For All You Youngsters Out There… Linda Knight Seccaspina — Sherbrooke Record

CLIPPED FROMThe ProvinceVancouver, British Columbia, Canada05 Jan 1966, Wed  •  Page 24

For All You Youngsters Out There… Linda Knight Seccaspina

One of my top ten childhood memories is the late great Eaton’s Department store in Montreal, Quebec. It didn’t matter what province you lived in–everyone made a trip to some Eaton’s, no matter where they lived, and most of us also got the Eaton’s catalogue.

The Eaton’s catalogue was such a valued part of Canadian life and it seemed to offer all things to Canadians. In Lucy Maud Montgomery’s “Anne’s House of Dreams” Anne and Mrs. Rachel argued over the propriety of the Eaton’s catalogue, and so did our family.

Canadians found practical uses for old Eaton’s catalogues. They were used as pads for hockey games; boiled down to colour Easter eggs; used as readers in classrooms– and of course reading material for outhouses.

I remember my Grandmother telling me about one of the local gossipers who worked at the Eatons catalogue office. She told us a story one Friday night on the South Street verandah about two local sisters. Every few weeks they would order dresses and then always returned them without a belt. They would keep the belts and then you would see them walking down Main Street and they would have a dress on with a non-matching belt.

Back in the days before shopping malls flooded the land and when the Bay was still Morgan’s: going to Eaton’s meant taking a trip to downtown Montreal in December. Eaton’s was the Blue Cake counter, the Penny Bank shop, and most of all, Eaton’s was Santa.

The Christmas Wish Catalogue and the Santa Claus parade signalled the coming of Christmas for all of us. Every child that I knew understood there was only one real Santa – and that man of Christmas was only at Eaton’s. My Mother brought me to the Santa Claus parade a few times, and all I can remember was the cold, and then bright lights, and crowds inside Eaton’s as we all pushed our way to go meet Santa. I can still see the frost over the windows as we went up the escalator with my stomach churning from a cold drink that we had at the Honey Dew Restaurant.

In 1968 Eaton’s became the store that liked young people and they were a sponsor for the popular TV show “ Like Young”. I lived right around the corner from the TV station and every Saturday afternoon I lined up outside CFCF-TV sporting my grandmother’s orthopaedic brown lace up shoes and my Le Chateau pants ready to dance. 

After the show was over we would all head downtown and refresh our spirits at the Honey Dew restaurant on Saint Catherine Street. One giant glass of Honey Dew along with a hot dog and then it was off to Place Du Soul. Eaton’s had become the store for young people and as I was going to fashion design school I spent a lot of time downtown at Eaton’s buying Coro Jewelry, Yardley makeup and mini jumpers with big zippers.

Eaton’s might have been trying to grab the buying dollars of the teen scene, but I know my Father had no love for the store. He hated everything I bought, everything, but somehow he figured out he didn’t have a choice. My father was horrified when Eaton’s started showcasing bell bottom pants. He saw a gal come out of the local soft ice cream store with a white pair on and told our neighbour that his daughters would wear them over his dead body.

I didn’t want my father to die, but I had been a fashionista since I saw daylight at the Brome Missisquoi Hospital in 1951. The next Saturday I took my 10 year-old sister to Montreal. Buying the ugliest Irish Green acrylic pair in Eaton’s bargain basement; ( I’m sure they were rejects) I bought two pairs. I figured if my sister was also wearing them I would only get half in trouble. Trying to spare my little sister he said nothing as we went off to the Big Brome Fair that day. But, his face was bright red for a long time and you can rest assured everyone was hearing about it.

After Eaton’s closed I never really thought much about the store until one Halloween party years later. One of the ladies at the party was wearing a vintage Eaton’s 60’s mini dress. It was way too short and each time she bent over to dip a potato chip we were getting flashes of underwear that were not vintage. Her vintage Eaton’s pantyhose was also riding up in the front and sinking to depth defying lows in the back. When she bent over once again I could no longer look. After the fifth time I decided I could no longer sit there and watch this shady Shindig show.  Suddenly she went in for the next dip and the Eaton’s dress was going up fast for the win. Immediately I thought..

“And that moment Linda, was brought to you by Eaton’s — “the store that thinks young!”

