Tag Archives: Retro Pic of the Day

Local Life

A Retro Happy Thanksgiving from the Kids’ Table

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Thanksgiving at the kids' table in the 1960s with Kate and Ben Hamilton Photo/Hamilton family
Thanksgiving at the kids’ table in the 1960s with Kate and Ben Hamilton
Photo/Hamilton family

Our annual Thanksgiving tribute to the kids’ table … Remember that? Happy Thanksgiving, all! Stay safe. Stay healthy. Enjoy!

It’s Thanksgiving, and, yes, it’s all about giving thanks.

So, the Retro Pic of the Day is an ode to just that.

It’s a snapshot back in time to the 1960s with a sibling duo from Fair Haven — Ben and Kate Hamilton. Ben passed away and Kate had posted this picture on Facebook giving thanks for him. RIP, Ben.

The photo brings back memories of the era the kids’ holiday table. Remember that one?

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Local Life

Retro RFH Thanksgiving Touchdown

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RFH Thanksgiving Day football game
Photo/George Day

If some old RFHers had a pre-Thanksgiving turkey wishbone to yank on, they may be hoping to pull the bigger end to make a wish to revisit their own RFH Thanksgiving Day Homecoming game. Yes, the homecoming of today is already over and the RFH Dawgs are already on the state championship path.

But, back in the day, Thanksgiving, to be exact, the RFH football season used to peak with what then was the classic rivalry homecoming/Thanksgiving Day game between Red Bank Catholic and RFH. Two days before, everyone was headed home from college for the big homecoming reunion, dance and, of course reunited partying at Ichabod’s (now Woody’s, owned by RFHer Chris Wood).

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Local Life

Retro RFH Cool Guys’ Game & Ride

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A retro Sunday drive of sorts on the RFH football field circa 1978 Photo/George Day
A retro Sunday drive of sorts on the RFH football field circa 1977
Photo/George Day

A classic reprise … just because we’re all about playing that field at RFH. Did they need drive? Well, they had it here in the most classic ’70s form ...

Fall is football time. And when the home game is over and the coldest of cold snaps hits, it’s bundle-up-and-ride-with-it-time. After all, sometimes it’s not all about the game for spirited RFHers.

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Local Life

Retro RFH Ghostly Halloween Haunting

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An RFH Halloween ghostly gaggle of the 1970s
Photo/George Day

A reprise from 2017, just because … BOO! 

Scary season has set in … in more ways than one.

People in the Rumson-Fair Haven area have been haunting up their homes, crafting costumes and getting into the spirit. So, why not add a little extra retro spooking from RFH students of the past?

BOO who or what? It was all in the haunt for RFHers back in the 1970s. They started getting the Halloween party going early on and ended up with a pretty festive feast of ghouls on the grounds of the high school and, yes, beyond.

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Local Life, Opinion

Retro Rumson Kids’ Witching Hour

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Witchy best pals in Rumson on Halloween 2015 Photo/Elaine Van Develde
Witchy best pals in Rumson on Halloween 2014
Photo/Elaine Van Develde

A Halloween reprise, just because it’s an all-time favorite photo of costumed Rumson besties …

Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Which witch is which? Either way, or both, the rain never falls on some of the best of times between best buddies. And it all starts when they’re growing up together like these two little witches with lots of magical moments ahead.

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Local Life

Retro RFH Band Marching Times

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RFH Marching Band circa 1970s Photo/RFH Yearbook
RFH Marching Band circa 1970s
Photo/RFH Yearbook

Reprise in honor of the RFH Marching Band’s recent big win in the Tournament of Bands competition …

It’s that time of the year. It’s football season. And that means it’s also time for the RFH Marching Band to play the field, too.

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Local Life

Retro Joyous Fall for the Leaf Pile

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Sometimes a kid just has to take the plunge and fall for it! Yes, it’s officially fall. But, it’s still locals’ summer for R-FH area folks. So, fear not, we may be falling for the season, but we’re not donning the jackets quite yet. Still, leaving behind the hot weather is something to jump for joy over. Remember those days of literally falling for the season … into a big pile of leaves?

Yes, plunging into a big pile of leaves was always a simple fall pleasure for kids. Untethered to phones and TVs, Fair Haven kids of the 1960s resorted to the great outdoors in a small town. Sometimes they took it to the streets with marathon games of dodgeball, one taking the traffic alert commander position with a “CAR!!” shout now and then and a clear-out of the ball court. Nevermore. There might be a helicopter parent police alert if kids did that nowadays. Ahem.

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Local Life

Retro RFH Dudes of Caribbean Locals’ Summer

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A reprise Retro Pic of the Day, originally posted on Sept. 14, 2016 in the spirit of a balmy locals’ summer day, knowing that the summer spirit never truly ends for the Rumson-Fair Haven area young and forever young at heart … And these guys are about to reunite at their 50th RFH reunion …

With locals’ summer and school’s start, students’ thoughts naturally turn to warmth and freedom. They start to daydream before they even hit the classroom. That’s how it goes in the R-FH area when those beaches become barren and more room is made for the locals to get down to the business of soaking up that locals’ summer partying spirit.

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Local Life

Remembering My Fair Daddy

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The following piece was originally published on Aug. 31, 2015. It is being re-run, with changes only in the amount of years that have passed, in memory of my father, Bill Van Develde, former longtime Fair Haven Fire Company member, president and captain of the Fire Police and chairman of the Stock Room at the fair, on the anniversary of his death on Aug. 30, 1983. RIP, Dad. You are missed. Thank you for all the embarrassing moments that I didn’t appreciate enough. Thank you for making Fair Haven my home. Thank you for being a real dad. See you on the fair grounds …

Retro Fair Haven Firemen's Fair stock room days in the 1970s Photo/FHFD booklet
Retro Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair stock room days in the 1970s
Photo/FHFD booklet

By Elaine Van Develde

It’s been 42 years, but I can still see his face and that kooky Brylcreemed hairdo. I can still hear his crazy belly laugh and that signature “Take ‘er easy, buddy!” I can still see him slapping kids on the back, forever clutching his trusty clipboard, pencil perched behind his ear, sweat on the brow and finger wagging.

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