rittenhouse square, christmas 2014
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Tag Archives: philadelphia
childhood christmas memories
Thanksgiving is now behind us and this is the weekend where for many Christmas shopping and decorating begins in earnest. It also begins the memory season for a lot of people.
I am not a big Black Friday shopper, but yesterday I did spend some time in one of my favorite places, Chester County Book Company. I had a terrific gift certificate waiting for me there having won the County Lines Magazine “Capturing Chester County” photo contest.
I love book stores, and always have. As a child I also loved my school’s annual Christmas Book Fair.
I went to St. Peter’s School in the Society Hill section of Philadelphia at 4th and Pine. It was a wonderful school to be a child in, and Society Hill at the time was being reborn, so while some will allude any child who spent any time growing up there was sniffing rarified air in a snotty sort of way, well sadly for them, they just don’t get it. Yes the air was rarified in a sense, but the sense was that of a very cool and historic place.
Anyway, after Thanksgiving as a child always meant in addition to annual things and pilgrimages like the light show and lunch in the Crystal Tea Room at John Wanamaker’s, the enchanted colonial village at Lit Brothers, the other Christmas displays at Gimbel’s and Strawbridge’s, and picking out a Christmas tree on sometimes snowy visits to what I think were rail yards with my father, it meant the Christmas Book Fair at St. Peter’s.
One nice thing about being a child growing up through the 1960s and 1970s is it was not politically incorrect to call things “Christmas Book Fair” or “Christmas Pageant” or “Christmas Festival”. And the Christmas Book Fair at St. Peter’s was as festive as it sounded. The school was festooned with decorations and greenery….it literally smelled like Christmas in every corner of the school. It was wonderful and everyone no matter what religion, loved it.
It was at the Christmas Book Fair as a little girl that I met a Philadelphia author my mother loved. As a matter of fact when I asked my mother about this today, she laughed and asked me if I remembered her bursting into tears when she met this children’s book author as an adult. I didn’t. But I do remember meeting an older magical woman with white hair who for a few years autographed one of her books to me annually.
The author’s name was Marguerite de Angeli. She was born in Michigan at the end of the 19th century, but moved with her family at the turn of the 20th century to Philadelphia. Her mother, Ruby, was best friends with the mother of my headmistress, Caroline Seamans.
Because of this lucky connection, as students then, we not only were able to become exposed to the wonderful writing and illustrating of Marguerite de Angeli, but to meet and spend little bits of time with her.
I don’t know if any of you have books from your childhood, but I have some. Among the ones I kept were the books of Marguerite de Angeli. Thee, Hannah. Henner’s Lydia. Elin’s Amerika. Skippack School. Bright April. A Door in The Wall. I have loved and cherished these books, and read and re-read them. To me these books meant Christmas.
These books written by Marguerite de Angeli are still magical and timeless. I think every child should read them, and you can still find them on eBay and Amazon. I found copies of the books hidden among my step son’s book shelves a few years ago. They had been the copies that my sweet man’s own mother had read when she was a child, passed to him as a child, and he had passed them along to his son. I have always found that very cool.
These books remain as cherished books in our library. (Probably more cherished by me the closet sentimentalist.) Today, I took my copies off the shelf to dust them and I stopped to read the inscriptions Marguerite de Angeli left for me. Almost instantly I was a little girl again at the book fair waiting for my book to be signed. What a wonderful memory to be revisited by.
Thanks for stopping by today.
city view: roof tops
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….philadelphia….
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like alice through the urban looking glass…
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gritty
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contrast
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philadelphia.
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putting on the ritz
Went to a lovely Christmas party in Philadelphia held at The Ritz Carlton.
The hotel was festive and decorated to the nines, making you truly feel holiday fabulous. It is definitely one of those places that makes you feel glad you got dressed up!
I loved their lobby as there were many Christmas trees! I don’t know what it is about the Ritz, but it is one of those pretty places that just makes you feel special. They also have amazing staff, but my favorites are always their doormen.
Interestingly enough I found out at the party that some people in New York read my blog. It always tickles me when someone tells me they read my blog.
And oh my it is chilly out there tonight! Have a great evening everyone!
(and incidentally, I did not ask the Ritz Carlton to host me and my entire family for Christmas Eve dinner in exchange for writing this post, or posting on Twitter/Instagram)
hooters return to their ardmore roots
This is not a Chester County specific post. So if that is what you are seeking, turn away from your computer now…I saw the Hooters in Ardmore once again last night. (Photos found HERE)
As I said to Hooters drummer David Uosikkinen last evening when he was talking to my friend Eric before the show, the last time I saw the Hooters live I think I was about 23 years old. I am a little older now….
If you were a child of the 1980s and grew up in the greater Philadelphia region you remember the Hooters. They were part of that amazing music scene in Philadelphia of the 1980s which also included Robert Hazard (RIP – he passed away in 2008 – saw him the last time at MilkBoy in Ardmore in 2007), Beru Revu, Tommy Conwell , Dennis Selfridge and more.
