INTRODUCTION
CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF THE ‘HOUSE BENNING’ BUILT BY AFJ BENNING IN 1922
HOUSE BENNING, NO1 MELKHOUT AVE BUILT AND COMPLETED DURING 1922 BY
ANTHONY FREDERIK JACOBUS BENNING
‘THE FLYING DUTCHMAN’
AN EARLY FOUNDER FATHER OF THE VILLAGE OF KOMMETJIE
CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF THE ‘HOUSE BENNING’ BUILT BY AFJ BENNING IN 1922
INTRODUCTION
CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF THE ‘HOUSE BENNING’ BUILT BY AFJ BENNING IN 1922
This picture storybook of the beloved House Benning also fondly knowns as ‘The Holiday House’ or No 1 Melkhout Ave, or from the 1990’s as the ‘Hopper House’, has been conceived by myself Fred Benning, born on 19th June 1937, the year of Grandfather AFJ passing away.
Together with brother Leo Benning have collected and compiled from family/friends’ photo albums and stories and interviews with family and friends who have come forward with memories of their associations with the bespoke residence.
Since its completion in 1922, the building in its various extensions and internal modification and upgrading, ownership has passed through various Era’s, these being ;
ERA I 1922 – 1937 Anthony Frederik Jacobus Benning (1868- 1937) aka Anton/Antoon Benning
ERA II 1938 – 1977 Victor Leopold Benning ( 1898-1979) aka Oupa Victor
ERA III 1978 – 1990 Alexander-Hamilton Fredrik Benning aka Fred Benning
ERA IV 1991– 2003 The David Delbridge Family Trust
ERA V 2003 - to the present day, The Abe Bailey Family Trust
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS
‘The passing of time, dulls the sense of memory’ is a saying that I had conjured up many years ago!!
So as ‘time’ and decades of life have passed by so fast, one cannot always remember what occurred…………………………….. Life has passed by ever so quickly, we need to make time to catch up, to the best of our ability!!
With his in mind, and before I forget, the creation of this ‘Picture Storybook’ would not have been possible without the gratuitous assistance and contributions of many family, close friends, and relatively new acquaintances.
So let me sincerely thank all folks who have willingly assisted with contributions of photos, video clips, snippets of news, conversations and interviews, WA messages and pics, concerning their time spent at HOUSE BENNING celebrating its 100th year of existence in 2022
• The Abe Bailey Family Trust, the current owners and landlord and Prospero Bailey for the Trust’s generous assistances
• The Dave Delbridge Fam. Trust for their continued interest and contribution to the ERA IV building improvements phase, photos and happy recollection of their time at Hopper House!!
• Frankie Fleck of Cape Hideaways, the Letting Agent for Hopper House, her unstinting efforts to help provide information, digital picture of the house and its beautiful surroundings, and to make us feel at HOME ofr a weekend of celebration!!
• Friends of the Kommetjie Library through the good auspices of the CoCT Library Service in Kommetjie, Jane Ross, for permission to use the cover picture photographed by Patricia Evans in1998 and coped from ‘ A Century of Kommetjie’ book published in 2002
• Leo Benning (88)for the hundreds of Kommetjie photos, many stories of his enjoyment and exercising off Kommetjie and Long Beach and the house we shared, and his assistance with compiling the storybook
• All contributions from family members and relatives in the persons of matriarch Selma Stuart(95), ably assisted by her daughter Renee Duggan, cousin Bill van der Poll(88) and Anida van der Spuy(Nee Benning)
• Sister-in-laws Marie Benning, Karin v d Merwe, and cousin Corinne Waugh, and Di Kok for their contributions
• The French Sisters, Marilyn and Lesley for inputs as far back as the 1950’s
• Benning siblings Donald, Lou-Ann, Helen and Zander for their happy memoirs and ditty’s about experiences at No 1 Melkhout Ave.
• From Durbanville, Jan v d Spuy an old school buddy and specialist building adviser during the ERA III building Extension by myself
• Most importantly my better half, Denise Benning for her forgiving love, understanding, patience and acceptance of my continuing ‘Heads Up’ to complete this book in time for our 60th Wedding Anniversary.
