An Online newsletter of
“The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC)

Welcome to the Weaver’s Newsletter September 2024 edition!

This is the fifth issue of Weaver’s Newsletter for 2024 and the Mayberry fun continues. Late September and early October are happening times for fans of The Andy Griffith Show.

Since 1990, the last full weekend of September has been the time for all good, or able, Mayberry folks to “come to the aid of their neighbor” during Mayberry Days in Mt. Airy, N.C. This year marks the 35th annual Mayberry Days and memories made there with fellow fans are a real treasure.

Just after Mayberry Days comes to an end, it will be time to begin the celebration of the 64th anniversary of CBS airing of the first episode of The Andy Griffith Show on Monday, October 3, 1960. As a fun note, Andy Griffith was 34 years old when the series started and it has been 34 years since Mayberry Days began in 1990. I thought this was a fun bit of trivia. A person born when Mayberry Days started would now be the same age as Andy was when The Andy Griffith Show first aired.

That’s a lot of talk to get you interested in reading the rest of this newsletter so let get things started.

Weaver’s is proud to share a few of our newest and returning products related to The Andy Griffith Show. We hope you might want a few of them for yourself or as gifts for friends and family.

As a reminder, 53 items have been discontinued by the supplier and license holder who provided them and are no longer being made. A special section of the Weaver’s website has been created so you can check those items to see if any might be something you want to grab while there is still stock available. They are selling out fast and will be gone for good once we are out of stock.

 **** Merchandise Update ****

One of Weaver’s suppliers of The Andy Griffith Show licensed t-shirts & sweatshirts is no longer producing Mayberry themed products. 53 different items are no longer being produced. What that means for you is that as soon as Weaver’s inventory of those items in stock are gone, they can not be re-stocked. IF there are particular items you’re interested in having, purchase them before they are gone.

Discontinued Mayberry Items

A very incomplete list is: Lawmen, Fishin Hole, Barney Face – Woven Throw, Beach Towels, Pillows, Pillowcases, Bandanas, and Accessory Pouches.

These are just some of the items that are discontinued. Basically, if there is the face of a character on the shirt, it is very likely discontinued. It isn’t just t-shirts and sweatshirts. There are so many on the chopping block that I really can’t list them all. Clicking this link will take you to a page a Weaver’s that list all the discontinued products.

It’s pretty shocking when you see how many things that are no longer being made but don’t worry. Weaver’s is hard at work to find more fun Mayberry items for you to enjoy like the ones below.

**** New Products at Weaver’s ****

We’re going to try something a bit different this issue. Instead of all the Weaver’s merchandise being grouped, we’ll try to spread them out throughout the issue. Hopefully that will make things less “pushy” because Bert really hates a pushy salesman.

We know it’s early but the Christmas season will be here before you know it. Since Weaver’s is an online store, it’s a good idea to start looking now and get your orders in hand well before the Christmas rush begins. That said, we do have a few new items Mr. Weaver expects to have in stock before Christmas that are not yet available so be sure to check back for new products as time passes.

Mayberry Purse – $35

Step out in style with this transparent Mayberry handbag accessory perfect for any occasion.

Made from high-quality transparent material, this handbag offers a unique and trendy look while allowing you to showcase your personal style. It features durable construction and a spacious interior, making it ideal for carrying your essentials. The versatile design can be paired with any outfit.

The bag being transparent will help you make it through Checkpoint Chickie more easily the next time you go through security to attend a special event, an evening out at the diner, or a movie at The Grand.

Size: 11″x7″x3″
– use as a shoulder or crossbody bag
– Zipper closure transparent leatherette Navy trim

Three different straps included:
– Woven Navy & Orange Purse Strap – 44″ Long x 2″ wide adjustable
– Gold chain 44″L
– Navy strap 14.5″ L x 3/4″ W

Mayberry Wooden Home Decor – $16-$20

Weaver’s recently added these decorative wooden blocks featuring things like the American flag with the word Mayberry below, I “heart” Mayberry, “It’s a Mayberry Thing,” and other Mayberry related phrases. Each phrase/image is on “cream” color background.

Rustic blocks are a fun way to add personality to any shelf or mantel; the perfect shelf sitter! High-quality home decor handcrafted and made to complement any room.

These wooden decor products are perfectly imperfect! Each piece is individually handmade in the U.S.A. making your sign a truly one-of-a-kind piece. Sizes vary depending upon your choice.

Mayberry Man Series – $13-$20

Small town Americana and modern life collide when movie star Chris Stone falls in love with Mayberry’s sweetheart. Meanwhile, Mayberry’s quirky citizens confront a nefarious plot to wipe their antiquated town off the map.

