If you like Lost Laurel and you like TV, boy are you in for a treat. Let’s hope so, anyway… Looks like we’re about to see how well I do presenting this stuff on the small screen!
I was recently approached by Laurel TV (the city’s public access channel that’s in the process of being completely revamped) about producing a series of half-hour shows based on Lost Laurel. This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of meeting Joyce Jackson, the station’s wonderful new Media Coordinator, and putting together a rough outline format.
Basically, it’ll be me on location in town introducing each week’s feature—a popular topic from the pages of Lost Laurel. We’ll meet people who lived and worked in these places past who have relevant stories to tell; and we’ll show plenty of “then and now” photos as well as artifacts from the locations being covered. You’ll also see what some of these former businesses have become today.
We’re planning to start filming by the end of this month, and the episodes will eventually be available on YouTube, as well. So, you don’t have to actually live in Laurel to be able to see the show. (Which is good, since I don’t live there anymore, either!)
Now admittedly, my first thought when I heard “public access television” was Wayne’s World. As much fun as it would be to cruise around Laurel in a 1976 AMC Pacer, this will actually be more of a documentary-style show. 😉
I’ve obviously got some some ideas of what I’d like to cover, but I’m always interested to hear what you guys would like to see more of—so please leave a comment and let me know.
Stay tuned… This is going to be fun!
Lost Laurel 
Some things I would like to see include before and after pics of the hurricane Agnes floods, particularly the old bridge that used to cross the river near the swimming pool, pictures and maybe a little history of some of the big old houses that used to sit near route 1 (for example the big white house that used to sit across route 1 from the old shopping center, the old wooden auto race track and the horse track that used to sit where laurel Toyota is now.
For an interesting interview I recommend you contact Robert Hughes, 301-854-3374. Bob is a native of Laurel who now lives in the Fulton, MD area. He is a sixty year member of Laurel Wreath Masonic Lodge, a Past Master of the Lodge and is the Lodge Historian. He can spin you many tales of early life in Laurel and of those now in Ivy Hill Cemetery.