Customer Spotlight: Vin

Living just off of Barkers Road for the past 38 years, Vin is a Hawthorn local who always enjoys a stroll and coffee in Glenferrie Hawthorn to favourite’s Axil, Bawa, Moustache Bros., Pastry Kitchen, Café Blac or The Chaplain’s Office.

Vin can often be seen wearing his Richmond Tigers beanie on cold winter days. Growing up and having lived in Richmond for many years, he still goes back often to visit and watch Richmond footy games with his 94-year-old father. Despite his dedication to the Tigers, he remembers taking his children down to the Glenferrie Oval to watch Hawthorn train back in the 1980s. “It was a real community event,” with families and locals all there to watch. Glenferrie Hawthorn sure has changed since then.

Vin has observed the change from an area that caters to locals and families, to an area that now also caters to those who come to Hawthorn for work, study and play. This doesn’t bother Vin. He likes the variety of restaurants, cafe's and shops. "It feels more connected with metropolitan- Melbourne.” The shops aren’t all that are on offer here. Vin also enjoys the blend of activities available to the community from sport to arts. Vin is an avid runner, taking part in the weekly park-run, a free 5km timed run every Saturday morning held in parks around the world. The nearest park-runs to Glenferrie Hawthorn are Studley Park and Albert Park.

Outside of park-run, Vin runs on his own throughout the parks around Hawthorn. He does notice that improvements that could be made in terms of Glenferrie’s pedestrian safety. He thinks including more crossing lights, safer footpaths and access for walkers would encourage more people to walk to the area instead of driving. If he’s not working part-time, running, out for coffee or watching a Tiger’s game, he’s reading. Part of a book club and always interested in new fiction or biographies, Vin is a keen borrower at the Boroondara Library and considers the book launches and talks at Readings, “Glenferrie's best kept secret.”