The Christmas Tree Equipment!

[Michael Alexander]

I thought that I would show all you old timer's how the old Christmas Tree Equipment , long since abandoned is lying in the sun at the Mule Derby site..... This stuff was last used about 5 years back, the Christmas Tree no longer happens....

:'(

[Sandy Buchanan]

The  Christmas  tree  lights  .. That  was  one  of  the jobs  I had  when  I  was  an  appie  at  Town Electric circa 75/76  .( remember Gunther  Machts ? )  We  had  this  International  truck  with  the  hydraulic  tower   on  the  back ..  so  one would  move from pole to  pole ..   raise  the tower  .. bolting on the   metal   light  frames   and  stringing  the   lights  from  pole to  pole  as  well .. then  making  sure  that  they  all  worked   and  doing  all  the  colours  in  a  nice  disorderly  sequence as  the  mood  took  me .. One  morning  early I was  doing  the  strings of  lights over  the  post office   what  was  then  the  butcher  and  hairdressers  .. hanging over the  edge  of the roof .. of  course  all  the ladies  in the  salon having  work  done  on  their  hair  .. first  your  nostrils  were  assaulted  by   the  smell of  some of the devils  piss  chemicals   used   in  those days  and  then  the  finishing  touches  of  too  much hairspray   which  was laced  with  alcohol ..   then  the head  started  to  spin ..   no wonder  the  ozone  layer  got damaged  .. they were  pumping  CFC's   into  the  atmosphere  with  abandon  then ...  my  Dad  still  gave  me  a  fright  .  he  told  me  that  he was  driving  through  Town   just  as I   finished  the lights  ..  told  me  that  he saw  a  dog  raise  its  leg  against  one  of  the lamp posts  and it  ran  away  yelping  .. I  went cold  thinking  Omigawd  I  better go  fix  problem  now before  somebody  gets shocked ... I  rushed of  only  to  be  told  to  relax  he  was having me  on ...  There  was  in  earlier  years  a  huge  Santa  that  was  perched  on  the  shopping  center roof   during  Christmas  season   with  head  motorized  to  nod  benevolently  at all  who  came  to  see  the  wonder of  the  Christmas  lights ...   as  you  said  all  good things  came to  an  end ..   more  cosy  was  the  Christmas  parties  for  the  kids  at  the Lodge ...   do  they  still exist ??

[Clive Symes]

MIke, my Dad, Ronnie Jew, and others made the round-about with the planes on. Originally they had Small CO2 cylinders made up to look like bombs & rockets & some had machine guns made up from pipe & the metal mesh from inside filters.

Somehwere in a box is an old cine movie of the thing being tested before us kids were allowed on it

[Michael Alexander]

Clive, strange you mention that, as Ann Greenway sent me a few days back , some snaps with those exact gas cylinder planes. I intend using those snaps in a few weeks... Her dad filmed them on Supe8mm back then and then put them onto VHS/ then dvd and she ripped stills , so not the best quality, but gives you goosebumps to see that history.... really appreciate thos eold stuff she sends me...

;D

[Nicky Hodge]

Hey Clive,

Where did Ronnie Jew and his family land up? I can recall he always wore a bow tie. I think he used to keep a springbok in his garden ........ And no, I don't mean Morne Du Plessis!

[Clive Symes]

Nicky, you'r right about Ronnie Jew, alway wore a bow tie, carried a Radio, and was always prepared to mussel it. To tell the truth I dont know what happened to him, Iwould ask Milo Puda but I beleive he's gone back overseas.

Last I heard of Trevor Jew, Ronnies son was that he was still flying either for the Airforce or commercially .

[Michael Alexander]

Clive, Milo is still here, only going back to Serbia in about a months time I believe, He would be on this site, but has packed up his PC and reckons he will sign on when set up in Serbia.

Another Old timer going, one of the very last.... We brewed beer together, Milo, Werner and myself.... very dangerous hobby!   ;D

[Michael Alexander]

Clive, just spoke to ol Milo in Spar now, reckons Ronnie Jew, passed away a few years back at Warmbad in the Transvaal. He was working as a barman at the time, this is ironic because he was against liquor... His son Trevor is apparantley up in Pretoria somewhere... Ronnie would have been about 88 years if he was alive still..

source...... MIlo Pudar

:-\

[Nicky Hodge]

Hi Mike and Clive,
I was sorry to hear about old Ronnie Jew. Yes he was always a very friendly and spritely man. Strange to think of him as a barman, as you say Mike. I wonder what ever happened to his pet springbok? I can't remember Milo. Where did he work?

[SandyB]

Ronnie  Jew ..  Mr  walk and talk  ..   bowtie  and the  sleeves always  rolled  up , not  afraid  to  dirty  the  hands  a  bit ..   a  very  very principled   man   and  always  on a   mission ,   so   it  was  a regular  thing  if  anybody  wanted  time  they  had to    walk  and talk  .. he  also  had the  earlier  version of  a Palm  pilot  with  erasable  screen .. IOW  ballpoint pen  and  palm  of hand .. simple you wrote  things down  and  then  washed  it  away when not  needed ...   He  also  had a  thing with   speeding  on  the  mines  in  the earlier  days  and  was  one  of  the  proponents  of  putting  in  governors  on  vehicles .. just  one  of the  many  interesting   people  that  made  up  our  town  and its  history ...

[Richard Opperman]

Ronnie Jew,

That brings back a memory of one June school holday, 1971?

Our family used to go to a guest farm in norhtern Namibia which was owned by friends of my parents.
Ronnie Jew had heard about it through my father and decided to have his family join us in 71.
They zoomed ahead of us in their Chev Commando because Ronnie said he wanted to get there by lunch  the following day.

My father said we were going to take our time (we had a 6 cyl station wagen Land Rover) and get there for afternoon tea which was at 1600. In those days the Germans also had a kip in the afternoons just after lunch till about 1500 (hot time of the day)

Cut a long story short, when we approached the farm house which was a long way off the main road in  northern Namibia, we found Ronnie and his family stuck up to the bottom of the car in a dry river bed. They had been there for 4 hours, we pulled them out and arrived at the farm house together ready for tea time.

Ronnie also tried to get us children involved in work on the farm, but we made sure we fanished into the bush with the farmer's children with Trevor in tow.

Trevor was involved and apparently lead the rescue mission of a Russian ship's crew stuck in the antartic, 2 to 3 years ago, for which he received recognition and a medal from the Russians later at the consulate. There was an article in the Cape Times. My cousin who was the OC at Waterkloof airbase and military attache' to India new Trevor well, in the air force he was known as the "Mad Jew" apparently very adventurous and daring.

Keep well.
Richard  8)

 

[Michael Alexander]

Although It did'nt do much, except go around in an endless circle, whilst moving up and down, the dragon was my favourite ride. Somehow that towering tail stuck in my mind......

;D

[Stephen Brooke]

As a kid....this ride first scared the living daylights out of me.  Nothing was as fierce-looking as that dragon when you're 4 or 5, ...with an exception.... :o Mrs Castle...

[Sharon]

i can't remember it as a kid, the dragon ride that is, however, I do remember watching a cini film and Shelley and I were wearing yellow dresses with hats to match and we were crying, boy we did not like that ride. Our Stef on the other hand did....I remember the balloons u used to beable to get. They would blow away and touch ground and pop, we would be in tears, but funny watching yourself run after them in nappies.....