Sunday 5 November 2017

Photos 1995 (D)







From Athabasca 2.12.1995

From Athabasca
2.12.1995


CHRISTMAS LETTER FROM PAM, GEORGE AND ROBERT

ROBERT: At 17 months is a laughing explosion of energy. People literally stop and say things like: “Oh what a beautiful baby”, or “Where is my camera when I need it.” He runs and rarely walks; is satisfied with sign language for the moment. He does make a number of noises – bear, pig, dog, cat, cow, camel, tiger, wolf (or coyote or dingo), donkey, kookaburra and a very god tractor sound. He is big, blond, and curly headed with a mouthful of teeth. He takes his job seriously: deconstructing the world. Plays hockey with dad (a tennis ball for puck and wooden spoons for hockey sticks): gave his dad a black eye. Wild teenager! Broke a dozen eggs in the supermarket with a fly swatter.

PAM: Tied down and tied up with motherhood. Robert sure slowed down her reading. Still nursing. Australia starts to look good as winter wears away at us and local politics gets us down.

GEORGE: Now Professor of Finance and no longer Dean. Will have administrative Leave starting in August 1996, until retirement at the end of June 1997. Has agreed to a 2.5 month consultancy in Bangladesh in October 1996 so we may go round the world. Life is full of telephone tutoring, marking, course revisions.

FARM: we had a dry spring. We seeded fenceline to fenceline – 583 acres. This is the first year we did it ourselves. We bought our first piece of John Deere, a seed drill, as well as a disk plough, a harrow, a sprayer, another truck, another pick-up, another truck. All very second –hand. On June 17, we got our first summer rain 4 inches in one day followed by more and more – 17 inches during the growing season. There was still standing water in the fields at harvest. The only summer we had was a couple of weeks in September. The crops were not good, but recovered enough to look respectable. Fortunately prices for barley and peas are V.G. Canola prices are O.K. the farm is more than one person can do May-June, September-October and little to do the rest of the year... we do hire help. George got the crop off by thanksgiving and completed the fall work after the first snow fall. Some piece of machinery always breaks down, but we have worked out where to get spare parts and repairing done. George still oscillates over the piggery; he has just bought a pig barn, to pull apart and move over winter.

We are into it: a foot of snow on the ground; snow plows a necessity of life; days rarely warm enough to thaw (can’t even roll a snow ball) nights -10 to -20. It will get colder before spring. Pam’s first real drive in a snow storm ruined both windscreen wipers. She didn’t realise that they freeze to the window. Despite getting a new furnace the house is still not comfortable. We are spending four nights at Jasper over Christmas; we didn’t have a holiday this year. We don’t go to Edmonton very often now, as we gave up the apartment in July. Aurora visited us twice, the second time Yale stayed for a week. Daniel spent six weeks in summer on the farm, his mum Sharon staying for the first week. At thirteen, he was very helpful and hopefully enjoyed himself as well. He puts on weight. George’s two sisters also visited. Pam’s friend Mary visited briefly in September. We finally joined the rest of humanity and got a TV and VCR in November. Life will never be the same again. Tonight it is “Jefferson in Paris”. Robert now knows who Big Bird is.

                                                Christmas Cheers
                                                Pam, George and Robert


From Canada 24.9.1995

Birthday Card
From Canada
24.9.1995

Dear Alan,

                How are things down under? Warming up? Not so here. The first frost has already reared its unwanted head. And today fog remains blanketing the river and valley.

                But that is only weather …right!

What happened with the football? Perhaps the final will be live on the TV as it was last year. I’ll have a look. I don’t care for the national sports here. Ice hockey and Canadian football. They can keep them.

                I’ll be working for Pam & George again this harvest in a week or so. Driving the grain truck and then preparing the ground for next year before the snow comes. Disking and chiseling. I am hoping that this work will give me enough money to go home this December for a short visit. That is all we will be able to manage.

                Reid is enjoying his new job and is learning every second of the day. Working for a large and profitable company has its advantages.

                We already have windows “95’ on our house-computer. It should make things easier but it is different from the old and I will have to familiarize myself with it.

