Customer Spotlight: Paul Nugent

"My life has been very centred around this area for a long time,” explains Paul as he sits and enjoys a coffee at Rococo, one of the many shops in Glenferrie Hawthorn that he routinely visits.

Paul grew up in Kew and moved to East Hawthorn where he has lived on and off for the past 20 years. Growing up he attended Sacred Heart Primary School then Xavier Burke Hall in Kew followed by completion of secondary school at Xavier College in 1979. For his post-secondary education, Paul studied Arts at Monash University.

Paul worked at Cantwells Real Estate for about 11 years, which was located on Burwood Road, Hawthorn at the time. He then moved onto Wakelin Property Advisory in 1999, where he is now the Director. Outside of work Paul is often “socialising in and around Boroondara," visiting Glenferrie Hawthorn seven days a week. He routinely shops at Coles, Woolworths, Glenferrie Gourmet Meats, Red, White & Amber, Terry White Pharmacists and Bakers Delight. To top up his wardrobe he heads to Polo Man, for special occasions and treats its Haigh’s Chocolate and he heads to Lawrencia Cycles and Mind Games for gifts. Paul is thankful that Glenferrie Hawthorn still has so many independent and small businesses and believes this makes the area stand out from other shopping precincts.

When visiting the shopping precinct he often parks in one location and then walks around to the different shops. Like many, Paul finds the parking here “shocking” especially in the evening. Around 7pm when he comes to grocery shop he has often circled the area two to three times looking for a park. Paul believes it’s the competing needs of the students and shoppers that create such an issue, and he sees parking as the “weakest point in the whole shopping centre.”

Having been in the area for most of his life, Paul has seen how it has changed over the years. 30 years ago shopping here was much different, apart from Lawrencia Cycle and Aussie Disposal, which have been here for years.

There are now more cafes and restaurants, the Lido has introduced new life into the area and the shops have moved “ever so slightly to the North.” Paul has been a Glenferrie Rotary member for 21 years and is a Life Governor of the Hawthorn Community Chest. Although not as active in the community as he used to be, he still shows his support by attending the Glenferrie Festival each year and supporting the retailers on a daily basis.