The Clovelly Country Club Story

The Clovelly Country Club Story

SHORT HISTORY OF THE CLOVELLY COUNTRY CLUB

The idea of a club history has been in the minds of many connected with Clovelly for some time. Those who recall the Club in its early days when it was virtually a club without a clubhouse, and later, in the immedi­ately pre-War years when things were a little easier, during the War years, the post-War years, the post-fire years and so on, are convinced that Clovelly does have, moreover, a ‘history’ which thoroughly deserves the telling.

The writer of the present one has, indeed, told the Chairman that, although the name Clovelly was formerly nothing to her except a suburban railway station ‘somewhere out Fish Hoek way’, she has since realised that its history, for sheer drama, variety, and as a record of progress against seemingly overwhelming odds, beats that of the Crusades, the Norman Conquest, and the Great Trek.

Naturally she would not have been able to carry out this assignment had it not been for the co-operation of a great many people who gave up their time to tell her about the Club in other days. Pre-eminent among these were Mr I Joelson and Dr E Greenwall, together with a great many past Chairmen and others who had assisted in getting Clovelly on its feet, ladies who had been instrumental in building up the ladies’ bowling and golf sections and, of course, Phyllis and Maurice Bodmer. She was also fortunate in obtaining the co-operation of Westlake Golf Club, which made it possible for her to ‘fill in’ many of the details of the Club’s earliest history which would otherwise have been missing.

Our Club historian, Pat Dickson, says that there is very little to say about her – as yet – as she is a career girl who hasn’t had a career, at least not the one she wanted. She describes herself as being ‘on the run from the teaching profession’, having featured in the latter for eight years, first in her home town, East London, and then in the Cape, before she returned to the University of Cape Town to further her studies.

The purpose of this was to obtain qualifications which would enable her to move from high school teaching into teacher-training, but although she finally achieved this goal in 1972, becoming an instructor in a training ­school under the Administration of Coloured Affairs, the writing of two theses (the second being for a Master’s degree, obtained in 1970), in addition to the unexpected success she enjoyed as a free-lance writer of magazine articles during her post-graduate student days, convinced her that she would rather be a professional writer of business histories than a teacher, instructor, or lecturer in anything, to anybody.

In retailing, one speaks of the ‘target customer’.  In bringing out a history of this nature it is hoped to appeal to two kinds of ‘target readers’: the more senior members who actually lived through this history (and who may quarrel with certain details of the story at times!), and the newer members, who found a ‘ready-made’ club, and may have wondered how it got that way.

Clovelly is the embodiment of a certain spirit, compounded not only of good fellowship and a mutual interest in promoting the ends of sport, but also of a special kind of tolerance, and the determination that was needed in days gone by to maintain this good fellowship and this tolerance.

Other clubs may have their histories, but that of Clovelly, like the club itself, is unique. If therefore, those who have joined this Club since World War II would like to know why Clovelly is as it is, one hopes that they will find most of the answers by dipping into the Short History offered here.

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This post is sponsored by Chas Everitt Cape Town South

Ocean View Fire Contained

Ocean View Fire
Photo Credit: Sullivan Photography.

The fires that raged through Ocean View, Misty Cliffs, and Kommetjie have been contained, said City of Cape Town officials.

About 200 firefighters spent Monday night fighting the flames in and around Scarborough, spokesperson Liezl Moodie said.

Photo Credit: Sullivan Photography. A young boy wipes his eyes due to the smoke. His family had to evacuate.
Photo Credit: Sullivan Photography. A young boy wipes his eyes due to the smoke. His family had to evacuate.

Firefighters were busy cooling down hotspots this morning and emergency vehicles would stay on scene to make sure there were no flare-ups.

The fire destroyed 20 structures at the Rasta Camp informal settlement. No injuries were reported.

Should anyone wish to donate food, water, clothes or house hold items to the families that have been affected by the fire, kindly drop off items at the Chas Everitt Office in Fish Hoek or the Ocean View Police Station.

