Page 61 - KBHA BULLETIN 4

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Extra pocket money could always be made selling perlemoen shells to the visitors. We would

dive and collect perlemoen – take out the meat (that’s for personal use) and walk on the beach
with an orange bag full of shells. It never failed.

There were no restaurants like the Brass Bell of today. The only place to have refreshments was

the Tea Room upstairs (Brass Bell premises) run by Mrs Chapman. Anchovy toast and ginger
floats provided enough energy for all day surfing.

If the weather calmed down and the sea cleared, diving for sinkers lost by fishermen along the
shore from Kalk Bay to Muizenberg, brought in ‘serious’ money. Lorrie Wisenberg used to pay

sixpence (5c) a pound.

The beach at Kalk Bay was sea sand – no cement and concrete and the Council would change the

sand and clean the two pools on a regular basis. I can still see the fit Mr. Bassios wrestling with
young Maarten van Diggelen. The old Greek versus the young UCT wrestler. I cannot remember

who won, but it was always fun to watch.

The hotels

Kalk Bay and St. James used to have a huge influx of visitors and the hotels catered for all types

of visitors. The Majestic Hotel was considered by many to be superior to the Mount Nelson
Hotel in Cape Town. The Majestic had three taps in the bathrooms: Hot, Cold and Sea water.

The band playing on the large verandah was always entertaining. It attracted the wealthy and
famous. The New King’s seemed to cater for Rhodesian visitors and the Robin Gordon Hotel

took many from the Belgian Congo. They came to the sea to party and have fun.

Innisfail Hotel and Chartfield catered for the more restful and calmer visitors and I am not sure if

they served alcohol. The St. James Hotel always tried to be the Majestic Hotel, but perhaps it
was the rumoured anti-semitic stance that never helped their cause. There were also many

holiday homes and regular visitors came to the same houses year after year.

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