The music in Philadelphia at that time was amazing. Original song writing, not cover bands. A lot of the music had a ska and reggae influence, not just rock and roll or folk. You can hear that in the Hooters. I loved ska and still listen to English Beat and Madness on occasion although overall my music tastes have evolved somewhat to indie singer-songwriter people with a more lyrical and folk sound to them.
So “back in the day” we all heard bands like the Hooters at high schools all over the area (I remember seeing the Hooters in Harriton High School’s auditorium, for example), and then at the cabarets: Chestnut, Avalon, and Ardmore.
The Hooters were already popular on the Philadelphia music scene when they opened for Philadelphia’s portion of Live Aid in 1985. I am not going to restate their entire history, it exists online, but the Hooters are also known for Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman giving Cyndi Lauper one of her greatest hits, Time After Time. Throughout the years, other artists like Joan Osborne for example, benefitted from the talent (remember her song “One of Us”?)
When you think of the Hooters as many of us do, you do think of them and the Ardmore Cabaret. And last night was like old home night on the Main Line. Including, amusingly enough, the groupies. They were older and in some cases wider, but there they were pressed up against the stage….waiting. Including the twins.
Now a brief homage to the venue. It started out life as I knew it as the 23 East Cabaret. Then about 20 years ago my friend Joe Rufo purchased the building. It morphed into Brownies 23 East and then 23 East.
I got to know Joe when Lower Merion Township tried to take a large chunk of the Main Street downtown business district via eminent domain for private gain. Thankfully that ill-advised initiative failed miserably.
Joe is the guy who has opened his doors many, many times for fundraisers and is incredibly generous to the community…besides just being a nice guy. Personal highlights for me include 2007 when he opened his doors to those of us having a fundraiser on St. Patrick’s Day for a woman named Moira Shaughnessy who was part of our community and had been struck down by viral encephalitis after surviving non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. On that night, the community came together and everything from the use of the building to the food to the bands was donated. St. Patricks Day 2007 artists like Deb Callahan, Jeffrey Gaines, Amanda Kaletsky, and Dennis Selfridge all donated their time. Another memory of the building is more recent. Earlier this year we did a fundraiser for my friend, the late Jim McCaffrey who was not only a friend but an amazing reporter. (Have a minute? Listen to what he had to say on that evening.) Joe also hosted countless other fundraisers over the years.
A few years ago when the guys from Point Entertainment had lost their music home in Ardmore and were looking for a new place I remember saying to both Rich Kardon and Joe Rufo at the time that they should combine talents and “bring the Hooters back to Ardmore.” We laughed about that last night before the show, because it is just funny how life works out. What the heck did I know? I just thought it was a great idea and they were people I liked.
So when the news broke this summer about their new partnership, I was definitely psyched. 23 East was reborn as Ardmore Music Hall. After all, living in Chester County, it is definitely easier all the way around to get to Ardmore versus West Philadelphia for WXPN Live.
Ardmore Music Hall is the same building, slightly reconfigured. And it is still an awesome place to hear a band. And last night just exceeded all expectations.
We got there in time for the doors to open to the VIP ticket holders and people were lined up around the block waiting for general admission like the old days. Inside, the Hooters milled about with guests, graciously posing for photos,autographs and chatting.
You know what the best part of the Hooters was? They still have it and more. They haven’t turned into aging rockers who should stay off the stage. Their sound has matured and evolved and they are as engaging and awesome as ever. It is no wonder that European audiences love them – they have a huge following there. The Hooters are a band who just love what they do and it shows. They are accomplished musicians and singer songwriters and the magic hasn’t waned.
The Hooters played many of their old favorites and newer music. They did this absolutely astoundingly beautiful cover of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer”. That is one of my favorite songs, and I have to say I think I like their version I heard last night better than the original version.
All of the photos are mine except the photo of the play list. That comes courtesy of the Point Entertainment folks. I was upstairs seated overlooking the balcony.
The place was packed to the rafters for this concert which made me happy. I wasn’t jazzed at times by some of the people behind us, especially Mr. Pin Stripe Shirt. He was all so perfectly pressed and pushy. He reminded me of people I saw when I saw when Robert Randolph and the Family Band were doing a then WXPN festival on Penn’s Landing. And I did get a beer dumped down my back by a tipsy girl and a camera whack in the side of my head by a zealous woman who decided to just stick her camera into my face to try to get a shot. But overall it was an amazing experience. The Hooters always did attract a good crowd.
Also as musicians and human beings, this band is as gracious as ever with their fans. I always remembered that about them: very genuine bunch of guys who took time for everyone. If you are jaded you could have said last night they are just past masters at working a crowd now, but it wasn’t that, it was different. They stop and spoke to people, looked at old photos of concert events passed. It was a nice thing to see.
I hope the Hooters return again to Ardmore. It was such a pleasure to hear them live again sounding better than ever. And yes, Pierre Robert introduced them. I have some concert snippets posted up on Chester County Rambling’s Facebook Page.
Check out Ardmore Music Hall for other upcoming shows including Soul Asylum, Fountains of Wayne, Marc Broussard, Uncle Kracker, and Michael Allman Band. Go early, Lower Merion Township doesn’t offer much parking in downtown Ardmore.