Aircooled VW South Africa

Picture taken in 1960 in Cape Town on 2nd New Year's day showing a low light Ghia - note the electric tram lines and Signal Hill (?) in the background

That's Lion's Head in the background and 2e Nuwe Jaar is(was) the 2nd of January not Boxing Day which is the 26th of December.

Those electric overheads were for electric buses, there were no tram tracks in the roads. Those buses had very long "pick-ups". I remember them from the first time I went to Cape Town, in '76. By 1980 they were gone.

I remember them from the first time I went to Cape Town, in '76

Is that 1876,Ron????

I can't remember the electric buses.

That picture is taken in Main Road, Sea Point.

I'm sure Muds can tell us more about "Tweede Nuwe Jaar". The staff of the upper class had to work there butts off on New Years Day slaving over a hot stove and probably keeping everybodies glasses full with the fruits of the vine. Therefore they were given the 2nd January off as a rest day..

If you travel from the western cape to the northern cape, you will still find many people celebrating the day, especially in the NC.

Ron&Gill wrote:Those electric overheads were for electric buses, ... By 1980 they were gone.

aka trolley buses. They had them in Joburg too, also disappeared early 1980s.

hitlers revenge wrote:

I remember them from the first time I went to Cape Town, in '76

Is that 1876,Ron????

I can't remember the electric buses.

That picture is taken in Main Road, Sea Point.

I'm sure Muds can tell us more about "Tweede Nuwe Jaar". The staff of the upper class had to work there butts off on New Years Day slaving over a hot stove and probably keeping everybodies glasses full with the fruits of the vine. Therefore they were given the 2nd January off as a rest day..

If you travel from the western cape to the northern cape, you will still find many people celebrating the day, especially in the NC.

it is also said that the reason why they painted their faces was so that their "masters" would not reconise them during this day. not much resting happend on this day. celebrations are still big in ct as it became more of a traditional culture. like all good things, when theres money involved things go pear shaped. this culture is now overseened by goverment as part of a tourist attraction and is slowly loosing its worth. and i dont mean in monetary terms. just my 2c

Farhaad, not a place for politics...........

but there also seems to be a lot of infighting amongst the troops these days.

My 5c

NO NO im the last person to go political. were this culture stems from is from the poorer comunity were gansterism is still very alive. if you put two and two together u will get 5c. before there was no 5c. it was pure fun. today its different.

Ron&Gill wrote:Those electric overheads were for electric buses, there were no tram tracks in the roads. Those buses had very long "pick-ups". I remember them from the first time I went to Cape Town, in '76. By 1980 they were gone.

Like this?

Yes, like that, but in colour...

Where known as "Trolly" busses , pipe welded under the bus, to hold the long pole needed to hold the power pick-ups back on the power line then they came off around a sharp corner. That was the conductors job. The driver had to stay centre under the lines else they would come off.

Oooooh, is THAT why they called him a Conductor...

That's what you call a high tension job...

There may have been some resistance, but it's got a lot of potential though...

He must've been amped to get home after work...

You probably find they were nice guys, quite down to earth...

Ron&Gill wrote:Those electric overheads were for electric buses, there were no tram tracks in the roads.

Camps Bay, early 1900s

Ron&Gill wrote:You probably find they were nice guys, quite down to earth...

Ron, I find your wit, electrifying, but it is hair raising at best. These guys had to conduct them self in such a manner, to stay in the circuit. With a short experience ending in a bang .

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

You so funny..........

Pine, contrary to what TonyZ thinks, I wasn't actually there in 1900 to see the tracks, and there were no tracks 76 years later...

Galvanizing, Retrovan, positively tingling, bright spark. Hope the jokes didn't fall on bad earth.