Increased shark activity with the arrival of spring

Shark WarningThe City appeals to all beach and ocean users to be aware of the expected increase in in-shore shark activity over the spring and summer months. Typically, shark sightings start in late August, and continue through to April, with most sightings being reported in mid-summer.

‘White sharks are present in our waters all year round and beach users should be aware that there is always a small possibility of encountering one of these animals. However, surfers are asked to be especially vigilant in the stretch between Sunrise and Macassar Beaches during the spring and summer months, as research has shown that the shark presence in these waters increases at this time of year.

‘Please always remain alert while enjoying the ocean. I thank our City staff and our partner, the Shark Spotters, for all of the hard work that is currently underway to ensure that our residents can enjoy a safer beach experience,’ says the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy, Environmental and Spatial Planning, Councillor Johan van der Merwe.

The Shark Spotters Information Centre at Muizenberg Surfer’s Corner is open to the public from 08:00 to 18:00 seven days a week. The centre provides up-to-date information on sharks and marine ecology, basic first-aid, general public assistance and emergencies, storage of valuables and lost property.

In addition, the Fish Hoek shark exclusion net will again be deployed for the annual Fish Hoek Spring Splash on 6 September 2015.

The exclusion net has proven to be an effective shark safety measure, by creating a physical barrier that prevents sharks from entering the bathing area. It will be in full operation during the 2015/2016 summer season.

On days that the exclusion net is deployed, the operating hours will be from 09:00 to17:00 and may occasionally be extended to allow for lifesaving training or events. The Shark Spotters will keep beach users informed about the deployment of the net via Twitter and Facebook, and signage is displayed when the net is deployed.

For more information on the latest shark sightings and research, please visit www.sharkspotters.org.za or follow the Shark Spotters on Twitter (@SharkSpotters) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/SharkSpotters).

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Fill a Bag, Win a Board

It’s that easy to win a surfboard in the Tuffy Beach Clean-Up competition. Fill a Tuffy bag with litter collected from your favourite beach and send the evidence to comps@zigzag.co.za, which will put you in line to win a brand new board sponsored by Firewire and Share the Stoke Foundation each month until the end of January 2016.

Chas Everitt False Bay will be keeping stock of Tuffy bags whilst the initiative is running at their Fish Hoek office for those that need them.  Contact Scott Tait on 076 156 2619 for more information.
TuffyAdFind out more about our Tuffy Beach Clean-Up competition – in which you can get rewarded for your good enviro-deeds by winning big.

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Tiny Shells on the Shore

RescueTwo Oceans Aquarium asks public to be on the lookout for sea turtle strandings.

Each year between April and June, a number of juvenile loggerhead turtles wash up on Cape Town beaches. This year, rough seas and strong winds have been contributing factors in the stranding of these sea turtles. Since mid-March, the Two Oceans Aquarium has already received 20 of these small turtles from as far afield as Knysna and Struisbaai, for rehabilitation. The Aquarium is calling on all Capetonians to keep an eye open for these little sea turtles and to contact the Aquarium if they happen to find one.

What the public should do if they find a turtle on a Western Cape beach:

  • Remove the turtle from the beach
  • Keep it dry and at room temperature – DO NOT place the turtle in water
  • Place the turtle in a container that has ample air holes
  • Contact the Aquarium on 021 4183823
  • Make a note of exactly where the turtle was found

Please note: This advice is only valid for marine turtle strandings around the Western Cape. Should you come across a turtle elsewhere around the South African coast, please contact the local aquarium or animal rehabilitation centre.

Sea turtles are temperate water animals and when they are washed up on Western Cape beaches they are often suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and possibly infection. The Two Oceans Aquarium rehabilitates the stranded turtles and once they are strong and healthy enough, they are sent to uShaka Sea World where they are released into the warmer waters off the Kwa-Zulu Natal coast.

For further information please visit http://www.aquarium.co.za/blog/entry/stranded_turtles_what_to_do or call 021 418 3823