Dear Mr Ewan McDonald
On reading your article in The Aucklander (a fine publication). I was disheartened to read that you couldn't find The White Lady. True, we only operate 24 hours weekends and public holidays, but it may have been that you looked on the wrong street. At the moment
we operate from Commerce Street not (nor ever had) Fort Street. I shall forever think of myself as the Shortland Street Cart, but I am just gearing up for the fight to get back.
We have never done fries and we have never miss a single shift (every night you have been alive) for over 6 decades. Easter Weekend 1950 in the Lady's case and 1948 for the Broadway Diner. Due to some errors in a recent Television makeover program some facts have gotten distorted, feel free to contact me personally if you ever again need reference about our establishments.
You were right about the "arcane council regulations" (they nearly all are) but that is the model 'Carts' (we only sell pies irregularly when nostalgia beckons me) should have always kept too. We disappear when traffic picks up (5am week nights), or we just become a tin shed like Wellington's one.
Frankly, I think you were being a bit harsh, those celebs, and chefs are around at that time of morning, but you have to know the doorman or number to Forte or similar bars around lower CBD to be let in. Though an old geezer peddling along Queen Street's footpath is asking for trouble at anytime.
My criticism would be to get the true atmosphere of Auckland at that time of the morning is they should have included masses of orange cones, roadwork signs (no workers) and Parking Warrens lurking in every shadow. That, and the sound of high powered blowers operated by fearless men using no hearing protection chasing gulls fighting over prizes gained from flimsy council prepaid rubbish bags, and then you will have the Central City I know and love.
Kind Regards Peter Washer
