We were the class of '66. We came from Jackson, Central,
and Gillespie to open the doors of Greensboro's brand
new high school, Ben L. Smith. The day we had anticipated
for so long had arrived; we were finally going to high
school! At last , we had made it. We were big time now.
Things were different in 1966. Most of us didn't have a
car,but the lucky ones that did,would pack us in and haul
us to school so we didn't have to ride the dreadful bus.
I can still remember, particularly our sophomore year,
standing on the corner, freezing to death, waiting for
that yellow chariot. You didn't wear a coat(except maybe
a London Fog) because you didn't want to cover your new
monogrammed sweater. Of course, you didn't wear a hat or
boots because they just weren't cool and being cool was
a real priority.
If standing in the cold had not awakened you in time for
homeroom, then the bus ride to school would do the job.
The mingling aromas of Jade East, Canoe, and English
Leather (that must have been purchased by the 55 gallon
drum) along with the Intimate and Windsong the girls
bathed in, would certainly get your attention.
The maturity level of a high school student was never
more evident than it was in a crowded school bus.
Spit balls flying, screaming from one end of the bus
to the other, and tripping people as they came down the
aisle, were all conducive to preparing us for the serious
business of education.
Yes, things were different in 1966. We had major social
obligations and commitments. Friday nights- would it be
the football game or the dance at the Glenwood Community
Center? And Saturday night, date night; first, you hoped
and prayed that you had a date, then you had to decide
between a drive-in movie(and hope your parents didn't find
out) or a trip to the Boar and Castle.
If you chose the Boar and Castle,would
you park on the light side or the dark side(under the
grape vines) and hope your parents didn't find out.
Then we would cruise. Now, wasn't that wonderful! We would
start at the Castle, sometimes take a left and circle through
Ernie's parking lot (where the guys would try to buy beer)
before heading downtown. We would drive all the way through
town, exit on Summit Avenue, cruise Hot Shoppes and maybe
Monroe's before heading back to the Castle and starting all
over again.
Our parents could not understand how we added 75 miles to
the odometer in one night. Now, to finance these cross-
country treks, we would each chip in a quarter,and put in
a $1.00 worth of gas in the driver's car. Of course, this
was when you could buy gas for $.29 a gallon.
We can't talk about the way we were in high school without
remembering the way we dressed...girls with their round
collared blouses and wrap around skirts, shirt waist dresses
and Cappezio shoes.
Guys wore button down collars(madras or oxford cloth,of course.)
Oh yes, their socks had to match their shirt. Navy slacks, yellow
button-down shirts and yellow socks, gray slacks, pink button
down shirts and pink socks, and Weejuns or Nettletons to
finish the look.
And remember those dress codes at school; no shirttails out
for the boys and you didn't dare go to certain classes without
socks( I want mention any names).Girls could not wear pants,
and blue jeans were out of the question. However, I don't
think we would have been caught dead in them even if they had
been allowed. They just weren't cool in 1966.
We all looked alike, down to the princess rings on our fingers
and the circle pins on our collars. We were so afraid to be
different.
Ladies really had some lovely hair styles in those days. Those
teased up bubbles, bouffants and long straight look just barely
flipped on the ends. And what about that beehive?
One thing we really had going for us in the 60's was our music.
We did have some great music. It was February 9th,1964 when we
saw the Beatles' first appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show",
and we liked them,(they were different)but the music we really
loved and grew up with came from Detroit and the music machine
known as Motown. We danced and romanced to the Supremes, the
Shirelles, the Four Tops, the Temptations and the Drifters.
We couldn't wait for Beach Week-end to roll around so we could
head out for Myrtle Beach and shag all week-end to the sounds
we loved. It's amazing how you can listen to some of those old
songs today and remember exactly what you were doing when you
first heard them. We didn't have CD players or sophisticated
stereo equipment, but we could turn up our radios and hi-fi's
full blast and really get into it.
