Where were you?
I’m a bit young to remember where I was on Friday 22 November 1963, when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. But ask any American older than 65 and they’ll tell you exactly where they were and what they were busy doing when they heard the news. The same goes for other significant historical events: The death of Princess Diana on 31 August 1997 in Paris; the terror attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11 September 2001 in New York… People will say, “I was there doing that. Where were you?” It’s not only traumatic events that become markers in one’s memory. I can vividly remember specific sporting highlights: Gerrie Coetzee knocking out Leon Spinks on 24 June 1979 within two minutes in the opening round (I didn’t even have time to dunk my rusk in my coffee) and more recently, the Australian opening batsman Cameron Bancroft caught on camera with his hands down his pants at Newlands on 24 March 2018. (Revelling in the misfortune of others is not a good thing, but my Castle Lager tasted exceptionally good that afternoon.) Of course, the big one was 24 June 1995, when Joel Stransky kicked a drop goal in extra time and the Springboks beat the All Blacks at Ellis Park to claim their first Rugby World Cup. My wife and I were on holiday near Mooi River in KZN, in a cosy chalet at Midlands Saddle & Trout. We spent the afternoon on a couch in front of the TV, next to a blazing fire, shouting ourselves hoarse in support of the Boks. The Midlands is still one of my favourite holiday destinations, not just because of that historic Bok victory, but because it truly is a lovely place to explore. Check out our story on page 44. And I’m glad to see that Saddle & Trout is still going strong 23 years later!