Issue - Greyton Country News

THE SENTINEL
NUMBER 57, DECEMBER 2007.
Monthly newspaper for Genadendal
& Greyton, including the communities of Bereaville, Bosmanskloof,
Heuwelkroon and Vorstekraal
R7
Once again floods
cause havoc
With 305mm of rain falling
over 36 hours, Greyton has
been hit yet again by devastating floods. The repairs to
previous flood damaged infrastructure in August
2006,
which had still to be completed,
have either been washed away
or, as in the case of the bridges
over the Scholz river, seemingly
inadequate.
The garden and home of a
resident on the corner of
(c) that the cause of the
flooding at the Queen Street
bridge was due to a wall
which had been constructed
around an oak tree in an
attempt to retain the tree.
Mayor
Chris
Punt
and
Municipal Manager
Stan Wallace examined the
damage in Greyton on Friday November 23rd. Mr.
Punt praised all the workers
who had put so much effort
for over 300 people.
There has been much
praise from residents for the
Town Manager, Denver Damons, and his staff who, together with Ward Council
member, Derek Crabtree,
were out at all hours reconnecting services. Councillor
Caroline Wood handed out
food parcels and blankets to
those in need.
A helicopter which had
been standing by, rescued the
tenants of the house in the
municipal campsite. They are
still unable to return to their
home due to the damage
sustained.
Floods are no new
phenomenon in Greyton.
Liefred October and his family
who lived at the far end of
Vlei Street in 1962, called
Vaalkamp, were woken by
their dog at 01h00 to a torrent
of water pouring over them.
Liefred had to be pulled out
from under a collapsed wall.
The family lost their home
and one man from the village
was drowned.
It will be some time before
services are fully restored but
at time of going to press all
areas had electricity and most
had water.
The gaping hole in the road to Riviersonderend.
Caledon and Queen streets
was completely inundated with
water from the flowing river. A
house in Queen Street was
completely surrounded.
A personal opinion by one
of the contractors for uncompleted repairs to the water
pipes in Nerina Street considered that: (a) the bridge in Nerina Street now needed redesigning as the river had widened; (b) that Caledon Street
should become a cul-de-sac to
allow
the
river
a
free
flow at the lower (south) end;
into getting services reestablished
but
added
that ‘he did not know how
they [the Municipality] would
pay for the damage this time’.
When asked about the failure of the previous repairs
and whether Council would
be carrying out a forensic
audit into subsequent damage, there was no comment.
Lack of electricity and
water had meant many were
unable to cook and keep dry.
Greyton Red Cross, with
volunteers, served hot food
House at the corner of Queen and Caledon streets
Page 2
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
COMMENT
'Water water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink ...'
Tuesday morning. Its raining
again
and adding to the
already record 305 mm. plus
dumped on a sodden Overberg
in less than a week. A frontend loader rumbles past.
Another main supply pipe has
given in to flood-water pressure and
once again
many have no water. Voorstekraal folk have been without for six days.
Denver Damon and his
small local municipal team
have been great. Working 24/7
they have and are achieving
wonders to keep essential
amenities running with 'makedo-and-mend'
techniques.
Regrettably, as the MunicipaliDecember 2007
24a Oak Street, Greyton
[email protected]
Tel: 028 254 9061
ty to date has made no attempt whatsoever to tell anyone anything, a non-existent
public relations and a complete lack of communication
between the Council and the
Community have detracted
from ‘Team Denver‘s’ tremendous
hard
work.
The rain will ease and the
weather will no doubt slip
into summer mode.
However,
the debris,
mud and mess which have
been dumped on our small
communities will
not disperse for many days. Nor will
those extra personal worries
which accompany sudden
misfortune go away overnight. Some folk, including
the elderly, have suffered
appalling home damage for
the second time in less than
16 months.
Issue Number 57
PO Box 312, Greyton 7233
Gillian Cell: 078 163 2889
John Cell: 083 658 4937
Editor, Layout & Advertising: Gillian Kingston
Editorial Adviser & Writer: John Wynne-Edwards
Before memories of 'yet
another flood' dim, many
questions must be asked.
Floods are acts of nature
and occur with little warning. But this is the 21st
century. Surely there must be
enough knowledge garnered
here for
the authorities
responsible to call up consultative professionals for an
independent assessment of
what is obviously a repetitive
situation?
Further, the brief
for
consultants must stipulate
practical long-term recommendations to at least allevi-
ate, or better still to prevent
future similar and seemingly
repetitive disasters. Such
action will not only be effective for authority in the longterm but, more importantly,
cheaper by far for the longsuffering tax and ratepayer.
John Wynne-Edwards
Thank you to all those who
contributed pictures to this
month’s edition - Caroline
Glover,
John
WynneEdwards and Boi Thorvardarson. Please feel free to submit any good photos to the
paper for possible future
inclusion.
Editorial Contributions
Editorial contributions are welcome and should include top quality
pictures if relevant. Articles will be printed under the contributor's
name or an accepted nom-de-plume. All contributions are voluntary and unpaid for. Contributions should preferably be e-mailed:
[email protected]
The Editor reserves the right to edit, amend, abridge or reject any
article. The opinions of contributors do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of the Editor of The Sentinel. A final deadline must be the
20th of each month.
Advertisements
Advertising space must be reserved by the 20th of each month.
Advertising rates are available on request.
Barnards Boutique Hotel
16 Main Road, Greyton
Christmas @ Barnards
Cold and Hot Buffet
Smoked salmon with lemon & coriander crème fraiche
Country pate with cranberry jelly
Smoked chicken Caesar salad
***
Roast leg of lamb with mint jelly
Roast beef with horseradish
Roast gammon
Roast turkey with cranberry
Selection of vegetables
***
Traditional trifle
Malva pudding with custard
Christmas pud ice cream
Local cheese board
Tea or coffee & mince pies
Christmas lunch R160 per person
Reservations: John 028 254 9394
Lunch served from 12h00-15h00
Reservations essential
NEW YEAR’S EVE
@
BARNARDS
Welcome in 2008 @ Barnards
R130 per person
Inclusive of Welcoming Drink
Spitbraai & Salads
In house music
19h30 for 20h00
Tickets available now!
Bar open to the public
BARNARDS
Wishes all their Patrons and the Villagers of Greyton a Festive Season
and a Prosperous 2008!
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
Flood Devastation
Clockwise from top left: Voorstekraal road; the temporary
water pipe in Nerina Street; corner of Queen & Caledon; attempts to divert the Sonderend river; the overflowing Scholz
River; and Caledon Street
Page 3
Page 4
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
Are you concerned about
community safety?
