To me, the highlight of the shows in which I participated was our performance on William "Falconetti" Smith's show at Sanlam Centre, Parow in March 1978.  (You do know who he is - from the 1970s TV series "RICH MAN, POOR MAN" part 1?????)

This is how it came about.  Through my interest in "The Iron Game", for years I knew about William Smith as a bodybuilder.  Also, although we did not have TV until mid-1970, I was already familiar with many USA TV stars through my interest in the subject.  So, when, by chance, I heard in very early 1978 that he was being brought out by the Sanlam Centre in Parow, I decided that I just had to meet this guy - after all, I had been a fan of his before 90% of his new fans here even knew he existed!!

I have many and varied contacts for all sorts of odd things, so I started calling all my contacts.  One of these contacts was a former Gym & Woodwork master at my old high school, one Dawie Maritz.  Before the advent of TV in our country, Dawie had recorded many, many radio plays (in Afrikaans) and had also done stage work for the regional Afrikaans repertory Company.  Since the advent of TV, he had been involved in many of our local TV productions.

Dawie put me onto the Sanlam Centre (Mall) manager.  In those days, the "Anchor" tenant at the mall was a store "Greatermans".  When I 'phoned this man, Okkie Sadie, at first he was not interested in my wanting to meet Smith:  as he explained, they were spending thousands of Rand to bring this man out, and, as time was money, there was no way he could give me time with the man.  I just happened to mention to Okkie that Bill Smith had been a bodybuilder / weightlifter and had also been involved with "Arm-wrestling".  I also mentioned that I was a member of a weightlifting club, hence my interest in meeting Bill Smith.

Okkie mentioned to me that he had a letter from a club that had offered to give exhibitions at their promotional events.  When he read the letter to me, it turned out to be my PHTC Club, and I told him so!  He then came up with the idea of the club’s giving an exhibition on Bill Smith's show and possibly getting Bill to join in on an item or two.  I told Okkie that he would have to phone Toni Asaro who owns the club and arranges shows and so I gave him Toni's number.

Well, that started the ball rolling.  A couple of hours later Toni phoned me to say that we were going to meet Falconetti!!!  I then told him about my having phoned Okkie!!  The next week, our local Afrikaans newspaper, "Die Burger", borrowed some of my "Muscle magazines" that featured articles and/or photos of Bill Smith.  One of these pictures appeared in the newspaper a day or two later, with an article containing details from the magazines.  This was "one up" on the two English local "dailies", "The Cape Argus" and "The Cape Times".

A few days later, Toni, another PHTC club member, Martin, and I attended an evening meeting with Okkie and the Managers of the various stores at the centre.  I was asked to draw up a "script" for Bill.  On the big night, my (then) girlfriend Jill and I went to meet him at the goods entrance when he arrived.  I was actually suprised at how slim he was in real life.  He is 6 feet 2 inches (1.88metres) and in the photos I'd seen in the muscle magazines over the years (and in the couple of movies I had seen him in) he looked much bigger!!!

I introduced ourselves and asked whether he'd had time to go through the script.  He replied that he had and was happy with it except that he would NOT be particpating in any lifting demonstrations.  He was being escorted by about 6 guys all as tall as or taller than Bill.  (I was told later that these were all Black Belt Karate guys!!)  Jill and I walked with his group to the stage area.  What a roar from the crowd when he appeared!!

The photo below was taken just after Bill appeared onto the raised stage.  The MC was a chap called Riaan – I remember he used to work at a business (Kulu Motors) near the Sanlam centre but I can’t recall his surname.  He and Bill were each on a microphone and something humerous had obviously just been said!!