During the sixties and seventies the apprentice intake had a ritual. The youngsters gathered on a predetermined date at the single quarters The booze to be consumed on that specific day was placed in the sun.
The older guys got stuck into these youngsters hair, shaving it off to their heart's desire. After the different styles were cut and a lot of booze consumed the appies had to go to movies. The front row of the movie house was reserved for them. Those were the days when Mike Benade and John Irish used to work at the Technical College. Come on Clive Symes, you should have a lot to tell.
Is this tradition still going strong or not?
Charmain Meier (Heusdens)
hi charmaine,my dad did dickie fits about the rituals,he had to teach the upstarts the monday following,we as kids had many laughs about who got who,poor guys,made men out of boys,the truth be known,i dont think the guys resented it one bit,take good care,hope to speak or email you soon,love bobby
The appie initiation .. ouch ! a fatal brew called dag en nag .. sweet red and white mixed and left in the sun .... I nearly died that day ... worse apart from cutting elaborate designs in ones hair you were smeared with mechanics blue and old engine oil .. I remember through the haze that I was in a state .. the senior appies got worried that I was indeed going to expire .. got me cleaned up and took me to the mess for something to eat .. I recall slurping some soup when my dad arrived to collect me ... I quietly followed him trying to keep a straight line and promptly walked straight into the edge of the door he was holding open for me ... down again .. now carried to car ... My mom had fits at my total state .. I had a hangover for 3 days ... anyhow the designs were cut out of the hair turning me into a pan kop .. her remedy was to every night rub coconut oil into my scalp to encourage growth .. the skinhead look did not go down well with her ... however looking back ... the initiation was part of the rites of passage , made us all equal and made one a part of the club ...
with reference to My last posting on the appie traditions ... the pankop and my Mom rubbing coconut oil onto my shaven head each night to spur on the growth and get rid of the skinhead effect .. attached picture shows a very unhappy pimply 16 yr old me with the shaven head .. good for a laugh ...
Sandy , Charmaine
Some where I have photos, disgusting events as some of the appies made space for more booze. There are faces you will all remember. Sandy if memory serves, and your mug shot reminded me, I think you star in one of them ( fortunatly the photos are stored in the Attic in a box I dont remember.
Ja the older appies used to say if you could down a bottle of Liebies (23cents) or Zonheimer ( 25cents) in under six seconds they wouldnt shave your head. Needless to say they lied. By the time you got round to down your bottle you were well on the way and 30 minutes after the bottle was downed you couldnt care less.
Oops ! i star in one or two of them ? burn the attic and its contents .. I remember seeing one of the making room pics .. i was in one of the bath sofas ( remember the cutout bath with cushions ? ) and streaming a pinkish liquid .. not pretty ...
Clive
I'd love to see your pics!
Charmain
Burn the attic and its contents ... I have vague memory of an equally bad appie party ... in the years following we would attend and watch the event , making sure to park your car far away in case somebody drained the sump for some dirty oil to "dress" the initiates .. by that time I had progressed to the 3rd hand 125 yamaha ..Ian first , Gus next , and then I inherited it ... I did the obvious overconsuming ... after the party roared off on the bike .. Peter Reshke told me that they followed me to try make sure I got home safely .. well it took a long time to get home as I was kind of lost in the alcoholic haze and kept on driving around town .. what was amazing he said was that I did not crash or kill myself as I was bouncing on and off the road mounting pavements yet not once did me and the bike topple .. i was kind of glued to the bike and the bike to whichever surface I happened to be travelling on ... felt very skaam when I was told the whole story on monday morning ...
Sandy, you are safe ( I do see you remembered the " Jet stream" I know it was captured on highseed film, I remember the lumps but would not have been able to tell you the colour, you've obviously got a good memory ( I know I was'nt right for days after my initiation)
On the Side, I was sorry to hear about Ian ( we were in the same class at school)
Please drop me a line with Peter and Sandys contact number, its ages since my Mom heard from them.
Clive .. Peter & San ... 021 7128042 ... San mentions your Mum and If I recall has invited her around at times ...
Thanks Sandy, I will contact them just to say HI
Here's Reiner to join you Sandy (with the traditional hairdo)
Oops that would be Rainer Siebers before his coin collection
Hahahaha... Reiner looks mean, like a kinda Vinnie Jones.....
laughpoint
Come come now .. we need more pics here ... I will even allow Clive to post the one of me in my worst moments ... Guys .. scratch around ... scan and contribute !!!
To true Sandy,lets bring these older topic's to the fore again abouttime
Here's the topic you all on about under "Bioscope" Quickly before Richard comes online and nails you all........Stay with the Topic.
That's what I have been trying to do, especially for the newcomers.... once a week , I head on down to the cellar of this forum and dig out an old topic, add a line to it and shoot it back to the front of the forum, I thought you guys would have cottened on by now........ feedme
I've done that on a couple of occations but no-body takes any notice they think I'm crazy to push a topic forward. There is a lot of interesting topics down there that would liven up the forum again. Please don't tke offence anybody 'cos I'm just as guilty to posting trivial poop.
I just don't like going down there, it's cold and damp... and the candle keeps blowing out........!
Quote from: Michael Alexander on April 20, 2008, 07:56:14 AM
That's what I have been trying to do, especially for the newcomers.... once a week , I head on down to the cellar of this forum and dig out an old topic, add a line to it and shoot it back to the front of the forum, I thought you guys would have cottened on by now........ feedme
Tried that a couple of times too Mike. Doesn't realy work.