At a meeting held in Greyton
on 7 November guest speakers Capt Gerhard van den
Berg of the SAPS and Robby
Paterson gave presentations
of their Hout Bay Community Police Forum (CPF) and
Neighbourhood
Watch
organisations. Ward 2, which
includes Greyton, must plan to
have similar structures to ensure the area’s preparedness
for any future emergencies.
Greyton Residents’ Organisation (GRO) is now looking
into the options which would
work best in this ward. The
main tasks of the SAPS can
only be achieved by working
hand-in-hand with government
institutions, community organisations and individual citizens.
Community Policing’s major
objective is to establish an
active partnership between the
police and the community.
This needs an atmosphere in
which potential community
partners of the police are willing and able to cooperate with
them. Within our ward we
currently have two CPF’s functioning in Genadendal and
greater Greyton.
We live in an area which
has previously had little crime,
bar one or two minor incidents.
However isolated incidents are
becoming
more
frequent.
General crime in the Greyton
area is certainly not isolated
and in many cases we are
usually not aware of the
problems and how close to
home they actually are. So
what can we do about the
situation? It is obvious that
the SAPS and the security
company cannot do it all and
that we need to be proactive
and we all need to participate
toward a single strategic
objective.
The gap in security can
be filled by a Residents’
Association or more commonly
a
Neighbourhood
Watch. This can take many
forms and we in GRO are
advocating a Sector Watch
system which would link directly into the existing CPF
structure under the chairmanship of Ronnie Martin.
We are not advocating a
separate structure nor an
organisation that expects
individuals to start patrolling
the streets at night but merely recommending a system
of communication whereby
pertinent
information
is
shared in order to combat
crime. Sector policing works
better if there is someone in
the area to liaise with.
GRO has formulated a
strategy that would not only
include and ensure close
contact with the CPF and the
SAPS, thus making it easier
to combat crime but would
also encompass a proactive
strategic approach in assisting the community as a
whole in cases of emergency
such as the one we have just
experienced with the floods.
GRO’s objective is to have
contingency plans ready for
implementation in cases of
specific emergencies, such
as a webpage on the GRO
website, blog and info
sharing
facility,
notice
boards, monthly newsletter,
11 sector watch areas, structured communication channels and an email distribution list. It is our objective to
establish a much higher
level of community involvement to ensure that it is a
truly
community-based
organisation representing all
sectors of the community, a
Sector Watch association
providing individual citizens
with a collective voice.
The goal of a Sector
watch system would be to:
identify the policing needs in
the sector; deal with the root
causes of crime; monitor
smaller and more manageable areas; ensure more ef-
fective crime prevention;
contribute to community
involvement;
encourage
communities to take greater
responsibility for their own
safety and improve the relationship between police and
the community.
Your assistance and
comment is needed. If you
are able to assist us and
want to be involved please
contact Derek Crabtree on
082 878 9712. We are planning a community meeting
soon to communicate our
plan and hopefully to implement the Greyton Sector
Watch initiative as described. A full copy of this
report is available for your
perusal on the Municipal
noticeboard.
Derek Crabtree, Greyton
Residents’ Association
GREYTON HOUSE TO
CONTINUE HIGH SCHOOL
FACILITY
The Greyton House village school has taken an important
decision to continue their high school programme, thus
enabling pupils to study from pre-school all the way through to
matric.
This is wonderful news for the Overberg region which has
very few options for parents who would like English as a first
language at High School.
Because of the large catchment area of Greyton House, the
option of boarding facilities for pupils is also being investigated.
A four year development plan for the school is underway.
Further details will be made available in due course.
Mitchell Tunnicliffe, Board of Governers
TLC
We assure all our clients of the utmost
care and attention to detail


19 Caledon St, Greyton
Tel/Fax: 028 254 9895
Cell: 082 778 0070/072 522 0120
[email protected]
www.bumsonbeds.co.za

Quality Home Building
Alterations \ Additions
Project Management of materials
& labour to completion assured
Gill Fraser
028 254 9504
082 703 1581
Trish Hardie
028 254 9449
083 318 8213
December 2007 No 57
Rose Fair 2007 Rose Exhibition
I think everyone will agree that
the Anglican Hall was absolutely stunning.
The ladies in
charge, along with their team of
helpers transformed the hall
into ‘A Garden in Greyton’ with
exquisite floral arrangements
and décor.
Contributors
brought along their prize specimens to the Rose Exhibition
and the hall was a magnificent
sight of colour and perfume.
Thank you to everyone. Without your input this section of the
Rose Fair would not have been
possible.
The prizegiving was held at
The Oak & Vigne Restaurant,
for which Coenie deserves a
very big thank you. It afforded
the opportunity for everyone to
relax in beautiful surroundings
Page 5
THE SENTINEL
(with the necessary glass of
wine or beer). The judge,
Mike Beviss-Challinor from
Duncan’s Roses in Elgin,
was pleasantly surprised by
the high calibre of our exhibition.
A big thank you must go
to the local restaurants and
establishments for contributing prizes in the 16 categories. The top three awards
went to:
BEST ON SHOW: Martin
Smythe and Fanie du Toit
FIRST PRINCESS: Karlien
Walker
SECOND PRINCESS: Norma Muscroft
Noreen van den Heever
Greyton Historical Society
The first committee meeting was held on 29th October when office
bearers
were elected – Pamela Duff,
Chairman, Felicity Jervis,
Deputy Chairman and Secretary, and Stuart Shearer
as Treasurer.
Project ideas emanating
from the inaugural meeting
and an existing list from 2003
were discussed, and will be
further evaluated and prioritised at the next committee
meeting. A workshop is
planned for February 2008
when members and other
interested parties can become
involved, and hopefully eager
volunteers recruited.
An early and vital task will
be to collate and securely
archive the extensive historical
material collected by Pamela
and others. We would appreciate advice or assistance from
anyone with experience in
library or museum recordkeeping and archiving.
Further developments will
be reported in The Sentinel
and in a newsletter to members. New members are welcome - no membership fees
are payable at present. Please
contact Felicity at
[email protected],
or
by
fax/telephone on 021 852
9860.
Pamela Duff
Shopping at Woolies?
Holders of a MY SCHOOL CARD can help Greyton Primêr.
The card can be presented when making a purchase at
Woolworths, CNA in Caledon, Heidi’s Restaurant in Cavendish
Square, Claremont, and a number of other retail outlets. A
small amount from each purchase price is donated to the nominated school. If we all join the scheme the benefit to our
school funds can be very useful. Please join!
