riverrat

The women's urinals of Texas A&M University

These women's urinals are found in the Commons building at the College Station, TX campus of Texas A&M

Holy cow!! Those instructions sound like they are right out of "Brokeback Mountain"!!! Especially that FIXTURE part.

Well, back to flippin' PATTIES.

Anybody know what the original club atop 3400 Montrose was? I vaguely remember Glenn McCarthy had several clubs in town and that was one of them, I thought the Cork Club but that has been identified as atop the Central National Bank Bldg.

I know it was a gay club in the early 70s, the Palace or Plantation or something like that, Scott Gertner's, a jazz club, etc., but it dates to the 50s I believe.

It might have been the Top of the Mark Club which was located on the top floor of a multi-story bank building (Montrose Bank?) in that area. If that is the place, I was there for a private Christmas party in 1963 given by the family that owned the newspaper that became the Houston Community Newspaper chain and again in 1966 for New Years. It was definately no gay club then. The Charlie Prouse Trio used to play there a lot.

A couple of very nice restaurants, that I doubt any here would remember, were Hebert's (pronounced A-bear's) and the Green Parrot. I'm talking 40's - 50's time-frame. Hebert's was in an old house, built in 1904, and was located at the southeast corner of San Jacinto and McGowen. Hebert's food specialty was French, New Orleans style cooking, along with excellent steaks and fresh seafood prepared a variety of ways. The Green Parrot was also in an old house located a few blocks east of Almeda in the MacGregor/Riverside area. Its specialty was southern style, home-cooking. They served delicious fried chicken, cat fish, shrimp, meat loaf, etc., along with beans, green beans, turnip greens, and salads. Dessert fare was homemade pies and cakes.

Hebert's was still in operation thru the mid 70's. I used to take clients there for lunch. There was a private dining room in the basement with a well-stocked wine cellar. Loved their corned beef & cabbage or red beans & rice. The Hebert family is still in the food business. They have Hebert's Speciality Meats on Richmond and another on 45 N in the Pavillion Mall in the Woodlands area. Another not-so-well known restaruant that operated from an old house was Mama Galli's (sp) located near Gulfgate.

I guess nobody ever heard of or knows where Tomek's is/was. (see Post #70).

Ah, the movie theatres of yesteryear! My belief as to what caused many drive-in and indoor theatres to bite the dust was the invention of the VCR. Stop and think about it. I think that I could safely say that most people would rather go to Blockbuster, rent a movie and take it home and watch it instead of having to get all dressed up to go out and pay those high admission and snack prices.

I think TV had more to do with their demise, BUT,

If I was 18 again and had the same car and the same sweet thang, I'd still prefer the Drive-In on Fri/Sat night...the drive-in wasn't about movies, it was about making out...remember? Like I said in another post, if you can date the daughter of the manager and get in free...could life get any better??

Cooks rink was the bomb. No a/c, just to 6ft tall fans that blew horizontally down the floor. There were also alot of metal poles for roof support, often used to as pivot point when going around corners. My parents went there as kids and said they had a lion that would stay inside at night for theft protection.

Except for the lion part, that's pretty much how I remember COOKS SKATING RINK.

Some older people I've talked to said that some roller rinks many years ago had a person playing an organ while people skated. I don't remember that even though I'm now 47. I just remember them playing records over the PA system. I remember the many times that I fell and busted my butt on the hard wood floor.

I'm a good deal older than 47 and I don't remember live organ music either, but the rink I used to go to was in Greens Bayou (close to the Armco Steel Plant) and not very fancy. I also suffered from the Butt-to-Wood syndrome...in fact as I get older I think I'm having a relapse!

Cool forum. I just found it a while ago.

Yes, there was a roller rink on Loop 610, just west of Gulfgate Mall at Telephone Road.

It was a trailer supply company after that and is now all rebuilt with new retail buildings.

The whole Gulfgate landscape has changed a lot in the last couple of years but you do remember the roller rink in the correct place.

Anyone remember the big oil fountain inside of Gulfgate Mall?