Yes, we really had some good times, but we had our serious
times too. We worried about S.A.T.'s and getting into the
college of our choice. Things were happening that we didn't
understand: the Civil Rights Movement, with the integration
of the schools our sophomore year, the Vietnam War, with the
guys worrying about getting drafted after graduation. Then
there was the tragic announcement over the P.A. system in 1963
that our President, John F. Kennedy, had been assassinated.
For many of us this was our first brush with tragedy, a part
of growing up that we didn't want to face. We had no idea
that this was just the beginning, but we did face it and
continued.
Yes, things have changed since our graduation that night in
the Greensboro Coliseum. We all went our separate ways; some
of us went to college, some went out into the work force,
some of us married(some more than others), some didn't.
We all pursued different careers and different lifestyles.
We look in the mirror and see gray hair and wrinkles around
the eyes and realize, yes, we have changed, but there is one
thing that will never change. There was a time in our lives,
a brief period, when we all shared a common bond. We shared
our fears, our hopes and aspirations as we face adulthood.
Those memories will never change, those memories that bring
us together, those memories of our days at Ben L. Smith.
Written by Carol Regan Mata for the Class of '66 Reunion
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Vick S. Castle Story
I had a friend Vick S.(I am using initials to
protect the innocent) He had a 1964 Chevrolet
Impala SS with a large engine 327 HP. It was
fast and Vick drove the car fast. One night
at the Castle Vick decided that everyone at
the Castle needed to see just how fast Vick
was. The Castle had a light side and a dark
side. You would meet a girl on the light side
and then later take her to the dark side to
talk. I guess Vick thought he could pick up
a girl by showing off. You came into the
entrance and slowly(I reiterate) slowly
drove toward the back and either parked and
ordered or sit and chatted with friends. If
you were not going to eat or chat, you
simply made a U-turn in the lot and slowly
made your way out to the exit, which was
the same as the entrance. On this particular
night, Vick came in the entrance smoking the
tires, smoked the tires around the circle,
and then proceeded to smoke the tires upon
leaving. We headed toward Monroe's, another
hangout up the street, and as we headed back
to the Castle, we met several police cars,
coming toward us with their red lights
flashing and sirens blaring. Vick said to me
I wonder what's going on that that many
police cars would be flying up West Market
Street that fast. As we pulled into the
Castle,all of our friends ran up to the
car and told Vick that those cops were
after him. Vick parked the car at the
Castle and ran. I hopped out of the car and
got into someone else's car. The cops came
into the Castle parking lot and surrounded
Vick's car. After asking everyone around
who's car was this and where was the driver,
everyone at the Castle said they did not know.
So the cops said fine we will just have the
car towed and impounded and when the driver
comes to retrieve it, we will arrest him.
Someone went over the wall into the next lot
where Vick was hiding and told him that his
car was fixing to be towed away. Vick came
back to the parking lot and innocently went
to his car and proceeded to get in and try
to start the car. The cops ask him what do you
think you are doing and Vick said I am going
home. After questioning Vick for 20 minutes
they arrested him. Vick's story was that he
had been off with someone else and someone
must have stolen his car, spun around the
Castle and then brought it back and parked it
in the parking lot. Cops said that story won't
work. We were sitting under the canopy eating
supper,when we saw you spin in, and we saw you
spin out. Needless to say he was arrested, the
car was towed in and I had to find another way
home. If I had thought about it then, I should
have written this story down and I could have
written American Graffiti before Spielberg.