To obtain a MY SCHOOL CARD simply phone 0860 100
445, give your name and address and nominate Greyton
Primêr as your chosen school.
TWK - Greyton/Genadendal Offices
Closing of Municipal Offices: 24 December 2007 to
31 December 2007
Please note that all Municipal Offices, Traffic Centres and
Libraries of the TWK Municipality will be closed for the period
24 December 2007 until 31 December 2007.
All cashiers, for any transactions, will close at 11h00 on Friday
21 December 2007. The Municipality will resume its activities
on Thursday 3 January 2008. The Municipality will continue to
provide all essential services during this period. In case of
emergency please call the following number: 082 457 8761.
Your cooperation in this regard will be much
appreciated.
HSD Wallace, Municipal Manager
GREYTON FISH ‘N’ CHIPS
Open: Mon 10-7pm,
Weds to Friday 10-7pm
Sat 10-6.30pm
TEL: 028 254 9820
Orders Welcome!
Page 6
THE SENTINEL
December 2007 No 57
London hair stylist opens
in Greyton
Born in Pinelands, Yvette
Herring completed her hairdressing training at Intercoiffure in Cape Town before
moving to London.
She
planned to stay for one year,
but became fourteen during
which time she met and married Dave and had two girls,
Elise and Ruth.
Yvette managed a hair
salon in the West End of
London but it was a trip to her
parents, Jim and Muriel Phillipson of the Guinea Fowl in
Greyton, which made them
decide to move back to South
Africa. Thanks to their help she
was able to open her salon in
the Guinea Fowl premises.
Between moves, Yvette,
Dave and the girls undertook an enriching and
never-to-be-forgotten 7week trip to India,
Malaysia, Singapore and
Australia. Despite their
tender ages, there were
no health problems for
the girls in any of the
countries they visited.
Yvette and Dave arrived in Greyton in January this year, optimistic
that they would find opportunities for employment. Dave had his own
business in
England
doing painting, decorating and household repairs, which is he also
doing in Greyton. Elise and
Ruth are both attending
Greyton schools.
Through word of mouth
Yvette’s business is beginning to flourish.
She is
offering Schwarzkopf products and hair colours and is
open by arrangement. She
also does dog grooming,
emphasizing that she is selftaught but loves animals and
that her two businesses take
place in separate premises!
Her aim, she says, is to
make people feel good about
themselves.
Yvette and Dave can be
contacted on 028 254 9016
or cell: 082 545 3096.
Greyton Christian Fellowship Choir with visiting conductor, Helena Röösli from Switzerland (in front with
white T-shirt) during a rehearsal. Helena is a semiprofessional and conducts two church choirs and one
male-voice choir in her home town of Zug. She is also a
specialist woodworker and is spending time in Greyton
hoping to improve her English before travelling on to
Australia.
Helena has conducted choirs at both the Christian
Fellowship and DR churches during November and will
be conducting the choir at the annual Festival of Carols
at the Market Square on 17 December.
In case you needed further proof that the human race is
doomed through stupidity, here are some actual label instructions on consumer goods.
On Pick n' Pay's peanuts -- "Warning: contains nuts."
(talk about a news flash)
On a Woolworths Bread Pudding
"Product will be hot after heating." (and you thought?...)
On a Clicks hair dryer - Do not use while sleeping.
On some Checkers frozen dinners "Serving suggestion: Defrost."
(please note that it's just a suggestion.)
On the packaging of a Rowenta iron "Don't iron clothes on body."
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
A big thank-you to three Dutch
students
Three Dutch students who have been helping at the Educare
Centre, Genadendal, for the past three months handed out
special presents to the children and the centre before their
return home.
The children gave a performance of the play ‘Goldilocks
and the Three Bears’ (see above) by way of thanks to Marlies,
Ellen and Maaike.
While in South Africa the students have also assisted at the
LR Schmidt, Berea and Greyton Primary Schools. The gifts
were donated by Dion, ICT Logic, Jabbes Lichtdesign and Dhr
van der Stegge.
Interior
Collection
CURTAINS - BLINDS UPHOLSTERY INTERIOR ADVICE
JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY
FOR A FREE QUOTE!
Other Services: Alterations,
Lampshade re-covering, Curtains
Poles & Rails,
Full range of Materials
Tiebacks, Holdbacks and Soft
Furnishings
Tel/Fax: 028 3121976
Marié Kotze 082 737 9921
12 Royal street, Hermanus, 7200
Page 7
Christine comes 6th in
German Olympiad
Christine is a 10th Grade pupil
at Overberg High School. Here
is her story:
On Saturday, 20 October, two
classmates and I made our way
to Stellenberg High School to
participate
in
a
German
Olympiad.
All
schools
that
had
German as a subject took part
by sending three of their best
German pupils in grade 10 to a
centralised facility in each
province. In the Western Cape
that facility was Stellenberg
High School.
Each pupil was given an
exam-type paper to complete
within two hours. The paper
consisted of various sections grammar, creative writing and
how well one understood what
one was reading. When pupils
were finished with their papers
they could hand them in and
leave immediately or they could
go over their work, hand in
their papers and leave
after the two hours had
finished. The papers were
marked and the results of
all the pupils were sent to
each school that participated around South Africa.
The German Pedagogical Association in Southern
Africa arranged the Olympiad and normally the ten
pupils with the highest
marks have the opportunity
to go to Germany on a
three-week tour of the
country the following year.
The pupil who
received
the highest mark will
represent South Africa in
Poland in a Global German
Olympiad.
On 22 November my
classmates and I received
our results and it so
happened that I had received
the sixth highest mark for the
Olympiad in South Africa. My
fellow classmates received
the ninth and thirteenth highest marks in South Africa.
With all three of us landing in
the top twenty there was
screaming and smiling aplenty, especially from me, because next year I may be
going to Germany. The only
other people I saw with a
bigger smile than me were
my parents and my German
teacher, Mrs Louw.
Christine Nyman
(Christine must now raise
funds to enable her to travel
to Germany next year.)
You need balls of steel to play boules….
Page 8
THE SENTINEL
December 2007 No 57
DR. ANDREW GOLDING
Group Chief Executive
PAM GOLDING
Chairman
PAM GOLDING
PROPERTIES
PAM GOLDING
PROPERTIES
293-264 UNDERNEATH THE OAKS 3 Beds,
2 Baths. Erf size: 1980m² R2 450 000
Elaine Davie - 084 343 7500
358-376 WEEKENDS IN GREYTON, THEN LOCKUP-AND-GO! 2 Beds, 2 Baths. Erf size: 1295m² R1 750 000
Elaine Davie - 084 343 7500
293-225 THE MOST AWESOME POSITION IN TOWN!
