Interview with Christopher Stanley – 1973 Chris joined St David’s in 1968, standard 6 as a boarder. He remembers his first day vividly with his mum and dad unpacking his things and making up his bed in the rather large dormitory. It was quite daunting not knowing anybody other than his four other brothers also joined the school, with his younger brothers becoming day boys as the boarding closed after 1972. Some of the teachers and brothers he remembers are Mrs Haines, Mrs Hartman, Br Bosco, Br Anthony, Br Aidan, Br Timothy, Br Andrew and Br Bernard. They were all good teachers and he recalled that everyone was terrified of Br Andrew nicknamed “Drac” who was a good Maths teacher. Chris enjoyed his time at St David’s and being a boarder meant that he was able to really participate in the sport playing 2nd team rugby and cricket. He also swam in the inter-house swimming gala but wasn’t in the team. The boys sometimes used to play golf at the Wanderers on a Wednesday and one of Chris’s memorable moments was when he beat Fulton Allem. Discipline was strict but even so some boys used to bunk out regularly. The boy in the next bed, Mark Agar used to jump out of the window after lights out and returned at about 2am and never got caught. The boys only got one weekend off a term and had some visiting Sundays. The food wasn’t too bad but rather predictable. Chris also enjoyed mowing the school lawns with the tractor. He remembered doing a skit with some of the boys at the Sandown civic centre. Academically Chris did very well until standard 8 when he became lazy and as a consequence didn’t get a very good matric.He initially went into the navy and did his year’s national service before going to Wits University to study for a BComm. He didn’t complete his degree and got married in 1977 and went to work in Secunda on the Sasol 2 Project. With hindsight he regrets not completing his degree. He now runs his own business selling printing, stationery and office products. Chris has one child a daughter now aged 15 who attends Fourways high school. He often visits the St David’s to watch the rugby and has been to several MOBS dinners and will be attending the 1972 reunion in November this year. He is still in touch with many of his contemporaries – Billy Cotton , Harry Curtis and Terry van Heerden who all came from Zambia, George Nichas, Trevor Maher, Ross and Gary Hunter, Nolan Springer, Trevor Maher, John Williamson, Martin Rumpelt, Mike Mac Farlane and Vince Mahoney. JLE October 2012
Interview with Costa John – 1973 Costa remembers his first day with the fish pond at the entrance to the junior school which seemed like a mystical treasure. He enjoyed his school days, the structure and deep teacher engagement. As a day boy he went home every day but felt that the boarders seemed to bond better. Anne Buchan was a teacher who was caring, articulate, highly structured and inspirational. He didn’t enjoy the corporal punishment which he felt was a troubling practice all the way to matric. He remembers an unhappy moment, confronting the school over incidents where his brother’s poor Geography grade was made his problem, the next year, and later when his younger brother was unfairly singled out for punishment. A good memory was when he set a new school sprint record as an 11 year old when South Africa went metric and all records were being set for the first time. Costa enjoyed the sport and played soccer, cricket, rugby and was an athlete. There weren’t any sports camps in those days. Costa was a member of C.L.G., the debating society, Science club and 3rd team rugby. The matric dance was a proud moment with beautiful decor, wonderful catering and was still a black and white formal event. There was an all-night after party that ended the next morning with many of the boys enjoying breakfast in Rosebank, still in tuxedos and evening gowns! Costa was elected head prefect in his matric year, received his honours blazer and scrolls for Merit, Studies, and Debating and was awarded the victor ludorum.. His last day was poignant and he realised he would sorely miss the rich mosaic of academic, sport, faith-based activities and the maturing phase from a child to a young man in the army.. After matriculating, Costa went into the army for a year then studied for a BCom and MCom at Wits University followed by a Phd in the USA. He is currently CFO of a San Franciso software company. He is a member of the Red Cross disaster response team with service at Ground Zero (Terror attack) 2001, Katrina (Hurricane) 2005, Joplin (Tornado) 2011. Costa last visited St David’s in 2013 when he addressed a high school assembly. JLE July 2013
Interview with Craig Sagar – 1973 Craig doesn’t remember his first day at St David’s but enjoyed the sport and the interaction with the teachers. Teachers who left a lasting impression were Mrs Schaafsma and Br Andrew (Drac) and in particular his Maths lessons. He played rugby, cricket and participated in the hurdles event in athletics. He also got a mention for achieving Springbok Scout level and then the Chief Scout Award. On leaving school he studied for an degree in agriculture at the University of Pietermaritzburg and then went on to obtain a CA(SA) and qualified in 1985. He is married with two sons who attended St Charles College a former Marist school. He is currently a partner with Deloitte & Touche, Audit, KZN living in Pietermaritzburg. Craig last visited St David’s in 1975 to play tennis and is in touch with MOBS. J.E. October 2013
