Here’s what I can remember.
I joined Kloof High in standard 9 (That would be 1965 I think). We had just moved to Natal from East London.
I remember having extra Maths lessons with “Duddles” ie Dudley Barton our headmaster at his home which was walking distance from the school. He somehow managed to get enough maths into my head to pass Matric and university and although they were never marks I was proud of, I am eternally appreciative of his efforts.
The teacher who possibly influenced my life most, was our biology teacher, Mrs Patterson. I was fascinated by the way she would brush back her unruly black bangs which kept falling over her one eye and that with hands full of dissection gore! I remember her as a jovial soul and she inspired me to go on to study Biological Sciences at Natal Uni and to eventually become a biology teacher myself!
After studying a degree and completing my teacher’s diploma, I returned to Kloof High as its first pupil to return as a teacher. Unfortunately, it was not for very long as I was already married and my husband was posted overseas.
Another educator that sticks in my mind is Doctor Jackson or “ Doc tears” as he was fondly called. It must have been difficult for such a sensitive man with a deep love of the language to try to get us to appreciate the genius of Shakespeare and the beauty of poetry. I can clearly recall our prescribed, green hardcover “Book of Poetry”. If it is any consolation to Doc wherever his soul is now, is that somehow some part of me must have been listening as I have to this day a deep love for poetry and for Shakespeare.
Coming from the Eastern Cape, the standard of Afrikaans taught in the Province was much lower; so I went from reading of set works like FA Venter’s Geknelde Land to Trompie. I was the brightest star in Afrikaans, a totally undeserved honour but one I enjoyed nevertheless. If memory serves me our teacher was Mr Viljoen.
I have fond memories also of Mrs Bainbridge – I can’t recall what subject she taught and I was never in her class but the picture of a frail old lady (younger than I am now no doubt!), with her ginger hair and faded freckles, has stayed with me for over half a century.
Of course, I am sure none of my female classmates will have any problems recalled Dave Watts who was the blonde 6ft, (such important statistics were still imperial back then), Adonis who amongst others was involved in sport. Our pimply male classmates paled into comparison next to him but thinking back he was probably only a few years older than they were.
Fond memories indeed of another place in totally another world. One in which we would wander unescorted by an adult without any concern through the Kloof Gorge after school. There were no unseen dangers lurking and you could take people at face value – or such was my experience.
I occasionally go back there in my mind and picture, even talk to, classmates who are no longer with us and find it hard to grasp that they are gone forever into the mists of time. Reunions ; ( I have only been able to get to one), were strangely emotional. The people you knew were the same underneath yet so different on the outside. They had suddenly got old and responsible!
A big thank you to Kloof High School and all the teachers that I remember and those I don’t, my classmates both still living and those who have left this world for the wonderful start they gave me life and I look back on them all with great fondness.
Pat (Welsford) Wessels