• Assistance given by Orms in City, Creative PhotoLab Steenberg Village for printing, and ZipPrint Fish Hoek with scanning and trial prints.
FOREWORD BY LEO BENNING
All credit must be given to my young ‘boet’, Alexander-Hamilton Fredrik Benning, Freddie to us family, for coming up with this almost impossible dream of producing this booklet about the Kommetjie house at no 1 Melkhout Lane in a short 6 month period.
This holiday house at No.1 Melkhout Ave, was the brainchild of our amazing grandfather Anthony Frederik Jacobus Benning who is also regarded as the father of the village of Kommetjie has meant a lot to many of the greater Benning family.
Fred and I had spent most of our school going and some university years here during our summer vacations. That means from about 1939 into the 1960's.
Fred, Denise and their four youngsters were the only Benning’s who actually lived in the house for any length of time. This was from February 1985 to end 1990.
However, the house was a trifle small for six adults to live in comfortably, so this led to the enlargement by constructing the two wings in the front of the house.
During June, 1990 the house was sold to Dave Delbridge who later renovated the inside and added the swimming pool in the extended front property. The current owner of the house is the Abe Bailey Family Trust.
As the Benning house was built in 1922, Fred decided it would be wonderful to celebrate the centenary in December and combine it with the 60th wedding anniversary of Denise and himself from Friday 10th to Sunday 12th December this year.
Due to the pandemic requirements groups of family and friends will be accommodated in groups of about 8 people to reside on the Friday and Saturday nights and food will be provided by Helen Lee (nee' Benning} at various times during the three days.
Personally I loved this home from home where I enjoyed the pristine beach that for many years started right here where the rocks have been for a long time, 20 - 30 years perhaps?
It was easy for me to choose running and walking to the wreck of the Kakapo about 3 km to the north or further to the end of Het Lange Strand at Noordhoek another 3 km beyond rather than 'swim' in the very cold Atlantic "of om 'n poging aan te wend om onwillige vis met 'n visstok en katrol aan wal te bring."
Surfing on long boards became very popular in the waves just beyond the Benning house in the late 40'and early 50's and continues to this day. "Sommige van die 'vet' Bennings het branders gery, maar beslis nie die 'maer' Bennings nie".
May all who have the opportunity of viewing his PowerPoint Presentation by brother Fred, congratulate him on his persistence and perseverance to get the job done JIT for the celebratory weekend.
Liefdegroete
Ouboet Leo
ERA I
A.F.J.BENNING 1921 - 1937
An aerial view of Kommetjie Village with Klein Slangkop and Long beach leading to Chapmans Peak in the distance
A view or the wreck of the SS Kakapo a third way along Long Beach towards Chappies
A WATER COLOUR OF THE RED ROOFED HOUSES OWNED BY TEUBES, BENNING, RUBI AND SEELIGER VIEWED FROM RIGHT TO LEFT CIRCA 1904 OVERLOOKING THE KOM BASIN
OUMA
ANNA MARIA BENNIING
OUPA
ANTHONY JACOBUS FREDERIK BENNING
a.k.a. Antoon Benning
ARCHITECTS LUBYNSKI - CAPE TOWN 1922
A SCANNED COPY OF THE ORIGINAL HOUSE BENNING PLANS IN LINEN CLOTH
ONE OF THE FIRST PHOTOS OF THE HOUSE BENNING COMPLETED DURING 1922
Many members of the extended Benning, Kruse, Seeliger families outside the house loved by so many generations
……OF THE MANY FAMILY VISITS TO HOLIDAY HOUSE CIRCA 1930!!
Willy and Pauline v d Poll getting their feet wet
amongst the kelp
YET MORE VISITORS ON STOEP SIDE STAIRWAY
Fred,
Discovered a lovely family photo of Oupa, Pauline, Selma, Beau and myself taken on the sand dunes most probably 1934/35.
I was too young to remember this scene, but I do have pleasant recollections of exploring the rocky shoreline in front of the Zeeliger’s home for klipvis, and periwinkels.
After boiling the periwinkels the meat was extracted with a hairpin .Lot of work, but great fun for a small reward.
Go well,
Cousin Bill
END