Here’s a response from Paddy Browning to an article by Tim Pullen. He wrote:
Share this:This post relates to Tim Pullen’s entry on the 12th December 2010, “Reminiscences from Tim Pullen”, regarding the COCA COLA rotating advert on the side of the Fairhaven Hotel, its image being visible via my south facing bedroom window (number 23 Danville avenue, just up from Virginia airport). I drifted off to sleep every night through the ‘60’s and ‘70’s with its image whirring its gentle way around and around, the COCA COLA image “disappearing” and then reappearing in the bedroom window, as the hundreds of tiny neon lights that made-up the image were turned off and on.
My bedroom window was also my wind direction guide, as a westerly wind would cause the bedroom curtain to billow inwards and an easterly wind would result in the reverse. As a surf mad youngster, the curtain blowing into my bedroom was often an early weekend morning signal for me to gather up my surfboard and towel and head off to one of the beaches along the Durban beachfront.
Thanks for an excellent website Alan.
Karin Brand
Thx for the reminding me of those wonderful memories.
Margaret Morby-Smith
My husband and myself have thoroughly enjoyed all the wonderful stories about Old Durban and hope many more people will share their wonderful memories with us.
Thank you so much. Margaret.
Allan Jackson
Pleasure Margaret. I don’t suppose your husband plays bowls at Glenwood Old Boys does he?
Ann Haarhoff
I have really enjoyed reading about “Good old Durbs” It brought back so many memories of such an enjoyable time. I grew up in Pinetown and a trip to Durban was the height of excitement and was looked forward to for months beforehand as it meant a day out.
Ann Haarhoff (Venter)
Sharon Geake nee MacDonald
What a fantastic memory you have! I also spent my early days with my grandparents who lived at Belmont on South Beach – so The Lido, Little Top, trampolines, Scotty’s, resonate clearly. And then we grew up in Pinetown – back then, so small and safe, Girl Guides in Baden Powell’s house on the Old Main Road.
Thanks for sharing memories 🙂
Mike Catton
Well I guess I could add a bit to what I have read about good old Durb’s.
I grew up on the beach front in the late 60’s and went to Addington junior primary.
Opposite Dayton’s.
Classroom Number 4 the one with the Rooster next to the front door.
I remember so much the paddling ponds where I could only swim in the little one as the big one was too deep lol.
Nearly drowning at City Baths opposite City Hall.Right by our bus stop to get us back to South and North beach
Addington hospital Xl restaurant, Cuban Hat The Nest 101 chicken licken Beach Baths (Rachel Finlay Baths)
Jols in my time too many to mention, from El Castallian (bull ring) Lonsdale Hotel
Malibu Hotel Port O Call Fathers Moustache Diamond Circle.
Butterworth Hotel, Mayfair Hotel ( Blue Angel) etc
I remember old Harry Shakespeare from Cocky Pride and the Lido above the Blue Grotto he was a friendly ” Gay ” man
I really could go on and on lol
Nick Steyn own the amusement rides next to the paddling ponds who later became Councillor Steyn.
Enough for now
Regards
Mike Catton
0827888900
Mike Catton
Be good to hear from those who also grew up in Durban in the 60’s 70’s
Cheers
Una van Tilburg
What fantastic memories – had forgotton about so many things – remember the Macabre with with Bats where you sat on coffins? think it was the Butterworth hotel
and every sunday night we went to the Lonsdale Hotel to comedy night [- such fun
Pat Sligo
The other organ player he mentions could be Tommy McLennan, who played at the Metro theatre, but his was a Wurlitzer, I think, not a Hammond organ.
The Metro had a round pit built into the stage in which that beautiful big organ was situated below ground level, and when it was his turn, he came up on a platform sitting at the organ playing a tune with great gusto as an intro for his “sing-a-long” session of 10 minutes or so.
He eventually had to give it up as the “heavies” in town used to book seats close to the organ, and when he finished playing, and started on the downward trip playing with equal gusto, he was followed by all the empty ice cream cups and anything else that could be thrown at him, or into the pit, after him!
Can anyone remember those events around 1952 or 3??!!
D.H. Fourie
Does anyone remember Joey Barnard, who regularly used to sing Italian and opera songs at the Lido, as well as one song chirping as a bird? If so, I would like to contact her if still alive. She was my cousin. Danie Fourie d4ez36@yahoo.com
Yvonne
Does anyone perhaps have a photograph stashed somewhere of the old ocean city/ O’Connor movie theatre complex..as it looked in the late 60’s?
Lucille
What was the name of the amusement arcade on Durbans beachfront during the 1960′ and early 70’s
Gerald Buttigieg
Hi Lucille
If you are talking strictly amusement arcades there were two. One was Kenilworth’s which in its former days was actually a tearoom. This was the big white building along the Lower Marine Parade. Then in the same vicinity but one could say behind Kenilworth’s was Newton’s Amusement Park which was a series of open air stalls. I do not know if the two were run by the same management.
Here is an old photograph of Kenilworth’s in the early days.
Richard Martin
Kenilworth was a mysterious place to a child in the 50s – ten pin bowling alley, dodgems, and lots of penny slot machines including one that showed a murderer being hanged!
Newtons was north of Dante’s tearoom further along North Beach. It was a lot of little stalls with fortune tellers and shooting galleries. The two big attractions were Sam Newtons bingo and Melson’s Dodgems run by George Melson, a family friend of many years. He would do anything for someone who needed help and was a real character. During WW2 in Egypt, he was simultaneously on a disciplinary charge and a King’s commendation for gallantry. He used to tell stories about the West Street Willies, a group of bikers who all joined up together to go up north. Sam Newton also built The Ranch at the sunken gardens, opposite Althea Court. It had “put-put” and a chipping course, ponies that came from Newmarket everyday, and lots of train and car rides. In the cafe, there were pictures of Bobby Locke opening the golf section. I think there’s more info on Sam Newton elsewhere. He was a fine art connoisseur and involved with the Durban Art Gallery.