Page 5  We're still remembering...... "What a great site, and full of wonderful memories of days gone by. I have one that wasn't mentioned....I remember my parents getting oleo or butter at the store. It came in a plastic bag with a red dot in the center. You had to burst the red dot and knead it to mix it all together. Also chicken feed came in sacks with patterns like material does today, and each week we took turns picking out the bag. When it was empty my mother would make us a dress, or put it into a quilt, or it became dish towels. FLO How about Atlantic City in the "50's!" It was still safe to walk the streets day or night. There was the Friday Nite "Y" dance. Had to be High School & show proof if asked. After school hangout was Kerstetter's for a nickel coke & sit for hours playing the juke box. The big "Turkey Game" was between Atlantic High & Holy Spirit. HSH even won once or twice. Both schools are gone now. Relocated and they just finished demolishing ACHS. Easter Sunday you had to hit the Boards in your best outfit, and be sure you had a date for the opening of Steel Pier's Ballroom. Dancing to the Big Bands all summer. Afterwards it would be a stop at "Mammy's" for coffee & fresh made donuts. You could watch them being made thru the window on the boardwalk . A quiet stroll home along the moonlit beach was always so nice, with maybe a short pause under Steeplechase Pier for a quick kiss or two. Bandstand was real big here too. Subs from the famous "White House" were about 50 cents and delivered free (a tip for the driver, of course) My family migrated here from Philly in "46-47," & I'm sorry but the so-called steaks from that famous place in So. Philly don't cut it. You gotta try one down here to know what I mean. We had ice skating at Convention Hall and roller skating at Young's in Ventnor. Can anyone guess what the "seawall" was famous for? We watched the Submarine races there many a night. It was a happy, innocent and in many ways, a naive time compared to today. Our kids missed so much. I'm glad I didn't. [email protected] Remember the page boy hair style..We would wrap our wet hair around long, fat wads of cotton and hope it would dry by morning.Soda fountains at the local Rexall Drug store, Black cows (root beer and Vanilla ice cream) 15 cents and you kept the glass. [email protected] Will send more later I graduated from high school in 1949 and joined the Navy right away. I was on board a small ship in Japan and Korea until late 1951. I was stationed at Coronado, Calif. for the next three years. Back in those days, we wore suits and ties when off the Navy base. Open-necked sport shirts worn outside the sport coat collar was the "in thing" also. Johnny Ray sang "CRY", and Hank Williams was popular. The Navy sent me to Chicago in May '54 for three years. "EARTH ANGEL" was my favorite song from those days. Dean Martin was crooning his hits at that time also (...."When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore.....") I was stationed in Nantucket, Mass. the last two years of the 50's. Billie Holliday sang my favorite (to this day) "PERSONALITY. " I went on to many other duty stations for the remainder of my naval career. Oh, yes, the 50's, those were the days, my friend...... Not much money, but don't we have fun :-) I enjoyed my visit to your site. What wonderful memories it brought back. Thank you... [email protected] "Isis" Poodle skirts, black and white saddle oxfords, Bobby socks, White Buck shoes and Heaven forbid, you wore them "clean"; you rubbed dirt on them before wearing them. I remember: painting names and sayings on your blue jeans; rolling up the bottom of the legs several times making a cuff on them; Mohawk haircuts; blue and green colors of nail polish and lipstick to match; boys in black leather jackets and slicked back hair with so much hair grease, usually Brill cream, you could oil you car with it. I remember: for a quarter, I could go to the Saturday matinee and see double feature, serial, cartoon and news reels and buy popcorn and candy. I remember: hot rod cars -- "drag racing," and the winner got the pink slip of the loser's car. I remember candy: Jaw Breakers, licorice cigarettes, little paraffin bottles with cherry liquid inside, twizzle sticks that foamed in your mouth when you ate them. I remember: capri pants, pedal pushers and tube tops. I remember wearing blouses under pullover sweaters. I remember: Roy Rogers, Trigger & Dale Evans, The Sons of the Pioneers, Buck Rogers, Rocket Man, Gene Autry, Gabby Hayes, Will Rogers and