Durban, what a run ashore that was

[John Arton]

In the early 70's I was 3rd Mate on a 66,000 ton crude oil tanker when we had to pull into Durban for major engine repairs and pipe work in the cargo pump room. The 2nd mate was a big mate of mine from Granton in Scotland and we spent the first few nights exploring (and attempting to drink dry) such places as the Smugglers and the famous bar on the Seafront (was it called the Robin Hood?, cannot rememember its name now, just that you went downstairs to it and there was a piano in the bar).
One night we ended up in a cub somewhere in Durban which to this day I cannot recall its name, the only thing I remember is that outside was a triangular patch of park and that you had to go upstairs to get in the club.
The reason for going there was that STRIPPERS were advertised, well not exactly strippers as they were banned in S.A. at that time, but exotic dancers.
we settled around the stage floor with our beers and this stunner came on stage and started to strip. It fell to either my mate or me to undo/remove ever article of her clothing. When she was naked she then proceeded to the main part of her act which was fire eating. She lit these two fire brands and after twirling them around a bit and passing them over her body she sat on my lap and proceeded to run them up and down my bare arms. Eventually I must have got a bit pissed off with this as apparently I stuffed one of them in my gob and bit the end (lighted) off. This rather ruined her act so off she went. By this time I was very well oiled to such an extent that when she came back fully dressed and wanted to stay with me, I fobbed her off.
The next day at smoko (hung over, burnt taste in mouth) I got the full s.p. of the previous night from the 2nd mate as most of it I could not remember.
Bloody hell, a stunning stripper naked in my lap and wanting to take me away... well you can guess that that night both of us were back up to that club like rats up a drain pipe. Regretfully the stripper had moved on so we p[roceeded to drown our sorrows. Later in the evening I hitched up with another local lass and the pair of us ended up in a hotel room sharing a bath before going onto the rooms balcony for a bit of the old alfresco sex. Nearly got arrested for that as a passing copper caught us in the act and told us in no uncertain terms to get indoors or else.
Next morning woke up alongside sleeping beauty and decided it was time to get back on board. Looked in my wallet...empty...bloody hell how am I going to get back. Luckily sleeping beauty had 20 rand in her purse which I "borrowed", not wanting to wake her as she was sleeping so peacefully, and legged it back to the ship by taxi.
By midday my mate still had not returned to the ship (I had left him in the club the previous night) and I was beginning to get worried when mid afternoon he came trotting up the gangway looking spick and span with a cheshire cat grin on his face.
Apparentley after I left he got chatting to another girl and was going to take her back to the ship. She went to get her coat and when she came out he was nowhere to be seen. Going outside she found him squaring up to 3 locals, so she grabbed him and stuffed him in a taxi and took him to her house. My mate woke up in the morning in bed stark naked to see a coloured lady bringing him tea and toast... **** think him, aparthtide...three lashes etc. ran through his mind. Following the coulered lady was a very nice white lady in a nightdress who got into bed with him and fed him said tea and toast, whilst explaining to him how he came to be naked in her bed as although she knew he was off a ship, she did not know which one and where it was. After tea and toast with a pretty girl in a negligee my mates natural instincts returned so turning to her he asked if after undressing him had nything happened. No she replied but now you are awake....I guess you all know what happens next so I spare you the sordid details.
We were in Durban for around a fortnight. The next night my conscience hit me for nicking 20 rand and doing a runner so I thought I would lay low for a day or so. FAT CHANCE. That night i was back in the same club where I met sleeping beauty (very poor memory even in those days) and who should be the first person to clap her eyes on me but sleeping beauty. She came staeming over towards me, I'm thinking I'm in deep dodoo her as she looked mad as a hatter, but it turns out she was miffed with me for leaving without waking her up. A few drinks and some smooth words about how peaceful she looked sleeping, got her calmed down and us back on good terms. It was then I remembered that I had actually paid for three nights at that hotel. Seemed a shame to waste it so thats where I spent the next two nights, evenyually slipping 20 rand back into her purse before leaving finally. Don't think she ever realised I had borrowed it in the first place and it was only by chance we actually met up again the next night as I really should have been a good boy and got some decent kip, but hey youre only young once.

rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[Captain Kong]

Another good one John, keep them coming.
Brightens up another dull December day.and more memories.
Cheers
Brian

[Doc Vernon]

Hi John
That Bar you talk of that you went Downstairs to i think was the Cockney Pride,very well known then !
Used to have a lot of Drinking contests there with the Yard of Ale!
That to my knowledge was the only Bar that one went Downstiars to!
It was on the Corner of Smith and the Beacfront Road!

Crossing the road, you would have encountered the Beach Hotel. The Beach had a pub downstairs called The Cockney Pride. There was always live music, and in the early 80's that was provided by a taciturn little Scot by the name of Brian Gallagher. Brian had a steady flow of jokes and a great repertoire of 60's and 70's songs. Upstairs, the Beach Hotel verandah served a reasonable curry and was a pretty good Sunday vantage point for checking out the "cherries" promenading along the Marine Parade.

Trying to think on that Club now too,but wont come to me!
But if i recall will post the name too!
Cheers

Just came to me now,it was called the Roma Club in Mona Road it was above a car Dealers and was well known those days!
The Roma club was upstairs in that Car dealers Building!

[John Arton]

Doc
The Cockney Pride....how could I forget that name, except I was paraletic in there after trying to out drink a team of S.A. rugby players....As for the club, most likely you are right...me all I can remember about the place is the heavenly nights with its clientel
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[Captain Kong]

The place I used to remember in Durban was the Playhouse with the moving clouds and stars on the ceiling, similar to Del Monacos in Cape Town.
In 1959, I found a pretty girl in there but she would never stop taliking, rabbit, rabbit. rabbit, I used to call her the whale, Why do you call me the whale , she says, Me, Cos you never stop spouting.
She said we are going to a party tonight, Daddy is picking us up in the car to take us. great.
Then Daddy turns up and we are kissing in the back seat, the car stops and I look through the window, thinking we are at the party. Big Daddy says this is where you get off and stay away from my daughter, We are alongside the gangway of the Good Hope Castle, I never saw my girl again.

[Chris Allman]

The thing I remember about Durban is passing it at night on route to Djibouti the ar-ehole of the world, where I spent the worst New Years Eve ever on a ship.

Chris

[AJ Hawker]

I was in Durban 1962-63 loading sugar on a Buries Markes ship the La Pradera, when i was asked to go aboard a Reardon Smiths ship the Orient City to ask them if i could have a bag of spuds for our Christmas dinner. It was one hell of a walk back to the ship with the spuds lol.
AJ

[Denis O'Shea]

Hi shipmates, it was 1979 when I was jn Durban and the Cockney Pride was our stomping ground for a good old singalong. Sadly we had to leave on New Years day but the memories still remain.
Rgds Denis

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
Durban! What can I say, a lovely city but for me a disaster. I was on the British Builder and we stuck her up in Durban, all the crew walked off, we sent the two apprentices back aboard as they had too much to lose. We wanted the captains wife off the ship as she was always causing trouble. Some blokes, God knows who they were took us all by cars to a pub outside Durban. Obviously we couldn't last on the money we had.
Standing in the bar when two blokes in uniform came in and said we had to get back aboard, I said we'll just get one more drink, he said get one more drink that's all. so I orderd, he blew a whistle and in poured two truck loads of coppers. The end was two in hospital all battered, and back aboard. It is the only payoff slip I kept when I threw them away a few years ago [Again God know why} on it is the fine I got for holding her up.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

The Playhouse in Durban was not the only place where the celling went around, amny of the bars had that feature after about midnight. One thing that sticks inmy mind about Durban, besides the Criterion and the Indian market, it was the sidewalk. It was so hard and did terrible things to yoy knees. Lost track of the pairs of trousres that lost knees there.