                We had a little garden this year. I experimented with peppers despite local tradition.  It’s not the Mediterranean but we got a few and will bring some plants inside for the winter. Love to everybody,

take care
Beverley XOXOXO
                               



From Merrivale 6.9.1995

From Merrivale
6.9.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

You will be surprised to see we are still at home we were on our way to Vereeniging stopped at Bergville for the weekend & Uncle Brian phoned………..

Debbie’s new place is really out of this world – I keep taking all my friends to see it. the garden is very overrun as the old couple who had it did all their own work on 2 acres, but just about every square inch with flowers – they do have a very small bit of lawn they must have every different color azalea in singles, doubles, miniatures, hose in hose & you name it & they are all in full bloom plus all the magnolias & gardenias plus all the bedding plants & a vegetable garden. Lionel has already sold R5000 worth of clivias & strelitzia & the garden is still full of clivias all in full bloom.

Sheila is talking of selling their place & getting a smaller place, the estate agent has told Sheila that they should get R275, 000 for it now they are keen to sell, but they’ll waste the money if they get that. I love Sheila dearly but they are always in debt, mainly due to Ronald, but Sheila also wastes money. Donovan’s still the same a proper Lumgair , won’t lift a finger to help Sheila, hasn’t got a job & is not looking & expects the best of everything. I really despair of him. I try talking nicely to him & end up getting myself all worked up & wanting to slap him, so I keep my distance from him, but I must say he is always polite.

Well that’s about all congratulations from all of us to Melissa please send press cuttings about her 7 golds as soon as possible as I am trying to get sponsored to go to Olympics by one of the banks.

                                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXXX
                                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXX


From Merrivale 1.8.1995

From Merrivale
1.8.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

It has been a lovely hot summer day today & tonight we haven’t got jerseys on or a fire going. Jimmy bought us a second hand wood stove & dad took it apart & put it together again & we started it up today (now that winter is over) & I cooked a whole meal on it for us & the Ronald Smith.
Ronald. Les & Clinton went down to Veldrif near Saldanha to visit Sherry for a week & thoroughly enjoyed themselves – you know how Ronald loves the Cape.

I’ve not been well for over 10 days now with pain in my stomach & shivering , so I went to the Dr today & I have diverticulitis & have been put on tetracycline to try & clear it, but will most probably have to have an operation at some time. We are off to the Cape in 3 weeks’ time, so I have got to be well for that seeing how we have been so looking forward to this trip. I heard on the news that the flowers are already out & that it is going to be a bumper year, so hope they will still be out when we go.

We have had housefuls as Jenny & kids came, so Debbie & Neal & families came one day, then the next Sheila & family came up from Durban to spend some time with Jenny too.

I haven’t had a chance to do any sewing, so tonight I have cleaned the house & tomorrow as soon as I get out of bed I’ll be on the sewing machine – a friend bought me loads & loads of material today so that will keep me busy for some time to come.

People are so good to me you would be surprised how much material has been donated to me. Are the family well & the kids back at school? Please phone me as soon as you know how Melissa does in America & whether she is in the Olympics.

No more space.

                                Tons of love, XXXXXXXXXX
                                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXXXX


Photos 1995 (C)










From Merrivale 31.7.1995

From Merrivale
31.7.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

The year is already more than half way over – I can’t believe its August tomorrow – but as I hate the winter I am glad it will soon be over – we have had a very mild winter with temperature in the mid to high twenties all the time. Tomorrows expected temperature is 29 in P.M.Burg. We are in the grips of a drought, but should get our first rain in August. Durban had a terrific hail storm yesterday which did extensive damage the hail was up to the window sills in lots of houses.

We have just come back from Sheila it was so hot there at night that we had to have the fan on. We went to the Hayes at Southbroom for 5 days & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, the Mosterts ex-Rhodesians & Debbie & family were down too.

We are home for a week then we will go & spend one night with jenny & family (they now live in the old hotel behind the new hotel 9 rooms) then we are off to Vereeniging & Sunday we go to Kruger National Park before they give it to the kaffirs for cattle farms. Aunty Myrtle’s Keith has a house on the outskirts of Kruger which he rents out for R120 a night 3 bedrooms & 8 beds so I think it is  a very good price & we are booked in for 3 nights then 1 night in Sabie & 1or 2 at Pilgrims Rest . We will go in the Hayes car as ours is so unreliable.

