Neat Thread...just thought I'd add my 2 cents. I was born in 1951 and grew up in Garden Villas near Hobby Airport. I attended Garden Villas Elementary, Hartman Jr. High, Jones High, and Sterling High. I remember Bert Lynn as I took some steel guitar lessons there and later, bought a 6-string Yamaha to learn on. (Subsequent instrument purchases were made at Brook Mays on Gulf Freeway. I still have the 1969 Fender Precision Bass I bought there new) I remember watching Gene and Claire show, Cadet Don (and Seymour), Kitterick (yes, had a crush), Utah Carl (show started with a shot of a boot, right?), WIERD (intro used to scare the daylights out of me), Peppermint Park, Gulfgate Mall, and I regularly attended the Sat. matinee at Santa Rosa Theater. Went downtown a few times for parades with my brother and we hit the James Coney Island down there. I don't remember watching any Uncle Bert Lynn shows, but I remember a photo where he used a top hat. In 1953, my Dad designed and built a 1-piece fiberglass car body called the "Venus" and it was on the front of Motor Trend May 1954. Now 50 some-odd years later, I acquired 1 of only 10 or so Venus bodies that were ever made, and, there is only one other Venus known to be in existence. I am restoring this Venus back to the original prototype as used on the MT cover. The story of the Venus is quite interesting for those of you who are gear-heads, and you can read about it here: http://www.mcload.com/Personal%20Site/the_...s%20History.htm I am hoping to have it ready for show in about a year. I also maintain a blog that gives updates on the restoration, and it is at http://mcload.wordpress.com/ Those were the days, weren't they? Patrick McLoad
