You grew up in Winchester and can be considered a townie:
(This is obviously my limited list. Please add your own).
- if you remember the Washington School, Noonan School, Wyman School, Parkhurst School, Mystic School (and The Bartlett School)
- if you remember that Lynch used to be a Junior High School - extra points for attending
- if you ever swam at Leonard’s Beach
- if you still refer to Bouregard Beach as “Wedge”
- if you somehow thought Leonard's was cleaner than Wedge and debated it
- if you walked from Leonard’s Beach to Mac’s corner store to get snacks
- If you shopped at Lynch’s Market
- if you shopped at Neno’s Market
- if you remember when school field days were actually a competive event
- if you remember when The Recreation Department used to have “Arts and Crafts” at the fields and tons of kids were there
- if you ever received an "Honorable Mention” ribbon at a Recreation Department event or at a school field day (“Participant “ ribbons also count – usually green or orange).
- if you remember when the Enka Fair was at Manchester Field
- if you remember when the Enka Field was at the Town Hall Parking lot
- if you remember The Italian Festival (at Leonard’s Field and The High School parking lot)
- if you purchased a record album at Winchester Appliance and Repair on Thompson Street
- if you refer to Shore Road as “vet alley”
- if you remember when Purity Supreme was located on Shore Road
- if you still refer to Super Stop & Shop as Purity
- if you ate at Randal’s Restaurant
- if you loved Bellino’s Pizza
- if you remember Brigham’s and Basking Robbin’s Ice Cream in the Center
- if you remember when Winchester had two usable running tracks and actually played home football games at Knowlton Stadium.
- if you remember The U.S.A. skating rink in Winchester – Extra points if you ever skated on “the patch”
- if you still refer to the Winchester Gardens as “The Pitt”
- if you shopped at Topsy Turvey
- if you remember that The News Shop used to where Starbucks is located
- if you had Mike “The Drivers Ed Guy” Murray for Driver’s Education (Rest In Peace)
- if you ate at “Brother’s Pizza”
- if you remember that Winchester used to have a huge Memorial Day Parade
- if you still refer to The Swanton Street Dinner as “Carl’s”
- if you attended the Movie Theater located in Winchester
- if you got film developed at the Photo Matt shack in Purity Supreme’s parking lot.
- if you remember when Winchester had no package/liquor stores.
- if you swam for “The Town Team” swim team at Leonard’s and lost to the Boat Club, Swim Club and Country Club
- if you ever rebuilt your bike at the dump
- if you remember Winchester Pop Warner
- if you played CYO at Saint Mary’s
- if you went to mass at The Immaculate Reception Church
- if you still refer to The Quick Mart on Washington Street as “Cumbies”
- if you still refer to The Town Pantry as “White Hen”
- if you remember what the term “rats” stood for in social circles (relax, I didn’t make it up – similar nicknames for other social cliques exist too)
- if you worked as “summer help” for the DPW
- if you worked as “summer help” for G.R. Nowell & Son (had to throw this in)
- if you played in the former men’s softball league, under the lights, at Ginn Field or attended a game
- if you remember being allowed to smoke on the high school campus
- if you remember “1 or 2 Things’ – the convenience store
- if you refer to the reservoir as “the ressie” or “the res” – extra points for swimming off the big rock
- if you remember your grandparents/parents talking about the Beggs & Cobbs fire or if you remember the fire
- if you remember your grandparents/parents talking about Filenes’s in Winchester or if you remember that Filene’s
- if you remember the Knghts of Columbus Hall or more specifically you drank there
- if you knew where “Cox Tomb” was located
- if you remember the Haunted House at the Girl Scout Cabin
- if you partied at "the roofs" or "the mountain"
- if you ate at/remember Ralph Bishop's
- if you ate at/remember C&G's Restaurant
- if you remember the Sport Shop owned by Mr. Ruggles and it's various location (at old White Hen, at the Cullen block, at Cafe Dolce)
- if you played arcade games at said sport shop
- if you rode on/remember the mini bus
P.S. I'm sorry to have so many posts about Winchester
(also several assists to Winchester Alumni group on facebook)
32 comments:
OMG- I LOVE this post! I am definitely a townie!
I guess I'm totally a townie!!
What about Woolworth's! Also, can we put Joe the barber on that list? Let's not forget that almost all townies have gone to Dr. Annino or Dr. McClean at some point. God I miss the Italian Festival!
Hey... do you guys remember that article in the star a year or two ago about being a townie? It's pretty bad when we took the quiz & realized that not only were we total townies, but we were the subject of one of the townie quiz questions in the article.
Aahh, the memories...
I think that I plagerized the entire President's report by copying my older sister's verbatim (where she had gotten an A++...although kinda strange that I only got an A??).
A few more: You're a townie if you...
-engaged in the art of gimp when participating in the Rec. Dept.'s "Arts and Crafts" behind the Leonard's Beach "Bath House" or at the High school (on the patio by the Art RM).
-bought swedish fish or dot candy strips from Max's or the News Shop
-ate jello mix to get "pumped up" for the swim meets b/w the "Town Team", the Boat Club, the Swim Club and the Country Club.
-went on Winchester Rec. field trips (like to the U.S. Open, to get Andre Agassi's autograph).
-shopped for goldfish (or completed all of your holiday shopping) at Woolworths (5 and 10).
-drank ice cream sodas at McCormick's Drug Store.
