What a site to stumble onto! Bringing back fond memories of my (very shy, but sporty) childhood. Anyways, introductions are in order.
Born in Oranjemund (1968) and went to school at OPS until 1981 (std. 5). We use to live arguably in one of the best spots in Oranjemund: 20/9th Ave, the 1st house from the movie theatre karate/boxing/squash club. Andre, Egon and Liesel Fourie (who I believe married Andre Bezuidenhout) lived next to us. I assume Egon is still in Oranjemund? If so, would love to make contact with him.
Blimey! I even remember our phone number now, 168! It was later changed to (3)168 as the exchange added some extra numbers due to the increasing population, no doubt.
I remember my specific Std. 5 class was very small, about 11 pupils – Izak Bergh my teacher - and the following names I still remember from that final year of school before I left for Paarl Gymnasium:
Jacques Neser
His father was the resident helicopter pilot and I had some exhilarating (illegal!) flying experiences going with Jacques and his dad on short air trips over weekends. One such weekend sticks in my memory while visiting the helicopter berth (on the way to the beach/golf club). Jacques and I took pot-shots with my air rifle at earmuff coverings - his father washed them and was drying them on a line outside the helicopter berth.
We perforated the coverings from a distance behind a dune, only to be caught out later in the afternoon when his father was ready to do another air trip. Our excuse: We thought they were doll clothes hanging on the washing line. Which obviously did not help Mr. Neser's rage or alleviated our predicament.
Pierre Swart
Was an excellent squash player and had provincial colours (SWD, George area??) later in his life when he left high school. If memory serves, he used to play with one of my Dad's friends, the late Charl (CG) van der Merwe. CG was the local Sanlam representative before my mother took his business over in the 1980's. I think my mom also worked with a lady (the Muller's) who's one son (Gert?) was a decent golf player, as was his dad.
George Faul
Have not seen him since he left for high school (in Wellington)
Andre du Toit
Had the pleasure of meeting him recently, coming back from a Russian trip. I believe he's a registered member here?
Francois Bosman
He was the local traffic officer's son and I met him in Stellenbosch in early 1990's before he left for a work stint in Dubai.
Hannes Pieterse
Had an older brother (and sister?) AFAIK, the Pieterse family were in Barnato (green) house, since I clearly remember the friendly rivalry I had with Hannes on the athletics tracks competing against him as I was in Rhodes house. Still remember the vivacious/outgoing Liesel de Jager in her skimpy red dress urging as cheerleader the house of Rhodes on to scream at the top of their lungs!
Tatjana Salchow
Her father was my Dad's direct boss for many years.
And Michele Fourie
Mmm, my memory is failing the other names, but I still see the faces.
Speak later,
Charl
Welcome to the forum Charl (yet another Rhodes member I'm happy to see!) I'm sure you are going to have a great time catching up on forgotten memories and also being able to contribute a lot of stories others will have forgotten!
Just beware this site is rather addictive!
hi charl
charl to over from my dad wynand wessels when we left in1969,carl was a big wine collertor in 1995 he collected his last lot by us on our farm in klawer and had the fattal accedent near riversdal on the way to george.my late dad also played squash, i think your dad was younger than dad(85).
Hey Charl, welcome onboard..... Jy mag Afrikaans tik as jy wil....
Egon FOurie is still here and our neighbour is his boet, Andre Fourie.... yep,, and Liesel is also here, married to Andre Bezuidenhout....so there are still a couple of old timers floating around...
Please continue to share your emories and have fun...
woo_hoo
Thank you Michele.
Hello Wessel. Yes, my dad (he is currently the manager of the Mosselbay yacht club for the last few years in his "retirement years") was certainly younger than Charl (CG) v/d Merwe. My dad's now in his early 60's. My mom played squash too, if memory serves, she was the Oranjemund woman's champion in the middle 70's.
My mom and dad kept contact with Charl v/d Merwe when he moved to George. We visited them reguarly in George. Last year I stopped and climbed out at the the exact spot/bridge next to the road where Charl's trailer jack-knifed and he lost his life tragically. There is still a small board there with his details.
