The 60's and 70's

From what I rember we grew up in a middle class family, lived in a middle class area and went to Goverment schools in the South of Johannesburg.

Father Kemp was not often around as he was out working on construction sights, so would either leave very early in the morning and get home just in time for supper (before we went to bed).

On week-ends my mom would always take us to the matinee at the Bioscope or "bug house" as my father would refer to it as. And thinking back now it really was a "bug house", do you even remember that you could smoke in the movie houses in those days, there was an ashtray behind each chair.

So Saturday morning was spent grocery shopping and then Saturday afternoon at the bug house. Most times my father would also work on a Saturday and if he wasn't working he would be out doing other things, banking - oh yes I remember going with my dad, on the last Saturday of each month into town to do his banking. We would get all dressed up to go into town, then he would take us for breakfast as a little coffee shop in Loveday street, round the corner from the Barclays Bank in Commissioner street where he had his account.

I remember those Saturday so clearly as we were never ever taken out to eat, and this was the one and only time we ever went into a restaurant. I would normally have a cup of weak coffee and anchovy toast, this was my big treat. On my birthday I remember my dad letting me have bacon and a fried egg.

SCHOOL

Primary school wasn't so bad although I always hated school, I started grade 1 at the tender age of 5 and a half at the school down the road called "The Hill Extension Primary School", when having to fill in forms about our parents, my mothers date of birth was December 1924 and my fathers was always written down as the 6th of September, 1914. In those days the 6th of September was a public holiday as it was Settlers day - The day Jan Van Riebeck arrived at the cape. (My South African history leaves a lot to be desired).

So according to the 1914 birthdate my father would have been 49/50 when I was born and not the under stated 48 although not too far off the mark.