The Oranjemund West Shopping Centre

[Nicky Hodge]

Does anyone remember the West Shopping Centre? Is it still used as a shopping centre? If not,what happened to it, and what is it used for these days? 

[barb (Fry)]

I remember the west shop, they sold t shirts with an american flavour.
I had a Red Sox t shirt.  They also sold a lot of soul and blues, vinyl of course.
it was open at differant times to centre in town, like on Sat afternoons and sundays.

[Nicky Hodge]

Yeah, that's right, some very Bohemian styles too. They had some very " different "   merchandise, which in hindsight was part of the attraction I guess.

[barb (Fry)]

all part of the transition, me thinks.
but it was like forbidden fruit.

[Michael Alexander]

Damn! I knew I forgot to photograph something..... West Shopping centre is now a boxing club/ Elcirn church, the little cafe section on the west is still there and is being run by an afrikaans guy that thinks he is portuguese! private business,

In the open space just to the west of the west cafe, is another private building that went up 2 years back, and is Oranjemund's first private bottle store....owned by a chap called Steven Aktoffel, a good businessman....

Pictures will follow soon,

by the way there will be an update on the main site 2morrow afternoon....

;)

[Bev Burchell]

Gosh... I used to work there way back in 1980 with Balletjies Mathee's mom and Vic Barra!!  Mrs Natie Steyn was also there.  We had some good giggles we did and yes the merchandise was different.... I remember seeing a diamond ring that was for sale for about R200 ... outisde it cost about R700 but it had been there so long no one noticed.... i decided I would buy it on the next payday but someone also saw the bargain and beat me to it!!

[Michael Alexander]

Bev, that sounds like the day when the shopping centre made a bugger up with the prices in the mens Dept, Everything went for about 70% less, and I mean everything, I remember everyone walking around with those cheap Dallas straw hats.... Aha, anothe rmemory... DALLAS!

;D

[Bev Burchell]

Probably ... but another one I remember is buying all the beef fillet from the town shopping centre cause it was marked as pork fillet and obviously cost half!  I did the honest thing and told Natie Steyn after I had paid for it all... she was hopping mad but couldnt do anything about it.

[Michael Alexander]

I wonder what happened to natie? I know she was working at Port Nolloth Spar a good few years back, seeing that she had retired to mcDougals Bay..... And where did Mickey go to?

???

He was a 3rd year appie when I got to the training  centre, used to enjoy shocking us....!

[Bev Burchell]

Hi... I bumped into Natie a good couple of years ago in Table View... and I think almost she is living down here somewhere now.... she goes to the Pensioners Xmas party... I will attend this year and will then be able to update on a lot of the oldies. 

[Michael Alexander]

Thanks Bev, it's a pity a lot of the older clan are'nt pc inclined, otherwise this forum would be raging with stories from those days.....

I remember Natie and daan( I think) lived in 5th avenue next to the circle, and Bob and Alice Ferrie lived next door, Saturday afternoon would find my mom, Vi and Alice, in their warmed up after Sporties mood gatecrashing the Steyn's house for Irish coffee's... I think natie tried to protest, but underneath I think she quite enjoyed the company....

;)

[Nada Ulbrich (Rall)(RIP)]

What a coincidence!  Natie phoned me on Sunday.  She is living in Table View. Her health is not good, she has been diagnosed with lung cancer but is doing well with chemo.  She is grandmother of 3.  Mickey has 1 child and Daphne 2.  They are also in Cape Town area.

[Bev Burchell]

Thanks Nada ... oh gosh that is terrible news... I will make an attempt to find her this week as I really love her to bits.  I worked with Oom Dan at Personnel as well.

stay well