Eric came over yesterday & he , Elliot & myself spent the whole day , pruning, spraying 7 watering & fertilizing  all the fruit trees – we were all so exhausted last night.

Neal is hoping to move into his new place at the end of august. I am afraid he has made a big mistake buying it, but one can only advise & if the advice isn’t taken there is nothing we can do. He has paid nearly R200, 000 for a half finished house on top of a hill & hardly any arable land & 15 kms on a dirt road. He is getting a new Toyota Venture soon.

I’m busy making marmalade & have been freezing lots of peas otherwise everything else in the garden is half dead waiting for rain.

Run out of space. After 6 weeks Les is at long last coming right.

                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX



From Merrivale 2.7.1995

From Merrivale
2.7.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

Where does the time go? You would think that now that we are retired we would have time on our hands but no, I get so stressed out with all the work I try to do that I have even started to have panic attacks.

I made the mistake of making Byron a blanket coat for his birthday now everyone wants one, so far I have made about 5 & I still haven’t got one for myself. I also saw this lovely pattern for a sweater with a large panda bear holding 2 smaller panda bears & fell in love with it & have been making it for myself but what a business there are sometimes 7 balls of wool on the go & they have all got to be twisted around each other, thank goodness I am nearly finished & it looks too beautiful.

Sherry & Izan were married on the 22nd June (Sherry is not pregnant) & we had a lovely reception on Saturday night.  Izan had lost his job &his aunt in Saldana managed to get him a good job servicing fishing boats so that is why they got married so quickly & are now living in Saldana & Izan is already out at sea for 8 days, Sherry has found a house & is waiting for Izan to return to sign the lease on it – so far she seems very happy. There is a bitter wind blowing off the snow laden berg & I am wishing that winter was over.

We spent 10 magic days with Lionel, Debbie & kids at Margate I swam & John & Nicholas fished. Then we spent another lovely 10 days with Sheila & saw all our old friends.

Aunty Maureen & Uncle Brian just phoned.  Alan this is especially for you, who won the world cup for rugby? Here kom die Bokkie Hoorah!!! You can imagine the excitement & the parties afterwards. We can still see the Aussie & new Zealanders dust. Well lunch time so must away. What about you lazy girls writing to your grandparents sometime.

                Tons of love from, XXXXX
                Dad & Mum, XXXXXXX



From Merrivale 1.6.1995

From Merrivale
1.6.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

I am sitting waiting for a friend to arrive for tea, she was supposed to have come yesterday, but lost her way & it seems as though she is lost again today. She had brain cancer so her memory is not too good, but a very sweet person.

Dad & Neal are out on a job. They spent 5 days working at Kings Park, getting a suite ready for the rugby – the suites cost R54, 000 a year to hire a bare room of 40*40 meters – the price goes up every year 7 dad reckoned there were over 100 of these suites to hire. Hey Alan what happened to the Aussies? I would have phoned to gloat, but it was about 2am your time & knew I wouldn’t be very popular.

Winter came in with a bang the kids had been swimming in the dam on the Saturday & when we left Debbie’s that Monday morning there was frost everywhere & we have had our first snowfall , so we will be off to Durban soon to winter in Durbs. Especially now that Donovan is not living at home.
Ronald & Lesley are in Margate on holiday & les won R2, 500 at the casino from R10 so she is putting it away for the wedding.  My friend just pitched up.

Lionel phoned at 1pm & said I’ll give you 5 minutes to get ready & then we’re off to Margate, well it’s now 3:30pm & I am still waiting for them to arrive so don’t know what time will get to Margate. I’ll sign off now & write again when I’ve more time.

                                Tons of love from, XXXXXX
                                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXX



From Merrivale 22.4.1995

From Merrivale
22.4.1995


Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

We are just sitting & waiting for Jenny & kids to comeback from P.M.Burg, Jenny has been attending a lecture & the kids + Besters have been at the cinema – the Collighams don’t get those luxuries in Bergville. Regan will spend the weekend here & then we will take him back to school on Monday, he has been off for 3 days with ringworm. We had a lovely holiday with the Hayes & the …. At Southbroom – we went swimming just about everyday & did lots of sleeping – we had about 200mm of rain while we were there & only 10mm here, but since then we have had 40mm so the dam is full for winter.

