A look, in photos, of latest area events, local everyday people and places.
A reprise for history’s sake …
The Rumson beach boys of the 1960s no sooner made their retro appearance than the iconic spot of their clubbing and lifeguard stand antics became a focal point of the snapshot.
And there’s a sequel with a girl added to the beach boy mix, apparently having broken up the standoff on the lifeguard stand, calming top spot. Mayhem ensued. Meanwhile, back at the club …
Continue reading Retro Rumson Beach Boys & Girl & Clubbing History
Sometimes the best front-row seat is the one that cradles your river time.
Wherever it is, front-row Rumson Barnacle Bill’s or docked, it’s that seat that offers a hometown view with heart. Even in the haze, the the clarity of what matters most is caught like an opening night bouquet tossed into the audience’s lap from the Navesink River’s scenic stage.
It’s a show without a ticket or playbill. Curtain’s always up, even if the lights are dim and no one’s in the house. That’s because it’s always your own show with a take-away that stays like pressed flowers from the best of times.
That front-row seat to river time always calls, offering river time its own sitting ovation — always bowing in, not out.
That’s the show that holds down by the river. Always. Take a look at the above photo gallery for a glimpse from the seat ... (CLICK on one photo to enlarge and scroll. Enjoy!)
— Photos/Elaine Van Develde
The weekend weather …
Continue reading Focus: River Time Front-Row Seat
It doesn’t have to be the longest day of the year to get the most out of the warmth of river time before the sun sets, calling it a day — a first summer day.
The day may be over, but the river time feeling is forever docked in the mind. The fair haven on the Navesink always calls. Rain never drowns the call. The lap. The lull. The gentle tide reaches out and tugs at our hearts to stay. And we do.
Any day is the longest day down by the river, because it’s an endless river walk in our Fair Haven.
Rain never washes away the footprint of time wrapped in home’s swaddling river tide.
— Photos/Elaine Van Develde for R-FH Retro exclusively
And there will be lots of rain this week, drenching the area, according to the National Weather Service. It continues through the weekend and into next week …
A reprise from Feb. 5, 2016 in honor of Juneteenth …
The Fair Haven Fisk AME Chapel is steeped in tradition — Fair Haven tradition and roots that many do not realize jut very deep into the community.
Many of the founding families of Fair Haven have roots that are deeply entrenched in the church. A lot of the names and faces are traceable back to the early days of the church, back in the mid-1800s.
Continue reading Retro Fair Haven Fisk AME Chapel FolksOur annual tribute …
It’s Father’s Day weekend.
And, we at Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect are of the mind that the actual day on Sunday was really about much more than flipping a burger and patting a good ol’ dad on the back.
Continue reading Ode to the Grand Daddies of the R-FH Area
We took you back to 1974 and some Fair Haven eighth grade class tripping with popular teachers with the last Retro Pic(s) of the Day.
Continue reading Scene Around: Retired Fair Haven Teacher Trippin’
School’s out and graduation’s near — very near. And the heat is always on to seek out a good time among class friends. So, there’s nothing quite like a final class trip to — with class clowns, friends, foes and teachers. Yes, teachers — sun bathing and all.
This particular trip was taken in 1974 to a dude ranch somewhere with Fair Haven’s Knollwood School soon-to-be grads and teachers. Where? None of the old folks in the pictures can remember. Hey, some of us don’t even remember the trip.
Continue reading Retro Knollwood Grads’ Class Trippin’
Fair Haven Day will be back in full force this Saturday with its original organizer at the helm again.
Continue reading The R-FH Area Weekend: Full-On Fair Haven Day Resurrected
There’s a Navesink River waterfront spot in Rumson that’s an iconic slice of waterborne travel history. More than a century ago, the vicinity was the site of flourishing happy-go-lucky times of transport and community. It was the site of the Rumson Dock where the famous Albertina steam ship made stops for commuting, community and entertainments’ sake.
Continue reading Retro Rumson Albertina Steam Ship Dock & Stroll
Just when you think you’ve moved past an RFH gym suit PTSD trigger, another rears its horrid head.
Continue reading Retro RFH Softball Gals’ Gym Suit GuffawThis remembrance for Memorial Day is posted every year …
Their faces are the faces at the core of a close-knit community.
They were neighbors, dads, and just plain friendly faces around the Rumson-Fair Haven area towns. They were also veterans.
They served. They fought for freedom in World War II and the Korean War.
They lived their lives with hometown pride, honor and respect. They were founding fathers, friends. They were cornerstones of the sense of community that is the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
The gift of their legacies bears no upscale real estate market value. They passed along a love of country and community that is priceless.
Thank you, in a Memorial Day ode, to the veterans of the area who have passed. You are cherished, honored.
Take a look at some of their faces and remember. Thank you to those vets who are still with us.
— Elaine Van Develde
— Ray Taylor photo/Elaine Van Develde for R-FH Retro exclusively
— Photos, courtesy of families of the Rumson-Fair Haven area.
Yes, they were all dressed up with a couple of places to go — a pre-prom party and the actual Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Senior Prom.
The proms of these days are not your ’60s, ’70s, ’80s or ’90s proms. And that makes sense, of course. These days, the pre-prom party is a show of its own. All the prom goers, with or without dates, and their families go to a host’s house to get their prom on sans any alcohol before the main event. The prom goers are even breathalyzed to ensure a safe, fun night.
This year the pre-prom party was at a home on Rumson Road. And, from what we hear and the looks of things, a banner time was had by all. Why not? All the elements of a good gathering were there: the place, the people, the mood and, of course, the fashion.
Speaking of fashion … The guys’ dress is a whole event unto itself this era. These days they sport anything from pretty formal to smart casual and pretty preppie shorts and dress sneakers, if there is such a thing — and there is. Gone are the days of polyester pastel tuxedoes with frilly shirts. Thank the fashion gods. Though, these guys sported an awful lot of preppie pastels. Very sharp and fitting for each boy’s personal taste and personality.
The girls? Well, they were fashionably gowned out and coiffed. Looks like long has remained fashion forward. In fact, it looks like red carpet time for these girls.
It’s been rolled out and rolled up. The party’s over, but the freeze frames remain. Until next year … Prom party on!
— Photos/Jenny Costello, Joanne Formisano and Chris Rodriguez
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