This week's photo prompt on Sepia Saturday shows a "Works Outing to Blackpool, 1955" and features people sitting at table, probably in a restaurant. My photo features women at a restaurant table, also on an outing, to celebrate a more social kind of work: their "Secret Pals Club." My oldest brother, Mike, told me that he remembers the club, and that at the end of the year, they went out to dinner, and revealed their identities to one another.
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| The "Secret Pal Club" at Mike's Ship-a-Hoy Restaurant in New York City. My mother, Eleanor Gregoire Tobin is seated on the right, at far end. Isn't her hat cute? The photo is not dated, but the fashions look like the 1940's. |
He can't remember what activities constituted their secret "work" but perhaps they left cards and gifts for one another on doorsteps. My mom was working as a housewife and mother, and I think that the other women were also. Finding a surprise on your doorstep, or perhaps a card in the mail must have been a fun pick-me-up when the routine was starting to wear on you.
The photo is glued into a souvenir brochure, the cover of which features a drawing of "Mike's Yacht Bar," which looks like a lot of fun, especially after you've had a few!
Signed in pencil by Patsy Kelly, an actress of the era: "Luck and Happiness/Patsy Kelly". Perhaps the ladies saw her dining at this restaurant while they were there, and got her autograph.
Ahh Secret Pals! When I was in Junior Women’s Club, we did that every year. My Methodist Women’s Circle did it short term just at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteA great choice for the prompt! And what a wonderful tale about the "Secret Pals Club." I'm not sure about then, but restaurants near 66th and Columbus are a bit pricier than elsewhere -- so this must have been the big splurge of their year.
ReplyDeleteI've had 'secret pals' through other groups & clubs, but never belonged to a 'secret pals' club on its own. What a fun idea! :)
ReplyDeleteLately it seems like I have joined a Secret Pals Club. Every day I get a dozen phone calls from Brian, Brittany, Lucy, Luke, etc. who claim they have special offers from Dish TV, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, or Medicare. I'm hurt that they've never asked me to meet them for free drinks at Mike's yacht bar. For that I might stay on the line.
ReplyDeleteMy online quilting group used to have "angel swaps" where each person sent an angel gift to another member each month. Big reveal at the end at big gettogether. Great fun. Sadly it died out as a lot of participants didn't keep it up.
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