Concerns over the municipality’s right to secrecy, the building of the well-known Dunant Complex for the city’s senior citizens, the famous (or infamous) Buffalo Rally which had residents up in arms, popular singer Min Shaw’s concert in PE, and the valuable contribution the Port Elizabeth Museum is making to the city’s economy.
These are only a few of the interesting news reports that made the headlines 40 years ago, on November 16, 1983, in the first edition of Port Elizabeth Express.
Paging through this first edition, which pictured on its front page a pretty young girl with a bunch of flowers in her hands, it is quite clear to see that this newspaper had a winning recipe.
Old and young featured in these 36 pages with plenty of social photos.
These include photos of schools, sport, collectors, competition winners and the mayoral reception.
You could also find out more about the future in your “horoscope” as well as future events on the social calendar.
There was even a flight schedule for those travelling, and a television guide.
Movie enthusiasts could also see what movies were showing.
At the Walmer drive-in, in Schoenmakerskop Road, the “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” was being screened, with an age restriction of 2 to 18 years.
In the Kine Park complex, Jamie Uys’s Funny People was on the big screen and at the Elizabeth Cines complex, To forget Venice was screened – but only for the eyes of those 22 and older.
This was also the time when movies such as Halloween III, Zelig – a Woody Allen film, and Risky Business with a young and sexy Tom Cruise were advertised.
“Musical Notes” written by someone named “A Sharp” were interesting articles on, among others, Linda Ronstadt, John and Joko Ono and Queen.
The first comic strip, the “Wizard of ID” was in the second edition of the newspaper; whereafter “Floris Badman” was added.
And there were also plenty of competitions and word games. The Providant Rooster competition was, from the first edition, one of the biggest which only closed at the end of December. One lucky reader could win an alarm system for their home by collecting 15 roosters in different editions, pasting it onto an entry from and holding thumbs until the winner was announced.
And don’t think if you were divorcing your spouse that it could be kept a secret. There was even a special report in the first edition stating the number of divorces and the persons’ names!
A lack of advertising was certainly not the case. On each page there were advertisements for a variety of advertisers, from vacancies, food, liquor, hotels and motels to various restaurants, cars, clothes, and more. Even Pleasureland in Humewood advertised its new haunted train.
Sport enthusiasts were kept up to date with reports on school sport, sports festivals, waterpolo, rugby, tennis, cricket, horse racing and windsurfing.
In “Whistle and Stop”, a weekly column, reporter Mariëtte van Manen, shared the interesting, and sometimes infuriating, happenings in her life with readers.
It is quite interesting to note that while an Afrikaans newspaper company, Naspers, was the publisher, more news reports were written in English than Afrikaans.
Journalists such as Trudie Wegner, Isobel Humphreys, Peter Randall, Richard Brinsley, Mariëtte van Manen and Helena Kolbe and photographers such as Ivan Oberholzer, Barry Lamprecht, John Kolbe, Paddy Merrick and Wilma Kemp all contributed to a successful newspaper that people looked forward to receiving, for free, every week.
A few news reports that caught my attention – in 1983 for the first time in the city’s history, ostrich meat from Oudsthoorn would be on the menu at the Cornflower restaurant in the Constantia building. Who knows, maybe there is someone who tasted this, and can still remember it!
In a group photo, Elra Botha is featured after being awarded the Gawie Cillié bursary and award, the highest accolade awarded by Hoërskool Cillié. One can only wonder what happened to Elra Botha in the years to come.
On hairstyles, The Bob was BIG. In one report there were three styles of how one can cut one’s hair into a very fashionable bob.
The photos of little children playing on the beach were also very cute. Featured in one of them was Maricelle Botha (aged three), who later became well-known in the local media industry and now also in the Free State.
Sadly, there were also many reports about animal charities, such as the SPCA, whose shelters were too full.
There were also plenty of compliments for the new newspaper. One reader was so impressed that she surprised the editorial team with an apple tart.
Mrs Hatherley wrote: “We have now received PE Express four times and must say we’re really looking forward to it. The information is most useful and interesting.”
A Vercuil, public relations practitioner of the SA Red Cross Society, thanks the editorial team for a beautiful full-colour photo and for the support and publicity the newspaper gave the society.
PE Express really deserves to celebrate 40 glory years in 2023.
