Old Northleans Community

Things are a little quiet at the moment, everyone must have at least one memory to share with the forum members, good, bad or downright naughty? (Fishing guppies out of the pond outside the headmasters' office?)

Good idea, Andrew. Here's a hostel story:

I remember noticing the combination lock for the coldroom on the serving counter in the dining hall.  It was one of those that had about four individual numbered dial, so I memorized the numbers.  That evening, a couple, maybe three of us (I think I'm safe in implicating Rob Delaney...Dave H were you with us?) scaled out the dorm window and made our way to the dining hall.  We removed some of the louvred panes and slipped in to the hall.  The combination worked and we chowed down for a while...all I recall eating was a big bowl of pudding intended for the next day.

 Who's next?

I was bust smoking on the way home. I lived in Jacaranda Avenue, and would walk from the bottom gate, through the veld footpath, and we'd smoke there. Mrs Nichols called me into the office, 'phoned my mum and did I get a lecture.. thought I would die of embarrassment, especially as I only smoked to be part of the "in" crowd.

 

I was nerdy at school, and usually too terrified of authority to do anything naughty. Who was the tech drawing/woodwork teacher? I'm talking about 1973. I was NEVER late for school, but one day, he told me I was habitually late and sent me to Mr Eddington, who just laughed and sent me back to class. I dakked myself, though, and disliked that teacher for the rest of my life.

Mr Ness was the tech drawing teacher, that shortcut path through the bush used to get really congested at hometime with the groups stopping to smoke, and the rest of us trying to get through!

Ah yes, Mr Ness. Perhaps he was having a bad day. And apologies for blocking the pathway. :) I don't know why I smoked. It made me feel so ill.

It's been 27 years for me, so I'm really shaky on geography, but it seems that I took that path to and from home when I was a day-scholar (thru 74).  Was that the place for fights? It led to a train track that I'd cross to somehow get to Taylor Rd, I believe in North End (?) where I lived when my parents lived in Rhodesia. Leroy Duberly, who was a Northlea alumnis, and played fullback for Rhodesia, lived on the same road, and had a scalectrix (?) model car racing circuit that we used to congregate at and participate in racing our little cars.

Anyone remember Mr. Joliffe (Biology), and Mrs McKenzie (history)?  How about the 50km walk to raise funds for a bus? The tuck shop?  "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" production under the direction of Mr Bardo, that won drama awards. Paul Roelofse was Joseph? I think they cut a record as well.  I tried out for guitar but didn't make the cut.

What was the war cry? Shumba Shumba something???

On a side note, Andrew, where in NC are you? we are relative neighbo(u)rs.  I live in (beautiful) Alpharetta, GA, but have business in Charlotte and Greenville. 

Alison, what years were you at Northlea?  Your name sounds familiar.

 

Steve

Yes Steve, the path came out next to the bridge over a small river, we then turned next right at the top of the road was the foot bridge over the rail tracks, 'though we usually stopped at the store on the corner across from the bridge for a coke. The bridge had a plank on each side to push your bike on. We lived beyond the Northend swimming pool. I remember the sponsored walk, the "Joseph" play was a great success for Mr Bardo, Paul and the student who played "Pharo" cut a record, with 'Close every door to me' on one side and Pharos' dream on the flip side. I am in Raeford, Hoke county in NC, managing farms for Smithfields, and developing a Tuli herd of my own, although the drought may put the brakes on that project (temporarily) unless I can locate a fodder supply! I'll have to think a bit on the warcry, if someone else doesn't remember I will eventually drag it up from the mental archives.

Great memory!  I remember the store, owned by a Greek family?  I think I would occasionally get a cream soda and a small raisin bread loaf.  I got busted for trying to steal something once.  As I remember we would try to cross directly over the tracks (big boys!!), sometimes placing coins on it to see what the trains did to them. I remember the Northend pool.  I think I would go down Taylor Rd, take a right, then a left and I was there.

Yes, the drought... thankfully it rained here yesterday...that means we have something like 90 days now before we all have to shower together, or stop using electricity.

Andrew, if you're ever down this way, look me up.  I pulled up Raeford on ask.com and realized it's about 125 miles or so east of Charlotte....not a place I pass thru' regularly (or ever), but good to know. my email is sroberts@mccarhomes.com

Anyone else out there from our era?

Steve, it's as Andrew said. I lived in Jacaranda Avenue for a while, then moved to Northend. I was at Northlea from 1973 to 1977. My oldest sister went to Northlea for a while, then she was sent to Lowden Lodge. She was a lost soul, and died last month.

I clearly remember her being at Northlea in form one and being "invited" to a fight at the railway line by a girl from Northlea. Some trouble with a shared boyfriend. Lesley, my sister, didn't want to fight anyone, but the other girls forced her to go. I was still in junior school at that stage. I went with Lel, and this girl kept telling Lel to hit her first, and Lel refused. The antagonist then said that she would bet I'd hit her, and I said yes, and did, knocking her flat on the ground. She flew into a rage, and proceeded to beat Lel up.

I could never understand the sheer brutality of it. All I wanted was to stop her antagonism. Hmm, we learn from our youthful mistakes.

