Unfortunately the move up to the college was a very unhappy one. Suddenly in remove from having been in the A form and doing well we were now the lowest of the low making tea for prefects and fagging. A stupid custom imported from English public schools which lead to vengeance when the fags reached the prefect stage - I never became a prefect and the system eventually was abolished. In my case I had never made the tea! Some got their parents to clean cricket boots at which the prefect complained they were not done well enough! We were more afraid of the prefects than the teachers. It took a couple f years after that to recover my school work and prizes were no longer to be expected. The truth was that we were a very clever class as Walter Macfarlane told me so one was likely to often come second. At some point some bright spark decided to save money by getting the boys to plant the A field in front of the tuck shop. This being educational we had to listen to Prof Meredith spouting about grasses then it was out into the sun with a metal spike and a rock to drive the spike into the hard red soil baked hard by the sun. When orange squash arrived in large metal containers boys put their mugs into it with the result that all that was left was mud. So much for the good manners we were supposed to be learning!
In 1962 we moved from 104 Vredehoek Grafton Road to 2 Jewel Court Frances Street. Shortly before this my model electric Hornby dublo railway which Dad had built from packing cases was given to St Mark's to raise money for the new church hall. It was won by a family with 2 sons. It had been in my bedroom for a long time and Dad loved it. I was bored with it! Although my pride and joy was my Mallard engine which had been purchased in York (shop near the Minster) and we had to say it was a present for customs purposes. I had tunnels and stations all carefully made - it was a real layout. Had we kept it it would be worth a lot today! Another reason was that it would not fit into my new bedroom!
I had spotted this flat for rent across the road from St Mark's church and it was ideal with 3 large bedrooms. The rear part of the flat could be closed off when entertaining. I could easily walk to school and the church was just across the road. To get to town there were buses. There was ample room for the mahogany grand piano which Dad had purchased from the former organist of St Mark's and it was a beautiful instrument to play. It is very sad that I was not allowed to do any music at school because I was in St Mark's choir and learnt privately with the wonderful Miss Kadden who lived in Hendon Street very near Vredehoek. She was a German Jewess who had escaped from the Nazis and she always treated me as an adult. She realised very quickly that I did not like repeating pieces so I did no exams. I only started the piano when I was 12 but I made rapid progress as I could read music having been a choirboy since age 7. On one occasion I said I did not want to go to choir and Mum said you wanted to join the choir and your Dad will miss you. I went. We lived on the first floor at Jewel Court. The balcony ran across living room and main bedroom with glass doors. Mum once disturbed an intruder in the night so after that the doors were locked - nowadays the balcony is covered in protection. You came into the dining room which was a through room with the grand piano at the left. Mum would return and say "You can stop now" I would be planning a recital! The master bedroom was on the right leading off the dining room. There was a door which cut off the back of the flat - very convenient for entertaining which Mum and Dad did quite a lot! Off the corridor was the kitchen and on the other side the bathroom, My room was then on your left walking away from the dining room and Ann on the right. Large builtin cupboards in each room so plenty of room to put out my toys. Later I acquired beautiful wooden bookcases with glass fronts from Dad's office (the Chartered Accountants) so my books were all clean. I had a nice wooden table which had a nail sticking down which eventually got taken out. I was no handyman! I looked out onto a church Pentecostal I think in the next road and flats opposite. Unfortunately one neighbour played Ravel's Bolero ad nauseam but I would put on the radio and listen to that while studying. Ann often slipped into bed with me which wasn't supposed to happen but we were happy with that! We were a very close family and considering that I had been the apple of Mum's eye I was not at all jealous. Quite the opposite! Ann gradually acquired my toys even the Dinky white Rolls Royce! There were grills at the windows to prevent intruders. The Diamonds owned the building hence Jewel Court. Ann met him when they visited years later. Everyone used to say they never heard me come in or out. Perhaps because of living in flats I like the garden but don't spend much time in it! Also I had to keep out of the sun or be covered up. I would sit on the beach under the umbrella until Ann persuaded me out to play.
