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I spent so many days from about 5: 00 am
to 5:00 pm fishing on the dock below the Pavilion. In the late
60's and early 70's with my childhood friends.$1.00 got you your
pick of the blue fiberglass benches and all the Anchovies you
could cut for bait. We caught tiny perch and bass and we witnessed
in awe when the "Oldtimers" caught a decent sized Halibut. Docked
next to the fishing dock was an old tugboat named Undaunted. When
the "action" was slow at the dock, we gazed into Undaunted's
portholes and imagined where she had been and those she had
rescued. Our evenings ended eating those tiny Shiner Perch BBQ'd
in the backyard and sleepping under the stars planning our next
Pavilion adventure and deciding whose parent would be the next to
drive us at 4:30 am! I've returned to that special place with my
kids. No $1.00 fishing dock. They were more intrigued by the Fun
Zone. I don't know what made it is so special for us thirty-five
years ago, I'm just glad it was. Thanks for your web site.
Duglas
Hi Jim, OK I read the "One up man ship" column and have to make a
few corrections. As I was entertaining there from 1970 to 1972
with Woody, Old Bob, Jeri, Ray Grimm etc.and the kitchen staff who
taught me how to make the famous batter Woody used to make the
abalone, heres what really happened. Yes Rick Lawerence and
Overland started with the bumper stickers, but it got better.
Woody got drunk one night (you could always tell when Woody had
reached "bullitt proof" when he was drinking Aqua Vix, the
sweedish 105 proof liquor). Woody never drove when he was drunk
but ALWAYS took a cab. One particular night, Woody got drunk and
took a cab home to Bayshores leaving his new 1970 El Camino in
front of Alley West. Lawerence and Overland woke up a sign painter
they knew, hot wired Woody's El Camino and had "Alley West, Fine
Gourmet Food And Spirits" painted on both doors and the rear
tailgate. Woody woke up the next morning saw the abvertising for
his neighbors and was pissed. About 2 weeks later, Woody climbs up
the garbage shoot at Alley West, opened the doors for his fishing
buddies and they drank until 4 or 5 am compliments of Alley West
leaving bottles everywhere and the doors wide open. Lawerence and
Overland responded by putting 2 lives goats ON the roof at
Woody's. The fire dept. showed up chased them around the roof and
the goats jumped into the bay and were pulled out by the Harbor
Patrol. But it gets better. Christmas week, Overland and Lawerence
walk into Woodys's at 8PM on a Friday night with a 9' flocked Xmas
tree and stand it up right in front of the hostess stand. Everyone
was afraid to touch it because they were all dressed up. Now the
coup d gras. Woody gets drunk one night a Bears Lair and when Bear
is not looking Woody grabs Bears stuffed teddy bear and high-tails
it out the door. Bear is furious and sends Woody a letter stating
that if he does not have his bear back by 8PM that Friday he and
his employees will march thru Woody's Naked!
Woody just laughed. I was on the stage singing to the audience
when at 8:15PM in walks Bear and 4 of his employees stark naked,
each holding a mug of beer and they paraded thru Woody's. Needless
to say Woody scrambled to find Bears teddy. And that's the way it
happened. Give or take a lie or two. Yours faithful Mike Murphy,
Sun Valley Idaho
My parents started to rent beach houses in Balboa in the 50's. I
remember the rows of the little yellow cottages along E. Bay Blvd.
Later we usually stayed at a house called, "the bay breeze" about
a block away from the funzone. We always used the bay beach at the
end of Fernando street quite near Christians Hut. Our goal for the
summer was to swim across the Bay and touch PT Joe, which was
morred in the water. But, alas, we were always stopped by the
coast guard and had to swim the long way back to bay side. We also
stayed at the "Doll House" a duplex on E. Bay drive at the end of
Fernando st. I go back every summer and memories come flooding
back.
As a kid I if I had to choose between Disneyland and Balboa,
Balboa would win hands down.
Colleen
Does anyone remember Jim Blue? He was around Balboa in 1953, 54.
His mother worked in a little cafe next to the post office.
We used to go to the Roundezvous Ballroom and he'd walk me back to
our house at 123 Edgewater. It was a group of us and all the way
back, we'd sing, "Gee, but it's great, after being out late,
walking my baby back home".
