My Childhood
Our Johannesburg Home
My mother had long wanted to return to her own family in Johannesburg and was now able to do that after the second world war. During this time, Johannesburg grew from a 1880's mining camp into a prosperous commercial centre. Our home pictured here was located about 2km from the Alexandra Township as brilliantly featured in the movie "Power of One". The highveld climate was good for the summer (8 months), but winter offered up cold nights with howling south winds. Most heating in my youth was sparse with open coal and wood fireplaces. The fowl smog from these coal fires was one of the reasons that I suffered with bad asthma in my youth. Immigration to Victoria, BC, Canada as an adult with its clean Pacific air has been a dream!
My father became a “ham” radio fanatic and soon the back garden of our home was festooned with high aerials to enable his hobby.
My father became a “ham” radio fanatic and soon the back garden of our home was festooned with high aerials to enable his hobby.
Flying with my Father
Life with my father was never dull, and at the age of 40 he became a private pilot. He got his training at a local flying school and on reaching his 40 hours solo; he was looking for someone to accompany him in one of the club planes on a journey. These club planes were ancient Taylor Craft trainers (canvas over plywood) with none of the modern navigation aids, never mind a radio. All that was required was that father had filed a flight plan and pay the rental to the club. So, after suggesting that I might like to visit a teenage “boyfriend” some 200 miles away, we took off from Grand Central Airport, Johannesburg one stormy February afternoon to Welkom. I was the navigator but after getting over the Johannesburg mine dumps, I gave father back the map and was looking for a “sickbag”!
My sister and I were educated at St Mary’s School, Waverley Johannesburg. Our home did not place much emphasis on academics and we were indulged with many summer holidays at the seaside and winter holidays in Rhodesia. My father really loved Rhodesia, and he planned many of our teenage holidays there visiting places that he knew from a boy and had visited there in his work and army days. It was on a winter holiday that at the age of 17, I learned to drive and took my driving test in Fort Victoria. I felt like “hot-stuff” having my driving license earlier than my classmates. There have been many occasions however, that I wish that my home had placed more emphasis on education. I matriculated from St Mary’s with a second class JMB matriculation in 1959.
Aero Club of South Africa
During the early 60’s my father was a keen member of the Club at Grand Central Airport. He was also a member of the Aero Club of South Africa and in 1962 designed this trophy to be awarded to the winner of the South African Governor General’s Air (now President’s ) Race each year.
Visiting Nyasaland
Monkey Bay as seen from the Monkey Bay Hotel
One of my favorite memories is a holiday to Nyasaland (now Malawi) in 1958 on the nearly new m.v. “Ilala” which did a week long journey from Monkey Bay to the shores of Tanganyika returning to Monkey Bay. This ship had been built on the Clyde, Scotland and transported in packing cases to Monkey Bay and reassembled there.
Ilala Kitchen and Monkey Bay Hotel Servers
The ship was staffed by many Scots including the Captain Jamie Findlay. It was truly a trip of a lifetime with excellent seated meals provided three times a day in the first class dining room. Drinks and refreshments were provided by the staff of the Monkey Bay Hotel at convenient times of the day on the covered boat deck behind the bridge. Amazingly livestock was purchased along the way to be prepared in the kitchen for our meals.
Frequently, when ship’s personnel left the anchored ship to trade for provisions or take on freight, we passengers were offered a ride in the life boat if there was room. We also boarded some new passengers along the way.There was a side trip was to Likoma Island to view the amazing cathedral built in the early 1900’s. It is the oldest cathedral in Central Africa.
We enjoyed the sunset over Likomo Island, and crossed Nkata Bay. This photo below is of an illustrious village Chief who was piped aboard in the morning sunlight. The Captain instructed the stewards to serve him tea in a deck chair on the boat deck.
We enjoyed the sunset over Likomo Island, and crossed Nkata Bay. This photo below is of an illustrious village Chief who was piped aboard in the morning sunlight. The Captain instructed the stewards to serve him tea in a deck chair on the boat deck.
This above picture was taken on a side trip. The First Officer of the mv "Ilala" steering the landing boat to shore. I so wish that I could recall this young man's name. The Livingstone mountains are in the background.
Visiting Rhodesia (Zimbabwe)
Zimbabwe Ruins 1958
While visiting the Zimbabwe Ruins, we stayed at
the Glenlivet Hotel. This was one of those most delightful places where time
stood still and is a joy to remember. Rhodesian Bush Hotels were often just one
of a kind with extraordinary characters to meet and this was one of those
places. Sadly, I do not have a photograph. It was owned by Mr and Mrs “Jock”
Marr. “Jock” ran the bar and his Prussian wife took care of the kitchen and
room staff. She ran that side of the hotel with a military precision lining up
the room staff for her inspection of the rooms after they had been cleaned each
day! The meals she served were nothing
short of remarkable. Sadly, after 1960 the dirt access road to this hotel was
flooded by the waters of Lake Kyle.
Belgian Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) & Basutoland (Lesotho)
As a teenager, I
went on several holidays on my own. History and learning to speak and write
French were my interests. Growing-up in this era in South Africa, we were
compelled to be bilingual in English and Afrikaans. However, French interested
me and I took three trips on my own to further this interest.
The first School term holiday was to spend two weeks with a young family at Jadotville, Katanga, Belgian Congo. This family lived on a Copper Mine owned by the Union Miniere de Haut Katanga. It was a very dry but interesting place with alluvial copper and cobalt plainly visable when one walked around in the veldt.
My next trips were to the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society mission at Leribe, Basutoland. I had two fascinating weeks here with lots new to explore in the surrounding area with the children of the house.
At the end of my visit, I used my Brownie Box Camera to take this photo of the Mission family.
The first School term holiday was to spend two weeks with a young family at Jadotville, Katanga, Belgian Congo. This family lived on a Copper Mine owned by the Union Miniere de Haut Katanga. It was a very dry but interesting place with alluvial copper and cobalt plainly visable when one walked around in the veldt.
My next trips were to the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society mission at Leribe, Basutoland. I had two fascinating weeks here with lots new to explore in the surrounding area with the children of the house.
At the end of my visit, I used my Brownie Box Camera to take this photo of the Mission family.
Plettenburg Bay, South Africa
This tourist village was named for the Dutch Governor Joachim van Plettenberg, who visited there in 1778.
A Norwegian whaling station operated there until 1913. My, “whale blubber” cooking pot picture dates from this time.
The hotel in my pictures was built in 1940 and at the time I stayed there in 1958/9, it was owned by South African Breweries.
A Norwegian whaling station operated there until 1913. My, “whale blubber” cooking pot picture dates from this time.
The hotel in my pictures was built in 1940 and at the time I stayed there in 1958/9, it was owned by South African Breweries.
Pietersburg, South Africa
This charming photo of my parents was taken in front of an anthill in northern South Africa near Pietersburg.