In 1962 we moved from 104 Vredehoek Grafton Road to 2 Jewel Court Frances Street. Shortly before this my model electric Hornby dublo railway which Dad had built from packing cases was given to St Mark's to raise money for the new church hall. It was won by a family with 2 sons. It had been in my bedroom for a long time and Dad loved it. I was bored with it! Although my pride and joy was my Mallard engine which had been purchased in York (shop near the Minster) and we had to say it was a present for customs purposes. I had tunnels and stations all carefully made - it was a real layout. Had we kept it it would be worth a lot today! Another reason was that it would not fit into my new bedroom!
I had spotted this flat for rent across the road from St Mark's church and it was ideal with 3 large bedrooms. The rear part of the flat could be closed off when entertaining. I could easily walk to school and the church was just across the road. To get to town there were buses. There was ample room for the mahogany grand piano which Dad had purchased from the former organist of St Mark's and it was a beautiful instrument to play. It is very sad that I was not allowed to do any music at school because I was in St Mark's choir and learnt privately with the wonderful Miss Kadden who lived in Hendon Street very near Vredehoek. She was a German Jewess who had escaped from the Nazis and she always treated me as an adult. She realised very quickly that I did not like repeating pieces so I did no exams. I only started the piano when I was 12 but I made rapid progress as I could read music having been a choirboy since age 7. On one occasion I said I did not want to go to choir and Mum said you wanted to join the choir and your Dad will miss you. I went. We lived on the first floor at Jewel Court. The balcony ran across living room and main bedroom with glass doors. Mum once disturbed an intruder in the night so after that the doors were locked - nowadays the balcony is covered in protection. You came into the dining room which was a through room with the grand piano at the left. Mum would return and say "You can stop now" I would be planning a recital! The master bedroom was on the right leading off the dining room. There was a door which cut off the back of the flat - very convenient for entertaining which Mum and Dad did quite a lot! Off the corridor was the kitchen and on the other side the bathroom, My room was then on your left walking away from the dining room and Ann on the right. Large builtin cupboards in each room so plenty of room to put out my toys. Later I acquired beautiful wooden bookcases with glass fronts from Dad's office (the Chartered Accountants) so my books were all clean. I had a nice wooden table which had a nail sticking down which eventually got taken out. I was no handyman! I looked out onto a church Pentecostal I think in the next road and flats opposite. Unfortunately one neighbour played Ravel's Bolero ad nauseam but I would put on the radio and listen to that while studying. Ann often slipped into bed with me which wasn't supposed to happen but we were happy with that! We were a very close family and considering that I had been the apple of Mum's eye I was not at all jealous. Quite the opposite! Ann gradually acquired my toys even the Dinky white Rolls Royce! There were grills at the windows to prevent intruders. The Diamonds owned the building hence Jewel Court. Ann met him when they visited years later. Everyone used to say they never heard me come in or out. Perhaps because of living in flats I like the garden but don't spend much time in it! Also I had to keep out of the sun or be covered up. I would sit on the beach under the umbrella until Ann persuaded me out to play.
My 1962 diary is a typical affair designed for English school boys. Strangely I have given my date of birth as 31/9/46. My height is given as 5' 4" and weight 100 lb. The diary shows an ordered life with choir practice on Thursday, communion at St Mary's cathedral chapel at 8 a.m. for which Dad played hymns. We then sang at St Mark's in the morning and evening usually an anthem. Scott Macrobert is mentioned a lot in the holidays. I clearly enjoyed music appreciation at school taken by John East for 2 years. I wrote regularly to Francis Close deputy head chorister of Peterborough cathedral and Alan Hall in Sutton-in-Ashfield and later Wrexham who had met at Addington palace. The fourth hockey team was continually defeated but we kept playing. I have carefully recorded the results and my exam results. coming first in English and Afrikaans (! but not a high mark) 5th in Latin and Biology and 8th in Science. I have also recorded the records I listened to and the books I read and from 1963 I have little books recording my reading and my comments. On Jan 4 I record going to see "Raising the wind". This was a hilarious film about music college students which never failed to amuse. The South Afiican censors often missed double entendres! I was also recording my finances small as they were. My outgoings seem to be for stationery, records, youth fellowship and presents. I enjoyed the church youth fellowship on Friday evenings Most of the films we went to see were comedies although they include West Side Story and The Young Ones. John and Hayley Mills feature in Scott of the Antarctic, Swiss family Robinson, Pollyana and Whistle down the Wind.
Francis Close at Peterborough cathedral, and at Addington Palace and when he got married to Rosemary.
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