Do anyone remember the sirens that went off every day to remind you of the time?

[Alfred Boehme]

And when the news papers arrived "There are still 2 sirens operational in town" when everybody is here at the end of the year I will sound the siren to welcome all the reunion members howa that sound Mike

[Michael Alexander]

Alfie, I like it... you my son are now on the Committee for the Reunion..... and official Reunion Photographer.....

[Charmain Meier (Heusdens)]

Now come on Mike, dont be a sissie. If you are planning to stay and switch the lights off, I am afraid your light will be off soon after youhave switched off the lights.  Come to think of it, many elderly couples that retired during my stay in Oranjemund could not handle the city life and then they passed away.  Dont let this happen to you, "JY GAAN LEKKER JOL IN DIE STAD" WHERE NO ONE KNOWS YOU".

Charmain

[Carl Wrbka]

Don't forget the sirens on Sunday mornings to inform the humble peasants that the Rapport and Sunday Times had arrived.

[georg ruf jr.]

Is that true? Can't remember at all.

[Michael Alexander]

Sunday AFternoons, about 13h00 till 15h00.... depending on the condition of the port Nolloth road....

[Carl Wrbka]

Weren't the papers flown in by company transport? I never really bothered to find out. I just remember being sent off for a Sunday Times after hearing the hooter on Sunday.

[Michael Alexander]

I don't know, I do know these days it comes by road....

[Alfred Boehme]

I think they flew in via Alexanderbay airport?

[Carl Wrbka]

Thats how I remember it as well. I believe they used the company jet, but I'm not 100% sure.

[Clive Symes]

Just reading all your comments,
Each one of us has our own reasons for living where we did, its safe,  its comfortable, we're with / close to family and a whole host of other reasons.
One of the GM's (no names mentioned) stated that the mine owed its employees nothing more than the cheque for their services at the end of each month and they should expect nothing more. (if you want loyalty get yourself a dog)
To me it was in stark contrast to what values the early GM's placed on their employees, when Oranjemund was more like a family, where we all knew each other and were making Oranjemund home.
I lived there from 1952 to 2004 (52 years) always knowing it would never be a permanent home, home is where you live with your family.
Over the years, "my family", immediate and extended ( whether actually blood related or not) family have moved away from Oranjemund, so over the years my roots have moved all over the world.
I now live in Cape Town, but people I called Uncle's & Aunt's and their children are all over these pages, some I was closer to than others, but these are the family I am talking about.
Yes De Beers, through its policys and practices, did do a lot of us a dis-service. The worst I can think of was they undermined our confidence in our own abilities to sucseed in the great outside.
Those of us that have left, know we are worth more than we were given due for while working for the company, however they did give many of us the correct tools to sucseed.

( YES Kenny, Except for those of us that cant Spell - but thats why we have a spell check (if you want to use it))

[Michael Alexander]

   Well put Clive, but some of us still living here, do intend to make a success on the outside....

[Cherry (Alcock)]

Do you think you would still be there (stay) Mike when your cuties (girls) have to go to boarding school?  I think that must be one of the hardest decisons parents have/had to make when living there.  I must say that for me, I am glad I left when I did and had the oppoortunity to have my kids at home during their teenage years even if I can count a number of grey hairs they caused me as a single mum! 

[Michael Alexander]

They are gonna build a high school here... Yes! They are...... they will... they said they would ... they said so...build a high school......   

[georg ruf jr.]

Hallo Clive.
You just impressed me. Very critical words on DeBeers there. The site mainly shows the nice things people remember of OM. Especialy when it comes to talking about the times of youth.
Yes Cherry. It's true. A hard decision boarding school. On the other hand, boarding school change my life. The impressions from this time are so deep, they're burnt into my memories. I'm not talking about discovering the "interesting and exciting" things in life. It's about the way you were treated and had to learn to get on on your own.