CLIPPED FROMThe GazetteMontreal, Quebec, Canada22 Jan 1966, Sat  •  Page 24

And the Radical Literary Beat Goes On …

I Was A Free Range Child

The Eaton’s Sewing Girls

Never Miss a Chance to Dance! Linda Knight Seccaspina

Debate to Close St. James — Mary Cook– 1967

CLIPPED FROMThe Ottawa CitizenOttawa, Ontario, Canada08 Apr 1967, Sat  •  Page 44

Parishioners up in arms over bid to sell church

By Mary Cook Citizen special correspondent CARLETON PLACE-

What happens to a congregation, when it reads in the local newspaper that its church is no longer needed, and since its purpose has become so insignificant, the only solution is the auction block? The congregation gets angry. That’s what happens. And that’s exactly what the wardens of St. James Anglican Church wanted to happen.

A couple of weeks ago a large block ad appeared in the local weekly paper, stating that a debate would be held to deal with the following resolution: “Resolved: that the church of St. James no longer fulfils any significant purpose in the community and, therefore, the congregation should be disbanded and the church property be sold and the money realized contributed to more worthy causes.”

Even though the ad clearly stated it was a debate only, the congregation buzzed with comment and the parish hall was packed to capacity “to fight for our church,” as several put it. Dr. W.J. Hanham, a member of the affirmative team, said that only 10 per cent of the 1,500 members appeared in church on a regular basis. Even more startling was the fact that about 30 people contribute more than half of the entire church budget. Of the membership, he went on, only 15 per cent was under 35 years of age. He further reddened faces of those present by stating that local charities received more from members and the community than did St. James Anglican Church.

At this point, a parishioner jumped to his feet and demanded to know why an expensive addition was opened recently, if the church was in such need. Dr. Hanham assured the questioner he was sure the church “could muddle on with out the addition, but the wardens were not only concerned with the money issue, they were also alarmed over the steady decline in attendance, fellowship and the spiritual atmosphere of the entire congregation.”

Supporting Dr. Hanham were Allan Johnsson and Ormond Giles who reported a steady decline in church attendance all over the world. They claimed a new set of standards, the Jet Age and a decline in personal morals were fast making every church obsolete. Mr. Johnsson started a protest from the negative debaters when he said that no building is necessary for anyone to worship God. The church, he said, is failing from the lack of “spiritual support.”

On the negative side, Mrs. George H. Lossemore, herself an Anglican minister’s widow; Stewart Lancaster, a lay reader in the church; and Gerry Tinsley, deputy warden, argued the need for unity and its power as seen in the Communist world today. They cited the need for spiritual guidance and the great service the church could render. During the debate, several parishioners jumped to their feet to interject, and it was apparent that many felt strongly in favor of retaining the church and its property.

Ted Lemaistre, the rector’s warden, had a difficult time as moderator of the debate and several times had to bring the panel back to the issue at hand. Although the affirmative seemed to have a strong argument, when the vote was called at the close of the debate, the emotions of those present emphatically indicated they were determined “to retain the church and its property.” Whether they will support it with dollars and their attendance, remains to be seen.

St James in Carleton Place to the Rescue! Carleton Place in the News… Crosstalk 2022 #communityproud

St James and St Mary’s Christmas Bazaar 1998 -Who Do You Know?

They Call Me James — James Warren of Carleton Place

Anyone Want Breakfast ? The Story of St. James Weekly Breakfast with Photos — Holly Carol Parkinson

St. James Park Monument Part 1 and Part 2

Mary Cook and her Telephone Pin

Does What Happen in a Church Pew Stay in a Church Pew?  Linda Knight Seccaspina — Sherbrooke Record Column

Let The Church Rise– A Little History of St. James Anglican Church

Church Lady Memories by Linda Knight Seccaspina

We’ll Meet Again — Robert (Bob) John Stacey

I Bet You Didn’t Know this About St. James in Carleton Place

Hallelujah and a Haircut —Faces of St. James 1976

What did Rector Elliot from St. James Bring Back from Cacouna?