The Lumgairs & the Besters were camping at Fanies Island & despite all the rain they had a good time.  I can’t remember if I told you in my last letter that Sherry became engaged to Izan on the 1st April we had a lovely party next door. I really like Izan (he is very Afrikaans) but very sensible & I know he will look after Sherry. They plan to marry on the 2nd December.

We have been without a car since coming back from Southbroom – the little Toyota has a cracked cylinder head & being so old, can’t get a replacement & the VW limped to Southbroom & home again & Dad has spent all his time getting it going again & I think it is going now so Dad will fit it out as a camper then I hope he will sell it, but doubt it as he wants too much for it 7 its rusted to pieces. I would like to sell both cars & get 1 reliable one.

Well no sign of the Collighams & it’s nearly 6pm & Jenny & girls still have to get to Bergville.
Must close now.

                                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXX

                                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXX

Photos 1995 (B)










From Sunshine 4. 1995

Birthday Card
From Sunshine
4. 1995

Dear Lorna,

                                I think this letter will not reach you until Monday. I hope you had a happy birthday and the girls did something special for your birthday.

                However we may feel there is nothing we can do about getting older. Never mind there are many advantages when you are old. Except when you get sick. I have been twice shopping this week. It was good to get out. I felt much better and only a little bit of stiffness in the leg.

Tomorrow we thought we might go out for a picnic not too far away. That depends on the weather.
I don’t go back to the surgeon for another 2 weeks so I suppose I suppose I won’t be better until at least then.

We are going to go out to post this letter. The more I move around the better I feel. I hope you have a good time.

                                Love from
                                                Dorothy


From Merrivale 2.4.1995

From Merrivale
2.4.1995


Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

I missed you phoning me on my birthday, but realise how busy you are, & that you phoned 2 weeks ago.  I had a lovely birthday. All the family from around here came for supper & a good time was had by all.  & all my friends phoned to wish me. What a mess I had to clean after 18 people here for supper.

What a hectic weekend we’ve had. Sherry & her boyfriend Izan decided to get engaged on Saturday night, so les & Ron rushed around & gave her an engagement party with all of us & his family. He is a very sensible boy (very Afrikaans) & very caring we are very fond of him & his family are very nice too.

We went to church this morning then derbies kids came over for the day plus Neals & Regan & Clinton so I was kept busy feeding them & keeping an eye on them as they were playing down at the dam & fishing (we have lots of big fish in the dam & the kids catch them over & over again & throw them back in again). In between I had visitors & I have baked all day to take things with me when we go to Southbroom tomorrow to join the Hayes & the …. for 2 weeks.

Our little car has a cracked cylinder head, so that’s a non- runner – one battles to get spares as it’s a 1968 model. The Kombi is just ticking over so hope we make it to Southbroom tomorrow.
Aunty Phyllis has made Melissa a jersey with the Olympic logia on it. I haven’t sent it yet but please get Melissa to write & thank her – you can send it care of me.

We have just had to fetch Garrett from a friends as he is so sick & we have to leave here at 6:45am tomorrow to get Regan to school.

                                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXXX
                                Dad & Mum, XXXXXXXXXX


From Merrivale 17.3.1995

From Merrivale
17.3.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

It was so lovely talking to you on the phone this morning & hearing all your news.

Dad was in hospital for 3 days & had tests & is all clear - now he will go back again in September & if he is clear again once a year for 5 years then no more.  It’s been a worrying time for me I have really felt it & I’m a bit shaky & nervy still, but are going away quite  abit now so hope I’ll come right. We are going to Sheila on Tuesday for a week, then home for a week, then down to Southbroom for 2 weeks. Sheila & Debbie & families are going to Fanies Island, St Lucia & Kosi Bay camping, they wanted us to go with them, but Dad likes his comfits now in his old age & I also think it will be very crowded, that’s why we have decided to go with Uncle Brian & Aunty Maureen, they have just spent a few days with us in the Drakensberg in Debbie & Lionel’s caravan. We spent 2 weekends with Jim & Jenny, they are doing very well, but have a cash flow problem as Escom takes about 6 months to pay. Tara is in Capetown on a school tour.  Debbie, Lionel & kids have gone to the caravan for 5 days & Sheila & children will join them tomorrow. They will come here for breakfast first.

