RINK STREET, PORT ELIZABETH
When Russell Road closed, the branch moved to Rink Street, a short distance away. Both premises were rented buildings and rather cramped. Rink Street catered for the smaller type of business as well for numerous medical practitioners who practiced in the vicinity of nearby St George’s Hospital. Many of those worthy doctors had fat overdrafts mainly due to tardy payments from Medical Aids but also I suspect, from living their lives at unrealistically luxurious levels! In my vast music collection, I have a recording of the branch singing the bank’s song from sometime in the 90’s. The enterprising young accountant whose name escapes me, arranged for the well rehearsed staff to go into a city recording studio and lay down a catchy version of the song. I have a copy of the song somewhere and I was surprised at how professional the “choir” sounded. (Needless to say, I have no idea where I stored the track – with nearly 4 million tracks to trawl through, I might never find it again!).
Ronnie Gowar was accountant during one of my visits to Rink Street. Ronnie and I worked together back in 1974 in Lady Grey and we always got on well. The disparity of our personal sizes was a source of amusement once. I was and still am, vastly oversized where Ron in contrast, was a good deal shorter than I was. I had the habit of hanging my HUGE suit jacket on the back of my chair and so did Ron. One day I grabbed his jacket by mistake and nearly dislocated my shoulder trying to put it on. This was funny enough but we took it a step further and got Ron to don my circus tent and boy, on Ron it looked like a bizarre greatcoat. I wish I had a photo of that bit of hilarity.
ST GEORGES STREET, BLOEMFONTEIN
I doubt that I ever actually audited the branch but I do recall going there for a tellers’ difference. If it was a straightforward difference, it would probably just have been absorbed but a disputed inter-teller transaction muddied the water and raised the spectre of common theft. I wasted days trying to reach a conclusion but one of those young ladies was fiendishly good at covering her tracks. I became convinced that one of the tellers had hoodwinked the other but both produced such plausible stories that I could not pin anyone down. The amount involved was only around R8000 but it really galled me to have to admit defeat, despite my best efforts. You win some, you lose some. I certainly did not get to like the branch, stuck as it was in an unhealthy part of town.
BRANDWAG, BLOEMFONTEIN
I’m not sure whether I participated in a full audit here or not because all I have is a vague recollection of a pile of insurance folders on my desk. Perhaps I just helped for a short while.
Anyway, I know an old acquaintance, Ben Pretorius, was student manager at Brandwag and I recall being invited to his house on a Wednesday afternoon for some beers and a braai. His wife was out at some women’s meeting and Ben was left to babysit his little girl. That suited us just fine and the kiddie bumbled about the place happily while Ben and I downed some frosties and talked about days gone by. All of a sudden, Ben jerked to attention as the little girl had gone quiet and was nowhere to be seen. There followed a frantic search for the kid and she was eventually tracked down to behind the lounge curtains where she was quietly and happily having a grand ol’ dump! Ben was about as embarrassed as a dad can be but I thought it was hilariously funny. I suppose that girl has grandkids of her own today but how I wish I could just meet her and tell her my story. Ben went to Sandown I think and then left the bank. I have no idea if he’s still with us – does anyone else perhaps know?
JOUBERTINA
Not one of my favourite branches, I rather disliked the local hotel which seemed to have only flimsy dry walls between the rooms. I realized this to my dismay when my neighbor arrived in his room and let loose a modest, controlled one and I could hear it clearly. When he sat on his bed I could hear every creak and rustle as if we were sharing a room. I might even have slightly damaged my innards by holding onto my own “Jockey Airbrush” beyond the reasonable point a bit too long. It does not make for a restful night if you are frozen into rigid immobility by the fear of being embarrassed by things that go bump in the night. I soon gave up and headed for the country hotel at a place called Misgund. At first I was quite happy there but I had a rude awakening one night when one of those abominations known as “discos” pounded into life and kept going well into the night. I think you can begin to understand now why I have no happy memories of Joubertina.
I popped into the branch at Joubertina once on my way to somewhere else, because an old friend, Barry Greyling was the manager there. I used to sometimes join his 4 kids at the bank house in Sterkspruit for a kickabout and had a lot of fun. The younger girl and I had a special affinity and she often landed up on my lap after a game. Calling there a long time after I had last seen the little towheads, I was bitterly disappointed to discover that they barely remembered me. Even my favourite Sunet coolly greeted me like a stranger. To four young adults, I was no longer “cool”. Luckily I have got over that letdown and am still in touch with both the girls and love them both. I never had kids of my own but at times I was fortunate to briefly enjoy other parents’ offspring and pretend I was a dad.
