Do you remember yo-yos, bell bottoms, playing “stingers” with a tennis ball at break or winding up cassette tapes with a Bic pen?
Do you remember yo-yos, bell bottoms, playing “stingers” with a tennis ball at break or winding up cassette tapes with a Bic pen?
I posed this question to my Twitter followers and received an overwhelming response which in summary was, yes, we remember all these things. Even Tamagotchis, flaky pastry sausage rolls from the school tuck shop and K-TV.
As a child I distinctly remember begging my mother to stop at the supermarket so I could buy a yo-yo, especially in 1997, the year of the Coca-Cola and Sprite yo-yo promotional gifts.
I also vaguely recall buying bell bottoms in hippie central, Knysna, and making scoubidous at school.
Many of these random memories are celebrated in Trevor Romain’s book, Random kak I remember about growing up in South Africa, which will resonate most with people who grew up in the 70s and 80s.
Maybe even a little before and after. The yo-yo craze is outlined on page 3.
Random kak I remember about growing up in South Africa is a straightforward book full of random nonsense, memories and colourful illustrations.
The cartoons are balanced with thought-provoking blurbs and it lends itself well to an easy-to-read coffee table or waiting room book.
Some of Romain’s nostalgia-inducing illustrations refer to making a mini surfboard necklace with Perspex; when a short person was called 'two bricks and a ticky high' and Enid Blyton’s Noddy and Big Ears.
Romain dedicates a page to the clean, crisp smell of sunlight soap – even seeing his depiction of the wrapping will take you on a trip down memory lane.
The book isn’t exactly what one would call artistic – it’s about memories, simplicity and it’s a great conversation starter.
If you know someone who always reminisces about the old days this might make a light-hearted Christmas gift.
Cartoonist Zapiro describes it as, “vividly evocative of the sights and sounds of the old South Africa, with a hint of the madness underpinning it all”.
For more information on Random kak I remember about growing up in South Africa go to the Penguin Book website at penguinbooks.co.za and search for the title.
Random kak I remember about growing up in South Africa by Trevor Romain
Published by Penguin Books South Africa
Received from Penguin Books for review purposes
ISBN: 9780143538172
Recommended retail price: R150
Published: June 2013
Rating: 2.8/5
Tweets about the good old days
Roxanne Daniels @RoxiRayy
@cohensarah stingers with a plastic hollow ball was always better for the chickens of the group, I wound up cassettes for fun!
PamAgainstRape @Starletta929
That's so much admin @cohensarah: Did anyone here write crib notes on their tie at school and try and look at them without seeming guilty?
Marcel Oudejans @Marcel_Perform
@cohensarah LOL, Ktv 🙂 Now they’re all serious TV presenters.
Andy Walker @reddevilandy10
@cohensarah All of those except bell bottoms, but I do remember dungarees!
Kgali Tshabalala @Kgali_Kgali
I lovingly remember them all 🙂 RT @cohensarah Who remembers playing "stingers" with a tennis ball during break? How about bell bottoms?