I’m busy making chutney I have quite a few good customers, one person took 80 bottles, I have also been making cards & have just got an order for 6, they are steady sellers.
Byron & Wesley are here for the weekend, they don’t like going to Durban & especially as they stay with Alison & family.

Kathy Jones baby is expected any minute so Lesley & Ronald are going to Durban to look after …. It’s been 30 today very hot I look forward to autumn but not winter. Kathy had a baby boy today Patrick’s 37th birthday. Our car is broken again so I had to get Bonzie to take me to P.M.Burg to get it sorted out. Neal is here putting pine ceilings in our bedroom. Must close.

                                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
                                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXXXXX



From Merrivale 2.3.1995

From Merrivale
2.3.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

Haven’t heard from you mid-January are you still living on planet earth? I am just waiting for Debbie to bring Matthew over for me to look after him. Debbie is being taxi to Nicky’s class at school & helping take them to the circus. I just love having Matthew he is everybody’s darling & I feel sorry for Nicky as he has had to have a back seat. We have been spending quite a lot of time at Midmar & the other day I had Matthew in the water & he said to me “We’re having fun Nana.”

We had a lovely rain yesterday & the world is looking so nice & clean today, we were getting really desperate for rain. I will take Matthew down to the dam just now & see how much that has come up.
We leave for Bergville tomorrow will take Regan home then we are going to Debbie’s caravan for 5 days &the Hayes will join us for part of the time, then the weekend following back to the hotel then we will bring Regan back again on the Sunday. It will save Jenny 2 trips. Then Dad goes back into hospital on Monday for a check-up he will be in hospital for 3-4 days.

Jenny has now got a post at the African teacher training college in Ladysmith & is very happy there. She has a flat there & has Tara & Tam-lyn living with her there. Tara is off to Cape Town on a marvelous trip organized by the school.

Neal is in Durban on a computer course & Vanessa & boys are on their own on the farm. Vanessa says she’s not scared & they have got a very good alarm system – we were going to stay, but she says she is OK.

Lesley is working at Lionel’s factory sanding furniture & just loving it – she is really hard worker.  Sherry still hasn’t got a job.

A lot of our black members of parliament are in the pooh especially Winnie, as they have been using funds donated by other countries to buy themselves fancy houses & motor cars & the money was donated to build houses for the homeless. Mandela’s getting tough & now telling them that they must pay rent, lights & water, they have refused to pay for these for years & years. Must close.

                                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXX

                                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXX

Photos 1995 (A)





From Merrivale 15.2.1995

From Merrivale
15.2.1995

It’ nice to have the Besters home, I missed them very much as I either hear or see Debbie & her children just about every day. It is also nice that they are home as it has taken a big weight off my shoulders looking after their house.

Congratulations to Melissa & to you, what about Jolene & Alan?? I am going to send Melissa a card, as soon as I can get into Howick to buy one. The whole family Smiths/Thomas etc.  & friends send congratulations.

We have just come back from Midmar, I think I told you it’s over the wall & what a wondrous sight , Neal, Vanessa, Melony, Mandy, Dad & myself took the boat out for the morning. Neal & Vanessa skied, then Dad took me fishing but I didn’t even get 1 bite. We tried to get hold of Debbie to come too, but Matthew had been playing with the phone so we couldn’t get through. Ronald left yesterday for America his firm has sent him on a course there & to do a tour of the carpet factories in Atlanta. He flew Lufthansa so flew first to Germany then onto America from the news we see they are having one of the worst winters in years with very bad snow storms & the temperatures well below zero, anyway it will be  a very good experience for him & I believe he is going overseas again in May.

Byron & Wesley spent the weekend with me also Regan & of course Clinton , the 3 Bester kids came over & what fun they had they played cricket , swam, took the boats down to our dam  & every 5 minutes I would hear the microwave going they were out in the garden picking mealies then coming in & microwaving them & eating them. The Randalls were here too.

