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This is what we look like now - click on the thumbnails to increase size (why bother??)!! - Also - why are we all presenting a right profile??? Is it something like crossing our arms (left over right or right over left - left and right brain predominance)?? or is bringing the subject of "brains" into this page - presumptuous?? Dave Fishwick - you've buggered up the symmetry!! Now Bassy's doing it!! Well done Gerry Russell (redressed the balance) - good reunion picture after 20+ years thanks to Roger Fieldhouse for this one) - taken during Gerry's recent (January 2003) visit to the UK.
Here's an advert for my other web-site mikecurley.simoncjwalker.net/mjc/mikecurley-photos which follows my recent purchase of a digital camera and (so far) contains mostly training shots - do check it out.. A warning however... I made all the images there, small and low quality resolution, so they'd load quickly.
Brian Lewis: 
Mike Curley:
Brian Stoate:
Roger Fieldhouse:
Wally Pears:
Clive Hennessey (and son):
David Fishwick:
Paul Basson:
Gerry Russell (and Rog F again):
Dave Henman: no piccie but he comments... -
I worked in Euston for them for 2 or 3 years (many many years
ago) as a Cobol programmer before leaving to work for BTR in Silvertown.
From there, I was headhunted by Doug Barrie and Bob Stevenson to join Systems 70
which had been set up by Jim Davies in Ongar (?).
Later spent many years in software houses (Sysytemsolve, LS3, CSI) before
getting out of the business for 10 years. Then joined Halifax Bank as a
programmer - my great love despite all the PL, PM, DM etc roles I had been in.
Once a Cobol developer, always a Cobol developer!
I recognised a lot of names from your lists - remember lunching with Paul Basson
often very near the office - and would love to know what happened to Doug, Bob
and Jim.
David Henman
(Now happily retired)
And as at October 2005 - I've finally got round to scanning in some (well old) photos of 1900 Programming "outings". These must have been between 1967 and 1969 - but I have no idea of actual dates - I've also made guesses at the locations...
This piccie
comes in a "Talk of the Town" wrapper, and I remember going there a couple of
times - l to r - Anne Fitton/Basson, Paul Basson (out of tune!!), dunno, a lady
I think with a French name, across the table - her escort, Jack Curtis, dunno
(but I think she was Administrator), me (in tune), Aileen Connolly.
This one comes in
a "Showboat" wrapper (where was that??) - l to r - Mike Allen, Pat Allen, Dennis
Atkins, Rosemary Atkins, Paul Rodd, Alistair Donald, across the table Willie
Henderson (William Skoogle Henderson III), Paul Basson, Anne Fitton/Basson, me,
Aileen Connolly (how come she always got that seat??)
I know we went
to Beachcomber a couple of times - somewhere near Bond St or New Bond St. - in a
Hotel, so I've titled this one - Beachcomber - l to r - Boyfriend of...,
Christine Jolly, Rosemary Atkins, Dennis Atkins, Anne Fitton/Basson, Paul Basson,
Pat Allen, Mike Allen, across the table Willie Henderson (how come he gets that
seat every time??), dunno (the lady with the French name??), Alistair Donald,
Aileen Connolly, me, Jack Curtis.
Checking the chairs and the wooden fence-work - I reckon 2 and 3 above are both the same place??
*** Update *** Update *** July 11, 2009 *** Update *** Update ***
Graeme Wallace kindly sent this piccie along... I believe it was taken when he and his wife toured South Africa around 2006/7
Peter Chiswell,
Jack Curtis and Graeme Wallace - what a Team!!
Graeme also enclosed the following ICT Advert - I remember this series of ads...
As at July 2009 - Been in contact with Laura van Zyl - now Mrs Niermann - for the last 6 months or so... recent piccie..
*** Update *** Update 18the July, 2009 *** Update *** Update ***
Thanks to Fred Boulton and Graeme Wallace for sending these piccies....
This has got to be Fiona and Roger Day's wedding... Roger, Fiona, Graeme Wallace, ??, ??, ?? - must be around 1974/75??
Jack
Curtis and Fred Boulton mulling - 1972/73??
Peter Chiswell, Fred Boulton, Roger Day, Fiona, Jack Curtis, Willie (now Bill) Henderson - looks like Jan Smuts airport around 1972 - to me...??
