Another scan i thought might interest a few of you......it will be part of the next update next week...
I wonder if anyone remembers Dr Venter's farewell assembly at school, we sang Dr Zhivago's "Somewhere my love". was his favourite song. I dont know why this sticks out in my mind. Yvette
Yvette you spring chicken ! you were still at OPS ?.. Yes " somewhere my love " or
"Laras theme " as it was called .. indeed a beautiful song .. I learnt to play it by ear on the piano .. despite taking music classes I was rebelious and wanted to do freeform style my own way .. looking back the classical training would have done me a lot of good .. like riding a bicycle you will never forget how .. Talking about the school I wonder if they still got the 'Esty Reed Organ" in the school hall
.. It was donated to the school by the dutch reformed church across the road .. they had progressed to the wonders of a lousy lowrie electronic wonder ... I remember Mrs Barnard one of the music teachers .. when it came to singing " Die Stem " she would climb on the Esty and thrash it ... I remember her as being tall with these huge hands and huge feet ..and I will tax your memory now .. the german music teacher who was in love with Mr Kermis .. what was her name again ?? I remember the one time she played some 45 minute + long piano concerto from memory nogal at a prize giving function held in the rec club main hall .. I heard some snorking behind me halfway through the rendition .. looked around and there was Mrs Delport ( they used to stay across the road from us in second avenue ) she was a huge woman .. there was she fast asleep and slowly falling sideways onto her Husband sitting next to her .. he was kind of half the size and valiantly trying to prop her up and nudge her awake at the same time ..
Hi Sandy,
Sh.t! cant remember the german music teacher's name, but I remember she was over the top. I had piano lessons with an older person, I think she was afrikaans, hated her with a passion. she used to Klap me on the hands when I forgot my scales. Probably why I gave up piano and ~(my secret revealed) ...took to sneaking into the Catholic chapel to play Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel in between a few Ave Maria's. I would get hold of Renee's "Teach yourself to play guitar" books. Something like the "........ for Dummy's" series. I would convert all the guitar chords to keyboard chords. This was great fun! Loved the organ in church! Father Keith was so funny, he would pretend he didnt hear me. Imagine? Well, Sandy I guess I was a little weird, but I'm sure you will understand why. Growing up with the likes of Juanita, Renee, Debby. Renee belting out Slade, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep from her little 2 speaker sony turntable in her bedroom. Nita stripping at the Golf club with Steph Turner!!!! Behind a screen, I was told! My Mom, Dad, Uncle Jerry and Aunty Julie Hoffman, partying up a storm to Neil Diamond's Hot August Night, I guess you could say I became a bit of an old soul. And have always found myself more attached to the older bunch than those my own age. No fault of mine!! One other name that just popped up in my mind is Felix Niewoudt? He was sort of in charge of the Music Department at OPS. Since we are on the subject of the arts, do you remember Oklahoma! was staged at the the Little Theatre. Practically my whole family was in it. With Nina and Eddie Jones in lead roles and Renee trying to keep them sober during performances. John Badendhorst directed the production. What a mad cat he was. Did you know he went on to become a director(?) at MNET. Regarding the Esty Reed Organ, Susan if you read this please check whether the organ is still there?! Sandy, Susan works at OPS. (nee Linekar).
Yvette
Yvette .. oklahoma !! as if called .. I went into attic yesterday afternoon .. out with one of my surviving memory boxes .. very smoke damaged .. but contents intact .. started scanning programs from some of the plays I saw ... Oklahoma was one .. I have scanned in quite a few programs ... I dont know if you have a remaining program ..if you dont here is one .. hope the quality is Ok .. enjoy !!
The rest of Oklahoma !!
Sandy
you have made my day!!!! Debby and Renee, check this out. The Marlowes were also in it. Those pics were taken on a road trip they did to promote the show. All the way to Beauvallon farm on the back of a horse drawn cart. We dont have a copy of that anymore, somewhere between moves it went missing. Renee also made a tape but alas, thats gone too. My Mom is going to love this. THanks again.
Yvette
Its a pleasure .. John Badenhorst .. yes In CT he did a lot of work for the space theatre in the 80's and indeed moved on to M net .. Felix also good memory ..a fusspot he stayed 3 units away from my Mom in CFC comlex .. talented but fussy to the point of irritation .. I laugh at you metnioning keeping the Jones sober .. both good talent but like all of us had an achiles heel somewhere..
Finally i found something of Oklahoma.
I took part in it as Cord Elam and also went on the Beauvallon Trip
Hope some one has tape recordings of that
Here Oh what a lovely war clip with pics
http://www.livevideo.com/video/9C8940EE233147BEBC4BC84DDD1AD6A3/oh-what-a-lovely-war-and-the-r.aspx?lastvcid=76884
Here me at Beauvallon : Georg Ruf
(http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z249/georgswa/oklahoma.jpg)
Ok George please explain why if you look so comfortable in the country western oufit are you in Stuttgart ? damm good picture ..
Yepp
I am in Stuttgart, the pic however is at Beauvallon when we made the promotion tour.
I will look in my old pics, i have still slides from that day that Charles Löffler gave me.
Wait and see them......... Eddie Jones his wife, Karin Singer, John, Chris Lotte whou was the peddlar, sweet role he played, and of course Annie and many others.....