Interview with Greg Boyes-Varley 1973 Greg and his two brothers were day boys at St David’s living as they did behind the school in Second Avenue. The family lived in Cape Town and Zimbabwe until 1966 when Greg joined the school in march in standard 2. Coming from Zimbabwe Greg didn’t understand Afrikaans and his teacher, Mrs Michael organised extra lessons for Greg with Mrs.Kenesovitch. Brother Anthony was head of the high school and other Brothers such as Br Andrew, Br Aidan (bursar), Br Bosco (Mario), Br Timothy, Br Dennis, Br Ronald and Br Ezekiel were still teaching.Br Ezekiel was a brilliant Maths teacher and taught extra Maths on a Sunday declaring that that was more important than going to Mass. Greg had a tough time at school and was teased, because of a speech impediment and injury to his face. He was playing on a trampoline when his leg got caught and his face was badly damaged by a broken coke bottle. Mr Owen-Smith a plastic and maxillo- facial surgeon operated on Greg and due to this he was determined to become a maxillo-facial surgeon himself. Greg went to the Wits Speech and Hearing Therapy unit and eventually overcame his speech impediment and now speaks at conventions and deals with patients confidently. Greg recalled Nassey Simaan, the popular rugby coach who had no favourites and chose his teams by selecting the boys he felt had guts. To be selected Greg had to tackle one of the boys and he chose a big boy from standard 5 who always teased him. He flattened him and when Nassy asked him to show the other boys how to tackle he selected the same boy again and annihilated him once more. The boy never teased Greg again after that. Greg’s father was a very active member of the St David’s community, was on the PTA, was chairman and helped commission the building of the McGregor oval. He also used to organise all the fathers and sons cricket matches and arranged for some English cricketers, Don Williams and Peter Stringer to come and coach cricket at the school. Greg remembered a day at the end of standard 8 during Nuffield week when he was playing at leg slip and was hit squarely on the head with the cricket ball. The other boys made him get up and he carried on taking 8 wickets. Patrick Quarmby was particularly kind and supportive. The new Science lab has just been built and Greg remembers some experiments which blew holes in the ceiling. There was an African compound next to the white house where Mr Scott lived and the boys used to buys cigarettes from the staff. Anthony Bartlett (now living in Belgium) was the DJ for all the parties they organised with each boy taking a turn to have a party on saturday night. Legally the boys couldn’t drink, even when they went to university as they were all 17. Academically Greg did well, became a prefect, got his university pass for matric and went on to study Dentistry at Wits University. It was the last year of the JMB matric. Greg remembers St David’s as being a great school where he made some good friends and in his subsequent dealings with boys from local schools he thinks the St David’s boys are the most humble. He feels that it was a big mistake to close the boarding and then to replace the JMB matric with the TED version. That was when a large number of boys left the school and went mainly to St John’s. Greg would have liked his son to go to St David’s but the family left to go the UK from 1994 until
When they returned Oliver was in standard 1 and when they applied the then principal of the prep Mr Royce’s secretary was extremely rude and said there was no place for him. Oliver then went to St John’s and then on to Michaelhouse. Rees Carr’s father Ronnie who was coaching cricket intervened but by then it was too late. Greg was very sorry that his son didn’t go to St David’s but the experience he and his wife had in the UK was very good and he learnt a lot whilst at King’s hospital. Greg now practises at the Morningside Clinic and often lectures overseas and has written a number of articles. He is currently mentoring Etienne Raffner (2003) a dentist,doing a 5th year. Greg has been to two MOB’s dinners pre 1994 and is on the mailing list. Greg would like to get involved in an advisory capacity especially with boys who would like to go into medicine. He is touch with many of his old colleagues and remarked on the fact that St David’s has produced many doctors. Paul Sutej – Professor of Rheumatology in the US. Ian Jones – Dentist Bruce Potgieter – son in Matric 2011 Etienne Raffner -2003 – dentist Daniel Shepherd – intern at Bara Glen Jones Peter Rossini Desmond Schatz Paul Sutej Michael Ross – vet Kyalami JE – July 2012
