Oranjemund characters

[Vincent Trethewey]

Hi Pollard was also running the farm at Beauvelon and if I remember his wife was a teacher at the school

Regards Vincent Trethewey

[Peet]

Hey... My wife is working for SA metal and last year the director of SA metal was called in because of machines they discovered at the 3plant jetty... She has photo of the machines. I will ask her to give me the pictures they took... MAYBE THEY DISCOVERED THE GHOST TRAIN...

[Michael Alexander]

Hi Peet,

I think Andrew posted that photo already of the line of Bowlscrappers next to the 3plant Jetty, The Ghost train was further South down to where the old Tank Farm use to be.

[henniek]

A short but true story . one day Barney the recovery forman asked me for a lift back to town . Because his usual lift with Fred and the sorthouse girls in the VW combi was delayed , the Sorthouse staff  had to work overtime . One of Barney’s tasks was to clean the sorting machines . And  blow the last traces of dust out with compressed air . When we arrived at his house, he invited me in for a cup of coffee. Barney was a chain smoker  .  Lucky strike plain . and soon there was quite a number of cigaret  butts in the ashtray
While drinking coffee , making small talk , Barney fumbled with his trousers turnups. Feeling something – he took out a shiny stone , about 2 matchheads size.
Not a big deal. . he said . “  I will just take it back tomorrow and throw it back in the sorthouse bin.
Months later I asked him if he took the stone back. “no hell man , I forgot all about it – but it was no use going back later that day  . The domestic  already cleaned all the ashtrays & dustbins  , and the refuge was collected by then  , and taken away to the down’s dump .” he said
..Till today I still wonder . did the domestic find the stone , or is it on the towns dump 

[Malcolm Bertoni]

Barney was the foreman at 66M while I was there. He went to the recovery at 4 plant when 66M closed down.

Smoked like a chimney and his fingers were stained with nicotine.

He was a good bloke though.  Anyone know what happened to him?

Malcolm

[henniek]

Barney retired - baught himself a house in Parys , Freestate RSA . Learned from Robert du Preez that Barney passed away n number of years ago

[henniek]

Barney & x ray sorter

[Adriaan Van Rooyen]

Mike ,i think Peet is scared the ghost train is coming for him.......

[henniek]

About John Cundill , the scrip writer of many plays  , I always meant to mention that the TV series " The Villagers " that was  screened on TV was filmed on site at Simmer & Jack Mine in Germiston. One of the houses use most was the dwelling of Mr Joe Chaimberlyn  Germiston

[Clive Gilmour]

Stunned by Sandy's acute memory. I had totally forgotten Blithe Spirit which, I think, was written by Noel Coward. It was a hilarious comedy, very professionally done by the Players. Pops Lovett, if my recall serves me well, played the part of Madame Acarti, the medium who calls up the ghost of the main character's first wife. She was a superb actor. In later years she shone even more in her backstage work where she and Joyce Hammond ran the costumes department, producing the most superbly designed costumes for all kinds of plays and musicals.

Hi just noticed this...Madam Acarti was played by my mom Marge Gilmour I was the doctor and Daphne  Holland my wife. Cheers Clive Gilmour

[Michael Alexander]

Hi Clive, glad to see someone still reads through all this amazing history!

Was Daphne Holland family of Terry Holland, who currently still resides in Oranjemund?