Blood & Water

 

If you have never seen the Netflix Series "Blood & Water" - I am not going to tell you to go and watch it, but I did find it good.  One of the best series to come out of the New South Africa in many years. 

The first 3 series were really about these kids in a private school in Cape Town and about a child who was kidnapped and trafficked as a baby and in the end lead up to the perpetrators being caught and arrested and everyone being exposed and how it affected some of these children whose wealthy parents were involved in the whole scandal.   Just a brief synopsis. 

So yesterday I was off sick, I am so tired of looking for something decent to watch on TV and Netflix, but I went straight to Netflix and what was there waiting for me - YES series 4 of Blood & Water, a good way to kill 4 hours (6 episodes in a series & no advertisements).

I had thought that after Series 3 there would not be another one, but of course you are always left on a cliff hanger after every series. 

They gave you a recap on what had happened previously, but this series spoke about cheating in Matric exams (kids stealing test papers) and a blackmailing incident and sex tapes which eventually led down to a pupil at this private school who had been bullied and how it affected his whole future and ruined his life. 

It's something that I brought up a few years ago when someone was trying to organize a school reunion, and suddenly the school bullies got involved and started deleting people they did not want to attend the reunion from the WhatsApp group. 

It took me back 40 years and reminded me how this person bullied me and I decided to walk away leave the slack channel - the next thing I got a private message from this person and I just had to let everything out that had been supressed for over 40 years, they said they can't believe I am saying these things as they don't remember every bullying me.  But I guess I wasn't the only person they bullied.  

It reminded me of something I read one day:

People may not remember what you said, but they will always remember how you make them feel!  

And I totally agree, I don't remember what was said to me, but I do remember being excluded and how I felt on many occasions. 

If you don't want to watch all 4 series and you were a bully at school, just do yourself a favour and watch Series number 4. 

I am grateful to work for a company where Mental Health is so important and there is always someone to help you.  Gone are the days where you had to leave your problems at home and not bring them to the office and great that companies are prepared to help their workers through all their mental issues they have. 

Top Hits of 1964 - Spotify

<>

Milestones ... Growing Older

 I guess having a Milestone birthday this year has made me think about life and ponder on everything.  

Growing up we have our Music Idols, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones etc and you never really put an age on any of them ... then all of a sudden you hear "Mick Jagger" is turning 80 .... Whaaaat that means that I must be turning ... I mean after all these guys have been around playing music since before I was born, the rolling stones started playing in 1962. 

Last week on BBC4 they started re-running shows from when "Top of the Pops" started airing back in 1964 yes it's 60 years old!  

What happened to the years we lived, for some of us our 20's we spent partying, then 30's got a bit more responsible got married, had a kid, in our 40's raised the kid - did a bit of travelling, and all the time worked!  Suddenly we get to our 50's and you can see the end is getting closer, I mean face it as Freddie Mercury said - "Who wants to live forever"?  Especially as your body gets older, sure I would love to live forever if I could say be 55 healthy and strong ... forever!  But of course that won't happen. 

I know I hate the fact that I am turning that big six O number, a lot of our friends never even made it to 50 - I have had a good life, despite all the ups and downs, and I have learnt so much and then you have to find answers to those questions that nag you (I mean me)?

Why was I born?
What have I accomplished in my life?
Why is there so much sadness in the world, why was I born into a white family and not into a family who lives in a township?
Why, Why, Why, as Johnny Nash said - "There are more questions than answers".

This post is going to be very long, so I will break it up and leave you with one of my favourite videos of Marc Bolan, with Elton John on Piano and Ringo Starr playing the drums. 

Remembering Covid Lockdown

 

The Covid Lockdown period seems like a million years ago now, but not sure if you also feel that 2 years of your life disappeared, and you can't remember what happened in those two years?

There are so many people especially the elderly that were affected detrimentally by Covid, and so many of them that passed away.   I guess we were the lucky ones who were able to work from home, but it was hard on my daughter who did half of her transition year and her final 2 years of schooling at home.  She was also affected by a boy in her class who had an aneurysm.  He woke up one morning with a headache and within an hour he was on life support in the hospital, only 18 years old an only child and so much to live for. 

However, there are so many stories like that, again I was the lucky one – I have never put this down in writing, but in 2019 early March I got Pneumonia, after a trip to the Clinic and loads of medicine, I do not remember what happened as it felt like an out of body experience.   That happened on a Friday evening, I cannot remember anything about the weekend, on the Monday my husband left me to sleep and went to work, when he could not get hold of me on the phone and felt that something was wrong he came home, to find me collapsed on the bedroom floor.

He called the Ambulance who were there within minutes, they had to resuscitate me and put 2 main lines in the sides of my neck.  Apparently, they had to resuscitate me again on the way to the hospital.  I was in ICU in a coma.  When I woke up 10 days later, it was St. Patrick’s Day as “D” had been at the hospital everyday talking to me, and on this day, I woke up with him telling me that our daughter had gone to the St. Patrick’s Day parade in the city.  He was also telling me that everyone was praying for me, and I just thought WTF is he talking about.

I probably only realized a few days later, I had no clue what was going on or why I was in the hospital, but I was on a respirator and the hospital had done so much to save my life.   Now most people think, or I certainly did, that when you come out of a coma you can just get up and get on with it.  Well, I did learn the hard way!  I had to learn to walk, talk, eat, and do everything myself again.

After having spent two weeks in ICU, I spent another 2 weeks in a private ward getting rehabilitation every day.  All the holidays I spent in the hospital, Mother’s Day, my birthday, I was home for Easter thank goodness and then home for another month recuperating.   By this time, I had run out of paid sick leave, so really wanted to get back to the office, the Occupational therapist suggested against it and put me on a phased return to work.

