Page 52 - KBHA BULLETIN 4

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The Summer Season at the Harbour

Vincent Cloete

Introduction

I remember being told by mother that her grandparents used to come to Kalk Bay to spend a

holiday of a week or two at a small house in Windsor Road called ‘Waterloo Cottage’ - opposite

the flats on the left side of the road on the way up. My great-grandparents eventually opened up a
bottle store on the Main Road opposite Ladan’s old house ‘Schoonzicht’. This was around the

1880s.

A typical New Year’s day at the Harbour

Kalk Bay harbour beach was always very popular with holidaymakers from the Cape Flats,

especially when schools broke up in December, which was also the annual holiday time of
builders and factory workers. The harbour beach was the only one accessible to them and access

was easy for those who lived near the railway line. In the Grassy Park area buses would be

available to get beachgoers to the rail stations.

Because of packed beaches during the peak periods, on Boxing Day and Nuwe Jaar - Tweede
Nuwe Jaar and the rest of that period, many families would come to Kalk Bay with the ‘last night

train’ to Simon’s Town, which arrived at Kalk Bay after 1.00 a.m. The purpose of this was to
find the best spots on this small beach where eventually thousands would come to spend the day.

When the first train arrived at 5.00 a.m the stream would continue, and what a sight to see -

mothers, fathers, three to five children, each carrying a bag, a tin, paper bag etc all containing
food, cool drinks, etc, also a blanket and short poles in some cases to put up a shelter from the

sun. Those that were early enough would tie up the ends of the blanket to the railway fence. Even
at first light the trains would arrive filled to bursting point and people just spilled out in a mass.

On those peak days special trains would be available every 30 - 35 minutes during the whole

day. (Fig. 2.31.)

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