What’s All This, Then?
Welcome to Nostalgic Virginian. It’s a blog by…me, a nostalgic Virginian.
The older I get it seems the more I want to ask someone who might actually remember, “Hey do you remember the whicherwhat from way back when that was just pretty great?”
I’ve had some fun along these lines in a few Facebook groups to do with Yorktown and Williamsburg (places I lived in my youth, but more on that later). Sadly, though, Facebook is starting to feel like AOL did a couple of decades ago (not good), and any posts to such groups fly off into forgotten land after just a few days. And, so, I have setup this blog.
I guess I should mention that I’m not actually (well, at the time of this post anyway) that old. One might think that a person who went to the trouble to setup a blog like this might be, well, older than I am. Not that I’m young — I was born in 1972 (in Yorktown). I am given to nostalgia, however. Actually, I was curiously nostalgic even at age 15, really, and that’s one of the ways I’m perhaps a little odd. My main outlet along these lines for the past decade or so has been my geek nostalgia website, ByteCellar.com. I intend to continue channeling my geek nostalgia down that chute, while using this blog to maunder on about the rest.
A nutshell history of me is probably in order:
I lived in York County (the “Dandy” neighborhood) [map] from birth until I was 13, and moved with my mother and father to Williamsburg (the “Kingspointe” neighborhood) [map]. The morning after we moved in, my parents decided to divorce, so our stay in Williamsburg was limited to one summer (1986). My mother and I then moved to Newport News (“Village Green” on Oyster Point Rd.) [map], where I lived from age 14 to college. I attended Christopher Newport University (CNU) and upon graduation moved back to Williamsbug – because I love Williamsburg (to an apartment in “Conway Gardens” off I-199) [map]. I had been living there for about a year when I met she who would become my wife, at Paul’s Deli in near the College of William & Mary and followed her to Charlottesville (an apartment in the Ash Tree complex on Cable Ave.) [map] where she was midway through law school at the University of Virginia, in January 1997. That April we were engaged and in 1998 were married and moved to Old Town Alexandria [map], just outside D.C. We lived there for four and a half years and then relocated in 2003 a couple of miles west to another Alexandria neighborhood, Beverley Hills [map], where we’ve been ever since. (And “we” now includes our daughter, presently eight years old.)
Beyond that, I’ve visited a good many places in the world, but within Virginia some of the notables include Richmond (often), Roanoke, Blacksburg, Harrisonburg, Abingdon, Dungannon, Luray, Manassas, Middleburg, and Little Washington.
That’s the quick and dirty intro. If you’ve been to any of the places I mention — especially if you’ve lived there — then load up my blog every so often and see if anything massages a memory.
— Blake Patterson
[ Posted January 24, 2015 ]
November 20, 2017 at 11:16 am
How do we get your blog posts
December 23, 2017 at 8:39 pm
Hello this is his daughter I would just like to say that my website is more enjoyable.
Rorypatterson. com.🦄
May 3, 2018 at 4:40 pm
I lived in Beverly Hills, Alexandria, VA from 1958 through 1966. Your blog about Beverly Hills brought up many memories.
November 28, 2018 at 6:54 am
Blake,
I too was in Williamsburg during the Perry Como Christmas special.
My wife and I lived near by in Denby. I called on grocery stores as a food broker. One day I was passing by Colonial Williamsburg and wondered what the commotion was. I parked and walked over to where the crowd was. I asked someone what was happening. I was told that Perry Como was inside the building with Miss America filming a part of Perry Como’s new Christmas special.
As we waited for them to exit the building, the sidewalk and steps into the building was roped off.
Someone yelled, John Wayne is down at the Silversmiths shop. Como and Miss America had not come out yet. The crowd started to move down to the Silversmith shops. Not to make a fool of myself, I moved slowly at the rear of the crowd. As we were moving away from the building that Perry Como was filming in, I noticed the doors open. Out comes body guards (look like) followed by Perry Como and his guest with no one there to greet them.
Down at the Silversmith’s shop, John Wayne was kidding a round. Walked up to a table and grabbed a hand full of eating utincles and jokingly put them in his pocket and started to walk away. Then he stopped, laughed and hurried back to return the silverwear.
I had the opportunity to talk with him. I asked him what he did while away from home after a day of shooting. He said he didn’t like going out drinking so he’d stay back in his motel and sign little pieces of paper with his signature, so during the day he wouldn’t have to stop and sign, he’d just hand out the signatures.
I wanted one, however, I felt so privileged to have had a conversation with the Duke that I felt embarrassed to ask for one.
April 11, 2020 at 1:27 pm
I have been cleaning out some old stuff and ran across a Beethoven’s Inn bumper sticker if you want it!
September 10, 2020 at 8:37 pm
I would love it! Emailing you…
January 30, 2021 at 6:21 am
Hi Folks,
I’m looking for information about when the old Holiday Inn 1776 on Bypass Road in Williamsburg was built and when the golf course on that property was established. I have a sentimental attachment to the property, which was unfortunately torn down a few years ago, and I can’t find much info on the internet about it.
On an old postcard collectors website, I discovered that it was originally called Williamsburg Colony Resort, then went through a few name changes – Best Western 1776, Holiday Inn 1776, Ramada Inn 1776, but dates are missing. I know it was a Holiday Inn in the mid 80s because I was at William and Mary from 1984 to 1988, and I had my wedding reception there in 1990 – thus the sentimental attachment.
The Best Western 1776 postcard mentions a golf course, which I remember from my early William and Mary days. After my freshman year (1985ish), they built a Fairfield timeshare property where the golf course once was. Any info about the origin and history of this property would be appreciated!
May 27, 2021 at 12:29 am
Does anyone know when the Darryl’s 1862 restaurant in Hampton first opened and when it closed? It was across from the coliseum mall
May 27, 2021 at 2:42 am
I am trying to find out when the Darryl’s 1862 restaurant in Hampton VA first opened and when they closed down..thank you for your help
August 31, 2024 at 8:27 pm
I believe that it was 1983 when they opened because I was on the opening team not sure about when they closed. I was there till 1986
November 29, 2022 at 9:03 am
Hello Blake! Being from Hampton Roads myself and growing up in the area through my youth, I enjoy seeing these sorts of narrative works and preservation of information and ‘nostalgia’ if you will 🙂 Keep it up! I’m in Northeastern NC now but very close to HR, V.A. still and I want to learn more about the entire region myself, seeing a website like this inspires me.