Not long after I returned to work I had a month off as I had booked a trip to SA for the July, it was the last family holiday that we would go on all together.
I returned to work in the August which I think was far too soon, my body and my mind had not fully recovered from the Ordeal.  Then 7 months later Covid hit (although it was around a lot longer than that as I am sure that is what I had).  We went into Lockdown exactly a year after I had ended up in ICU, it was one of the BEST things that could ever have happened to ME!  I had no stress; I could plan my day with 4 or 5 walks a day.  

When we were able to travel locally, D & I also did a few trips around Ireland and stayed at some magnificent places. Emily had asked for a cat while we were in Lockdown, so this meant that we either had to get a cat sitter or someone had to stay home.  Worked out well (sometimes).  But that is a whole other story about teenage parties!!!

I am so grateful to have had Lockdown to recuperate fully from my ordeal in 2019, but I am sad for those people that it effected in a different way.  I am sad because we lost so many of our elderly relatives during that time.

What do you remember?  Besides watching an awful lot of Television, watching WHO on a daily basis told how bad it was and how many people have it and have died.  Boris Johnson having parties during Lockdown, Donald Trump saying it was all a Hoax to start with – was it, were the pharmaceutical companies just profiteering from this?  There are so many unanswered questions which I guess will take years before we find out the truth!  

Whatever happened to ...

 I was watching "Young Adult" on Netflix with Charlize Theron as the main actor, I must say I actually Fast Forwarded through a lot of the movie as it was really slow, but it got me thinking back to when I left the South, and when I moved back and where I am now!

I left the South back in 1985 or 86 and moved with my then boyfriend to Randburg, young stupid and in love.  Well that didn't work out and I moved back home at the end of 1987 after breaking up with said boyfriend, changed jobs, and the new job was closer to home, however staying at home was always restrictive but I could not afford to live on my own.    

My best friend at the time lived out in Linbro Park, I could drive I had my own car so ended up moving to "Party City", I was there for 2 years and then moved back in with the x in a new apartment in Randburg, a year later I was back home again another new job and saving like mad to afford my own place. 

It was never to be, I worked for a great company - lots of young adults and we partied like crazy and that is were I met my husband!  We eventually got married in '95 and that is when I moved out of my childhood home in Linmeyer for the last time.   The only time we ever ventured back to the South was to visit my mom or help out a friend or relative who was moving.

Life Happens and we all chose different paths in life, from about '95 a lot of my friends were moving to Greener pastures.  I never really bumped into anyone from school when I was back in the South and presumed that most of my school friends had moved away.   Only to find out years later through the grapevine that a lot of school mates where still there.

It's funny how life turns out, how the guy who was expelled in Std. 8 for having weed at school is now a successful millionaire who owns his own company. 

All those that went to university have had success in their lives and have moved on.  

When you are approaching that big birthday in a few months and you realize you have lived more years than you have left, and what have you done in those years?   

Life has been kind to me, my number was called a few times, but the Universe kept saying "Not yet" you haven't finished living, so I guess I am one of the lucky ones. 

In Facebook there is a page called: The Hill High School Rememberance Wall  and it is so sad to see how many of my school mates have gone before me.

I am lucky to still be in contact with a number of my school friends and still see them when I come over to South Africa every now and then, and the conversation always ends up with "Whatever happened to ..."  and someone will always know something.  It was the same when I met up with Martin and Gavin.  I wonder if my name ever comes up in someone's conversation and what they say about me, I guess I will never know! 

Do you ever still reminisce about the one that got away, or the boyfriend you had in high school and whether you may have ended up together.  I can only think of one couple I know who married out of High School and are still together - Bev & Ivan. 

Johannesburg 1912

 One of the blogs I follow is called: Johannesburg 1912 – suburb by suburb research 

As an ex-Jo'burger it is really interesting to know the history, on Marc Latilla's blog he recently wrote a post about Hotels of Early Johannesburg, and wow what a blast from the past as some of the hotels were still there during my party days after leaving school.  

 A lot of the Night clubs we frequented would have been in these hotels, or we would have had the priviledge of going there for a meal at some stage, if you are curious have a read. (Link is in the title above). 

South African diaspora

Have you ever wondered how many South Africans have left South Africa in the last 30+ years?

Please don't bother googling it because the numbers they give you, is far less than what the real number is, that have left. 

We never officially emigrated from South Africa and still have bank accounts, tax numbers etc.  therefore, we are not classed in the number they give.   To see the ridiculous number they do give you need to check out Wikipedia.  One website put the number up to 2020 as 915,000 - cannot be, unless they are not counting those who have dual citizenship with another country?

Firstly, the ones who were able to leave first were those who had the insight to see that the country would eventually fall into disrepair and could find work in another country quite easily, along with some who had a foreign passport.

However, I have found that majority of my friends who still live in South Africa have foreign passports, so why aren't they leaving?  Well as my really good friend once told me, South Africa is a beautiful country, and you can live there really cheaply and also employ people to do things for you without costing you a huge amount of money. (But if you are white, you need to own your own company or have some kind of income) -  And ... then came the and, if something bad happens in this country, then the government of the United Kingdom will expatriate us immediately, because we have a British passport.

So hence the need to Emigrate and find another passport!  

White South Africans were all immigrants into the country, those fleeing persecution would have left in their home countries in the 1600's up until the 1800's, the newer immigrants probably came to South Africa in the late 19th Century - 20th Century at the time of the Gold rush, and they were clever to hold onto their heritage and passport from their birth country.   A bit like what we did when we came to Ireland and applied for dual citizenship before applying for Irish Citizenship, so that we could have both passports - should we ever need them. 