There was a skating rink in Greens Bayou (near Galena Park) called COOKS SKATING RINK that closed several years ago although the metal building is still there. Does anyone remember the traveling skating rinks that used to come to the outlying areas, like Channelview, once or twice a year. They set up a portable wooden rink coverd by a huge circus-like tent...like the ones they used to use for tent revivals. In fact I think sometimes they were one in the same. The skating got the kids in during the day, then they set up chairs on the rink for the nightly revival and offeing.

I remember them. There was also a cool one near South Houston H.S.

But do y'all remember those slides and you slid down on a carpet? There was a shell of one on Telephone south of Hobby until about 5 years ago.

Those were crazy.

You are right...Superslide was NOT a water ride...it was a carpet ride. I had forgotten. That one on Telephone was it.

Does anyone remember a waterslide that was on 610 & 59 somewhere?

In about 1973 a company called SUPERSLIDE built the first waterslide I remember on Telephone Rd at Almeda Genoa. A friend of mine who is a Nasa Engineer was involved because they needed a P.E. to sign off on the design to get a city permit. I think they built others around town. They weren't in business too long because one of the promoters ran off with all the money. The one on Telephone stood for years in the middle of a junkyard.

I miss Tony Mandola's Blue Oyster Bar on the Gulf Freeway near Park Place. That was me and my wife's favorite place...especially during their lunchtime happy hour: $2.00 beers, $0.25 oysters and $0.10 boiled shrimp!

I also miss the old Fusion Cafe at Main and Alabama. After it moved to Rice Village, it seemed to lose some flavor....and some "flava". It wasn't the right setting for soul food.

If you like seafood AND are old enough, you might remember:

1. Jimmy Walkers (now Landry's in Kemah)

2. The San Jacinto Inn (near Battleship Texas)

3. Tomek's (we'll make the location a trivia question).

I remember 3 great seafood restaurants; TWO you have probably heard of but never visited and ONE that I bet not one person on the board ever heard of:

1. Jimmy Walkers (now Landry's in Kemah) 2. The San Jacinto Inn (near the Battleship Texas) 3. Tomek's (if you remember, you tell me).

Yeah, 57 bird you are right. Norman was a hard charging competitor.Unfortunantally we lost Norman in 2005.Yes I did go to Arrowhead, of course I was just a kid,but I would tag along behind Johnny Reiff, the car owner for Billy Griswold, I didn't drive anything there 'cuz I was way too young.Norman raced there alot,

as did Billy Wade,Doc Cossey, Buddy Rackley,A.JFoyt, Quinten Steinman,Don Burton, Cecil Elliot, Tubby Gonzales,&Billy Griswold. Griswold, Doc Cossy,Don Burton,Cecil Elliot, & Johnny Reiff,& Norman Peirce & of course Billy Wade are all gone now, I miss them all,but I owe them all alot. Those guy's taught me alot, not only mechanical & driving stuff, but kept me away from most bad things life can tempt you with while growing up.I still see Norman Peirce jr. a lot, he's pretty much like his dad, but he was never very interested in driving.

In the late 40's and early 50's there was a dirt track located in Channelview near the intersection of Sheldon Rd and Bear Bayou. It was active until about 1955 at the latest because I learned to drive on the old abandoned track in about 1958. Anyhow, it was only open on weedends and mostly stock cars built by local junkyard operators raced there but occassionally midget races and modifieds ran. These were mostly drivers from out of town (Houston was considered a long way off from Channelview in the 50's before I-10 was built.) I cannot remember any drivers who raced there but am sure some of the ones you have mentioned made the circuit.

Having grown up in Channelview, I well remember the Brunson in Baytown. Did you know there was also a theater in Channelview called the SANJA? It opened in the late 40's and closed in the early 60's. During the segregated 50's, black patrons were only allowed into the balcony, which had its own entrance up a flight of stairs on the outside of the building. The SANJA was owned by the same theater company that owned the BRUNSON in old Goose Creek and also the BAYWAY in old Baytown. There was also a theater in Pelly. During the early 60's, I dated the daughter of the manager of the DECKER DRIVE-IN. Her name was Charm Bengtson. I think she finally got tired of me...all I ever wanted to do was go to the movies...I guess because we got in free!!