Southern hospitality
by gipper84
Mechanicsville may not look like it clung to its small-town roots very well on seeing the development passing through on Route 360. The landscape may have changed, but the people here are slow to change to a suburban bedroom community like the West End in Henrico County. One example is the Southern hospitality displayed by my friend Nat and his family. Whenever I come over for a visit, I can expect at least one glass of sweet tea and a comfortable seat, like the one in the picture. Many times, Nat invites me to have supper with him. It is easy to say yes to that because he cooks very well and he lives close to where I work. Nat is an example of typical Mechanicsville hospitality.
Charlie's Barber Shop
by b1bob
I didn't really know what category to put this because Charlie's is still very much in business. I put it under "fondest memory" because Charlie's is a throwback to simpler times. In fact, it has been there since 1931 and is still there despite these styling salons. I don't like the salons because they charge you more money for the same haircut and they put stuff in your hair that makes it smell like fruit salad. There is an old barber pole, an antique cash register, and always good conversation.
Graduation
by b1bob
There was no way MY high school graduation night could have been normal. On 12 June 1987, I graduated from Lee-Davis High School. The ceremony took place at the Mosque (the name of the theatre has since been changed). Graduates, in those caps and gowns (whoever came up with that costume for graduates should be publicly flogged) assembled in the basement. It came up a bad cloud and put out the lights (and air conditioning). There were no windows, it was hotter than a $2 pistol, and it was as dark as a dungeon. This delayed the proceedings about 45 minutes, but it seemed like an eternity down there.
Good friends
by b1bob
Over the years, I have made quite a number of friends of diverse backgrounds and I'm just talking about here in Mechanicsville. The pictured friend Keith lost both of his grandparents (my former nextdoor neighbours Bob & Ruth Lamb) in 2003. The photo was taken in July, 2003 as we took a break from loading what items didn't sell at the estate and tag sale. I met Keith when his grandparents moved in during the summer of 1985 and we have been friends since then despite differences in our tastes for food and music. The friend in the other half of the frame, Lee, is farther apart in age, but we're more alike in terms of interest. We missed meeting each other on at least one earlier occasion, but we finally did meet in November, 2004.
Christmas Parade
by b1bob
The annual Mechanicsville Christmas Parade is sponsored by the Mechanicsville Rotary and Ruritan clubs. The parade has become one of the bigger events of the year in Hanover County and hosted over 100 groups in 2005 including marching bands, horses, floats, political figures (I marched for Delegate Ryan McDougle in 2005) and a display of all manner of vehicles. The 2005 theme, Toys on Parade, was popular for the little nippers and the nippers at heart. Father Christmas looked great riding down the street with the beautiful floats and the sounds of the bands. On 4 December 2005, there were only two places to be in Hanover County, in the parade or watching from the street! Judges awarded over 15 prizes including Best Appearance, Most Creative, and Best In Keeping With the Theme. The only drawback to the parade is the traffic immediately before and after. Adam and I had to go around Abraham's barn to drop off a girl we knew at a place just down the street.
sweet and sour chicken
chicken tenders and fries
grilled chicken curry & vegetable medley
the owners of Gyros Plus
