Comments on: Camellia Festival, Temple City, 1958

By: Dianne Patrizzi

Dianne Patrizzi — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 18:46:25 +0000

Charles, you constantly amaze me. Love.

By: Lu

Lu — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 01:05:23 +0000

Regal, quite regal. Unfortunately, the young royalty appear to have a California “been there, done that” attitude.

By: Mike from Cleveland

Mike from Cleveland — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 08:49:07 +0000

After a long and exhausting campaign,the Munchkins have finally subdued and conquered the humans.All are made to kneel before the Alpha Munchkin Queen!The humble subjects must now tow the mobile throne to Randy Newman’s house to accept his formal declaration of unconditional surrender.An odd end to the Yellow Brick Road!!! The Horror……The Horror…….
Anyways,Hi Charles,How are things?

By: Richard A. Pacheco

Richard A. Pacheco — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 07:05:16 +0000

“LOVED IT” Oh to be a QUEEN, I am sure I can relate…so they tell me! And Charles, do not forget that I am near the biggest neon queen in San Bernardino (the one at Queens Cafe)no longer in business, but the queen is still there.

By: Jim C.

Jim C. — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 23:49:16 +0000

Oy vey! There is a Temple Beth David in Temple City.

The reason everyone is looking left, (west) is because the parade is staged two blocks away. It ends a mile and a half east at Temple City Park, like it did last weekend.

And you never cease to amaze me Charles. First it was the ruffled lamp shades of the late 50′s/early 60′s that really did a flashback for me, and now a picture from 49 years ago taken two blocks from my house!
Thanks for the memories.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:42:49 +0000

I grew up in Temple City, a bedroom community in the San Gabriel Valley. All three square miles of it are developed to capacity, mostly residential, with Las Tunas being the major “business district”, consisting largely of asian bridal shops in this day, but at one time, boasting charming shops, including the Country Book Store and Cool’s Candy. My mom still lives there, though the camellia bushes that once adorned her yard are long gone.

I marched in the parade many times as a youth. In fact, last weekend, as my mom and I strolled down the parade route, we discussed how it’s nearly impossible for any resident to avoid participation. Everyone of my three siblings were involved in some capacity or another. Even my parents were chauffeured in a vintage car a few years ago when my mom reigned as Temple City’s Citizen of the Year.
The parade, at one time, had as many as 50 pushcart “floats”, but sadly, there were fewer than 10 at this most recent festival.

A little trivia about the Camellia Court: Every year, Temple City FIRST Graders gather in a Parks and Rec room for a two day selection process called “playdays”. It is at these playdays that they choose the court that will represent the city at it’s annual event. It was also at these playdays in the late 1970′s that my best girl friend from high school met her future husband, both of whom were selected to be on the court, in fact, she was later named queen. They would meet again at an Applebees 20 years later, where he recognized her as “the girl in the picture on his living room wall.” Ah, Temple City. . .

The Camellia Festival Parade is always the last Saturday in February (rarely rained out) and includes a weekend long carnival at the park at the end of the route.

By: Edie

Edie — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 18:38:47 +0000

Hello, Charles
I’m from Kansas City and the American Royal Parade every fall accompanied the livestock and horse show. When I was 5 years old, my mother took us to see the parade. We came home and made paper crowns, put ribbon through the hem of a lace curtain and became kings and queens for about a week afterward. 10 years later I marched with my tiny high school band (30 members tops) crashing the cymbals and slopping my white bucks through piles of horse droppings. I will try to send you the photo of me as the “Royal” queen 1950. Best to you! Edie

By: Judie Dee

Judie Dee — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 04:16:36 +0000

I saw one of the shows at the Curtis Theater in BRea and just really enjoyed it.
I now have many slides from Greece taken about 40 years ago by a relative who has passed on. These were taken of various architechural things since he was a painter and probably wanted to use for future art work. If you would like these, I will send them to you since I have no use for them.

By: Jim

Jim — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 03:53:19 +0000

“Oddly, there is no Temple in Temple City.”
This is because the city was named after the man who built it in the 1920s as a planned middle class community. This man was Walter P Temple. Read about him at the site below.
http://www.homesteadmuseum.org/index.htm

By: Brad

Brad — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 01:29:29 +0000

Miss Queen-with-Attitude would be right at home in that snazzy blue glider-with-awning in the background! I think her attitude may stem from the fact that ONLY ONE PERSON along the parade route is looking at her! Is that any way to treat a Queen?