You Can’t Change History Hotelier Alan Gooderson’s Story
As told to
Graham Linscott
Š Alan Gooderson
First published in 2015 by BK Press P O Box 47055. Greyville, South Africa, 4023 ISBN 978-1-928245-20-9 Layout and Editing: Ginny Porter
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, translated or transmitted in any form by any means electronic, digital, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Dedication This book is dedicated to the dear son of Alan and Judith Gooderson who tragically passed away.
My beloved father
You are my inspiration, my rock, my strength. You have created in your son a uniqueness. I have learned never to give up, to be compassionate, to be wise, and mostly you have given me courage. Courage to follow a dream that to most seem unattainable. You have the heart of a lion, and a soul unparalleled in its vastness of understanding and love. Know father that that love is felt here even thousands of miles away, and it will be forever with me. You are my king, my guide, my neverending desire to be more than average. As fathers go, to say I am blessed is too bland, you are more than simple words can describe, and for the first time in my life, as I write this script, I find my attention at expression through words to be found wanting. Dad I love you is what I want to say, but the words in their very nature do not encompass the depth of that love. I will forever seek to be the man you are, and if I am but half, I will consider myself accomplished. I miss you all, but I think you know father that I needed to seek flight to finally become a man, to have a sense of selfworth and self-esteem. You of all I felt understood this, and for you more than most it hurt to see me go. I have not gone father, you are there with my every thought and decision. In my few years on this earth, which are not many, compared to you anyway you old fart, I have met many men whom have professed to be great, but only one man
I know has ever truly been deserving of that mantle, and it’s my dad, and I am more than proud to be your son. I revel in it. Thank you father for all that you are, all you have taught me, and the splendor of life you have opened my eyes to. Shoot for the moon and you will land amongst the stars‌ that always makes think of you. Happy Birthday Daniel
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A letter to Alan on his 70 birthday from Daniel who was with his family on St Martin Island in the Caribbean, where he was working.
Contents The Early Days .................................................................. 1 Tough Beginnings in the UK.............................................. 5 The start of WWII .............................................................. 7 The War is Over ...................................................... 9 Not such a successful venture .................................. 11 The Allure and Discipline of the RAF ............................... 13 The Royal Air Force ................................................ 15 This is Paradise ................................................................... 21 A New World Emerges ...................................................... 23 Durban as a Holiday City ........................................ 25 Evening Entertainment in Durban ........................... 27 The Growth of the Entertainment Industry ........................ 29 The Lonsdale Hotel ................................................. 30 The Cumberland Hotel ............................................ 33 Entertainment at the Lonsdale ................................. 38 The Killarney Hotel ................................................. 42 Listing on the JSE .................................................... 43 Talent Searches ........................................................ 43 Post-1994 Opportunities ..................................................... 49 Casino Gambling ..................................................... 50 New Era in Hotel and Tourism ................................ 52 Family Matters ................................................................... 57 Politics for Judith ..................................................... 59 The Passing of a Son ............................................... 60 Daughters as Employees .......................................... 61 Buying and Selling ............................................................. 67 Drakensberg Gardens Hotel..................................... 68 Durban’s Nightlife ................................................... 73 Running a Tight Ship ......................................................... 75 Moulin Rouge Hotel Hillbrow ................................. 79
Loyal employees ...................................................... 84 Poker and Other Games ...................................................... 89 A Straight Swap ....................................................... 91 The Game of Golf .................................................... 93 Horseracing.............................................................. 97 Karate....................................................................... 100 Timeshare, a New Phase in the Leisure Industry ............... 109 Potential in Drakensberg ......................................... 111 Politics and the Impact on Leisure ..................................... 115 The Recession .......................................................... 119 The Fabz Hotel ........................................................ 122 Kloppenheim Country Estate Hotel ......................... 122 Monk’s Cowl Country Club .................................... 124 Eco-Tourism ....................................................................... 129 Natal Spa.................................................................. 131 Bushlands Game Lodge ........................................... 131 DumaZulu ................................................................ 132 Business Ethics ................................................................... 143 The Fun has to be there ...................................................... 149
Established 1957 Good Value! Good fun!
1 The Early Days
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HE port of Durban is the largest and busiest in Africa, serving a hinterland that goes far beyond the industrial province of Gauteng; its rail and road infrastructure reaches to all of southern Africa, even the equatorial regions. It has come a long way since early beginnings in the 19th century. Accompanying Durban’s port and industrial development has been the growth of a tourism industry; an accommodation and entertainment infrastructure that has served generations of inland South Africans as they seek a seaside holiday. That continues today, with an added input of overseas tourists. The demographics of the market have changed because of political shifts; destinations and fashions are also being re-addressed. But Durban and its beachfront – the Golden Mile – are still at the core of the tourism/accommodation industry in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, a region which has been blessed with a range of attributes which attract tourists.
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Durban has warm, swimmable beaches with spectacular high-energy surf that compares with conditions in Australia or Hawaii. It is only a few hours’ drive from magnificent localities such as the Drakensberg mountain range; the rolling green Midlands which are so like the Scottish border country; the game reserves of Zululand, where visitors can view the Big Five – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. KwaZulu-Natal also has a profusion of world-class golf courses. Durban is a vibrant ethnic/cultural mix – a touching point of Africa, Asia and Europe – which is in itself an attraction. And it also has a superb sub-tropical climate. In winter, when the temperature drops below zero at night in the inland Highveld provinces, KwaZulu-Natal is at its best – the air like champagne, the skies bright and clear, and the surf at its best. Visitors have always come in their droves to KwaZulu-Natal for an escape from the Highveld winter. In the earlier days – around the 1920s – Durban was an established seaside holiday destination. Families would arrive, mainly from the Transvaal and Rhodesia, for the traditional bucket and spade seaside holiday. During the Second World War, German submariners would look wistfully through their periscopes at the illuminations along the Golden Mile – until a blackout was imposed. Durban always was a lively port. But in the post-war years, the beachfront – the Golden Mile – was to come to
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