so much more. Namast�, Isis None of the girls were allowed to car date before the age of 16. The guy had to come in talk to your parents. God forbid if he did not have you home by 10:00pm, because your dad would call his. Parents talked to other parents, and told if they saw a child making a mistake. And the other parents did not get mad at the telling parents. Now I think it was great that the community watched out for each other's children, then I did not. Reenie "I remember going to a one room school house, grades one through eight, and we would have those awful "air raid" drills. Everyone would crawl under their desks and cover their heads with their hands. What on earth did we think we would prevent by doing that??!! I used to like to go to Woolworth's, sit at the counter and have a malt. How about those first "transistor" radios, or record players where you had to actually take each record off and on and place the arm to hear it. No bass and treble controls then either. How many times were we told to "turn that ------- music down!" From Margie R From Skip Shrauder, ([email protected]) we get these memories: Your site is great and brings back many memories. I remember running home in the 40's to listen to Baby Snooks on the radio every Friday night after Junior League at church. Lower movie theatre cost 12 cents and showed mainly westerns, while the Elks Theatre (incidentally still in business and longest continually running theater in country) showed the latest films, and cost 24 cents. That was a lot of money at the time! Also listened to "Hawaii Calls" every Saturday night on radio, and dreamed of someday going there. Have been there many times since, and always hate to leave. Also, do you remember who was the host of Bandstand before Dick Clark? I have Bandstand yearbook from 1955, and still say those were the good old days! Patti Page, Maguire Sisters, Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting, Eddie Fisher.... so many other great singers! What has happened to music, or what they now claim to be music?! Put three words together, and they think they have a song! Memories - priceless Class of 55 A.K. "The "ragman" who used to come thru our neighborhood in Ct. All of the kids in the neighborhood would look forward to hearing him shout out, "Rags for the ragman- who has rags for the ragman"......If we brought him some rags, we would get a lollipop. I also remember the "fruitman." He had a son who worked with him, who was about 13; I was 7 or 8. I would wait and wait for that fruitman, with my hair all brushed and my face nice and clean, and BEG mom to buy fruit. She normally would, because she was happy I wanted fruit instead of junk food- I just wanted to see the fruitman's son!! [email protected] [email protected] (Pat) tells us: "Your pages are just fabulous! I'm 70 years young, and can truthfully say that I have been there, done that and enjoyed all of it! I remember the frozen cream sticking out of the glass milk bottles, and my brother and I would go to the neighbors, who slept in, and break off their cream. We loved it, until our Mother discovered what we were doing. Keep this up and add more pages. What nostaliga!! Thanks for the memories!!" "Thanks for the memories. I remember Mc Donald's hamburgers cost 15 cents, a cheeseburger was 19 cents, fries were 10, and a milkshake was 20 cents! This was in Pennsylvania in the late 1950's." Donna, ([email protected]) "What a teriffic page; it brought back so many memories, some of which I had forgotten. I remember being nine years old, playing outside with my brothers, making bugs and things on a "thing maker". Anyone remember those? We used to sell the plastic toys we made for a quarter. When we tired of playing with that, we would play army with my brother's G. I. Joes and little, plastic soldiers. Life was sweet and innocent then. Oh, for the good old days again!!!!!!!!" [email protected] "Everyone of these memories are also mine! American Bandstand, penny candy, drive-in movies, and the music! I can hear a song on the radio today that I have not heard for 40 years and remember every single word. Not to sound too "old fogey-ish", but I cannot imagine someone saying that about today's music, forty years from now! Great site - I'm sure this was a labor of love on your part. (Aside from Pede: It was, and I'm so glad you enjoyed it!)" Jean D. at 50 [email protected] [email protected] says: "There was a drive-in restaurant in Brunswick, Me. (in 1956) where the waitresses (yes!) served you at your car. It's still the