Beauvallon Today!

[Barbara Eia (Brownless)]

What a sad state of affairs. fond memorries of the place, had my first car accident there, the mad weekends, taking cardboard and sliding down the grass slope and many many more memories.....Very upsetting....... :emot78:

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Beauvallon michael fishing on the Oranje

[Bertie Horak]

Just as I remember Michael!
We made history together.  There was a music concert to raise funds towards a grand piano.  Michael, Melanie Wilson and me played the first Piano Trio - It was called "Candle Light", by M. Ewing.
We also sang in the choir together.
Check this pick - isn't that TWO Ruf's standing to my right????

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

@ Bertie

Thanks for the pic, great stuff,

i have copied and send it to Marcel and Georg, Micha has no internet

Marcel is two to the left of Micha

I will resize the pic and post it via Photobucket

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

second row

L-R, 1 Marcel,  2 ???,    3 Michael  4 BERTIE HORAK

Third row

L-R   1 ??       2 Gert Muller

Middle the music teacher  Felix Niewoudt

[Bertie Horak]

Yes, I'm standing next to Michael.  I'm not sure who number 2 is, but I have this idea his surname was Vermeulen?
Good ol' days.  The photo was taken in front of the fish pond.  We were standing on rickety wooden benches. Gert Muller (behind Marcel) was rocking the one they were standing on, you can see on his face he was up to mischief.  I remember Felix Nieuwoudt giving him quite an earful after the photo session!

I have some trouble with my connection tonite.  Have to unplug and restart moden all the time.  Will give it a rest, and check in tomorrow.
Greetings from the Cape! Sleep well!

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Thanks Bertie

If you have more pics, send them, thats what we need here those memories 

[Bertie Horak]

I'm busy scanning Dad's slides, so as soon as I have more, I'll do so!
and  !

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Great Bertie, also tell us the stories that go with it

Many thanks

G-night

[Michael Alexander]

.... and don not forget Felix Niewoudt....

[Charmain Meier (Heusdens)]

This is very sad, I cannot believe that a beautiful place like Beauvallon ended up like this. I was planning to take a trip down memory lane over Dec/Jan 09, to the West Coast as we bought property at St Helena Bay, then take a drive up the west coast, to Namaqualand and then Oranjemund.  I think I must rather stay in Gauteng, I will most probably be too disappointed.  The saying goes:  No place is the same when one goes back a second time.  The only thing that looks the same is the old Dunvley gate which is now the Border post.

Charmain

[DUNJA WRBKA]

Yes I agree with you Charmain  I am having 2nd thoughts about the reunion because I have memories etched in my brain and affraid that seeing what Oranjemund currently looks like is going to change those fond memories.  As nice as it is to see pics of Oranjemund today, it is also very sad to see the decay over the years.  As nice as it was to see pics of the Oranjemund Riding Club, it breaks my heart having to see what the padocks and arena's look like.  Those use to be lush fields of lucern with everything looking spic and span...  :emot78:  SAD, very sad

[Dalene Steenkamp (Coetzee)]

I hear your argument, Dunja, but I want to put it in another way.  Has decay not attacked your own body, hair, figure and features due to years gone by?  (Please, I am not saying in any way you look bad...  this is just figurative explaining  -  age does not hold back on any person  -  some try to hide it with plastic surgery, botox and what ever  - no matter what is done  -  the years do not stand still.)  Therefore I think we must all realize first and foremost that Oranjemund, however secluded it's location, is not situated in the land that time forgot  -  due to all other influences, together with the impact of time, decay can be expected.  The kids growing up in Oranjemund today will in 20 years time say exactly the same thing we are saying now.  To use another example  -  what about Kolmanskop  -  what are those people who used to live there saying today should they still be alive.  We can never expect things to stay exactly the way they were in our past.  It is the memories we hold about what has been that is precious to us.  Yes, it is sad to come to terms with the fact that changes do happen, sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the good, but life has also shown us so many times over that our memories from childhood are not always proportioned correctly.  This makes me think of the Bee Gees song :  "When I was small and christmas trees were tall..."  -  when you grow up the christmas tree is much smaller and it's not always the biggest wrapped gift that makes you happiest.  To an aged partent, I think the biggest gift is to have all their children under the same roof at one time, wrapped in the warmth of love.

So, my point about this  - like I said in an earlier post as well  -  I'm going back to jot my memories and visit some of the old sites and places, but mostly I am going back for the people, for that's the only thing I know that time did not decay  -  the place I have for them all in my heart and to maybe be able to thank each and every one for the part they had in the formation of the Dalene I am today.

[SandyB]

So, my point about this  - like I said in an earlier post as well  -  I'm going back to jot my memories and visit some of the old sites and places, but mostly I am going back for the people, for that's the only thing I know that time did not decay  -  the place I have for them all in my heart and to maybe be able to thank each and every one for the part they had in the formation of the Dalene I am today.
[/quote]

Same for me .. jolt the memories ..  then carry on with life , thats my intent .. I go in eyes wide open ... I will be doing a lot of walking around .. just taking in the essence of what was .. the pictures  in my mind will just get the clarity they needed again ..  and my heart will feel good again ..

[DUNJA WRBKA]

First I just want to comment on the Choir photo that Bertie posted and will then do another posting on the decay of Oranjemund....

WOW Bertie!  3rd Row from the bottom, 2nd from the right is my brother ANDREAS WRBKA.  I really was surprised to see a pic of my brother.  Also I did not know that he ever sang in the choir.. beautiful

Bertie, were you in Andreas's class at school?