The Emotional Crowded Houses– St. James

Imagine if All the People…. Photos of Father David Andrew’s Retirement Party

Photo Linda Seccaspina

Vintage Carleton Place & Beckwith

  · 

#CarletonPlaceHeritage

Bowling Queen of the Ottawa Valley 1962

Miss Eleanor Powell was chosen Bowling Queen of the Ottawa Valley in a contest held in Almonte, Sunday afternoon. Miss Powell won over eight other contestants from Renfrew, Almonte, Arnprior and Ottawa. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E Powell of Highland Drive in Ottawa. She is a student of Laurentian High School and the contest was sponsored by the director of the Stirling BIA in Almonte– Leo Lindsay.

Judges were: Mr.and Mrs. Clifforrd March of Appleton and Mr. and Mrs. Judson of Carleton Place. Points were given on bowling ability and appearance.

Runners up ( Princesses) were Pat Insley and Gail Simon. Mrs. Helen Bradley of the P.J. Club in Ottawa was in charge of the Ottawa group. Those taking part in the contest were: Carol Baird, Gwen O’Connell, Jean West of Almonte, Marie Dupuis, Gail Simon and Dorothy Currie of Renfrew abd Wendy Arden, Pat Insley, and Eleanor Powell of Ottawa.

The Queen received roses and gifts from the director, Leo Lindsay and the little Pattie sisters of Ottawa. Following the results refreshments were served. Dancing followed with a few members of the Almonte set learning to do “the Twist”. Escorts for the presentation of the girls were: Don Morton, Kitk Mueller, Fred McLean, James Hand, Brian Newton and Gary Waddell.

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada12 Jan 1962, Fri  •  Page 2

ALMONTE NOW HAS QUEEN OF BOWLING April 1957

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Journal
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada11 Apr 1957, Thu  •  Page 26

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada11 Apr 1957, Thu  •  Page 41

Here She Comes —Miss Almonte High School January 1958

1970s Lanark County Beauty Queens

Miss Almonte Hockey Queen 1958

Miss Almonte 1975

Still Looking for Memories of Theresa Galvin –Miss Almonte

Mr. Mississippi Beauty Pageant 1982 Joe Banks

Jean Duncan Lanark Dairy Queen

Remembering Rosy Robertson

1970s Lanark County Beauty Queens

Here She Comes Miss Almonte — Karen Hirst and other Notes

Here She Comes Miss Eastern Ontario –Photos

The Dark World of the Miss Civil Service Beauty Contests

1. Here She Comes Miss Eastern Ontario –Photos
2. Last Night I Saw Someone I Loved at the Halloween Parade
3. Glamorous Marilyn Allen Miss Snow Queen and Others 1950s

Remembering Errol Stanzel January 1962

On the evening of January 10 th, Errol R. Stanzel of Carleton Place met a tragic death when he was killed by the westbound C . P. R. Dayliner about 7.10 p.m . on the level crossing on the eastern side of Almonte on Andrew ‘s Bros, farm . The crew of the train said he was standing on the track in front of his stalled car and appeared to be waving. So far no one seems to know why the unfortunate man was where he was at that time. One guess is that he missed the turn at Perth Street and continued along Country Street and in some manner stalled on the track. It could easily be that he underestimated the speed of the Budd car. He was in his 70th year and retired a few years ago after conducting a successful retail shoe business in Carleton Place for many years. Dr. J. A . McEwen, County Corner was called to the scene of the accident. The funeral was held by the Fleming Bros. Funeral H om e, Carleton Place to St. James A nglican Church on S at.. Jan . 13 at 2 p.m. Interment was in St. James Cemetery.

Photo- Allan Stanzel

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada11 Jan 1962, Thu  •  Page 46

What is sad is another Stanzel, Fred, was hit by a train-Fred and Libby Stanzel White Duck Inn Genealogy

Stephen Stanzel and his family in front of their home on 29 Queen Street circa 1906.

Left to right-Ross, Errol, Annie, Dorothy on her mum’s lap. Wattie is on the boardwalk, Minerva and Lola. —Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum

Fred and Libby Stanzel White Duck Inn Genealogy

How Miss Miller the Milliner on Bridge Street Turned into a Stanzel Story

The Stanzel Homes of Carleton Place

The Fred Astaire of Carleton Place — John Stanzel

Here She Comes Miss Sandra Warner — Miss Eastern Ontario

Don White Clipping

CLIPPED FROM
The Ottawa Citizen
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada27 Feb 1961, Mon  •  Page 9

Glamorous 16-year-old Miss Sandra Warner, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Warner of Smiths Falls, a Smiths Falls and District Collegiate student, was chosen “Miss Eastern Ontario” at Perth’s seventh winter carnival held in the Perth Collegiate auditorium Saturday night Seven hundred spectators packed the auditorium and a large crowd was unable to get inside the hall. Despite a heavy downpour of rain and hazardous driving conditions, the surrounding towns and district were well represented.