protect the innocent) He had a 1964 Chevrolet
Impala SS with a large engine 327 HP. It was
fast and Vick drove the car fast. One night
at the Castle Vick decided that everyone at
the Castle needed to see just how fast Vick
was. The Castle had a light side and a dark
side. You would meet a girl on the light side
and then later take her to the dark side to
talk. I guess Vick thought he could pick up
a girl by showing off. You came into the
entrance and slowly(I reiterate) slowly
drove toward the back and either parked and
ordered or sit and chatted with friends. If
you were not going to eat or chat, you
simply made a U-turn in the lot and slowly
made your way out to the exit, which was
the same as the entrance. On this particular
night, Vick came in the entrance smoking the
tires, smoked the tires around the circle,
and then proceeded to smoke the tires upon
leaving. We headed toward Monroe's, another
hangout up the street, and as we headed back
to the Castle, we met several police cars,
coming toward us with their red lights
flashing and sirens blaring. Vick said to me
I wonder what's going on that that many
police cars would be flying up West Market
Street that fast. As we pulled into the
Castle,all of our friends ran up to the
car and told Vick that those cops were
after him. Vick parked the car at the
Castle and ran. I hopped out of the car and
got into someone else's car. The cops came
into the Castle parking lot and surrounded
Vick's car. After asking everyone around
who's car was this and where was the driver,
everyone at the Castle said they did not know.
So the cops said fine we will just have the
car towed and impounded and when the driver
comes to retrieve it, we will arrest him.
Someone went over the wall into the next lot
where Vick was hiding and told him that his
car was fixing to be towed away. Vick came
back to the parking lot and innocently went
to his car and proceeded to get in and try
to start the car. The cops ask him what do you
think you are doing and Vick said I am going
home. After questioning Vick for 20 minutes
they arrested him. Vick's story was that he
had been off with someone else and someone
must have stolen his car, spun around the
Castle and then brought it back and parked it
in the parking lot. Cops said that story won't
work. We were sitting under the canopy eating
supper,when we saw you spin in, and we saw you
spin out. Needless to say he was arrested, the
car was towed in and I had to find another way
home. If I had thought about it then, I should
have written this story down and I could have
written American Graffiti before Spielberg.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Castle Story -#1 wife
We never saw her in the car. All we saw was the
rent-a-cop telling our high school friend to get
into the car. The rules at the Castle were that
you could not hang outside the car, but must be
inside the car to stay there.(This was 1964) Once
our friend got inside,my friend Tom and I proceeded
to go over to the car and throw a cherry bomb firecracker
beneath the car. (My friend is not here to defend
himself , but he is the one that threw it.) When
it did not go off, he and I casually strolled over
to the car and I distracted them(there were three
girls and our friend in the car),while Tom looked
under the car to see why the cherry bomb had not
gone off. They wanted to know why Tom was looking
under their car and since we did not know them, except
our friend of course, we told them Tom had dropped
some money and he wanted to look for it. They all wanted
to get out of the car and look for it too, and meanwhile
here comes the cop and wants to know why the six of us
were out of the car. He made us all get back in, and
our friend who was trying to pick up one or all of the
girls,was forced to introduce us to the girls.They attended,
Page High School, at least two of them, and one of them
was a sister of Linda and she was in Junior High. Mom had
made them bring her so the other two girls would not get into
trouble. In any case I was introduced to Dianne and she
told me to call her "Dare", which was her nickname, and
I told her she could call me Fred , even though my name
was Larry. I assumed she was putting me on so I just
played back. She ask me where I was from,and that I
talked with an accent, and I told her I was from New York
City since the song the "Boy From New York City" by the
Adlibs had just played on the radio.Tom ask Linda out and
I ask Dare out, which was her real nickname, and the rest was
history. I married her four years later in 1968. Later
in my life I did live in New York City. I never considered
myself from N.Y. I have always considered myself from
Greensboro, North Carolina, home of the Boar and Castle..
and the place I met my wife "Dare".
