Reminiscing TV past

[rustyp]

A trip down memory lane maybe informative for new residents of TV. Are there any special items, events, or people you miss that were part of the past here in TV ? Not intended to be a b---h session just nostalgic.

1 Holiday Countdown at Church On The Square
2 Katie Belles live shows 3 times per day - I especially miss Tony D playing the keyboard and the shows he MC'd like the gong show.
3 Orange Blossom Resturant run by Chip - Crab night, Casino night, Karaoke night, poolside Tiki bar
4 Parking around SS town square in your golf cart and having a refreshment watching the entertainment
5 Cheese burger / Cheeseburger night with entertainment at Nancy Lopez pool
6 Frequent afternoon outdoor concerts on the lawn at Hacienda Rec Center.
7 Paul Vesco orchestra playing for many Villager productions at The Savannah Center
8 Lenny Wilson Sundays

[Jimmy McNewman]

I miss the broccoli/kale cole slaw at Hemingway's. It was served with a green goddess dressing and I always had it with the fish n chips but without the chips, just a double order of the slaw. New owners took it off the menu and now its a regular slaw.

[billethkid]

For the years they lasted, the gathering and celebrating New Years at Spanish Springs or Lake Sumter Landings.
Music and fun through the midnight countdown.

[Inexes@aol.com]

The fantastic restaurants at Silver Lake and Chula.......

[rustyp]

The fantastic restaurants at Silver Lake and Chula.......

Good one I forgot some of the early exec courses had restaurants.
Silver Lake and Chula you mentioned. El Santiago was the last to go, home of The Parrot Heads. Was there any more?

[rustyp]

I also remember The Parrot Heads would do a Christmas light ride by golf carts. What a sight - the line of carts was a mile long. They decorated their carts. Looked like a parade going over the cart bridge on the Historic side to see the house on Hillcrest Drive. I wonder if they still do this.

[Ooper]

I remember the veggie and fruit store in Spanish Springs where Too-Jays is now standing. Also, the big circus tent where the MVP in the La Rena building now stands. One last thing I remember that is long gone was the Monday night Fiesta Nights in the La Plaza Grande in the historic section before any of the squares were built.

[rustyp]

I remember the veggie and fruit store in Spanish Springs where Too-Jays is now standing. Also, the big circus tent where the MVP in the La Rena building now stands. One last thing I remember that is long gone was the Monday night Fiesta Nights in the La Plaza Grande in the historic section before any of the squares were built.

That was the original town square. Spanish Springs was second.

[rubicon]

The outstanding Friday evening seafood buffet at Hacienda Hills

[chuckinca]

Good one I forgot some of the early exec courses had restaurants.
Silver Lake and Chula you mentioned. El Santiago was the last to go, home of The Parrot Heads. Was there any more?

The original Paradise Rec Center had a bar and restaurant. Have a pic of it from around 1997.

.

[dewilson58]

Orange Blossom Resturant run by Chip - Crab night, Casino night, Karaoke night, poolside Tiki bar



What & where was this???

[DonH57]

I also remember The Parrot Heads would do a Christmas light ride by golf carts. What a sight - the line of carts was a mile long. They decorated their carts. Looked like a parade going over the cart bridge on the Historic side to see the house on Hillcrest Drive. I wonder if they still do this.

Yes. The Parrotheads still do this. Lot's of fun.

[karostay]

I miss the friendly folks who would wave and smile

[skip0358]

We still do it. It's a pun night for us. Afterwards we stop somewhere for a little cheer. This year It's on 12/18

[rustyp]

Orange Blossom Resturant run by Chip - Crab night, Casino night, Karaoke night, poolside Tiki bar



What & where was this???

Orange Blossom Country Club - the pool with the waterfall. Chip was still there 2012 for sure maybe through 2014 ? That's when it became part of the four country club restaurants owned by the same person (Evans Prairie. Bonifay, Belle Glade). Crab night was all could eat and Friday fish fry was so large you get get another two meals out of the dogie bag. On those nights the cars were parked on the street around Watertower Circle. The place was getting run down and The Villages decided to close it and remodel which took over a year. Chip went on to be the chef at Spruce Creek.

[PJOHNS2654]

Maitre De at Orange Blossom Restaurant handing out ties to us that were not properly dressed.

[Allegiance]

"What can I do to make The Villages better?"

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171202/acd7d9a1c2bcf59c7d9e98c11ed40520.jpg

[chuckinca]

Orange Blossom Country Club . . . The place was getting run down and The Villages decided to close it and remodel which took over a year. Chip went on to be the chef at Spruce Creek.


I heard Chip was ousted because he wanted the developer to replace the old furniture and equipment and they told him he had to pay for it and he wouldn't. Chef at Spruce Creek South but left there after a few months.

.

[rubicon]

I miss the broccoli/kale cole slaw at Hemingway's. It was served with a green goddess dressing and I always had it with the fish n chips but without the chips, just a double order of the slaw. New owners took it off the menu and now its a regular slaw.

The past? Hemingways was only a glint in the developer's eye when we moved here. We are talking about THE PAST :D

[rustyp]

Who remembers Shepard's Pie ? A past musical group popular in TV. The group still exist today under another name without the lead singer. The lead singer still performs here in TV also. I remember our second attempt to break our own record for the longest golf cart parade. We lined up at the high school and took a lap around TV. This musical group performed that day on the football field. They had a wall of speakers and cranked them up.

[rustyp]

How about Wednesdays at Fiesta Bowl. Free chicken wings and dollar beers with live entertainment. Yes free chicken wings. They would set up several buffet tables and bring out mountains of wings, mild, sweet, hot, plum, etc.

