I thought that I would show all you old timer's how the old Christmas Tree Equipment , long since abandoned is lying in the sun at the Mule Derby site..... This stuff was last used about 5 years back, the Christmas Tree no longer happens....
:'(
The Christmas tree lights .. That was one of the jobs I had when I was an appie at Town Electric circa 75/76 .( remember Gunther Machts ? ) We had this International truck with the hydraulic tower on the back .. so one would move from pole to pole .. raise the tower .. bolting on the metal light frames and stringing the lights from pole to pole as well .. then making sure that they all worked and doing all the colours in a nice disorderly sequence as the mood took me .. One morning early I was doing the strings of lights over the post office what was then the butcher and hairdressers .. hanging over the edge of the roof .. of course all the ladies in the salon having work done on their hair .. first your nostrils were assaulted by the smell of some of the devils piss chemicals used in those days and then the finishing touches of too much hairspray which was laced with alcohol .. then the head started to spin .. no wonder the ozone layer got damaged .. they were pumping CFC's into the atmosphere with abandon then ... my Dad still gave me a fright . he told me that he was driving through Town just as I finished the lights .. told me that he saw a dog raise its leg against one of the lamp posts and it ran away yelping .. I went cold thinking Omigawd I better go fix problem now before somebody gets shocked ... I rushed of only to be told to relax he was having me on ... There was in earlier years a huge Santa that was perched on the shopping center roof during Christmas season with head motorized to nod benevolently at all who came to see the wonder of the Christmas lights ... as you said all good things came to an end .. more cosy was the Christmas parties for the kids at the Lodge ... do they still exist ??
MIke, my Dad, Ronnie Jew, and others made the round-about with the planes on. Originally they had Small CO2 cylinders made up to look like bombs & rockets & some had machine guns made up from pipe & the metal mesh from inside filters.
Somehwere in a box is an old cine movie of the thing being tested before us kids were allowed on it
Clive, strange you mention that, as Ann Greenway sent me a few days back , some snaps with those exact gas cylinder planes. I intend using those snaps in a few weeks... Her dad filmed them on Supe8mm back then and then put them onto VHS/ then dvd and she ripped stills , so not the best quality, but gives you goosebumps to see that history.... really appreciate thos eold stuff she sends me...
;D
Hey Clive,
Where did Ronnie Jew and his family land up? I can recall he always wore a bow tie. I think he used to keep a springbok in his garden ........ And no, I don't mean Morne Du Plessis!
Nicky, you'r right about Ronnie Jew, alway wore a bow tie, carried a Radio, and was always prepared to mussel it. To tell the truth I dont know what happened to him, Iwould ask Milo Puda but I beleive he's gone back overseas.
Last I heard of Trevor Jew, Ronnies son was that he was still flying either for the Airforce or commercially .
Clive, Milo is still here, only going back to Serbia in about a months time I believe, He would be on this site, but has packed up his PC and reckons he will sign on when set up in Serbia.
Another Old timer going, one of the very last.... We brewed beer together, Milo, Werner and myself.... very dangerous hobby! ;D
Clive, just spoke to ol Milo in Spar now, reckons Ronnie Jew, passed away a few years back at Warmbad in the Transvaal. He was working as a barman at the time, this is ironic because he was against liquor... His son Trevor is apparantley up in Pretoria somewhere... Ronnie would have been about 88 years if he was alive still..
source...... MIlo Pudar
:-\
Hi Mike and Clive,
I was sorry to hear about old Ronnie Jew. Yes he was always a very friendly and spritely man. Strange to think of him as a barman, as you say Mike. I wonder what ever happened to his pet springbok? I can't remember Milo. Where did he work?
Ronnie Jew .. Mr walk and talk .. bowtie and the sleeves always rolled up , not afraid to dirty the hands a bit .. a very very principled man and always on a mission , so it was a regular thing if anybody wanted time they had to walk and talk .. he also had the earlier version of a Palm pilot with erasable screen .. IOW ballpoint pen and palm of hand .. simple you wrote things down and then washed it away when not needed ... He also had a thing with speeding on the mines in the earlier days and was one of the proponents of putting in governors on vehicles .. just one of the many interesting people that made up our town and its history ...
Ronnie Jew,
That brings back a memory of one June school holday, 1971?
Our family used to go to a guest farm in norhtern Namibia which was owned by friends of my parents.
Ronnie Jew had heard about it through my father and decided to have his family join us in 71.
They zoomed ahead of us in their Chev Commando because Ronnie said he wanted to get there by lunch the following day.
My father said we were going to take our time (we had a 6 cyl station wagen Land Rover) and get there for afternoon tea which was at 1600. In those days the Germans also had a kip in the afternoons just after lunch till about 1500 (hot time of the day)
Cut a long story short, when we approached the farm house which was a long way off the main road in northern Namibia, we found Ronnie and his family stuck up to the bottom of the car in a dry river bed. They had been there for 4 hours, we pulled them out and arrived at the farm house together ready for tea time.
Ronnie also tried to get us children involved in work on the farm, but we made sure we fanished into the bush with the farmer's children with Trevor in tow.
Trevor was involved and apparently lead the rescue mission of a Russian ship's crew stuck in the antartic, 2 to 3 years ago, for which he received recognition and a medal from the Russians later at the consulate. There was an article in the Cape Times. My cousin who was the OC at Waterkloof airbase and military attache' to India new Trevor well, in the air force he was known as the "Mad Jew" apparently very adventurous and daring.
Keep well.
Richard 8)
Although It did'nt do much, except go around in an endless circle, whilst moving up and down, the dragon was my favourite ride. Somehow that towering tail stuck in my mind......
;D
As a kid....this ride first scared the living daylights out of me. Nothing was as fierce-looking as that dragon when you're 4 or 5, ...with an exception.... :o Mrs Castle...
i can't remember it as a kid, the dragon ride that is, however, I do remember watching a cini film and Shelley and I were wearing yellow dresses with hats to match and we were crying, boy we did not like that ride. Our Stef on the other hand did....I remember the balloons u used to beable to get. They would blow away and touch ground and pop, we would be in tears, but funny watching yourself run after them in nappies.....