My father use to co-organize the fishing trips (Oranjemund Angling club) to Meob Bay with various friends, i.e. Frans van Rooyen, Wikkie Steyn, Pine Laubscher (the father of Karen & Marcel), Kanniewarrie etc. - I see Frans van Rooyen posted some pictures here. His youngest son use to be friends with my brother, Louwtjie.
Anyway, I lived since 1987 in Stellenbosch - had been in the wine export business until 3 years ago, but moved recently to Sir Lowry's Village in Somerset West. My current hobby is being shouted and swore at while officiating soccer games in the PSL. Happily married to a Portuguese, have 2 daughters (9 & 11) that currently are going to school in Estoril/Cascais in Portugal for this year with their mom - her idea to brush up on the Porra language for the kids!
I still now and then see the sons of Billy Summer, Craig and Brett, as I played football for the University of Stellenbosch in the early 90's and met them there. Craig was the VERY able social manager that had outstanding social parties at the Maties soccer club.
Grief, I should stop. The more I type, the more the memories come back of people I met/remembered from Oranjemund, inluding my parents friends !
PS:
Michael, only saw your message now. Hello there. If memory serves, you were a year (or 2) behind me in OPS and a classmate of that tall English speaking Laubscher boy?
So used to English as a typed/spoken language now - we speak english in my household, while I "swear" in Portuguese if my daughters works me up - and conversing with the soccer Premier League (PSL) working environment in English only that I even dream the damn Soutie taal, can you believe it? Sacrilege for an Afrikaans laaitie! ;-)
Is Egon/Liesel Fourie on this board?
Then you must have lived next to the Jones family. Can't remember their first names.
Hi there. Nope.
We had no neighbours on our left (West side of house), only the Fourie's (Andre, Egon, Liesel; their father was a land surveyor) on the East side. I believe our house was made now in to a Guest House a few years ago. It's the very first house you see right opposite the main entrance/exit of the Rec hall. There was a parking lot next to our house, and 20m-30m from our house was the Movie Theatre house. The Karate club was 5m(!) from our backyard.
I do recal Carl. I know exactly where you mean. Maybe they lived 2 or 3 houses further on. Wish I could remember their sons name. Must've been about 2 years older than me.
Thats correct Charl, I was indeed two years behind you..... I remeber Bossies kid, Francois Bosman.....he lived in 3rd avenue...
THe Nesser kid, where did he live, I remember the Van Der Nests lived up at 5-1st ave, I got confused perhaps with Nesser , Ausserho(s) and Nesser...
The tall kid, was Jacques Laubscher, He still comes to Oranjemund every now and again and has a business down near Kraaifontein...
The sad thing, is a lot of the Afrikaaner, no disrespect intended, up here tend to shun away from the internet, use PC's at work, but not at home, I just handed Bumper (anton Burden) a copy of this topic..... Most of them know about the site and have registered their names, but do not post or visit....
Other name that springs to mind from your era, Boetie Brink, MArtin NIemand is still here...
..
Ha! I remember Boetie Brink, he was 1 or 2 years younger and was also later in Paarl Gimnasium with me. But it was his older sister that had my blood boiling, Karin Brink. Though come to think of it, there was no snowball's hope in hell I would have done anything about it, as I use to then blush sun-red just thinking about her, hehe.
For us Afrikaans speaking kids the English speaking kids - no offence intended/implied here by the way - when it came to socialising with the opposite sex, were just horrendously "naughty", as the few visits to the Davies club could attest in the 70's. :) So damn innocent then, me anyway.
Anyway, I did have some fun English speaking friends then, and remember that Jacques Laubscher was one funny dude that use to make you laugh very easily, always the best way to smooth language barriers over.
I'll stay in touch, but will be off the internet until after this weekend. Will sure want to peruse this site further. I have to officate Mamelodi Sundowns vs Golden Arrows tomorrow in Durban at 15:30, and since I have been away in Portugal for 6 weeks and just came back (thus I had no damn summer to speak of!) I will make sure I swim after the match at Durban's North Beach before I fly home Sunday, 'cause sharks don't attack Afrikaans speaking swimmers at night, only the "souties" we use to say during our stay in Oranjemund :-)
Quote from: Michael Alexander on February 06, 2009, 03:03:19 PM
THe Nesser kid, where did he live, I remember the Van Der Nests lived up at 5-1st ave, I got confused perhaps with Nesser , Ausserho(s) and Nesser...
