A LITTLE BIT OF SPRING CLEANING WAS FORCED UPON US RATHER EARLY THIS
YEAR THANKS TO A COMBINATION OF LIGHTNING, POWER SURGES AND UNTIDY
WIRING, AND IN MY SPRING CLEANING I CAME ACROSS A LONG PLAYING
RECORD ENTITLED 'WELCOME TO MY WORLD'
THE SINGER WAS NONE OTHER THAN NOREEN WELCH MUCH LOVED BY ZIMBABWE
RADIO LISTENERS DURING THE EIGHTIES..
THE L.P. REMINDED ME OF A LOT OF REMINISCING THAT WAS DONE DURING OUR
RECENT FORAYS AROUND THE WORLD TO VISIT THE CHILDREN OVER CHRISTMAS.
ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHO
ARE NOW SCATTERED ALL OVER THE GLOBE WAS 'WHATEVER HAPPENED TO NOREEN
WELCH"
WELL I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT NOREEN IS ENSCONCED SAFELY IN HER
HOMETOWN OF WELLINGTON IN NEW ZEALAND WITH HER DAUGHTER ALEX AND
GRAND DAUGHTER KAYLA.
MANY FOLK ALSO ASK AFTER SONIA HATTIN AND ADRIENNE VERNEY BOTH OF
WHOM, I BELIEVE LIVE IN SOUTH AFRICA, BUT I STAND TO BE CORRECTED HERE. ( See Mirror 234 )
I WAS ALSO LUCKY ENOUGH TO RETRIEVE MY COPY OF ALAN HARDY'S BOOK'
'SIYABONGA TO A BULAWAYO BOY' WHICH ALAN LEFT FOR ME WITH FRIENDS IN
OZ, AND I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THE READ AND ALL THE MEMORIES EVOKED
THEREIN.
I ALWAYS KNEW ALAN AS A PILLAR OF SOCIETY BUT MANY FOLK REMEMBER HIM
AS A VERY MUCH MORE DASHING AND CAVALIER CHARACTER !!
AND OF COURSE WILD YOUNG MEN ATTRACT WILD FRIENDS AND ONE OF ALAN'S
COHORTS IN HIS BULAWAYO HEYDAYS WAS NONE OTHER THAN THE NOTORIOUS
DEREK MULHOLLAND. NOW ANY AND EVERY ZIMBABWEAN BABY BOOMER WILL
REMEMBER OR HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE LEGENDARY DEREK MULHOLLAND.
DEREK'S EXPLOITS WILL REMAIN ETCHED FOREVER IN MANY PEOPLES' MINDS
AND HIS EXTRAORDINARY DEATH (OR PERHAPS IT WAS A CONTRIVED DEATH) WAS
THE TALKING POINT FOR MANY YEARS IN ZIMBABWE.
NOW DEREK WAS BUT ONE OF MANY FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS PEOPLE WHO WERE
EDUCATED AT CHAPLIN SCHOOL IN GWERU.
NOW WHY DID THIS ORDINARY SCHOOL SLAP BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF RURAL
ZIMBABWE, PRODUCE SUCH A PLETHORA OF STUDENTS WHO MUST INDEED GO DOWN
IN THE ANALS OF HISTORY ?
DEREK MULHOLLAND WAS A CHAPLIN BOY AS WAS THE GREAT ESCAPEE FROM
JAILS ALL OVER ZIMBABWE - AIDEN DIGGEDEN.
AND THEN THERE WAS AUTHOR ALAN HARDY, THE TWO MORTON REDHEADS CORYNNE
AND MURIEL AND OF COURSE IAN DOUGLAS SMITH HIMSELF.
WE ALL KNEW OR KNEW OF AIDEN DIGGEDEN, THE MOST NOTORIOUS JAIL
BREAKER AND MASTER CRIMINAL WE EVER PRODUCED !! THERE ARE MANY
STORIES ABOUT AIDEN AND ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS WAS THE TALE ABOUT
HIS INCARCERATION IN BULAWAYO;S GREY STREET PRISON IN THE 1960'S. HE
BROKE OUT NIGHT AFTER NIGHT TO COMIT A SERIES OF DARING ROBBERIES,
SNEAKING BACK TO STASH HIS LOOT IN HIS CELL. DURING A FIVE YEAR JAIL
BREAK, HE BECAME SOUTH AFRICA'S TRAMPOLINE CHAMPION !!
AND
IT WAS MERLE AND JOHN MCNEILAGE IN BRISBANE WHO ASKED THE QUESTION
"WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO WOOTY ?"
