Hermanus Hotels “Heydays!” Recalled
Hermanus Hotels “Hey Days!” Recalled
On Wednesday 3 December the Hermanus History Society published “In Those Days: the story of Joey van Rhyn Luyt at the Marine Hotel, Hermanus”. The book contains the memoirs of Joey van Rhyn Luyt (1894-1985), who was one of the most prominent characters in 20th century Hermanus history.
Mrs Luyt managed the original Marine Hotel, Hermanus, which, together with the Riviera Hotel above Grotto Beach, was owned by her husband P John Luyt. The Luyt family owned several hotels in Hermanus: the Windsor, the Birkenhead and the Esplanade among them. They played a key role in starting and developing the tourist industry, which is today the basis of Hermanus’ economy. In recognition of this fact the launch of the book was held under the auspices of the Hermanus Tourism Bureau and the Executive Mayor, Councillor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie spoke.
Joey Luyt dictated her story to her daughter Berdine in 1970, and Berdine produced a typescript of some 200 pages. Copies were distributed to family members, but no further action taken. Joey herself died in 1985 at the age of 91. Then, in early 2014, family member Carol Leipold showed the typescript to Dr Robin Lee, Secretary of the Hermanus History Society.
He immediately realised that it was worthy of publication, and, with the support of the family, edited the text lightly, located illustrations and produced a handsome volume of some 250 pages, with index.
Joey Luyt was born in the Northern Cape into an affluent and politically influential family, after which the present Vanrhynsdorp is named. She trained as a teacher and in 1915 took a post in the school at Hermanus. Within weeks she met and fell in love with P John Luyt, who was recently widowed, with four children. They married the same year, though both families opposed the union. Joey then became de facto manager of the Marine until John’s death in 1940 and owner/manager until she sold the hotel in 1947.
Several fascinating themes run through the book.
- The ingenuity and self-reliance needed to manage a first class hotel in a small fishing village 120 kilometres from the nearest town.
- The constant stream of royal, aristocratic, political, wealthy and famous names and artists, musicians and novelists that flowed through the hotel. Joey identifies over 200 of these by name, and has revealing stories to tell about many of them.
- The Luyt’s role in promoting tourism to Hermanus and the hotel, using a number of ingenious strategies. They, together with Meester William Paterson, can be credited with starting what we now call ‘eco-tourism’, as early as 1923.
Hermanus residents will find the book a fascinating addition to their knowledge of the past of their town. Visitors will find in it the romantic story of an indomitable character.
The book is available at the Hermanus Tourism Office, the Marine Hotel, The Book Cottage, Bookmark and Hemingway’s Books. It is just the thing to buy for yourself, for holiday reading, and to give to others as Xmas gifts to remind them of their heritage or their holidays.
Source: Robyn Lee
Photo: Old Harbour Museum Hermanus
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