“Mayberry Man: The Series” is a spin-off of the Mayberry Man movie. In the movie, A-list movie star Chris Stone is forced to spend a week at Mayberry Fest, a small-town festival celebrating The Andy Griffith Show. Surrounded by Mayberry fans and salt of the earth locals, he learns the true value of friendship and family. The Series is a continuation of that story.

Mayberry Man is inspired by the classic 1960s television series The Andy Griffith Show starring Andy Griffith as Sheriff Andy Taylor, Ron Howard as Andy’s son Opie, and Don Knotts as Deputy Barney Fife. Since its premiere in 1960, it’s never been off the air in more than 60 years (8 seasons & continuous syndication). The show depicted a simpler time in America set in the fictional small town of Mayberry, North Carolina.

The series picks up about a year after the events of the Mayberry Man movie and continue the story in 5 episodes.

Mayberry Postmark Notecards – $10

Back in Stock!!

They aren’t NEW, but we’ve put them in the new section because they’ve been gone so long. “Pinkled Tink” to have them back. 

Mayberry Postmark Notecards
by Mike Johnson

Mike Johnson is an honorary native of North Carolina, his work is a reflection of his love and reverence for the rural south and The Andy Griffith Show.

With his Mayberry Postmarks notecard set, Mike has used scenes that are representative of the show, but not from the show, in an attempt to capture the Mayberry spirit in art.  He certainly accomplished exactly what he was attempting. 

Each set contains 10 notecards with each having a different pen & ink drawing that will spread the Mayberry spirit to those who receive them. Write your own note inside the card to complete that personal connection with family and friends.

Included: 10 cards, each with different Mayberry designs, & 10 envelopes

Mayberry Artwork – $12-$60

Weaver’s is proud to showcase a variety of Mayberry-related art items that are suitable for framing and otherwise great for hanging on your wall. Some are limited-edition and/or autographed items. Others are just hard to find. Still others are just plain neat. The image only shows some of the artwork so click on the image or link to see the full selection.

Mayberry Pewter Ornaments, Sun Catcher & Ceiling Fan Pull – $16-$20

Weaver’s has added new ornaments, a sun catcher and a ceiling fan pull so you can add to the Mayberry fun around your home. The ornaments work well hanging around your home even if it isn’t the Christmas season. Here at Weaver’s, we have a small “Mayberry tree” that’s up all year round and is filled with Mayberry related items and ornaments .

The sun catcher  features the TV father & son fans have loved for years. Andy & Opie are depicted  along with the word “Mayberry, North Carolina.” Hang in a window to bring a smile to your face whenever you take in the outdoors.

The ceiling fan pull features a representation of the Mayberry Sheriff badge that Andy wore. 

All of the pewter items are Lead free and hand cast. Made to be shiny but will gray naturally over time.

You can restore the shine when it fades by polishing with Brasso or any other metal polish that lists Pewter on the container.  You can also restore the shine by polishing with a super-sheen polishing cloth or jewelers cloth.

 

**** Mayberry Days is On the Way ****

Mayberry Days is a week-long celebration of “The Andy Griffith Show,” held in Mount Airy, North Carolina, from September 22nd to 29th, 2024.

The festivities begin on Sunday, September 22nd, with a matinee concert by The Bellamy Brothers at the Andy Griffith Playhouse.

Throughout the week, enjoy matinee comedy shows by John Floyd, screenings of “Murder in Coweta County” with insights from Producer Dick Atkins, and evening concerts at the Blackmon Amphitheatre.

From Thursday to Sunday, meet actors from the show, including Rodney Dillard (guitar playing Darling boy), Ronnie Schell ( Jim Martin /Bernie the furrier/Duke Slater (Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.)), Dennis Rush (Howie Pruitt), and Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul Jason). Participate in guided tours, live music, contests, and a parade.

Don’t miss special events like “The Emmett” golf tournament, Randy Turner’s presentations on Don Knotts and “The Andy Griffith Show,” Ronnie Schell’s comedy show, and Daniel Roebuck’s (Cliff Lewis on Matlock) “Cliff Notes” and “What it Was, Was Andy Griffith” presentations.

Enjoy Rodney Dillard’s bluegrass concert, Karen Knotts’s (Don Knotts’ daughter/Opie’s Receptionist “Return to Mayberry“) “Make America Funny Again” show, and various musical performances throughout the weekend.

Be sure to attend Professor Brower’s Lecture on Saturday afternoon and the unforgettable Col. Tim’s Talent Time variety show on Saturday evening.

