Affenrucken Single Quarters

[Michael Alexander]

Jock was on about a signboard on the way up there that said "BENS HOLIDAY INN"

???

[Michael Alexander]

It's sad to see how it's all been abandoned now.......

Tourism potential?     ???

[Alfred Boehme]

Malcolm
I never thought I would see a pic of the pool with water in, the heaters are still there pool pump also. I have walked arround there many a day and tried to work out how things where the mess (kitchen) been into the buildings seeing the old equipment ect. Thanks for the photo's now I know there must of been some great times there.

Alfred

[Malcolm Bertoni]

Hi Alfred

I remember now that the pool was heated and we used to have swims in the middle of the night with steam coming off  the water!
Along with the snooker table there was a dart board and table tennis table in the room off the dining room.  There was also a room at the western end of the single quarters that was a gymn full of equipment.
I've included a few more photos, including one of Ben the cook and one of the Aurus mountains where we drove to one long weekend. I have lots of photos of No 1 plant if anyone wants.
If possible post any new photos of Affenrucken and the surrounding area - it would be much appreciated.
My room was on the upper level of the single quarters, 4 doors down from the big rec room leading onto the swimming pool area.

Malcolm

[Alfred Boehme]

Malcolm

Some more photo's going to try and get a photo of your room

Alfred

[Alfred Boehme]

and more

[Alfred Boehme]

and the last few

Enjoy

Alred

[Clive Symes]

Alfred,
Thanks for the photos, I mentioned the Snooker table but did not think any one would go out there and photograph it.
Did you see the Old Sikorsky helicopter in the scrapyard behind the hill.???

[Michael Alexander]

Clive theres a topic on it's own....The Scrapyards on the mine!     :o

[Clive Symes]

Hell' Bells talk about an instant reply,

Thanks Mike

[Clive Symes]

Malcolm,
Thanks very much for the photos, especially the one of Ben in the Kitchen ay Affenrucken.

I remember a story about trips into the Desert taken by the single guys living at Affenrucken.

Basicly it was an Easter long weekend and the guys got to gether with a couple of landrovers and a Bedford truck. They went into the desert kitted out to hunt Gemsbok & trap Baboons in cages made from 25 mm roddeck mats.

Needless to say things went wrong and the guys were reported to Security.  I beleive that there was a trial and the culprits were fired.

Not much else was said, having lived out there can you remember this happening?

[Michael Alexander]

Anyone know what the population numbers were at Affenrucken....?    ???

[Alfred Boehme]

Clive we go down there from time to time, to reclaim HT poles and wire when we run low on stock I usualy take the opertunity to take a few pics. The history about some of the places arround our little town interests me a lot. Sometimes I wish I was a little older then would of had the opertunity to be there ?

The Sikorsky I havent seen what a pitty would of liked to have taken a photo

The snooker table had that pic on my computer some time ago, I know they used to cut the cloth of to use to stick under company gifts that where made as a lining

Anyone know when the single hostel openend for accomodation and when they closed I'm sure it was before 1 plant closed

Alfred

Alfred

[Michael Alexander]

Where the people living at Affenrucken working at 1 Plant? or where they doing other work?

???

[Malcolm Bertoni]

Hi Alfred and Clive

Alfred:
Great pics of Affen. Is the old footbridge over the river still there?  If you ever get out there again, try and take more pics, it will be much appreciated. Ahh, the memories!
Clive:
I dont know about the Easter weekend story, but when I was there we did do a trip into the desert on the Easter long weekend and got as far as the Aurus mountains (about 100+ kms inland).  We did use a truck and three Landrovers from what I can remember.  I did post a photo that I took of the mountains.  We were never caught. (We did a lot of things where we never got caught).  Security were so paranoid about us, that they had a guy stay at Affenrucken for about a year, but we gave him such a run around that they just gave up in the end.  They may have finally realised that we were not there to steal diamonds, but just to have fun.

We did catch some baboons just for the hell of it, but let them go again.  We also caught a strandwolf in a cage but once again let it go.

A few of the guys did hunt and shot a gemsbok. They were fired and had to come back to Oranjemund to face court.  They were fined a few thousand Rand from what I can remember. That was around 1972-3.
One guy shot a cheetah that had a broken leg and couldnt run and he got into a lot of trouble with security.

By the way the Sikorsky helicopter was used for ferrying personnel to the barges (I think) when I first arrived at Affenrucken in 69 or 70. It was kept in a big hanger just down from the mess and was scrapped in about 1971.
A good story: we had a guy stay there for about 18 months who was possibly one of the first hippies in Oranjemund.  He painted all the walls and windows of his room black (!) and burned incense all day. He never opened a window and I swear he wore the same clothes all the time he was there. He is now a real estate agent!!!

We got the lifeboat from the ship that wrecked at Chameis Bay, put a mast and sail on her and sailed around the dam at No 1 plant.  We took the thing into town and launched it on the Pink Pan one Sunday and some guys who had been on the turps and didnt have clue on how to sail, capsised and sank her in the middle during one of the races. The mast got stuck in the mud, there were 4 guys millling around in the water, just about drowning, and there were sailing boats zooming up and down trying to have a race.  It was the most hilarious sight I had ever seen.  When I left we donated the boat the the club and they used it as a rescue boat, I believe.

We also built a sand-yacht, but that is another story....

I could go on forever about the characters we had out there and the things we did.

I dont know when Affenrucken opened or when it closed - it must have closed in the 80s sometime.  Does anyone know?

Cheers

Malcolm