Umtamvuna Views: The tale of the travelling cellphone

Phone flies home

Your scribe admits with embarrassment that she left her cellphone in the ‘loose items’ tray when passing through security before boarding a flight from OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg.

She went to switch off the phone before take-off and realised with a sickening feeling it wasn’t there! On reaching home and after many phone calls, she finally found out that her phone was safely in ‘lost property’ at the airport.

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN : Umtamvuna Views: Golfer Martyn takes a bow … again!

Now the question: how to get it back? Anyone who knows the traffic situation in Johannesburg will understand the complication of asking somebody to collect it.

Anyone who uses a cellphone extensively will also understand the extreme stress of being without it.

Thanks CemAir!

Your scribe was in ‘meltdown’ mode! To cut a long story short, she managed to get hold of a wonderfully helpful young woman from CemAir – at 9pm! By all accounts, Nikita Gunpath personally, went beyond the call of duty to arrange for one of their Johannesburg ground staff to collect the phone from lost property (including a myriad of documentation) and put it onto the next  flight to Margate.

Your scribe was ecstatic to have it back and commented ‘In spite of the fact that I had not used that particular airline on that occasion, they helped me enormously (in particular Nikita who is based in Margate) and I would like to publicly say ‘thank you’ and state that the airline’s staff have a big heart.

A gem is lost

A real Port Edward ‘gem of a character’ died last week. Gail Billes (70) lived in Port Edward for at least 25 years and gained a reputation for being kind and helpful to those less fortunate. She worked as a volunteer for the Provincial Health Department and spent many hours a week doing all sorts of admin jobs at the local clinic, as well as distributing medicines to state patients from the old Town Hall. She was admitted to the Port Shepstone Regional Hospital last week, but sadly died a few days later from a liver ailment. Her memorial service will be held on Wednesday at 1pm at the Methodist Church. She was well-loved and will be greatly missed.

Milestone birthdays

Dan Delaney of Banners Rest Village celebrated with a string of ‘eights’ recently. He celebrated his 88th birthday on May 8.

Dan and his wife Hazel are keen bowlers and took some birthday cake to the bowling club to celebrate with fellow bowlers.

Retired Bushy Vales farmer, Rob Jones celebrated his 70th birthday recently with his extended family. His daughter Carla and her family travelled out from Australia and the crowd converged on the Packshed Restaurant near Margate to enjoy a special celebratory lunch. Rob and Meryl now live at the Estuary Estate.

Welcome

There is new restaurant in town. The Ramsey Gardens Coffee Shop and Grill officially opened last Saturday. All news to Philippa.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram

For news straight to your phone, add us on WhatsApp 082 421 6033