same in 1999, even a lot of the original menu. Canadian BLT sandwich & onion rings." "Love the page! Brings lots of memories to this Grammy. Don't forget "Poodle Skirts," worn with saddle shoes and "Bobby Socks"; the hem of the skirt had to meet the top of your thick rolled-down socks. The Bunny Hop was the hot dance, and we all cried along with Johnny Ray." "So many memories brought back from the days with my wonderful late hubby. Thanks for the memories, and oh, yes, how about M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E? (or was that later? My 70 yr. old memory sometimes fools me. Thanks again =)" Joannie "Great site. Remember when "party" phone lines were the only kind available? Had four families on our line. The phone would ring every time one of the other families would get a call. (And each family had a different number of rings to show it was for them, but everybody picked up the phone and listened, anyhow....Pede) [email protected] Surfing Grandma says: "If it wasn't for the fifty's, we wouldn't have had the Rock and Roll era. I think we lived in the greatest decade, and wouldn't trade my memories for anything. Bobby sox and sweaters were in thing. Thanks for letting me read about good memories Betsy "A new sound was emerging in the neighborhood in the Fifties. Rock and Roll! Man, how cool this is, living in South Philly at the time. Hey, this kid on the radio, Frankie Avalon, he lives just blocks from here, guys. Wow, how neat! Then comes a kid in the same area as Frankie, big hits from Bobby Rydell, and now, a guy called Fabian. The girls are swooning for this guy. Hey ,guys, let's go see the new flick, "Rumble on the Docks," down at the Fox theartre in Center City. Who's in it? Jimmy Darrin, another kid making it big, from the same area. 1957....we move to southwest Philly; one month later, 5 blocks away, a new group enters the picture, Danny and the Juniors! Man, this neighborhood is really rockin' now. Who's that singing now? Its Solomon Burke, a soulful rocker from the nearby high school, John Bartram High. All right now, do the song, Solomon. Great! 1958, early part of the year....a friend suggests we go to the moves downtown. We see a sign "All-Star Revue...tonight only!" the sign says. We go in. Who's on the list of stars? Gene Vincent and the green caps, Miss Jo ann Campbell, Al Hibbler singing his hit at the time titled "He", Bobby Boyd and the Jazz Bombers, George Hamilton the 4th sings "Rose and a Babyruth." The Fabulous Willows sing "Church Bells May RIng." Screaming J Hawkins is on the bill, too! For the finale, the Jazz bombers, and Gene and his boys engaged in a battle of the bands. It ended in a virtual draw ,according to all spectators. All this for 10 bucks each, and it included soda and popcorn. It still feels great to be part of such an innocent and fun-loving time. Oh, I forgt this part: While stationed in West Germany, we went out on maneuvers. Bitter cold winter. I didn't want to be in this place; it's not fair we should be this cold when we really aren't in combat. Then I saw a young corporal from a tank outfit, driving a jeep with no top to shield him from the bitter weather we were experiencing. This guy could have been any place in the world other than this hell hole. I quit complaining after seeing him endure the same discomfort I 'd been enduring this whole, lousy month. This jeep driver was here because he didn't want preferential treatment. The jeep driver I speak of was the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Aaron Presley! I took basic training in Fort Dix, N. J., less than one-half mile from another singer, Steve Lawrence, minus his lovely wife Edie Gorme'. She wasn't allowed to sleep in his barracks; protocol, I believe they called it! I don't want to bore you any further, so I will say goodbye. Thanks again for reawakening these memories. A big fan of your wonderful, thought-provoking site. Joe Harvey " Oh, what a delight, Pede, reading the 'back when' memories. To think of OUR days compared to TODAY .. I'll take 'back when' any day! Families were 'closerthanthis', and the word: d-i-v-o-r-c-e was a word never used (unlike 'these' days). 