"Twenty-Six Summers Ago"

Twenty-six Summers ago I remember browsing through a "Cape Cod Compass Summer 1988" magazine and seeing myself in the above print advertisement for the local radio station "WCOD" in a picture taken at their annual "Cape Cod Chowder Festival" held at the "Melody Tent" in Hyannis, Mass. I'm pictured on the left in the photo pouring in some light cream into the chowder pot and John Richards is stirring in the cream into the chowder. This photo was taken a few years before 1988 and I remember being amused and surprised to see myself unexpectedly in the magazine.

We were representing the "Captain's Clambake Emporium and catering operations at that time based in Dennis Port and used to feature the traditional New England Clambake both inside the restaurant along with as many as five outside on location catered clambakes occurring on the same day. The Manning family, owners of the Captain's Clambake Emporium had converted the former "Hereford House"into a  restaurant which featured a custom stainless steel steam unit for the clambake and a  gas radiant "charbroiler " for cooking steaks and chicken in an open kitchen. There was a player piano present for entertainment and I was in charge of the group sales (primarily motorcoach groups) for the restaurant along with helping market the catered clambake business.

I had my fill of clam chowder and watermelon over those years as for "quality control" I would sample and rate each chowder and watermelon on what they would call the "Ricker scale". I would welcome each group at the restaurant along with giving a short speech about the history of the New England Clambake and our cooking processes along with changing the piano rolls for the player piano and helping direct the groups through the clambake meal.

I look different now over 25 years later but seem to be still about the same size and weight. Pictures are a "snapshot" in time which moves steadily on for us all.