Philly Tales

1953 to 1957 – Ages 9 to 13 – Summer The siren's sound was deafening as our teacher quickly guided us to the hallway and told us to put our heads b...

• Leeches to reduce swelling and heal bruises: Drug stores used to sell leeches, and I believe they had them up to the 1950s. Interestingly it appears this is one old wives tale that might be true.

Happy Easter! “Spring has sprung,” my grandfather, Pop, used to say. For him, it was a time for celebration because he could go fishing again. Ever...

“Ties that bind” is an English language idiom that generally refers to shared beliefs that connect people emotionally. Religion would be one tie, f...

It’s odd to look back to my days growing up during the 1950s in Philadelphia’s Kensington section. Kensington today is different from the blue-coll...

People often tell you, “Don’t sweat the small things,” and that’s good advice when it comes to things that disturb you. However, it’s the small thi...

My favorite Bruce Springsteen song is “The Streets of Philadelphia.” It gives me a lump in my throat every time I hear it. This haunting song remin...

When you live in one place for a long time, you get comfortable with your surroundings, get used to the people who live near you, and become accust...

By Harry Hallman Kensington had a lot of hot rods, and in fact the whole country was crazy for hot rods in the ’50s and ’60s. Movies such as Rebel...

By Harry Hallman The other day while I was lying on my two thousand dollar lounge chair by my million dollar pool in Hollywood and talking to Scarl...

Making a Buck By Harry Hallman Ben Franklin famously said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Obviously, he didn’t grow up in the Kensington sectio...

Kensington dads, in my era, came in all flavors. Some drank too much, others were overbearing,  and some ignored their kids. Most dads, however, di...