GORDON BENTLEY

Profile Updated: October 29, 2022
GORDON BENTLEY
Residing In: Ladybrand, Free State South Africa
Spouse/Partner: Rosemary Married 11/12/1971 NOW 50 years
Children/Family: daughters: Anne, Nicola, Cathy & three grandchildren. My 16 year old grand son also wants to go farming More…as career!
Occupation(s): Quantity Surveyor, Farmer, Wool Broker (Retired) updated.
Military Service: 1965 Airforce Gymnasium  
Yes! Attending Reunion
Email Address:

gjabentley@gmail.com

Education:

BSc (QS) (U. KZ-N), Pr Qs, MAQS, AEP (Unisa)

Professional Quantity Surveyor and Advanced Executive Programme (Crash Course:"Master of Business Leadership" syllabus, 18 mths Part-Time)

Hobbies/Interests:

Wild-life, Motor biking/touring with my wife, water colour painting, hunting (for the pot only), reading scientific works on the natural sciences, Tavelling in wildest Africa, and abroad to Europe, etc

We have done many 4x4 trips into Africa, notably: Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya - Masai Mara, Botswana Central Kalahari. We also go regularly up to a friends Game farm bordering and open to the Kruger Park at the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve - wonderful holidays because we do as we please, drive and walk around in the wilderness (at own risk) and do some hunting for the pot when hungry.

School Story:

I was sent to DHS as boarder at the age of 12. We used to catch a train and and get to Durban the next day - wht an opportunity for mischief. Stuart Clarke used to catch the same train.
As a farm boy I was not too happy to be in the city and having to wear a blazer, tie and basher, particularly when I was used to wearing khaki shorts and shirt to school. But I got used it. I was not the best scholar in my early years. But I eventually buckled down to work in Matric and passed with a reasonable matric exemption

Comments:

I was a terror in class 3 BA which had "Porky" teaching us Science. I used to cause mayhem in his class often . One day "Porky had enough and sent me to stand outside. While I was whistling happily I kept eye open for any passing Master. I thought I would use the outside toilets as an escape route for any trouble. I then decided I'd better get into the doorway as deep as possible so that I was hidden from view from passing problems. As I was repositioning my self I had not seen "Wrinkles" turning on to the verandah and was walking directly towards my position. In the mean time, all my jostling around at the door alerted "Porky, who came out to investigate. Now I was Done. Wrinkles arrived first and before I could complete my story about cramps and needing the toilet, "Porky" arrived and butted in. To cut a long story short, "Wrinkles" made an appointment for me to see him after school - and gave me a set of four viscous cuts.

PROFILE UPDATE HERE:
What with covid and the bad economic conditions in Lesotho. I resigned from my QS practice and only go through the border periodically. Although I still am a proflt sharing Director and have a property investment in Lesotho. My co-director Mohapi Makosholo still asks me occasionally to do Consultancy services for the practice, as needed.
I have also ceased my cattle farming activities at age 73. partially due the periodic droughts we were experiencing in the Free State. It was very Stressful trying to feed some 200 head of cattle during this time. I sold two of my big farms to my neighbour but kept my small farm (sub-division) with our house, in which we are still living.

I could not see ourselves living in a Townhouse after 35 years of living on a farm. We do have security - Electric fence, big German Shepherd dogs, burglar guards etc. I also could not leave my Solar Electricity installation, which works so well during blackouts (SA government x!!!xx).

My recent new interests: Rosemary and I have made application to join the San Parks honorary Rangers this will give us a lot of time in the Game parks which we can do together(good for relationships and time on our hands.

I have also started writing again. During my povert-stricken Varsity days I started writing Short Stories for magazines, etc. as a way to survive. I got many rejection slips but Bentley is determind. So I started studying stories to establish the formula for marketable short stories. I eventually cracked it. I submitted two short stories and got two acceptances by return of post. So i was away.
Ive got at least two novels in me - so who knows what might happen...

What else have you been up to since 1964?

I went to University in Pietermaritzburg to do Veterinary Science (Graham Bell and Roy Morris were also at this campus). I had a very good social year and ended up only passing a few subjects.
My father decided to terminate my sponsored education at this stage (I was warned..) I then worked for some two years 24/7 as a Land Surveyor on the Orange River Scheme part at Addo Elephant Park and then mostly put myself through through a BSc degree in Quantity Surveying. I stayed on in the profession for a while in Durban. I lectured and tutored part-time at varsity for awhile. I then joined TDH Construction as a Director and Chief Quantity Surveyor. All the while hankering after getting back to my rural roots. I then got the position of managing an office for a UK based QS practice in Maseru, Lesotho. Not long after that I bought the practice and appointed a local Mosotho Partner, Mohapi Makosholo, and have been operating in this manner ever since 1985.
We lived in Maseru for some months and then bought a farm in the mountains of the beautiful Eastern Free state. I subsequently bought two adjoining farms and have now ended up with some 800 hectares (+/- 2,000 acres) of lovely farmland. I farm beef Cattle and Mutton Merino sheep. I also run a wool broking business on the farm.

I ride a 1000cc motor bike through the border to and from Maseru and the farm We feel priviledged to be able to live on a farm some 8km from a city and my office. We are very happy here. Life after retirement is described in the COMMENTS box.

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Jul 08, 2023 at 11:33 AM
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Jun 21, 2023 at 11:12 AM

Thanks a lot Gabby. All is well with us. Hope you are well and we may meet at our 60 th Reunion.

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Oct 31, 2022 at 1:43 PM
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Oct 26, 2022 at 12:43 PM

Posted on: Oct 22, 2022 at 8:21 PM

GORDON BENTLEY has left an In Memory comment for Profile.
Apr 01, 2022 at 1:54 PM

Gordon Bentley (Class Of 1964)

I agree whole heartedly with all the above comments and the comment made by Paul van der Wall: Allan Wilkensen was "the best" and I was equally very sad to hear of his passing.

Incidentally, Paul I am pleased to announce that I conquered my "severe stutter" of which you wrote, many years ago, I successfully forced myself into public speaking at every oppurtunity. As a member of Round Table and Later President of Rotary and had decided long ago that the stuttering was no longer an option.

I must admit I was generally a bad scholar. I was far more interested in baiting Teachers such as the likes of  "Porky" (in 3BA). But never Allan Wilkinson.

Yes, Allan  was kind to me, personally. I told him I was interested in doing some sort of Science as a career but was disinterested in school. He very correctly and kindly told me that if I wanted to achieve this I would have to buckle down and master Mathematics, Physics, etc. I barely passed standard 9 but put in a great effort in Matric and with Allan's guidence, in 6BA. I passed matric with a fair university exemption. After this  I began to build up a passion for Maths and Science. I was very interested in astronomy for a long period.

Thanks to Allen, once I had done our solar system I embarked on an understanding Deep Space this was the realm of higher Mathematics - Einstein, Relativity, Math Matrices etc. - Mind boggling.

To cut a long story short I then embarked  on sorting out my Career and successfully did Bsc(QS) degree in Quantity Surveying, again thanks to Allan. At our 50th Anniversary I met up with Allan again. He looked at me with that quizzical look of his and said "Bentley did you come right with your Maths endeavours? I said "Yes Sir, thanks to you." When I expanded this a bit, he smiled that Wilkinson Smile and said "Well done."

My sincere condolences to his family.