Ocean Air was considered Bayview we guess, near the Lenox
section, between Old Ocean View Road and Chesapeake Boulevard.
Murden's (with the other shops in this center)
was situated inside the Ocean Air Apartments complex on Chester
Street, recently renamed Mariner's Way due to current
renovations-- amazingly of all complexes of this ilk, it's still there.
From the alley behind the Barber Shop, TV repair, Laundromat and
Grocer's, through the trees you could see the baseball fields behind Ocean Air School.
Pepsi-Cola™ was served in tall Dixie Cups™ with green trim near the
brim (the deal was to bop them with your foot for the loudest noise) for
only a nickel. Chili dogs were 20 cents but you could talk Pat into giving you one ('hold
the dog') for a dime. A Hot Fudge Sundae was a
quarter. Pall-Malls™ (Pell-Mells if you were cool) and
Chesterfields™ were under thirty cents. Candy bars were a nickel.
"Cool pictures!
My Dad was a barber at Tony Nevilles' Barbershop next door to Murden's. My
sister Nancy was afraid of the Murden's gang! She hated walking past them into the
store!" --Boo Boo Joan
Well now Joanie dear, the guys were really kinda' harmless and believe it
or not, innocent mosta' the time. In fact if your brother hung with 'em, they pretty
much gave you no grief. We'll admit it was kinda' freaky though-- to park your bike, go
inside on an errand for your mom and come out and see David Crump (while
sitting on your bike) say "I was just keepin' your seat warm..."
Buttcha' know-- it wasn't the kinda' line ya' heard that often. It was
more like "Hey kid, did ya' see Howdy Doody and Sky King Saturday?
With the late 60's and 'Nam,
things definitely changed... 
Tony
Kiriluk
...that was the end of an era and we were probably never quite so
optimistic or irresponsible (care-free?) again.
Cappy Puma
Thanks for all the scanning Robert!
MORE Murden's photos
generously provided
by Robert Newsome!
See Tour XIII for Civil War &
OV Civility!
About the Nickel Tour rk@rkpuma.com