I also remember that cafe, and I swam for Northlea swimming pool for a while, although I hated competitive swimming, and eventually dropped out. The practices in the very early mornings and for long hours in the evenings annoyed me. Does anyone remember Andrew McKenzie? He was a great swimmer.

I still have very fond memories of Northlea, and visited there two years ago when visiting my mom.

Mrs McKenzie was a great teacher, as was Mr Jollife? Was that his name? I always remembered him as Mr Joffe, for some reason, but then again, I am ancient. :)

Does anyone remember Mrs Prinsloo? I believe she died of cancer. And what was the name of the Domestic Science teacher? She was wonderful.

Good heavens but I can yap, but does anyone know the whereabouts of Rodney Esterhuizen? He was in the same year/s as I was.

Time has certainly moved on and some things are difficult to recollect at times, but that pathway was famous not only at Northlea, but other schools.  I remember a friend at Gifford talking about the fights that used to take place there and how ferrocious they were and also the number of people that gathered to watch the spectacle.  

Steve, you mentioned Joseph.   There were two productions that ran, 1974 and 1975.  Paul Roelofse played Joseph in the first and Peewee Blignaut starred as Joseph in the second.  I was in the second as one of the brothers (Gad)  Great fun and highly successful.  I recall reading a review in Bulawayo about our show and rated it as good as the stage performance of the same name in Johannesburg, running at the same time.

An integral part of the school music scene was both our rock band (I'll remember the name), and the Marimba band.  Both highly successful.

Johnny Coutlakis, Ray Harris, Amanda Louth were key members of the Marimba band in 1976.

Steve : Still trying to E-mail you.  Have received your mail, but cannot seem to get back to you.

[That evening, a couple, maybe three of us (I think I'm safe in implicating Rob Delaney...Dave H were you with us?) scaled out the dorm window and made our way to the dining hall.]

You do have a good memory, Steve.  I was one of the villains, but would never have admitted at the time, being "prefects" at the time.  Also involved was Neil Ballantyne and we actually jumped out of the first floor windows to get out and came in through the staff private entrance (which was never locked) after our feast!

We used the same exit a few other times to bunk out into town for a "jol" until caught by Mr French.

Hi All Old Northlean`s
A diferent World A diferent time , Seem so long ago now , As if I dreamt it , Cant believe its in such a state now.
O well Im rambling , Does anyone know anything abour Robert Weatherburn (Nickname ; Bucky ). He was a very good mate of mine
and I would like to know what he has been up to..
Talking about fights , I remember having a few , In the Hostel but also by the Bus pickup point at side of school under the Jacaranda trees
and over such silly things , Girlfriends , Bullies , hehe .Funny the older A person gets the more old memories creep up from nowhere , Things I havent thought of in decades.
I remember playing Basketball on the tar courts with bare feet an geting huge blisters after the games.
Also bending for six in Mr French`s office in the hostel after trying to sneak out at night.
Enough procrastinating for now , back to the real world .
Keep well all

Hi Gerhard. Seems to me you lot were naughty buggers in the hostel, hey? Mr French was lekker.

 

Wow - I only just found this website, I hadn't really ever considered trying to connect with anyone from my old school days, but this is great!

I now live in Australia, but I was in the first Joseph performance (the Paul Roelefse one), in the Chorus, and it was such fun (not to mention that it got me out of Sports!). We made a single, which actually made it into the Top Twenty, and we got to perform live on Top of the Pops on TV twice because we made it to No. 16 - what is a little know secret is that we only made it there because all the parents in the school bought a copy! We also went on a tour of schools in the country for a couple of weeks in the holidays, staying in the school hostels etc - from memory, we did pretty well, and even did two performances on the Saturdays.

And I too remember the 50km walk - it ruined my ankles forever, but I was determined to finish it!

I finished my O-levels in 1975 (at Hatfield High in Salisbury), I had to leave Northlea in Form 3 as my dad was transferred with the Army. I was called Lesley Hudspeth when I was at Northlea (from 1972 to 1974), just arrived from England.  I remember Mr Eddington very well - we used to play practical jokes on him, especially on April Fool's day - he was such a good sport! Does anyone remember doing the Eisteddfod with Mrs Patullo? Angela Preece was the best singer we had, but got tonsillitis the week before our performance, and Beverley McCulloch was great too - I also remember Cheryl Shumann who sang solo at our Carol Concert. Miss Nicholls was the choirmistress, from memory. I remember Miss Ketts, who used to throw blackboard erasers at the students who didn't pay attention and kept asking dumn questions - she was a good teacher though, as long as you worked hard.

Does anyone remember that year? We got into heaps of trouble, and the WHOLE class were put on special report, and had to go around all our teachers and get comments filled in on a card, then go to the Headmaster with it - it was awful! Our class also had Jesse Friend in it, who was unfortunately killed by a landmine after he went into the TF.

Anyway, it's late here in Oz, so I'm off to bed! Hope to hear from someone!

 Cheers

Lesley
 

 

 

Hi all
Hope everyone is OK ' Just a quick note to wish everyone a happy new year and best wishes for 2008
Hope it is better than 2007 , expecialy in Zim ,My brother and his family is still in Gweru (Awie and Ginny Nell) and they say its not going to well , all with electrical failures and food shortages.
Cheers for now