Today I caught
up with a lot of old friends from the past.
Day eight - Pietermaritzburg,
10th October 2007
The Natal Witness had a excellent article promoting my book launch on page 5 today.
Today I caught
up with a lot of old friends from the past.
Left Durban at about 9am - with the N3 road to Pietermaritzburg quite good except for a piece in the middle where traffic was jammed when roadworks brought it down to just one lane.
First stop was my old school of Cordwalles where I met Simon Weaver - the headmaster who threw me in the deep end asking me to address the 300 boys from the school about my book. That went quite well with me reminiscing about my time at the school and explaining how I came to write "Children of the Mist".
Image right: Chele and I at Cordwalles my old boarding school.
Next stop was to meet Eddie Sherwood - he took me to his house and then to the Witness Newspaper where I met Stephen Coan - who is writing a book review on "Children of the Mist" - it will appear next Wednesday.
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On the road to |
Pietermaritzburg |
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Cordwalles |
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Addressing the boys |
Addressing the boys |
Addressing the boys |
Addressing the boys |
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The front of the school |
The quad |
On my 1st day in 1963 |
The old theatre |
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With Simon Weaver |
The entry of my name |
The fountain |
My bed in Link |
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The San where I had |
Where I used to float |
The Chapel |
My first dorm at |
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In the Chapel |
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Outside the school |
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Streets of |
Pietermaritzburg |
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The beautiful City Hall |
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Jacarandas in flower |
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Town Hill in the |
Chaos on the streets |
View of the city |
Chele searches her model past |
After driving
through Pietermaritzburg - the jacaranda city - with the beautiful tress
just coming into spring blossom - I went to Cascades Shopping Centre at about
4.45pm and met with Colene Cook of Bookworld.
Image right addressing the gathering at Bookworld in Pietermaritzburg
I had no sooner set up the slide show than all the lights went out in Pietermaritzburg. Apparently the electricity grid is overburdened and the desperate state is getting worse as no money is being put towards power upgrades. Luckily the power came on about an hour later and I was able to sign fifteen books - meet several interesting people and proceed with my book launch at just after 6pm while competing with the noises of several African workers who had no idea of decorum! A most welcome visitor was Delyse Barnes who I had not seen for nearly 30 years!
After the book launch several of my friends joined me for a dinner at the Spur at Cascades.
A fabulous day capped off by an even better evening. Followed Eddie and Moira back to their home and in bed by 10pm.
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Colene Cook (right) with |
Myra, Eddie and Rodney |
Moira, Scott and |
Mark Laidlaw (well |
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Book launch at |
Bookworld |
Chele and I with friends from |
Rodney, Myra, Moira |