Other special guests that have not been mentioned include first time visitor Peter Akerman (author & son of Elinor Donahue (Miss Ellie)), Bettina Linke
(widow of TAGS Producer Richard O. Linke), and Dreama Denver (widow of Bob Denver (Dud Wash)).

Also, please don’t forget the MANY Mayberry tribute artist you’ll see through out the weekend. These amazing people are the ones who help turn the town of Mt. Airy into Mayberry for the entire event. The tribute artist deserve your thanks because they attend Mayberry Days as fans of The Andy Griffith Show and choose to dress up, perform, take photos, and make us laugh & smile. I can’t thank them enough for the joy they provide!

I hope you’ll join us for this year’s Mayberry Days. Please note that the best place for all the latest Mayberry Days information is the website MayberryDays.com. Check the MayberryDays.com site for possible changes to schedules.

If you make it to Mt. Airy for the event, be SURE to pick up a FREE copy of Mayberry Confidential collectible newspaper that includes the complete Mayberry Days schedule as well as all the Surry Arts Council shows, concerts, programs and other events in the 2024-25 season. Printed copies are at locations throughout Mount Airy including the Andy Griffith Playhouse, Andy Griffith Museum, Historic Earle Theatre, and the Visitors Center downtown.

If you can’t make it, check the Mayberry Event Calendar for events in your area. You won’t want to miss the fun!

You might want to check out the Mayberry Days 2023 Visitor Reports about last years Mayberry Days to get a feel for what happens during the event.

****TAGSRWC Crossword (Answers)****

NOTE: TAGSRWC Crossword was originally published in The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club official newsletter, The Bullet (Vol 1 Issue 3) August 27, 1983. Contributed by Roger & Terry Beck. If you’d like to try your hand at solving the puzzle, STOP SCROLLING and head back to the July 2024 Weaver’s Newsletter and give it a shot. The solution to the July Weaver’s Newsletter is below. (There was an error in the July puzzle for 25 across having too many blocks for the answer. It has been corrected and the editor apologizes for the error.)

ANSWERS to the TAGSRWC Crossword from The Bullet Vol 1 Issue 3 (August 27, 1983) by Roger & Terry Beck

**** Miss Crump’s Mayberry Quiz ****

Over the years, Miss Crump’s Quiz was featured in the TAGSRWC official newsletter. As such, Weaver’s Newsletter wanted to revive the tradition of providing a little Mayberry trivia.

The Bullet Vol 1 Issue 2 (March 18, 1983) featured the very first Miss Crump’s Quiz and here is the question.

What is the name of Barney’s waitress friend at the Diner? (Too easy? Okay.) What was her last name? And where did she work before the Diner? (Maybe those will be a little tougher.)

We’ll give you the answer to these questions will be provided later in this issue of Weaver’s Newsletter. While you’re waiting, and to get read for the World Championship of Mayberry Trivia held each year during Mayberry Days, try your hand on answering the Mayberry Days Trivia 2023 Qualifying Round questions as presented on the Two Chairs No Waiting podcast back in October 2023.

Getting through the qualifying round earns you a spot in the Mayberry trivia finals. If you make it, you’ll be up against past Mayberry Days Trivia champs and other top qualifiers.

Good luck with the questions! If you nail more than 8, you should totally head to Mayberry Days and see if you can get on stage for the finals.

****News of Cast & Crew ****

Ron Howard (Opie) is celebrating the release of his latest directorial effort, “Eden.” The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2024. The film is a  survival thriller  based on a true story and follows three parties who flee post-World War I civilization to start again on the Galapagos Islands. It’s a big change of feel from his recent documentary called “Jim Henson Idea Man” now showing on Disney+ streaming service.

During the filming of “Eden” on location at the Galápagos Islands, Ron had to temporarily halt production to “transport” snakes off the set. To ensure the safety of the crew and cast, Howard hired animal experts to search for the reptiles occasionally. Ron said, “We had to deal with animals. We had snake wranglers. And hour before we shot, they came and started looking for the poisonous snakes. And they kept looking all day long and they found a lot of them. Sometimes we’d have to stop if they were too close, before they could catch them and very humanely transport them to a safe place.” I guess they could have hired Ernest T. Bass to help find them….or made just a boy with dirt under his fingernails.

Ron and his wife Cheryl were traveling in Iceland in August. He posted wonderful photos of their trip on his Instagram account (@realronhoward). I guess he wanted to travel somewhere with zero snakes to deal with.

Clint Howard (Leon) has been staying busy enjoying life following his character, Tom, on The Bold and the Beautiful being killed off after 13 episodes. He and his wife Kat have been traveling to locations like Tulum, Mexico and enjoying the sights. Clint has also been attending conventions like the 12th Annual Monroe Comic Con September 13-14, 2024. Follow Clint on Instagram (@clinthowardoffical) to keep up with all his activities.

