Remember the guys fawkes nights at the lodge, lots of fireworks, a huge bonfire that the fathers spent a week building. Everyone building their own guy to chuck on the bonefire.. and the sparklers. Then fireworks got banned and Joe Twiggs (the local Pharmacist and Irishman of note) began mixing chemical compounds in the dispensary and made his own fireworks. Then later in the evening, as the bonfire got cool enough to approach, we would take burning embers and make lots of small fires all over the place (thank god we lived in a desert). And then, if you were brave enough you would go pay a midnight visit to the cemetary
Also we used to go chameleon hunting in the desert from time to time... we never realy saw many chameleons but caught a shithouse full of lizards though... more than enough to send my mom into a fit...
Oh, how lame, I'm posting a reply to myself... it's almost as bad as e-mailing yourself (which I don't do that often) but I remember the last time we had 'legal' fireworks at the lodge (late 70's early 80's) one of the parents dropped a cigarette of match into the box of fireworks and they all went off at once and in all directions... amazingly no-one was hurt, all us kids thought it was the best display ever though!!!
Hi Paul, I am so glad that the homemade fireworks left an impression, but just for the record - I was the one who carefully crafted those things in the hospital lab, Joe helped out by handing over some of the chemicals that I did not have in my stock. I remember fiddling for day to get the mixtures correct, trying to solve the problem of the correct containers and most of all the fuse mechanisms. Truth be told they were only marginally effective, but the kids loved them. I was actually embarrassed by the performance of the little fire sticks and was glad when it was over. But the bonfire was huge and the dads were mostly driven home by the moms. It was a time of great fondness, and extended family, halcyon days. I had very proud now to learn that my seemingly failed attempts at pyrotechnics left an impression on you. Makes me smile.. widely.
All the best. Les Marshall - Bern, Switzerland.
Hey Les,
Yes indeed, I do remember Joe bringing some of the powders to my dad's house for a braai and mumbling about the need to get the composition right... and the right thickness PVC pipe too... nice to know that you are partly to blam for my pyrotechnic tendances
I remember one Guy Fawkes night, about the 1960's, my dad (Harry Smith) had Sandy Buchannan on his shoulders and they were lighting the fireworks and we were all enjoying ourselves. My dad had just put Sandy down, then a rocket went off and hit my dad in the chest, and with the bang my dad fell to the floor, but luckily he was ok. And the MOTHS rewarded him with a big brass cross for being so brave.
Mavis
Did the Moths also do fireworks in those days? I wonder how many clubs all together have hosted fireworks, I know the cricket club had one about 9 years back....
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Hi ,Mike yes they did .Mavis
I wonder know if the moths and the masons had a fireworks display on the same night?
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Hello Les, I remember you well and also Joe Twiggs and his wife. "Days of our lives!!"
Congrats for making loads of children's Guy Fawkes something to remember!
Hello again Les
Is Liz still nursing? She will remember the birth of my son Rhett as she took care of me during my days in Ward 7 How spoilt we were in those days. Actually I remember taking Nicholas' folks cat "Tommy" to the hospital after hours when we came back to O'mund in 1990 for a visit and for the birth of our daughter Alexa in the same ward 7, to be put down, as the vet had just been for his three monthly visit, Bob and Joy were too saddened to take him to the vet and the cat was almost dead on his feet.I cannot remember the name of the lovely tall young lady (could have been Jennifer?) who was a nurse, and she actually put him to sleep for me.
The memories I have of Guy Fawks night was when Patrick Mccarthy had a stash of fire crackers in one of his trouser pockets, and with all the other fireworks going off, somehow a spark ignited these, and went off inside the pocket. He was quite badly burnt if my memory serves me right. Could have been worse,...... Could have lost his nuts !! Does anyone know where Patrick is these days?
Another occasion was when Jimmy Gerstner took his son Richard and I to the sand quarry, and allowed us to fire one of his automatic rifles into the quarry banks. This was really cool at the time. He also fired off a flare or two ...... Awesome, when you are just a kid. ( I believe Jimmy has passed on now). Does anyone know where Richard is these days? The last I heard, he was working in Saudi or somewhere in the Middle East. What about his Mom, Jenny?
Also, who could forget those Namibian chameleons? They used to puff up and hiss at you with their bright orange open mouths, when approached.
Is Paul McCarthy related to Patrick McCarthy and where does Theresa McCarthy fit into the picture?
I saw a Paul McCarthy at Bob Ferrie's Funeral in Cpt in Feb.
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Teresa and Patrick were related. Teresa was Patrick's little sister. She had a son in 1985 but I have no idea where she is now What about Dawn Thornton? Daughter of Brian Thornton and the Claassens?
Theresa was in my class way back in OPS, I always remember the McCarthy kids sitting on those 2 green chairs opposite the kitchen at the Sportsmans, for some reason or other!
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Yeah Mike,
Paul McCarthy was Patricks' older brother!
Brian retired to Saldanah where he's sailing around much too better. Steven Claasen, last I heard runs an electrical business in Darling.