exCUSTOMSnet

Network for the exCUSTOMSnet Fraternity

For former members, spouses & kids of the Rhodesian/Zimbabwe Federal Customs & Excise Departments

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Current Membership: 225

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The new website was launched on March 13, 2011. I know it still needs some tweaking & correcting etc. and I would appreciate anyone pointing out any errors or omissions. Please email me with corrections & suggestions.

WHAT'S NEW (Date added in parenthesis)

Welcome to our newest member, Christine Blignaut. The Current Members Page has been updated (May 3, 2012)

This is an excerpt from an email from Cary Smit:

"Smitty did not want a funeral or a service
at his cremation. Liam and I will scatter his ashes in the farmlands
where he enjoyed so many happy days of shooting pigeons and chatting
with our sons and other shooting friends. Sometimes, if he was not
feeling well, he went along anyway to enjoy the wide open spaces and
watch Liam or his friends shoot while he relaxed in a camp chair and
during the lulls in pigeons flying over they would discuss all sorts of
things, or ask his advice on different matters. Smitty was always a mine
of information on any subject and very clued up on labour law after
having done a post graduate diploma on the subject some years ago when
he was so involved with the unions.

His wish was that all his friends would remember him and the good times
they had when he was fit and well and not worry about a funeral or
mourning his death. He always lived life to the full and life was never
boring when he was around.

Thanks again to all his ex customs friends who have sent me messages of
support. I will try to answer each one over the next few days."
(March 16, 2012)

A picture has been added to each of the Membership and the 331(2) albums. Thanks to Rona Burt. (March 14, 2012)

Chris Found has placed his pin in Brisbane on the Guestmap. (March 14, 2012)

Chris Gilbert has let me know that Smitty specifically told Carie he did not want a funeral, that he was to be cremated and his ashes spread at one of his favourite places to be decided on by his son Liam. It will probably be the pigeon shooting range near Cape Town as he used to love going there with his son. (March 12, 2012)

Thanks to Andre Guernier for Two photos that have been added to the "We Remember" album and for two that have been added to the "331(2)" album. Photo albums are available to members only. (March 10, 2012)

Just received the sad news that Smitty passed away this morning. The sincere condolences of all the exCUSTOMSnet family are with Carie, Liam, Danial and all family and close friends. The We Remember Page has been updated. (March 8, 2012)

A big welcome to our newest members, JE (Smitty) & Carie Smit. The Current Members Page has been updated. (March 7, 2012)

Just received an email from Chris Gilbert regarding Smitty as follows:

"It is now 2030 South African time and we have just spoken with Carie, Smitty’s wife. She has spent the day at the hospital and spoke with him this morning before he slipped into a coma. Doctor says not more than a week so our thoughts and prayers are with her and all of his loved ones at this difficult time."

The thoughts & prayers of the whole exCUSTOMSnet family are with Carie & family (March 6, 2012)

Further update on Smitty: Doug Jolliffe's latest email reads:
"News just in is that Smitty will be going home but with 24 hour care. The doctor has estimated about three weeks." (March 4, 2012)

UPDATE ON SMITTY (JE SMIT): Doug Jolliffe's email on March 3 reads:

"We have just returned from a holiday in Cape Town and had an opportunity to see Smitty before he left to go to  New Zealand for his son's wedding.  We saw 
Smitty in the first week of February and I was shocked to see how he had lost weight and was looking far from well.       The bad news as you know is that the positive outcome from chemo a few months ago did not last and he went downhill again.  The very bad news is that
when he returned from NZ on 29 Feb he went straight into hospital and the last message I got from his sister in law was that his condition is critical and he
is on morphine and it seems there is nothing else the Doctors can do for him. His return to Cape Town coincided with our departure so I did not see him again.
I am however in touch with his brother and will update you as I get any more news. "                                                                                 (March 3, 2012)

Welcome to Dave Chapman, our newest and 223rd member. The Current Members Page has been updated. Dave has already placed his pin on the Guestmap and is also trying to contact Laurie Milne; can anyone help? (February 3, 2012)

David (Dave) Chapman has been added to the Roll of Honour Page (February 3, 2012)

Andre Guernier's latest interesting blog, which includes some excellent phototography, is now online. You can view it here or click on the link below (February 1, 2012)

Dave Osgood & John Cramp have been added to the Roll of Honour Page - Thanks to Roger Blowers (January 31, 2012)

Sam Gailey has been added to the We Remember Page (January 29, 2012)

5 Names have been added to the Roll of Honour Page. Thanks to Louise Gailey (January 29, 2012)

A big welcome to 3 new members:
Brigette Gray - an exCUSTOMSkid - daughter of John Sweetman,
Louise Gailey (nee Jones), and
Tony & Rowena Ford
This brings our membership total to 222. The Current Members Page has been updated. (January 29, 2012)

We welcome new members, Laurie & Maureen (formerly Keefer nee Sanger) Bond. The Current Members Page has been updated and photos have been added to the Membership photo album (available to members). (August 19, 2011)

Welcome to new members, Arthur (Felix) and Pauline Clarke. The Current Members Page has been updated (July 21, 2011)

Welcome to our newest member, Roger Blowers. The Current Members Page has been updated. (July 12, 2012)

From Linda Kelly: Johannesburg reunion Sat. Sept. 24th 2011 for all those born around the mid 1950's and schooled in Bulawayo. The website http://bulawayo1950.webs.com/ explains how to register. (June 26, 2011)

Frank Kennerley has provided the following information about "Smitty" (J E Smit):

"I managed to contact him on Friday 24th June 2011 just as his landline came back into operation, talk about timing.