Mike Stenson and Malcolm Aitken ( goofy) after appie haircut ( 1978 )
Hahahaha... Mike , now I know why you grow a beard...
I just received this photo from John Creedy, Appie days in the 60's , note the similarity...
Keep them coming ... I'm having a laugh .. Clive .. dig in the attic .. we need my emptying pink flow picture ...
Surely there must be more people like John Creedy, who have more of these era photographs stashed away in a box somewhere, please email or post them to me, either scan them or post them to me at the below address, I will scan them and return them to you..... My address is Mike Alexander, PO Box 641, Oranjemund, Namibia.
Here are more of John's Appie pics....
My Boet Ian middle row .. # 2 from the right
bravo great stuff
Quote from: SandyB on May 24, 2008, 09:13:29 AM
My Boet Ian middle row .. # 2 from the right
...and he looks so chuffed with the world and being in the appie group photo..!!
Stirring the grey cells now .. back row #4 from the left looks like Jacob Kruger ??
Sorry that does not look like Jacob to me, would have thought he was about 1970.
same age grouping as Ian .. they all used to fish together down at the river .. dont forget younger .. we all change a bit or sometimes a lot .. depends ..
idontknow Jacob 56 now. Don't hit me Jakes.
i REMEMBER THOSE DAYS WELL REINER SIEBERS (POPS) STILL CUT MY HAIR. IF YOU DIDNT HAVE A HAIR CUT IN THOSE DAYS YOU BECAME A NOTHING. REMEMBER WE VIRTUALLY RAN THE TOWN IN THOSE DAYS. IF SOMEBODY ASKED IF YOU ARE PLAYING THE ANSWER WAS YES EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDNT KNOW WHAT SPORT YOU ARE PLAYING, I HAVE EVEN PLAYED NETBALL IN A DRESS. MY MOM CAUGHT A COUPLE OF US SKINNY DIPPING IN THE POOL ONE NIGHT AND WHAT DID THEY DO WELL THEY WENT OFF WITH ALL OUR CLOTHES, NOW IMAGINE GUYS AND GIRLS RUNNING TO THEIR VARIOUS HOUSES NAKED. HECTIC
:emot19: :emot19: boobs boobs arse arse
seams like Chris watched the incedant.
How could I ever forget that. I was unfortunate they chose the date of my 18th birthday.
Yes Jakes Kruger was with my 1970 apprentice intake, along with Charles Blakemore, Charlie Badenhorst, Keith Gass, Alwyn Huisamen and others.
Leon Sumter
I have attached a photo (in .rar format) I hope of us (1970) with our shaven bald heads.
Leon.
Photo in my previous post:
Seated at front: Mr Olivier (Nickname gasgat for whatever reason?) Engineer ??
Standing second row:L-R: ?, Mario Dixon, Paul Selby, Keith Gass, Alwyn Huisamen, ?
Standing 3rd row: L-R: Colin Dunster, Mike Davis, Andre Hanekom, ?, Horst Kirsten, Frans Wenzel.
Standing last row: L-R: Charlie Badenhorst, Charlie Blakemore, Leon Sumter, ?Meiers?,
Charlie Blakemore was waiting for his school results so his hair was not shaved at this stage.
Leon
BTW. Where is Reiner Siebers these days folks? Remember how well he could sing the popsongs of the day. Had a younger brother too, cannot recall name.
Leon S
Reiner is living in neighbouring Rosh Pinah, comes to town about once a month..and will be here for the Reunion....... woo_hoo
Why not in jpeg or some or other format ??
Here we go...Leon's pic in Jpeg and resized....
Thanks ...
Hi Sandy
Unfortunately my .jpeg scan file was too large, that why I compressed it into .rar, but thanks Mike for doing the technowhiz on this file. Still have not had the time to figure how to change my scanner setting to a smaller dpi.
Sandy bring me up to date concerning Ian?
Go well.
Leon
Leon , Ian passed away Feb 18th last year ...
Back row Fourth from the right in the previous gtoup photo is Ronnie de Lange, also deceased.
My sincere condolences Sandy.
Leon
Thanks Leon , yes Ian was not well in his last few years , emphysimia etc .. but yes he had made peace with his maker and accepted that he was not going to make older bones ( told me so personally ) so on the date of his entance to the world he allowed his soul to quietly leave a sick and tired body .. he is at peace .. Pauline too , i brought her down for christmas last year ,, and we talked at length .. all is on a level ... see details of her visit on these links ..
http://www.oranjemundonline.com/Forum/index.php?topic=746.0
http://www.oranjemundonline.com/Forum/index.php?topic=785.msg12985#msg12985 page 2
Sandy
Hi Sandy
Yes, I know exactly what Ian went through, my sister also had the same illness, the suffering is too much and yes, today I must admit, she is better off. I promised my brother in law I will let her go, even if at times it is still very painful, but she has no more pain.
Charmain
Yes Charmain ,, when a person has been through a long time of suffering , its that little bit easier to let them move on .. as said Ian had made peace .. that came about in long communications over the email to me .. and yes he is at peace , I had a good dream of him sitting at the side of my fishpond ,, I always wanted to get him and Pauline down for a stay with me for a month or so .. but his health never got to the point of allowing travel .. but yes he now sits gazing into the fishpond in my peacefull garden .. where Pauline found peace and final acceptance in my garden so has he .. You go well and yes sterkte for the path forward .. Sandy