When you think of Oranjemund, is there a specific place that you think of? A spot that for whatever reason brings a smile to your face and fills your head with souvenirs? Mine would be the sand road just behind our first house (34-3rd). Had loads of fun there as a kid and that's also where I taught my sister how to ride a bike for the first time.
@ Patricia, for some strange reason, I remember you guys living there, don't ask me why..... I used to play with Sean Emery, he also lived up at that end of the world..... then you guys moved to the house on the east side of town next to the desert, with the high fence.....
I reckon my spot would have to be the 1st ave bush's with the dumps behind.... great place to be a young kid.... who needs disney world!
Mike, have you ever considered working with Interpol ... you remember everyone and everything (well I hope not everything ...). I remember Sean. He was quite a trouble maker! As for the high fence (E42-11th), yes, my dad had it done because he wanted his privacy ... had to hide his women from the rest of the world!
Difficult to choose just one. Movie house, Cora's cafe, foofie slide, den at abbatoir.
The Tree Wing in 1st Ave Bushes.
Going into the Desert up past 16th Ave.
Tree wing? I spent a lot of time in these bushes. Lived in third. what do you mean?
My favourite spot was the first avenue trees .. in places dense and shady , my own personal forest .. the irrigation trenches running through the center , in a few places there were mini dams ,, my mini lake .. we would throw stones into these eventually the bottom was covered ,, my dog scampy he would dive for a stone if I threw it in .. did not matter what he brought up as long as it was a stone , then he was happy .. a dog that would dive ?/ yes he did , must have been the spaniel in him .. everything else that went with the trees , the climbing , the tree dens the underground dens etc etc .. and then of course the dumps ... explorers and gatherers paradise ...
Yes SandyB. The dens were fantastic.
if I see rightb in google, the trees are just a thin stripe. In the 70s they were so thick you could never look through them. There were 2 paths leading along the length. In the middle the bushes were so thick, you would find many "natural" dens there. Great hiding places. I think that's where I had my first smoke ever. haha
Who remembers the fitness track in the 1st avenue bushes?
Mine would be the 8th Ave park (Tank Park) as all the kids from the neighbourhood would come and play games
in the afternoons.. as well as the tree break at the end of 8th Ave (would flood the whole area and swim) Big gangs and all (ha, ha what a great/carefree natural childhood we all had)
sorry - that should have been tree Swing
1st Ave trees - that you all have mentioned already.
The cricket field - I just loved running there. Sometimes ran for hours when those big water cannons were on and the spray would cool me down - seemed then that I had endless sources of energy to keep going like that.
The lagoon part of the river near the mouth. We spent so many good times there. Swimming, canoeing, walking, tanning (with brake fluid - who the hell ever thought that was a good idea - hell you nearly got coocked!).
The tennis courts - not just for playing tennis - it was the best place to go rollerscating. In those days we didn't have rollerblades - you had those funny rollerscates that fastened onto your shoes with straps, 4 wheels like that of a car and they nearly weighed that much too! You did'nt carry your scates to the tennis courts. No, you scated from where ever your house was on that tar roads all the way to the courts - sometimes nearly lost some teeth on the way there due to the small loose gravel on the tar that caused a sudden unplanned wheel-lock-brake action.
@Patricia That was a cool place and was know as the Trim Park.... novelty that lasted for about 2 years....
THE BEACH the reasons changed as I got older.
U took up surfing?
bighug
:sorriso2:
for me definitely the Youth Club and Cora's cafe. And been driven around by Erwin in his combi, flat on my back in the back with Nita up front eating cadbury flake, smoking Peter Stuyvesant and "great balls of fire blaring from 6 speakers!!!! Remember that Erwin?
wait for it... wait for it... jnr... there's your cue! Go boy! laughpoint
THE RIDING CLUB
I use to spend many happy and content hours there. It was somewhere I felt totally at peace. We often use to ride the horses bareback down to the river for a swim. (horse and rider) On other occasions we would ride up the mountain to Shepards Neck or just hang out on the grass.....
The Riding Club, we used to hike down after school and get a lift back, Who remembers the radio stories I remember every sunday evening "Squad cars" and many more
Alfred
Squad Cars was every boys favorite. The whole family used to listen to Tracy Dark. Remember her Alfred?
My best was 'Consider your verdict'. But there was also Nacy Drew and the Hardy boys
Quote from: georg ruf jr. on April 13, 2008, 06:20:51 AM
Squad Cars was every boys favorite. The whole family used to listen to Tracy Dark. Remember her Alfred?
I must be crazy I still remember those stories as if they happend yesterday in detail I used to lie on my bed with the radio and actualy chase those crooks arround as if it where a story on the tv (don't tell my wife I'm always forgetting her b/day)
swink :emot19:
Talking about men remembering birthdays - here's a good one: a couple of years ago we were at N1 City and Mike took the girls off to the amusement area for some fun whilst I went shopping. Whilst the girls were on some or other ride a woman tried to make conversation with Mike by asking him how old his girls were. I can't remember their exact ages but his reply was something like Shannon is 5 and Cameron is 2 - only to have Shannon shout back at him - Daddy, Cameron isn't 2 she is 3!
