LADIES’ DAY MYSTERY TOUR
The first Ladies’ Day Tour ever for the Worcester County Model A Club began on a sunny, brisk October
morning at Tatnuck Square, Worcester. Since this was a Ladies’ Day, it was planned, organized and led by women: Mary Hovenesian,
Cherie Sherman, Gloria Schofield, and Anne Lynch.
In honor of the day, Ellen Costello, Cherie Sherman, Loretta Twichell, Winnie
Stabard and Joan and “Stewie” Stewart wore special occasion hats. Winnie’s was a designer hat from the 40's belonging to her
mother. Cherie Sherman brought wands decorated with tinsel and pink ribbons to attach to each car, and our president, Jim Hines,
presented each woman with a corsage for the day.
Since it was Ladies’ Day, it was only appropriate that our lead car be driven
by a woman, Cherie Sherman. This was also a first. We had one other lady driver, Ellen Costello, on the tour. Because
we had 16 cars, it was necessary to split up into two groups and Gloria Schofield led the second group with directions. Participants
were Cherie and Dick Sherman, Dave Boulay, Ellen and Keith Costello, Ann & Bill Lynch, Mary Sheridan and Rey Sansoucy, Joan and
“Stewie” Stewart, Winnie and Ken Stabard, Gloria and Alden Schofield, Angie and Frank Miller, Loretta and Alan Twichell, Julie and
Jim Hines, Jr., Michele and Nick Caparelli, Michele and Ralph Caparelli, Joyce and Peter Hitchcock and their daughter Rachel, and
Mary Hovenesian and Jim Hines, Sr.
The tour went north through Holden and up Rt. 68 towards Gardner. Autumn leaves were
beginning to show their color and everyone was in an adventurous mood. To break the monotony along Rt. 68 and to make sure we
traveled the “obligatory” dirt road, we turned off on Halfrey Road for a mile or two and then back onto Rt. 68 through Gardner, picking
up Rt. 140 past Heywood Hospital and Mt. Wachusett College. We made our first stop at Bryan’s Place for coffee, snacks, and
even time to sit in the sun in the Adirondack chairs out front. Soon enough, Cherie rounded us up for the next leg of our trip
north through Winchendon and into New Hampshire. Here we stopped in Fitzwilliam, where Fitzwilliam Antiques sported a marvelous
sign, “I sell dead peoples’ stuff.” Some folks enjoyed the delightful combination of antique items there. Others visited
the Crossroads gift center while the rest of the folks crossed the road to The Itinerant Peddler where they found antiques and more
and were treated to hot cider. After about an hour, we continued on to the “mystery” destination–The Inn at East Hill Farm inTroy, NH at the foot of Mt. Monadnock. We parked our cars in front of the barns and headed out to see the farm animals, cows,
horses, sheep, goats, donkeys, chickens and other fowl. Our greatest delight, though, was watching the baby piglets scamper
and play around the pen with the mother sow and seeing the baby lambs with their mothers. We also all made time to gaze on the
autumn splendor of Mt. Monadnock and then to eat a delicious full “Thanksgiving” dinner–all you want, home cooked, turkey and ham
and all the trimmings and service with a smile.
We left the Inn with plenty of time to get home well before dark and had only
one minor mixup on the return trip circling the square in Gardner twice. Hopefully, Ladies’ Day will become an annual event.