And now...... April, 2010 Jenny Morkel came through Singapore and stayed for a couple of nights - thanks for coming Jenny - and good luck with the yachting etc... here she is...
*** Update *** Update *** January 2011 ***
Richard Beck!!
Found this piccie on Facebook and have since emailed -
lincolnb@vodamail.co.za Becky - is
that you???:
14th Jan, 2011
Oh yes it is, the one and only “Stokie” ex Laura’s husband, old crock now, will be 65 this year.
Great to hear from you Mike, I still think of all you guys, Fred Boulton, Jack Curtiss, ‘an all. Wow, must be more than 30 years.
Please let us know “all”
Regards,
14th Jan, 2011 - a bit later on.....
Becky!!
Great!! Back in contact!!
I've searched for you many times over the years... cannot remember how I got the toucanuts address - but I'll relegate that to a subsidiary address - and use this vodamail as primary.....
Over the years I've emailed the following reprobates (don't know how many you'll remember):
Brian Stoate, Brian Strappini, Dave Burchell, Dennis Mahoney, Fizzy Fieldhouse, Fred Boulton, Graeme Wallace, Graham Ledbrook, Huw Evans, Jack Curtis, John Greenfield, Ken Johnston, Laura van Zyl (or should that be Beck??), Moira Hayward, Pam Buffin, Peter Chiswell, Roger Fieldhouse, Sei James, Tony Hird, Vonnie Stoate, Willie Henderson....
I bet a few of those are no longer at the address I have for them...
A quick summary of what I've been up to:
1973 - 1900 Programming crashes... I'm married to Almuth and we decide to return to Europe... that turns out to be London and I team up with some boys from 1900 who have set up another software house... stay with them for a year or two... we fall out... I go Contracting... best thing I ever did.... always overworked, made lots of money - had two daughters (Britta and Inga)....
1989 - Almuth and I separate.... Bugger!! Just when we were well set up... she buggers off!!
1993 - Mike Waller phones... "do I want a six month contract in Hong Kong?" - I'm there within 2 weeks... working in DHL.... meet Janet (Filippina (10 years younger than me)) she has 3 kiddie-winks in Manila, we live/work in Hong Kong until 2001 - then DHL transfer her to Singapore - I retire - and that's the way it has been for the last 9+ years...
Full details of "everything" - here - http://www.mikecurley.netfirms.com/index.htm - go to Photos midway up the screen, towards the right...
Alternatively -- this is all 1970-1973 - http://mikecurley-lived.netfirms.com/southafrica.htm
Just after emailing you - I sent your FaceBook piccie to Rog Fieldhouse and Brian Stoate asking "recognise this bandit???... Stoatey has replied.....
"Lincoln Richard John Beck, no less! Is it a police mug-shot?"
A slightly demeaning initial contact comment, but that was the only bit of info/dis-info we had about you for years - probably supplied by Ken Johnston
Come on now Becky.... your most recent 38 years... in a nutshell....??
Do you have any recent details of Fred Boulton (I email him very occasionally - but he seems well bitter and not very mobile), Graeme Wallace is in Canada had a heart bypass operation, Huw Evans is well rich, I Skype and email with Brian/Vonnie Stoate and Roger Fieldhouse nearly everyday, Fizzy is in Perth Australia, Ken Johnston - I've had lots of emails with him, Tony Hird and June spend 6 month every year in CApe Town, the other in UK... doing well..
That'll do - for a starter.... new from you please...
All the breast,
Mike Curley.
14th Jan, even later on.....
Hi Mike,
Yes, I have had a very eventful, fun filled life, KPJ got me interested in hunting. Eventually I was amongst the first batch to qualify as a licensed professional hunter in SA. Due to the apartheid sanctions we became very short of guns and ammunition, no problems to me I just became a sanctions buster, gun runner, eventually in 1979 the US caught up with me and I was arrested in Chicago and indicted on 9 counts of gun running. I was told to expect at least a 12 year prison term. A rightwing industrialist came out of the woodwork and put up $1 million bail, anyway after 2 years of wrangling I managed to worm my way out of it and even got the US government to pay my air ticket home. – no jail time!!
I think there is a book in this story somewhere if I get the time.....
