I am delighted to say that FAD now has it’s first guest diarist. In keeping with the relaxed nature of the site, however, I’ve only now got around to introducing him, well after his first post.
Gerald Buttigieg is a Durbanite now resident in the KwaZulu Natal interior, and has been an active contributor to this site for many years. His contributions include his memories of growing up in Durban in the 1950s & 1960s including Sessions, Going Fishing & School Breakup Day, St Henry’s first soccer team, What did you do for fun in Durban?, and he contributed extensively to The way we were page.
His diary entries will appear in the body of the diary, as they made, and will also be listed on their own page.
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Jo Wallstrom-Walda
How this site brings back memories for me. I first went to St. Joseph’s Primary School in Smith Street and from there went to Convent High in St Andrew’s Street. I remember St Joseph’s to be an old convent where the nuns had their dormitory accross the bricked quadrangle. We would sit on the downstairs verandas and watch them. I remember the second floor of the nuns dormitory was a no go area because the floor had collapsed. They had the most beautiful chapel with a small statuette called Jesus of Padua which was always dressed in different robes depending on the catholic calender. I know that the crown and jewels were genuine and would cost a fortune today. When Convent High moved to Glenmore Ave (I think the second term of the year) all this was moved to the new chapel. I wonder if it still there? This would be in 1962 when I was in my Matric Year. At the new school they had a prefect’s room where I used to sneak a smoke now and then. I only remember a few of my class mates, mainly Edwina Akels, whose family had a hardware store in Redhill, Laura Mclouchlin whose brother Gorden was the captian of the cricket team at Marist Brothers back then and Deidre Pratt who lived in The Gables on the Esplanade. Deidre was very artistic and made beautiful puppets. I also remember Margaret Barbeiri, the ballet dancer, who was in a standard below me. Margaret danced for us at a concert in St Andrew’s street. Well don’t let me be a bore about my school days. Regards Jo Wallstrom-Walda
Allan Jackson
Nice to hear from you Jo.
AJ Coates
If anyone has old photos of Blackburn Road Durban North (the old diary / the Bell Inn etc) please share if you don’t mind. My family lived at 229 Blackburn (built by my great-grandfather) and my grandmother had a dance studio on Blackburn in the late 40’s. Would love some old photos of the area. Thank you.