An Email from Diana

It was so nice to hear from both Adrian and Diana in recent weeks, here is Dianas email for you all to read.


Hi Rosie,

I have been in touch with both Gill Illingworth and Melina over the past few months. Melina has told me about your blog - it is great and so strange to see some of the photos I took at our social functions appearing there! Being in the stick, we do not have ADSL or anything more fancy than dial-up. But we do now have free calls out of peak time so I will go in again to see your updates!

I had so many photos, negatives, etc as well as all the editions of the Premier News that I contributed to over about 4 years in a blue file - all of which I left behind at Datacentrix when I left last May. Maybe they are still there but I somehow doubt it. Maybe you could ask Mario, Tony Turner or someone else with access to the Woodmead offices to check out my old corner / cupboards etc. The only thing I kept was my plague for winning Scribe of the Year - that featured your Oceanic disaster as the centerpiece photo.

For several years Ian and I had had enough of JHB and the rat race and we spent some time traveling around SA looking for a country area we liked. Finally in March 2005 we spent time in Nottingham Road (about 1.5 hours inland on the N3 from Durban, in case you do not know). We bought the house back in July 2005 but rented it back to the owners until we could take occupation which was only on 1 June 2006. We have sold everything we had in JHB and have no inclination to ever return. Unless there is a wedding, special birthday or suchlike that we feel compelled to go to. Ian's daughter Fiona is still there working at Standard Bank Treasury now so who knows.

Ian sold his practice as at the end of July 2006 but took the 2 months holiday he had "saved" up and moved to the Natal Midlands from 1 June. We live in a house called Station House, halfway between Mooi River and Rosetta, which is a converted station (it was built in 1901 and decommissioned in 1956). We are busy renovating the house now (it was thought to be a 4 month project but it will take about 6 - 7 months!). We are very secluded being basically the end of the "railway" line and surrounded on 3 sides by a dairy farm and the other by the Mearns Dam which is the dammed Mooi River, and which has great bass fishing for Ian. He sometimes fishes morning, noon and evening from spring to autumn!! There are 3 other houses within a kilometres stretch along the dam but all of them are holiday homes that sit empty for about 80 - 90% of the time.

We have a cottage which we rent out (mainly weekend visitors) which gives us time during the week to enjoy ourselves. If you want to look at the cottage the website is www.wheretostay.co.za/stationhouse.

Sandy Stiles / Lambert from Info Centre is now Sandy Olivier having got married again to Ollie last December. She and her son Duncan, now about 14 I think, from her marriage to Alan, were here to visit us for a few days in June when we had our first snow. She is not currently working except to help Ollie in some of his business interests but her personal email address is (contact me for address). Sandy used to meet up with Carol at Woolies in Links but I am not sure if she still sees her or not - I will ask.

I can hardly believe how time has flown. Ian and I have been married for nearly 14 years, Melina and Lawrence longer than that and you and Derrick must have been married quite some time too.

We have 3 email addresses but all come to the same mailbox under Ian's name - (let me know if ou want any of these).

As far as I know Dorothy is still working at FNB as is Ncedisa Kandawire he left Datacentrix about 2 years ago. If so her email should be (I have this if anyone wants it). Oscar is also at FNB to the best of my knowledge but I cannot remember the surname. Thebo used to be at Standard Bank but I think he moved to somewhere in the States. Ncedisa could be a good contact though for all these people.

And lastly it was Ian Gray not Grey!! (I knew that Di I was just messing, Gray with the grey hair).

Well must get on with my other things now.

Take care, Di