By Tate Papworth
What’s your connection to Brimbank?
I’ve not only got the business based here, but I also grew up in St Albans. I’ve spent all of my 36 years out here. Most of the guys involved in the business are the same – we love reminiscing.
What is it you love so much about the area?
There’s a strong sense of camaraderie among everyone. It’s not too far away from the city, but it’s not too close either. I was a street kid – I spent my time playing outside with friends in an era before video games. We all hung out together and there’s always been a real community feel.
What do you think could be improved?
If you’d asked me that 10 years ago, I’d have said nothing – and I still believe that to be true today. The infrastructure is constantly improving and the money seems to be going to where we need it.
Tell us about Saint Side.
We actually started out selling vintage gear and bikes, but it’s grown a bit since then. We still specialise in vintage bikes, but we’ve got apparel now, too.
And that came about by chance?
Yeah, we actually created Saint Side T-shirts so we would have a uniform and people loved them. So we started selling them and it went from there. Today we have a whole heap of things, ranging from eskys to the shirts. It’s not really a fashion item, but more a reflection of people being proud of where they come from and wanting to represent the area.