What a difference. The old Smitty again, full of life in volume and tone.

He reports that he has regained some eight kgs in weight, he has been hunting (!!), doing his own driving and on the hunt trip he drove for two hours before calling it a session.

Tomorrow, Monday 27th June 2011, he is going for a check up scan and sounds confident that it will give him either a clean bill of heath or a much improved profile, I am not quite sure which way he is looking at it, but confident, man oh man, he is.

So there is the good news."

Added June 26, 2011

Thanks Leo Fincham for a photo added to the We Remember album (available to members). The picture includes the late Doug McLennan and the late Roy Burrett. (June 26, 2011)

A Mini reunion was held at The Goose when we visited London during March 2005. A Picture of the group, consisting of the Austins, Bales, Jacks and Adams can be seen in the 331(3) photo album (available to members) (June 26, 2011)

Thanks to Robin Graham for a tribute to Doug McLennan posted on the We Remember Part 2 Page. The 2 photos referred to are in the 331(2) album (available to members) (June 25, 2011)

Thanks to Robin Graham for 4 new photos posted to the Custom Houses, Ports, Places Etc. photo album (available to members) (June 19, 2011)

Thanks to John Glynn, 3 names have been added to the Roll of Honour Page. (June 19, 2011)

Welcome to our newest members, Jan & Geraldine Cornelius, bringing our membership to 216. The Current Members Page has been updated. (June 19, 2011)

Thanks to John Glynn for the new photo added to the 331(2) photo album (available to members) June 17, 2011)

Thanks to Neil Harper, 9 interesting photos have been added to the Custom Houses, Ports, Posts & Places photo album (available to members). June 17, 2011)

Dave & Bev Chittenden are welcomed as our newest members. The "Current Members" Page has been updated. June 17, 2011)

1 photo has been added to the "Membership" album and 2 have been added to the 331(2) album (albums available only to members). Thanks to Don Cowie for these. (June 17, 2011)

Welcome to our newest member, Alyson Owen (nee van Wyngaard) bringing our membership total to 213. The Current Members Page has been updated. (June 12, 2011)

Thanks to Eric Thomas, 4 new pictures have been added to the photo albums (available only to members) (June 12, 2011)

The Joburg Reunion 2008 keynote address by Leo Fincham has been added to the Joburg Reunion 2008 Page (June 12, 2011).

Email address (eDDRESSbook) Book & membership records etc. maintained by John "Aussie" Austin in England. Many thanks to Aussie for initiating this informal network and for spending a lot of time maintaining & updating records and for keeping the lines of communications open.

Content kindly provided by many members in the network.

Website and Members' private photo albums maintained by Arthur Adams in Washington State, USA. Email the webmaster

1. Email membership finds our former colleagues widely dispersed across the globe, including....
Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, China, Cyprus, England, Malawi, Mocambique, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA & Zimbabwe.

2. Email address book (eDDRESSbook) membership is free and gives you access to our various web-based photo albums, also for free. If you would like to join, simply complete the form on the Registration Form and select "Submit".

3. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Please feel free to use the "GUESTBOOK" (WEBLOG) to post and view messages and items of interest posted by members. Suggestions for the website can be placed here as well. Use the link above or the link to the Guestbook near the top of this page.

GUESTMAP: Please place a marker on your place of residence on the world map. Then add a comment. As you move over the various pins on the map with your curser, you will see the name & comment from the person who lives there. Click here to access the map, then click on "Hide Welcome Message". You can get a more accurate positioning by using the zoom feature. Select "List" at the top of the map to see details of all the posings and comments. You can also use the ZOOM feature when viewing the map to more clearly see the pins when there are several in a small area. After using the zoom feature, you can drag the map with your curser to make different areas of the map visible. 72 entries on the map as of May 9, 2011.

Links:

Rhodesia Remembered - Interesting Old Pictures

Homes in Zimbabwe - Youtube Appeal on behalf of the elderly, destitute & frail in Zimbabwe

You Know You Really Belong Here If ....A little nostalgia (From the RWW website)

Patricia Schonstein - Author - and Former Colleague : Read her books

South African Alliance of British Pensioners

Chas Lotter's "Rhodesian Roll of Honour"

Rhodesian Music Website

Bulawayo based Morning Mirror

Rhodesian Currency

Andre Guernier's Blog (Updated January 2012)

Rhodesians Worldwide Website

The Zimbabwe Independent Newspaper for reliable Zim News

zwnews for independant news on Zimbabwe