the barends (and camps Bay) factor

Arthur married Martha (nee Knaggs) (17 Aug 18??) - or Pat as she was more often and affectionately known. 

They lived in Strubens Street, Mowbray.  They spent Christmas holidays in Camps Bay where they rented a bungalow and pitched tents.  

They fell in love with the place and the children were not always happy about returning to Mowbray.  

Then Arthur won a “word-making” competition and with the cash prize was able to purchase a small bungalow in “The Camp” called the “Hat Box” - reputedly the Barends family were the sixth family to take up permanent residence. 

In the late 1920’s Arthur then bought “Floreal” 29 Camps Bay Drive (plus the vacant plot, a so-called rock garden, behind – which several decades years later, Graham bought from Harold, his father. 

In about 1934, Arthur and Martha then bought the  next-door property at 27 called “Montana“.  

“Montana“ had fantastic 180-degree sea views although the very steep, terraced front garden (if  it  could  be called  that?) was more suited to mountain goats!  

This also meant that vehicular access to the property had to be from the rear. The dirt access road was eventually tarred in the late 40s and named “First Crescent”.

When Arthur and Pat moved into “Montana”, Edna and Alf moved into “Floreal“ until they in turn bought “Le Reduit” (8 First Crescent) at the rear of “Montana”; 

Harold and Rene then bought and were able to move into “Floreal“.  

In the early 1950s, the south wing of “Montana” was altered to make a flat for Wally and Thelma although, a while later, “Oupa” moved into the flat and Wally’s family into the main house. 

The family virtually existed in an interesting “enclave” involving the three aforementioned properties side by side and then Harry and family moving into “Eureka” - 31 Camps Bay Drive, Mamie and family into “Morland“ - 45 Camps Bay Drive, Cyril owning the plot next to “Le Reduit” and Les and Beryl very close by in Blinkwater Road.

“Montana” was demolished in ±1998  developed into a concrete monolith renamed “The Crescent Flats”. 

Arthur worked for many years in the Drill Hall as Secretary to the Municipal Workers Association.  

During the Boer War he rode a bicycle as a sort of dispatch rider between the Wynberg military camp and The Castle – many years later, probably in the 50s – he discovered that he was entitled to a pension for this “war service”.  

He was Western Province Snooker/Billiards Champion in his younger days and also roller skated on the rink that was later to become the sprung-floored ballroom at the Rotunda Hotel.  

On retiring he “wrote up books” for a firm of bookmakers and had an avid interest in diamond prospecting.  

Pat suffered chronically from Rheumatoid Arthritis to which she succumbed prematurely in the early-1950s.  Arthur lived to a ripe old age passing away in the late 60s.