The sheer beauty of the interior and garden will leave
you breathless. 1 Bed (en-suite) & 2 Baths. Erf size:
3 059m² - R4 347 000.
Tess Crabtree - 083 992 1483
358-354 A HOME OF DISTINCTION! 3 beds en-suite,
views, swimming pool, lei water dam - plus, plus &
plus. Erf size: 2128m² - R2 950m
Karen Styles - 083 391 4002
358-373 YOUR PERFECT SOJOURN. This beautiful
cottage offers a spacious loft plus a separate guest
suite. 4 beds, 3 bathrooms. Erf size: 892m² R1 850 000
Tess Crabtree - 083 992 1483
358-324 A WEEKEND COTTAGE AWAITS
YOU… The right size with lots of ambience. Delightful entertainment area. Dining room plus family room & study. 3 Beds, 2 baths. Erf size: 860m²
R1 640 000
Derek Crabtree - 082 878 9712
35 Main Road, Greyton, 7233
Tel: 028 254 9363/4 Fax: 028 254 9368 Email: [email protected]
December 2007 No 57
A new clinic offers
QX techniques
the more we understand
how
things which we
cannot see work.
With the QX device, a patient is
connected
by
head, wrist and
ankle straps for
an
‘energetic’
analysis
via
computer. Energy
medicine focuses
on these vibrations to pick up
disease.
QX is
Hester Strümpfer in her new clinic about reinforcing
the body’s ability
on Main Street
to optimise its own
During his many races, the
healing and wellness by
famous cyclist, Lance Armevaluating and rectifying
strong, was treated with a bioenergy imbalances.
energetic device known as QX
Hester Strümpfer was
(Quantum Xrroid) Computerborn in Namibia, studied
ised System to promote the
biology at university and after
healing of and recovery from
her marriage to Francois
injuries.
they both worked for Denel
Energy
medicine
may
at Bredasdorp.
When he
sound futuristic but the more
changed jobs they moved to
we understand about physics
Franschoek where a serious
WEEKEND RENTALS PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT UNDER ONE ROOF:
WE ADVERTISE, CONFIRM BOOKINGS, DO LINEN, CLEAN COTTAGE
AND GARDEN
PHONE ETTIENNE FOR
QUOTATIONS
Leon Nel: 072 455 7811
[email protected]
Ettienne Erasmus: 079 632 0477
[email protected]
Office: 028 254 9966 Fax: 086 6565 192
After hours: 028 254 9006
Office hours: Mon—Sat 09h00-16h00
Bookings: www.greytonweekends.co.za
Page 9
THE SENTINEL
illness made Hester consider
a different career path, in
alternative healing.
She
studied kinesiology which
she uses in conjunction with
Brain Gym exercises. She
shares her clinic with Niki
Louw who specializes in
Brain Gym techniques.
Hester emphasizes that
her treatments are not an
alternative to treatments from
a doctor or hospital, but complementary to them. If you
would like to know more
about Hester’s work, she can
be contacted on 028 254
9751.
Leiwater Notes
There has so far not been a
shortage of leiwater this season and, although the system
is not yet working to the satisfaction of all, the restoration
and repair of many of the
channels brought about over
the last few years has improved delivery to most users.
It is hoped and anticipated that
restoration of the leiwater capital infrastructure should be
altogether completed within
another few years, whereafter
the emphasis should be on
maintenance of the whole
system, rather than on its reconstruction and restoration,
as has been the situation up to
now. The completion of the
restoration programme is really something to look forward
to and which will benefit the
whole village.
On another tack, the
recent flood has brought home
very dramatically that the leiwater channels, while able to
carry a lot of storm-water safely through the village, are not
intended as a substitute for a
proper stormwater drainage
system in the village. Diverting floodwaters into the leiwater channels can cause
more problems than it solves
and can have the unintended
result of directing a concentration of floodwaters at individual properties and residences
through which the leiwater
channels pass or which are
adjacent to channels. During
the recent flood, it was only
the prompt efforts of the
municipal
workers
who
re-diverted flood waters away
from the leiwater channel
which saved a number of
homes from serious flooding
and damage.
Beady Eye
The Peppertree Restaurant: sought after for
mouth-watering food (famous for lambshank, fresh
line fish, steaks, and other exciting cuisine),
warm ambience and good music.
Pop in to relax with a hubbly-bubbly and some
Moroccan tea or Turkish coffee.
Please remember to join us during the week of 4–8
December when the restaurant will be transformed
into an eastern delight, with authentic north and
south Indian cuisine, décor and music.
Book now for an unforgettable experience!
14 Main rd. Greyton  Tel. 028 254 9164 
[email protected]
http://www.greyton.info/peppertree.htm
Page 10
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
Cook’s
Corner
by Carol Hanks
FESTIVE GOODIES
Here are some ideas for the
comings and goings of the
Festive Season plus a couple
of alternatives to the traditional
fayre.
Cheddar Baked Olives
2 cups grated Cheddar
cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1¼ cups cake flour
36 pimento-stuffed green olives
Mix cheese and flour together
in a bowl. Stir in butter, cover
and refrigerate 1 hour or more.
Heat oven to 200C. Form
chilled dough into small balls,
pressing a deep hole in the
centre using your thumb. Stuff
each ball with an olive, and
seal completely. Bake in preheated oven 15-20 minutes
until golden brown, watching
carefully and turning as needed, to prevent bottoms from
burning.
Note : These can be prepared and frozen ahead, but if
baking from frozen, reduce the
oven temperature to 175C and
cook them a little longer.
Blue Cheese, Port and
Walnut Spread
This spread can be made
some time ahead (3 weeks or
so) and refrigerated. Have it on
hand to serve with bread or
snacky biscuits, for all those
drop in guests....serves 12.
455g blue cheese
115g
unsalted
softened
butter
80ml port
180g chopped walnuts
Blend together cheese, butter
and port until mixture is
smooth. In a bowl, combine
the cheese mix and the
walnuts. Transfer to suitable
container and chill until needed.
Bacon Chestnuts
Now for a slight variation on
the traditional, for serving
with the chosen bird! Serves
12.
455g thick cut bacon
224g water chestnuts
Slice bacon in half and wrap
one piece around each
chestnut, skewering with a
toothpick to hold in place.
Place under hot grill and turn
frequently until the bacon is
evenly cooked.
Serve
warm.
