Greetings from a new member (Charl Theron)

[Charl Theron]

What a site to stumble onto! Bringing back fond memories of my (very shy, but sporty) childhood. Anyways, introductions are in order.

Born in Oranjemund (1968) and went to school at OPS until 1981 (std. 5). We use to live arguably in one of the best spots in Oranjemund: 20/9th  Ave, the 1st house from the movie theatre karate/boxing/squash club. Andre, Egon and Liesel Fourie (who I believe married Andre Bezuidenhout) lived next to us. I assume Egon is still in Oranjemund? If so, would love to make contact with him.

Blimey! I even remember our phone number now, 168! It was later changed to (3)168 as the exchange added some extra numbers due to the increasing population, no doubt.

I remember my specific Std. 5 class was very small, about 11 pupils – Izak Bergh my teacher - and the following names I still remember from that final year of school before I left for Paarl Gymnasium:

Jacques Neser
His father was the resident helicopter pilot and I had some exhilarating (illegal!) flying experiences going with Jacques and his dad on short air trips over weekends. One such weekend sticks in my memory while visiting the helicopter berth (on the way to the beach/golf club). Jacques and I took pot-shots with my air rifle at earmuff coverings  - his father washed them and was drying them on a line outside the helicopter berth.

We perforated the coverings from a distance behind a dune, only to be caught out later in the afternoon when his father was ready to do another air trip. Our excuse: We thought they were doll clothes hanging on the washing line. Which obviously did not help Mr. Neser's rage or alleviated our predicament.

Pierre Swart
Was an excellent squash player and had provincial colours (SWD, George area??) later in his life when he left high school. If memory serves, he used to play with one of my Dad's friends, the late Charl (CG) van der Merwe. CG was the local Sanlam representative before my mother took his business over in the 1980's. I think my mom also worked with a lady (the Muller's) who's one son (Gert?) was a decent golf player, as was his dad.

George Faul
Have not seen him since he left for high school (in Wellington)

Andre du Toit
Had the pleasure of meeting him recently, coming back from a Russian trip. I believe he's a registered member here?

Francois Bosman
He was the local traffic officer's son and I met him in Stellenbosch in early 1990's before he left for a work stint in Dubai.

Hannes Pieterse
Had an older brother (and sister?) AFAIK, the Pieterse family were in Barnato (green) house, since I clearly remember the friendly rivalry I had with Hannes on the athletics tracks competing against him as I was in Rhodes house. Still remember the vivacious/outgoing Liesel de Jager in her skimpy red dress urging as cheerleader the house of Rhodes on to scream at the top of their lungs!

Tatjana Salchow
Her father was my Dad's direct boss for many years.

And Michele Fourie

Mmm, my memory is failing the other names, but I still see the faces.

Speak later,
Charl

[Michele Alexander (Voden)]

Welcome to the forum Charl (yet another Rhodes member I'm happy to see!) I'm sure you are going to have a great time catching up on forgotten memories and also being able to contribute a lot of stories others will have forgotten!

Just beware this site is rather addictive!

[WESSEL WESSELS]

hi charl
charl to over from my dad wynand wessels when we left in1969,carl was a big wine collertor in 1995 he collected his last lot by us on our farm in klawer and had the fattal accedent near riversdal on the way to george.my late dad also played squash, i think your dad was younger than dad(85).

[Michael Alexander]

Hey Charl, welcome onboard..... Jy mag Afrikaans tik as jy wil....

Egon FOurie is still here and our neighbour is his boet, Andre Fourie.... yep,, and Liesel is also here, married to Andre Bezuidenhout....so there are still a couple of old timers floating around...

Please continue to share your emories and have fun...

[Charl Theron]

Thank you Michele.

Hello Wessel. Yes, my dad (he is currently the manager of the Mosselbay yacht club for the last few years in his "retirement years") was certainly younger than Charl (CG) v/d Merwe. My dad's now in his early 60's. My mom played squash too, if memory serves, she was the Oranjemund woman's champion in the middle 70's.

My mom and dad kept contact with Charl v/d Merwe when he moved to George. We visited them reguarly in George.  Last year I stopped and climbed out at the the exact spot/bridge next to the road where Charl's trailer jack-knifed and he lost his life tragically. There is still a small board there with his details.

My father use to co-organize the fishing trips (Oranjemund Angling club) to Meob Bay with various friends, i.e. Frans van Rooyen, Wikkie Steyn, Pine Laubscher (the father of Karen & Marcel), Kanniewarrie etc. - I see Frans van Rooyen posted some pictures here. His youngest son use to be friends with my brother, Louwtjie.

Anyway, I lived since 1987 in Stellenbosch - had been in the wine export business until 3 years ago, but moved recently to Sir Lowry's Village in Somerset West. My current hobby is being shouted and swore at while officiating soccer games in the PSL. Happily married to a Portuguese, have 2 daughters (9 & 11) that currently are going to school in Estoril/Cascais in Portugal for this year with their mom - her idea to brush up on the Porra language for the kids!

I still now and then see the sons of Billy Summer, Craig and Brett, as I played football for the University of Stellenbosch in the early 90's and met them there. Craig was the VERY able social manager that had outstanding social parties at the Maties soccer club.  

Grief, I should stop. The more I type, the more the memories come back of people I met/remembered from Oranjemund, inluding my parents friends !

