Page 43 - KBHA BULLETIN 4

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wall along the railway we used to lie on after a swim in Dalebrook pool. Going perlemoen

fishing on the rocks with my brother Jack, then selling the shells to the Rhodesian tourists on the
beach and the meat to the little French restaurant on the corner of the Main Rd and

Quarterdeck!!! (what was it called again?) Climbing up the mountain and exploring the caves.
Kalk bay had a wonderful crowd of young people and they made me feel ‘I belonged’ in spite of

being a daughter of ‘foreigners’. I remember you teaching me how to drive and to double
declutching on Boyes Drive in the silver Jaguar. Was I a hopeless student! but I have learnt

since then! You write about Rag Rugby on the beaches and I remember Des Cochran (who

belonged to my sister Suzy’s crowd) as also being one of the organisers at the time.”

Figs. 2.25 & 2.26 show some of the older ‘crowd’ at Muizenberg in 1939, and the morning’s

catch, respectively.

Kalk Bay was a truly egalitarian society. We all considered ourselves equal and there was no
jealousy of others who were more gifted or wealthier. This to me was the most valuable lesson to

be learnt from the ‘history’ of this community. The spirit of Kalk Bay has been so well captured
by Vincent Cloete when he said ‘Kalk Bay has always been the New South Afrca.’

C. S. S. M. and Rugby

There must be many villages in our country which have a ‘Joie de Vivre’ based upon similar
blessings but in Kalk Bay it was particularly strong. From the earliest days there has been a

religious foundation on this coastline. Included in this was the Children’s Special Service
Mission which came into brilliant flower in the summer season.

If Rugby School is famous for its brand of football, CSSM was also famous on the local beaches
for its ‘Rag Rugby’. This fast moving game has tyres as goals, a tennis ball is used, you pass

when touched, forward passing is allowed and the object is to throw the ball past the squatting
goalie into the tyre. With all the throwing, over both long & short distances the game had

elements of cricket mixed with touch rugby or perhaps football. The local beaches were

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