Parsnip
Mash
and
Peel and slice parsnips and
cook in saucepan in salted
water till tender. Drain then
mash with butter, salt,
pepper and garlic and set
aside. Fry bacon until nice
and crispy and remove from
the pan and crumble. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the
bacon fat in the pan. Add
the mashed parsnip and
crumbled bacon to this pan
then stir and heat to the desired temperature before
serving.
Forcemeat Terrine
This meaty terrine can be
made in advance, has its
own distinctive flavour, is
easy to slice and excellent
served cold if there are leftovers. An alternative to stuffing the bird itself!
8-10 servings.
250g rindless streaky bacon
250g chicken livers
2 Tbsps butter
2 Tbsps chopped spring
onions
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp chopped fresh
herbs
Zest of 1 lemon
250g lean pork sausage
meat
125g cooked ham, diced
125g lean minced beef
125g
mushrooms,
finely
sliced
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 tbsps brandy
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg
Line the loaf tin with the
bacon. Sauté the liver in
butter before setting aside.
Add finely chopped spring
onions to the pan before adding garlic, herbs and lemon
zest, warming through sufficiently to develop the volatile
oils. Do not cook! Place all
ingredients in a mixing bowl
and mix with a small knife,
working lightly until blended.
Spoon into the lined loaf tin,
smoothing the top.
Place terrine in a pan of water and bake at 180C for one
hour. Leave to cool.
Next
day turn out and slice neatly
with sharp knife for serving
Caledon News Agency
Bacon
Parsnips are, to my mind,
traditional fayre with an English Christmas Dinner. If you
can find them - try this for a
change.....
910g parsnips
30g butter
2g each salt and pepper
225g bacon, cooked and
crumbled
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Greyt-on-Main Restaurant
BOOKS MAKE FABULOUS
XMAS GIFTS
THAT LAST FOREVER
WE HAVE A FANTASTIC
COLLECTION
AT BARGAIN PRICES
WHILE STOCKS LAST
The Greyt-on-Main Restaurant will turn 5 on Thursday,
December 13th. On this occasion we will serve, from our à la
carte, at 50% down. Your booking please: 028-254 9722.
During and between the seasonal holidays, our 3-course
tive menus will change daily, for as little as R125.
Please consult our display board.
fes-
Best wishes from the oldest Restaurant in town,
and remember:
The Greyt-on-Main is yet
something special
028-254 9722
Prince Alfred Street, Caledon (opposite Spar)
Tel: 028 212 2019
December 2007 No 57
Return to Zim… Week 5
by Sally Carney
The initial euphoria is somewhat dampened but not extinguished, as the reality of the
latest economic ‘planning’
begins to affect us all.
Friends have been arrested,
and some who are expecting
to hear the knock on the
door plan what to wear before
going to work in the morning in
case they are in jail for the
night.
Everyone is taking advantage of the new fixed prices, especially on Air Zimbabwe. Planes are all overbooked, and I cannot get up to
the Falls where I had planned
to look at investment opportunities. Hotels are also cheap
now, and so are restaurants,
which are forced to reduce
prices to below cost. It cannot
be
sustained of course.
People who cannot normally
go out at all, are enjoying a
brief honeymoon. Fuel is difficult to come by, unless you
know someone.
The highlight of the past
week was the Mount Hampden bull sale. The cattle were
all looking magnificent and all
the pens had flags flying and
hospitality areas for the buyers, lovely cattle smells and
sounds, dust in the air,
trucks arriving from Chipingie
and the old Bulawayo ranches.
The stands were packed,
blacks all in smart suits, whites
in wellies and shorts and the
bar was well supported. Very
jolly sitting at our table near
the bar... the prices were very
good, and stud dorper sheep
also sold for excellent prices.
All looked so normal, quite
Page 11
THE SENTINEL
extraordinary when you remember the situation on the
farms - another little bit of
excellence that has managed
to survive.
Meanwhile there isn't a
sign of meat in the country.
All butcheries have been
closed down. My sister is
growing very nice veggies.
We have never in a hundred
years of living on Teviotdale
farm had monkeys there but
they are now arriving in
droves to feast off the
veggies,
despite
scarecrows, tins banging in the
wind and the occasional shot
fired.
My ‘runner’ finally managed to get the Pagero number plates. He was pretty
tenacious and queued for
weeks to get it all done,
but well worth it for him, 5%
commission. It is simply not
possible to operate here
without a friendly runner at
hand.
Everyone
is
driving
around in these smart little
second hand cars from
Japan. It makes a change
from the old beaten up
Mazdas we are used to. The
important people, of course,
are in much grander new
landcruisers and sleek, expensive black Mercs. Young
white entrepreneurs are making fortunes along with the
new elite blacks. All to do
with the exchange rates, not
brilliant business sense. In
fact the properly run businesses are all in severe
trouble.
Like the large
hurrying to get my property
fenced - should be starting in
a week’s time. It is a race
now to save the trees. Kudu
are roaming on my property
and a few eland and impala.
It is a heavenly bit of unspoilt
African bush - worth preserving at all costs.
Dorward empire and the Meikles group, which is joining up
with the indigenous Kingdom
group, tacking on Tanganda
tea. They hope to buy the
Vic falls hotel, and separate
out the Cape Grace - end
of the old guard of white
owned business.
Walking around the suburbs I learned where the VIPs
now live by the brilliant green
road verges. Sprays going all
day and masses of lights
lining the road, high walls and
gates and lounging security
guards. Next door would be a
dry old garden that hadn't
seen water let alone power
for weeks. It is so strange, a
sort
of
two-tier
system, nothing at all for the
masses, everything you could
want for the rest.
My gardener on the farm
has been to Shamva to try to
get a birth certificate. He was
told he must bring a goat - a
week’s journey and now he is
home with no certificate, and
looking at me to help him find
a goat....
On my last pre-party ride
with friends we rode onto
Calgary farm, down the valley
from our farm. This is now
taken over by an army general.
We skirted the buildings for fear of being shot at
and kept to the hills, which
are wild and full of very deep
mining trenches and nearly all
of the big trees are gone. Not
a living thing moved. I am
Week 6
I expect it is difficult for
anyone to really know what
it’s like here, and of course it
depends hugely on your
ability to 'make a plan'. There
is a big fund for the Zim
pensioners, and a friend in
Stellenbosch has just given
me a huge donation towards
it, so good this is happening. I
have taken the view that if I
am to live here, I cannot be
guilty for all the poverty in the
rural areas.