'Church on Sunday' (no Saturday Masses 'then'); Easter Sunday was extra special...always a new coat; hat, dress; and the #1 must: shiny, black patent-leather shoes.' (ha) The shinier, the better, with good ol .. vaseline jelly .. oh, those WERE the days! Friday nights, Mitch Miller (with that GO-T); Saturday nights, Lawrence Welk (with his little stick) a-1, a-2; Sunday night, Ed Sullivan. Ooooo--yes! Saturdays, going 'downtown' was THE thing .. stop in the 5 & dime stores, and order french fries and a coke (as after school also) .. (ha) never gained a pound (then)!! The 'hula hoop' contests held downtown (I won once); eating Kool Aid straight out of the package (bitter, but good) THEN; going to the Drug Store and getting Rock Candy (pure sugar); pizza was put in an oven by the slice (no Pizza places like that today); Drive-In Movies...the Saturday night place to go as a child and teenager; the inside movies for $.25 and the weekly drawing for dinnerware. A & W .. my first job as a car-hop .. orange and black attire. (I was allergic to root beer & we could get as much as we wanted....FREE!) These are a FEW of my memories....Ding-Dong-School; Tarzan; HopAlong Cassidy; Howdy Dowdy; American Bandstand; Captain Kangaroo; Mr. Wizard .. I Love Lucy (still a #1 favorite); Charlie Chan; Alfred Hitchcock; Twilight Zone; Elliott Ness: Untouchables; Dragnet; Perry Mason (still a MUST watch) .. oh, give me the GOOD OL' DAYS again! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, PEDE!" ~kath from MA (((hugs)))  "Anyone remember those "hoop" skirts with a zillion crinolines underneath? (I got the hoop caught on the fire extinguisher in chem. class & covered the room in foam! LOL) White or palest pink lipstick, skirts that touched the top of your socks, wearing your boyfriend's "letter" sweater, those horrible bloomer-type gym suits, & praying no boy ever saw you in one; having everyone laugh at your "Bermuda shorts" as you were the first to buy the newest fashion "fad"; the jock boys wore "chino's" not dungarees like the "greasers" ; pizza at Simioni's or ice cream at Brigham's after everything you did; rollerskating at the Walex on Friday nights. Or doing the DB (dirty boogie) in a secluded corner at the Rindge Tech "hops," where everyone gasped & whispered about it $75. a month rent for a 3 bedroom, heated apt. was considered a lot of money! Hanging out at Revere Beach; "Kelly's" clams (still exists!), drive-ins &"Woo-Woo" Ginsburg, walking along "da riva" (the Charles River) with your boyfriend on week nights, because few kids could get their parents' car except for special occasions or Sat night. Oh boy! More later. Cappie "You have really bought back a lot of memories for me. I love it. Do you remember the saddle shoes?? I lived in them. How about the nice dance at Wagner's Ballroom in Ohiladelphia. And then there was the popsicle....when you bought it, if the stick said "free", then you took it back to the store and got a free one. How about the long stick of candy with a ring on it ,and you gave it to your little sweetie in school. Olive B "Best site on the internet! What nostalgia! I remember standing in lines all day for cigarettes and nylons; air-raid blackouts; saving Raleigh cigarette coupons to send for gifts; peeling foil off cigarette packages to make a very heavy ball; fountain cherry cokes with shaved ice; Spaulding saddle oxfords; pale pastel angora sweaters; hand knit angora mittens that shrunk to nothing after making snow balls; Steak 'n Shake; blow-up bras; strapless formals with rhinestones glued on bare shoulders; peasant blouses made in Jr. Hi Home Ec. class; telephone niches in the wall- I could go on forever! What a trip back! ' MoonPieAnCoCola@ Pede's note: What in the world is a "blow-up bra?!?" Here's more, this time fromMichigan! [email protected] I remember (but, not in the proper order) Detroit in the 50's; 6"shackles, dual glass packs, fender skirts, no hub caps, fuzzy dice, primer to dull the finish, squeeling the tires when you shifted and leaving the trans in gear as you coasted down to let the glass packs make that racket! I remember steel heel cleats, collars worn up and levi's worn low, cigarettees folded up in t-shirt sleeves, hula hoops, pegged pants and skirts, hoop skirts, side walk skates. And soda fountains, cherry cokes, root beer floats, hay rides and renting a horse to ride for an hour. The boy scouts, living in a tent and everything wet, fishing with a bamboo pole, knickers and boots with a knife pocket, streetcars, safety zones. And running boards, ringing doorbells and running to hide to watch the fun, helping the poor instead of going trick or treating. I remember one year, new cars were sold with a wooden bumper, a real one to be installed later; lots of chrome and tail fins and you could tell what make and year of car it was, just glancing at the tail lights or grill. And tire chains, window boxes in the winter, ice