Interesting Jeppe History - Did you Know? - In 1937 Special Trees were planted at Jeppe Boys?

 Have you ever noticed the plaque at the base of this tree?

Two trees were planted in 1937 to commemorate the Coronation of King George VI

I did some digging😁

What kind of tree is it?

London Plane Tree

http://gardenboy.co.za/plants/plants_view.php?plant_id=276

These trees were planted as a seedling and is about 85 years old.  Unfortunately it might already be infected by the Polyphagous Shot Borer Beetle (PSHB).

Please click on the link below to read more about the impact of the Polyphagous Shot Borer Beetle on the trees of Kensington (Presentation by Fleur Honeywill)

https://krra.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Polyphagous-Shot-Borer-Beetle-PHSB.pdf

Films or parts of films shot at Jeppe High School for Boys

I decided that it would be awesome to document all the movies that have been filmed at Jeppe Boys.

I'm sure there have been more, but here are some of the movies and series that I have found.                        

Let me know if you know of more.

I found this series, filmed in 1982.  I loved this, it shows how the school looked 40 years ago! 

Brenthouse

Click on the link below the watch the first episode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NuyX9Ix6ko

Brenthouse Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg9tjtXivUQ

Brenthouse Part 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im_DjFcJCpI

Leading Lady

There is a scene filmed in the Payne Hall

Queen of Katwe

There are several scenes filmed in various locations at Jeppe High School for Boys

a scene filmed in the Payne Hall

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/10/20/lupita-nyongo-and-david-oyelowo-bring-magentic-charge-to-queen-o/

Buried Alive

Filmed in 1989, released in 1990

https://www.ihorrordb.com/people/83673/arnold-vosloo

Click on the link below to watch the trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOZQ10eqIj4

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Interesting Jeppe History - The first of many "coldest" days of the year 2021

 

I took this photograph today at 11:30.  The fountain was still frozen.  This fountain dates to 1893, see the inscription.

It was a very cold day.  I just had to document this.

Here are 2 photographs by Mrs Rose Acton on a warmer day

These photo's were taken by Rose Acton on 2 November 2012

Mrs Acton also sent me this photograph below

Sir Julius Jeppe with his family in front of Friedenheim

 

Military Finds of the Folly - It's not a Rusted Goon!

I think I found a Cannonball!

My husband says it's a rusted goon!  I don't think so!

Maybe I've been watching too many "mudlarking" shows on Youtube.  Maybe I just want it to be a cannonball ..... It might just be one!

This cannonball could be one that was fired at an Armistice Day Celebration at some time!  

    Found this pic on the Alumni Facebook page

  Left:  The rusted steel sphere I found on the Folly today

          

Cannons were also used during the wars in South Africa.                 

A round shot (also called solid shot or simply ball) is a solid spherical projectile without explosive charge launched from a gun. Its diameter is slightly less than the bore of the barrel from which it is shot. A round shot fired from a large-caliber gun is also called a cannonball.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_shot

The twelve-pound cannon is a cannon that fires twelve-pound projectiles from its barrel, as well as grapeshot, chain shot, shrapnel, and later shells and canister shot.  12-pounders were the largest caliber of long-barreled field pieces, and were used both at long range against fortifications and troop concentrations using round shot and against attacking infantry and cavalry using canister shot. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-pound_cannon

Click on link below to read more and see pictures of Lord Roberts and the Cannons.

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/boer-war-artillery-volunteers

Do you remember Mr Steve Hodge? (he is the only person I ever knew that owned a cannon).  He also brought it to Jeppe Boys and fired it on the property.

Fall-out of the Folly - Radioactive Finds

 

This ordinary looking green glass shard inspired this post.

                                       

This is a shard of "Uranium Glass", yes, Bomb-Uranium!  In the late 18th century a bright spark (excuse the pun) a German chemist added uranium to decorative glass for it's fluorescent effect. (I didn't wash this shard, I was afraid - It's radioactive!!

This is what an uranium glass object looks like in normal light

https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/228046200/ART_DECO_URANIUM_GLASS_FLOWER_FROG_c1930s.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1370720/Japan-nuclear-meltdown-The-Simpsons-episodes-banned-Germany-Switzerland-Austria.htm

Whitefriars glass company in London, England was one of the first to market the glowing glass, but other manufacturers were also quick to realise its sales potential and Uranium glass was produced across Europe and later North America.

Uranium glass was once made into tableware and household items, but fell out of widespread use when the availability of uranium to most industries was sharply curtailed during the Cold War in the 1940s to 1990s.  Objects are now considered antiques or retro-era collectibles, although there has been a minor revival in art glassware. Otherwise, modern uranium glass is now mainly limited to small objects like beads or marbles as scientific or decorative novelties.

https://en.wiedia.org/wiki/Uranium_glass

  If you shine a UV (black) light on uranium glass it glows. 

https://www.olx.co.za/item/uraniumvaseline-glass-wanted-iid-1063053605

Not only did medicine in Victorian times contain, opium and cocaine, the tableware contained Uranium.  What next!