rent-a-cop telling our high school friend to get
into the car. The rules at the Castle were that
you could not hang outside the car, but must be
inside the car to stay there.(This was 1964) Once
our friend got inside,my friend Tom and I proceeded
to go over to the car and throw a cherry bomb firecracker
beneath the car. (My friend is not here to defend
himself , but he is the one that threw it.) When
it did not go off, he and I casually strolled over
to the car and I distracted them(there were three
girls and our friend in the car),while Tom looked
under the car to see why the cherry bomb had not
gone off. They wanted to know why Tom was looking
under their car and since we did not know them, except
our friend of course, we told them Tom had dropped
some money and he wanted to look for it. They all wanted
to get out of the car and look for it too, and meanwhile
here comes the cop and wants to know why the six of us
were out of the car. He made us all get back in, and
our friend who was trying to pick up one or all of the
girls,was forced to introduce us to the girls.They attended,
Page High School, at least two of them, and one of them
was a sister of Linda and she was in Junior High. Mom had
made them bring her so the other two girls would not get into
trouble. In any case I was introduced to Dianne and she
told me to call her "Dare", which was her nickname, and
I told her she could call me Fred , even though my name
was Larry. I assumed she was putting me on so I just
played back. She ask me where I was from,and that I
talked with an accent, and I told her I was from New York
City since the song the "Boy From New York City" by the
Adlibs had just played on the radio.Tom ask Linda out and
I ask Dare out, which was her real nickname, and the rest was
history. I married her four years later in 1968. Later
in my life I did live in New York City. I never considered
myself from N.Y. I have always considered myself from
Greensboro, North Carolina, home of the Boar and Castle..
and the place I met my wife "Dare".
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The Boar and Castle history for Pam
NCCHINADOL@aol.com to me
show details 6:43 PM (3 hours ago) Reply
Lordy, Lordy, I sure hope so and............ actually we are 4 genrations. My Mother use to do to Balls there. She would be 104 if still alive and she said she wuse to go to formal dances, which were called Balls back then and even showed me at the back of the building where the entrance was. Also I was on the Central J/H School Reunion committee and at our last one..Jake the car hop from the Castle was our cook and we had Castle burgers amf 6 1/2 oz. cokes for food and people were taking them home by the bag fulls that night. It was wonderful !!!!!!!!!! Thanks again....Pam B :O)
show details 6:43 PM (3 hours ago) Reply
Lordy, Lordy, I sure hope so and............ actually we are 4 genrations. My Mother use to do to Balls there. She would be 104 if still alive and she said she wuse to go to formal dances, which were called Balls back then and even showed me at the back of the building where the entrance was. Also I was on the Central J/H School Reunion committee and at our last one..Jake the car hop from the Castle was our cook and we had Castle burgers amf 6 1/2 oz. cokes for food and people were taking them home by the bag fulls that night. It was wonderful !!!!!!!!!! Thanks again....Pam B :O)
Missing the Sauce
YOU GO GUY!!!!!!!!
Inbox X
NCCHINADOL@aol.com to me
show details 10:26 PM (9 hours ago) Reply
I miss it so bad. 64 this August and Can't stand the thought of another summer cookout w/o "THE SAUCE" Nothing will ever be as good. We're in the midst of planning a G S H Wheel Club Bus Drivers Reunion and have wished we could be sitting out there under that wonderful arbor of Wisteria. making plans and seeing some of the drivers, just like we did in the late '50s thru 1963. Oh for those days again.............But thank you for giving us this spot to look at and keep up with and to keep Boar & Castle Sauce alive and well. I've done my part. My three girls were raised on it and my seventeen year old Grandson is missing it toooo!!! So we are three generations behind you on this. Thanks Again. PAM B :O)
Inbox X
NCCHINADOL@aol.com to me
show details 10:26 PM (9 hours ago) Reply
I miss it so bad. 64 this August and Can't stand the thought of another summer cookout w/o "THE SAUCE" Nothing will ever be as good. We're in the midst of planning a G S H Wheel Club Bus Drivers Reunion and have wished we could be sitting out there under that wonderful arbor of Wisteria. making plans and seeing some of the drivers, just like we did in the late '50s thru 1963. Oh for those days again.............But thank you for giving us this spot to look at and keep up with and to keep Boar & Castle Sauce alive and well. I've done my part. My three girls were raised on it and my seventeen year old Grandson is missing it toooo!!! So we are three generations behind you on this. Thanks Again. PAM B :O)
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Please Bring back Boar and Castle Sauce
Carol Price: Please, someone, bring back Boar and Castle Sauce
By Carol Price
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 3:00 am

After receiving a call from a dear friend recently, I was saddened to learn that a page has been turned in Greensboro's culinary history book -- "Boar and Castle Sauce" is no longer available.