.
Jaques Neser lived 2 streets behind the shoppping mall (going due south now from the mall). What street was that? 6th Avernue? The Neser's use to have one of the longest alleys behind their house, the narrow strip between 2 rows of houses flanked on each side by 2m high fences - had a adirt track I use to cycle like crazy with my Red Chopper bicycle. Yes! have to admit I had one; it was the coolest bike - or so I believed - in town. :)
Great memory Charl- best alley to race down with your bike, almost completely covered with branches of trees hanging over the narrow alley, and it seemed to be a mile long! Including a lemon and naartjie tree where we "depsed" some to eat.
Hello Bertie,
I use to remember my Mom speaking of the Horak's, but even with your face here on the forum, cant for the life of me remember you. You have a 70's school photo? Trying to discover my Std 3 -- Std 5 (1979-1981) class/athletics photo's here as I have seen them a year ago...somewhere? Damn, this is driving me crazy. I have been warned not to delve in the past here, hehe. Dangerous for your health.
I remembered an athletics tour to Queenstown in 1978 or 1979 with only me, Mickey Steyn and Cornel Schreuder. Why we were only 3 kids from OPS on tour I cant remember, but it was fun! Mickey was one naughty boy, and I just followed him like a puppy everywhere, being a year or 2 older than me.
I was an Appie with Mickey Steyn, I was 1st year when He was a 3rd year...
I live in 6th ave and the long alley ends in my garden, the previous people living in this house, had the ally blocked and incorporated the alley into their garden as a fern bed.,...
Where did Mona Brink fit into the Brink picture?
Quote from: Michael Alexander on February 06, 2009, 06:56:49 PM
Where did Mona Brink fit into the Brink picture?
I only knew a KAREN Brink. I think her dad passed away due to cancer already in the 90's? Mona? I think you are on your own with this one Mike ;-)
Hi Charl - welcome to the site. Some Afrikaans now and then might encourage others to contribute so dont be shy.
John
My Mom and Mickey's Mom (Renata) expected us the same time. Mickey was born on the 13th July, me on the 25th. (1965)
Charl, you can check some photo's out on the topic "Post in here for the 70's", the second page of the topic has some athletics team photo's, you will also see Mickey there. Maybe before your time, but quite a few photos there.
Was'nt Mickey's mom called Nartie(spelling) or was that just her nickname.... she worked for years at Port Nolloth Spar after they left Omund....
Quote from: Bertie Horak on February 07, 2009, 02:18:39 AM
Charl, you can check some photo's out on the topic "Post in here for the 70's", the second page of the topic has some athletics team photo's, you will also see Mickey there. Maybe before your time, but quite a few photos there.
Will do so. Thanks Bertie. I remember
Mickey Steyn as well as his sister
Daphne Steyn well, also
Cornel Schreuder. If memory serves my grey matter correctly,
Cornel received her Springbok national colours (in Long Jump?) after she left high school as I saw here quite a few times competing on the national circuit at Coetzenburgh, Stellenbosch.
Cornel's Schreuder's brother,
Jacques Schreuder - his father was called "Samma" - arrived a couple of years after me at Stellenbosch (Simonsberg Men's Hostel) together with OPS teacher
Izak Bergh's sons
Andre and Sakkie Bergh. The latter, though 2-3 years younger than me, had amazing natural football talent when he played with us at Maties.
Sakkie played for 1 year only and left, a "great loss" - according to our Dutch international coach - but then he had many sport talents, tennis being the other sports he excelled in. I wished then that I had Sakkie Bergh's natural controlling skills with a soccer ball, as my talent for kicking a moving object was mediocre at best.
Quote from: John Creedy on February 06, 2009, 10:55:25 PM
Hi Charl - welcome to the site. Some Afrikaans now and then might encourage others to contribute so dont be shy.
John
Thanks John. Greetings. Ek dink meeste Afrikaanse sprekendes Oranjemunders moes nou al darem Engels geleer skryf het, dan nie? ;-)
I even remember a few Owambo words!
Mmh! Jacques Schreuder was in RHodes and always beat me in th ehigh Jump...Blerrie RHodes....
Jacques is also a member in here.....