The immigrants who came to South Africa after the 1960's would have been all the Rhodesians due to the war, who either came to SA or went to the UK, Australia, or other destinations.  Then in the 70's when Mozambique was fighting for their independence, a lot of the White Portuguese settlers, either went back to Portugal or came down to South Africa.

In La Rochelle which was nicknamed "Little Portugal" a lot of the refugee families settled there with other relatives and integrated into the area. 

If I take a look at the list of my friends on the "Book of Face" who still live in SA, majority of them would be privileged to have these Foreign Passports, British, Portuguese, Spanish, Greek to name a few and the rest, well a lot have done what we have and made a life for themselves somewhere else, others have ensured that their kids have been given a good education so that they can get jobs in another country.  

Why, I am sure that most of "you" who regularly read my blog are part of the "South African diaspora", I don't think there are many who still live in SA who do read it.    I write my blog to hold onto those memories that we had in SA and to share my experiences and thoughts since leaving.  

Since 2020 not only White South Africans have left but a huge number of Black South African's have left too. This year alone I have met and spoken to so many New South African Immigrants in Ireland, working in Deli's, pet shops, coffee shops, concert venues etc. etc. and majority have been here less than a year.   They are stating that the infrastructure is falling apart, just look at the load shedding - if you google the stats since 2015,  2022 is the highest by far on record, however 2023 has already overtaken 2022, people cannot live like that. 

Where are you from?  

1977

 Today in Ireland, our favourite Radio station that started out as a Pirate Radio Station many years ago, and eventually go a licence to broadcast 13 years ago today!  

So that was back in 2010 and I must admit that every single one of our radios are on 100.3 or Nova.ie - during their broadcast this morning, the DJ was saying about them turning 13 and do you remember when you turned 13, so of course sitting in traffic, I went down the nostalgic route of thinking about when I turned 13.

It brought back many memories, the year was 1977 to be exact, and I had just started High School at the Hill High.   It was daunting, coming from Highveld Primary where we probably had about 120 kids in Standard 5 in 3 classes, to going into the Assembly Hall and there were hundreds and hundreds of kids going into Standard 6.  

The Classes started from A so 6A, 6B right down to 6K with approximately 40 kids in each class.  11 x 40 = 440 kids, 320 more than what we had in Std. 5 and of course the school was huge with still classes from 7 - 10 - if I remember correctly there were about 1100 + kids in the whole school. 

Our class was pretty evenly split with Boy / Girl ratio, and as you can imagine that age the hormones are running wild.  I was in 6G pretty much the worst behaved class in the whole school.  Our teach Ms. Harvey was pretty strict and very liberal, me coming from a very conservative background where we never spoke about sex at home, and my form teacher giving the girls a lesson on sex education on probably the first week of high school, and telling us all about contraception and the various types.

However, we figured the reason for this was there were a lot of kids from "Pram Valley / Stork City" that attended the school.  

In context Highveld was probably the best primary school in that part of the South of Johannesburg, most of the other primary schools work in more disadvantaged areas not all but some such as South Hills which was known as Stork City as the girls would fall pregnant in High School and end up having to leave. 

So that is the school bit done!

What else do I remember from 1977 

Elvis died and yes I cried ... I remember waking up and hearing the news on the radio before I went to school, it was still winter and dark and depressing and I was now even more depressed! 

This man was my hero, I was going to see him in Las Vegas when I finished school and could afford to go - I always wished he was my dad when I was that age!


The same teacher who taught us about Sex-ed arranged for us all to go to the movies after school one day to see "Close encounters of the third kind" it had just been released on circuit. 

We all took the bus into town and went to the Kine centre in downtown Johannesburg, across from the Carlton Center.  It was a great afternoon out and a great sci-fi movie for it's time!  

But I must say I loved musicals, and 1977 was the year that one of the greatest musicals came out - who could forget "Saturday Night Fever" and John Travolta, which guy did not want to be John Travolta and which girl did not drool over him!  Many a fantasy dream had John Travolta in, and of course this made the Bee Gees really famous especially with the young kids. 

The way he moved on that disco floor was by far the sexiest thing, we had every seen.  And then of course we had the teenage disco's at Club Chicago and Plumb Crazy, all of them playing "Night Fever" or some other song from the movie.  


We would also go to the Skyrink on a Saturday as they would have the disco on ice and they would play all the hits.

Other Movies we saw that year

"Star Wars" - The first one - even though it was called  Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

It was the first of the series of Star Wars films made by George Lucas, we saw it at a movie house in Claim street (I think), I just remember it was the first time we had been to a surround sound movie and it was SO loud.   

"Smokey and the Bandit" - Another "hot" actor Burt Reynolds

"The Deep" with Nick Nolte (hottie back then) 

Music:

Who can live without music, my radio was always on constantly and the Top 40 with David Gresham on Springbok Radio, was all we waited for every week. 

I just looked up and found the Top 40 for the year 1977 here is the list:  https://sacharts.wordpress.com/category/1977/ 

I must say a lot of the songs I can't really bear to hear on the Radio anymore!

The list from the 8th of April a week after my birthday was: 

Pos LW Weeks Song Artist

1 2 7 Don’t Leave Me This Way – Thelma Houston

2 1 5 Smile – Pussycat

3 4 5 Living Next Door to Alice – Smokie

4 3 6 Love Me – Yvonne Elliman

5 11 4 Rock ‘n Me – Steve Miller Band

6 5 10 Lost in France – Bonnie Tyler

7 6 12 If You Leave Me Now – Chicago

8 7 10 Livin’ Thing – Electric Light Orchestra

9 8 7 Just Another Poor Boy – Chris de Burgh

10 New 1 Don’t Cry for Me Argentina – Julie Covington

11 10 8 Keep on Smilin’ – John Paul Young

12 16 3 I Recall a Gypsy Woman – Don Williams

13 15 4 Couldn’t Get it Right – Climax Blues Band

14 9 8 Moody Blue – Elvis Presley

15 14 9 What Have I Done – Mike Eager

16 New 1 Hey Mister Dream Maker – Cliff Richard

17 12 5 When a Child is Born – Johnny Mathis

18 18 2 Who’s Gonna Tie My Shoes – Barbara Ray

19 19 2 Chanson D’Amour – Manhattan Transfer

20 13 14 Howzat – Sherbet

I am sure there is a lot more stored in the memory banks from 1977 but I think this post has been long enough and you are probably bored by now, so until next time enjoy the read!