PS:
Michael, only saw your message now. Hello there. If memory serves, you were a year (or 2) behind me in OPS and a classmate of that tall English speaking Laubscher boy?
So used to English as a typed/spoken language now - we speak english in my household, while I "swear" in Portuguese if my daughters works me up - and conversing with the soccer Premier League (PSL) working environment in English only that I even dream the damn Soutie taal, can you believe it? Sacrilege for an Afrikaans laaitie! ;-)

Is Egon/Liesel Fourie on this board?

[georg ruf jr.]

Then you must have lived next to the Jones family. Can't remember their first names.

[Charl Theron]

Hi there. Nope.

We had no neighbours on our left (West side of house), only the Fourie's (Andre, Egon, Liesel; their father was a land surveyor) on the East side. I believe our house was made now in to a Guest House a few years ago. It's the very first house you see right opposite the main entrance/exit of the Rec hall. There was a parking lot next to our house, and 20m-30m from our house was the Movie Theatre house. The Karate club was 5m(!) from our backyard.

[georg ruf jr.]

I do recal Carl. I know exactly where you mean. Maybe they lived 2 or 3 houses further on. Wish I could remember their sons name. Must've been about 2 years older than me.

[Michael Alexander]

Thats correct Charl, I was indeed two years behind you..... I remeber Bossies kid, Francois Bosman.....he lived in 3rd avenue...

THe Nesser kid, where did he live, I remember the Van Der Nests lived up at 5-1st ave, I got confused perhaps with Nesser , Ausserho(s) and Nesser...

The tall kid, was Jacques Laubscher, He still comes to Oranjemund every now and again and has a business down near Kraaifontein...

The sad thing, is a lot of the Afrikaaner, no disrespect intended, up here tend to shun away from the internet, use PC's at work, but not at home, I just handed Bumper (anton Burden) a copy of this topic..... Most of them know about the site and have registered their names, but do not post or visit....

Other name that springs to mind from your era, Boetie Brink, MArtin NIemand is still here...

..

[Charl Theron]

Ha! I remember Boetie Brink, he was 1 or 2 years younger and was also later in Paarl Gimnasium with me. But it was his older sister that had my blood boiling, Karin Brink. Though come to think of it, there was no snowball's hope in hell I would have done anything about it, as I use to then blush sun-red just thinking about her, hehe.

For us Afrikaans speaking kids the English speaking kids - no offence intended/implied here by the way - when it came to socialising with the opposite sex, were just horrendously "naughty", as the few visits to the Davies club could attest in the 70's.  :) So damn innocent then, me anyway.

Anyway, I did have some fun English speaking friends then, and remember that Jacques Laubscher was one funny dude that use to make you laugh very easily, always the best way to smooth language barriers over.

I'll stay in touch, but will be off the internet until after this weekend. Will sure want to peruse this site further. I have to officate Mamelodi Sundowns vs Golden Arrows tomorrow in Durban at 15:30, and since I have been away in Portugal for 6 weeks and just came back (thus I had no damn summer to speak of!) I will make sure I swim after the match at Durban's North Beach before I fly home Sunday, 'cause sharks don't attack Afrikaans speaking swimmers at night, only the "souties" we use to say during our stay in Oranjemund  :-)

[Charl Theron]

THe Nesser kid, where did he live, I remember the Van Der Nests lived up at 5-1st ave, I got confused perhaps with Nesser , Ausserho(s) and Nesser...
.

Jaques Neser lived 2 streets behind the shoppping mall (going due south now from the mall). What street was that? 6th Avernue? The Neser's use to have one of the longest alleys behind their house, the narrow strip between 2 rows of houses flanked on each side by 2m high fences - had a adirt track I use to cycle like crazy with my Red Chopper bicycle. Yes! have to admit I had one; it was the coolest bike - or so I believed  - in town. :)

[Bertie Horak]

Great memory Charl- best alley to race down with your bike, almost completely covered with branches of trees hanging over the narrow alley, and it seemed to be a mile long!  Including a lemon and naartjie tree where we "depsed" some to eat.

[Charl Theron]

Hello Bertie,

I use to remember my Mom speaking of the Horak's, but even with your face here on the forum, cant for the life of me remember you. You have a 70's school photo? Trying to discover my Std 3 -- Std 5 (1979-1981) class/athletics photo's here as I have seen them a year ago...somewhere? Damn, this is driving me crazy. I have been warned not to delve in the past here, hehe. Dangerous for your health.

I remembered an athletics tour to Queenstown in 1978 or 1979 with only me, Mickey Steyn and Cornel Schreuder. Why we were only 3 kids from OPS on tour I cant remember, but it was fun! Mickey was one naughty boy, and I just followed him like a puppy everywhere, being a year or 2 older than me.

[Michael Alexander]

I was an Appie with Mickey Steyn, I was 1st year when He was a 3rd year...

I live in 6th ave and the long alley ends in my garden, the previous people living in this house, had the ally blocked and incorporated the alley into their garden as a fern bed.,...

Where did Mona Brink fit into the Brink picture?

[Charl Theron]

Where did Mona Brink fit into the Brink picture?

I only knew a KAREN Brink. I think her dad passed away due to cancer already in the 90's? Mona? I think you are on your own with this one Mike ;-)