History repeats itself
THE MILITARY coup in Egypt recalls the abdication of King Farouk in the 1950s, when the army took over and held on right until the events of a couple of years ago. There's an uncanny symmetry.
The events of 1952, when Naguib, Nasser and the "free officers" pushed aside the monarchy, occasioned one of the classic telex messages that have become part of the lore of foreign correspondents.
Things seemed very quiet in Egypt. This particular correspondent decided to take advantage of the lull and escape with a floozie for a few days to a resort on the Great Bitter Lakes.
He returned to find a message from head office on the teleprinter: "FAROUK RESIGNED. WHAT YOUR PLANS?"
Oh, Swanee …
MORE on the Blue Lagoon Swan, the pleasure boat that used to take folk up and down the Umgeni in the 1960s, whose picture was used with this column last week, evoking nostalgia.
Carol Roberts says the Swan was built originally as a stage prop by her father, Cecil Owles, for dancing teacher Althea Chapman, who used to put on Christmas shows for various institutions. The Swan was one of the many props he built for her over the years.
"Friends of my father were operating some sort of pleasure/boating business at the Blue Lagoon and the subject of the Swan came up. And that's how it ended up floating on the Blue Lagoon."
As a schoolboy at DHS, Norman Volker used to skipper the Swan during holidays and at weekends. She was owned by Mervyn Humphries, who also operated go-karts, a miniature train and a putt-putt course on the banks of the Umgeni.
Norman says the Swan had an aluminium hull and the bows were shaped into the head and neck of a swan with fibre glass. She was powered by an 18 horsepower motor. The regular skipper was an Indian man named Charles. "I think that's him in the picture you used."
He confirms that the Swan was eventually swept out to sea by floods, along with the rest of the funfair. The entire peninsula on which Swan was moored disappeared.
This is borne out by reader Ken Foyn, who says he used to build canoes for the owner, which were used to paddle on the Umgeni.
Meanwhile, a Maritzburg lady (I think it's a lady – it's one of those unusual names that could be either) says the Swan inspired her early singing career.
When she and her parents set out by car from East Griqualand for their annual trip to stay with an aunt in Durban North, she – aged about five or six – would start singing a song with the complex lyrics: "Oh Swanee, Oh Swanee, I love my Swanee …"
"This continued unabated, gradually increasing in volume and enthusiasm the closer we got to Durban and finally reached a crescendo when at last we crossed the Athlone Bridge over the Umgeni River and I was able to feast my eyes on the real thing. And what a thrill it was. There was my special Swanee waiting just for little old me."
This lady asks for her identity to be kept secret. She doesn't want to be pestered by talent scouts.
Top toughie
A FORMER Durban girl has come out top of the toughies in Australia. Ruby Clarke, 11, formerly of St. Mary's School, Kloof, was crowned Ultimate Survivor after a gruelling three-day trial in the Queensland outback in which she competed with 45 boys and girls aged between 11 and 13. Ruby now lives in Brisbane. The youngsters were divided into various "tribes", as with adults in the current TV series, Survivor South Africa. Challenges included archery, water balancing, milk-crate mountain-climbing, mind-boggling puzzle building, long distance running, fishing and gathering food in the wild and cooking it. Ruby's prize was a fancy fishing rod, a fully-fitted tackle box and various other things. But best was the highly coveted cap emblazoned with "Ultimate Survivor". Good on yer, Sheila … er, Roob! Tailpiece
AN AGEING playboy visits the doctor.
Doctor: "Well, have you managed to cut out wine, women and song?"
Playboy: Oh yes, I've tapered down to beer, one girl and a little light humming."
Last word
The word "politics" is derived from the word "poly", meaning "many", and the word "ticks", meaning "blood sucking parasites".
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