A nostolgic Ride on Google Maps on the Route of the Nr. 45 bus from Linmeyer to Braamfontein

At one stage back when I was really young, I think the only route we had was on the Nr. 46 that went from the Hill into town on the old Trolley buses, I hated those buses as the back was always open and people could run and jump on the bus while it was moving.  I always had visions of falling off the bus.  And lets not mention them coming off the lines and the conductor having to try and put them back with a long pole. 

 Ah the bus - Our only means of transport growing up in the South of Johannesburg.

When my father bought our house in Linmeyer in 1964 one of the criteria was that it would be within walking distance to the bus stop and to the closest cafe. 

When I was a bit older, probably when I started high school I could catch the bus into Jo'burg city on my own, and then of course when I starte College in Eloff Street it would be every day that I caught the bus to and from College.   Before that it would have been to go to the movies, meeting a date, going ice-skating or to the teen disco's. 

The bus ride during College days was always fun, we would always sit upstairs - some of us smoking, I did not smoke in those days.   The bus was also the place to check out the guys, the year I started College a group of the guys from Marist Brothers started at Wits University and together with my "Girl" friends we used to have loads of banter and arguments with the guys, so much so I think we always disturbed the older folk on the bus.  But it was fun!  There were also days where we used to Bunk college and instead of getting off near College, we would get off way before and head down to the Movie house opposite the Carlton Center. 

I decided to go onto Google Maps and travel the route the Nr. 45 bus would take and the memories just came flooding back.  

College would start around 8:30 in the morning, so we would leave the house around 7:30 and get the 7:40 bus into town.   

The Route the bus would take started from the Bottom of Linmeyer  - It would leave from Elizabeth Street in Linmeyer and travel up Lena Street, past the Linmeyer Post Office and Hilltop Cafe.  

The Road then turned into Johan Meyer Street, where it would stop just near the Top Shops and the United Building Society where we would get on.   Normally Heather was already on the bus as she lived further down the road. 

All the shops at the Linmeyer shopping area have changed since then which was back in 1981, you had the Butcher on the corner on the right hand side going up, then Paulwin, the hairdresser, Vintage, the Green Grocer, the building Society and then Tommy's cafe - Now it is all different, I see McCoy's pub an electronic shop and a barber. 

Crossing over South Rand Road into The Hill, Linmeyer Gardens is on your right.  Had many friends who lived there growing up. 

The bus would travel down Plinlimon Road and then turn left into 3rd avenue and continue down past the Hill shops where my mom would go to the Hairdresser (cheaper than the one in Linmeyer ... lol) and on towards Rosettenville.   It would take a left into Drakensberg Road and then head up towards the shopping area of Rosettenville, past the Kine 606 Cinema on the left (Previously the Adelphi Bioscope) where we spent many Saturdays watching moves at the Kinekor Kiddies Club. 

Travelling down 3rd avenue, always reminds me of the Shebeens that were just off to the right around Grampian Road if my memory serves me correctly, they had a driveway where you would drive in on one road and then drive out onto another road, so basically like a drive through liquor store but of course it was illegal.  

The Kine 606 ... wow memories abound - Alan sent me some of his memories too!  There was a little restaurant next door where we would go for Milkshakes after movies.  But movies ... this is where I saw "Greece" for the first time, at the kiddies club they would have events before the movie, competitions where you could win prizes if you did things, like stand up and sing etc.  It was really popular and always packed! 

During School holidays we would go and watch the latest movie or old movies, I remember going with my dear friend Morag and her brother Craig to see "Mary Poppins" and there was an elderly lady sitting in front of us singing the songs on the top of her voice, we had to tell her to please be quiet, this coming from a 13 year old did not go down well.   Then her younger brother Craig who was utterly bored decided to crawl around the movie house under the seats and pop up at random areas and wave at us! (lol's) it was hysterical at the time. 

My dad sometimes would take us to see an old Western and fall asleep and then tell us what a good movie it was!  I hated Westerns in those days.

When the bus got to Rosettenville corner, where the Bata shoe shop used to be on the right handside and and of course I missed out on Uniwinkels where we got our school uniforms and just below in La Rochelle was Checkers where we did our weekly grocery shop, and the dentist was around there too.  

At the Corner the bus would turn right into Turf Road, the Turffontein Racecourse now on the left hand side (and if you read one of my other posts, this was the Johannesburg Concentration Camp during the ABW).  

From then on, the journey was pretty uneventful, as we were now going into more of an industrial area. 

Just before you got to the James Hall Museum the bus would take the left fork into La Rochelle road and past the Rand Stadium on your right.  Here was were there were a lot of sports events, Soccer, Tennis, Cycling, Squash etc.  I always remember the smell of Coffee beans being roasted when you got past the Squash courts, aparently there was a coffee factory somewhere there and they would employ people with special needs, quite a number getting on the 45 bus.  Once past there we got to the junction at Eloff street extension.

If you turned left at the intersection into Turffontein Road, back before the Carlton Ice-Rink was built was the Webley Ice-Rink, a great place for Friday nights or week-ends and the road would take you up towards Turffontein, Forest Hill Area. 