Rodney Dillard (guitar playing Darling boy), Ronnie Schell (on two TAGS episodes and Duke Slater on “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.”) , Keith Thibodeaux (Johnny Paul Jason) and Dennis Rush (Howie Pruitt/Williams) will be attending Mayberry Days this year. Joining them for her first Mayberry Days experience is Margaret Teele who played Agnes Jean Parker in the episode A Visit to Barney Fife. (Information can be found at MayberryDays.com).

Margaret Kerry (Bess Muggins and Helen Scobey) has recovered from the fall and fractured hip she experienced earlier this year and attended D23 Expo in California. She was able to meet fans. After D23 she was spoiled at Disneyland visiting with Peter Pan, Captain Hook and others. She then did two other smaller shows in San Diego before heading home to Florida. She will be back in California for a Disneyana Fan Club event on October 5th and 6th. Check her website, TinkerBellTalks.com, for the details and information on additional appearances. Margaret celebrated her husband’s 99th birthday on August 28th. Her 95th birthday was in May. The couple had a lovely evening at a little wine bistro.

****Chapter News ****

Mayberry chapter (Knoxville, Tenn.) has continued their tradition of gathering together. This time they had a Lake Party and were no doubt able to find the lake by following a web-footed red-crested lake loon. Now, where would a web-footed red-crested lake loon be heading? Toward the lake! While at the lake, chapter member went on a 3 hour boat tour (wait…wrong series) on hosts Mike and Janet Jones’ pontoon boat named Gertrude. Luckily Earl Gilley did a great job with caulk used to patch up this version of Gertrude held up throughout the tour. They also saw Lost Lovers Leap where kids were jumping off the rocks into the water. Better them than us!

Howard Sprague is busy writing the garden column for the Mayberry Chapter’s paper newsletter The Mayberry Minutes while editor Dennis Beal is busy writing the rest of it. The plan is to have it printed in time for handing out at Mayberry Days to subscribers attending. That saves lots of postage and prevents it getting messed up in the mail. The newsletter will have articles about the Chapter trip to Los Angeles as well as the latest goin’s on in the Mayberry world. The Mayberry Minutes is available for $20 for two or three 16 page issues per year or $10 for a pdf version emailed to you. If you like your Mayberry news on paper, or as a pdf, Mayberry Minutes is a great option. For more info, contact Dennis at KingOfMayberry@comcast.net.

I (Allan) have to be honest in that I do not know every chapter name connected to people so here’s what I do know. Several fans/chapter members recently attended Baileyton Celebration in Baileyton, Tenn. This was a big event with several of our Mayberry tribute artist friends attending and entertaining the crowds. In photos of the event found on the Facebook page for Baileyton Celebration I spotted Barney (Terry & Tonya “Juanita” Varvel), Charlene (Christie McLendon & husband Mike), Goober (Tim Pettigrew), and Andy & Nurse Mary (James & Joy Dodson). We also spotted Don Good in attendance. They were joined by a tribute artist for Gomer (Anthony Roberts) that the tributes had never worked with before. Always good to see fans enjoying Mayberry fun.

Bullet Maintenance (Nashville, TN) chapter had it’s famous member guest on the Two Chairs No Waiting podcast episode 801 titled, “T. Graham Brown, Mayberry Fan.” That’s right, country music star T. Graham Brown spent about an hour talking Mayberry and his love of The Andy Griffith Show. I may be a bit biased but I think fans will enjoy watching the episode.

Weaver’s Newsletter would love to have your chapter reports for inclusion in future issues of the newsletter.

Send in your chapter reports (floyd@imayberry.com), show off your chapter’s Mayberry spirit and encourage others along the way. We would love to hear from you.

****Chapter Update ****

TAGSRWC has a new chapter! This is new chapters to add to the family. Here’s the latest:

Mayberrians for Emmett Clark

York Springs, Penn.

Our total number of chapters that have started since TAGSRWC was founded in 1979 is now 1,491.

Starting a chapter of TAGSRWC is still just as easy as it was four decades ago. You simply pick a name that hasn’t previously been selected by another group. (You can check the searchable list of chapter names already taken at www.iMayberry.com.) Then submit your chapter’s name with your location and a list of your founding members by e-mail to Goober@imayberry.com. That’s all it takes!

Whether or not you start or join a local chapter, you can always join our online “Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board?” chapter or any of several exclusively online chapters on Facebook (see Mayberry on the Web below).

