IF you have been to Winkelspruit Beach, you must have driven underneath the bridge leading to the beach. That bridge is actually called Hoot Bridge.
The history behind the name is quite interesting. Mrs Effie Morton (nee Ellock) who was a pupil at the Warner Government School from 1916 to 1927 told the story to the SUN many years ago.
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She said she was only three-years-old when her parents and family moved to the Winklespruit area in May, 1915. “My dad, Stephen Edwin Ellock, bought a
property named Banana Banks – the Cabanas del Mar development now exists on this same site.
“We lived in a wattle and daub home and had a tent as our kitchen. There was much excitement when dad later built brick bedrooms and a living room onto the newly built brick kitchen.”
“The bricks were brought from Durban by train and, while off loading took place near our home, the train driver and his mate were treated to tea and scones. We
had the first brick house in Winklespruit,” said Mrs Morton.
Mrs Morton remembers being driven to school by her brother Percy, in a pony and trap. The pony was called “Tony”.
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“We used to pick up our friend, Ilva Solomon, along the way and give her a lift to school. On arriving, we would tether Tony in the school grounds so she could keep the grass short! I also remember writing exams on a blackboard.”
“I struggled to read the questions as my left eye was so weak…”
Stephen Ellock’s original “Hoot” lettering still exists on the bridge near their old homestead. As Mr Ellock was hard of hearing, he was unaware of a speeding motorist coming towards him as he was walking towards the bridge one day.
Nearly being knocked down, he decided to paint “Hoot” on each of the four buttresses, so motorists could announce their presence before driving under the bridge.
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