The bus would turn left at and this would become Eloff street extension which was quite industrial area,on the left hand side was the old Roadhouse - I seem to think it was the Wembley Roadhouse but I could be incorrect.   From there going under the Highway into Eloff street was really where "Town" started.   In the old days, the bus would only go as far as Van der Bijl Square which was the bus terminus for all buses (now called Ghandi Square). 

I am not sure when, but later the bus went all the way to Braamfontein and no longer stopped at van der bijl.   When I was at college I would get off the bus just past the OK bazaars, which I think was Prichard and Eloff street, and then walk to College which was in the African Life Building just before Jeppe Street.   I don't think I ever caught the bus into Braamfontein, so that was my journey on the Nr. 45 bus.

From this Journey today, I have got quite a few post ideas, but I would love to hear your memories too, so please send me your comments! 

From  '77 - '84, Jo'burg city was my playground - I never felt like I was in any danger, we would get the last bus home at night and sometimes had to walk from Hilbrow into town to get the bus.  In 1986 I moved to Randburg and then to Linbro Park, but briefly spent a year back in Linmeyer in 1988 working for Metro Cash & Carry in Ormonde, so often used to go to the pubs in the South - Tobries, The Stinking Rose, the days when Gino's opened in Robertsham and you would get wasted just waiting for a table.  Then in 1989 I moved back to Linbro Park and then Randburg and full circle back to Linmeyer in 1991 - I then married in '95 and moved to Bryanston where my husband was from, then bought our own house in Allensnek.

In 2001 we decided to go Travelling and working and landed up in Ireland and for various reasons never went back, even though we kept saying we are going back!  However Joburg will always be my home town.  (Even though I was born in Durban.) 

"Maboneng" - Jozie

 Last year when I was in Jozie in July 2022, South Africa was just coming out of the Covid restrictions and the mask mandate was dropped (Ironically I arrived on the 27th of June a Monday and by Thursday I had Covid. 

Getting back to the post, most people were still working from home so the traffic in Jo'burg was a dream.  We won't go into loadshedding in this post.  

It was my first trip back home since 2019 when I was still really sick and before that it had been 5 years since we had been back.  I was travelling on my own as hubby had been back twice that year to see his dad who had been really ill and subsequently passed away. 

D's nephew had been dying to show me Maboneng and some of the other new places in Jo'burg that were really trendy - 44 Stanley to name one.

I know there is so much negativity when people talk about Jozie, and I used to be one of those people, however I have learnt that every place changes, it will never remain the same.  Just like anywhere in the world there are changes for the better and then changes that are not so great.

The changes that happened in Jozie, we let this happen - when things started changing people just moved out, exactly what has happened recently as well, all the big businesses have moved out of Jo'burg city to Rosebank and Sandton which has left Jo'burg to become empty and derelict in some areas.   So someone came along and created Maboneng from derelict buildings & warehouses on the Eastern side of Johannesburg city, and made it arty and trendy - Well done!  I just read that it was a property developer Jonathan Liebmann, hopefully Johannesburg City will too, one day become a really him area to live in, just as it was back in the 50's.

I love coming home to Jo'burg and seeing the improvements that have been made and I love the vibe, especially in places like Rosebank which is not far from Jo'burg city! 

Here are some photos I took on my trip back in 2022. 

Sunday Afternoon "Jols" in Jozie - 80's & 90's

 There was a post recently on a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/345337876456847/ where someone wrote "It's Sunday afternoon where would you be jolling". 

Wow that triggered the Memory Banks and also made me realise how much I have forgotton, I know at one stage in the early 90's sunday afternoon was "Foxy's" the best pub in Sunninghill, they always had good music, good company and lots to drink - (Monday Hangover).  

I often wondered how we all drove home after these sessions.

"Falcon's Crest" opened up next door to foxy's which was a bit more upmarket but did not have the same vibe and was way too big, you could never find anyone you went there to meet.  If I remember correctly I think they had their own Brewery too?

Back in the 80's we used to go to "Rakes" which was in Parktown, close to the Brenthurst Clinic if my memory serves me correctly.  We had a friend Bryan Hegley who used to sing their on Sundays, he had an awesome voice and played the guitar too.

The "Sunnyside Hotel" was another spot for Sundays and other days too!

I found this memory on the www that pugsy left on a page called Remembering Africa for British Expats! This is from 2008.

Wow guys, that was a real trip down memory lane. Mostly in the last few years all i've remembered is the bad things and why we left... but geez The Doors nightclub, Idols, Roxys, Spats?! those were the days. Queuing up for ages on a friday night, usually in the freezing cold winter outside Millers in Rivonia. Mi vami for schwarmas after, or Big Al's. I used to go to Eden College which back then was in Hillbrow, used to catch my bus to and from Carlton Centre, i'd walk through Small St. mall and there was that odd goth shop where we used to buy 'imported records' and winkle picker shoes and rock t-shirts.

Anyone remember the 'open parties' of the late 80's, you'd get the address from someone at school, usually someone with absent parents and a huge plot.... and like the whole school would turn up and party... Esprit that was the drink, loved it! As for Falcon's, Fibbers and Foxy's... I met my husband at Foxys, one month later in the same place he proposed to me!! Whiled away our early married years in the McGinty's, Sports Cafe at Village Walk, Browns in Rivonia, Cafe Tre Scalini in Rosebank to name a few... what a great life, wait a minute, why did I leave again? Oh yeah....crime:curse: Still, at least you can get hot rock in europe now!

I have not read everything on there but I will go back soon and do it. 

I need to delve into the memory banks to complete this post, so at the moment I leave you with the taster above. 

