Moon news memories

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It’s taken a while: I can’t believe it’s nearly three weeks ago since @ericvancewalton’s #memoirmonday question, was about the first major news story one had lived through – as a child.

I had to think hard because I am very conscious that living in South Africa, and particularly as a young adult in the 1980s, I have lived some of the most momentous news stories witnessed by the 20th century. Perhaps the most “famous” was the release of Nelson Mandela. Although that’s now more than 40 years ago, I remember that day), and the announcement as though they were yesterday.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about days – news, I suppose – indelibly etched in my memory. I allude to my first real news story in that post.

That first real news story

You know, there are times that it’s only after the fact that one realises how earth-shattering certain events are. Especially when you’re only six years old. I remember (Or so I thought) that we came home that winter afternoon and, unusually, we all gathered in the sitting room, around the radio. In 1969 in South Africa, we did not have television: that only arrived some eight years later. I learned, very young, how to make pictures in my head from the words that came from voices in the radio.

I can’t, for the life of me remember whether we were told why we were shushed and sat around the radio. We probably were. That doesn’t matter though, because I remember what I heard.

The crackly, hissy noise of the commentator as the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle uncoupled from the Apollo 11 space craft and descended to the surface of the moon. The actual landing was just after 6pm local time: we must have listened for more than an hour before that moment actually happened, and I heard that now famous phrase:

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

I know that must have been the timing because when I checked, the time didn’t “jive” with my memory. My memory used to tell me that I was still in my school uniform (I was in Sub A/Grade 1/year 1). Now, I learn, that my memory’s been deceiving me: that was a Sunday afternoon, and it must have been around the tea trolley.

This is what we would have seen, had we had television.

I have subsequently watched this, many times, as I watched, often, the space shuttle go into orbit. As I did, with horror, the footage, that Tuesday in January 1986, as the Challenger and its crew did not go into orbit.

Thank you, Eric, for making me revisit – in more ways than one – this memory.

Finally

It also made me revisit two of my favourite song memories - for different reasons. And yes, I'm indulging myself:

In chronological order:

David Bowie's Space Oddity:

The Police Walking On The Moon

Until next time
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa

Photo: Selma
Post script

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