Eventually in 1997 after re-marrying and having 2 daughters (Being married to van Zyl was like being married to unstable nitro glycerine. Another friend of mine from the same era, I don’t think you met him, by the name of Colin Langton (also a pom) used to call her “banzaai”). I bought this macadamia nut processing plant in Marina Beach, about 100 miles south of Durban. We make a variety of macadamia nut products, amongst other things we are world famous for our macadamia nut chocolate slab!! - and so here I am, still processing macadamia nuts.
My eldest daughter graduated from Rhodes University with an honours degree in Zoology, entomology and something else and now has a highly paid job in the UAR at some very upmarket wildlife theme park. My youngest daughter we put thru hotel school, spent some time at a luxury resort in Thailand until the political unrest chased her back here where she now runs a travel agency.
So that’s my life in a nut shell (no pun intended!)
Regards,
Later on...............
Becky,
Thanks for all the news..... Brain Stoate and I had heard little bits of news about you - maybe from KPJ or some of the others (by the way... did I tell you Jenny Morkel/Lewis came and stayed here a few days a year or so ago...??) - and of course gun-running/jail in USA were the juicier offerings - but unsubstantiated...
Good to hear you didn't actually get locked up in the Nick!!
By the way - again - may I put any of your emails up on my web-site - or are there subjects you'd rather keep quiet...??
Yes, yes - "The Becky guide to Gun-Running" - It'd be a "must-read"!!
Congrats on the 2 daughters - my youngest got a Zoology degree too... she teaches Primary school kids now.... the other is an Interior designer...
Now.... Laura..... would never have thought of her as Banzaai/Unstable etc... there again I was never married to her... she and I email maybe once a month...
Macadamia nuts..... good luck with that venture - what a life...?? Software, Gun-Running, Macadamia Nuts....
Let me know what (about you) I can put up on my web-site - and we'll stay in contact,
Good luck for now...
mc
Later.......................
Hi Mike,
Afraid no secrets about my gunrunning past, actually was a lot of fun, after all what were the Americans going to do to me??? Don’t you know criminals have all the rights, any time I had any trouble I would send letters to the UN, Amnesty International, civil liberties union and about 10 other organisations, I smoked a bit in those days and by my “activist” attitude I even managed to get the authorities to provide me with Dunhill cigarettes instead of the prison issue cigarettes.
Talking of Dave Lewis, Jenny Morkel, what ever happened to Lorna Allpass from whom I purchased the Alfa Romeo
Please feel free to forward / publish any of my adventures.
Regards,
Later.....................
Becky!!
OK - thanks - whatever I publish - will be "in your own words"...
Ha-ha - the Dunhills... filthy habit - hope you've given it up by now...?? Yes... just watching (on TV) some of the US "Cops at work" type programmes - seems as though they get the criminal all done and dusted - then evidence was obtained illegally and is inadmissible - criminal walks free... as you say - all the rights appear to be with the Perp!!
Now - Dave Lewis, Jenny, Lana etc...Dave has managed to completely disappear.. last I think I knew of him - he'd gone to work for a Sugar Manufacturer - round about 1975 - anything you hear of him I'd be pleased to see/hear...
Jenny Lewis/Morkel Popped up a couple of years back... she was applying for that job The Greatest Job in the World... Australian Great Barrier Reef - Manager of a resort... millions applied - she had created a DVD as part of the selection process... asked me and everybody I knew to say "hers was the best DVD and she should get the job" - alas she failed - but she'd decided to go "crewing" on yachts around the Great Barrier Reef (she'd done lots of this before - across the Atlantic and round the Caribbean) - so came though here on her way to Oz... good to catch up with her - but she was out of touch with everybody - so not much info gleaned.... would you have recognised her......picture supplied..
Lana Alpass - now this is all news to me - and Roger Fieldhouse will be bitterly disappointed - he had a thing for Lana..... Ha-ha... what a good escapade - the handing back ....!!So, you're living south of Durban.... is that your original "neck of the woods", seem to remember you and Dave ???? and his wife Megan all coming from "the beach"...?? Stories of diving for crayfish, maybe getting caught, heavy fines/confiscation of "gear" etc...
Do you have any contact with Fred Boulton.... ?? He's crap at emailing, and seems to be a miserable old sod now (then too...??)
All for now.
mc