurant. She was the first person we hired, and we never regretted it.
Sometimes she couldn't make the rent, and gave us a painting instead.
I still have one of those paintings, a watercolour of that very same little cottage. Here it is. Click to enlarge it.
Jamelie called Chris and told him I was there. He came over, and though he knew better than almost anyone how much I enjoyed good wines, he brought a bottle of cheap plonk.
That was the final nail in the coffin of our relationship, as far as I was concerned.