Sandy and Peter Neilly, owners of the Wayback Times, check their mail daily for feedback from readers and advertisers.
 
They welcome bouquets - or barbs, feedback about content, questions about antiques and collectibles, suggestions etc.
 
When sending a letter by post, fax or e-mail, please include your full name, home town and a telephone number (for verification use only.)
 
When responding to a particular article, please note the heading and the issue, i.e. "Re Editorial, September/October."
 
Selected letters from the print edition will be posted on this web site and we will include contact e-mail addresses if provided.
 
Keep in touch
 
 
Letters to the Editor
Readers' feedback
 
Re a 2013 Deseronto departure
Dear Wayback Times;
As the old adage goes, all good things must come to an end. After a decade at the Great Deseronto Antique Emporium, Margaret Steenburgh is moving on to new challenges. We are fortunate to have known Margaret and her husband Bart for many years and to have worked with her as the staff at Deseronto. As her associates and as friends, we feel compelled to offer the following brief testimony. Given her over 25 years in the antique business, Margaret brought a very impressive and thorough knowledge to her daily work and she was always willing to share her expertise with others in her calm, consistent, thoughtful and unassuming manner. Whether dealing with staff, buyers or sellers, she displayed integrity each and every day. Margaret treated people well; she gave loyalty and inspired it in return. In antique circles Margaret demonstrates that business success and kindness are not mutually exclusive. We appreciate that others share our respect for Margaret and that her many friends and colleagues across the province join us in expressing every best wish for the next chapter of her career. Thanks for the great memories Marg – make many more!
 
Carol, John and Dale
Deseronto, ON
 
 
Re kudos to Wayback Times & staff
Dear Wayback Times,
Since 2006, the Wayback Times has continued to publish an antiques and collectibles newspaper worthy of founder Jay Telfer and the thousands of antiques and collectibles buyers and sellers everywhere. Your staff go out of their way to promote advertisers, dealers and friends, like no others in the industry. They are sincere. They are dedicated. They are committed to excellence. They are wonderful, caring individuals. They also have talented contributing writers. Your paper is a JOY to thousands each and every issue. We are proud to be a part of your bi-monthly Antique Lover's Guide since it began in 1995 and wanted to express our sincere appreciation for all you do - and all of us you so gallantly represent.

Henry and Jackie Jones
Roadshow's 400 Antiques Mall
Roadshow Antiques Pickering
 
 
Re Ontario cemeteries
July/August 2010
I couldn't help but smile when reading the (Cosway's Corner article) on burials in Ontario. It took me back to the very early 60s when, as a new bride from Toronto, I was introduced to my new sister and brother-in-law in Hastings. My brother-in-law (Morgan Hazelwood) was the official cemetery caretaker. When I inquired as to the people buried there, my sister-in-law (Marian) cleared the kitchen table and flipped over the oil cloth cover. There, on the back of their tablecloth, was the official record of where everyone was buried! The drawings and directional indicators were neatly written and understood easily by them. But I was a Toronto girl and small town record keeping seemed strange to me. My husband and I have retired early to Brighton in 1991, but I've never forgotten that experience. I am happy to report that Morgan, at 79 years old, battling cancer, still keeps the cemetery looking pristine, but the records have probably moved to a file somewhere in the Town. I've never asked.

Isabelle Grieves
Brighton, ON
 
 
Re Ted Hogan article
January/February 2010
Quite by accident, I came across the Wayback Times article that was published on Ted Hogan. I thought I should add the little extra info that was not published. In the early 60s, I owned Al's BP, a service station on Yonge St north of Davisville, and I raced MGs and Austin Healeys. I knew Ted from the "X" and asked him if he would like to drive one of my cars in the first Canadian Grand Prix at Goderich Ont. Bob Harrop, another "X" driver and a friend of Ted, would drive the other car. We agreed that the exposure would benefit us both. Another driver from the States, who everyone knows, Rodger Pensk, was there and won the overall. Ted and I were interviewed by the press, however both cars developed gearbox problems and were placed in the DNF category. I am not sure that even his family knew of Teds deviation from stocks to sportscars.

Al Taylor
Brighton
 

Re Kudos for Issue 85
November/December 2009

Dear Sandy,
When we first met Jay (Telfer) at the Markham Lions Antique show that ran for over 40 years, he was just getting the paper started. We always have had lots of furniture and the Wayback Times always ended up on it and there was never any left at the end of the shows. This last issue of yours is the best one ever. Your editorial and all your feature writers were great. As I am now older, my daughter Michelle now does the shows.
 
Yours truly,
William Riordan
 
 
Re Wayback advertising
is the only way to go
 
Dear Sandy,
We are getting such a massive response from our ads in the Wayback Times that we felt we should share this with you. Customers coming into our mall from all over Ontario are notifying us that they discovered us by seeing our advertisement in the Wayback Times. We have been advertising in the Wayback Times since 1996. We have tried many other papers and forms of advertising and feel this is where it is always most effective. Sandy, you have done such a great job with the designing and layout of our ad. Keep up the great work and Peter, thank you for delivering all those bundles of paper.
 