-shopped at Henderson's Stationary for all of your school supplies, an expensive place to shop for such stuff (would have been better off at Woolworth's).
-got fitted for your first baby "walking" shoes at Ronel's on Thompson St.
-ever had your name announced over the loud speaker at Enka Fair (when your friends were considering you a "missing person" and were trying to locate you).
-bowled at the Winchester Bowling Alley (called Rats?? because it was named after the little critters that lived there)
-got carted down Washington St. in a sled during the Blizzard of '78 (to get milk at Lynch's or Neno's).
-had parents who shopped at Chitels (the equivalent of present day T Michaels).
-bought the first Winchester home that your parents ever lived in (after not having lived there for 25 yrs).
On a few other notes, sometimes we had to go outside of Winchester...You're a Winchester Townie if you:
-shopped at the Town Book Fair, in Woburn, to buy gifts, goodies and cards for all occasions.
-went to the "Drive In" theater in Medford
-loved the gumball machines outside of Osco Drug in Woburn
Above comment was originally posted on Winchester Alumni Group "You know your from Winchester If You..." in reponse to other fab Winchester memories.
Great additions to the list, you guys. Katman, I also posted this list on the Winchester Alumni group on facebook - it's received some traffic.
Once again, a fine job blogging today all. Keep up the good work!
What I want to know is.....does anyone have the recipes for Bellino's pizza and/or meatballs. Been searching and trying to duplicate these for 40 plus years with no luck.
I don't know if anyone else mentioned this but, don't forget the bowling alley off of swanton st near main st.
ahh the memories.
I was in the last class to finish 6th Grade at Wyman School before it went condo. Then I had to go to McCall instead of Lynch because they moved the line a couple blocks.
You need to add
Sledding in the Cemetary(Wildwood Cemetary had a great sledding hill just at the entrance).
Ice Skated on Little Winter Pond.
Fished in the "Abby"
Tried to skateboard down the hill on Johnson Rd.
Omg loved this and deff a townie, Macs corner store was originally My grandparent s but then max took over the variety and my grandparents ran the restaurant part of it, John and Ni hall. I was even born for the store when they owned out but have grown up hearing stories my whole life,i also took swimming lesson down at Leonards beach, i call show road "vet alley" bc that what my parent s always called it, does anyone know why it was called vet alley? Bc back in the 70 everyone would park down there to hang out and alot of them had corvetts at the time and it was a big hang out spot. I loved reading this brought back alot of thing s i haven't thought abt and thing s ive heard from my grandparent and parents, we still refer to alot of the places with their old names.
- shopped at First National before it was Purity Supreme and Stop & Shop
- bought comics at the Paper Store when it was located on the other side of Thompson Street where Ann Blackham had her real estate office
- bought models, etc. at the Hobby SHop
- if you bought Red Sox tickets up stairs at Filene's!
I used to make pizza at Bellinos! Crap I'm getting old!
if you dressed up every year as an army guy on halloween and armed yourself with barbasol shaving cream and eggs!
Haunted house on South Border Rd.!
Pool hall next to bellinos
-If you remember the train tracks in town on the ground before they were elevated. Gosh I'm old!
If you remember Santa on the landing at Filene's.
If you remember the soda fountain/restaurant at Woolworth's (great grilled cheese).
If you remember hanging out at the Common.
Remember the Christmas decs on the rotary.
How about "Max's" convenient store on corner of Forest and Cross Street ---- across from opening to entrance to Loenards pond.
Buying Model Car kits at the Hobby Shop across from Rexall Drugs on Main St.
For some reason, I stumbled upon this by searching for Bellino's pizza. I remember/did everything on this list except partying at the roofs or mountain" and can't recall "the pitt"-guess I was too much of a nerd. Still visit occasionally and it has become another sterile upper-income suburb. Miss the old Winchester.
If you're still proud of being a Sachem.
buying cherry life savers at Craddocks Apothocary after slipping out the high schools back door ( where the art room was ) thru the tunnel
Thanks this was great. I guess we all like to remember the past..I do. We’re Townies for sure.
If anyone gets the recipe for Bellini’s meat balls and sauce print it. It was the best.
Growing up in Winchester was the best, of course back then we all called it Mayberry RFD.
We lived at 15 George rd. ( the pit ) from 66-67. I spent 2 years at Noonan elementry. I was in love with Miss. Clark. ( Pamela )
I liked to buy penny candy at Mac's. Lot of good memories
Does anyone remember the ice cream shop at the corner of Cambridge and Pond? Double cones were my favorite! We used to call it The Triangle...
Love that people are still thinking about Bellino’s pizza. That was my dads place and he passed back in 2008. Still have a couple of the Bellinos tshirts. I miss him.
I guess I would be considered a really old townie for some of the things I remember about growing up in Winchester. Like the deli across from Brighams or the cobbler that was next door. How about the Wadliegh school that was empty when I was a kid so we would break in and run amok thru the building? Or when Keenans gas station moved from Washington & Forest st to Swanton st? I took my bike to Tiny's shop on Main st after my father ran over it in the driveway. I still remember watching Beggs&Cobb tannery burn down from the playground behind St Mary's school. And WAY before there was a Cumbie or White hen there was an A & P up on Main st near Swanton st that my grandfather use to run. How about Renton's mkt on Church st or Converse mkt that had a bowling alley above it?
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