JULY 2017 So often I just have the 'need' to go to Simon's Town. I get into my car and just drive. Once there I sit and have a cappuccino at a Restaurant which was previously called The Quarterdeck. I look over the harbour and write notes in my notebook, visualizing how the lifestyle was "way back when". I imagine painting a picture of a family with their ox wagon lumbering along the Main Road going on an "adventure" from Simon's Town to Cape Town. It is because of my inexplicable love of Simon's Town and the feeling of comfort which I get from the town that I elected to make Simon's Town the subject of my first blog post. Simon's Town has been a naval base (first for the Royal Navy and now for the South African Navy) and a harbour for more than TWO centuries! The town was named after an early governor of the Cape Colony, Simon Van Der Stel, who visited the bay in 1687. Simon's Town was proclaimed a municipality in 1883. You are able to catch a train from Cape Town all the way through to Simon's Town. The railway line reached Simon's Town for the first time on 1st December 1890. These dates just blow me away ..... This stunning building called "Prince Alfred Building" is on the right hand side as you enter Simon's Town from Fish Hoek side. As you can see it was erected in 1802 and is currently the home to a variety of shops, as well as Backpackers. No post relating to Simon's Town would be complete without mention of "Just Nuisance". Who or what is "Just Nuisance"? Well, in a nutshell, (based on the research which I have done) he was a Great Dane born in 1937 in Rondebosch (a suburb of Cape Town). He was sold to a man by the name of Benjamin Chaney. Benjamin Chaney moved to Simon's Town and his Great Dane worked his charm on the sailors. He could often be found resting on the top of the gangplanks of the ships. Due to his size this presented rather a problem for those trying to board or disembark - thus being called "Nuisance". Anyhow, this amazing Great Dane ended up being the ONLY dog to ever be officially enlisted in the Royal Navy. Sadly, he died in 1944 and I am sure he was mourned by many. A final mention ..... I discovered that my great grandfather died at the Simon's Town Hospital in 1933. Well, I have not been able to find such a hospital in Simon's Town other than a place which is called "Hospital Terraces".
So, I am left wondering, and of course, I shall not rest until I find out, whether this was indeed the place where he died.
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