Page 93 - KBHA BULLETIN 3

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EH died in June 1942 aged 72 years. I remember the funeral out in the sand dunes at Witsand.

There was a howling wind with sand everywhere and I had to stay in the car with my
(maternal) grandmother. I was then aged seven-and-a-half. My father inherited Windsor

House and the shop and the administration of the property, which was quite extensive.

The Shop on Windsor Road

I have a few memories of the shop. It had a crown and anchor logo outside and at one stage it
was a very good business. (Fig. 5.24.) I remember my father casting sinkers and bokstange

for sale in the shop. Those were the days before nylon handlines for fishermen and I can

remember miles and miles of bleached fishing line being blooded with ox blood in the garden
of our house, ‘Highlands’, in Godfrey Road, long-since demolished for the planned highway.

It was a messy and smelly job blooding lines but it added strength to them. Another product

my father produced was dried snoek and also smoked snoek. He fashioned his own smoker
by welding 4 X 45 gallon drums on top of each other, open-ended, with a tray of smouldering

oak sawdust inside. These snoek, in particular the dried and salted snoek, were sent all over

South Africa wrapped in sacking. His main clients were farmers who fed their workers on the
fish.

Some reminiscences

My father had an old chap working for him who had also worked for EH. His name was Arrie

and his nickname was “Pratten se Donkie”. Arrie did not have a sense of humour regarding
this name. I clearly remember when he had toothache he would have some wine and then sit

on the pavement and cry. It was very amusing and all the kids would tease him knowing he

was too tipsy to run after them.

Higher up Windsor Road was Mr B. Kalan the cobbler. He and his family were there for
many years. A little higher up was Sam Fall’s garage with petrol pumps and parking facilities

for private cars. One night we lured the night watchman away from his office. I was dressed

in a large greatcoat, gloves and balaclava and while his back was turned I slipped into the
office, slammed the door, and switched off the light. He came running back and looked

through the window at which stage I looked up out of the dark and hit on the window. This