Townsman, 1991-11, Page 29nwilfig2
Daytripping to Shakespeare
Old village renewed as one of Western
Ontario's interesting shopping destinations
by Bonnie Gropp
The nice thing about the hamlet
of Shakespeare is that it's not really
that far from anywhere. Located a hop
from Stratford, a skip from Listowel
and a jump from Goderich, this quaint
stopover is a must for the lover of the
antique or the unique.
Part of the pleasure of a day in
Shakespeare is the experience of the
drive there. Whatever direction you
come from, the dipping and diving
landscape of North and South East -
hope townships is as much a picture
of rural tranquility as you are ever
likely to find.
It doesn't take long tor visitors
to Shakespeare to realize they are in
an antique shopper's mecca — there
are 10 antique stores in the hamlet —
one, where the merchants work
together to guarantee diversity of
selection. Yet, if it could be said that
there is a patriarch for the business
community, it's Jonny Kalisch,
owner of Jonny's Antiques, the oldest
business in Shakespeare. "Jonny
would have to be considered the king-
pin," said Karyn Lippincott, Treasurer
and Advertising Promoter of the Busi-
ness Association. "The shopping dis-
trict virtually developed around
Jonny's."
It was during a trip home to
Toronto, following a visit with friends
in Hensall 22 years ago, that Jonny
discovered the building he eventually
bought. The previous owner, Freda
and her husband Conrad Sipple, had
operated a small restaurant and, Jonny
says, he has heard that people came
from all over for Freda's hamburgers.
There was space for a potential bowl-
ing alley and downstairs there was a
pool room. When the restaurant
closed the Sipples rented it out as a
Timoni's Trunks and Treasures located on the third floor of 2 Fraser St., Shake-
speare is a quaint mix of antique and unique.
The tea room at Harry Ten Shilling's in Shakespeare is an attractive warm place
to enjoy a light repast.
TOWNSMAN/NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1991 27