The Wulfsohn Swimming Club

The van Velden Club was not the only club in town. Another such club was the Wulfsohn Swimming Club.  Let me make it clear at the outset. A swimming pool along conventional lines as known today, was unknown in our town in those years, but the Wulfsohns had what was commonly known as a dam, fed from an adjacent windmill. We had no conventional hours for swimming, nor did we have conventional  changerooms or costumes.  There was no red tape. The procedure was simple.  We dashed home from school, threw our schoolbags down, took a mouthful of food, and Hey Presto! we were at the Club.  Clothes were discarded, there was a jump onto the wall and with our hands obscuring from view, so we thought, the more private part of our anatomy, we dived in and swam.

A great character at these swimming sessions was one Witte,  alias Pickwich, alias Stanley Gritten. He was usually the first in and the last out.

From time to time there were complaints about our swimming costumes, or rather the lack of them, but like most things in life, the disapproval blew over and it was not long before we were at it again.

As you would have observed, in a manner of speaking, I was rather a man about town.  Another such man about town was my friend, Lionel Wulfsohn.  Liony was extremely interested in everything that was going on, but his interest had nothing whatsoever to do with schoolwork and the like. He was a gifted student, but unfortunately he was connected with people whose interests lay in other directions that the purely academic.

Strange to say, Liony seemed to enjoy being led astray. Whenever there was a cricket match on, Liony was there; when there was a rugby match on, Liony was there; when there was a boxing match on, Liony was there, etc.

Liony's father was a successful businessman and Liony was known as being "rich". This, however,  was not a great disadvantage and did not curtail his activities.  It is true that he occasionally wore shoes and socks and once a year went to Cape Town on holiday for a month with his parents, but he seemed to bear this inconvenience stoically.  He was a member of the Scout Troop, a member of the Van Velden Club, chairman of the Wulfsohn Swimming Club, a great philatelist and all in all a most knowledgeable young man.

Wulfsohn's Shop was one of the focal points for action.  There was always something to be seen and done at the shop. When Liony's father was away in the district or out of town, the green light would go on and we would be sliding down the shute from the pavement into the basement.  There were many interesting things in the basement. Seldom, if ever, did we go away empty-handed.  Attached to the main shop there was the Native shop. Liony was a tactician and on the best of terms with the black Assistant Manager, who, in turn, saw to it that we were well provided with sweets.

Liony's mother was a dear lady and if we could spare the time in the afternoons and in hearing distance, she would call us and we'd all sit down to tea. It was there that I learnt to eat cheese cake, and to this day it remains one of my favourites.

Liony was the apple of his father's eye, but was often engaged in heated arguments with him. The arguments usually centered around studies, non-attendance at Hebrew lessons, and exams.  Liony always had an answer - "Pa this" and "Pa that".

There were, of course, different groups of youngsters, depending on age. Liony had elder brothers and sisters. Each group did their own thing. There was one golden rule: we never interfered in the domestic policies of another group and everybody jogged along quite happily.