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Magistrate’s Court during the 1920s. The shop at the Bellemer Flats end had, however, a

more varied existence:

(i) A shoemaker’s shop run by an Indian gentleman in the early 1930s.

(ii) A ballet school (Miss Masters) in the 1940s.
(iii) A chemist run by Mr Charlton and later by Mr A. G. Allen in the 1950s - 1960s.

(iv) A general dealer (around 1963) run by J. Rudolphe’s younger daughter Sandy.

The three Rudolphe children Michael, Nacia and Sandy were raised in the Match Box and

each of them was enrolled at Star of The Sea.

Some reminiscences

Two of my most vivid memories relate to the war years. The first was my having to deliver
newspapers to the recuperating servicemen in the old Seahurst Hotel (later the Robin Gordon)

which was a convalescent home throughout the war. I think their stories of life at sea may

have been instrumental in my later joining the SA Navy.

The second story involves the Australians troops who were anchored in Simon’s Bay in troop

ships en route to Europe. They made a route-march along Main Road to Cape Town but on
the way they went on the rampage through Simon’s Town and Fish Hoek smashing shop

windows and helping themselves to various goods. They did the same through Kalk Bay and

my father received a warning telephone call from his friend Mr Stavrou. So in anticipation he
placed boxes of fruit outside the shop with a sign saying “Help yourselves”, which they did,

leaving the shop was undamaged.

Then there were memorable characters like Monsignor Doran at the R. C. Church, the St.

James Station master Mr Charles Ramsden and the Station porter Mr Lloyd, and the long-
established families such as J. B. Taylor, Thesen, Orpen, Orkin, Walker, Williams, Wiley,

Abdurahman, Ricketts, Cochran, Lamude and Anstey.

These are the St. James personalities who immediately spring to mind, and of course there

were many more. The most important factor is that all the people resident in St. James during