[Madelaine Amee]

Does anyone remember the Sales Office in SS? It was like walking into a movie scene from the Arabian Nights - incredible. I remember going in there to buy a home and just standing there looking up at the ceiling in awe. They had a coffee and muffin bar - I believe you could just walk in and help yourself to coffee and muffins. They had a huge reception desk and people were lined up to get a sales associate and buy a home!

Also the original Sales Office at LSL. Modeled just like a Gentleman's Club from the 1800's.

[rustyp]

Does anyone remember the Sales Office in SS? It was like walking into a movie scene from the Arabian Nights - incredible. I remember going in there to buy a home and just standing there looking up at the ceiling in awe. They had a coffee and muffin bar - I believe you could just walk in and help yourself to coffee and muffins. They had a huge reception desk and people were lined up to get a sales associate and buy a home!

Also the original Sales Office at LSL. Modeled just like a Gentleman's Club from the 1800's.

Yes that building in SS is La Rena. It's where MVP is today and where the big tent was before La Rena was built as someone else mentioned here. I agree it was absolutely stunning inside the lobby.

Speaking of free muffins - remember the furniture store attached to the Lake Sumter sales office. Gorgeous displays and free warm cookies at the far end.

[Madelaine Amee]

Yes that building in SS is La Rena. It's where MVP is today and where the big tent was before La Rena was built as someone else mentioned here. I agree it was absolutely stunning inside the lobby.

Speaking of free muffins - remember the furniture store attached to the Lake Sumter sales office. Gorgeous displays and free warm cookies at the far end.

Those were the days ..................... Yes I do, but I had to think long and hard about that one! Wasn't that the "field of dreams" or something, where you went to chose your colors, tiles, carpet etc. etc.?

[asianthree]

Yes that building in SS is La Rena. It's where MVP is today and where the big tent was before La Rena was built as someone else mentioned here. I agree it was absolutely stunning inside the lobby.

Speaking of free muffins - remember the furniture store attached to the Lake Sumter sales office. Gorgeous displays and free warm cookies at the far end.

Southern Lifestyles best furniture store with incredible customer service. And the cookies were great too

[rustyp]

Those were the days ..................... Yes I do, but I had to think long and hard about that one! Wasn't that the "field of dreams" or something, where you went to chose your colors, tiles, carpet etc. etc.?

"Those were the days". For some strange reason this touched my funny-bone. The Villages would stage a model home furnished by Southern Lifestyles and new buyers would run to them and replicate what they seen. During this period of time your friends would proudly invite you over to see their new house. There wasn't as many models as today thus many looked alike and everyone had the same furniture. The biggie was the pastel flowery living room set and seaside collection accessories.

[rustyp]

"Those were the days". For some strange reason this touched my funny-bone. The Villages would stage a model home furnished by Southern Lifestyles and new buyers would run to them and replicate what they seen. During this period of time your friends would proudly invite you over to see their new house. There wasn't as many models as today thus many looked alike and everyone had the same furniture. The biggie was the pastel flowery living room set and seaside collection accessories.

Today's equivalent is gold Yamaha golf carts (confession I have 2). Now you know why people put their names on them. I was at CVS one day and explaining to my wife why we need our name on the cart/s. She would have no part of it. She was explaining to me I shouldn't publish who I am just in case one of those rare moments occur where I slightly step out of line. Right then a gold Yamaha golf cart pulls next to us with a surfboard mounted to the roof. I smiled and pointed what about one of them ? I was told to go in the store and get my meds.

[Taltarzac725]

Trying to explain the Villages' Idiot Club to relatives visiting from points north. A page from this book (sorry) describes it--

Leisureville: Adventures in a World Without Children - Andrew D. Blechman - Google Books (https://books.google.com/books?id=G2PjTl3V-MsC&pg=PA216&lpg=PA216&dq=villages+idiot+club&source=bl&ots=sMnaLzvPnJ&sig=T64sJj7MCz_bpJKGAZQulKuoOWI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjPhfWk0fDXAhWkUt8KHXIgCRkQ6AEIbjAM#v=on epage&q=villages%20idiot%20club&f=false)

[KathieI]

I miss the Veranda restaurant at LSL. It was so beautiful with the large fireplace, especially on a chilly winter night. We used to gather there as a singles group to enjoy a leisurely dinner and the food was very good. I also held a lot of our meet and greets for new people there, and the service was fantastic.

[jojo]

I miss the Veranda restaurant at LSL. It was so beautiful with the large fireplace, especially on a chilly winter night. We used to gather there as a singles group to enjoy a leisurely dinner and the food was very good. I also held a lot of our meet and greets for new people there, and the service was fantastic.


I loved the food and ambiance and our meet and greets. Those were great fun times.

[Taltarzac725]

I miss the Veranda restaurant at LSL. It was so beautiful with the large fireplace, especially on a chilly winter night. We used to gather there as a singles group to enjoy a leisurely dinner and the food was very good. I also held a lot of our meet and greets for new people there, and the service was fantastic.


People need to get those started again unless they have?

[bargee]

Sneaking thru the back streets after dark in our golf cart with the lights off.in 1999 it was a $80.00 if you got caught driving a golf cart after dark.

[SIRE1]

The "Rumor" that they "might" build something on the south side of 466. And then seeing all the construction and land clearing to the south and just wondering how far it would go. Occasionally driving as far south on Buena Vista or Morse Blvd as you could to see how far The Villages was now. Taking visitors around each year to show them the new areas and saying "You can't believe how big it is from just last year".