In September, False Bay Echo introduced a new monthly column, Community Chronicles, which will spotlight everyday members of the community who make a positive impact in their own unique way.
These are the people who quietly contribute to the fabric of our community, often through community involvement, social media, or simple acts of kindness, helping to create a supportive environment and build community cohesion.
In this month’s feature, we introduce Harry Croome, a “spontaneous doer” who fixes anything that needs fixing in his hometown Simon’s Town. He shares his passion for history and talks about some of the exciting projects he has worked on.
Q: How long did you work for the SA Navy, what was your rank and when did you retire?
A: I retired from the SA Navy after 40 years of service, with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 1, in August 2019 at the age of 60.
Q: How did you become involved in all the various projects you are working on?
A: I was born and bred in Simon’s Town and grew up surrounded by the town’s historical legacy. I also served my last eight years in the navy as the warrant officer in charge of the SA Naval Museum. This cemented my interest in history and became the natural progression to getting involved with preserving the heritage of the town.
Q: What inspires you to do what you do?
A: I’ve never really thought about it, but I love the town, and as a spontaneous doer, my instinct is to simply get on with fixing what needs fixing. I may have inherited this sense of community from my mother, who was a nurse at the former Cottage Hospital with the green roof, still located next to the entrance to Happy Valley.
Q: Since your retirement, what is the most exciting project you have worked on?
A: I have been fortunate to be involved with many exciting projects, even long before retirement such as the restoration of the 9 Inch RML gun at Middle North Battery in Simon’s Town and the 9.2 inch breech-loading guns on Robben Island. However, the most exciting, and rewarding project, was getting the 208- year-old West Dock Yard clock on the roof of the SA Naval Museum operational again.
Q: Share a fun fact about yourself.
A: I was a passionate long-distance runner and completed five Comrades and nine Two Oceans marathons, including getting a silver medal in the latter. My running days came to a halt after my big toe was crushed when I accidentally dropped a manhole cover on it while doing repairs at Water’s Edge Pre-school two weeks before my tenth Two Oceans Marathon which would have earned me a permanent race number.
Q: What projects you are working on?
A: Getting the SAS Assegaai submarine ready for the public by mid-December this year as well as giving the historical Simon’s Town Dutch Reformed Church, built in 1856, some much-needed TLC.
Q: What do you do for fun when you are not helping, fixing, restoring, or maintaining something in Simon’s Town?
A: Road trips – anywhere in South Africa, but especially up the West Coast – watching the sunrises and sunsets at Elands Bay, and stopping at Laaiplek Hotel for a seafood platter. I have also recently started enjoying arthouse films at The Labia in Cape Town on Sundays.