This is the second occasion in which a Smiths Falls representative won the title. Miss Marilyn Allen was the 1958 winner. There were nine queens entered in the contest. They were auditioned in the Perth Collegiate on Saturday afternoon. Judges were: Renne D’Ornano, Jewell Graham, Pierre Belisle and Jim Terrell of the CBC, Ottawa. Crowns Winner Miss Warner was crowned by Miss Heather Black, Carleton Place winner of the title In 1960. The pretty young miss was presented with the Courier rose bow by N. K. H. Turner and s beautiful bouquet by Mrs. E. S. BurchelL A $200 bursary awarded by an Ottawa company was pre sented by John Spence of Ottawa.

Miss Heather Black of Carleton Place received a miniature trophy as the retiring Miss Eastern Ontario of 1960. Other contestants were: Beverly Walsh, Renfrew; Marilyn McCann, Westport; Jeanett Giroud, Amprior; Benice Campbell, Almonte; Janice McDowell, Carleton Place; Mary Ronson, South Mountain; Heather Crawford, Perth, and Sandra Tullis, Lanark. Each of the contestants received a cheque for $50 from John Dunn.

William Luxton, of Kingston, was master of ceremonies. Mayor E. S. Burchell welcomed the large crowd to Perth’s annual winter festival and particularly the many communities in Eastern Ontario who participated in the contest Trophies for winners of the local dog derby held in the afternoon, sponsored by the Jaycees, were presented by Mayor Burchell to Jim Malloy who won and to Joan Malloy who was the first girl to finish.

The talent contest was open to Eastern Ontario. The contest was divided into junior and senior sections. In the junior division, little Miss Normalyn McLellan, Perth, with her song and tap dancing was the winner. Margot Royce, Amprior, was second and Nancy Houston, Carleton Place, vocalist, was third. In the senior division, Sandra Doyle and Michael Mailey, Carleton Place, in a tap dance and piano solo, were winners. Don White and Don Eastman, Innisville, in their guitar number were second, and James P. Rae of Perth, vocal soloist and guitar accompaniment was third. Each of the winners received cash prizes. A tvro-day mixed curling bonspiel in the Perth curling rink was completed on Saturday night to bring to a climax a round of carnival events.

Photo Don White

1970s Lanark County Beauty Queens

Miss Almonte 1975

Mr. Mississippi Beauty Pageant 1982 Joe Banks

Remembering Rosy Robertson

1970s Lanark County Beauty Queens

Here She Comes Miss Almonte — Karen Hirst and other Notes

Here She Comes Miss Eastern Ontario –Photos

The Dark World of the Miss Civil Service Beauty Contests

1. Here She Comes Miss Eastern Ontario –Photos
2. Last Night I Saw Someone I Loved at the Halloween Parade
3. Glamorous Marilyn Allen Miss Snow Queen and Others 1950s
4. Miss Civitan Club 1976? Who Are These Women?

Times Of Love and Dreams to Share

2015

It is December 15th, almost a week before Christmas, and you would never know it. I wrote a piece a few years ago called “Searching For Christmas” and it seems, as the years go by, it disappears more and more. The Martha Stewart Christmas CD plays for the umpteenth time, and after 17 Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel I just can’t watch another. Or can I?

I had something happen to me a few years ago that was life altering. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about it, and it has literally changed my perspective on life. It was almost like learning there was no Santa Claus when I was a child. That innocence that reinforced the goodness of mankind suddenly vanished. So, I sit here and ask myself, how many Christmases do I have left? What if I had not lived, and missed Christmas that year? Well, I did live, and Christmas is almost around the corner.