As you can see, i am still thinking a lot of those days, gone forewer >:(
Georg Ruf Stuttgart Germany
My sense of humour ... just that you look so comfortable in the role ... if you look further up you will see the pics from the program .. some from beauvallon .. Like you said many good memories ..
George, a 12 string guitar as well... impressive stuff that
George was the 12 string for the photo shoot or for real?
Kidding, I remember you now. I was also in Oklahoma, part of the chorus along with my mom Marlene (worked at the dentist with Alistair Ewart) and my sister Renee. A fabulous memory that play was.
Thanks for the memory reminder Debby, Alistair Ewert had a dog called Purdy, a female alsation, the most loving and kindest and friendliest dog around, One day in the middle of the week, a bunch of us kids thought we would be clever and cycle down to the beach on our bikes. Off course as per normal , Purdy went with, she was one of the gang....., On the way back, a Volkswagen combi drove over her, I remember that image so clearly as if it was yesterday, it happened about 100m from the enterance to town.... That was one of the saddest days of mine in the 70's.. :'(
And George, when I saw the pic, I thought it looked very pro, it looks like one of those LP country covers....
good stuff! :D
@ Debby Opperman
Sure the 12 String was real
I dont remember your face , but if you were with us at Beauvallon, you can tell me once my pics are in here.
Wait and see
Georg Ruf
@ sandy
Yes i saw those pics from the nwesletter
I still have originals here in B/W wiil post them soon
Georg Ruf
"Georgswa" we await your Oklahoma pics in anticipation.
Mike...Alistair & Linda are living in Pinelands. Alistair celebrates a BIG birthday on 27th Oct. They are both well and Linda still as sweet as she was back then. Alistair...well what can I say!!
Daughter Bev is married with a baba. So the Ewarts are doting grandparents.
i have opened a new thread with Pics
http://www.oranjemundonline.com/Forum/index.php?topic=424.0
Grüsse Georg Ruf
Debbie, thanks for that, I will let my dad know, I think the MacManus's , ALexanders, Waymans and the Ewarts used to socialise quite a bit together back then...
Thats right Mike.
Last I hear the waynemans were in England somewhere. The folks here used to have contact with them around Christmas every year. They even popped over the sea for a holiday way back in the 80's. Not sure what the correspondance is like these days though.
Gary
The German Music teacher you refer to is none other than my late step mother Eleonore Sumter (nee Loosen).
She was a child prodigy and has her name recorded in some book in Cologne as a child prodigy. Very eccentric to say the least. Eleonore taught at OMD primary I think from 1967/8? to 1969?. She was the reason I ended up in OMD as an appie. My father and I visited her in 68? and stayed with some local geologist? for the weekend.
The little girl is my half sister Nicole who has a Phd in Chemistry (Do a google search for Dr.Nicole Vorster).
The pic of Eleonore, Nicol and the Ovambo houseboy was taken in the garden of the cottages she lived in behind the mess. Eleanore died of cancer a few years ago. The other pic (circa 1972) is of Eleanore standing behind my late Dad's 1964 Citroen DS Pallas at our family home in Kenilworth CT just off Rosmead Avenue.
Did not know that connection .. as you said talented and eccentric ..
Wow Leon. impressive...i also never heard of this!
:nono1:
Not long after this, Eleonore's eldest daughter from a previous marriage, Cornelia arrived in OMD to visit Eleonore and not too long after this she and Gerry Kermis got married. Two children, Dominic and Geraldine were the result of this marriage. Both Dominic and Geraldine (now married) live in Cape Town. Cornelia also died of cancer some time later. Gerry also died of cancer several years later and I met Mike Hardman at Gerry's funeral. Gerry was a fine and very cultured gentleman and I remember working in the earthmoving transmission bay at Uublvey where he was an absolute expert on the hydraulics of the 641, 633 and 657 Caterpillar excavators. There was always a big issue to determine whether the fault on the transmissions was electric or mechanical.
just recalled as well that Gerry had a brother Roger Kermis who also lived in OMD. Poles apart these two brothers. Roger was a rather unusual character, quite the opposite to Gerry.
Has anybody had contact with Gilbert (Gilly) Kermis?
BTW Eleonore was a professional concert pianist.
Eleonore a concert pianist ... very much so my quote ... I remember the one time she played some 45 minute + long piano concerto from memory nogal at a prize giving function held in the rec club main hall .. I heard some snorking behind me halfway through the rendition .. looked around and there was Mrs Delport ( they used to stay across the road from us in second avenue ) she was a huge woman .. there was she fast asleep and slowly falling sideways onto her Husband sitting next to her .. he was kind of half the size and valiantly trying to prop her up and nudge her awake at the same time .. Leon all we could see was the hands flying back and forth and the expression of musical passion of her body as she was playing .. And as you described Gilberts father a true gentleman ... Yes ..
@Gilbert works in CPT for DebMarine, Flies up to Oranjemund now and again, will not be at the reunion as he has to go to JHB or Durbs,,,,, He is on the forum and has made a few posts....
Hi Guys
I see Gilbert (Gilleys) Kermis from time to time as I still work for De Beers Marine SA.
please give him my regards Lance.
Hi Lance.
do you think you could ask him to get his brother Robert on the board. He used to be in my class at OPS.
Georg
OK guys will do. Saw Gilbert today but will pass messages on when I see him again. Stay well.