It was about the same time that Nat Cole and Billy Eckstein played
the Roundezvous.
And because we had no piano at our house, I'd go to the Roudezvous
in the late morning to practice my Bach and Chopin.
Carole Ozanian
Click
For More London's Times
Women should put pictures of missing husbands on beer
cans!
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Visit
TalesOfBalboa Gallery
On The Fun Zone Boardwalk |
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2nd Wednesday of the Month
Book Club Luncheon 2 PM
Bibi
Anna's
675-8146
Saturdays 3:30 PM -
7 PM
Live Reggae Music
Free Admission (21+)
Cabo Cantina
Saturdays at
Sundown
June 12 thru August 28
Annual Flag Lowering Ceremony
Patriotic Music, Taps, Canon Salute.
Balboa Boat Rentals
By the Balboa Island Ferry Landing
Balboa Peninsula
Saturday August 28,
12pm - 9pm
7th Annual Blues on the Bay
American Legion Hall
Saturday September
11
Newport Harbor High School
Corona del Mar High
Class of '64 - 40th Reunion
Balboa Pavilion
Saturday September
18, 8am - 1pm
Coastal Cleanup Day
December 15 - 19
96th Annual
Christmas Boat Parade
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
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In the 1970s, Dillman's Restaurant would post a sign
proclaiming the Player Of The Week. Hangers on, at the
circular bar, such as Boats Kennedy and Art La Shell,
would be given notoriety for a specific feat. According to
Darrel Burke, you would get recognition for such exploits
as, "Falling off the barstool, punching your wife, or
getting arrested. The sign would feature a picture of the
perpetrator and a story about why he was the Player of the
week. An example being, when Ron White fell off the boat
and landed on a shark, he was made Player of the week with
the story, "Ron White goes down on shark."
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Hi Jim, Saw your photos today in real life by the
pavilion, and absolutely loved them. You really capture
emotion in them by how the light is cast. so nice.
Have to tell you, you are more handsome in real life than
in your photo. xo
Susan in Utah :-)
Jim, for over two years I have been researching my
family's history. Recently I was given a Marlin Catch
picture taken at the Balboa Angling Club, 4 Jul 1958. The
Angler is Zelpha Brent. The boat is the Blue Chip. The
Captain is Henry Brent. Two other women are in the
picture; one is my Aunt Phyllis Billings. The picture was
taken by Kent Hitchcock, Newport Harbor. The Balboa
Angling Club doesn't seen to have an email address. Could
you forward this to the club. Do they know the boat, the
captain or his wife Zelpha? Or any other info about the
picture?
Bob Brooks
I LOVE YOU WEBSITE. I AM FROM TUCSON AND DRIVE OVER A
COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR JUST SO I CAN EAT AT RUBY'S AND MY
DAUGHTER CAN EAT AT PETE'S PIZZA. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE BOTH
BORN AND RAISED IN TUCSON, BALBOA IS WHERE WE TRULY
CONSIDERED OUR HOME. EVERYONE THERE IS SOOO FRIENDLY AND
ENJOYABLE TO BE AROUND. I HAVE DRUG MANY FRIENDS WITH ME
OVER THE YEARS AND THEY HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH IT ALSO.
YOUR WEBSITE IS A WAY TO VISIT EVERYDAY EVEN FROM HOT AND
SUNNY TUCSON. WE WILL BE THERE IN JUST UNDER A MONTH AND
ARE COUNTING THE DAYS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR SUCH A
WONDERFUL WEBSITE.
TAMMY
Jim, I was in your shop on Thursday and I was chatting
with you about your pics. I am also trying to get
something up and going with my pictures. I thought that
I'd email you and see if I could get some hints from a
more experienced photographer. How long have you been in
business? Where do you get your matts and what is a good
price for them? What type of printer do you use? Anything
else that you think may help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again,
Roberta Thom
I was a kid 13 years old, my dad bought a house at 101
balboa blvd, we lived there during the summers for 4 or 5
years. Do you have access to pictures, maps etc of the
period 1946-1950. Thank you and please advise if available
gene wall
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