So I try to snap out of this funk and remember. I remember the smell of Christmas trees and their sharp pine pungent scent, and the smell of home baking in the air. To be honest, the last years of my childhood Christmases were not spent smelling a fresh evergreen tree. It was gazing at the latest model of Sears “best in the line ” decorator trees in my Grandmother’s living room. I remember the delicate fragile glass ornaments that belonged to years gone by and the blue lights on the tree.

I can still hear Miss Watson playing the church organ next to the Chrismtas tree at Trinity Anglican Church, which also shone with blue lights. I felt like it was something that was decided upon one Altar Guild Day in one fell swoop of a pact.  Can I still hear these women talking with their glasses perched on their noses and fluffing their short tight perms? Did these church ladies decide that blue lights, and only blue lights, should be on a Christmas tree? I am positive that’s what happened and then they all went home and changed their lights to blue in a no nonsense way.

Memories then flood my mind of  two weeks after Christmas in 1995 when my sons and I stood on top of a water- soaked carpet looking sadly at a completely black Christmas tree. Staring at the remainder of a horrible fire that burned everything the day before, my oldest son wondered if his purchase of one small TY Beanie Baby monkey started the fire that turned our lives upside down for over a year. He is very much like his mother. We dwell on things and don’t give them up. We are good at that.

But Christmas went on the next year and no one was a Negative Nancy. We still watched Charlie Brown’s Christmas and baked cookies and hung up stockings and I still left small presents on the door steps of the elderly. So what to do? How do I get out of this Downer Dan mood? I decided to make  Butter Tarts–now that would make me feel festive.


Twenty minutes later after listening to Loreena McKennitt singing “Good King Wenceslas” for the umpteenth time, I take the tarts from the oven. They smell wonderful and I know they will be enjoyed. I turn the Martha Stewart Christmas CD off and file it away, not to be played for… let’s say…at least a day. Charlie Brown’s Christmas by Vince Guaraldi fills the air and I dance. I realize the holidays are what you make out of it and not to expect anyone to drop the Holiday spirit outside your bathroom door– because it just isn’t going to happen. Christmas just isn’t a season–it’s a feeling sometimes being torn for the familiar and just a chance to feel old feelings twice. If kisses were snowflakes I would send each and everyone of you a blizzard.

Never Miss a Chance to Dance! Linda Knight Seccaspina

Linda Knight Seccaspina 1968 and Saul Cohen working at Place Bonaventure from-Ramblings of a Rebel with a Cause!

Never Miss a Chance to Dance!

No one in this world wanted to take over tap dancer Ann Miller’s job more than I did. After 70 long years of random attempts, all that remains is a pair of silver tap shoes tucked away in a cupboard long forgotten. I used to wear them on a day to day basis for many years as I always believed one should be on call if someone had the odd tap dancing job. In life I have always winged it: life, eyeliner, just everything.

As a child my mother told my father that I had natural rhythm and would probably belong to a professional dance troupe. Actually, what she really wanted me to be was one of the dancers on American Bandstand, but I had other goals in mind. When I was eight I wanted to fluff out my tutu and be the Sugar Plum Fairy so badly that I accidentally bumped the reigning fairy off the stage during practice. Seeing the stage was a foot off the ground, she was luckily not hurt, and I was to remain a Waltzing Flower forever.

At 17 I had my first “break”. I became one of the regular “crowd” dancers on a Montreal based TV show called “Like Young”. Every Saturday afternoon I lined up outside CFCF-TV sporting my grandmother’s orthopedic brown lace up shoes, ready to dance. Those borrowed shoes were just super for dancing and they looked fabulous with my floor dusting Le Chateau gabardine pants. I was nothing but double-trouble on the dance floor.

After the show was over we would all head downtown and refresh our spirits at the Honey Dew restaurant on Saint Catherine Street. One giant glass of Honey Dew along with a hot dog and then it was off to Place Du Soul. It was the “all ages” place to be, that was right across from the Greyhound Bus Station in case you had to leave town quickly. Each week I resumed my Sugar Plum Fairy dreams of long ago– only this time it was for the coveted title of go-go cage dancer. The elevated cages were about twenty stairs up a shaky ladder and it became a weekly goal to try and fight the others to be queen of the dancing soul-castle.

One weekend James Brown was the headlining act and even though I had issues with vertigo I decided I was finally going to be dancing in that cage that evening.  As I stood in line waiting my turn I told several people that the lead singer Bruce from “Les Sultans” was soon to be coming in the front door.