In fact after a trip to
Inyanga this past weekend, I
am not so sure there is such
poverty. Yes they have to
walk miles to find mealie
meal, but masses of tomatoes and potatoes and avocados for sale everywhere, no
real sign of starving. I expect
the mealie meal is dished out
once a month at certain
points, and this means some
folk don't worry any more
about working! I think the
cities
are
much
more
serious, but day to day there
is not much sign of change or
unrest.
Staggering what
people will put up with!
ODZ
for
Factory: San Lucia Road, Tel: 028 254 9100
Shop: Le Petit Chocolat, Ds Botha Street
www.vgchocolate.co.za
Li Berkim - Cotton & linen garments
Jacqueline Kolbe - hats
Vic-Bay t/shirts and caps &
Upmarket pre-loved garments
Ds Botha Street, Greyton
Telephone: Val 028 254 9604
Page 12
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
The Renovation of Uitkyk Primary
School Hall
A transformation of caterpillar-to-butterfly dimensions
has been going on at Uitkyk
Primary School. The school
has been going through a lot of
soul searching and internal
transformation this year past.
It’s governing body has been
reflecting on the wonderful
assets of our school, its long
and treasured history in our
village, its sports field, netball
and mini tennis courts, school
library, airy and large school
hall, not to mention the beautiful views over the whole valley
and up into our mountains. In
short, Uitkyk Primary has
potential which is only beginning to be fully realised here in
Greyton.
Since The Sentinel first
published our article on Uitkyk
Primary earlier this year, and
Abri Wind organised a fantastic
benefit concert which got the
ball rolling, a few Greytonians
have generously sponsored
individual children to attend the
school. This has helped our
numbers to grow. Thanks to
Margie and Lance Goodale,
Trisha Hardie and Bea and
Hubertus Saurma Jeltsch. In
response to our plea to improve our school, Joan
Falkenberg’s yoga group and
Greyton Christian Fellowship
gave generous donations
which enabled the setting up
of a dedicated School Hall
Renovation Fund.
So, come and visit our
new hall! We are ready for
bookings for your fund-raising
event or your special day or
evening, whether you are a
charity, an entrepreneur, a
bride or a birthday boy or girl!
The purpose of the school hall
renovation has been to give
the school the ability to creatively raise its own funds. We
have big plans to develop our
capacity as a Centre of Excellence in Greyton. (Watch this
space for information on our
new community projects, from
our Languages Club to our
Friday Evening Children’s
Movie and Supper Club) This
entire project has successfully
flown thanks to the extraordinary involvement by commu-
nity members both in kind and
financial donations.
Our heartfelt thanks go to
the following people and
businesses who have been so
generous: Wilcro Marketing,
Interior Mart, Kleinmond, PG
Glass, Vilko-Greyton, Jennie
Martin, Carol Hanks, Penny
Nesbit, Anonymous donor,
Greyton Fellowship church,
Joan
Falkenberg's
yoga
group, Kay Cuttler, Gabriel
Khumalo, Eben Apollis, Jacob
Fourie, High Hopes B&B
In order to complete the
work, we need some wiring
expertise, a small alteration to
finish the kitchen facility at the
back of the hall and the build-
ing of a small stage. Financial
contributions or help in kind
would be greatly appreciated.
And lastly, our heartfelt
thanks to Charlotte Robertson,
with Cecil in support, for running with and executing the
project. Thank you both so
much. You, together with everyone, are in our hearts and
are remembered.
Please contact us! You
can give us a call on 028 254
9605, or email us at
[email protected]
call me at 028 254 9898.
Thank you and Blessings On
Our Whole Village
Angela Craig
A Good Read
New books at the Greyton
Library book club in November
include:
Two
Caravans,
Marina
Lewycka
The Other Boleyn Girl, Phillipa
Gregory
The Tenderness of Wolves,
Stef Penney
Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell
The Two of Us, John Thaw
Marley and Me, John Grogan
And it’s Goodnight from Him,
Ronnie Corbett
Dark Continent, my Black
Arse, Sihle Khumalo
The Island, Victoria Hislop
A book review appears on
Page 19. Next meeting of
the Book Club, 5 December,
17h00 at the Greyton Library.
No meeting in January.
GREYTON
Village & Country
ESTATES
TREE LINED SECLUSION
* SOLE MANDATE *
Fantastic opportunity to acquire land
in this sought after area. Lovely level
plot on ±1600m² bordered by trees
PLUS your very own Oak to greet
you at the entrance.
R 950 000
(Incl VAT - no transfer duty)
This pretty north-facing home on 2000m²
flows to an established, garden with lovely
trees and roses where peace and tranquillity
abound. Lounge/dining room with fireplace,
kitchen & scullery, bed and bath downstairs,
large loft with bed and bath, garage, carport.
Shady patio with mountain views.
At this attractive price make it your own!
ATTENTION INVESTORS
* SOLE MANDATE *
A true 'value-for-money' property. Solid
3 bed(MES), 2 bath home in the commercial district, on ±1800m², numerous
extras, plus a pool and huge barn.
BONUS Excellent tenants already
in place.
Don’t delay – this is your chance!
R1.750
R 1.495 Mil
CHARMING COUNTRY THATCH
Monique Hess 082 424 5035
Beverley Blumberg 082 390 6072
21 Main Road, Greyton 7233
Di Gillespie 083 228 3431
Office 028 254 9990
[email protected]
December 2007 No 57
Gardening in Greyton Our big event of the year, the
annual Rose Festival, has
come and gone and yet the
village continues to boast
festoons of gloriously colourful roses peeping out from
many of the gardens around
the village. Happily, the doomsayers who had predicted a
long, cold, dry winter were
proved wrong as we had marvelous rains that has kept the
leiwater flowing more steadily
than it has done for some time.
In this respect, it has been an
exceptional season for our
gardens and for roses in particular.
The gratitude of the
community goes out to all those
who participated, and contributed towards making the festival
such a resounding success.
It is perhaps appropriate to
emphasize the importance of
Page 13
THE SENTINEL
showing off one’s roses to
best advantage. Using arches, pergolas, screens and
shrub roses to break the
monotony of uniform spaces
helps to create separate
‘rooms’ or defined areas, and
done judiciously lends an
element of interest to otherwise rather boring divisions.
Boundary fences can also be
enhanced
by
planting
climbers, ramblers, midinettes
or spire roses. These will give
both lateral and vertical
swathes of colour and also act
as a barrier to would-beintruders.
When selecting roses
always take into account the
likely sizes at maturity and
their respective habits of
growth.