Another sight to find some useful information > https://www.theheritageportal.co.za/thread/historic-pubs-johannesburg 

"Seasons in the Sun"

 This week must be put on record as being one of the worst weeks of my life, I have had lots of devastating news, have had the wildest and strangest dreams ever!  Dreamt of my belated mother and a very dear friend of hers that lives here in Ireland and is in a home, the dreams were so clear.

I have been so busy at work and to try and concentrate amongst the giggly girls in the office, I have been playing my Spotify play list as loud as possible on my head phones.

A few hours ago I heard my nieces husband who was recently diagnosed with Cancer is Terminal and does not have long to live, and then this song that we would all remember from the 70's came up on the play list and I have to listen to it again, the words just say so much! 

Goodbye to you, my trusted friend
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we've climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees

Goodbye my friend, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and I'll be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time

Goodbye Papa, please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along

Goodbye Papa, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children everywhere
When you see them, I'll be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone

Goodbye Michelle, my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And every time that I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground
Goodbye Michelle, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone
All our lives, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun

https://open.spotify.com/track/0X3d9gx7UDYgcwwkgTeNLR?si=5a191d1063304fc4 

Forever Young - Bob Dylan

 I was feeling a bit nostalgic this morning and was listening to my old favourite Bob Dylan, the lyrics of his song are so beautiful and meaning ful! 

"Forever Young"

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true

May you always do for others

And let others do for you

 

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung

May you stay

Forever young

 

Forever young

Forever young

May you stay

Forever young

 

May you grow up to be righteous

May you grow up to be true

May you always know the truth

And see the lights surrounding you

 

May you always be courageous

Stand upright and be strong

And may you stay

Forever young

 

Forever young

Forever young

May you stay

Forever young

 

May your hands always be busy

May your feet always be swift

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift

 

May your heart always be joyful

May your song always be sung

And may you stay

Forever young

 

Forever young

Forever young

May you stay

Forever young

 

Writer/s: Bob Dylan

Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

"Old Friends"

 One of the top Most Read posts I have on my blog is the one I wrote back in 2013 is "A nostalgic walk home from The Hill High school to Linmeyer with Google Maps"  https://rosemarie64.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-nostalgic-walk-home-from-hill-high.html

It is probably one of the most commented on posts as well besides my "Dance the night away" post, but it has been so wonderful when people from the area send me their memories and we are able to reminisce as well.

Thank you, Ian Alan, for sharing all your memories of growing up in the South.  Ian and I shared a few emails of who we mutually knew in the South, strange to think we were only a street a part and probably never crossed paths.  

In January a guy I went to Primary & High School with - "Martin" mentioned on the book of Face that he was coming to Dublin, now although I knew Martin, I did not "know" Martin, he was 2 or 3 years ahead of me, but was always a prominent figure in the school.   Anyway, I reached out to him and said if he wanted to meet for a coffee while he was in Dublin to give me a shout!  

He certainly did, and it just so happened that I was off on the same day he was off work, we met up for coffee and basically got acquainted.  I then took him on a walking tour of Dublin, the afterwards we went off to Malahide to meet up with another friend of his, who was also my friend on the book of face - Gavin.


The 3 of us sat in this little Coffee shop in Malahide, reminiscing about school and growing up in the South, although all of us were different ages, there were so many people we knew in common, I would have known the younger siblings of the ones that were in their classes, it was such an amazing day!  

There is just something about your childhood that will always live in your memories and no matter how you will never be able to re-create those moments, I think it is so important to catch up when you have the opportunity just to re-live these times even if it is only for a few hours.

It's not always we get these opportunities, last year I was in Joburg and arranged to meet up with a guy I was in High School with, on the day we were supposed to meet up he Ghosted me, I could have spent the day doing something far more interesting than waiting for someone, so sometimes it also doesn't work it, but as I say "Cést La Vie", he could have just had the courtesy to say he could not make it, but I guess not all of us have good manners, his loss! 

Thank you to all my old School friends who do make the effort of staying touch, so awesome to catch up after more than 40 years! 

Grade 1 - The Hill Extension Primary School, Johannesburg - South Africa

 I was over the moon recently when someone from the same school that I went to, said they had a school magazine from the year I was there in Grade 1.

He kindly scanned in the photo for me and here it is:

The amazing thing is that after all these years I still remember "most" of the children's names, but not only that I am also in contact with a few of them! 

I am not telling you which one is ME, maybe later when I add all the names to this post!  

The sad part about this photo is that at least 4 people I knew have all passed away, one at the very young age of 16 and another as recent as last year. 

Rules, Rules & More Rules

 When I was writing my previous post about the School Rules, it reminded me of my last trip to San Francisco for work back in 2018. 

We were there for 2 weeks so had a weekend with a car at our disposal, I had a look at the map because nobody had planned anything and thought about a trip down the coast on the Saturday and then San Francisco City on the Sunday. 

After Breakfast on the Saturday we headed South Down the Freeway towards or first stop in "Santa Cruz", in some ways it reminded me of trips to Durban in the summer, and although it was barely Spring when we were there I could just imagine what the Summer's must be like - packed to capacity.  

Not much of the amusement park was open, but we could still walk around and browse the shops.

Scenes from the Movie Grease came to mind, looking at the Amusement park and Games.

It was great entertainment they had a Clam chowder competition and there was probably enough clam chowder to feed the entire state! 

After a few hours we climbed back in the car and headed further South, we arrived in a town called "Carmel-by-the-Sea" and to be honest I had never heard of the place.  Wow, what a quaint little town and so quirky.   I learnt so much about this town.   Not only was Clint Eastwood once the mayor of the town, but their oldest living resident was Doris Day who at the time was 96, she would have turned 100 this year. 