“Les Sultans” were the French Canadian version of the Beatles in those days, and I tell you that line stopped being a line in about two seconds flat. Smiling a very large sinister smile I climbed those twenty stairs wearing a short print mini dress, white boots and a huge white bow on top of my head. I never looked down once and realized quickly there was no lady-like way to climb that ladder without flashing my underpants. Remember, there is always a wee bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good.

James started to sing, “I Feel Good,” and it couldn’t have been a better song. I stayed up in the cage as long as I could and danced my boots off. Others got tired of me hogging the limelight and tried to climb up and get rid of me. I threw my boots down one at a time.  Last song, bootless, and eyeliner running down my face James threw me a kiss in the air and sang “I Got You”. I would never live my mother’s dream of being one of Dick Clark’s dancers, but finally, I was the Sugar Plum Fairy of Soul and covered in a “Cold Sweat”!
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we’re here, we should dance. When you are sixty and still dancing, you become something of a curiosity. If you hit seventy and you can still get a foot off the ground, you’re phenomenal. Now, with a cane, dancing can be difficult, but I still dance like nobody’s watching. Because, in reality, they aren’t watching you. That’s because they are all too busy checking their phones. Why be moody, when you can shake your booty!

Life Before the Remote……Linda Knight Seccaspina

Life Before the Remote……Linda Knight Seccaspina

The first TV program I remember watching as a child was the Mantovani Show, and not only was it boring, but it was in black and white. Because we lived 14 miles from the Vermont border in Quebec we were lucky to be able to receive some American television, and not just the staple Canadian three.

Cartoon Corner and Howdy Doody were favourites of mine back in the day on CBC. I also remembered having to unplug the TV when a thunderstorm occurred as my Mother said it was “going to blow the house up if one of those bolts wrapped around the venetian blinds”. Of course, I still think of that when it’s storming outside sitting in my lazy boy chair that’s pointed at the television along with every other piece in the room, and still with decorative venetian blinds.

Every night at 5 in 1961 I would watch the CBC TV show Razzle Dazzle hosted by Suzanne Somer’s husband, Alan Hamel. I had entered a writing contest and was eagerly waiting to hear if I won a pen with my “meatless meat pie” essay. A few weeks later I found out that I had indeed won a Razzle Dazzle pen for my story along with a photo of Howard the Turtle.

One day in the 60’s my father went to Keith Lachasseur’s Appliance store on the Main Street in Cowansville and came home with a colour TV. I didn’t really care one way or the other as I was actually used to the rainbow hues of “the plastic sheet” on the front of the television. It ‘simulated’ full colour along with rabbit ears covered in tinfoil to stimulate even better viewing. Of course it was sold as a cheap alternative to buying an expensive colour TV and its promise had sucked my father in. I think he immediately knew he had the wool pulled over his eyes, but never knowingly admitting a mistake, he insisted that it was ‘just as good’ as the real thing.

In our family he was the only person allowed to touch the new TV and he was always up on the roof adjusting the antenna to get the best

picture. After seeing everything in black and white while we simultaneously hunted dinosaurs in those days my world had now progressed to technicolor with a new neighbour coming in every night to see ‘the TV.’ Some of the highlights were: ‘Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Colour’ when Tinkerbell would splash colour on the screen and of course the burning map on the TV show Bonanza was priceless.

One night my father went out to a Lodge meeting and my friend Sheila came over to watch The Man from U.N.C.L.E. David McCallum, who played  “Ilelya Kuryakin” on the show, had been dubbed the “British James Dean” and was the only reason I watched that show. The fact that I had always seen him cast as a delinquent was a bonus for me since there is nothing like a bad boy. Sheila and I sat down and got ready to watch. The NBC Peacock came on and it remained in black and white. Where was the colour?.

Was my father really not at  the Lodge meeting and adjusting the roof antenna so I could not enjoy the show? The Man from U.N.C.L.E began and I started fidgeting around with the buttons. Instead of black and white the show suddenly turned red and then blue and I wondered if the rainbow plastic sheet had found its way inside the TV. Was I doomed?  After fidgeting some more the picture started skipping and I had to play around with the “horizontal hold” button. I think all of you remember that particular button with joy and happiness.

