Corner Bar? Hey, what about the Rathole?

By Jim Clifford
Correspondent

While the passing of the Corner Bar, once known as the "bucket of blood," is noteworthy, it is a mere footnote when compared to the "unharolded" passing of Seeger's, located next to Vic's Barbership and the Andria Theater.

"Harold's," the "Rat Hole," "Seeger's," whatever name is sported from time to time, was a pure Alexandria institution that was part of every meaningful rite of passage for males who spent any time in Alex. Where would one smoke his first cigarette? Probably behind Harold's. Where did most of the whispering about girls take place? Probably in Harold's. Where did one develop an eye for shooting pool? Certainly, had to be Harold's.

Had marijuana been around in those days, many of us would still be in Harold's!

Profound sense of grief nearly crippling
When I returned from the army in 1968 and learned that Harold's had been closed, or maybe a few years later when I was in college, I remember a profound sense of grief that was nearly crippling, way beyond mere nostalgia. After I collected myself, I remember thinking that I'd have loved to have bought the pool table in front of the bar, where everybody wanted to play, or the snooker table in the corner, where we played a little snooker, and lots of creep. Harold also had a penny machine that was a pistol that shot steel balls at little targets. Man, I'd have loved to have that thing.

America is a beautiful country, with its astounding natural resources, its most admirable form of government (when it is run properly), and its diverse social aspects (within individual tastes, not a "PC statement"). One thing it had, and probably now needs, was a place for disenfranchised boys to hang out. We had Harold's, and that is a gift that provides many of us with enjoyable, vivid memories to this day.

I wish my son would have had a place like Harold's! Sure, he has never touched a cigarette, had only a few glasses of wine at home, is a very successful student and, some might say, a bit of a nerd. (At this point, reflect on your recollection of me, if you have one, and reverse the image and raise it by at least 50%) I love him more than words can express. However, I can't help thinking that a couple of hours at Harold's would work some unpredictable, but substantial benefits.

Jim Clifford


(File photo above) Clifford -- a newly-minted lawyer on the steps of the capitol in 1976, still laments the loss of an Alexandria institution, representing the rites of passage for so many.