**** Mayberry on the Web ****

The iMayberry Community

This TAGSRWC online group is organized and overseen by webmaster Allan “Floyd” Newsome with most of the actual work begin done by Keith “Col. Harvey” Brown of the Trivial Trivialities chapter (Pawleys Island, S.C.). You can check out the fun of this online community and sign up for free at: http://imayberrycommunity.com.

The iMayberry Community complements our other online activities, including our main www.imayberry.com page, podcasts, Facebook pages, online newsletters (such as The Weaver’s Newsletter), weaversdepartmentstore.com and chat rooms.

Mayberry Podcast

“Two  Chairs, No Waiting” is our weekly podcast of TAGS news, interviews and pretty much whatever’s happening in and around Mayberry. It’s hosted by Allan Newsome.

There’s a new episode every Tuesday (and you can watch and listen during live recording of the show on Monday evenings at 8pm ET @ live.twochairsnowaiting.com ). As of this week, there have been a mind-boggling  803 episodes since Allan launched the podcast over 15 years ago, in October 2008. Past episodes are in an online Archives in case you want to listen to or view the YouTube video installments you’ve missed. Surely you can find a few episodes you’d enjoy out of all those that are available. OH….they are all FREE!

Take some time to look around the main Mayberry Podcasts (https://iMayberry.com/podcaasts) website for various other links, including one for another outstanding Mayberry-related podcast: “Burke on Mayberry“ (hosted by TAGSRWC’s Kevin Burke since 2008). There are also links for the Mayberry Devotional hosted by Brian Rose and for the Mayberry Bible Study Podcast.

Facebook

TAGSRWC’s official page on Facebook  has over 251,000 Followers. You can find us at www.facebook.com/tagsrwc. If you haven’t already dropped by the page, we hope you’ll check it out sometime when you have the chance. We invite you to become a TAGSRWC Facebook Friend!

Two Chairs No Waiting podcast also has a Facebook page and group where you can follow along with the podcast and interact with fans.

We also have links in our “Liked by this Page” section to the pages (in the “About” section) of several TAGSRWC chapters on Facebook, as well as to Facebook pages for Mayberry Days,®  the Andy Griffith Museum, TAGS actors and others. Click “See All” to check out all the links.

Even Ben Weaver has his own Facebook page at www.facebook.com/weaversdepartmentstore. It features all the latest in Mayberry items and merchandise news. Weaver’s is also on X (Twitter) so follow Weaver’s there if you’re on X.

**** Miss Crump’s Mayberry Quiz Answers ****

We asked the questions above from the very first Miss Crump’s quiz from The Bullet Vol 1 Issue 2 (March 18, 1983) and promised to provide the answers in this issue. Originally, the answers were published in The Bullet Vol 1 Issue 3 (August 27, 1983) but I didn’t want to make you wait.

Here’s the answers, in three parts:

• What is the name of Barney’s waitress friend at the Diner?
  • Virtually everyone recalled Barney’s waitress friend was Juanita
• What was her last name?
  • When originally asked, only two people who responded got her last name, Beasley.
• And where did she work before the Diner?
  • Those two also knew that she worked at the Junction Cafe before she began working at the Bluebird Cafe in Mayberry.

Confirmation of all three of these answers to the questions can be found in the episode Andy Forecloses (S1.E28). If you enjoy the trivia, please give us some feedback and let us know to keep it coming.

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**** Post Note ****

Weaver’s Newsletter is finished for this issue but there’s always more Mayberry fun to come. Thank you to those that sent chapter and event news as well as updates.

A very BIG thank you to those who have shopped with us at WeaversDepartmentStore.com. Your support by shopping at Weaver’s means so much to Jan and to me (Allan). We hope you enjoy browsing around our online store and find things there that make you smile. We also hope you get joy from reading the Newsletter.

Between issues of the Weaver’s Newsletter, you can keep up with all that’s going on in and around Mayberry by being part of the daily Who’s Been Messin’ Up the Bulletin Board? (aka “WBMUTBB?”) Digest. It’s free and you can sign up for that list by going to WBMUTBB.com and choosing the “Join/Subscribe/Unsubscribe” link.

Check out the WBMUTBB Facebook Group with links to more WBMUTBB chapter fun. The Facebook group is private and administered by me (Allan) so I hope that makes you feel better about joining in on the fun. It’s made up of TAGS fans only and I do my best to make sure things are fun for all…both on the WBMUTBB Digest emails and the WBMUTBB Facebook group.

The next issue of our Weaver’s Newsletter will be published in November so make sure you’re subscribed to the newsletter so you don’t miss an issue.

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