While the physical site of the restaurant by the same name has been closed for years, devotees such as myself were able to continue buying the popular Castle Sauce at local grocery stores. I no longer live in the Triad but have been able to sometimes purchase this delicacy in specialty stores. I created my own stash that was supplemented by visits from a close friend. She enjoys the stuff as much as I do!
Being a proper Southern lady, she always brings a hostess gift, and I looked forward to receiving Castle Sauce several times a year!
If you're not familiar with the sauce and are wondering if there is a secret ingredient that's created a following of Castle Sauce addicts such as myself, well ... no there isn't. Its allure is a combination of things. Yes, the sauce and tangy taste complement virtually any type of food, including eggs. But most important are the memories that were created with family and friends at "the Castle" that are lovingly recalled each time I see its logo and experience the sauce. Surely there is someone with the ability to purchase and preserve this Greensboro tradition!
I understand there are a couple of former Boar and Castle employees creating a similar sauce in their restaurants; however, as far as I know they do not bottle and distribute their sauces. By writing this column, I hope an interested reader will consider continuing one of our favorite Southern food traditions by purchasing and distributing this regional favorite! You know, New Yorkers have come to appreciate several of our local specialties, and some of them go to extreme lengths to enjoy them.
For example, a FedEx delivery of Kepley's BBQ, five pounds of barbecue, slaw and hush puppies, at a cost of $90-plus, is reasonable for many New Yorkers! The New York Times published an article in 2007 featuring an odd combination (in my mind, at least) with their "Wine and Swine Tour" pairing North Carolina wine with regional barbecue. A new group of foodies who appreciate old classics in new ways! We need you now!
So, if any New Yorkers read this letter and share our interest in preserving local Southern fare, please consider purchasing the rights to manufacture and distribute Boar and Castle Sauce. Target your advertising to those of us in the 50-year-old-plus category, and we'll keep your business alive. It's time to save the sauce!
Hopefully, someone out there will revive the tradition, and Castle Sauce will be available online before summer.
Carol Price lives in Old Fort.
By Carol Price
Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 3:00 am

After receiving a call from a dear friend recently, I was saddened to learn that a page has been turned in Greensboro's culinary history book -- "Boar and Castle Sauce" is no longer available.
While the physical site of the restaurant by the same name has been closed for years, devotees such as myself were able to continue buying the popular Castle Sauce at local grocery stores. I no longer live in the Triad but have been able to sometimes purchase this delicacy in specialty stores. I created my own stash that was supplemented by visits from a close friend. She enjoys the stuff as much as I do!
Being a proper Southern lady, she always brings a hostess gift, and I looked forward to receiving Castle Sauce several times a year!
If you're not familiar with the sauce and are wondering if there is a secret ingredient that's created a following of Castle Sauce addicts such as myself, well ... no there isn't. Its allure is a combination of things. Yes, the sauce and tangy taste complement virtually any type of food, including eggs. But most important are the memories that were created with family and friends at "the Castle" that are lovingly recalled each time I see its logo and experience the sauce. Surely there is someone with the ability to purchase and preserve this Greensboro tradition!
I understand there are a couple of former Boar and Castle employees creating a similar sauce in their restaurants; however, as far as I know they do not bottle and distribute their sauces. By writing this column, I hope an interested reader will consider continuing one of our favorite Southern food traditions by purchasing and distributing this regional favorite! You know, New Yorkers have come to appreciate several of our local specialties, and some of them go to extreme lengths to enjoy them.
