Bud's Grocery Store
LATER - Jim's Grocery Store
119 Blair Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607

THEN: NOW:
 
  Saturday, January 08, 2005
   Image by Tom Norris (HHS - '73) of VA - 01/08/05
Thanks, Tom!  No wonder I couldn't ever find this old store
on my trips home - it has completely vanished!


My very first, very own personal Old Stomping Ground was this wonderful old grocery store.
It had those great old wooden floors, and one of those screen doors that every old independent grocery store seemed to boast.
It had food, of course, but its prime attraction for me was the display case full of candy.
When it changed hands from Bud's to Jim's, I was delighted that it maintained its one-syllable name; it made for an easy transition.
It was just up the hill, across the bridge by Peterson's Yacht Basin, and around a corner or two
from our apartment at 1309-A 16th Street in the Stuart Homes Apartments.
In the summer time, there was no greater treat than to walk there with a fist full of money
and grandiose plans of blowing it all on candy and gum. 
Sometimes I would actually run an errand for my mama, but usually, it was all about the candy.
As I was such a spoiled rotten little child (very much as I remain) my recollection is that she gave me
about a dollar or so in change to squander in this manner every summer weekday.  I might be wrong - but I might not.
Sometimes, my friend, Daphne Roberts, went with me, but as often as not, I'd go alone.
I'd spend the minutes of my walk contemplating just how I'd spend my fortune. 
I always bought one Baby Ruth bar, and always three or four packages of bubble gum with the Topp's baseball trading cards,
and the rest I'd use on nifty novelty candies, such as those little wax soda bottles with the gooey sweet liquid,
or those little soft cookie-like treats that looked like miniature ice cream cones.
On the way home I would stuff the Baby Ruth in my mouth to sustain me
on my walk home while I began to examine my newest cards. 
I'll never forget the time I got my Duke Snyder card.  It was my favorite, but I had several other nice ones -
Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, and so forth. 
On the basis of their cool logo alone, I decided I was a Baltimore Orioles fan. 
In this way I was able to amass a large shoebox full of major league baseball cards
which would be worth a sweet fortune today.  No, of course I no longer have them.

My most memorable walk to Bud's (or it may have become Jim's by then) almost put a halt to my trips altogether.
I was probably about nine years old.
It seems the chain gang was out that day, cleaning the area around the bridge.
They had armed guards, so I really wasn't very worried. 
The guards, however, became highly agitated when they saw me walk past. 
They started yelling at the men, which I thought was quite unnecessary, because they were obviously all being very polite and attentive.
On my return home, the men were closer up to the sidewalk, so I stopped to chat with three or four of them a bit. 
They were very friendly - exceptionally friendly.  This caused the guards to become positively ballistic, and they started yelling wildly.
When I got home I told my mama.  For some strange reason, she became as upset as the guards.
Normally she was one calm cookie, but that day she launched into some tirade about how dangerous
those men were, and how they could have pulled me under the bridge, and all sorts of other unpleasant details.
My, my, my.  Such a fuss.  What a bunch of worry warts. 
It was some time before I was allowed on such an excursion again......
 
- Carol Buckley Harty ('65) of NC - 01/31/05
 

 
 

 

East Side, West Side

Words and Music by Lawlor and Blake - 1928
 

Down in front of Casey's
Old brown wooden stoop,
On a summer's evening,
We formed a merry group;
Boys and girls together,
We would sing and waltz,
While Tony played the organ on
The Sidewalks Of New York.

Chorus:
East side, West side,
All around the town,
The tots sang "ring a rosie,"
"London Bridge is falling down."
Boys and girls together,
Me and Mamie O' Rourke,
Tripped the light fantastic
On The Sidewalks Of New York.
 
 

(This page was created 01/31/05.)

Fruits and Vegetables clip art and Grapevine divider lines courtesy of http://members.fortunecity.com/abkldesign/index.html - 06/09/04

"East Side, West Side" midi courtesy of http://www.jbott.com/estwst.html - 06/09/04

"East Side, West Side" midi courtesy of http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/s033.html
at the suggestion of Dave Spriggs ('64) of VA - 11/12/03
Thanks, Dave!

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