I am still having visitors everyday, also still freezing vegetables & making jams & pickles. My arthritis is really giving me a hard time & I fear that I am going to end up in a wheelchair. It is just starting raining again I love it.

Must close no more space.

                                Tons of love to you all, XXXXXXX
                                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXX



From Merrivale 13.2.1995

From Merrivale
13.2.1995

Dear Melissa & Jolene,

I swam in the Midmar Mile on Sunday and it was quite different from the swim at Lake Trevallyn. The water temperature would have been warmer than the heated pool at Glenorchy as I estimate it was approximately 25-26. We had 2 very hot days on Friday & Saturday, Friday was 40 and I don’t know what it was on Saturday but we had a Hugh storm on Saturday afternoon. After the storm we went and swam at the Agriculture College swimming pool. My mother managed to get a key from someone she used to work with. The water was also very warm and they had two diving platforms which the children loved.  Matthew found a frog which he nursed until he let it go back to its swimming. All your cousins were here on the weekend except Donovan and Taryn. They stayed at home with their father. Shelia and Ronald don’t have a very happy relationship and Donovan doesn’t live at home. He boards at a residential hotel. I think the reason he might not have come was because I saw him carrying a packet of cigarettes and I told him he was not to smoke near me. Jimmy and Lesley also smoke and don’t seem to care where they smoke which is a bit of a pain. I was going to go and stay with Jenny and Jimmy at the hotel but now I will go and stay with Debbie & Lionel at their caravan and just visit the Collighans.

I have not had any of the results of the Midmar Mile but I think that the winner finished in about 19 minutes. They were expecting about 10000 entrants and they had three gates going into the dam and the cars were bumper to bumper going in. It was pouring with rain and there were 5 events. I reckon there would have been about 2000 people in my events. The whole way you are jostling just for a place to swim. I got kicked by quite a few breakstrokers. All the swimmers had to have a bar code stapled to their bathers and your bar code was taken at the end. I have no idea how long I took. /the water was very rough because the weather was bad but I enjoyed the swim. I spoke to a few swimmers before the race and a lot of the swimmers aim for about half the amount of time that you do.

I want to go and see “Babe” with the Besters if it starts showing while I am here.  It is listed as a forthcoming attraction at the cinema. I have told Debbie we never got “Muriel’s Wedding” which they knew nothing about and I told them it has a South African connection. I think you girls would get on with most of your cousins. They seem to be just like normal young teenagers. Clinton wants to start playing rugby and come swimming with me. Byron and Donovan love surfing and Jonathon was “man of the match” at cricket on Saturday. Sherry-Lee rang from the Cape and was very upset that she had just missed us. Apparently she only went back home shortly after we came. I hope you are both coping well with work and training as well as housework.

                See you soon,

                                                Mum

From Merrivale 11.2.1995

From Merrivale
11.2.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

What happening? Haven’t heard from you since you phoned while I was camping at the dam with Neal & friends. Debbie was also saying yesterday she hadn’t heard from you in ages. How did it go with Melissa in Sydney? We still haven’t received the videos. I thought you were going to send them over with either Cheryl or that person from Midmar Museum.

It’s the Midmar Mile tomorrow, wish you were here to swim in it – Cheryl’s kids swim every year & Tam-lyn was supposed to be swimming in it , but couldn’t get a lift down, so messed up our weekend, as were supposed to go to Bergville for the weekend & take Regan home & Debbie was going to have Tam-lyn, then Lionel had to do  job at Howick (where the caravan is ) so they took Regan & we stayed to look after Tam-lyn – then after 5pm Jenny phones to say Tam-lyn wasn’t coming, anyway it’s so hot in the upper 30’s & sometimes 40 everyday & I just can’t take the heat so we are better off at home where I can hop in & out of the pool & lie in bed with the fan on. We are desperate for rain the only rain we have had this season was 90 mm over Xmas.

Dad goes into hospital on the 13th march for a review, which he will have on the 15th or the 16th, so hope & pray he is still clear. He keeps very fit & busy all the time. We are gradually going over all the house & doing all the jobs that haven’t been done for years. I am hoping to get pine ceilings in our bedroom soon & then it will only be the other 2 bedrooms to do as everywhere else has pine ceilings now. How are your alterations going? Please send photos or a video – I love the last photo & keep looking at them. I have just made 60 bottles of tomato/chilli chutney. I have orders for as many bottles as I can make – but its very time consuming takes me 3 hours to cook 7 about 1 hour to prepare.

