Arrie Burrows – Onthouers | Rememberers
Arrie Burrows was born in 1948 in Grootkloof. He has lived in Clanwilliam and Malmesbury for most of his life.
Arrie Burrows speaks about living in Malmesbury, and his various jobs. Being an avid cricket and rugby player, he enjoyed living in Malmesbury as he was a member of many teams. Arrie Burrows shares some memories of his time in Malmesbury.
Arrie Burrows was born in 1948 in Grootkloof. He worked in the Clanwilliam hospital and then moved to work in the Swartland hospital in Malmesbury, where he stayed for 19 years. He then went to work at Caltex as a petrol attendant for 15 years, and when it closed down he moved to Shell for 13 years. He retired due to issues with his legs and is now in a wheelchair. In his childhood they frequently went hunting for dassies. Moving to Clanwilliam was difficult for him and he had to quit school due to financial issues. Malmesbury was a better experience and Arrie was an avid rugby and cricket player. He played rugby for the Never Despair team and then the United team. He could not pursue a career in sport as he had to continue to work for money and sport was a full-time commitment. He remembers that 81 runs was his highest score in cricket. Clanwilliam has changed a lot and there used to be less murder than there is today.
I’m Arrie Johannes Burrows, born the 15th of August 1948 in Grootkloof. I previously worked at the Clanwilliam hospital, from there I was transferred to Swartland Hospital, Malmesbury. There I worked as a male nurse. I did 19 years of service at Swartland Hospital. And after I finished at the hospital, with the hospital, retired from there, I came to work at the Caltex garage. I was a petrol pump attendant at the Caltex garage for 15 years, but when the garage closed, I went over to the Shell garage, doing the same work, petrol pump attendant, for 13 years, and there, the job ended there when my two legs were amputated. I couldn’t continue with the work, so I had to leave the work. Then I came back to my house where I’m now still in a wheelchair.
Tell us about your childhood, how was it?
In Grootkloof there was, there is a forestry station. We went hunting a lot, game like dassies and (inaudible 02:26), and more. And from there we moved back to Clanwilliam. And there, in Grootkloof, I ended my work.
Tell us what life was like then and how it is today. In Clanwilliam.
Life… it continued there until I came to Clanwilliam. And here in Clanwilliam it was difficult for me. I went to school, but I couldn’t go on because of financial problems. So I left school. But in Malmesbury life was better for me as a male nurse. Met many people there, and there I also started my sport, rugby and cricket. Rugby was actually my big sport. I played for a team, Never Despair. Flyhalf was my position. And so when I later finished with Never Despair, I went to United. And played for United. Until, for United I played flyhalf until I made Swartland Board. For Swartland Board I also played flyhalf. And there me and Oste (?? 04:32) Lategan, also ran out for the Proteas. I would’ve played for the Protea team as well, but I couldn’t because of my work situation, because I had to be on duty when we had to practise. Then Erin Brassima (?? 04:54) said I couldn’t continue like that, I had to play fulltime. Then I left rugby. I also played cricket at Malmesbury. Arcadia. I was a fast bowler and I was a batsman. My most, the most wickets that I took in bowling were six wickets. And the highest score that I made in cricket was 81 runs. That was then the end of my sporting days.
You still remember old stories that people told, don’t you? Can you still remember one or two? That they told. Ghost stories, or…?
Oh golly, no, man. Sorry.
And how is life today compared to how it was?
It, it has changed a lot. Nowadays, in that time there weren’t a lot of knifings, theft, (inaudible 06:25), and suchlike. It has now in recent times decreased a lot. Sometimes there is another case, but it is, it is not as ongoing.
Arrie Burrows is in 1948 op Grootkloof gebore. Hy het die grootste deel van sy lewe op Clanwilliam en Malmesbury gewoon.
Arrie vertel hoe dit was om op Malmesbury te woon en van die verskillende werke wat hy gehad het. Omdat hy ’n entoesiastiese krieket- en rugbyspeler is, het hy lekker gebly op Malmesbury, waar hy vir verskeie spanne gespeel het. Arrie deel sy herinneringe aan sy tyd op Malmesbury.