Illya still stared at me in glorious black and white, and I stopped playing with the buttons. Fifteen minutes before the show ended my father came in and tweaked his magic and it turned from black and white to colour.

Once you had colour TV you never went back to black and white- you just went to “upgrade”. Some of my friends in the late 60’s used LSD instead, and their whole lives became Technicolor — without television. My family just continued to ‘upgrade’ and in lieu of Don Messer’s Jubilee we watched Tommy Hunter on Friday nights. Who knew a

Hoedown, Tommy Hunter and Brenda Lee could all exist in colour together?

McLuhan once said,“The medium is in the message”– or was that ‘the massage’.   But now we are confronted with all sorts of media so pardon me while I check my Facebook Twitter and Instagram and watch a season of something on Netflix real quick. Just remember if someone had not invented the TV we’d still be eating frozen radio dinners.

Sock it to me!

—

The 1960s Almonte Fashion Show — Names Names Names

Women’s age-old interest in clothes was demonstrated again when a total of 400 which included a sprinkling of males, attended the Fashion Show in the town hall, sponsored by the Almonte Ladies Curling Club. Mrs. R. A. Jamieson was convener of the Show and practically all the members assisted in some capacity to make the event  an outstanding success. The stage which in the raw, is a most depressing sight, was transformed into a rose garden with an arbor forming the entrance to the ramp down which the models walked.

 There were rose covered trellises, a picket fence, etc., all arranged to form an attractive setting for the attractive models. Mrs. Parrett, proprietor of the Lanark Shop, opened the show and acted as commentator throughout. 

The merchandise was loaned by Pimlott’s Ladies’ Wear, Milady Dress Shop, Johnson and McCreary, Smolkin’s Men’s Wear, The Mariette Shoppe, The Lanark Shop, The Misses Hogan, J. H. Proctor, Phil. Needham and the Canada Fur Manufacturing Company of Toronto, of which Mrs. K, Burns is the local agent. Mrs. Parrett introduced the models all of whom are local. 

They were Mrs. Joyce Hill, Mrs. Muriel Hill, Miss Mary Hourigan, Mrs. Clare Kitts, Mrs. Freda Levitan and Mrs. Irene Duncan. Modelling men’s clothes were Gordon Clifford and Gerry Green. Three children who also acted as models, stole the show for a time. They were Ruth Leishman, Barbara Ann Duncan and Donald Duncan. Mrs. Clare Kitts, wearing a black gabardine suit and two piece mink neckpiece from Milady Dress Shop, was the first model. 

With this she wore a pink blouse and milan straw hat and black accessories. The next was Miss Mary Hourigan wearing a turquoise crepe dress from the Mariette Shoppe. Mrs. Freda Levitan next featured a blue and white cotton from Pimlott’s Ladies’ Wear. Mrs. Muriel Hill modelled a navy taffeta from Pimlott’s Ladies’ Wear with a hat of navy blue trimmed with taffeta and white flowers. 

Mrs. Joyce Hill was introduced next, wearing grey gabardine slacks and T-shirt from the Lanark Shop. The sixth model was Mrs. Irene Duncan, wearing a three-piece suit in rayon herringbone from Pimlott’s, with green kid shoes with platform soles from Proctor’s Shoe Store. There were 40 costumes shown in all with the models appearing more or less in rotation. One especially attractive ensemble was shown by Mrs. Joyce Hill–It was a grey kid jacket worn over a green gabardine suit The fur jacket was lined with matching green gabardine was from Milady DressShop and was supplied by the Canada Fur Manufacturing Company (J. T. Conway and Son.) Another fur coat by the same company that excited considerable pleased comment was a full length muskrat coat made with a border. This was worn by Mrs. Muriel Hill with a smart cocoa brown gabardine one-piece dress. Mrs. Irene Duncan also displayed a handsome g controlled by darts. 

The show closed with Mis. Joyce Hill and Mrs. Clare Kitts appearing as bridesmaid and bride respectively. Joyce wore a yellow bengaline taffeta with two net overskirts, gold sandals from Proctors and flowers from Misses Hogan. Mrs. Kitts’ wedding gown was. of all over chantilly lace over taffeta and she wore a floor length veil of French net with hand embroidery. Both the bridesmaid’s dress and the bride’s dress were from Milady Dress Shop.