This is vitally important as proportions can
MARIAN
DORRINGTON
INTERIOR DÉCOR &
DESIGN
“Decorators to the Discerning”
Marian Dorrington is a professional Interior design-
vary enormously from one
variety to another. Reputable
nurserymen go to considerable
expense and trouble to produce catalogues that give
comprehensive information on
each variety and type of rose
they offer the public, so it is in
the individual gardener’s interest to study and heed these
instructions to avoid disappointment.
One hears too
often of gardeners choosing a
particular rose for its colour
and shape alone, only to discover a year later that it is
quite unsuitable for the original
purpose.
Roses can be grown in
mixed borders, in combination
with other flowering plants that
have been carefully selected
to complement each other. As
a rule of thumb, one should
group similar colours and
shades together to make a
bold statement and to avoid a
spotty mishmash of conflicting
colours and sizes. Similarly,
with formal rose gardens, stick
to a single shade of a chosen
colour or subtle variations of
the same. Roses are versatile
and useful to hide or soften
swimming pool fences and the
floriferous varieties look particularly good in containers
around a pool or patio area.
Having said all that, continue with your routine spraying
and fertilisation programme,
not forgetting the tomatoes,
cucumbers, beans and even
Day Lilies that have been affected by rust this year. With
the hot summer weather ap-
proaching, do remember to
mulch all flower and vegetable
beds and make sure to water,
depending on the prevailing
weather, twice a week. For
example, an average sized
rose bush or shrub will require
about ten litres of water - or the
equivalent of 25mm of rain - a
week. I find that in the vegetable garden, training plants with a growth habit - up
supports, saves space, enables inspection for bugs and
disease and makes spraying
and general control so much
simpler.
Hydrangeas do particularly
well in the sandy soils of the
Western Cape.
However,
during hot, dry summers
hydrangeas need frequent
deep watering. Additional foliar
feeding with one of the reputable proprietary brands is
rewarding as it helps promote
larger, more colourful blooms.
Keep your eyes peeled for the
amaryllis caterpillar which begins by devouring the leaves
and then working its way down
the stem into the neck of the
bulb, to finish it off. Spray with
Karbaspray or dust with
Bexadust,
alternating
with
Effekto or Ludwig’s Natural
insecticide as soon as the
creatures are detected on the
leaves.
Fertilise amaryllis every
fortnight to build up and invigorate the next season’s bulbs.
Finally, a few quick growing
annuals to sow in December
are alyssuym, dwarf dahlias,
dwarf marigold, portulaca and
er/decorator with more than 20 years experience and
a full member of the South
African Institute for
the Interior Design Professions (IID).
Based in Somerset West, Marian enjoys an excellent
reputation built on personal service and attention to
detail which is her
hallmark. Working from a studio which boasts a comprehensive range of fabric and flooring samples means
that all aspects of
decorating can be co-ordinated “in-house.”
Assisting both local and international clients, Marian is
able to
conceptualise and complete any residential,
corporate or hospitality contract with professionalism
and integrity.
The Village Gardeners
We create personal Cottage and Country
gardens that don’t cost the earth.
For:
Consultations
Garden maintenance
Landscaping & Irrigation
Contact:
Adrian and Lynne van der Byl
8 Weder Street, Greyton
Phone/Fax (028) 254-9002
or Cell 083 261 1248
Page 14
THE SENTINEL
December 2007 No 57
scene around
Greyton’s Rose Fair, October 2007
Two somewhat overblown roses taking a well-earned
rest! Val Turner and Anya Volk
Joan Falkenberg admiring water colours at the Chiv
Lintern Gallery
The Thanksgiving Service on Sunday morning of the
Rose Fair, at the DR Church
Helen Lane with Samantha at the David Kuijers
Gallery
The wine auctioneer at Greyton House School
The Tango Ensemble playing at Oak & Vigne
December 2007 No 57
Page 15
THE SENTINEL
SCENE AROUND
Round & about at the Rose Fair:
Below: Coenie Visser with Dominique de Saint Clair
tangoing at Oak & Vigne. For many this was one of
the highlights of the Fair.
Martin Smythe receiving his prize for Best-in-Show from
Noreen van den Heever and Martie Kemp
Karen, Leoné , Martha and Maureen from Oak & Vigne on
the tango evening
Greyton winemakers at Oak & Vigne tastings: Andy Mitchell
from Andy Mitchell Wines, Samantha O’Keefe, Lismore Estate
Vineyards, Isa & Kootjie Viljoen of Oewerzicht, Jake Easton,
Lismore & Vicky Mitchell
Gabbi and Alexander
Page 16
THE SENTINEL
December 2007 No 57
GREYTON ROSE FAIR 2007. Above left:
Miss Rose, Shandré Sauls, with First Princess, Hailé
Bloem, and Second Princess Mary-Ann Manuels, Rose Petals: Leigh-Allen Smit, Jasmine Arnolds and Jo-Ann
Mauritz. Bottom left: Mayor Chris Punt with the Roses. Bottom right: Drum majorettes strutting their stuff;
Top right: Admiring some of the winning roses.
RESIDENT ATTORNEY
Awie Bosman practising in Caledon
under the style Bosman & Smit
and residing in Greyton at 3 Weder Street
for all your legal needs in Greyton
Phone : 082 898 8426 (Cell) 028 ‐ 212 1108 (Office Caledon) 028 ‐ 254 9915 (Home Greyton) E‐mail: [email protected]
BE SMART! Appoint YOUR attorney to protect YOUR
rights when selling YOUR house. It is YOUR prerogative
and will cost you as seller NOTHING.
** Remember - a separate will is needed for your
S.A. assets.
December 2007 No 57
Fritz on
FLOWERS
Extinct: The Blue Antelope
By Fritz Volk
It is amazing what people you
can meet in Greyton. I had a
short nap after lunch, when I
got a phone call from a lady
with a strong Scottish accent.
She turned out to be Kate
Foster from the University in
Glasgow. As part of a research team she wanted to
know what the Renosterveld
habitat looks like, the veld
type in which the Blue antelope must have lived.
Some years ago I came
across the blue antelope in a
field guide by the Wildlife Society of SA about ‘Antelopes
of Southern Africa’. On the
last pages under the heading
‘Don’t let it happen again …’
was a photo of a mounted
skin of the blue antelope in
one of the European museums.
From Kate Foster I
learned that four mounted
specimens exist, one each in
Glasgow, Paris, Vienna and
Uppsala in Sweden.
Reports of sightings and
shootings date all to the 18th
century. The species was
first described by the naturalist Pallas in 1766 as Antilope
leucophaea. Later the scientific name was changed to
Hippotragus
leucophaeus.