Interview with Ian Rogers 1967 – 73 Ian came from Observatory in standard 6 when his parents moved to Athol. Ian didn’t find it too difficult to integrate because he enjoyed the sport so much. He remembers there being a lot of jewish boys in his class. Ian played a lot of sport including cricket and rugby. He played 1st team rugby until he broke his shoulder and played 1st team cricket from standard 8.He played in the Wilf Isaac’s elevens playing against an England team with Pete Stringer, Geoff Boycott who lived on the school property and coached the boys others included Ashley Harvey Walker and Don Wilson. The boys played against them at the beginning of the season. Peter Stringer organised the match with top English players who were in SA playing for different clubs. Ian also played Transvaal provincial golf and is still a keen golfer. Ian recalled declining his honours blazer which was only offered to him in the September of his matric year, however he was awarded a scroll for both golf and cricket. Brothers he remembers include Brother Anthony, Headmaster, Br Bosco who taught Science, Br Andrew – Maths, Br Timothy. The matric dance was held in the school hall which was also the boarders’ dining room and the boys had to wear their school uniforms. Ian did well academically and was accepted into Dental School at Wits University. Ian’s son and daughter both attended St Stithians and the last time he had occasion to visit St David’s was when his son competed at St David’s about 10 years ago. Some of his contemporaries he remembered were Vince O’Mahoney, Peter Ruzzini, Mike MacFarlan, Patrick Quarmby, Desmond Schatz – paediatrician in the US, Costa John – head boy now living in the US, Mike Saad – deputy head boy and rugby captain a pharmacist, Marshall Walford – dentist, Les Kourie. JE September 2012
Interview with Martin Rumpelt – 1973 Martin came to St David’s from the German School Johannesburg in standard 6. His parents were not too happy with the lack of discipline at the German School and the fact that matric would have to be written in English when all the teaching was given through the medium of German. Father Paulsen was a family friend and he recommended St David’s as an alternative. Martin had an older brother Thomas who also attended St David’s matriculating in 1972, he currently lives in Germany. Martin had been given a tour of the school the year before he arrived and had met the brothers but was, none the less nervous on his first day. He knew a couple of boys from Cubs and Scouts one of whom was Vincent O’Mahoney which made life a little easier. Br Anthony was headmaster at the time and he remembered some of the other Brothers – Br Andrew (Drac) so called because he drew blood when he caned the boys. He was Spanish and regarded all the boys as spoilt brats and that he was the equaliser; Br Bernard- very artistic and had a darkroom downstairs below the Science block; Br Mario who still visits Martin’s mother; Br Timothy (Tin Man) who was the rugby coach for all the 1st teams and a super guy; Br Anthony – (Oaunges); Br Michael; Br Aidan the bursar who impressed the boys no end with his visitors who came on motor bikes in leather gear; Br Vincent; Br Paul who was blind; Br Aquinas and Br Patrick. He recalled Mrs Janusch who taught Latin and who had long conversations with the brothers in Latin. Martin really enjoyed the sport especially coming from a school where the main sports were swimming and tennis and some soccer. He loved the swimming, water polo, tennis and rugby. He had never played rugby before and, with the classes being so small everyone had to participate in either an A or B team. Nassey Simaan was the rugby coach and he remembers his first rugby match when Mike Griffiths kicked the ball which bounced off the bars straight into Martin’s hands, He didn’t know what to do and didn’t know the rules but Nassey screamed at him to score a try –so he managed to score in his first game. He had a “deja vous” moment recently when his son was playing rugby on the same field in exactly the same conditions – a flashback to a moment in time. Martin was also a member of the Transvaal karate team which was an extramural activity. Discipline was good and all the boys accepted the caning when they had done wrong. Once Br Andrew caned the whole school, there was a visiting team and someone had written derogatory graffiti on the walls in the quad, when no-one owned up to this, he caned every boy. Academically Martin was given every opportunity to do well but didn’t apply himself whereas his older brother was always top of the class together with Alfred Ghodes. However he passed his matric and then went into he army for two years in the 11th commando, Kimberly and did border duty for 17 months. After his final exams it was a bit of an anti-climax and he then went on holiday with his family but with the call up papers for the army. He was the only boy from St David’s going but fortunately he met up with someone on the train. On discharge from the army he went on to study for a BSc Building at Wits University. He is involved in construction work, building and civil engineering and the company he is with Aveng-Grinaker-LTA, built the first Soccer City and the new Soccer City for the World Cup. Currently the company is looking more to Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique whereas South Africa and Zimbabwe are quiet in comparison. The newly elected President of Zambia has stamped out corruption and a lot of development is taking place. Martin’s two sons both attended St David’s,Nicholas having matriculated and Phillip is currently in grade 11. His daughter Megan is a pupil at St Mary’s Waverly. Martin is a member of MOBS
