Oranjemund Online

ORANJEMUND DISCUSSIONS! => Things I Remember About Oranjemund! => Topic started by: Michael Alexander on June 12, 2008, 01:01:48 PM

Title: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michael Alexander on June 12, 2008, 01:01:48 PM
Here's two snaps of the old style Christmas lights, note how the back of the bioscope was used...
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: georg ruf jr. on June 12, 2008, 01:43:01 PM
Where's the snow Mike?  :yeah3:
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Bertie Horak on June 12, 2008, 02:58:20 PM
Sorry, Guys, only saw this topic after I posted pictures at "The shop topic".
Here's more
The numbers under the photo's are not the years, but simply file numbers.  All taken late 60's early 70's.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michael Alexander on June 12, 2008, 04:05:37 PM
Lekker Pics Bertie....Loving it.....I notice the Landie in the pic has the number plate OL......where is that? Anyone? I thought it was only SC back in the day....
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Bertie Horak on June 12, 2008, 04:56:49 PM
Mike, I think Oranjemund was OL before it was SC.  I scratched around a bit.  Here's two pics - one when I was about 1 year old with our car - an Opel record station wagon, with number plate OL 319, and one (same car) when I was about 6-7 with number plate SC 319.  So, I'm not sure when the change came, but it must have been between 1967-1970.
"OL" probably stood for Oranjemund/Luderitz, for my birth certificate also says I was born in "District Lüderitz", even though I was born in OM.

Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Lance Olivier on June 12, 2008, 06:10:35 PM
The explanation I was given years ago to the OL registration is the "O" stood for Oranjemund and the "L" represented the district of Luderitz, but later had to be changed as there was confusion with another SA licence plate from the Free State.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michael Alexander on June 12, 2008, 06:15:03 PM
So it's fact then... OL was the forerunner to SC?

I also thought it was a place like Leeufontein in the Orange Freestate...
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 12, 2008, 07:51:39 PM
Yes A Fact it is, OL came before SC and as has been said Oranjemund, Luderitz District
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Rhona on June 12, 2008, 07:53:19 PM
So what's SC then ?
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 12, 2008, 08:09:29 PM
I also seem to remember it being just a L at some point.  Just a vague thought.

Rhona..I'm guessing  S...South West Africa     C...Consolidated Mines.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Rhona on June 12, 2008, 08:13:55 PM
Thanks Diana - lot of words for just 2 letters....  cat3
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 12, 2008, 08:19:08 PM
 idontknow  just a guess
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Paula Gottsch (Willson) on June 12, 2008, 10:31:39 PM
SC - maybe - South Coast?
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Malcolm Bertoni on June 12, 2008, 11:48:13 PM
Can any of you remember your private car's number plate?

My Beetle's was SC764.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Bertie Horak on June 13, 2008, 04:02:16 AM
Most of the "S" numbers started with the Town's first letter, like ST (Tsumeb), SW (Windhoek), SK (Keetmanshoop), etc.  I suppose they couldn't make Oranjemund SO, because there's too many towns on the main road to the North which started with an "O", like Otjiwarongo(SO?), Okahandja(SH), Otavi(SE), Omaruru, etc.  They had to do the same with Grootfontein (SF), for there's another (SG) Gobabis?
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: georg ruf jr. on June 13, 2008, 05:25:57 AM
So S stood for SWA the way the C in CT stood for Cape. do I remember corectly?
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michele Alexander (Voden) on June 13, 2008, 05:27:39 AM
Perhaps the C would then have stood for CDM?

idontknow

Sorry - I see Diana already had that idea!

Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Bertie Horak on June 13, 2008, 05:39:24 AM
@ Georg - Yes, "S" was for SWA, but Cape Town was/is CA.  The old "C" stood for "Cape Province" - before the new provinces.  Free state numbers started with "O" for Orange Free State, Transvaal numbers started with "T" (TJ for Johannesburg), Natal with "N" (ND for Durban).  Nowadays it's all different.  Except for the Western Cape, all the numbers end with the province, for instance, a number in Johannesburg will be a collection of numeric and alphabetic figures, followed by "GP" for Gauteng Province (ie. FKB 123 GP)  (Or like we call it over here - "Gangsters' Paradise").
So, you can not say from which Town a vehicle is, but only the province.  Very impersonal.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michael Alexander on June 13, 2008, 06:28:16 AM
CFM - SOmerset West
CBU - Springbok
CAW - George
CT - Touwsrivier
CEM - HErmanus
CEY - Strand
CY - Bellville
CL - Stellenbosch
CJ - DIe PErel (Paarl)
CR - RObertson
CV - Vredendal
Clanwilliam ........ ?

Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: georg ruf jr. on June 13, 2008, 06:44:50 AM
Quote from: Bertie Horak on June 13, 2008, 05:39:24 AM
@ Georg - Yes, "S" was for SWA, but Cape Town was/is CA.  The old "C" stood for "Cape Province" - before the new provinces.  Free state numbers started with "O" for Orange Free State, Transvaal numbers started with "T" (TJ for Johannesburg), Natal with "N" (ND for Durban).  Nowadays it's all different.  Except for the Western Cape, all the numbers end with the province, for instance, a number in Johannesburg will be a collection of numeric and alphabetic figures, followed by "GP" for Gauteng Province (ie. FKB 123 GP)  (Or like we call it over here - "Gangsters' Paradise").
So, you can not say from which Town a vehicle is, but only the province.  Very impersonal.

That's the way it seems in France too. Couldn't make out where the cars came from.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Bertie Horak on June 13, 2008, 07:52:01 AM
@ Mike -
CT - also Ceres
CR - Not Robertson (CBR?), but Hopefield
CAY - Upington
CU - Alex'baai, Port Nolloth, etc
CAR - Clanwilliam
CAN - Citrusdal
CBY - Piketberg
:emot186:
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: bobbysmith on June 13, 2008, 08:54:28 AM
bertie you are indeed correct,ol stood for oranjemund/district of ludderitz,my birh certificate also states i was born in ludderitz but i was born in om,all births had to be registered in ludderitz.i recall both the om reg and the sc reg
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michael Alexander on June 13, 2008, 08:55:51 AM
Way to go Bertie! mY MiND is not what she used to be...
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Bertie Horak on June 13, 2008, 09:19:28 AM
Only reason I remember - me and my Ousus Francie had this game whenever we were on the road for holidays - we would try and spot as many different number plates as possible.  Had same game for animals, birds, etc.  I think Mom & Dad tried to keep us occupied to keep us quiet!  All holidays were far away, my family stayed in Northern parts of SWA, and since my sister were older than me, and in school in Stellenbosch, they had to be innovative to keep me busy on the long road!

That stuck with me, till today I still look at number plates wherever I drive!
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 13, 2008, 09:22:44 AM
Quote from: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 12, 2008, 08:09:29 PM
Rhona..I'm guessing  S...South West Africa     C...Consolidated Mines.

EXCUSE ME EVERYBODY THATS WHAT I SAID.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: bobbysmith on June 13, 2008, 09:25:53 AM
strange that bertie,i do the same,saw a great one in the uk last week-----PEN 1 S,car was being driven by a local magistrate,good enough for him dont you think
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Bertie Horak on June 13, 2008, 09:35:59 AM
Excellent, yes there's quite a few good ones.  Saw a very windgat sporty number the other day - 4 U 2 NV.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michele Alexander (Voden) on June 13, 2008, 12:44:41 PM
At least I apologised when I realized you had already said it!

:emot172:
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on June 13, 2008, 01:02:09 PM
Oops not reading properly am I. Just had to have a chirp.
Title: Re: The Old Christmas Lights!
Post by: Michael Alexander on June 13, 2008, 07:36:35 PM
as per normal......   laughpoint