NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING
- DATE: TUESDAY 11th JUNE 2013
- VENUE: KwaMUHLE MUSEUM (Bram Fischer Road [Ordnance Road] Durban)
- TIME: Meeting commences at 17h30; Refreshments will be served from 16h45.
- PARKING: Off Bram Fischer/Ordnance road [next to the Museum]; security person is present who will raise the boom; please wait for him.
- FEATURE: This month is going to be of particular interest to anyone who enjoys – or who may enjoy the thought – “messing about in boats” Dr SALLY FROST is going to speak about EARLY DURBAN and the ROYAL NATAL YACHT CLUB.
The Durban Regatta Club was formed in 1858, just 23 years after the fledgling township of D’Urban was established, and Dr. Frost will present a fascinating slide show that tells the story of the Africa’s oldest sports club. Dr. Frost worked as the club historian for the Royal Natal Yacht Club whilst she researched and wrote the official history of the club to mark its 150th anniversary.
LAST MONTH:
Unfortunately our Speaker, Mr Pat Coyne was ill – in hospital – and not able to be with us. At the last minute Professor Franco Frescura – a Committee member – most proficiently stepped into the breach with a fascinating talk and PowerPoint presentation of the streets of Durban, mostly West and Smith streets as they were then. It was apparent, from early days, that the East and West vleis affected the development of the town; the photos shown were so interesting as were the many buildings long gone, including one of the original Baumann Biscuits. What a heritage has been lost due to ‘progress’!!
RAFFLE or AUCTION?
The Society has been given two sets of stamps by a fellow member, who is/was a philatelist but no longer belongs to the Philately Society. This is a much appreciated offer. Now we would like to know, from SANS members, whether we should raffle the sets or auction them. What do YOU think?
ODDS and ENDS:
Trevor Huddleston was born this month one hundred years ago. After completing his high school education, Huddleston went to Christ Church at Oxford University; he then spent the next two years studying theology at Wells Theological College. In 1939 he joined the Community of the Resurrection [CR] an Anglican religious order and, in 1941, was ordained Father Trevor Huddleston. Two years later Huddleston was sent to the CR mission station in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, and as Priest-in-Charge of the CR’s Anglican Mission in Sophiatown and Orlando He ministered in the townships between 1943 and 1956 and earned the nickname ‘Makhalipile’- the dauntless one. In 1954 Huddleston gave Hugh Masekela his first trumpet and asked the leader of the then Johannesburg “Native” Municipal Brass Band, to teach Masekela the rudiments of trumpet playing. Masekela quickly mastered the instrument. Soon, some of his schoolmates also became interested in playing instruments, leading to the formation of the Huddleston Jazz Band, South Africa’s first youth orchestra. The Hugh Masekela story is a long and exciting one: twice presented with Grammy awards, the artist is regarded as Africa´s most important jazz and world musician.
After 10 years in England, Huddleston was appointed (in 1978) Bishop of Mauritius, a diocese of the Province of the Indian Ocean, and later the same year was elected Archbishop of the Province of the Indian Ocean.
Recognized since 1906, SOS is a Morse Code distress call which has been an international signal for ships asking each other for assistance. It was, however, only on 10th June 1909 that the ‘SOS’ call was, for the first time, used in an emergency when the Cunard liner SS Slavonia was wrecked off the Azores.
There was no SOS call when, in 1613, the original Globe Theatre was destroyed by fire during a performance of Henry VIII; a cannon used as a prop fired an ember into the thatched roof of the theatre. Originally designed in 1599 and for which Shakespeare wrote most of his plays during the reign of Elizabeth I it was rebuilt the next year, but was destroyed again 30 years later by Puritans. In 1970 the project to rebuild The Globe was launched by American actor Sam Wannamaker, but building didn’t begin until 1993 as a great deal of planning was needed and there were many bureaucratic difficulties.
Sally Frost’s talk should be very interesting —– see you on the 11th of June
Naureen Craig
President
27th May 2013