Getting back to the subject of this post about "Rules" - Carmel had the oddest rules, 

Some of these Odd Laws are:

The municipal code prohibits wearing shoes having heels taller than 2 inches (5.1 cm) or with a base of less than 1 square inch, unless the wearer has obtained a permit for them.

No Sidewalks in Residential areas

No Street lights in Residential areas

No Commercial development on the beach

Two story height limitation

No Chain restaurants (you won't find a McDonalds there ... yay)

No Addresses on the houses - residents collect their mail from the post office 

No billboards

And the Nr. 1 Odd Rule was:  No ice cream could be sold or eaten ????

The reason was that ice cream tends to fall off cones, creating a sticky gooey mess on the streets.  So basically it was outlawed.  That law was abolished by Clint Eastwood. 

Some very famous people lived here, including John Steinbeck, Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine among others and you can see why!   I could live there any day! 

But what a beautiful clean and pristine town with the quirkiest houses you have ever soon!  Just take a look here. 

Looking back on School Rules!

The other day I was driving Emily to School, we drive the same way all the time, we see a few particular boys on our route.   These boys must be approaching their final year at Roan Boys school, which is a very good school in our area.

The taller of the 2 boys, have beautiful curly hair that is now almost down to his waist and the other boy has straight hair that is past his shoulders, it is always clean and blowing in the wind.  Now they do wear school uniforms, grey flannels, white shirt and tie, just like the boys at Hill High, however there are no rules about "HAIR".

So I started telling Emily about when I was in high school and the Rules we had, maybe you can add to them but this is what I remember.

1.  Boys hair MUST be 2 fingers about the collar, neat and short

2.  Boys who were at shaving age, must be clean shaved.

3. Boys were not allowed to shave their heads

I remember that a group of boys in my class Colin, Warren, Alex and a few other, got caned because their hair was not at the stipulated 2 fingers above the collar, so the next day they went out and shaved their heads, came to school and were caned for shaving their heads!  You couldn't win. 

Girls Rule:

1. Your dress could not be higher than 3 fingers off the knee

2. You had to wear regulation panties (Green granny pants or the summer ones which were the same pattern and material as the uniform uggh)

3. No Mascara, eyeliner or any make up whatsoever. 

4. Hair below the collar had to be tied back 

5.  Regulation tights in winter and white socks in summer

6.  Only Brown School shoes

7.  No Nail varnish

If you broke any of these rules you would get a 2 hour detention and write out lines or an essay!  So you couldn't even do your homework.  The prefects were mean they would give you essays with the title "The inside of a ping pong ball" and you had to write a 1000 words (non repetitive). 

In primary school I just remember being hit on the hands with a ruler or a wooden spoon if you spoke in class or did something else wrong!  There was no detention. 

In Ireland:

The girls have uniforms however they can wear as much make up as they like, false eyelashes to boot! Any shoes they like and as long as they are not too high!  No one cares how short or long your school dress / skirt is.  You can wear false nails or varnish.  No one really cares about your socks either. 

And of course there is no corporal punishment and you only get detention if you are continually late.   How time have changed. 

I found these that I think are also quite ridiculous:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/sophiegadd/the-most-ridiculous-rules-peoples-schools-had 

My Fathers Stories ... revisited

 Another Blog post I wrote back in 2006 was about some of the things I remember asking my dad when I as a kid which you can read about here 

If I look back on the conversation I had when I asked him about his family, he said he had 1 brother Peter and 2 sisters Irene and Elizabeth. 

From what I have researched he had 1 brother called Pieter (possibly Petrus)

His Mother's name was Elizabeth

Not sure who Irene was

Australia?  Yes he did live in Australia, according to my half-sister Billie (RIP) Billie was born 1920 - 1913, she said that they all moved to Australia in the late 1920's, I found a savings book from Sydney, NSW that belonged to my dad, however my sister took this when she visited at some stage. 

They must have moved back to South Africa during the 1930's at some point, still haven't found any documents in this regard. 

During the 2nd world war my father built military bases and hospitals in SA.

Who Am I? Part 2

 Back in 2006 I started this blog and my first blog post was about Me, "who am I"?  After many many years of doing research and Genealogy, I think I may have found out!  

It's all so very interesting and a very long story.

I decided to give up on trying to trace my fathers Heritage and concentrated on my mothers which all proved very interesting, the Marais and de Villiers families who arrived in South Africa in the late 1600's with the French Huguenot's via Holland - Over 300 years of history in South Africa where they encountered many challenges and my grandparents were even prisoners in concentration camps during the Anglo Boer War in 1901.   My great-grandfather on my mothers side (Marais) was sent to India to a concentration camp along with many other South African men.  My grandfather on my mothers side was in a concentration camp in Pietersburg with his half-sisters and pregnant mother, who died the day after giving birth to another son, sadly the son passed away 2 days later.   They were then sent to another camp in Howick until the camps were disbanded.

My grandmother (de Villiers) was in a concentration camp with her family in Krugersdorp.  

As for my father this is all the information I had: - 

My Father Harold Kemp was born 6.9.1896, the only clues I have from his past are what I have found on the South African Archives his 2 other divorces, a marriage certificate to his first wife in 1919, a copy of a  photo of his mother with the name Elizabeth Mary Kemp, his WW1 Medals, so I got his military records of which there were a few with name changes, and a Medal from Argentina.   Also in his Military records it said he had been to Buenos Aires. 

I then spoke to my half sister's daughter (my father's daughter from his first-marriage) and asked her if she would please do her DNA with Myheritage, that way I could distinguish the matches between her and I that would help me research my fathers heritage. 

Unfortunately there were a few matches but nothing that shouted at me as I did not really know what I was looking for. 

