Durban High School
Class Of 1961

Peter Elstob

Last Updated:

August 26, 2025

Residing In:

Johannesburg, Gauteng South Africa

Email address:

peter@mazambaan.co.za, peter.elstob@gmail.com

Homepage:

www.mazambaan.co.za

Education:

BSc (Engineering) (Chemical) Natal University, Durban

Spouse/Partner

Married Jenny (Eugenie) in 2003 ...........................We have retired (in 2008) and are living in a Retirement Village (Maxhaven) next to Cresta Shopping Centre in Johannesburg. Marrying Jenny was the best decision I have made. ex wife, Sandy (ex Fyvie) is the mother of my three children. Sandy and her husband Brian Bowles live close to us in Johannesburg. * * * * HEALTH MATTERS * * * * (I am including this in my profile ..... mainly because at age 80, our friends, relatives and us spend an inordinate amount ofof time is spent on discussing such information. As at 2025 I am still fit and able to be quite active. In January of 2024 I lost the sight of my right eye only to lose the sight of my left eye about 2 weeks later/ I was only diagnosed with PMR (Poly Myalgia Reu Matica about 4 months later. All seem to originate from the Covid vaccinations I had in 2001 & 2022. that probably resulted my Auto Immune Disease. I also have recently discovered that I haveh "Long Covid" As far as my sight isd concerned .., I am able to cope with most daily tasks with the assistance of a weekly PA and various magnifying devices. Only the lasgest test is readable, albeit very slowly. Watching TV is Reasonably easy ,,,,, especially standing 500mm away from a wall mounted 65" QLED screen. Every morning jenny and my first task is to go through the latest SMSs, eMaiils and WhatsApps on my phone.

Children/Family:

Michael (born 1975) married to Melissa (nee Robinson ... father is Freek) with two boys Nathan born Nov 2006, Zacary born Feb 2010 and daughter Robin (born 2017). Currently working in Johannesburg after a lengthy spell in London James born 1976 married to Nikk wit,h, daughter Emelie (born 2022). Son William (born 2014) from first wife Karen and both living in Kleinemonde in the Eastern Cape . Currently working in the re-insurance business in London, UK. Sarah, single born 1978 with son Neo born 2020. Working (remotely from Claremont, Cape Town) for a Dubai based Logistics company.

Occupation(s)

After leaving School I spent a year at the Airforce Gymnasium at Valhalla before going to Howard College where I completed a Chemical Engineering degree. Spent 3 years with AE&CI in Sasolburg ending as acting Process Superintendant Vinyl Chloride plant. Then 2 years with Caltex at their refinery in Milnerton Cape Town Branch Manager with an insulated coldroom manufacturer for 3 years, then a Project Manager (2 years) with a South African / Mozambique'n fishing company ........ after that a full time farmer (pigs, maize, irrigated vegs, broilers etc) in Greytown for about 6 years. I spent 9 years with Pioneer Seeds (now Pannar) running their company Kombat Chemicals in Greytown. In 1991 I joined Sasol in Johannesburg in the Marketing Department and spent seventeen and a half years with them in various capacities ending off in IT Security. I retired early from Sasol in October 2008 9 months before I was to turn 65. I had enough of the corporate games that are played in large corporations ........ best decision I have made, apart from marrying my wife Jenny. My health has always been very good except for Colon Cancer in 2000, Pancreas Cancer in 2002 and Type 2 Diabetes diagnosed in 2009. I have been insulin free since the end of 2013 after I had changed my lifestyle to LCHF (Low Carb High Fat) or Banting as it is known in South Africa. Tim Noakes diet. I am now a full time retiree living in a retirement village in Johannesburg.

Hobbies/Interests:

Jenny & I have been on an extended trip (7 months) with our old 4x4 into Africa 2011 - 2012. We went as far north as Adigrat in Ethiopia and coming back though the great lakes of Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Hope to capture some of the trip as in photos on this website ... We traveled from October 2011 and returned in April 2012. We have had memorable trips to: 2013 Namibia & Botswana, 2016 East coast of Australia (Jenny has a daughter & family there), 2017 Thailand, 2018 Morocco, for our reunion and 2019-2020 India .... a real experience.

School Story:

My most memorable story is on my first day at DHS in Form 3S, our Form master "Charlie" Crewe introduced himself to us. * * * "Charlie" Crewe * * * He started off saying that he would not tolerate any disobedience. He then proceeded to show us a few spectacular chemistry experiments. After trying to find all the equipment and ingredients for the last experiment of the morning he left the classroom for about 15 minutes (maybe to find a bottle of something !) Upon returning we were all talking loudly .......... he then reprimanded us about the noise and immediately called Harvey Wannenburg (who appeared to be the class leader by virtue of his size and demenour) to the front ....... and without any time for discussion gave Harvey six of the best in front of all of us. We were all shocked that the corporal punishment was so severe and instantaneous. "Charlie" Crewe never again ever had a problem with anyone who had been there that day. "Charlie" Crewe would often be seen at morning assembly, especially in the hot February's trying to roll up his famous light cream jacket sleeves owing to the heat. Harvey Wannenburg continued on at DHS and in 1962 was Head Prefect, captain of Rugby and vice captain of the famious '62 cricket side that included Barry Richards and Lee Irvine. Harvey went to Rhodes after School and I inadvertantly asked him to look up a girl friend there .... in a few months I found out that he had moved in with her (or visa versa) At Rhodes he was involved in a very serious motor accident, from which some of us felt he never fully recovered. I last time I saw him was when I had drinks with him at a resturant in Greytown where I was farming and working for Pioneer Seeds (now Pannar Seeds). Not many years later I heard that he had died following a heart attack. I am not sure of these facts. * * * "The Strangers" - A Rock n Roll band * * * Another memory is about a band called "The Strangers" While at Varsity I joined this DHS rock n roll band with a number of well known DHS school boys. The singer was Howard Carpendale (Victor Ludorum at athletics some years after me ... probably 1963/4) The bass player was Don Allaway (Roy's younger brother), Roger Shephard (now head teacher at St Charles, Pmb), Don Robertson was our drummer, Renault Sanders was the pianist and probably the band leader .... we had great fun and all learnt a lot about ourselves and eventually when Howard signed a recording contract we did not think that we should give up our studies and so we carried on as "The Strangers" without Howard. Howard was the singer for "The Kinsmen" a popular Durban beachfront band ...... He moved on to the UK and then on to Germany where he still is one of the great recording and performing artists. He has probably made more money and has more fans than any other South African artist in history. Don, Renault and myself have got together a few times in the past years for a band practice ........... unfortunately some of us have lost a lot of the talent we had in the 60's.

Comments:

I am now busy with various hobbies. I spend time also training elderly people to use their computers. I have not kept us much with School colleagues but always seem to spend time with Godfrey (RIP) and Dorothy Mocke and Rob and Jane D'Aubrey every few years or so.

Military Service:

Airforce Gymnasium (1962) and Umvoti Commando

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