My informant Trevor Friend has contributed a nice long article on his memories of growing up in Durban in the late 1950s and 1960s. If it doesn’t get your own memories going, I don’t know what will!!
Share this:
As though it were yesterday
posted in: New Articles
9
Jo Wallstrom-Walda
Oh my goodness what memories this brought back to me. My Husband Derrick Wallstrom lived at 149 Blamey Road. Also friends of my father lived in Kenyon Howden Road and I clearly remember the swimming pool and Montclair Park. My brother in law Lesley went round with a rough crowd and Montclair park was known for its zolls. You couldn’t walk there without coming accros a broken bottle neck stuffed with zoll. I live in Stableford Road on the Bluff and my husband used to walk down Blamey Road, through Clairwood, then down Edwin Swales to get to Stableford Road. Funny enough we never thought anything could happen to us. The Bus was our main transport and we often used to go to the Wanderers Club in Montclair on a Sunday night where Dicky Loader and his band used to play. My husband did a lot of mountain climbing in those days and whenever I smell wintergreen I remember Wanderers Club. Boy did we have fun in those days. Jo Wallstrom-Walda
John Taylor
What an impressive piece of nostalgia! Those of you who have read any of my articles will know that I am greatly interested in “old Durban” – an era that has past and will not return, but nevertheless brings back fond memories to us born and bred Durbanites. Trevor – I remember you because I was also employed by NCR in the mid seventies, and recall clearly the yellow brick building situated at the start of Gale Street below Berea Road, opposite what was then a “park and ride” area where those people working in the CBD would park and be transported to and fro in minibuses.
Trevor Friend
Walking between Montclair and the Bluff is a long walk and no doubt it must have required quite a few “cold Castle’s” to quench his thirst.
I worked for NCR in Durban from February 1971 until April 1975 when I then immigrated to the UK, rejoined NCR in London and continued with them until March 1993. Working for NCR in London gave me many opportunities to travel to Europe and America on business, so I’ve been quite lucky. I worked in IT until a few years ago when I changed careers and I now work in a photographic and film archive (getting paid to do my hobby).
Gordon Green
Hey Trevor! Came across your article quite by accident. You may remember me from New Forest. I can identify with most of your memories – I also went to Montclair Primary and was in SAAF and often got stuck in Villiers! I lived just off Blamey Road – Alphen Avenue. Over the past few years New Forest has had quite a few reunions – I saw guys I haven’t seen for many years, some since Matric. You may remember Johnny Banks, Terry Espitalier, Andy Miller, Harry George, Ron Series and many more – great seeing them again!
Trevor Friend
Hi Gordon,
Great to hear from you after all these years. I do indeed remember all the guys you mentioned and in fact I met up with Andy Miller about 3 years ago as he now lives in the UK. The rest of our Matric Class I haven’t seen since before I left SA in 1975. Sadly I think Terry Espitalier lost his son a few years back in an incident in Cape Town. I still have our Matric Class photo with all of us looking quite young and innocent. Unfortunately my memory is not what it used to be and there are a few faces that I can no longer put a name to. In recent years I have been back to SA quite frequently on holiday as my wife still has family in the PMB/Hillcrest/Durban area. I have many fond memories of my last few years at New Forest High and I would love to see everyone again. I guess I should try to time one of my visits to SA with a school reunion. Sometimes when I get nostalgic I use Google Earth to walk the streets Montclair, Woodlands & Durban, it’s probably a lot safer than doing it for real.
Best wishes.
Gordon green
Hey Trevor As promised I have a picture of you from your schooldays. If you would like to see it send me your email and I will get it to you!
All the best. Gordon
Gerald Buttigieg
Alan Duncan and his wife, Hazelmay nee Watkin now living in Cape Town have just spent a few days visiting us. Alan lived in Norwich Crescent. There has just been another New Forest reunion held in Durban I think marking the 50th year of his Matric class. Alan attended and apparently there was a good turnout.
Joan Chapman
I just stumbled on the article by Trevor Friend. I so enjoyed reading the memories although I grew up in Pietermaritzburg around the same time.
Lance Wingfield
Also just stumbled on Trevor Friend’s amazing recollections of old Durban. Trevor, you most certainly re-awakened some memories for me! My own family lived in Warner Beach from 1957 onwards, and Durban was always an exciting place to visit – mostly by steam train. Life without television (and all the present mod-cons) in those days was never boring somehow. Life was indeed a lot of fun.
I remember that the old Durban station cafe was a must for the best coffee and meat pies – with gravy. My father worked in the SAR& H ‘Oswald Pirow’ building in Smith Street for many years. I went to Kingsway High School in Amanzimtoti. I finally retired a few years back to beautiful Costa Rica.