The bustle on West Street
The picture was probably taken more or less from in front of Greenacres department store and shows in the foreground Fergusson Jewellers which were on the corner of West and Field (today Joe Slovo). The tower of the original Durban City Hall can be seen in the background, which is today the post office after the current City Hall was build in 1910.
Today such is the growth of buildings in the city today you can no longer see the Post Office building. It is more or less where the palm trees stand on the pavement between the the high-rise that replaced the Natal Bank building on the corner of West and Gardiner (today Dorothy Nyembe) and the SARS building that can be seen at corner of Alibwal Street (today Samora Machel).
Busses and taxis have replaced the rickshaw pullers of yesteryear.
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IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
The bustle on West Street
The old picture this week is a scene of a busy West street, today Dr Pixley kaSeme Street, taken in 1897 and interestingly was featured in a publication in New Zealand. It comes from the Facebook page Durban Down Memory Lane. With 1897 being Britain's Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee it may have been part of a publication to celebrate the British empire. The picture was probably taken more or less from in front of Greenacres department store and shows in the foreground Fergusson Jewellers which were on the corner of West and Field (today Joe Slovo). The tower of the original Durban City Hall can be seen in the background, which is today the post office after the current City Hall was build in 1910. Today such is the growth of buildings in the city today you can no longer see the Post Office building. It is more or less where the palm trees stand on the pavement between the the high-rise that replaced the Natal Bank building on the corner of West and Gardiner (today Dorothy Nyembe) and the SARS building that can be seen at corner of Alibwal Street (today Samora Machel). Busses and taxis have replaced the rickshaw pullers of yesteryear.
The South African
7 days ago
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Did 'Friends Like These' trips really happen? DJ Sbu sets the record straight
Renowned South African broadcaster DJ Sbu has finally addressed the unanswered questions about the television show 'Friends Like These.' The popular 'Friends Like These' was a South African game show based on the British format of the same name, produced locally by Urban Brew Studios. The show featured two teams of friends (males versus females), who competed in a series of challenges. The winning team would then face a final round, where they had to answer questions about each other, to win a group holiday. Over the years, fans of the show have wondered if the winning team actually went on a cruise, provided they answered the questions correctly at the end of the final round. DJ Sbu, who hosted 'Friends Like These' for over 10 years, recently responded to these inquiries after radio 702 presenter Clement Manyathela asked him whether the trips actually took place. 'Yes they did,' Sbu laughed. 'It is just that it was before the social media era. I still get that, a lot of people are like 'ah, ne le re shaya shaya lona (you were fooling us)'. The trips did happen and and so how they would happen is that it wouldn't be multiple trips every weekend, we'd wait for the entire season's winners. 'We knew that other people were at work and busy, so we would schedule around the festive season for this entire ship to go. I had a lot of fun doing it,' he said. DJ Sbu, whose real name is Sbusiso Leope, left the show 'Friends Like These' to focus on his businesses and also start his podcast. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
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Crazy drone attack on president, live TV and the country's leader survive the assassination bid
The Oceanos cruise ship sinks off the Wild Coast. More than 570 passengers and crew were rescued in one of the most dramatic moments in maritime history. Helicopters from Durban's 15 Squadron were heavily involved in plucky everyone onboard from a near certain death. Oceanos had been en route to East London after departing Durban with a load of revellers onboard. Apart from the air force helicopters from Durban and Port Elizabeth and their brave navy divers, the entertainment crew, particularly Moss Hills and Julian Butler, were heroes being instrumental in getting everyone saftely off the after the captain and crew adandoned them to their fate. (Three years later, Hills was entertaining on another cruise ship, the Achille Lauro, when she caught fire and sank off Somalia. Again, he save people.) Image: File On this day in history, August 4 1782 The British East Indiaman Grosvenor runs aground on a reef in foul weather near the Umzimvubu River mouth. Although 136 of the 150 crew and passengers reach the shore, only 17 survive the trek to Cape Town. (A few from the grounding are believed to have been assimilated into local tribes.) The wreck of the Grosvenor is one of South Africa's most famous. The ship is said to have been the richest East Indiaman lost. It carried at least 2.6 million gold coins, 1 400 gold ingots and 19 chests of emeralds, rubies and sapphires. 1881 A European record is set when 50°C is measured in Seville, Spain. 1901 British general Lord Methuen destroys Schweizer-Reneke, burning every building. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 1914 Work is stopped at the Kimberley mine after 43 years because it is uneconomical. 1918 Adolf Hitler receives the Iron Cross, first class, for bravery, ironically, on the recommendation of his superior, Lieutenant Hugo Gutmann, who was a Jew – a people Hitler launched genocide against. 1967 Young white South African men are told to report for military service. 1991 The cruise ship Oceanos sinks in heavy seas off the Wild Coast; all 571 people on board are rescued by helicopters, navy divers, magicians and comedians after the captain and crew had beat a hasty 'path' to safety. 2012 Oscar Pistorius becomes first double-leg amputee to compete at the Olympics. 2018 President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela survives an assassination attempt by drone, live on TV.2020 The UN says Covid-19 has created the biggest educational disruption in history. 2020 A fire started by welding triggers blasts at a Beirut, Lebanon, warehouse storing 2 750 tons of ammonium nitrate. The blast kills more than 214 people – some vaporised – and injures another 6 000. It sends a mushroom cloud into the air and a supersonic blast wave, damaging many buildings and blowing out windows at Beirut airport, 9km away, as well as a 140m-wide crater. Several ships sank, including a cruise ship. 2021 Rihanna is the world's wealthiest female musician, worth $1.7 billion, says Forbes. Her fortune is largely due to her Fenty Beauty line. DAILY NEWS