boxes the rest of the time, mangles, ironing boards, curtain stretchers. Yoyos, motor scooters, Schwins with a motor on them. Aaaaooogah horns, wolf whistles, and smoke bombs under the hood, or hot wiring a friend's car and hiding it! I remember black and white tv, with a tiny screen, everyone gathered around to watch Ed Sullivan, Boston Blackie, wrestling, roller derby and Howdy Doody. Boy, we had fun, back in the cool 50's!" "Love this site - so glad I was directed to it. Do you remember: The Crew Cuts (Sh-Boom)! Saw them in person at the local Armory and knew I was in love. Remember Hi-Fi? Pink and black were the "cool" colors, even boys wore black pants and pink shirts, with the collar turned up, of course. I remember changing channels without a remote....all 3 channels! imagine that!!" Elaine [email protected] [email protected] "What wonderful memories of the 40"s and early 50's. Poodle skirts, wearing my father's white shirts and tieing the ends at our waist. Rolled up dungerees, button-down sweaters worn backwards, matching sweater sets. My bike was my prized possession, and a whole gang would bicycle to the large park in our area. Rationing was the big thing in the war years. I remember the milkman delivering milk to the door, and bakery men delivering baked goods to the door. Spending whole Saturday afternoons at the local movie theater; double feature, cartoons, Movietone news, serials, and--great prizes if you had the winning ticket stub. Also, the first tv's were round and little. I could go on and on. How I long for the good old, innocent days of my youth." "My sister and I were taken to school in Winter by a horse-drawn sleigh, because the cars couldn't get thru. We were dropped off in town at a bus station, 3 blocks from school, where I would put my feet up on the old-fashioned radiator, and thus end up with blood blisters. Many years later, I found out why we ween't taken all the way to school. My sister didn't want her classmates to know how we got there. She was always a social climber and still is. I ended up with feet that can't stand cold weather, never could even iceskate because of it. Talk about pride?! I love your memory column; great idea." R. G, from Sedona, Az. "Hi, Pede. I really enjoy reading the memories of people who, I am certain, are the ages of my children. Of course, those are my memories, too. Maybe they will be interested in some things we did during World War 2. Ration coupons for gas, coffee, butter, meat , fuel oil for heating. We recycled cans etc. Since there were no nylons, we used a yucky liquid and applied it so we looked like we were wearing hose. Red Cross first aid classes, Home Nursing classes, Nurse's Aide school--folding bandages for hospitals....there was something called V-mail...a sheet of very thin paper and envelope, all in one. Of course, all our letters to and from our husbands were read and censored. The music..."Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)"--"White Cliffs of Dover"--"When Johnny Comes Marching Home"--and, of course, "In the Mood. " Arlene in Florida Does anyone remember wrapping their boyfriend's high school ring with tons of angora, so that you could show it off at school? That was, unless you went to Catholic school; then you showed off until the nuns caught you! Pede, my husband and I really enjoy your page. Thanks from the oldies in CHICAGO." [email protected] "I went through my teens and very early twenties in the fun-filled, frolicking fifties. Rock N Roll, Elvis and his dangerous swivel hips, Heartbreak Hotel, Dino and "Memories are Made of This," Tennssee Ernie Ford and "Sixteen Tons." The angora collars, pointed-toed 3" high heels. If you had your own car, you usally had it full of friends, no matter where you went. The great Drive Ins! We had Price's Drive In, with the best "Nightmares" [hamburger, chili, and cheese], on a bun. The memories are wonderful; thanks so much for the fun again." Diana from Illinois. "I remember warm Summer evenings, when my sisters and I caught fireflies in fruit jars. And we ran around the neighborhood after dark, playing hide and seek, and it was safe to do so. I remember when it got really warm, we would sleep out in our back yards on old Army cots. And it was safe. I remember going camping without tents or RV's. That was really "roughing it." Really enjoyed your site. Elaine That's it for this time, but I plan to have new ones posted by the weekend; so keep them coming, friends! Don't' forget to send in YOUR memories! Back to Pede's Porch "At The Hop" |
