Oranjemund Online

ORANJEMUND DISCUSSIONS! => Things I Remember About Oranjemund! => Topic started by: Richard Opperman on June 01, 2008, 10:31:19 AM

Title: General Managers.
Post by: Richard Opperman on June 01, 2008, 10:31:19 AM
Robert Bruce's topic below of the Yacht Club photo has prompted me to start this topic.

Who can remember the General Managers of their time in Oranjemund and some of their egos?

During my stay in Omund (1961 - 1979) we had the "Devlin Click" and who can remember what happened to the Devlin Empire?
Apparently he had a parking area reserved infont of the rec club; bioscope and shop to name some and God help those who parked in them.
There were also other things to do with the shop; butcher and veg market which I am not to sure of, maybe someone else can fill us in.

Borcherts followed and he did away with all the reserved parking and other nonsense of the Devlin period. He also allowed his children to mix with children from all walks of life, we spent many a day swimming in the pool and playing in the garden at the GM's house.

After Borchert it was either Pretorious or Richards?
Richards was GM when I left Omund and as far as I can remember not a bad guy.

I believe some time towards the late 80s early 90s there was a GM who thought he was the last great white hunter? 
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Cherry (Alcock) on June 01, 2008, 11:04:40 AM
Memory foggy those I can remember and not in order:

Devlin
Borchards
Pretorius
Richards
The Irish Guy - sheesh I worked for him - memory gone!
Kobus Van Jaarsveld
Keith Whitelock
Mike Whittet - he's the big game hunter dude
Alan Ashworth?
Rob Smart?

After that no idea
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP) on June 01, 2008, 11:11:07 AM
Harold Hesters was Metalurgy manager in my time

I beleive he also became GM in later years, but that could be in  another mine idontknow
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Yvette Kroukamp (Biccard) on June 01, 2008, 03:22:09 PM
Who was the guy married to Sonja Heroldt(ken jy tant mossie se sakkie sakkie sakkie boeredans...) for a while? Lived opposite us in 13th avenue. I know he was a manager of sorts too.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 01, 2008, 07:36:50 PM
Harold Hester,a realy nice guy. He didn't become a G.M. in O'mund but a mine in Botswana.....Orapa I think.
Well all the names I know have been mentioned.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP) on June 01, 2008, 08:00:50 PM
Harold Hester, yes Diana, now i remember, was not so sure

Louis Nel was also there as the place was built, also our butcher from O-mund, english man, dont have his Name right now. There is pics with him on a community do in a hall as moderator.

I was there for an interview, i rejected the offer......plenty of funny reason.....
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Delia on June 02, 2008, 06:21:38 AM
Keith Whitelock was a scream - he'd rock up at all the parties ie. log cabin, etc.with his bullet belt around his waist minus the bullets but filled with Underbergs which he'd drink at random throughout the night.  He was quite the party animal ............when the river came down in flood in the 80's, a bunch of us girls "kidnapped" him from his office (all arranged with his sec and the AGM beforehand), bundled him into my car blindfolded, took him to one of the sisters cottages flats and held him for ransom till money had been paid over to the flood relief fund - while we had him at the flat we made him see how many marshmallows he could stuff in his mouth in one go with his hands tied behind his back........he was a good sport and played along fantastically........we released him once we knew the money (R1000) had been paid over to the fund.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: georg ruf jr. on June 02, 2008, 08:39:17 AM
Wasn't there a Mac....
like Mackensey or so?
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Patricia Lotte on June 02, 2008, 09:14:37 AM
Quote from: georg ruf jr. on June 02, 2008, 08:39:17 AM
Wasn't there a Mac....
like Mackensey or so?

