REMEMBERING MY EARLIER YEARS (Part 1)

Left: The Flowerpot Men. Right: Andy Pandy & friends.

Being born in 1953 it made me realize how the world we live in has changed over the years. I was born in Cardiff, Wales. My mother was a Norwegian who grew up in Cape Town and met my father who was studying medicine at UCT. Our family was like a league of nations: a Norwegian mother and a South African father. As far as siblings go my elder sister was born in South Africa, my elder brother in London, myself in Wales and my younger brother in Durban. At the time of my elder brother's birth and mine, my father was in the process of doing his practical for his final exams as a surgeon. Hence him working at various hospitals in the UK. my mother used to recall breastfeeding me w..hilst watching the coronation of HRH Queen Elizabeth on our black & white TV. Growing up I used to watch the children's programmes like "The Flowerpot Men", "Andy Pandy" to name a few.

From left to right: (backrow) my mother & father
(Front row) me, my sister and elder brother.

       At the age of 4 we returned to South Africa aboard the passenger ship "The Windsor Castle", leaving Southampton and arriving in Cape Town just after Xmas.The trip was quite eventful, and the things I remember clearly was a fancy dress contest for the children where I was dressed as an elf in a costume made from green crepe paper. Another teenage boy dressed in drag. On top of that I was sea sick most of the time. My elder brother took part in "the crossing of the line",  a ceremony done for passenger entertainment when the ship crossed the equator. Passengers who partook in the event met King Neptune and his loyal servants before recieving a certificate from Neptune himself. 

        We disembarked at Cape Town and stayed for a week or so with my grandmother (from my mother's side) in Greenpoint. My father had bought a Ford Prefect in the UK and he brought it with us on the ship. That little car got us around for many years to come, in fact my mother learnt to drive and got her driver's licence in it, but that's another story for later. We travelled to Durban from Cape Town in that same car, three small children and two adults. My mother was pregnant with my younger brother at the time. I don't remember much about the roadtrip except for the fact we saw a few tortoises on the way. I think we even took one with us to Durban. On arrival we stayed at my father's parents house in Florida Road until we could find a place of our own. My grandparent's owned a double-storey Victorian styled house so there was enough room for us all.
          I have decided to write these memories in several posts, as there is a story to tell here. Sixty-two years to be exact. I won't bore you with all the details of my life and family but hope you will enjoy reading about some of the stories I have to tell. For now this will Part 1 and soon I'll bring you the next installment.