The good news is that I have not seen any 2 headed pigeon's or 3 tailed lizard's ... Mind you there was that giant orange centipede in a boot!

 As I mentioned before, the ancient refuse dump that is the "Folly" was covered in the 1950's so before then it was used to discard various school items, which would've included chemicals from the science labs.  Nowadays we have a company that collects the used chemicals and disposes of it in an environmentally friendly way.  

So forget the carbon dating or dendrochronology grab the Geiger counter and let's see what other radioactive items I have found on the folly!

https://www.pngegg.com/es/png-zxwsq

Just joking, it's not that bad!

Poison

I have found "Poison" bottles, small amber bottles with ridges and 'poison, not to be taken' embossed on them

Batteries

Unfortunately I find many of these.  The custom of dumping batteries in the trash has not changed since 1950, we still throw batteries in the trash.

In addition to the fire danger, batteries can also contain toxic chemicals, including lithium, cadmium, sulfuric acid and lead. If disposed of improperly, these toxic chemicals can leach into the soil and contaminate the groundwater.

For these reasons, it is illegal to put batteries in the garbage or mix them in with the rest of your recycling. 

https://sanjoserecycles.org/national-battery-day-did-you-know-its-dangerous-to-throw-batteries-away/

Interesting Jeppe History - The Payne Hall, A Time Capsule Part 3 - Graffiti of the Payne Hall

 

Graffiti of the Payne Hall

Everyone has seen this table in the Payne Hall.  Have you ever had a closer look?

                        

                This hunk of a table is covered in a million names of old boys carved into the wood.

Once hiding in a  dark corner of the school where Gayle Thompson and Liza White found it, it has now become part of the furniture.   After a good sanding the table revealed an antique form of vandalism, uncountable names of old boys immortalised in the wood.

My favourite piece of writing is "Cursive Graffiti".

Almost looks like JFK but it's JLK, wonder who carved this (he worked very hard in class)

                                                                                                                                                

Here are some of the other names carved in the wood.  Next time you are in the Payne Hall again, make sure you check out this table.

I found this cool snippet about writing found on an old school desk

https://books.google.co.za/books?id=_gZxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA106&lpg=PA106&dq=what+is+the+oldest+names+carved+in+schooldesk+found%5C&source=bl&ots=bKz49yIu1J&sig=ACfU3U11UK6lqe9Dm9NVA7Ve5RaX78d7ow&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjtjMWj5unxAhUnR0EAHdaWDIAQ6AEwEHoECBQQAw#v=onepage&q=what%20is%20the%20oldest%20names%20carved%20in%20schooldesk%20found%5C&f=false

Found this piece of Jeppe Grafitti in my own home.

Score carved on desk JEPPE 12  5 KES

The desk that this score is carved on has been handed down through 3 generations of Jeppe Boys and Girl.

To find out who the culprit was, I must find out in which year Jeppe beat Kes 12/5 in Rugby!

I will do some research and let you know!

Interesting Jeppe History - The Payne Hall, A Time Capsule Part 2 - Footprints of the Payne Hall

Footprints of the Payne Hall

Have you ever noticed these?

Still can't see them?

Lets zoom in ........

                                    Little tiny feline footprints forever fossilised in wet cement, circa 1909

My daughter Jami spotted these footprints when she was 8 years old, she is turning 17 this year, so 9 year's ago.

So, cats roamed freely in 1909.  I love it!  Was it Sir Julius Jeppe's cat?

In part one, I found that Bubonic Plague broke out in 1904, in the "Brickfields" area.  It was the slums of Johannesburg, that why the whole area was demolished and all the people moved to Klipspruit.

This might be why more people kept cats to keep down the rat population in Johannesburg after 1904.

Interesting Jeppe History - The Payne Hall, A Time Capsule Part 1 - Fingerprints of the Payne Hall

The Payne Hall - a Time Capsule

Just as Collard's Folly is a time capsule that preserved stories of life at Jeppe Boys, so is the Payne Hall.  I wanted to document some of these special finds.

In their time at Jeppe, I'm sure everyone has been up, down and across the Payne Hall a million times.  

Have you seen these?

Fingerprints of the Payne Hall

                    Fingerprints on the bricks

                     a very clear print

 prints next to Mr Matteucci's class room door

If these wall could talk ......

The current Jeppe High School for Boys stone building was build in 1909.  After about a 112 years of friction the bricks in the Payne Hall are revealing some of their secrets.

The bricks that were used to construct the Payne Hall were made by hand and the fingerprints of the maker's have been preserved like fossils.

So I wondered, who would've made these bricks and where?

