TV & VIDEO - May 16, 1989

When about 350 members of the Andy Griffith Show Appreciation Society got together over the weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., for their annual convention, they took a trip 35 miles up the road to Mt. Airy, said to be the inspiration for some of the spots in the show’s fictional town of Mayberry. What they noticed right off were some differences. Aunt Bea’s eatery and Floyd’s Barbershop had different names, but they did find a Snappy Grill on Main Street. Differences or not, one member, Linda Stewart of Dallas, said of the visit: “I can die happy now. Mostly I can relate to the life style, because we sit on the porch at home and rock, go to church, even eat the same kind of foods. I can’t relate to shows today because we don’t have cocktails every five minutes.” Stewart, 47, has watched and videotaped all 200-plus episodes of the show that aired on CBS 1960-68.