MacDonalds maybe ...  :36_2_35:
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Chris Macpherson on June 02, 2008, 10:14:09 AM
mackenzie......duncan ,sally, and another brother..........we used to go to their house to swim and jump on the trampoline
if i remember correctly they also had a red range rover,this about 1974 or 1975.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: georg ruf jr. on June 02, 2008, 10:51:55 AM
Thanks Chris.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Yvette Kroukamp (Biccard) on June 06, 2008, 07:08:52 PM
Quote from: Yvette on June 01, 2008, 03:22:09 PM
Who was the guy married to Sonja Heroldt(ken jy tant mossie se sakkie sakkie sakkie boeredans...) for a while? Lived opposite us in 13th avenue. I know he was a manager of sorts too.

Ok, I figured it out for myself..... Mike de Witt!
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Malcolm Bertoni on June 06, 2008, 10:56:58 PM
I had an interesting disagreement with the GM in 1968/69. 

Anyone know who was the GM at the time?
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Cherry (Alcock) on June 07, 2008, 09:33:38 AM
Probably Devlin or Borchards - Malcolm

Was Hartley ever GM or AGM?
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Michael Alexander on June 07, 2008, 03:04:18 PM
This might make a good article on the mainsite, a list and years of the various GM's.... think I  might look into this one....
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: barb (Fry) on June 07, 2008, 03:28:43 PM
Hartley AGM as I recall.
I was in his son's class

Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: georg ruf jr. on June 08, 2008, 10:18:56 AM
Yep! Billy was his name. Was my mate for some time.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 08, 2008, 05:46:28 PM
There was a Colin Hartely in my time.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: georg ruf jr. on June 09, 2008, 03:35:43 AM
Could be his sister Diana. I think he had 2 sister that were several years older than him.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: haroldhester on June 09, 2008, 05:44:42 AM
Congratulations on a wonderful website.
When I arrived in April 1975 John MacKenzie was GM.  He was replaced by John Richards in 1976 (I think).   He was GM until about the end of 1981 when Kobus van Jaarsveld arrived.   Kobus was followed by Ken Trueman.
Regarding AGMs Jim McLuskie was AGM in 1975.   He was replaced by Mike Smith and then Happy Jack Forster.   I took over from him in 1981 and was in turn followed by John (can't remember his surname!)
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Cherry (Alcock) on June 09, 2008, 06:00:30 AM
Harold - so nice to see you on the forum.  How are you and Geraldine and where are you?  Thanks for filling in the gaps!

Cherry
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 09, 2008, 08:02:31 AM
Good morning Harold, Stephen says to say Hello and that he has many good memories of those cricketing days.
Hope you and the Family are well.
Stephen and Diana
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP) on June 09, 2008, 04:11:33 PM
Again a welcome to Harold, he should be able to answer many questions.

I am glad he confirmed what i thought, GM in OM.....Ask a german far away, they will tell  iknow
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Lance Olivier on June 09, 2008, 05:21:06 PM
Hi Harold
The John you refer to, was his surname not Lund.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Lance Olivier on June 17, 2008, 07:16:15 PM
Hi All
Had a chat to my Mom and she seems to think the AGM that Harold is referring to was John Ackland. I stand corrected, don't recall John Lund being AGM.
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Bev Coates (Now Walker) on June 17, 2008, 09:55:44 PM
Mr Devlin was the GM in 1966 when we left there.......
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Leon Sumter on September 13, 2008, 06:18:27 PM
Who was the GM that had the Jag E-Type and used to drive it through town on occasion. I remember drooling over this car,


Who was Nisbet? Was he a GM or Chief Engineer?

Leon
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Michael Alexander on September 14, 2008, 06:28:50 AM
In later years, the 90's, we had ol' Keith Whitelock, he had a ford model T type car...... that was impressive.....

Good Gm..... Was the first Gm to drink Tafel lager here.....suddenly all the nobs switched from Castle to Tafel....go figure....   :emot19_2:
Title: Re: General Managers.
Post by: Cherry (Alcock) on September 14, 2008, 07:27:50 AM
The John was John Ackland; he of the urban legend of saying when he left De Beers that all he was leaving with was "f****ed up furntiture & f****ed kids" - not sure whether this is true - anyone that can confirm/disprove?