I think it is fantastic that Mike A has organised this whole reunion get together with the help of his lovely wife and friends. The part I really do not understand (and please help me) is why would all of you want to get together after all these years go back to Oranjemund and chat about the past. The past is the past and Oranjemund has changed dramatically. So have a lot of the folk that lived there. I have bumped into a lot of ex Oranjemunders like Peter du Toit at CT Airport and its great to see these people...but to all get together and yak about remember this and remember that. Anyway ...enjoy....
Mike H
@ Michael
I think you are not raised in O-mund, only worked there.
Most of the members have memories of school days and childhood. Its quite natural wanting to see how things look today and ponder about the past. It will also be an eye opener to some. Things from the past tend to highlight the nice memories and forget about negative things.
To me the reunion would be less important apart from just beeing there and think back, go to the pink pan, Orange mouth where i had spent many hrs, may be shepards neck, and it would have been nice to go to Beauvallon.....would be a big disappointment.
I wish the reunion a smashing time, yes and remember this and that.... that is the feeling of togetherness that all look for iknow
I don't think the intention of the reunion is as much about getting together and rehashing old times - as many of the people would have been living in Oranjemund at different times - it is, like Georg says, about visiting old haunts and bringing back good memories.
Bryan and Stuart Benton (now living in Scotland) stayed with us in May this year and John and Leila Creedy (now living in Canada) stayed with us in August and they all seemed to have enjoyed their visit to Oranjemund tremendously and are happy that they made the effort to come back and see what the town now looks like. I've also just received an email from Fiona Bailey (Pauline and Jack's daughter, now in England) saying that she still wants to come back to O'mund sometime - both of her brothers came back a couple of years ago for a visit.
Also to just mention - I've nothing to do with the reunion, it's Mike's project - I just make sure that our life and Spar carries on around him like normal! sorriso2
Quote from: georgswa (Georg Ruf) on October 14, 2008, 09:40:42 AM
@ Michael
I think you are not raised in O-mund, only worked there.
Most of the members have memories of school days and childhood. Its quite natural wanting to see how things look today and ponder about the past. It will also be an eye opener to some. Things from the past tend to highlight the nice memories and forget about negative things.
To me the reunion would be less important apart from just beeing there and think back, go to the pink pan, Orange mouth where i had spent many hrs, may be shepards neck, and it would have been nice to go to Beauvallon.....would be a big disappointment.
I wish the reunion a smashing time, yes and remember this and that.... that is the feeling of togetherness that all look for iknow
daman :emot112_2:
I'm VERY disappointed and sad that I wouldn't be able to go to the reunion. For me it wouldn't be to sit and "yak" about old stories, even though it might be interesting, but more the experience of growing up in a place I loved. I would LOVE to just go walk on the beach where I started crawling for the first time, go sit with my feet in the water down at the river where I caught my first fish, walk through the school where I met my first real friends and played marbles, go into the little theater where I played my first piano piece in front of a crowd, etc.... The list is endless. This would have been wonderful any time, but I would prefer to do it with people I met or re-connected with through this site, and therefor ..... wish I could be there!!!!
And yes Daddy Georg, I think it's true, the experiences of somebody who just passed through wouldn't be the same kind of experiences I had, being born and raised in our town.
Mike sorry my friend - cannot support you on this one - have to agree with all the other posts -you did not grow-up in Oranjemund!
Memories are much sweeter of your innocent youth years. Friendships from your youth years also last longer and continue to this day.
Thanks Richard for sharing my thoughts on that
I dont speak for myself althought i have fond memories from the place
All of us, remember the youth years, friends, may be first love.
That artificial community is far removed but the younger generation must have very strong ties in their memories,
Thats excatly what this reunion wants to refresh, all should be thanksfull to Mike for all the efforts making that come true.
Even i had returned once after we had left, it all depends on the individual.
Never again in my life dit i experience anything like that spoiled community, above all, me beeing a stranger, was accepted and i dit as all others dit, taking part in community activities.
Thats my fond memories.......
My 5c for the sinbin in this topic: Yes, we are going to yak about rememberings, but mostly we are going to yak about the present i.e: where we live now, what we do, what we have done with our lives, what we have achieved, what our kids or grandkids have achieved, our current viewpoints about a vast variety of topics and then we will look back on Oranjemund as the starting block, the corner foundation stone, from where we started out to be what we are today. It's like a family tree - you may not yak about your great grand parents all the time, but they are a part of your life and if it were not for them, you would not have been around today.
So, we are not trying to relive the past - we are just remembering and honouring the past in this here present time. (Although - I would have liked to still have some of those big old port jackson trees in 1st ave with a rope on to do just one final Tarzan swing - still young enough to know that if I do brake a leg, it will heal - ha ha ha).
Rich and George you are right, I just passed thru....infact twice 1977 - 1980 again in 1986 - 1987. Richard and I worked in the recovery sorthouse.....remember Rich you and I used to pull 4 plants of gravel thru the plant in 2 hours so we could go home early. Yes I just passed thru
Hi Mike,
Good hearing from you again, sorry again for to not support you on this one, yes those were our energetic working years!
Some good working memories of the short time I worked in Oranjemund, but if I had to pick out of working or growing-up years, growing-up beats the back stabbing and gat kruiping that goes with the working years.
While up in Joburg on business on Wednesday and Thursday, Liz, Eric, Pepe and I went out for supper. It was very good seeing Pepe again after 30 years.
Keep in touch Mike.
Keep well
Richard