Yes the Schreuders were Rhodes. Hanli was in my year, also a good athlete, I remember her doing very well in the track numbers as well as cross-country. Saw Corne competing at Stellenbosch as well. If I'm not mistaken she married a chap from my hostel (I was in Dagbreek) - Charl, ons los maar die koshuis byname, vir eers uit die gesprek! image19
Quote from: Bertie Horak on February 07, 2009, 01:21:50 PM
Yes the Schreuders were Rhodes. Hanli was in my year, also a good athlete, I remember her doing very well in the track numbers as well as cross-country. Saw Corne competing at Stellenbosch as well. If I'm not mistaken she married a chap from my hostel (I was in Dagbreek) - Charl, ons los maar die koshuis byname, vir eers uit die gesprek! image19
Hehe, Huis Visser. ja, ek weet. Bly stil.
Quote from: Michael Alexander on February 07, 2009, 06:28:43 AM
Mmh! Jacques Schreuder was in RHodes and always beat me in th ehigh Jump...Blerrie RHodes....
Once again and forever Mike !!!!!! shutface 23_146_26 image061
:tifo1: numberone :tifo1:
@ Charl - Huis Visser was ons tweede bure, met huis Marais tussenin, en Majuba (Amoeba) aan Simonsberg se kant.
Great times in Stellenbosch especially the constant bickering and competition between all the mens hostels. 1984 - One Rand a bottle of Tassies and buy one get one free during intervarsity!!!! Stopped me from having red wine for a couple of years! Friday afternoons a quick wine-tasting at Spier before the inter-hostel rugby games, just for that courage and to let loose the poet in you when you yell your remarks at the opposition across the field or the ref.
Good times. Recently though it looks like that team spirit is disappearing.
Talking of Spier Wines....
One year whilst down in the Cape I went to Spier Wine Farm for lunch and thereafter visited the shop to buy some wine to bring back to Pretoria. I bought a few bottles, thinking I was getting a real good deal only to find when I got home and was walking through our local Pick 'n Pay that the same bottles were at least R5 cheaper a bottle...
Grrrrrr Learn't a valuable lesson that wine farms are only for tasting the wine but the actually purchase thereof I should do at Pick 'n Pay / Checkers Hyper Stores...
drinking-41 Cheers!
Dunja .. Spier is a tourist attraction .. so yes , the mighty euro .. and they would shift the price .. and its still a bargain for them ... go to the smaller wineries and there you get the bargains ...
Mona Brink was married to Johan Brink; divorced and then married Rob Burnham - they live in Gaborone.
Where did Mona Brink fit into the Brink picture?
Hi there... sorry to butt in but I can add that Mona was not related to the Boetie... Anien and Karen Brink Family. Mona married Rob Burnham and lives in Somerset West now if i have my facts correct.
Yes Spier is a huge tourist attraction now, but in 1984-5 there was only parking for about 10 cars under a few palm trees and a single room for wine tasting, nothing like today with cheetahs, vultures, restaurants, shows, picnic spots, rolling lawns, dams, etc. They had the best fruity "soetwyn" in a fat, round bottle then.
Tassenberg (Tassies) put a lot of students off wine when they left Varsity, hehe. A pity. It was cheap to be affordable for students, and sometimes nasty too (high acidity to make it - almost - undrinkable). Then the next year it was a softer, mellower wine. In those decent years, many a student would regard it the best student wine...ever. Depending on your year(s) at Stellenbosch varsity of course!
It wasn't the supposed "vintage variation", but more a case of estate/wine farm variation. Tassies was then a "lucky packet" scenario more often then not wrt its contents.
Nowadays, if you look carefully, you might spot the "imported from Argentina/Chile/wherever, bottled in RSA" fine print on the label. But then, I bet it also introduced a lot of newcomers to good wines.
Quote from: DUNJA WRBKA on February 08, 2009, 06:54:15 AM
Talking of Spier Wines....
One year whilst down in the Cape I went to Spier Wine Farm for lunch and thereafter visited the shop to buy some wine to bring back to Pretoria. I bought a few bottles, thinking I was getting a real good deal only to find when I got home and was walking through our local Pick 'n Pay that the same bottles were at least R5 cheaper a bottle...
