Guy Preston and the Chaplins

By Maeder Osler

I briefly met the renowned environmentalist Guy Preston many years ago.  When we met again recently, it was purely by chance, in an unlikely place and for an unusual reason – while admiring each other’s vehicles in front of the Matjesfontein Coffee Shop on the edge of the Karoo.

I was intrigued by a huge picture of Charlie Chaplin on the spare wheel cover of Guy’s SUV, a lime-green Suzuki Jimny. In turn, Guy displayed some interest in the Hoenderhaan (my rare and redoubtable Mahindra Thar).

In the course of our conversation, I learnt that Guy had known Chaplin personally – many years ago, he had sought him out at his Geneva home, where he was kindly received, and thereafter maintained contact with him and his wife, Oona, for a number of years until their deaths in 1977 and 1991 respectively.

Guy Preston with Charlie Chaplin, Geneva, 1973.

One thing led to another, and a while ago Guy invited Les and myself to attend a dinner and a showing of the Chaplin movie City Lights in the Hout Bay library, marking what would have been Chaplin’s 136th birthday. Also present was the veteran environmental journalist John Yeld and his wife, Martine, also a former Cape Town journalist.

When, in 2020, Guy retired from his illustrious 25-year career in the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, John wrote an informative tribute in Daily Maverick, titled The water Guy: a conservationalist who cast an indelible mark on our environment. Click to read – because it’s more than four years old, it’s not behind a paywall.

Guy was going to show a short presentation about his friendships with the Chaplins, but eventually did not do so. He has, however, sent it on to us. To view this charming account of a remarkable relationship, stretching across continents and generations, click here.