Parahopping Banana Boy
LAST WEEK'S mention of parachuting mishaps that were not fatal reminds reader Dave James of the incident in the early 60s when Johannesburg photographer Pat Smith survived a fall with a parachute that failed to open.
Dave knew the Smith family well. Pat used to parachute with his camera strapped to one of his boots, so he could capture everything below, though Dave is still puzzled as to how he managed to land. (Probably on one leg – he could have pioneered the sport of parahopping).
Whatever, Pat became so taken with parachuting that he ended up representing South Africa. Then the incident that made headlines around the world.
His 'chute malfunctioned in a jump, somewhere here in Natal, and Pat plummeted earthward, landing on a wild banana tree, whose soft leaves and fleshy stalk broke his fall completely. He walked away unscathed.
A tall story? I recall the incident very well. A group of us on a fishing weekend at Umhlali were reading about it – pictures and all – in the Sunday newspapers, shaking our heads in amazement.
Then the comment of one of the group: "Man, that banana tree's a write-off."
Oela! Oela Oela!
THE ABOVEMENTIONED Dave James is a tuneful fellow of Welsh extraction. He has been known on occasion to lead Point Yacht Club in song, in Charlie's Bar.
I've always been puzzled by his favourite chorus line: "Oela! Oela! Oela! Onder die wolkombers …"
Whatever can he mean?
Flying butter
A READER who always calls himself Barrie – "with an ie" – says anyone who grew up during or just after World War II would disagree with last week's statement in this column that insect-eating is unlikely to catch on.
"I was at Highbury in 1946. It was just after the war, there was still rationing and you couldn't get butter. Whenever there were flying ants we used to catch them, take their wings off and smear them on our bread. They tasted just like butter – delicious.
"Then years later when I was courting my wife I caught a flying ant and ate it, just to show her how. It almost cost me my engagement."
I'm told that flying ants are still a delicacy at Highbury. The headmaster has them on toast in the mornings.
CV updateOVERHEARD in the Street Shelter for the Over-40s: "Last week I updated my CV by adding: 'Heavy foreign accent with limited vocabulary.' I've just been offered three jobs at call centres." |
Horror march
RECENTmention of the forced march through eastern Europe as a POW during World War II by Maritzburg College old boy Cyril Crompton so matches the experience of two Hilton old boys that reader Chris Taylor wonders if it was the same march.
"Dereck Franklin and his friend Robin Routledge were on this march from East Germany when Robin said he was finished and could not continue. Those that fell out were put down so Dereck decided they must escape from the column and at the next bend in the road they ducked into the roadside ditch .
"Guards were in the front and the rear of the column and –forewarned – their mates closed up the space which they left.
"Dereck supported Robin for the next 10 days – staggering on at night and resting up in the woods by day – sustained mostly by raw turnips.
"They finally came across an advanced, very nervous and trigger-happy American patrol who at first doubted their Identity and, as Dereck recounted, 'we were bloody lucky not to be shot.'''
Dereck became a leading architect in Durban and Robin became a housemaster at St John's College, Johannesburg.
Awu! Amadoda!
Surf's up
A BRITISH mountaineer survived an avalanche in the Italian Alps by "surfing" it as if it were a giant wave. Instead of being buried he managed to swim it for 700m before coming to a stop.
The swimming action helped the unnamed 23-year-old stay near the surface of the snow and he was able to walk out of the avalanche as it came to a halt. It happened on the 4 800m Mont Blanc.
Tailpiece
"I've just been surfing the internet for celebrity websites. It says here Kim Kardashian's terrified of bees."
"I bet the rest of the alphabet frightens her too."
Last word
I don't mind what language an opera is sung in so long as it is a language I don't understand.
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