The renovation of The Inn at Longshore has been good news for brides. The venue is even more picturesque than ever, and the staff goes out of their way to make the Big Day even more special.
It’s good news too for businesses. They’re filling the Inn during the week, with meetings and events.
A third group is former Westporters returning “home.” They come for a variety of reasons — reunions, work, visiting family, nostalgia — but staying at a place they fondly remember is a common thread.
The other day, a pair of 1963 Staples High School graduates — Peter Eckle and John Keate — returned “home.”
They’ve known each other since 3rd grade, in Greens Farms Elementary School. Peter swam, played tennis and sang in the choir. John played football and basketball.
They left Westport long ago, and now call North and South Carolina home. They kept in touch over the years — and Peter’s youngest son and John’s youngest daughter married each other. The old friends are now in-laws, and share 2 grandsons.
John Keate and Peter Eckle.
They remember their growing-up years here fondly — including Longshore summers. John worked maintenance on the golf course; Peter was head life guard at the pool.
Both caddied too, and one of Peter’s first jobs was shagging balls on the driving range.
They were not sure what to expect. But over the course of a couple of days, they reconnected with the town, and each other.
Golf pro Jon Janic hosted Peter and John. In return, Peter — who has an FAA drone license, and has done several golf course flyovers — did one of the Longshore course. He hopes Jon will add it to the Longshore website.
“The course was in great shape, and fun to play,” Peter says. They arrived just after heavy rain, but it stood up well.
With their wives, the 81-year-olds visited their old homes, and the streets where they grew up. Click here or below for Peter’s highlight reel.
They saw the “new” Staples High School — a far cry from the 9 separate buildings on North Avenue they remembered — and admired the pool. It’s a far cry from the cramped one Peter swam in at the old YMCA on Church Lane.
Compo Beach had not changed much (except that Chubby Lane’s, the old wooden concession stand, has been replaced by volleyball courts).
The transition from locally owned shops on Main Street to “the full range of high end retail outlets you can find in most major cities” was remarkable.
Specific landmarks like the Y becoming Anthropologie, the movie theaters now a Barnes & Noble, and the demise of nearby Ship’s Lantern bar brought back many memories. So did the search for restaurants that no longer exist, like the Pepper Mill (now a Goodwill outlet), Clam Box (Pizza Lyfe), the Arrow (Riko’s Pizza), Mario’s (Harvest Wine Bar), Allen’s Clam House (Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve), and Café de la Plage (the unfinished “blue house” on Hillspoint Road).
The renovation of the Inn itself earned raves.
It was a fun, nostalgic trip.
So when will the old friends be back?
“Good question,” Peter says. “Maybe another 10 years?”
A decade from now, much will have changed again.
But it’s a good bet that the Inn at Longshore — and the golf course — will be right where Peter and John left them.
Lovely Westport story and great pics. Any chance we can see the drone footage of Longshore?
Thanks, Jan. Click on the YouTube video!
What a great story!
Within the last three months I’ve been exchanging emails with Peter. I knew his younger sister, Patty Eckle, who unfortunately passed away. I loved the story.
While there are tidbit representations of the Wonder Years, the character and soul of Westport has changed dramatically, especially since Covid. It is a town for the rich who do not hesitate in showing off and/or bragging of such. I would be interested in what the Longshore Inn charges to book the ballroom? Last time I made inquiry, it was 20K minimum and was booked for five years. I believe Staples doesn’t even have their prom there anymore? All about money. Sad really.
Scooter, I totally agree. There’s nothing to do in town. Sure you have 8 or 11 one day, one off events, but there really isn’t anything to do. There’s no movie theater; there’s no bowling alley; there are no golf ranges ( plural) ; there are no batting cages or trampolines. But there are traffic jams and frustrated drivers, and if you bought a home within the last five years, you’re going to lose money.
Jack, if you think there’s an opportunity for a driving range/mini golf, bowling alley in Westport, and you clearly do, why don’t you source funding from all your contacts and open a facility?
Otherwise it’s the same, wash-rinse-repeat from you.
Jack and I are old, Brian, and as a result like to remember the good ole days when there were a ton of things to do for kids to do. That remains so but is mostly supervised sports and costs money. But please try to remember the Backiel family was directly responsible for the development of the upper Post Road which included a driving range miniature golf course, bowling alley, trampoline center, and hockey rink. We owe Jack a debt of gratitude, not a sarcastic challenge to do it all over again.
1. Start your own blog, ‘06880 Remembers When’. Then we don’t need to read the same repetitive, ‘there’s no….’
2. Let me recommend two shows I think you might enjoy. Happy Days and The Wonder Years. Right in your wheelhouse.
3. There are a ton of things to do in Westport, theater, movies, bowling, and more in the surrounding communities
Gotta go now George Bailey. Enjoy your evening.
Brain, Thank you for proving my point. Your words “in the surrounding communities” is exactly my point. You have to leave Westport to enjoy things you could do in Westport 50 years ago. Today, you can get a latte at four different places, but good luck finding anything fun to do after 9 p.m. The biggest nightlife is a raccoon raiding the recycling bins!
Hey Brian..cool it..Don’t be an a-hole…
I think you proved Scooter’s initial point about the character of the present Westporter, Mr. Caine. And he did start a weekly column on the 06880 blog about what happened 50 years today which has become quite popular.
My brother, Jack Scott, caddied at Longshore about that time. He made good money and really learned the game. I was a little jealous although I could never have carried those heavy golf bags.