:36_2_35:
The Riding Club is doing well these days and once a month they hold the Horseshoe Coffee Shoppe. They offer pony and tractor rides for the children whilst the parents can sit back and enjoy a light lunch. My mom and I took the girls and their friend on Saturday and it was great. On offer was a choice of Moroccan beef or Feta and Spinach quiche, Butternut Cheesecake or Savoury Mince pancakes, with a number of cakes also available.
It was so nice to be able to sit back and relax and know the girls were also all having fun - the only time I saw them was when they needed more money!
The Riding Club has also started a birthday club whereby you pay N$30 per child for the year and when it is their birthday they get a voucher which qualifies them for a piece of cake, a pony ride and then a photo of them on or with the horse. You have to admire the members for trying to keep the club going!
Somehow I feel you're already missing each other before you've even left for CT Michele.
giverose
Michele, please tell the members and management of the riding club that I congratulate them on their super idea. One of the best plans ever (keep the children physically active and away from the TV, but still entertain them in such a way to keep their interest and meanwhile you advertise your club this way and it is a way to increase the funds of the club without the normal "beggars" lists) for a club!
I will pass on your message to Kelly van der Merwe - she is still very involved with the riding club.
Another positive for me is the fact that they don't need to involve alcohol to attract the parents, unlike so many of the other clubs in town. (except for the bowling club of course, hey Sheena!)
No Alcohol... no wonder I don't go down there...... :emot182:
Hi Michele :-)
That really sounds wonderful. Kelly van der Merwe, is that perhaps nee Reid?
If the kids of today even have half the fun we had down at the stables then I think they are having the time of their lives. I am sure many things have changed down at the riding club but just thinking about it brings a huge smile to my face...
They will ban Mike from the riding club -
I know he will feed beer to the horses and Michele knows it too, that's why she does'nt take him with when she goes there with the kids. laughpoint
Hi Dunja, yes it is Kellie Reid - one of the few old O'munders still here - old as in been here a long time not age!
Shhh Dalene - you shouldn't be giving my secrets away! I normally have to give him the excuse that it is ladies lunch out!
:emot182:
Definately the Library!!! And the Desert Inn and the Shop..... :emot26:
The Cinema and The Little Theatre.
The sand dunes win it for me every time..........the bestest place in the whole world.
Those wooden cubicles at the beach - I can still get the smell of the wood, the sand, the salt .....
Oh Bertie - what a memory.....I too loved the braai shelters and the sea breeze - absolute heaven
While we're there - the sea sand.... every little grain was a gemstone if you looked closely. I still have a little bottle with that dark sand. Combination of tiny red, black and white "gems".
And then, still there.... we used to dig out "see luise" to use as bait for fishing. We would look for little mounds not too far from the water, and start digging about 30 cm deep. They were grey, with two cute little black dots for eyes, and would roll themselves into balls when dug out. Never seen that creepy crawleys anywhere else again.
The dark stuff, is garnets....little ones......
I know the Garnets as red stone.....
But many gemstones appear in different coulours
i.e. The Saphires or Turmalines and many others
I also found Garnets near Spitzkoppe....very tiny
The little black ones are attracted by magnets, played around with it quite often.
@ Bertie
That could be Magnetite it is often found in Jasper
1: Cora's cafe
2: Camera Club
3: Beach
All these places I have never heard of sound sooo interesting!!!
My favorite place is definitely the Guaregat or in English the Sand quarie
Shannon discodance
One of them was the " german bunker " I posted it on the reunion pics asked for answers .. so far nothing forthcoming ... but yes the crystal quarry at the entrance to town was a place of many an adventure ... here pics again .. its now been uncovered and exposed ... please somebody tell me exactly what it was ?? Mike you got some research to do .....
After my memory was jogged by another thread on this site, I am revising my list:
1: Cora's cafe
2: Camera Club
3: Affenrucken
@Sandy, we may be 12 years apart, but that Sir! Is indeed the German Bunker.....
Sigh! To Be A Kid.... Again................
Was it really a bunker ?? or what ... ??
No! No! Sandy...It was the mother of all bunkers.....
When you come home in April, you and I will head over to the said bunker, with a bottle of Jagermeister.... and a taost will be made.... to The joys of youth, imagination and to the buggers that built that bunker for us............
cheers
Will you be bringing Little Britches with you for that toast..... baby
also Cora's Cafe, the swimming pool....the change rooms had a very "special" smell. If i close my eyes I can still smell it....Movie house...Zorro Series..ha ha
My spot under, the apple tree
I thought our masked wonder would have chosen the horse riding club as his/her favourite spot?
Sandy, that "German bunker" may have been an explosives magazine. The diamond deposits in the south were only discovered in 1928, long after the Germans had relinquished their diamond mining operations which were centered around Luderitz. Another explanation. It may just well have been a German military outpost built before or during the First World War.
Kind regards
Gordon
Hallo Zorro
My all time favourite !!! apple tree or not... ha ha
Did we not play together under the apple tree
image21
If I knew who you were ....we might have...