Below find some snippets of information I found

In October 1887 the government of the ZAR bought the south-eastern portion of the farm Braamfontein. Quite a big stream flowed along the farm and they intended selling the water to the residents of Johannesburg. But there were also large quantities of clay, suitable for brickmaking, along the stream. The government decided that more money was to be made from issuing brick maker's licences at five shillings per month. The result was that many landless Dutch-speaking burghers (citizens) of the ZAR settled on the property and started making bricks. They also erected their shacks there. Soon the area was known either as Brickfields or Veldschoendorp. Soon other working poor, settled there. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Johannesbu

​AT the turn of the 20th century, the Newtown Precinct was originally known as the Brickfields. This area was rich in clay, brick making became the most popular form of generating income, and even better if an individual had their own clay mixer for making bricks. By 1896, about 7 000 people of all races lived in the Brickfields area, later named Burghersdorp.

As this land was close to the centre of Johannesburg and the railway line, many businesses and immigrants coming from overseas bought stands in Burghersdorp. Soon, trading companies, banks, brick companies, a brewery, and fisheries moved into the area. Many Indians set up shops and eateries along Locatie (now known as Carr Street), which led to the station.

The bricks could not have come from Brickfields because in 1904 the residents of Brickfield were all re-located to Klipspruit. Newtown was established. 

Interesting snippet,

Did you know, Sir Julius Jeppe's father built the first brick house in Johannesburg?

Sir Julius Jeppe (jnr) was one of Ford’s assistants in Pretoria during this period. He settled in Johannesburg in 1886 where he built the mansion "Friendenheim" in Belgravia. His father Julius Jeppe snr. built the first brick house in Johannesburg in 1886.

I still want to try and find out where the bricks came from, found this ad in the African Architect, Septmber 1912.  So the bricks might have come from here.

Please click on the link below, an awesome collection of information and Photographs of Brickfields

https://johannesburg1912.com/2021/09/26/history-of-newtown-pt-1/

Sources:

http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10539/18864/Journal%20of%20SAAI-September-1912-002-jpeg.pdf?sequence=7&isAllowed=y

ttps://www.joburg.org.za/play_/Pages/Play%20in%20Joburg/Culture%20and%20Heritage/Links/Newtown%20Guide/guide/Historical-backround-.aspx

https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/johannesburg-segregated-city

http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2225-62532015000400014https://www.scribd.com/document/262718459/Heritage-History

A message from my friend Melusie Radebe,

Millitary Finds of the Folly - I found a Unicorn and a Lion on the Folly!

 Yesterday I found a button on the Folly (without a metal detector).  I really want one!  The first thing I saw on the button was a Unicorn, yes and a Lion.  It's a General Service Button that a British soldier would've worn on his tunic.  Not sure how old this one is because it's so worn.  It might be early 20th century.

                                      Battered General Service Button found on the Folly

WW1 British Army Officer's Tunic 1902                            

                                 

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/ww1-british-army-officers-tunic-163971718

Why is there a Unicorn a Lion and a Crown on the button? Makes one think of  Narnia or the Wizard of Oz.  Actually there was also a Unicorn and a Lion in Alice in Wonderland.

Lets investigate,

http://www.rhymes.org.uk/the_lion_and_the_unicorn.htm

The Lion and the Unicorn poem

The lion and the unicorn were fighting for the crown

The lion beat the unicorn all around the town.

Some gave them white bread, and some gave them brown;

Some gave them plum cake and drummed them out of town.

The picture depicts the Lion (with the crown) and the Unicorn Coat of Arms. The centre of the Arms depicts the lions of England in the first and fourth quarters, the lion of Scotland in the second and the Harp of Ireland in the third quarter. The motto around the centre means: "Evil to him who evil thinks" which relates to the Order of the Garter. The motto at the bottom means: "God and my Right "

Origins of "The lion and the unicorn" in British history

The Lion and the Unicorn lyrics date from 1603 when King James VI of Scotland became James I of England unifying the Scottish and English kingdoms. The 'Virgin Queen' Elizabeth 1 named the son of Mary Queen of Scots, James, as her heir. The union of the two countries required a new royal coat of arms combining those of England which featured two lions, and Scotland whose coat of arms featured two Unicorns hence "The lion and the unicorn". A compromise was made thus the British coat of arms has one Lion and one Unicorn and the poem about hence "The Lion and the Unicorn" was created.

Fuses of the Folly - I was Con"fused' !

 So, a few posts ago I said that the object I found was a bottle stopper.  Well I lied, I found out last night (after watching a bottle digging show) that it is a plug fuse from the 1940's.

                                                          125V glass plug fuse

It's a pity, it was until last night my only beautiful glass bottle stopper.

                                                       An old 'school' electrical fuse box

                                                        

This isn't a pic from the fuse box at my house, I'm sure my fuse box is almost as old as this one😉