Fidler in the Hood: Dries and Dorothy – 62 years on and still going strong
Listening and talking to Dries and Dorothy was so fascinating, like reading a page out of ‘the old South Africa’.
GREETINGS, fellow citizens. Time for celebrations this week. Exactly three years ago your Uvongo scribe and the CO arrived on the Hibiscus Coast. Three years! My goodness, time certainly flies quickly, especially if you’re having fun (what we’ve been trying to do since arriving here).
The CO and I agree that our successful integration here has been mainly due to my holding down a job with the Bonus, resulting in meeting so many nice folk, making friends and having a pretty hectic social life.
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It never ceases to amaze us what a special place the South Coast is. The saying ‘It’s people who make a place’ certainly rings true. You know, we’ve grown accustomed to this place and its many, smiling faces.
Do pop round
It has not all been plain sailing, of course. The day we arrived with furniture removal van in tow, I introduced myself to one of our new neighbours, adding ‘when we are settled in, you must pop over for coffee.’ Maybe the nice woman didn’t hear me properly, but 36 months on, the impasse was finally broken. Introductions all round, but still ending with ‘you must pop over for coffee’. This time it was different.
Somebody actually accepted the invitation. “Dankie,” said the stranger. “My wife and I have been married 62 years today, so we certainly accept your kind invitation.” A light bulb went on inside my head – hey, I’ve got a story for next week.
The Nels ring the bell
At the appointed hour, Andries (‘Dries’) and Dorothy rang the bell. The Nels celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary with family and friends, including ‘mysterious’ neighbours Robert and Michelle Kydd and around 40 guests at a restaurant at St Michael’s beach.
Listening and talking to Dries and Dorothy was so fascinating, like read a page out of ‘the old South Africa’. Dries was born in Burgersdorp, Eastern Cape, and Dorothy (nee Button) was born (in her very own words) at “Number 33 Fifth Street, La Rochelle, Johannesburg, on November 30, the year 19 hundred and something, some time last century.”
Both Dries and Dorothy are what is termed ‘pre-war babies’, fortunately living in those halcyon days when one’s childhood was carefree, fun-filled and you could play outside – the age of smart phones, iPhones and electronic gadgets not even thought of.
A family affair
The Nels married in Johannesburg on April 21, 1956 and had five children.
They now have 13 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Dries worked for the old South African Railways (SAR) for 34 years, in an age when travel by romantic steam train was in vogue.
When travel was more leisurely and passengers were literally spoiled with first-class service and time was not of the essence.
Dries started his working life as a stoker, before ‘making it’ to engine driver – then every boy’s dream job.
Naturally Dries knew every model of railway engine in SAR service, including his own ‘personal’ railway engine ‘Bayhead’ No 14R 1733, undoubtedly his pride and joy in which he drove many thousands of kilometres around South Africa.
Lovingly cared for, cleaned and polished before every journey, Dries took great pride and pleasure in his work as a driver.
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