KESTELL
I thought I’d give the hotel in Kestell a try and booked in before going down to the branch. Kestell lies between Bethlehem and Harrismith and the branch served mainly a farming community. The room was fair but the hotel manager’s attitude towards mealtimes left much to wish for so I lasted a single night and left for Harrismith and the Holiday Inn there, the next evening.
A Potgieter fellow was manager of our branch. I knew his dad who was manager at Ladybrand and I was impressed by the young man. He had been in training previously and vigorously applied the lessons he had been teaching others. The branch was well managed and exception free and Potgieter impressed as a young man with promise. I wonder what became of him.
LONGMARKET STREET, PIETERMARITZBURG
I recall the peculiar interior of this branch, although I’m pretty sure I never audited there. In those days, security registers had to be “stripped” by an auditor so that’s quite probably why I was there. I recall someone saying that the premises were reminiscent of a public urinal, as the walls were clad in mustard coloured tiles and it all looked bloody awful. Of all the silly routines my audit predecessors had invented, the most ridiculous was probably that register stripping job. You could not simply pull an obsolete page out of a securities register – it had to be done by an auditor and one used up dozens of green pens laboriously drawing lines through the obsolete stuff and checking on the disbursement of items and interest on deposits held as security. In the bigger centres, there were even retired auditors who were performing this amazingly futile operation. I stripped thousands of registers in my time and never found reason for alarm. It was a mind numbingly boring job which eventually fell by the wayside for which I was extremely grateful.
HORSESHOE, WELKOM
After Clive Warnes and I had completed the audit of Philippolis, I accompanied him to Horseshoe Branch in Welkom, mainly in a coaching and observer role, to make sure he was able to fully work on his own. As it happened, I was superfluous as Clive was well into the job and capable of running his own audits so I sat and twiddled my thumbs for most of the time there. For anyone wondering how the branch came to be called that odd name – the business part of town is laid out in the form of a large horseshoe, with many shops and offices laid out on the perimeter of the crescent. It’s actually a good system as parking is available on both the inside and outside of the perimeter making access to businesses simple. The engineers who laid out Welkom really did an admirable job. Phil Scott was manager. I had encountered him as sub-manager in Kimberley. His brother Charles was also on audit and my boss for several years before he retired. I recall the Scotts having the biggest cats I’ve ever seen, when they lived in Kimberley. I was amazed to see one of those giants actually using the toilet bowl, just like a human. (Now why can’t my little Maltese also learn to do that – it would save so much trouble!)
ADDERLEY STREET, CAPE TOWN
For the life of me, I can’t remember why I went to this branch, as it wasn’t for a full audit. I seem to recall spending my days in the “dungeons” so maybe I’d gone there to help getting the securities check done. I was pleased to be able to have a look at the famous old Herbert Baker designed place and I was impressed as I rather like older architecture. It also enabled me to be able to claim having visited all the main branches in the country, except Durban branch.
PORT ELIZABETH
I was checking through the list of branches I drew up before starting this project to ensure that I made reference to each and every one, when to my chagrin, I discovered I had left out my favourite branch, Port Elizabeth. Apart from the fact that it had the most impressive banking hall of my experience, it always just seemed like home to me, even long before I went to settle in Port Elizabeth.
I was working in Durban in around ’76 when the call came for me to join a team led by Syd Eales, to audit Port Elizabeth branch. Barnie Barnard, senior auditor was also on the team, as were George Preston from PE who was in his last branch before retirement and Bref Edwards. I forget who the Senior Manager was but Ernie Jones was Manager Resources and Basie Ferreira was Accountant. I was immediately taken with those vaulting ceilings, wood paneling and cathedral-like windows which I saw when we walked in. It looked so elegant and rich that I straight away acknowledged it the perfect flagship for the control and throughout all the years, I just loved coming back to audit there.
In addition to the visual impression the premises made, the branch was also staffed by an experienced, dedicated team of people, who changed very little from audit to audit. Coming back to the branch, which I did on numerous occasions, was always a pleasure as I was able to renew friendships. Management always changed between audits and I doubt if I even remember all the seniors. There were Mike Mourant, Eddie Keys, Colin Tyndall and Andre Latre – there were others as well but I can’t recall who.
During that first visit to Port Elizabeth, we stayed at the fine Beach Hotel – one of premier hotelier, Roy Lombard’s three hotels (Also the Edward and Walmer Gardens) This was well before the Boardwalk was even dreamt of and the town did not have a top quality hotels to speak of. The Beach however, was an excellent 3 star place. Rooms were immaculate and comfortable while the dining room excelled. One had to dress with tie and collar for meals and Syd thought he could get away with a jacket and shorts. I met Roy Lombard one day in the yard while parking my car and he asked who we were. It turned out Barclays were his bankers. He looked a little embarrassed when I told him who we were and asked me to whisper in Syd’s ear that his dress was not of the required standard for meals! Syd went quite red when I told him but complied promptly from then on. I remember walking out onto the stoep of the hotel before breakfast and finding Syd with his Rapid Results lectures, studying hard for his Bankers’ Final exams….. for the SECOND time. He already had the qualification but wanted to do it again just to make sure he was up to date. I liked Syd but he was an absolute nut about bank exams.