 

related reading

1960’s Fashion Shows– Once a Huge Extravaganza!

The Alice Walker Fashion Show 1974 Carleton Place

You Better Work it Girl! Cover Girls of Carleton Place 1965

Miss Civitan Club 1976? Who Are These Women?

Mary Cook’s Deportment Classes for Young Ladies in Carleton Place

Carleton Place Mod Fashion Show 1960’s

And Then There was Cook’s– and Most of All Mary Cook

Ramblings of a Rebel with a Cause!

Ramblings of a Rebel with a Cause! — Linda Knight Seccaspina

In 1967 I was very excited to go to the London School of Fashion Design in London, England. Sadly my mentor, my grandfather, died that August so all was shot to hell as they say. My Dad was very busy with his business, being a town councilman and a man of the community. I was barely 16 and one thing that had gotten his attention was that I was very different and he didn’t care for it. I dressed in the latest fashion styles that I made and I stuck out like a big sore thumb. In a small town where your father is a prominent fixture word travels around like a brush fire that someone is out of the box somewhere.

I was labeled “the daughter that Arthur Knight had so much trouble with”. Yes, I was probably and admitedly a rebel teeenager, there is no argument to that. But, fashion was my first love, and I knew I would never work in a bank or become a home economics teacher. 

So after heated arguments with my father I left home and headed to Montreal. I attended fashion design school where I instantly became bored. Instead of the great 60’s fashion and styles that I was expecting, my teacher made me make patterns of 1950’s styles. After classes I would go into store after store, just absorbing the culture and the “joie de vivre”  of Montreal fashion.

Graduation couldn’t come fast enough for me. After completing my course, I had to find a job. Twiggy, Mary Quant and all the Carnaby Street styles were everywhere and guess who was wearing them? My Dad was getting remarried and gave me 75 dollars to buy something for his wedding. Being the drama queen I purchased a black velvet Twiggy mini dress and a black floor length Dr. Zhivago style coat. It was a real floor duster with black faux fur trim. Omar Shariff would have been proud– or maybe not!

When I went for job interviews I had to wear that outfit as my personal fashion budget was bankrupt.  Most clothing manufactures were not yet into the Carnaby look in 1967 and I was told time after time:

 “Kid, get yourself another coat– or you will never get a job!”

Defiant, of course I had to be me and soon got a job at Le Chateau on St. Catherine Street hemming pants. It was the very first Le Chateau store and when I left 6 months later they were opening their second store on St. Hubert. 

With a year long fashion design course under my belt I finally found a job at THE FINE TOGS CLOTHING CO. It was a children’s manufacturer run by Blossom and Hy Hyman. Actually Blossom ran the company and Hy smiled a lot and played golf. They thought I was a spunky kid and if I had stayed there would have probably been retiring from the company about five years ago. I was raised by my British Grandmother, but there is definitely Jewish blood flowing through my veins and now now I was working for a Jewish firm and I was getting an education, in more ways than one.

If my grandmother Mary was my foundation for my hard working ethics then Saul Cohen was the drywall. He expected me to arrive at 7:30 am  every morning and the man worked me to the bone. I worked in the cutting department, did sewing, swept floors, did book work and worked in the show room.There was not one stone that he did not make me turn over. He was relentless and when he found out about my long lost heritage he made sure I knew about it. When I complained about maybe leaving at 6 pm he would turn around and say to me:

“Do you know how our people suffered?”

Enough said!

One day he decided that I was ready to represent the company selling their clothing line at Place Bonaventure clothing mart. He told me I had to wear something conservative. So I did what every other girl my age did. I went to SEARS and bought THE SUIT. It was a navy blue  matching box jacket, and knee length pleated skirt. I had red shoes and red earrings to match– and I wore it exactly 4 times.

I applaud Saul for everything he taught me and how someone actually got me to wear something that wasn’t black. But, word got around the clothing mart about me and I was soon hired by a competitive children’s wear company which was just one more step on the way to becoming a designer. To this day I never lost control of my fashion life and bought sweatpants. Give a girl the right shoes and the right outfit and she can conquer the world.

Linda Knight Seccaspina 1968 and Saul Cohen