November December 2018

GLADYS GALLIVANTS:
CHRISTMAS IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
November – early Christmas cards
start rolling in. One with a photograph
showing a clear view from my friend’s
porch down over the luscious greenery
to the mouth of the Ganube River and
the blue sea beyond in the Eastern Cape
of South Africa. My thoughts went back
to Christmases during my youth in that
sunny land.
“It is going to be at least 27 or 28
degrees and I am not slaving over a
hot stove to prepare a roast and all the
trimmings,“ was my mother’s statement
of fact. “We will default to cold meats
and salads and your Father can do the
washing up.” This meant Dad would
take all the paper plates down to the
bottom of the garden and burn them
next to our compost heap. No antismoke
zones in those days.
My Mum, who had been in the theatre
was contacted by Charlie, one of her
pals and the leader of his banjo band.
His suggestion, “How about your senior
dance girls joining up with my boys and
some other artists to entertain at the
hospital on Christmas Day ?”
Early on the morning of 25th December,
we assembled in the grounds of the Old
Johannesburg Hospital, an imposing
seven-story edifice built in the early
1900’s. There we were the banjo boys
and four teenage girls absolutely thrilled
to eye up the talent. We went to the top
floor with the band as well as a man and
his three Spaniel dogs ready to perform
their tricks. This was the mid-1960’s
and long before risk assessments were
required.
Our tap troupe had brought a windup
gramophone player and our 78rpm
shellac record called ‘Bumps-a-Daisy’, a
jazz rendition fantastically suited to our
routine, choreographed by my cousin.
Our dance studio was very much a family
affair.
Charlie had done this before. “You girls
start on the right wing, the band to the
left, we swap and then move down the
building floor by floor.”
After eight performances our feet were
beginning to take strain but regardless,
we soldiered on.
Two o’clock found us girls sitting with
very red,
blistered feet
under the
fountain in the
gardens of the
hospital, waiting
for our parents to take
us home. “Do you realise we have
completed fourteen performances and
also wound up the gramophone that
many times. We must have lots more
muscles than when we started,” was
my cheery comment. We were all on a
high.
My mum arrived “Come on girls, let’s
take you home. Don’t suppose you
will want to do this again. You look
exhausted.”
But all four agreed we did, it had been a
tremendously rewarding day. Although
we had missed out on our usual carol
service locally, we had brought some
joy and excitement to many people who
were unable to share their usual family
Christmas celebrations.
Festive Greetings to all my readers.
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8 GOLDEN TIMES MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018