Claudette and Ted Thom
Gabrielle Antiques Multi-Vendor Mall
Bowmanville, ON
 
 
Re Historic jails
Sept/Oct 2008
Dear Sandy, I just read your Issue 78 from cover to cover and loved the newspaper. I am not a great collector of antiques, but I do like to visit the stores. Most interesting was the article on Ontario's county jails by John Cosway. It was excellent! I have since gone online to research some of the jails further, which makes for fascinating and kind of creepy reading. I know you/John couldn't include all jails in Ontario but I think he was remiss in not checking out Cobourg's Jail (http://www.cobourgjail.com). This is one haunted jail and one that also has accommodations available made up from the jail cells with the actual washrooms and the showers of the prisoners being included in the rooms. Nonetheless, it was a great edition and a great article. My husband and I are planning a "jail weekend" and hope to visit several of the jails mentioned in the article. Thank you for a great newspaper.
.
Kathy Bazley
Baltimore, Ontario
 
 
Re Camp Picton
July/August 2008
Enjoyed your little blurb about Camp Picton, one of my favorite military places.Other neat military places to visit in Ontario are: The RCAF Bomarc nuclear surface-to-air missile site north of North Bay on Highway 11, closed in 1972; the old Cold War radar station at Foymount, closed in 1974 (and which is mostly intact); the old Radar and Communications School at Canadian Forces Base Clinton, south-east of Goderich (now called the town of Vanastra), closed in 1971. In terms of military properties, we had a helluva lot more in this province.

Paul Ozorak
Ottawa
(Author of: Abandoned Military Installations of Canada, Volume 1: Ontario)
 
 
Re All Things Maud
May/June 2008
I was loaned a copy of the Wayback Times and noticed your article in the May/June issue on L.M. Montgomery and "all things Maud" in Ontario this year. Thank you so much for compiling them. We hope to have a great time in Norval through the year (many events aren't even published yet) as we continue to highlight the work that the author did in the communities and in her literary career. I've seen your article online as well, and sent the link out to the Kindred Spirit society from the University of PEI, so it's now winged its way around the world to like-minded individuals.
 
Deb Quaile
Norval, ON
 
 
Re a new subscriber
My husband and I went to Port Hope a couple of weeks ago and browsed through the many antiques stores there. We picked up your (paper) and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it. We would like to subscribe to it. I have sent payment for a subscription. Thank you.
 
Cathie H.
Fraserville, ON
 
 
Re Cosway's Corner
Niagara Falls daredevils
I have enjoyed reading the most recent issue of the Wayback Times (January/February, 2008) and your article on page 8 regarding the Niagara Falls daredevils was of particular interest. I am sure, however, that the photo identified in the article as Jean Francois Gravelet - "The Great Blondin" is in fact William Leonard Hunt - "The Great Farini." The same photo appears among those listed in Shane Peacock's book "The Great Farini - The High-Wire Life of William Hunt" (Toronto:Penguin Books, 1995). You mention that Hunt was an artist, and I have one of his oil paintings, a rather sombre landscape. One of Farini's contemporary artists, F.M. Bell Smith, is quoted in Peacock's book as offering the following opinion to Farini: "Friend, you don't know how good some of your pictures are and how bad others are" (p.396). In truth, I have one of the latter! Thanks for the article. I look forward to future issues. Regards.
 
John F. Bird
St. Catharines, ON
 
 
 
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Re our Book Reviews
and other Wayback stuff
Hi there and thank you for publishing a great little newspaper. I would also like to comment on your Wayback Times book review section, which we find very informative and a great addition to your publication. As I collect old radios and see that most publications in this category are for U.S radios, I would like to suggest a review of a book called Radios of Canada by Lloyd Swackhammer from Alma Ontario. Lloyd has collected radios for years and has, like all other collectors, been frustrated by the lack of information on Canadian-built radios, so he decided to do his own research, along with radio club members. The book is on Canadian radios and their sources and history. We find your publication is the very best source for the avid collector or the occasional antique shopper. As you keep adding interesting and informative articles as Out to Lunch, Wayback Wheels and Ask the Old Guy, it truly enhances the publication and will increase the circulation, for sure. Thanks again for all your hard work and efforts that make it happen.

R.L Bob Long
aka "Bob's good junk"
 
 
Re Wayback Times
advertising response
Just a note to say 'thanks' for all of your help in putting our ads together these past months. The response has been great. We even got a call from Ottawa on one of the items featured in our last ad. Being new in the business, we tested the waters with all sorts of ads in the different media. By far, your publication has been tops. Last week, a customer dropped by to say thanks for putting the Wayback Times with her order. She had been looking for a few plates to complete her set - saw the ad for Old China Patterns, called them and found what she was looking for. I can't count how many times we refer people to Mantle Lamp Supply Co. when customers are looking for parts for old lamps. Your featured columns are a great resource centre for us as well. All in all - thanks again.
 
