MEMOIRS OF SCHOOL STREET VILLAGE: Just saying...

MEMOIRS OF SCHOOL STREET VILLAGE

Thanks so much for the great response to this blog!

A special thank you to those who have passed it on to others. We are heading quickly to amazing page visits to this blog! Welcome to folks from all over the country and other countries as well, including Lisbon!!

The "Village", as it was called, is located in the northwest corner of the city of Taunton, Massachusetts U.S.A. It covers about 1 square mile with the center being School Street. A large portion of the Village population was Portuguese when I was growing up.

This blog covers a lot of the history of the Village, much to do with my years as a child there: 1940 through the late 1950's. I do have many wonderful photos and information prior to that that and will share those as well. Always looking for MORE PHOTOS AND MORE STORIES TO TELL.

If you would like to send photos or share a memory of growing up in the Village

e-mail me at spinoart@comcast.net

feel free to comment on the posts. Directions are on the right side of the blog posts. Jump in, the water is fine and it is easy!!!

I will be posting photographs but not identifying individuals unless I have permission or they are a matter of public record. It you wish to give me permission, please let me know.

I am looking for any and all photos of the Village...

Please note: the way blogs work is that the latest post is first. It you would like to start from the beginning of the blog, check out the post labels on the right of the blog and go from there. Thanks.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Just saying...

My Aunt Lavina, far left, Aunt Alveda second from right
unknown wonderful car
circa early 40's

Do you think that the car was a Daimler? This coming week we are going to an antique car show here, one of the premiere in the country called Course d'elegance so
maybe some expert can tell me.

Arlene Gouveia tells us (through memories of Jeanette Nascimento and Emma Andrade) that in 1933 in the Village, twelve young women formed a club called The Question Mark Club. After eighty years there is still at least one active member: the amazing Emma Andrade who has contributed to this blog with other memories as well. Maybe my aunts and the gals above were members...? Again, that camaraderie that was so real in the Village of that time
shines out for us.

Seeing this photo reminds me of a much simpler time and talking with my husband
we came up with some thoughts:

Remember when they made change for you at the cash register and counted it out in your hand?

They did the arith-me-tic in their heads rather than letting a machine do the work. They also smiled at you and chatted. You used cash and not a card and thus

you knew your financial situation at all times.

Oh, and nobody stole your identity...

Have you noticed that developers all over the country are building in the "village-mode" or planned developments, as they are called? They try to capture again what we had in our Village, using smaller homes with porches and the garages in back so that there are walking areas, common green or shared space. They should just ask us, we could tell them how to do it right. This nostalgia trend is also prevalent in restaurants such as Cracker Barrel - you walk in and woosh, you are back in the 50's! Old photos, and what they call home-cooking is
the order of the day.

Nobody I knew, certainly not us, had a dining room. We all ate in the kitchen....as a family. The kitchen was the happening-place all day long. We did not need decorators to show us how to make it a warm and inviting place....we made that happen ourselves. Have you checked out the latest: shabby chic style? I rest my case.

Just saying.....