So I received a comment by email from my "Other" blog, David who lives in Oz now and previously live in South Africa during the 70's. Here is the comment:
Do you want to link to my Blog about the communal house scene in Johannesburg between 1975 and 1978?
It would be nice to do so from your Blog "It's My Life" since I read a very interesting article about people's memories about growing up there in the 1970's.
Here is the link:
http://thetyroneyearsjohannesburg1975to1978.blogspot.com.au/
So David I have linked it under "Blogs I follow" let me know if there is somewhere else you would like me to put it.
It's quite interesting reading an expat's perspective on life in "Apartheid" South Africa, it's a fresh view on how things actually were. Having been born in South Africa and growing up, you just never questioned anything that was going on, and of course there was a ban on broadcasting or writing anything that was happening in the country, so most of the time only the people overseas knew what was happening and not us.
My Kiwi Director, tells me how they learnt about South African history in New Zealand, which seemed a bit odd, and of course they would learn it in a totally different view to how we would have learned it.
I was brought up by English speaking parents and of course my father was born in "Australia", so even though we had a maid living in the back room, she was treated with respect and dignity and especially as our parents would have been around from before "Apartheid" was introduced into South Africa. In fact my "other mum" as I call her, is the first person on my list to visit whenever I return to South Africa.
I started off wanting to post about Communes, but it turned into more of a racial post, so I will have to create another post about communes.
Do you want to link to my Blog about the communal house scene in Johannesburg between 1975 and 1978?
It would be nice to do so from your Blog "It's My Life" since I read a very interesting article about people's memories about growing up there in the 1970's.
Here is the link:
http://thetyroneyearsjohannesburg1975to1978.blogspot.com.au/
So David I have linked it under "Blogs I follow" let me know if there is somewhere else you would like me to put it.
It's quite interesting reading an expat's perspective on life in "Apartheid" South Africa, it's a fresh view on how things actually were. Having been born in South Africa and growing up, you just never questioned anything that was going on, and of course there was a ban on broadcasting or writing anything that was happening in the country, so most of the time only the people overseas knew what was happening and not us.
My Kiwi Director, tells me how they learnt about South African history in New Zealand, which seemed a bit odd, and of course they would learn it in a totally different view to how we would have learned it.
I was brought up by English speaking parents and of course my father was born in "Australia", so even though we had a maid living in the back room, she was treated with respect and dignity and especially as our parents would have been around from before "Apartheid" was introduced into South Africa. In fact my "other mum" as I call her, is the first person on my list to visit whenever I return to South Africa.
I started off wanting to post about Communes, but it turned into more of a racial post, so I will have to create another post about communes.
6 comments:
Hi Rozi
It was lovely to hear your views about my Blog as an ex-pat in the communal house scene in the mid-70's, and how we were touched by apartheid.
It was a period of great change and upheaval, culminating in the Soweto uprising in 76 and as an ex-pat, we did feel the tensions of it and continual confrontation of dealing with it every day. Eventually it gets to you, and you say 'enough is enough' and I don't want to have to deal with these issues any longer! I guess, that's when you decide to leave, which many of us did after working there a number of years.
Such a shame, as it is a most beautiful country and people, and I feel Africa is in my blood. David x
So cool to actually "connect" with someone who knew the commune scene in Joburg during the '70's. My name is Nic Iverson and I had a house in Linksfield called "Barge-In" at 15 Krans St, Linksfield, which along with Neil Strachans "Ettaomogah" in Craighall and "Rachan" (also in Linksfield, led the commune scene from '74' thru to '78. I often think of all the expats that were part of a great gathering of young people who knew how to party. How TV NZ did a story on the scene through a program called "Pulse" that featured our communes. Yes, we have all got older, got married, did the family thing. But, like me. I'm sure that a heap of the kids from back in those days would love to "connect" with their "fellow grads" of those really cool / really fun years when the Jo'Burg commune scene was the social scene in Jo'burg. Hey if anyone reading this blog was part of that scene drop a line to me at nic@tribalmanuka.us and lets swop notes. As we said back in the day, "Vasybyt" Cheers Nic Iverson, Ft Lauderdale, FL USA.
I remember some giants amongst us, being Alec Spiller from Gasworks, an amazing mathematician and economist, Malcom Edwards, a publishing star. Both were from Gasworks. then Andy Rice from Clog Hall .. he has just died. What an icon in the advertising world of South Africa. His death is a loss to all South Africa.
I do remember Rachan… and the giants in Gasworks who were Malcolm Edwards in publishing and Alec spiller who was a genius in mathematics and economics. So sad to hear that Andy Rice of Clog Hall has just died. What an icon of the advertising world in South Africa he was. His brother was Tim Rice, (who wrote the words for ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’ and other Evita songs, also many other musical productions.
Amazing to stumble on this blog. I was around a bit earlier than most of the history here - my time was 1971 to 1974 . I started Gasworks in '71and left in '74 after marrying one of other "inmates" - Gill, and still married - just made 50 years. Now living in Tasmania - 2 children (ha!) and 5 grandkids spread around the world. Great memories of Gasworks - largely in an alcoholic haze. I started the house olympics and actually have a picture of our team. (sorry John Cornell - he can claim fame to the "League of Gentlemen" darts league but not the olympics - sadly John died quite a while back). The Summer of '72 was an epic party - we even had Glenda Kemp who was a famous stripper. My wife had the task of looking after her snakes between acts. Then there was the gambling nights with full size roulette tables and blackjack. Not to mention movie nights with "under the counter movies" . I hope there's a statute of limitations because the number of rules we broke was huge. We built a great bar - there was always competion between houses for the best.
I can't see how to publish pictures on this blog but to name the Gasworks Olympics team - and where they are now: Bob and Jim - sorry can't recall surnames. Pam Martinez and John Cornell (John later married Marilyn) . Steve and Carolyn Kirk - now divorced living in Ireland. Jilly Warren, my GF at the time - married and living in Wales. Mike and Ardyne O Sullivan - now divorced DK. Stella Still - married and living in Jersey - still in touch.
Like so many ex-pats we decided life was getting too unpleasant ( bombs at the school , bricks through windscreens) and in 1987 we moved to Tassie - started up the same electronics business I had in Jo'burg which I eventually sold , retired, now into local politics for entertainment. Getting old gracefully.
Love to hear from anyone who can fill in the blanks.
Hi Richard thanks for your comment, if you have any pictures you want to post you can email them to me at Rose - Marie . Rowe @ live . ie without the spaces of course and I can write a post for you. Glend Kemp, well there is a name I remember mainly because that is my maiden name too. I was often teased at school because of having the same name. Hopefully someone you will know might get in touch here, you can always leave your email address to.
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