Darlene and Brian MacDonald
Period Pieces, Norwood, Ont.
 
 
Re online Wayback Times
web site articles
I am an antiques and collectible dealer and would like to thank you for providing this site free online. I have soooo many books already and I am constantly buying more, but I do believe it is virtually impossible to cover every aspect of the antique collecting field with just books (unless you have unlimited funds, space and time, that is.) I really appreciate others who are willing to share their knowledge. After reading many of the articles on your site, I have added a shortcut for your site right on my desktop so that I will remember to check it periodically for new articles.
 
Thanks again
Victoria Kritikson
 
 
Re Wayback Wheels
January/February 2007
Thank you very much Aaron Neilly for your extremely informative article about the Studebaker Avanti.You have certainly given me more information about a car I saw 32 years ago in Listowel, Ontario, than I ever could have imagined. My sister and I were looking for a "good, affordable used car" that our father would approve of. The Avanti was not this car, but all three of us were drooling over it. Even though the car was 10 to 12 years old in 1975 when we were looking at it, it was far ahead of anything available at the time.The overhead switches/console looked like an airplane cockpit. The actual dash looked sort of like a Corvette Stingray our neighbour had. This car is so rare that I was surprised to see one, owned by a man from Belleville, at a car show in Marmora during their fall fair a couple of years ago. My enthusiasm for this car is not truly shared by my husband, but he was persuaded to go to this show as there were also muscle cars there from the fifties and sixties. We enjoy your paper.
 
Carol Armstrong
Belleville
 
 
Re Matthew and Scott Russell
November/December Editorial
Thank you, thank you, thank you. To our many dealer friends and customers, we offer our deepest gratitude for your kind words, generosity, gestures of friendship and whispered prayers in support of our sons, Cpl. Matthew Russell and Sgt. Scott Russell, and all of our troops in Afghanistan. Through your acts of kindness, donations and sincere concern for all of us, these men and women feel the support and care they need and deserve. Blessings upon all of you.
 
With much Gratitude,
Frank & Mary Russell
Peterborough
 
 
Re Roy Bassett medals research
Nov/Dec 2006 column
Mr. Bassett, thank you so much for your research. My husband, his grandfather's namesake, just received his grandfather's medals. They came to him because they were the only two men in the family that fought in combat. WWI, and Viet Nam. With your invaluable help, I have identified three of the five (medals).
 
Donna Kahren
 
Medals 2
I read your article in the November-December issue of the Wayback Times. It was well written and very informative. I was not aware that the War Medal was also issued in bronze. Now, I'll have to keep shopping for one. I have been looking for a Victory medal with a Mentioned in Dispatches oak leaf. If you know of one for sale, I would appreciate it if you would let me know. Living in Prince Edward County, I don't get to go to military and collectors' shows as I did when living in Toronto. I will keep watching for your articles and maybe I'll learn some more about medals and their history. Best regards.

Brian McLaughlin
Wellington, ON
 
 
Re Wayback Times
And Editor Sandy
As an antique dealer and collector, I have always looked forward to new issues of the Wayback Times. Recent changes have boosted my interest and curiosity. Sandy Neilly, with family support, has undertaken this new endeavor with enthusiasm and insight. Congratulations on continuing to publish a quality antique newspaper. Advertisements provide opportunities for treasure hunts; articles are always interesting and informative and Jay's Blog keeps us chuckling about his trials and tribulations. Let me know when Peter is Out to Lunch again, and who is The Old Guy? This Is Livin' - take a bow.
 
Terry Ronkko
T&B Antiques, Toronto
 
 
Re Drive-In Theatres
September/October 2006
My wife and I were in St. Jacob's recently and picked up a copy of the Wayback Times. I read the entire paper while drinking my coffee this morning and was especially intrigued by the article, A Tribute to The Drive-In, by John Cosway. I have never seen a history of this great American and Canadian icon anywhere before and I was filled with nostalgia. Not intending to be critical, I would like to make a clarification to one area of this wonderful piece. Toward the end of the article, a mention was made of the first drive-in in Canada, the Skyway in Stoney Creek, Ontario. Mr. Cosway (said) the Skyway closed in 1970.The Skyway actually ran its last show on the Dusk to Dawn Thanksgiving weekend in October 1975. I can't remember the movies or exact date, but I was there for the entire show. At the time, I was assistant manager of the Tivoli theatre in Hamilton, and was part-time relief manager one day a week at the Skyway. I decided to attend the last show as I knew the closing would be the end of an era in the Hamilton area. I stayed with the theatre business for another decade, moving up in the managerial field, until video and television started to change the landscape of the movie theater business forever. As an added piece of trivia, the Skyway Drive-In was owned continuously from 1946 till its close by Famous Players. Thank you again Mr. Cosway for a wonderful article that not only took me back to my youth, but (is) an important piece of North American entertainment history.

Brock King
Thorold, Ontario
 
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