Sherry was 18 last Saturday & we all had a party over there, you wouldn’t recognize Ronald’s place all the work additions & alterations they have done Sheila & family were here for the weekend. We will most probably spend most of next weekend at Neal’s with Vanessa as Neal is going to be in Durban on a course for a week.

Must close as none room.

                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXXXXX
                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXXXXX


From Merrivale 23.1.1995

From Merrivale
23.1.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

Sorry I missed your phone call, but as Dad told you I was with Neal, Vanessa & boys at the dam. We had a lovely time, only my fishing rod was stolen during the bight so I was most put out as it is the only one I own. Pleased to hear about Melissa please send press cuttings & video.

Debbie, Lionel & family came home on Saturday late & we went for lunch after Church, then bought all the kids & their friends here for a swim, & they have all been here nearly all day today. We are going to sleep at Debbie’s tonight as Lionel is away. Debbie is perfectly safe, but likes us to go over for company& to help her get the ids off to school tomorrow, as she doesn’t have a servant at all.
We have to be at grey’s Hospital early tomorrow as Dad is having some warts removed.
Sherry turns 18 next Saturday so she is giving a family party with a few friends.

Went to Molly hills 80th birthday at her son’s house. her daughter-in-law Cathy is one of the matrons at Grey’s & she has a friend , who says she was on duty when Melissa was born , so she was very interested in Melissa & I gave her one of the newspaper cuttings.

All our kids go back to school tomorrow so peace will reign. Byron & Wesley stayed with me for the weekend. We spent weekend before last with Jim & Jenny & kids & really enjoyed our weekend. We are expecting Jimmy at any moment as he is bringing Regan down to hostel. Tam-lyn & Tara are starting school in Ladysmith tomorrow, so Jenny has had to go to Ladysmith to get the new uniforms , as ESCOM stopped the bus to Escort & Jenny had no way to get the kids to & from school. Jenny is hoping to get a lecturing post in Ladysmith in the next couple of weeks, then that will solve all her problems. We are hoping to go down to Durban soon, although I hate it now it’s much too hot.
Well I’ve run out of space.

                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXXXXXXXX




From Merrivale 4.1.1995

From Merrivale
4.1.1995

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

A very happy and prosperous New Year to you all. We spent a very quiet New Year’s Eve alone, then went with Ronald & les to Neals for a braai in the afternoon. I said to Vanessa I had only been there 3 times in the whole (Ha! Ha!) year – then we go 3 times in a week – as we went out on Boxing Day, then once again to take Vanessa home & to bring the truck back for Neal.  Taryn was staying with Vanessa & we had Jenny’s 3 kids & they just go wild when they see each other. Jenny & Jim had rushed off to town so we took the kids with us when we went to Neals. We had a super Xmas with Sheila & family about 30 sat down on Xmas eve to a lovely hot meal then Sunday everybody came back again & we had cold lunch. The weather was very good. Did I tell you that Trevor Lumgair had got married again? He & his wife (Angelina I like her very much) popped in on Xmas morning to visit everybody.

Have you got the parcels from Cheryl & hope you had a chance to talk to her – she is really tops & certainly the very best of Aunty Phyllis’ children. Mickey has got divorced from his wife – he didn’t marry that girl that he brought to your place – married, a much older woman with 2 grown up sons – she was a school teacher.

Debbie, Lionel & his kids popped in yesterday with their new Toyota Station wagon – called a Venture was here. They were on their way to the caravan.

Matthew is too adorable you would just eat him whole. He thinks he is very funny because he calls me Granny Fat then laughs like anything & runs away. We are going to Molly Hills 80th birthday tomorrow. Dad keeps very busy making doll’s house furniture & has been tiling the outside shower & putting on shower doors. Ronald is 41 today. I want to go & make some cheese straws for him. All the rest of the family are well.

                Tons of love from, XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

                Dad, Mum & family, XXXXXXXXXXXXXX