Please, Santa, if only for a moment, it would be fun to return to the afternoon I met my girlfriends, where else but at Woolworth’s for their strawberry short cake and maybe to get our pictures taken in its photo booth. We would try to find outfits like Justine and Bob on American Bandstand and go to the Surf Ballroom. We wobbled our way around in those high heel pumps.

Oh, and we always had to seek out the nylon stockings with the seam up the back to finish off our outfits. Often using the lay-a-way plan to be able to afford our new outfits. Many first crushes and romances were started in some of these meeting places.Īnd, yes, we would pick out our favorite suit or coat at Cumming’s and Bell Shops, and perhaps a favorite sweater at Lerner Shops. That was for those who had a car, otherwise we met at the bus stop on the corner of Maple and Washington Street. I’d also like to go to the original Dunkin’ Donuts after work or Richard’s Drive-in and torment the carhops. Or, walk through Sheridan’s wishing to be able to afford everything nice, and have a moment to stop and drop a dime in a Salvation Army bucket. Then walk through Jason’s Music Store to pick up our favorite 45 of the week. I don’t need any money, I just need for you to re-wind time so I can run into the candy stores to buy some holiday treats or Howard Johnson’s for some baked macaroni and cheese, perhaps during our lunch breaks after working our part-time jobs in the Square. This year all I want for Christmas is for you to take me back in time about 50 years so I can once again experience the thrill of the sights, sounds, gaiety, and hustle and bustle of downtown Quincy as it was in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

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