Arrie Burrows is in 1948 op Grootkloof gebore. Hy het eers by die Clanwilliam-hospitaal gewerk en toe vir 19 jaar lank by die Swartland-hospitaal op Malmesbury. Daarna het hy 15 jaar lank as ’n petroljoggie by Caltex gewerk. Toe die vulstasie toemaak, het hy 13 jaar lank vir Shell gewerk. Hy het afgetree omdat hy probleme met sy bene begin kry het en is nou in ’n rolstoel. Kleintyd het hulle dikwels gaan dassies jag. Dit was vir hom swaar toe hulle Clanwilliam toe trek. Hy moes skool verlaat omdat daar nie geld was nie. Malmesbury was ’n beter ondervinding en Arrie was ’n entoesiastiese rugby- en krieketspeler. Hy het vir die Never Despair- en toe vir die United-span rugby gespeel. Hy kon nie ’n sportloopbaan volg nie, want sport het ’n voltydse verbintenis geverg en hy moes aanhou werk om geld te verdien. Sy beste kriekettelling was 81 lopies, onthou hy. Clanwilliam het baie verander en daar was destyds baie minder moorde as vandag.
Ek is Arrie Johannes Burrows, gebore die vyftiende Augustus 1948 in Grootkloof. Ek het voorheen gewerk by Clanwilliam-hospitaal, daarvan af is ek oorgeplaas na Swartland-hospitaal, Malmesbury. Daar het ek die werk gedoen as ’n male nurse. Ek was neëntien jaar in diens by Swartland-hospitaal. En nadat ek klaar was by die hospitaal, met die hospitaal, afgetree daar, toe kom werk ek by Caltex-garage. By Caltex-garage was ek ’n petroljoggie, ook vyftien jaar, maar toe die garage toegemaak het, het ek oorgegaan na Shell-garage, ook dieselfde werk gedoen, petroljoggie, ook vir dertien jaar, en daar, die werk het ek daar geëindig ter wille van ’n amputasie van my twee bene. Toe kan ek die werk nie meer voortgaan met die werk nie, toe moet ek die werk los. Daarvan af het ek terug na my huis toe waar ek nou nog in ’n rystoel geplaas is.
Vertel ons van jou grootworddae, hoe was dit toe gewees?
In Grootkloof was daar, dit is mos ’n bosboustasie daar. Daar het ons baie kere gaan jag, wild soos dassies, en (onhoorbaar 02:26), en nog. En toe ons, daarvan af het ons teruggetrek na Clanwilliam toe. En daar, in Grootkloof, het ek afgesluit in my werk.
Vertel vir ons hoe was die lewe toe gewees en hoe’s dit vandag. In Clanwilliam.
Die lewe … dit het voortgegaan daar, met my, totdat ek op Clanwilliam gekom het. En hier op Clanwilliam het dit maar swaar gegaan met my. Ek het skoolgegaan, maar ek kon nie verder skoolgaan nie, weens finansiële probleme. En toe’t ek ook daar uit die skool uit. Maar in Malmesbury het dit toe eers toe weer goed gegaan met my as male nurse. Baie mense geleer ken daar, en daar het ek ook my sport begin, rugby en krieket. Rugby was eintlik die groot sport van my gewees. Ek het vir ’n span gespeel, Never Despair. Flyhalf was my posisie gewees. En so lateraan, toe ek klaar was met Never Despair is, het ek gegaan na United toe. En vir United gespeel. Totdat, vir United het ek flyhalf gespeel totdat ek in die Board van Swartland Board ingekom het. Vir Swartland Board het ek ook flyhalf gespeel. En daar het ek en Oste (?? 04:32) Lategan vir die Proteas ook uitgedraf. Ek sou ook vir die Proteaspan gespeel het, maar weens my werksomstandighede kon ek toe nie, want ek moet aan diens wees wanneer ek moet gaan oefen op sulke dae. Toe het Erin Brassima (?? 04:54), ek kan nie so voortgaan nie, ek moet heeltyd speel. Toe het ek maar afgesien van die rugby. Krieket het ek ook op Malmesbury, Arcadia, gespeel. Ek was ’n sneller en ek was ’n kolwer. My meeste, die meeste paaltjies wat ek al gevat het in die boulafdeling was ses paaltjies. En die hoogste telling wat ek in die krieket gemaak het, was een-en-tagtig lopies. Dit was dan die einde van my sportdae.
Oom Nakkie, jy onthou mos nog ou stories wat die mense vertel het. Kan Oom nog so een of twee onthou? Wat hulle vertel het. Van spookstories, of …?
O jene, nee, man. Jammer.
En hoe is die lewe vandag teenoor hoe dit was?
Dit, dit, dit het baie verander. Deesdae, in daardie tyd was daar nie so baie soos messtekery, diefstal, (onhoorbaar 06:25), en sulke. Dit het nou in die laaste tyd baie afgeneem. Somtyds kom daar weer so ’n geval aan, maar is dit, dit is nie so aanhoudend nie.