REMEMBER JOHN WOOTEN WHO UNDERTOOK A VERY SUCCESSFUL COOKING SERIES
ON ZIMBABWE TELEVISION FOR MANY YEARS WITH THE LOVELY PAULINE BAILEY.
THERE MUST BE MANY A BOOKCASE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT STILL BOASTS A
COPY OF THE RECIPE BOOK 'COOKING WITH WOOTY"
Clint and Barrie Eksteen are very proud to announce the safe arrival
of Kohl
William born on 5th January 2006 - another brother for Keean, Connor
and
Kadin. e mail clintbaz@mweb.co.zw
CONGRATULATIONS
BINT - KATZEN
PETER TO ROSE ON 12 FEBRUARY 1946 IN DURBAN.
CONGRATULATIONS FROM THEIR 3 CHILDREN, 8 GRANDCHILDREN AND 5 GREAT
GRANDCHILDREN.
TELEPHONE/FAX - 0145965988
P.O. BOX 1422
RUSTENBURG 0300
RSA
CONGRATULATIONS
DEAREST 'OSIE' AND PETE
CONGRATULATIONS AND VERY BEST WISHES TO THE MOST SPECIAL PEOPLE IN MY
LIFE.
LOVE AND GOD BLESS
SANDRA
Alec Smith (Son of the Hon.Ian Douglas Smith) died on Thursday
night. He had a heart attack at Heathrow Airport on his way home to
Zimbabwe. His passing is honestly one of the greatest losses I know
of.
Alec was an unbelievably good guy, quiet and truly honourable. He
had an incredible sense of humour - as those who were at Clem's wake
will testify to, and was just so considerate. I will always remember
at Clem's wake he wore the robe of the Presbyterian Church to please
Zelma Blakeway, (He was Bill Blakeway's Assistant Padre in our
army), the tie to warm other's hearts, and the Vellies to pay honour
to Clem. Always thinking of others! He is going to be so badly
missed by so many people, and Zimbabwe.
My late Mom used to say that some people die and nobody notices,
some die and leave a dimple and some die and leave a Donga. Well
Alec has left a Grand Canyon. History will reveal how much he did
for our Beloved Country, but quietly behind the scenes.
Hamba Gashli Shamwari.
Please remember Mr Smith, Jean Rob and Alec's wife Elizabeth, and
children Tom Erik, Shasti and Inga in your prayers.
DEATHS
ROSEN, Dr Phillip - esteemed dental surgeon, on Thursday 26
January 2006 after a short illness. Will be sadly missed by his
loving wife Laura (Vera), daughters Karen and Bridget, grandchildren
and great grandchildren. MHDSRIP
Keith Meadows. RIP good friend. Sincere sympathy to his family. We
have Keith's books with us and enjoy reading them. He truly knew
Africa and one day we will all 'drink the water of the Zambezi again'
Good friend of Scott Petrie.
In Memory. Richard Batchelor. 15 years this January. Remembered
always. Jane Petrie and Charlene Batchelor. Thank you Jane Petrie.
Happiness keeps You Sweet,
Trials keep You Strong,
Sorrows keep You Human,
Failures keeps You Humble,
Success keeps You Glowing,
But Only God keeps You Going!
Be The Change:
Risk doing the right thing.
When you worry and
hurry through your day,
it is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away....
Life is not a race.
Take it slower.
Hear the music before the song is over."
- Unknown -
Inspiration of the Day:
Using recycled plastic, the rag pickers of an Indian slum are making
highly desirable handbags for the boutiques of London and New York.
What started as a small scale economic and environmental development
project four years ago by an Indian couple, Shalabh and Anita Ahuja,
has now turned into a $180,000 a year enterprise that provides a
livelihood for over 300 people.
http://charityfocus.org/php-bin/qad.php?n=2129
Be The Change:
Inquire into the history of something you buy today. Where did it
come from? Who made it? What did they get paid for making it?
Fact of the Day:
Baby boomers, Americans who were born from 1946 to 1964, have the
potential to be one of the most powerful volunteer forces the world
has ever seen. This 70 million person cohort, that begins turning 60
this year, are better educated and are expected to live longer than
any other generation before them. The Harvard School for Public
Health is one of many institutions that are launching campaigns to
inspire these soon-to-be retirees to devote their energies to the
call of service.
Not he who has much is rich, but he who gives much. -- Erich Fromm
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE MIRROR CAN ONLY DEAL WITH E MAIL QUERIES, PLEASE DO NOT PHONE IN YOUR ADVERTS AND QUERIES... ONLY E-MAILS WILL BE CONSIDERED