Grrrrrr Learn't a valuable lesson that wine farms are only for tasting the wine but the actually purchase thereof I should do at Pick 'n Pay / Checkers Hyper Stores...
drinking-41 Cheers!
Hello Dunja,
An unpleasant surprise, no doubt. But then, an ex-wine merchant like me, flatly refused to stock estate wines in our wine shop then (it was situated between Oom Samie's Shop & De Akker Pub in Dorp Street, Stellenbosch) knowing the farms sell it cheaper on their estate to the tourist/public. It made no business sense for us merchants to promote/stock/sell/advertise a winery's produce when customers/public can buy it cheaper at the respective farm producing them. So a lot of wineries since the late 1980's decided to "protect" their wine merchants by selling at farm prices, which usually will be more expensive (or roughly the same) as prices in retail shops. And obviously retail prices differ too, depending on their mark-up policy and margins.
This was the days before big Pick and Pay's were allowed to have liquor licenses, one of the reason we eventually got out of the wine merchant market a few years ago. The pits was when we realised that Pongrasz was selling 28% per bottle cheaper (markup was included; imagine the real discount!) at the big chain store down the street compared the producer's price given to us. The producer refused to give discount to small merchants as they don't take the necassary volume. So the wine-selling-playing-field was becoming forever altered & stacked against the small independent wine stores/merchants. The same route was followed earlier wrt to meat - you dont see the small, independent, qualified butcher anymore that marbled the meat to YOUR specification. People want one-stop-shopping; we are following the 1960's retail model of the USA .... blindly, at the cost of work creation.
Sure, it all means cheaper prices for Joe public, but we closed down a wine business that had permament staff, which you cannot say were counterbalanced by the big retails shop employing even a single person on floor - I have not seen any to date - to advise you on what wines to buy at the wine sections. Short sighted indeed.
Also, the really scarce and beautiful wines are often not well represented/stocked by these big chain stores, as some charge a stocking % fee (for shelve mileage). Small producers cannot afford it. There ARE exceptions, of course.
Talking about wines, favorite subject
The Tassenberg was my daily dinner wine......cheap and drinkable
On better occasions the Shiraz, Pinotage for heavy meals and sometimes a rose.
SA Wines have become popular with tourist visiting the cape. The result is, wines used to be offered here when about 3-4 years old, now you get young wines, not ideal for SA wines, they should be stored a long time....
Chile and Australia wines resemble in taste.
Different to French reds which i prefer now, but still like the SA wines. The wines today are not matured enough, that could eventually be a downfall in the future
Some few weeks ago i had a Shiraz that i kept here from 1979 when i left Nam. So 30 Years.....was still ok, but i advise 10-15 years. Still have a few old wines in the cellar, must use them up now before they turn bad.
If properly stored 30 years is ok
My wine of choice......Nederberg Baronne or their Duet. Some very nice wines under the "Odd Bins label"
... and there I thought it might be a plain old papsak! 23_11_61
Papsak .. drink the contents then blow it up to save you from drowning in the pool .. but then again I recall I did a good job of retrieving that last full beer lying at the bottom of town pool .. and was good enough to share it out ha ha
Quote from: Michael Alexander on February 08, 2009, 06:55:00 PM
... and there I thought it might be a plain old papsak! 23_11_61
and I thought a bottel kaalgat was your wine Mike
Quote from: SandyB on February 08, 2009, 07:00:06 PM
Papsak .. drink the contents then blow it up to save you from drowning in the pool .. but then again I recall I did a good job of retrieving that last full beer lying at the bottom of town pool .. and was good enough to share it out ha ha
Hehe, touche! Good one!
Charl I have good memories of going to a party where there where blown up papsakke floating idly in the pool .. that was before pool noodles came out .. as for the retrieving the beer it was early hours of morning misadventure at reunion ,, i thought i was being good citizen by removing the supposedly empty can .. only to find it was full .. oh joy .. a bit more to sup and fuel our alcoholic craziness ...