I made the mistake of telling him I’d rather read a SF novel than open those infernal Rapid Results lectures. He lectured me endlessly to no effect whatsoever – I thought them a complete and utter waste of time. Syd also took it upon himself to try and improve my lack of “culture”. A film of Mozart’s Magic Flute opera was showing in a Rink Street Cinema and he insisted that I accompany him to a matinee. I like a lot of Mozart’s music but opera is not my forte and I yawned my way through that Saturday afternoon, while Syd sat there enraptured and soaking up the “culture”.
St Valentine’s Day occurred during the audit and Syd and Barnie thought they’d fool me by buying a Valentine’s card and addressing it to me from “all the girls at the branch”. I had overheard them conspiring so their little joke was just a silly flop.
I never ran into either of those men again on audit. I know Syd lived in Graaff Reinet at one stage after retirement but I didn’t actually get to see him. RSM Barnard also passed away years ago – I call him RSM because his manner, his bearing and his fierce way of speaking were typical of a Regimental Sergeant Major! Perhaps he had been one in his younger days.
There are so many people I recall from the branch. Louis Pfeiffer, sub accountant in charge of ledgers for the major part of his career, also read Science Fiction and we well exploited our common ground by borrowing from each others’ libraries. We remained friends for many years. I heard recently that cancer had claimed him but have not been able to confirm it.
Marietha Vogel was Chief Teller for many years and was in the role when my wife worked there as a temp teller. Mike Price was the exchange control fundi for simply ages and must have wrestled with some really sticky, tiresome applications, given the motor and allied industries that banked with us. Affable and fiercely beetle-browed Chris Morris was in the role of Manager Resources for several of my visits to the branch. He was unfailingly cheerful, courteous and approachable and it would be difficult to find a person better suited to the job he did. To the best of my knowledge he retired to Plettenburg Bay and still resides there.
I still have a mental picture of Martie Smit (I hope I have that name right) who daily tackled the complex task of balancing the day’s books. I can see her sitting at her adding machine, producing reams of tallies and handling piles of incomprehensible printouts. She always plugged away at that job with great urgency, seldom chatting or leaving her little desk. I looked through her balancing for several audit days over the years and pretended that I understood all she had wrought but I confess I had only admiration for the lady and simply ticked what I found!
There was Deirdre Christiansen who was in charge of securities early on. She was such a sweet lady and it was devastating to discover that she had developed cancer and was dying. My wife and I went to say goodbye to her at her house, mere days before she passed on. She hugged us both tightly and whispered her farewell and I could not stop my tears from flowing. I went to her funeral as well. Her sidekick was Susan Heunis who took over the department when Deirdre died. She was one of the most dedicated securities clerks I ever met – almost fanatical in her pursuit of perfection and clued up to boot. And an old friend from Stutterheim days, Esme Pringle was in securities the last time I visited the branch. I recall recoiling at the chair on which she perched. I was indignant that the bank could not afford to give her a decent chair. It looked like a totally wrecked office chair but was in fact, a back therapy chair upon which one kneeled rather than sat. I actually bought one myself some years into my retirement, to help me cope with a back injury. It worked but unhappily, it wrecked my knees instead!
Lynn Schroeder/Bradfield (?) was an unforgettable little enquiries clerk who had the most perfect personality and approach to being a really good enquiries clerk. She loved and was loved by her customers with whom she always had instant rapport. She could handle an irate, trouble-bent customer pleasantly and diplomatically, dissolving his ire and curing his problem. I never saw her get irritable or rattled. She was particularly good with elderly, illiterate customers, who were a bit overawed by the vast banking hall and handled them with care and consideration. (Enquiries was always the place where new entrants landed in a branch – a particularly moronic place to be for someone with no knowledge. It should always have been a job for people with the APPROPRIATE personality and product knowledge. It was a showcase of the bank after all. We sure did some stupid things in the old days)
On switchboard I recall dear Betty Lee, (Her nephew was David Blood, the well known radio & TV personality) the sight challenged English lady with the impish sense of humour. Sure she sometimes made mistakes and cut off important managerial calls but one could not stay mad at Betty for long. Also at the switchboard was Jenny Lotter, who was the voice of Barclays for many years. Just like Betty, she coped with that busy switchboard with aplomb.
