Description

A SECRET DISCOVERY
My mother, Angeline Weber, born Bain, was very secretive
about some things. I do not know much of her background
except that she loved going to dances with her Brother, Eddie
Bain. They were a sensational dancing team.
She entered a beauty contest, in her youthful prime and
came in second.
One of her secrets, not fully known to the family, was this
Recipe Book, which contains her written down hints for
personal food tastes and home care tips.
My sister gave it to me, before she passed away. I read it and
decided to print it, unabridged, printing it as it appears in the
booklet.
There are some duplicated items or items that have headings
but were not completed. I leave it untouched as it is.
Not known to my father or the two brothers and one sister,
my mother used her recipes to cook for us. Her food was
really delicious and we enjoyed her meals fully, not realising
that she was following her recipe book.
During a dark period, of the marriage, when my father was
working for a low wage, we had to eat samp and by adding
syrup, it was delicious. However, we grew out of this staple
diet and desired a variety of foods. She obliged. My father
was receiving a bigger wage so it made this possible.
Her pumpkin fritters, potato fritters, pancakes, dumplings
and vetkoek were very well received by all.
She loved to put everything in one pot and served it with
mixed meat and vegetable with gravy. She called it, “Boere
potjie.”

Her favourite, and ours, was mashed potatoes with mince, in
a crusted cottage pie.
How we miss her and her cooking. God bless you in heaven,
Mother.
We lived in Johannesburg, at 34 Grampian road, while my
father was away, serving in World War II, as a volunteer. My
Grandmother, on my mother’s side, opened up her home to
us and we stayed in a backyard cottage.
My father was suspected of being a tuberculosis carrier, after
being discharged from the war with Germany, and the
Welfare placed the three children in the Pietermaritzburg
Sunshine Home as a precautionary measure.
My mother and father came to visit us on rare occasions and
we loved to see them. It was always sad when they had to
return home in East London, Eastern Cape.
We then shifted to East London and stayed at 34 Florence
Avenue, Vincent, for a number of years, with a couple, being
family members. This came about after my father had
received his war discharge, having been in the war in Italy
and Egypt. He was a bioscope operator who travelled all over
bringing entertainment to the troops.
We, the children, often visited our Grandmother and
Grandfather at 2 Duncan Road, Vincent. We eventually
shifted there as we could not afford our own home and
stayed with them.
We really loved the place. My father and mother bought me
and my twin brother a Rudge bicycle each, and we spent
many hours riding around the suburbs that were in the
nearby vicinity.
We attended three schools, Vincent Primary School, College
Street Primary School and Cambridge High School.

Our other grandmother, Ethel and Aunt Klipse, lived some
walking distance away and we, as teenagers, loved to visit
there with them and eat their cookies and home-made
ginger beer.
Every Sunday the brothers and sisters of my Father, came to
visit us and Granny would prepare wonderful meals. She also
baked ginger bread cookies or made trifles, jellies or other
delicacies, such as ‘frog’s eyes.’ It was always a happy family
time with Grandpa telling jokes and playing rummy with the
family. Uncle Kevyn, my Father’s brother, stayed in the house
with us and had his own room.
We stayed there for five years. My grandmother died of
cancer and, eventually, the old house was sold to meet
expenses and to satisfy the demands of their last will and
testament of her and our Grandfather.
We shifted many times, always looking for a place that my
father’s income could afford.
We spent some years in a military camp, called Defense
Camp, Woodbrook, that was comprised of a number of
wooden bungalows. These had been erected for housing the
soldier’s families of those who went to war or who had come
back from war. My father’s application was accepted.
Eventually we bought our own house at 77 Chislehurst Road,
Stoney Drift, East London.
My brother, my sister and I either rode on our bicycles or
caught the bus to Cambridge High School, Cambridge.
My mother, mainly, with our help at times, planted a garden
with hedges along the street side fence. She spent many
hours working in the garden and tending the flowers. She
always said, “This is where I meet my God.”

My father had to go to the bioscope early in the morning to
attend to three bioscope shows for black people. I loved to
go with him in the afternoons and help him prepare the films
for showing. The two sound projectors incorporated ark
lighting for projecting the film.
Due to financial constraints, my sister, twin brother and
myself, were taken in by my Aunt Susie to live with her in the
cottage at the back of the house grounds, at 34 Grampian
Road, The Hill. We stayed there for three years, attending
the Regent Park School. At this time, I chose to become a
believer in Jesus, led to Him by the lady Methodist Sunday
School teacher. My brother, Kevyn, also accepted Jesus,
prompted by our Uncle, Sydney Bain. My aunt Susie, when
she heard this, told us to attend their Church of the Nazarene
Sunday School. We attended there for one year and were
greatly blessed.
My mother and father came to fetch us and so we moved to
East London.
My father obtained work in the Springbok Bioscope situated
in Milner Estate, East London, which only allowed blacks in.
My mother stayed at home while my father worked at the
Springbok Bioscope. At times, I used to go and sit inside the
bioscope projecting room, or at the back of the large hall,
which was reserved for white visitors. The Apartheid era
rules were strictly enforced.
Later on, my Father left the Springbok bioscope, for it was
closed down by the Authorities and my Father was
transferred as projectionist to the Astoria Bioscope situated
in Southern Wood, working for His Jewish Boss, Mr. Jetty.
This bioscope was eventually sold and my father was without
work. He found work at the Divisional Council as a
digger/loader operator. He loved the outdoor work and

stayed in a tin shanty from Monday to Friday, going home for
Saturdays and Sundays. He worked there for three years
until his official retirement.
My mother was unhappy, because My father was always at
work. She loved to have two beers at times to compensate
for her loneliness. This eventually caused her to become an
alcoholic. She was rescued from this state, when we took a
derelict child, passed onto us by the Welfare, called Sandra,
and we all loved her. She stayed with us for two years and
my mother went to the Frere Hospital to work there in the
Kitchen, to augment my father’s low wages, at the Bioscope,
loving it.
One day the Welfare came, and without notice, took Sandra
away to give her back to her own mother and father. We
were all heart-broken but could do nothing to remedy the
situation. Sadly, we never heard from her again.
My mother played the piano, and I can remember her playing
Lily Marlene, The Maiden’s Prayer and It’s a long way to
Tipperary and other tunes.
My sister found the favour of my father’s family and she was
away with them most weekends.
My father passed away and eventually so did my mother.
We all love you, Mom. Thank you for your sacrifices on our
behalf.
This recipe booklet is a memory of our mother, Angeline, that
is released to the family.
Sydney Keith Weber, Twin Son.