Quote from: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on February 08, 2009, 06:53:14 PM
My wine of choice......Nederberg Baronne or their Duet. Some very nice wines under the "Odd Bins label"
My "favourite" changes every year as I discover a new wine. Currently my favoutite red blend tipple is this one: www.de-toren.com/fusionv.htm (http://www.de-toren.com/fusionv.htm) :-)
And I'm partial to Shiraz, especially from this winery: www.vergelegen.co.za/Wine_1020201000_119_Shiraz+2005.htm (http://www.vergelegen.co.za/Wine_1020201000_119_Shiraz+2005.htm). In my humble opinion, one of the best winemakers in South Africa the last decade -
Andre van Rensburg - resides at the latter estate. Their Vergelegen Red (www.vergelegen.co.za/Wine_1020201000_121_Vergelegen+Red+2003.htm (http://www.vergelegen.co.za/Wine_1020201000_121_Vergelegen+Red+2003.htm) each year is a model of consistency the last 6 vintages. This wine puts some French First growth's to shame at a fraction of the cost.
Andre is either "loved or hated" in the wine trade, 'cause he shoots from the hip, being a very straight talker. In our first international wine Tri-Nations competition in 1994 between Aus. & NZ we came stone last with various wines submitted for judging, the panel being of international renown that officated over the result. Most SA wineries competing in this competition complained that the playing field were not even, that SA had not had the time etc. to really fine-tune their wine making expertise. Valid concerns, but Andre was streets ahead of the slow changing South African wine industry.
Andre's wine, the
Stellenzicht Syrah 1994 (he was one of the first to call Shiraz on the label by its proper Persian name) trashed then the most famous shiraz in the world at that time, the
Penfold Grange. He's comment to the complaining SA farmers was thus:
"This is the international market. Adapt or die. If you want to grow cabbages, then do so."I love that! :-)
Prost!
I do a lot of wine shopping at LCD .. they carry a lot of export over runs at reasonable prices ... have found some gems .. my all time favourite is Shiraz cos of the spicy undertones .. found a good blend yesterday .. a mix of shiraz and two ( I have forgotten obscure names ) but i'm back there on monday to snaffle a few more bottles ... unfortunately screwcap .. but then I can live with that ..
Quote from: SandyB on February 08, 2009, 08:50:47 PM
.. found a good blend yesterday .. a mix of shiraz and two ( I have forgotten obscure names ) ...
Probably
Mourvedre,
Grenache,
Petit Verdot or even the Italian
Sangiovese cultivars? These cultivars seem to be SA winemakers favourite blending partners with Shiraz of late.
Petit Verdot .. thanks .. was a bit brain dead last night .. result of having had to finish off month end reports .. seems to dull my brain facts , figures and the prospect of work on monday morning ..
Quote from: Diana Rudd (Boehme) on February 08, 2009, 06:53:14 PM
My wine of choice......Nederberg Baronne or their Duet. Some very nice wines under the "Odd Bins label"
I'm not a wine fundie by any means and if in doubt revert back to the above two always nice can't go wrong. Another very nice wine is Fairview's Solitude Shiraz and Rooiberg Winery's 2006 Shariz.
Charl. Jaques Neser se pa het eers in Outer Cresent gewoon , voor hulle 6 de laan toe getrek het . Sy kleiner broer was Morne . Van Oranjemund af is hulle na Orkney . Hein het vir Vaal Reeves myn gewerk . Hulle ma Ina is daar oorlede , seker al 20 jaar gelede.
Ek verstaan Jaques is iewers in Engeland
Quote from: Charl Theron on February 06, 2009, 02:05:20 PM
Hi there. Nope.
We had no neighbours on our left (West side of house), only the Fourie's (Andre, Egon, Liesel; their father was a land surveyor) on the East side. I believe our house was made now in to a Guest House a few years ago. It's the very first house you see right opposite the main entrance/exit of the Rec hall. There was a parking lot next to our house, and 20m-30m from our house was the Movie Theatre house. The Karate club was 5m(!) from our backyard.
The parking lot is now PEP Stores and next to that east side was the guest house (transit house for de beers marine) since then it has become a dental practice to our private dentist and the only niebour to the east would be the Schornborn's they must of been there since the mid 70's
Plse help to id the kids in the photograph . staring wit girl in pink. I guess it might be Leslie Poole, and the little fellow is Morne Neser , then his brother Jacq Neser . then the talest boy on the other side of the table is Freddie Heymann. The girl in blue is Venise Poole , next to her on the left is Andre Coetzee, and his brother with the black hair , Marius Coetzee. Who are the others ?