SOME dreams take time – a long time – to materialise.
February 3
1967
“IT has now been officially decided to name the bridge after Douglas Mitchell’s father. Mr CH Mitchell proposed the construction of a bridge over the river when he was a member of the Natal Provincial Council. Now, 52 years later, his dream has become a reality.”
AND another dream was on the verge of coming true. “Now that the Village of Happiness is nearing completion, the public can view for themselves the eventual shape it will take.”
A PROPOS of nothing else, this was the year Ivan Curlewis was head boy of Sheppie High.
1984
“THE pupil enrolment figure at Port Shepstone High School topped the 1 000 mark when schools re-opened this year.”
AND there was a golden occasion in Hibberdene. “Celebrating 50 years of making seaside holiday dreams for many children come true is the Natal Mercury Children’s Holiday Home Association in Hibberdene.”
1989
“BENDIGO thumbs down to sea sewage.”
1955
“FROM all over southern Natal reports streamed into the Herald office this week about rain, rain and more rain and the resultant floods and dislocation of traffic. Colley Street, Port Shepstone’s terrible mile of untarred national highway, became a slithery, slushy, potholed morass, taking a terrible toll of vehicles and the nerves of their drivers.”
1972
HOPES were high. “May will be a merry month in Margate – the much-delayed, 100 percent safe electric anti-shark barrier is to be laid then.” Unfortunately the barrier did not live up to expectations.
1977
“MARGATE ratepayers have set a precedent by investing R624 000 in the borough’s sewerage loan scheme.”
AND there was more good news. “It is expected that the whole of the South Coast will be linked by automatic telephones by the end of the year.”
1983
“PORT Shepstone saw the end of an era last week when workmen hammered down the Memorial Hall.”
February 5
1960
PORT Shepstone High School acquired a whaler. “The managing director of the Union Whaling Company has presented to the school a 20-foot whaler, which means that this new Sea Cadet detachment has acquired a most useful boat right at the start.”
1965
HALF a snake killed a whole dog. “While at home this week, Kenneth Lowe shot at a mamba in a tree. Two separate portions of the snake fell down and apart. The fox terrier pounced on one portion. Unfortunately it was the dangerous one. The severed portion of the snake bit the dog and minutes later the dog was dead.”
1971
“THE Mann girls of Margate are three brides for three brothers – the Didloff brothers. Sisters, Gael and Cynthia, will marry brothers, Pierre and Frank in the Margate Methodist Church tomorrow. This is the church where, in 1968, the third Mann sister, Colleen, married the third Didloff brother, Steven.”
1982
“AFTER last week’s heavy rains, many angry commuters have complained that there are too few bus shelters available at bus stops.”
MEANWHILE a firm of consulting engineers was busy on the detail design of a section of the South Coast freeway from Southbroom to Port Shepstone.
PART of a plan was going ahead. “Despite the fact that the government has decided not to erect the Indian housing townships at Marburg, construction to provide services is going ahead full steam, because tenders have already been accepted.”
AND construction work on the R400 000 civic offices block at Margate was due to begin within a fortnight.
1988
“Margate Airport has been chosen as the base for the 1988 State President’s Air Race.”
AND a leopard was seen in Oribi Gorge.
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