Fidler in the ‘Hood: A classic tale of classic cars

A couple of weeks back, I wrote about Brett Bellinger and family and their magnificent collection of classic cars, literally right on our Uvongo doorstep.

Little did I think that there are a few more classic cars enthusiasts down here among the sheltering palms.

The weekend kicked off with the CO and myself being invited to the opening of the Munster Classic Car Museum.

We were perplexed: we had visited Rod Kinsey’s Munster Museum a couple of years ago, so how could it be?

Maybe, it was a grand reopening, after lockdown?

No matter; all in the line of duty, a miserable wet evening, we motored down to Munster.

The museum was closed, leading to more monster mutterings that ‘Rushie’ (editor David Rush) had got the date wrong.

We attempted a seven-point turn in the narrow and deserted lanes of Munster.

From a not a car in sight, several taxis and motor vehicles appeared from nowhere.

History was being made: the first-ever traffic jam in Munster was taking place.

There’s nothing like being told to ‘move it’ by a fleet of local taxi drivers and residents.

Do You Know The Way?

A friendly driver drew aside. “Can I help you?” asked the driver.

“I’m looking for the Munster Classic Car Museum, but it’s closed,” I said.

“No, the East Coast Classics Car Museum is on the other side of the highway. This one here is the Munster Motor Museum. Follow me. I’m going there.”

The face looked familiar: it was the man himself, Rod Kinsey! Small world, isn’t it?

We followed Rod. I think the CO and I would have gone to the nearest pub, cursing that we had been led down the garden path to nowhere.

Five minutes later we were at the correct place.

The gloom lifted as we entered yet another Aladdin’s Cave of fabulous classic cars, all under two roofs.

From an era when the good old VW was king of the road in South Africa, to a 1962 Cadillac, when one could fill up the tank with petrol for R20 and still get change.

Superb Collection

Despite the miserable weather, there was a sizeable number of ‘car nuts’ there to drool over this superb collection of vehicles.

The project is spearheaded by Ollie Broome, along with his family, including his wife, Irene and his dad Richard.

Ollie was formerly a high-flying stocks and shares man with Merrill Lynch on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange for 20 years.

Not quite ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ stuff, Ollie was a family man, his only other love being ‘Herbie’, an old vintage VW.

He took stock of his life, and quit the world of high finance, wheeling and dealing, opting for a quieter life on the South Coast.

He now has some two dozen VW’s in his collection, together with a couple of Porsches, Ford Cortinas (remember them?), along with many of our old favourites from an era when you could drive round South Africa on the smell of an oil rag.

Grand Opening

The grand opening was performed by Ray Nkonyeni Municipality Exco member Hilton Boyland, who cut out the cackle and just cut the tape.

Local politics were set aside, and, as they say ‘in the business’, a jolly good time was had by one and all.

Catering was laid on, diets were also set aside, and yet more new friends were made.

We really do live in a special place. With the signs of a promising bumper’ holiday season coming up, hopefully it will be ‘bumper to bumper’ visiting these car museums, all under three roofs.

By The Light of a Silvery Moon

The weekend concluded with the monthly get-together of moon worshippers at the Ramsgate Conservancy.

Moondeckers were treated to a full moon which came out in all its glory.

The sea was shimmering by the light of the silvery moon; the setting was perfection.

It was as good as it gets down here, everyone agreed. The numbers attending were disappointing.

This is a clarion call to old regulars and everyone, to please come along, at least from early next year.

It is one of our local highlights and delights: lovely people, a bit of a giggle, and fine fare.

Here’s your chance to get back into the land of the living. And no better place than Moondeckers, I promise.

See you, Rob.

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