For example, a FedEx delivery of Kepley's BBQ, five pounds of barbecue, slaw and hush puppies, at a cost of $90-plus, is reasonable for many New Yorkers! The New York Times published an article in 2007 featuring an odd combination (in my mind, at least) with their "Wine and Swine Tour" pairing North Carolina wine with regional barbecue. A new group of foodies who appreciate old classics in new ways! We need you now!
So, if any New Yorkers read this letter and share our interest in preserving local Southern fare, please consider purchasing the rights to manufacture and distribute Boar and Castle Sauce. Target your advertising to those of us in the 50-year-old-plus category, and we'll keep your business alive. It's time to save the sauce!
Hopefully, someone out there will revive the tradition, and Castle Sauce will be available online before summer.
Carol Price lives in Old Fort.
No More Castle Sauce
S***OUT OF STOCK - MANUFACTURER DISCONTINUED***
Please email or call us (sales"AT"carolinasauce"DOT"com or 919-286-1080) if you wish to be notified if this product becomes available again.
Boar and Castle Sauce just might be North Carolina's best-kept secret. This all-purpose steak sauce and table sauce was born in the Boar and Castle Restaurant, a venerable old dining establishment that operated in Greensboro from 1929 to 1980. Housed in a castle-shaped building with gables, "The Castle" (as it was fondly called by locals) was a popular gathering place for college kids and teens, as well as hungry families looking for hearty fare. The Boar and Castle was famous for its signature Castleburgers smothered in Boar and Castle Sauce, and friendly carhops providing parking lot service before drive-through windows were invented. Although the restaurant has long since closed its doors, folks in Greensboro and the surrounding area can still find Boar and Castle Sauce at local stores, but the tasty sauce has been virtually impossible to find outside of the Triad area of NC until now. One taste of this thick, rich steak sauce and you'll be transported back to a bygone era. The mustard-tomato base is spiked with just a hint of peppery zip, a touch of tamarind tang, and the pungent essence of anchovies to create a complex, savory sauce that enhances steaks, hamburgers, roasts, meatloaf, hot dogs, onion rings and french fries. Boar and Castle Sauce also adds great flavor to gravies, soups, stews, poultry, seafood and vegetable dishes. This sauce has stood the test of time, and is so good you'll want to keep a bottle by your stove as well as on your dining room table!
No nutritional information on label.
Please email or call us (sales"AT"carolinasauce"DOT"com or 919-286-1080) if you wish to be notified if this product becomes available again.
Boar and Castle Sauce just might be North Carolina's best-kept secret. This all-purpose steak sauce and table sauce was born in the Boar and Castle Restaurant, a venerable old dining establishment that operated in Greensboro from 1929 to 1980. Housed in a castle-shaped building with gables, "The Castle" (as it was fondly called by locals) was a popular gathering place for college kids and teens, as well as hungry families looking for hearty fare. The Boar and Castle was famous for its signature Castleburgers smothered in Boar and Castle Sauce, and friendly carhops providing parking lot service before drive-through windows were invented. Although the restaurant has long since closed its doors, folks in Greensboro and the surrounding area can still find Boar and Castle Sauce at local stores, but the tasty sauce has been virtually impossible to find outside of the Triad area of NC until now. One taste of this thick, rich steak sauce and you'll be transported back to a bygone era. The mustard-tomato base is spiked with just a hint of peppery zip, a touch of tamarind tang, and the pungent essence of anchovies to create a complex, savory sauce that enhances steaks, hamburgers, roasts, meatloaf, hot dogs, onion rings and french fries. Boar and Castle Sauce also adds great flavor to gravies, soups, stews, poultry, seafood and vegetable dishes. This sauce has stood the test of time, and is so good you'll want to keep a bottle by your stove as well as on your dining room table!
No nutritional information on label.
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