Old-Fashioned Time in the School House Tonight

The Noddy Bay-Straitsview-Hay Cove-L’anse aux Meadows-Quirpon Come Home Year injected a lot of life into all five of these communities as the population likely tripled from a combined 250 to well over 700 throughout the week. The planning of Come Home Year led to a group of community-minded people in Quirpon (population of 70) to step up, fundraise to save their community hall, and save it they did. 

A big card game was held on Tuesday night, but one of the most talked about events was the old-fashioned time at the former school house. For some it was returning to a place of their younger days when people from all over would flock to Quirpon for a meal, a dance and a chance to meet a pretty girl to share a kiss or two.

Several hundred attended the event with 250 bowls of soup served. There were games, grabs and good conversations as the old school house was bursting at the seems. It was my first time and I was impressed by the set-up. I heard my grandmother and others talk about the old-fashioned times and how they would pay 10 cents for their meal and look forward to the music and square dancing. The games presented the opportunity to win a sack of potatoes pending the dart score, a log of bologna was up for grabs at the bean bang toss, and kids were trying their hand at balloon darts. For a coin, you could buy a wrapped up present called a “grab”. These were certainly popular and did not last long. There were raffles, line sales and guess cakes. There was some fun to be had by all. Especially when Quirpon local Wayne Bartlett stepped in and sang his song “Old Fashioned-Time in the School House tonight”. I got to talk with Bill and Mabel Bartlett, who told me there was fine crowd on, it may not be the biggest in the history but certainly the most people Quirpon has seen in years!

Community thrives when people get together and support a cause. Quirpon residents and those with a connection to this place should be proud of the initiative taken by the Save our Hall Committee. All your contributions and support is to be commended and celebrated. I hear the time last well past one and that maybe this may become an annual event. I certainly hope this continues!

Also, former Quirpon resident Marilyn (Bartlett) Earle who was part of the committee shared her talent by painting the old school house. If you would like a print that captures childhood memories for you or that connection to home, she has them for sale for $20. You can reach her at +1-709-623-2069.

This may be the first old-fashioned time in the school house in years, but let’s hope it is not the last.

Live Rural NL –

Christopher Mitchelmore, MHA (The Straits-White Bay North)