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Pike Stories
SUMMERTIME
AT THE PIKE
Part Two
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MEMORIES OF THE PIKE
From Keith Cullum, London, England
What a thrill it was to find your site
on the net. I live in Ealing, London, England now but in 1954
I lived on west 4th Street and Golden Avenue in beautiful Long
Beach. My memories are so vivid of my youth there and I often
wax nostalgic when I think of the wonderful times I had a kid
of 12 at the Pike.
 The
summer vacations seemed to last forever and it was such a short
walk to the beach and Rainbow Pier where I learned to swim. I
also learned that being an adult didn't mean you didn't act like
a child after witnessing the men argue their points at the Spit
and Argue Club on the pier.
I distinctly remember the smell of pistachios and how they stained
your fingers with the red dye they used to stain the nuts with,
the salt water taffy, corn dogs, hot dogs and pop corn, cotton
candy and the smell of beer from the honky tonk beer parlors
at the east end of the walk.
My name is Keith Cullum. I was born in England in 1942 and my
family moved to Canada in 1952. We lived there for two years
and then my uncle Gordon Pinder, a Long Beach resident sponsored
us to move to Long Beach in 1954. He was the owner of the Glue
Pot Bar. I don't know if it still exists today. Unfortunately,
he died of a heart attack while trying to haul a beer keg into
place at the bar.
I attended Edison Elementary school at the bottom of the hill
on Golden Avenue. My best friend was Ledrue (Leddy) Baker, who
lived on West 4th Street with his parents and brother Paul. I'm
still in touch with Leddy. He lives in Seal Beach now.
I remember with great fondness lying in bed at night in our 2nd
story rented apartment, looking out from the glass enclosed veranda
that we had converted into a bedroom for my brother and me. The
warm air smelling of the Pacific Ocean would drift into my room
and bring with it that wonderful smell of night blooming jasmine
and the sounds of traffic coming from Ocean Blvd. I could see
the night lights of the city glowing in the sky and that large
red letter atop the old hotel on Ocean Blvd. (sorry I've forgotten
its name)
I also remember (with good reason) the Miss Universe Contest
every year. My dad, Syd Cullum was a singer in those days with
the Long Beach Civic Light Opera Company. He sang on stage during
a couple of the beauty pageants at the Municipal Auditorium.
Afterward I would get to go back stage and meet all those beautiful
contestants from around the world. I was only 12 but the sight
of all those lovely women smiling so sweetly at me when my dad
introduced me was something I'll never forget.
I remember Lincoln Park and the best used book store in the world
called 'Acres of Books' just across the street. I spent many,
many hours in there reading and looking through dust covered
old books. I still have a couple I bought there in storage in
California.
I got my first of three tattoos at the Pikes tattoo shop, I was
16 and told the guy I was 18. I got my first kiss from a girl
at the Plunge on the Pike and I would sneak into the theater
on the Pike to see those adults' only films. That's where I learned
about the holocaust by watching a film called Halfway to Hell.
I never forgot that film and I still have a very soft spot inside
me for the Jews that suffered during those terrible days. I was
only 12 and couldn't understand why men can do such terrible
things to each other. I still don't understand. Yet it still
goes on.
I'm 61 now and I can say that after all my traveling in the world,
after all that I've seen and done, Long Beach, The Pike, Rainbow
Pier and that beautiful Pacific Ocean live in a very warm place
in my heart.
The Pike is gone, but not forgotten. Those of us that had the
wonderful experience of enjoying it are much better for having
walked it, tasted it, smelled it and loved it.
All the best from London, England.....Regards, Keith Cullum
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MEMORIES OF THE PIKE
From Mrs. Cecelia Borchers
Last night we were at my Daughters family
for a birthday party, and they were talking about going to Amusement
Park in Minnesota..And flashes came to me about when I was a
little girl, visiting my Grandmother, who lives at 334 E. Ester
St. in Long Beach. I loved the Pike, and have many fond memories...The
Plunge, the Fun House and the wonderful hamburgers, the photo
places..But most of all, I remember the gentleman who drew your
portrait with chalk on the beach at the Pike, to this day, it
hangs in my hallway in my home..It was a Christmas Gift to my
parents, when we to lived in Long Beach..I was 15, when we lived
in Long Beach for a year. Didn't mean to bore you, but I did
have to relieve those days again, even for a short period...PS...I
was always to scared to ride the roller coaster...Mrs. Cecelia
Borchers, now age 66
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HELLO, HERE IS MY PIKE STORY. MY GRANDPA USED TO TAKE ME TO
THE PIKE IN THE LATE 60'S EARLY 70'S - WHAT WAS LEFT OF IT.
I REMEMBER DOUBLE FERRIS WHEEL, BUMPER CARS, FUN HOUSE, THE
LAUGHING LADY, AND THE ARCADE AND MIDWAY GAMES. I CAN STILL
REMEMBER THE CHALK FIGURE PRIZES AND THE SMELL OF THE ELECTRIC
BUMPER CARS. I FOUND THIS PHOTO OF ME AND MY COUSIN FROM 1976.
WE WENT TO WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE PIKE A LOT, AND WE TOOK THIS
PICTURE IN THE LONG BEACH JAIL. I WISH I HAD MORE FROM THE
PIKE. THANKS, JIMMY TILLITT - 44 YEARS OLD
Posted 10/27/06
"JUST FOUND YOUR SITE. BRINGS BACK GOOD MEMORIES.
MY UNCLE, (LEON SOMMERVILLE) OWNED LONG BEACH ICE AND COLD
STORAGE COMPANY ON ANAHEIM ST. MY FATHER (HESTON WILBERG) WORKED
FOR HIM. MY FATHER HAD THE ICE ROUTE ON THE PIKE. IF YOU REMEMBER,
REFRIGERATION WAS JUST COMING IN. IT WAS THE WAR YEARS AND THE
PIKE WAS ALWAYS CROWDED WITH SERVICE MEN. ALL OF THE STORES DOWN
THERE USED A LOT OF ICE. AND EVERY MORNING BEFORE THEY OPENED MY
DAD WOULD DELIVER ICE TO THEM. HE HAD THE KEYS TO ALL OF THE
PLACES THAT USED ICE. SOMETIMES HE WOULD TAKE ME WITH HIM. I WOULD
DRINK SOFT DRINKS AND EAT CANDY AT EACH ONE. WHEN I WAS IN JUNIOR
HIGH SCHOOL. (JEFFERSON) WE WOULD GO DOWN AND RIDE THE RIDES, AND
PLAY IN THE ARCADES WHEN EVER WE COULD. AND IN THE 50'S I WAS
STATIONED AT CAMP PENDLETON. AND WENT TO THE PIKE QUITE OFTEN. I
REMEMBER RIDING THE LITTLE MOTOR BOATS IN RAINBOW BAY. AND I
REMEMBER SNEAKING INTO THE AUDITORIUM TO WATCH THE FIGHTS THERE.
WE WOULD CLIMB THE TREES BY THE BALCONY UPTO THE SECOND FLOOR AND
JUST STEP ACROSS.
I REMEMBER THE TUNNEL UNDER OCEAN BLVD. AND ALL OF THE
WONDERFUL SMELLS THAT IT HAD. IT WAS A GREAT PLACE. LATER ON I
WORKED FOR GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY AND THEY BUILT THEIR LONG
BEACH MAIN OFFICE ON OCEAN BLVD. AND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING WAS
NEXT TO THE PIKE. SOME GOOD MEMORIES."
DENNIS WILBERG
LEHI, UTAHPosted 10/20/07
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