Then I received a message on the 5th of February from a Diego Dickason on My Heritage saying that I was a match with him, I automatically thought it must be a match with my daughter and probably on her father's side.  But on investigation I found that I was the match, he was my 1st cousin twice removed - 2nd cousin once removed, he doesn't speak English as he lives in Argentina, however get this he speaks "old" Afrikaans and Spanish, his daughter Becky kindly send the email on his and her behalf.

They thought I must be a relative on the "Dickason" side of the family, however, again after lots of searching and investigation and finding out about the "Boers at the end of the World" (Afrikaner's who left South Africa at the end of the Boer War" for a better life in Argentina (Patagonia).   However, i could not find one other Dickason that I was related to via Myheritage and a lot of them had done their DNA, so I thought okay so if I am not related via the "Dickason" branch I must be related via the female side. 

It turned out that his mother (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Dickason (born Verwey)) her mother was (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Verwey (born Grobler)) and working back from there, her father was Nicholaas Jacobus Grobler. 
 Now trying to fit in the pieces, his father was (Hendrik Christoffel Ignatius Grobler) and mother Maggel Anna Susanna Grobler (born Els)) and Grandfather and grandmother were (Petrus Hendrikus Hendricus Grobler, b5c4d1) and (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Grobler (born Kemp)) aaah Kemp, my maiden name but could not  find a connection there. 

If Diego was my 1st Cousin twice removed then Nicholaas Jacobus Grobler would be a close relation to my father. 

So I went back on the records I had found, in order to get it all straight in my head and then put it down in myheritage I wrote down everything I found, matched up partners dates etc.  This took me a few evenings of working many late hours, some of the information I found was here: 

Hendrik Christoffel Ignatius Grobler (2.7.1829 - 9.5.1908) and his wife Maggel Anna Susanna Grobler (born Els) (x.4.1832 - 20.01.1910)  Diego's Great-great Grandfather and great-great Grandmother! And my Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother. 

One thing we must remember is that most of the time Names were passed down the family line and normally the oldest son would be named after the father either on the Mother or the father's side of the family. 

Hendrik and Maggel had 6 children

Maria Magdalena Grobler              -     23.05.1851
Johanna Gertruid Margaretha         -              1856
Nicholaas Jacobus Grobler          -      21.5.1859 (Diego's Great Grandfather) 
Magdeld Anna Susanna Grobler     -              1864
Elizabeth Maria Grobler              -    30.05.1868 (My Grandmother)
Engela Gertruida Grobler                -    30.07.1870

According to the death certificate of their mother Maggel Anna Susanna Grobler (born Els), died 20th January 1910.  Elizabeth Maria Grobler was a widower her married name was Kemp and her late husband was Petrus Hendrik Kemp.  Another Kemp perhaps this is it?

I still wasn't sure of the connection until I did some more searching, In Familysearch.org I found a death certificate for a Elizabeth Maria du Plooy, formerly Kemp (nee Grobler).   On the Death Certificate (she died 18th September 1913) in Marquard, Senekal - it states that she has 2 children:

1. Pieter Kemp Born 6th July 1899
2. Hendrik Kemp Born 6th of September 1896 (The same date as my father) 

Alarm bells started ringing, could this be my dad?

The Death certificate was signed by the surviving Spouse Roelof du Plooy who would more than likely not have known the full names of the children as it seems they only married  March 27th, 1910

But my father was Harold Kemp, in the Military records I have the first one has him listed as Herald Christoffel Ignatius Kemp, the 2nd one is just Harold Kemp but both say he has a brother Pieter Kemp who lives in Thaba'Nchu.  These documents are dated 1914 and 1917. 

However if it wasn't for the Match with Diego I would have thought otherwise.

This would make sense if Nicholaas and Elizabeth were brother and sister, and Elizabeth is my Grandmother then Nicholaas would be my Great Uncle, his daugher (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Verwey (born Grobler) would be my fathers Cousin, and therefore my cousin once removed (Johanna Gertruida Margaretha Dickason (born Verwey) would be my 2nd Cousin and Diego is therfore my 2nd Cousin, once removed (or 1st cousin twice removed).

Is this the end of the Road?

Unfortunately I cannot find anymore documentation and I have a lot of questions to which I have my own theories - Why did my dad change his name to Harold. 

His father Petrus Hendrik Kemp died in 1900 (during the Anglo Boer War), his mother had 2 small children aged 1 and 4. 

I still have so many questions?  

• Did she pretend to be English to avoid being captured and put into a concentration camp? 
• Did she perhaps call him Harold as a child and Pieter Peter?
• How did her husband die? 
• I cannot find any record was he captured by the British and killed? 
• How did she die at such a young age of 45?  I just discovered she died of Pneumonia, however interestingly she died  3 and a half years after her marriage to her 2nd husband Roelof Michel du Plooy (he was captured in 1901 during the Anglo Boer War and sent to Ceylon), his 1st wife died in the ABW Concentration camp in1901 he married 4 times 3 of his wives having died before him, just unfortunate or not? Amazing what you uncover searching through old records from 100+ years ago.
• The Certificate of death I found also shows a 3rd son who died at 2 months of age, when was this child born?
• Who was the father?
• Why are there not baptism certificates for Hendrik or Pieter?
• Why is there no Marriage certificate for Elizabeth & Petrus?
• Harold would have been only 17 when his mother died, his brother Pieter only 14.  Did this make Harold go off and join the war, an orphan at 17?
• On his Marriage certificate for his 1st Marriage, why does is say he was born in Buenos Ayres?
• Who does the medal belong to that I have from Argentina? (I know Jorge is looking into that for me) 
• Whatever happened to Pieter Kemp from Thaba'Nchu?

That is where I leave my investigation for now, hopefully I will find the answers to these questions soon.