Up in Foreign Exchange Department were Florrie Agnew and Frans Kluyts. They were virtually fixtures in that department and handled awesome volumes of foreign exchange transactions, quietly and unobtrusively. In the forex teller’s box was Colette Brandt, one of the prettiest and shyest ladies I ever met during my years on the road. I was very heartsore quite recently, when I heard that a heart attack had taken her away prematurely.
In managerial was Estelle van Loggerenberg, a stalwart of many years standing. I know she sometimes reads my essays so I’d better not say anything nasty about her! Seriously, Estelle was a star in that department for years and tirelessly supported the managers with quality recordkeeping, analyses and intelligence. A good managerial candidate herself.
The staff clerk for many years was Olga Allen, sister of a chap mentioned in my essay on Addo in this series. I know Olga married but I have no idea who she is now. She and her fellow staff lady, Susan ? often helped with our audit typing.
Let’s not forget my good friend and erstwhile neighbour (After both our retirements, we lived in neighbouring town house complexes) Patricia Leitch. Pat is a highly intelligent and attractive lady who is the very epitome of English reserve, coming as she did originally from Britain. I knew her father and one of her brothers – both thoroughly nice people but regrettably no longer with us. Pat remained single and dedicated herself to taking care of her parents. She was Branch Administrator for a number of years and I still have a mental picture of Pat sitting up in her “pulpit” which overlooked the tellers’ enclosure. I seem to recall that she was a qualified teacher apart from being a jolly good bank clerk. I think she engaged in study to give herself an alternative, should she not find banking to her liking. During my retirement years in PE, I often used to see her out walking and staying fit. She was a solitary, self contained person but while always reserved, she wasn’t anti-social and I had a lot of time for Pat. Still do in fact.
I recall quite a few managers on the second tier of management over the years. To name just a few : Harry Lovemore, Dick Bryant, Trevor Davies, Ramona Terblanche, Alan Montgomery, Johan Myburgh, Irwin Hibberd, Tom Moolman, Yvonne Riggin etc Several have already passed on but happily some are still out there.
I would go on with more names if I could just recall them. This is just a selection from the sea of faces crowding my memory so if I’ve not mentioned you here, don’t be disappointed. I’m sure your face is among the happy lot in my mind but time has started eroding names at an alarming rate.
I remember so many trivial things about the audits over the years. During one audit, we all sat round several tables pushed together and every morning Toekie van Wyk, the senior, would place the daily newspaper crossword between us and during “smoke breaks” him and I would wrestle with it. For an Afrikaans speaker, he was really excellent at crosswords and seemed to relish exercising his considerable vocabulary.
During that very first audit, a large part of the routine auditing fell to me as I was the junior on the team. They gave me a table which was overlooked by the accountant’s “pulpit” and Basie kept a close eye on me. If I started writing, both him and Ernie would descend on me and demand to know what I had written. Boy, the very word “exception” was anathema to those two fine fellows and I doubt if I managed to get anything past them.
Years later my full team and I had commenced the audit of the branch and were a branch or two into using the laptops which we had been given. Back then the laptops we used were loaded with DOS, Lotus and Word Perfect. I was working upstairs when something went wrong with my laptop. I asked Brenton Williams to go down and using a stiffy, copy the autoexec.bat file on Willem Coetzer’s PC so I could replace mine which my fiddling had messed up. Instead of copying the file, Brenton “cut” it so suddenly Willem’s machine wouldn’t work as his file had gone!. He was as mad as snakes and walked off into the street and warned Brenton that his PC had better work when he returned or else!! Brenton was pale with fright but luckily we figured what had happened and we were able to copy the autoexec.bat file back onto Willem’s computer in time for Willem’s return from his “cooling off” walk. We were all seriously jumpy around these infernal machines during those far off days, which seems so darn silly in retrospect.
I’m sad to say that this is my final post in this series. As much as Port Elizabeth branch is no more and even the very name Port Elizabeth no longer kosher (Like hell I will ever use that ridiculous name people now call what used to be my home in so many ways) I must finally draw a curtain across this stage which I have trodden for all these years and say goodbye to all you wonderful ex-colleagues and friends who have allowed me to stand in the spotlight, here at the end of my days and have listened to me almost as if I had something important to say. The bank is no longer the same, Port Elizabeth is not either and nor is South Africa but this dwindling gathering of old bank clerks has had unchanging fellowship and friendship which will only finally die when the last two of us are no more. I might not post regularly any longer but rest assured I’ll still pop in every single day to see what you’re all up to.
Finally, thanks to Rose Cazalet for allowing me so much freedom on her forum. I was constantly waiting for her to rein me in and give someone a chance but she never did. Thanks a million Rose – you made this old man very happy.
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