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I have spoken to so many Simon’s Town people and they all love Simon’s Town with a passion. The excitement is contagious. The energy is there to focus on what can be done to solve problems and make it even better.
Click to enlarge your fellow neigbours
I am sure you know who said, “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man”. Let’s take J.F.K’s words and make it our Simon’s Town motto and together see where we can help.
I am an optimist and believe that together we can make it better. What about you? Tell me why you think SimonsTown is such a great place and if you feel that SimonsTown is a great place but some issues need attention then please share them.
SimonsTown has the spectacular view, the naval history, the historical buildings and unfortunately the neglect of these, the whales and the penguins, Just Nuisance and the Chacma baboons, even if we don’t always like them they attract attention. We have our own mountain and the sea, we have lots of things to do in and around SimonsTown and then we have valuations and height restrictions.
Let those fingers start rolling across your keyboard and tell us what you like or dislike:
If you are not a member you can tell me if you agree with the comments and I’ll publish them.
SimonsTownRealty: Sell, Buy A Simon’s Town Property? Phone Today 021-7864028 or 082 870 2004 How Do You Care For Your Second Home When You Are From Out Of Town? Ask The Local Eye To Take Care.
Hi my name is Just Nuisance Junior. I was asked by Just Nuisance Senior to come down and spread the message. He wanted me to tell you the truth about his life and explain the reason why dogs exist; to share love.
As you may know Just Nuisance Senior was the only dog ever to be officially enlisted in the Royal Navy. Because dog loving sailors wanted to protect him from bad people, people who wanted to ban him from the trains in and around Simon’s Town. He was a Great Dane who from 1939 to 1944 served at a Royal Navy shore establishment in Simon’s Town, South Africa.
Humans speculate about Just Nuisance Senior’s birth date. It may be 1 April 1937, in a suburb of Cape Town. Apparently Benjamin Chaney tried to be his owner. But Just Nuisance Senior had other plans. He decided to be popular with the navy. By sharing love in return for fun and food at the naval base and dockyards. Because he could not always entertain people he would fall asleep on the decks of ships and unfortunately in the way of everybody. My huge Great Dane friend presented a sizable nuisance for those trying to board or disembark.
The BBC said that Just Nuisance Senior got his name because he injured his tail and wagged blood on his friends. It may be true but he prefers the sailor’s version. Sailors called him Just Nuisance because he was always trying to be close, but always in the way.
My heavenly friend Just Nuisance was allowed freedom, he followed the sailors, took train trips as far a field as Cape Town, 35 km away. Unfortunately the conductors were not fond of him, and kicked him off regularly. Just Nuisance Senior was not sensitive to abuse; he waited for the following train or walked to another station and boarded the next train that came along.
Do you know what unconditional love is? It’s when a conductor wants to kick Just Nuisance of the train and amused travelers offer to pay his fares. Eventually the railway company threatened to put Nuisance down if he was not stopped from being a nuisance.
When sailors fall in love with you and other people threaten to kill you, you may wind up being a sailor. The Navy decided on clemency and officially enlisted him as a morale booster, for the troops serving in World War Two. This qualified him for free rail travel. He was enlisted on 25 August 1939: under the surname “Nuisance” and he was christened “Just”, the “Bone Crusher”, the religious “Canine Divinity League”.
People today believe that Just Nuisance Senior never went out to sea. All they agree is that he fulfilled roles ashore. They think he only accompanied sailors on train journeys, and escorted them back when the pubs closed. Just Nuisance Senior conducted navy duties of his own choosing; he was a marketer for dogs he even promoted his own “wedding” to Great Dane, Adinda. They had five pups, two of which were auctioned off in Cape Town by humans to raise funds for the War effort. Can you believe this?
Just Nuisance Senior said that people say his service was not exemplary. Ok. He did travel on trains without his free pass, he went being absent without leave, he lost his collar and he refused to leave the pub at closing time, apparently he was sentenced to have all bones removed for seven days for sleeping in an improper place. Just Nuisance Senior asked me to never agree to any of these unjust allegations.
Just Nuisance Senior knew he was in the way but he never thought humans driving cars would not see him. And one day it happened. He was struck by a car and the injuries sustained gradually paralyzed him. On 1 January 1944 he was discharged from the Navy while his condition continued to deteriorate; on 1 April 1944 he was taken to Simon’s Town Naval Hospital where naval veterinary surgeon decided to put him to sleep.
The next day his body was draped with a Royal Naval White En-sign, and he was buried with full naval honors, including a gun salute, and the playing of the Last Post. Today a simple granite headstone marks his grave, but a statue was erected in Jubilee Square in Simon’s Town to celebrate.
When I left Just Nuisance Senior he asked me to celebrate life, to celebrate the unconditional dog love and to share it with people.
We love you Just Nuisance Senior
You are a true dog
Just Nuisance Junior
Contact the Simon’s Town Museum at stmuseum @ mweb . co . za
The Simon’s Town Museum provide organised tours and lectures.
SimonsTownRealty: Sell, Buy A Simon’s Town Property? Phone Today 021-7864028 or 082 870 2004 How Do You Care For Your Second Home When You Are From Out Of Town? Ask The Local Eye To Take Care.
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