From Alan Wilson on Line
ROBERT DUNNE
kind courtesy of Alan Wilson On Line
o Robert Dunn
o
o First of all congratulations to Roy for making this happen. Someone got off their butt after 20 odd years. I am dead keen to read everything about anyone connected with the class of '71 so let's follow Brendon's example and take the time to write something guys. If someone had accurately told you in '71 what you would be doing in 1997, what would you have said in reply? I know I would have been both curious and probably horrified, but here I am. Twenty six years of bouncing off the walls trying to make something stick, but mostly still trying to make a load of cashola. I tried several careers till I finally realised that you either have to be dead lucky, or, get it right BEFORE you finish school. I did neither, but I still have the greatest asset in my life - my wife Pru, and now two kids who are both wonderful. Pru and I met at one of the Passmore parties in Kingsmead Road in 1972. We got married in England in 1979 after what I call the 7 year itch. Ashleigh is 17 and tall and makes me nervous because I know what boys are like. She has a talent for violin and plays in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra and is going to Japan on tour in July '97. She also plays the piano like a rock musician. Luke is a smart-arse like Roy and Ross. He is at an expensive private school in London and he will probably do what I should have done. He is 15 and bigger than his sister and Pru, and is now threatening my authority. I am sure many of you guys know the feeling by now.
o I left Zimbabwe at short notice in 1974. My parents had decided to move to the UK to a small family business in the meat trade. I figured that sounded better than becoming part of the meat trade in the Rhodesian war - I had seen a few neighbours and friends killed, and no matter what my politics were I couldn't convince myself that it was a good idea. I was called up for service so I explained that I had already bought my one way ticket to the UK, and my call up was postponed to the day after my departure. I was grateful and I left the country. What saddens me is that I had no time to say farewell to most of you guys. You were all either in SA or in the army already, or just busy trying to take life seriously after AW. Graham Wood was in the army at the time.. I remember he was one of the first to go and I had my fingers seriously crossed for him. He showed up in London in June 1997 on business, and he looked me up. One of the first things he said was that he was gutted to return from the army, and knocking on my front door he was greeted by a stranger who told him I had gone to the UK. I wonder how many of you suffered the same disappointment, perhaps even anger at those who left the country. The bottom line is if you nick a whole country, then expect to face the consequences. And that, unfortunately, is what our generation had to do. I have never been back in 23 years and now at 43 I am beginning to miss it. I went to SA in 1995 to see my sisters and their families, and during my two weeks there I had some strong reminders of Africa and just how wonderful it is. I was ready to move back, and had it not been for our kids in school Pru and I would have done it at the snap of a finger.
o When I arrived in England at the end of 1974 it was cold, grey & wet, and I missed Pru. She followed 4 months later. I went about the business of being a butcher - ie selling pork chops and rolling beef joints. Tinker would be impressed. Pru and I spent a lot of time at Essex university where Rod & Julie were based. Even saw Mark Grobbelar a couple of times at Uni concerts by the likes of Ace, Split Enz and Spirit. Who remembers them? During this time I took an evening course at Colchester Poly in computing which ended up with a job in London, writing accounting and stock control software on a mini in 1979. I wrote mountains of software for the next 7 years until I finally had to admit to myself that my future was in the music business. I dropped everything to start up a record company and recording studio with a Jamaican guy who had nothing but a load of balls and a big mouth. It worked for a couple of years, but we both started off subsidising it by cab driving in London for the first year. Exciting stuff, but not a brilliant plan. By 1989 we had given it a good thrashing but the big bucks weren't u again. Thank you for making the effort. Graham, it was amazing to see you a week later. Anyone else passing through London please contact me on 0181 871 3566 and I would love to buy you dinner or a drink.


MARTIN OUTRAM
also kind courtesy of AWOL
o
My details since leaving Allan Wilson at the end of '69:
o Lower & upper 6 completed at Gifford Technical High School, Bulawayo
o Attended and graduated from Natal University, Durban in 1977 with a BSc Electrical Engineering (heavy current degree), after falling foul of the Rhodesian problem of idling through first year and coming unstuck in second year.
o Left SA early in 1978 to take up an offer to train in the UK as a 'graduate apprentice' with Reyrolle Parsons, a major high voltage switchgear manufacturing company in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. My parents emigrated from Rhodesia during this period and my ties with the country were broken.
o I joined Reyrolle Switchgear, Elandsfontein, Johannesburg in 1980 as a switchgear contracts Engineer but left in 1982 after obtaining a position as a electrical engineer in the Planning section of the Port Elizabeth Municipality Electricity Department (PEM). For those who may not be familiar with Port Elizabeth it is the 5th biggest city in SA , a population of 1 million and has a maximum demand of 500 MW.
o In 1983 I moved to the Instrumentation division of PEM as engineer in charge of the protection and metering sections. After 6 years in this position, including a spell as Assistant Distribution Engineer I was promoted to Instrumentation Engineer which carried the additional responsibilities of the Traffic Signals and Communications section.
o In 1994 the department was restructured, I was promoted to my present position of Assistant City Electrical Engineer ( Technical ) and three more sections were put under my control. I am a Chartered Electrical Engineer and a member of the IEE London and in my function as branch head can best be described as a technical manager. The seven sections in my branch perform the 'lighter' current type functions of the department but also include system control of the PE power system. The work is interesting and very varied, one of my responsibilities that I am battling with at the moment is theft of electricity, a battle that the department is hopefully starting to win.
o Off the work side, I married Cornelia, whom I had met whilst working in Johannesburg, in 1994. We have two daughters, Alison and Megan who keep us busy and I may need a bigger dog to keep boyfriends at bay when they are older.
o Sport wise I started dinghy sailing whilst I living in Johannesburg and have continued in PE where the majority of the dinghy sailing is carried out on the tidal Swartkops river . I own a 4 m SA designed two man Gypsy and enjoy competitive sailing, the best achievements have been winning the provincial champs a couple of times and third in the nationals. I have played league squash ever since arriving in PE (so that I can drink Castle) and also own a wave ski but other commitments are making it difficult to get that out very often.
o I am looking forward to hearing more from you, best wishes,