Life-changing; In the beginning; background; (Recollections)
Having lived over half a century in the same home in Johannesburg and for nigh on half that time, having coached tennis on a tennis court laid out by my dad, I thought that was how the rest of my life would continue. One hears of people having a life-changing experience which makes interesting reading, but does not apply to oneself, but that is what happened to me.
Dear friends Michéle and Warwick Tarboton invited me to visit a town called Wakkerstroom, still then in the Transvaal Province – literally on the border with Natal and although I was a bit hesitant, I went along — and — fell in love with this funny little town.
At that time, I just thought of having a place to go for weekends but after mentioning it to friends, we decided to go into it together. So, we found a site alongside the wetland and had At kotze build a little cottage which was named Crane Cottage. The partners were Ann Walters, her daughter Debbie and son-in-law Cristian Cottino, sister Jean Bleloch and brother Doug Gilfillan, who also came to live here.
It was not long thereafter that I realised, 22 years of coaching tennis was losing its glitter and it may be time to make a change and a move away from the past. The hardest part of making a big change, would be leaving my home and many friends. But the decision was made and in 1993, the house sold, goods packed up with great help from my cousin Ian Dustan and his wife Scotty, and in a variety of vehicles driven by the three of us, I relocated to “Wakkers-where”? Few people had heard of this place in outer space! My dogs, my furniture and I moved into the Tarboton house to give me a chance to 1001< around for somewhere to buy and call home.