This was due to the discovery of the Sable and Roan
Antelopes in the 18th century. The blue antelope appears to be the smaller relative of these two great antelopes. As far as I could establish none of the scientists
in Europe at this time saw a
living animal. And there were
wild assumptions. In one of
the drawings a beard was
seen and the ‘blue antelope’
was quickly assumed as the
link between goats and
Ploebak
Skraper



Duursaam en sterk gebou
Lemme is beskikbaar by ploebak
Swaardiens Konstruksie
Modelle
Model
Skraper
Skraper
Skraper
Skraper
Skraper
3 Punt
3 Punt
3 Punt
3 Punt
Hidroliese Sleepmodel
Page 17
THE SENTINEL
Meter
Voet
1.8
1.9
2.2
2.5
3.1
6.0
6.2
7.2
8.2
Ton
antelopes.
The area where it was
found was the triangle
between Swellendam, Caledon and Bredasdorp, more
or less the Overberg.
Professor Skinner wrote
in 2005 in an
encyclopaedia:
‘They
(the
Blue
Antelopes)
appear
to
have
been
smaller than
either of their
near relatives
the
roan,
H.equinus, or
the
sable,
H.niger, with
a height at
the shoulder
of about 1 m
to 1.2 m, as
The
compared
with the roan at 1.6 m and
sable at 1.3 m. Le Vaillant
(1790) who shot and preserved the skin of a blue
antelope described the colour as faint blue inclining to
grey. They had long and
rather narrow pointed ears
but not as long as in the roan
and these lack the tuft of
black hair at the tips seen in
the roan. Their horns swept
back in an even curve from
the top of their heads but
were much lighter in build
than those of the roan or
sable. They were flattened
slightly on their inner sides
as compared with those of a
sable, which tend to be flatter on the outer sides, and
the roan, which are generally
rounder. From the existing
material, the horns reached
a length over the front curve
of up to 0.61 m and had a
series of 20 to 35 ridges. The
tail, which just reached the
hocks, was tufted. The tuft
was darker than the general
colour of the body.’
The final blow for the
Blue Antelope
extinction of the blue antelope definitely came from the
white hunters in the 18th
century. But their number
must have been decimated
before and it is speculated
that they found themselves in
competition with domestic
animals like cows, goats and
sheep. A climate change has
not been excluded. All this
and more of the blue antelope can be found on the
website:
www.blueantelope.info.
On that website you can
also find a hint of the chase
for another large antelope,
still living secretly in Angola.
It is a subspecies of the noble sable antelope. Unfortunately, there is no place in
our region where the blue
antelope could still hide.
Lisa Stapley
Architect
The Barn, 70 Vlei Street, Greyton
Tel: 028 254 9527
2.4
Kantoor 028 261 1742
E-pos [email protected] Webblad www.ploebak.co.nr
Henry Le Roux 082 863 5445 Herman Brand 084 512 9783
Felix Le Roux 073 162 6557 Chantelle Foot 076 177 0426
Fax 028 254 9012
Cell: 073 176 4161
e-mail: [email protected]
Page 18
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
The Insight Story: Black
Swans and
the Perils of Prediction
by Randall Falkenberg
This month’s world-class
thinker is Nassim Nicholas
Taleb. ‘NNT’, as he calls himself, was born and raised by a
highly political Greek Orthodox
family in Lebanon, but studied
in the USA and Europe. He
now lives in the USA and is
visiting professor at various
universities and Professor in
the Sciences of Uncertainty at
Massachusetts University.
NNT is an incredibly interesting human being. Fortune
selected his second book
Fooled by Randomness as
one of the ‘smartest books of
all time’. He has a formidable
brain, thankfully tempered by a
fine sense of humour: for example “My major hobby is
teasing people who take themselves and the quality of their
knowledge too seriously and
those who don’t have the guts
to sometimes say ‘I don’t
know…’”
He writes that before the
discovery of Australia, Europeans thought that all swans
were white, and it would have
been considered completely
unreasonable
to
imagine
swans of any other colour. The
first sighting of a black swan in
Australia, where they are quite
common, shattered that notion.
This leads to his first, big
insight.
First
insight: “Black
Swans” are highly improbable events that have a huge
positive or negative impact
on our lives. (But we can be
alert to recognise positive or
negative Black Swans once
they have occurred). Taleb
is fascinated by rare, unpredictable yet pivotal events
that shape our world far
more than the myriad of
mediocre happenings that
occur regularly. And a troublesome characteristic of
these enormously important
Black Swan events is that
they are
virtually unpredictable.
Examples
of
Black
Swans are: the rise of the
internet and its impact within
a relatively short slice of
time; the invention of Google
and how it has changed the
lives of everyone who uses
it; the phenomenal success
of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter
series. The next crash of
world markets will surely
come, but who knows precisely what combination of
events will precipitate the
disaster – it’s an unpredictable Black Swan. (Here his
advice is to be conservative
with 85% of your assets and
to speculate wildly with 15%,
looking for the massive
returns that a positive Black
Swan can bring).
What would constitute a
South African Black Swan?
The technically correct answer would be “who knows?”
Looking back, the negotiated
settlement between the ruling
Nationalist Government and
the once banned and exiled
ANC was clearly a positive
Black Swan. But let’s imagine
some possible future candidates. People are predicting
left, right and centre about
the likely outcome of the
leadership struggle at the
ANC’s crucial conference in
December. Maybe one of the
‘predicted candidates’ gets it.
But it could conceivably produce a highly improbable
leader whose term in office
may have a huge positive or
negative impact on us all over
the next 5 to 10 years.
Another global Black Swan
that would severely impact
our lives is if the oil price hit
and stayed at something like
$150 to $200 a barrel! Improbable but not impossible,
a typical Black Swan!
Second insight: Inventions and discoveries usually
owe more to luck and randomness than to carefully
planned research. Many of
the discoveries that have had
a huge impact on our culture
were accidents discovered
while people were looking for
something else. For example,
penicillin was just some mold
inhibiting the growth of
another lab culture; despite
massive
expenditure
on
cancer research, chemotherapy was discovered as a
side-effect of mustard gas in
warfare (people who were
exposed to it had very low
white blood cell counts). And
look at one of today’s big
pharmaceutical money spinners, Viagra. It was devised
to treat heart disease and
hypertension.
Luck and randomness
also play a huge part in the
success of the stars in all
spheres. Bill Gates is not a
business genius; he was
tinkering
around
with
creating some operating
software for IBM’s Personal
Computers and was lucky
enough to negotiate a deal
at the right time with the
ailing giant that resulted in
him being rewarded, out of
all proportion to his effort.
Which brings us to the third
insight.
Third insight: random
tinkering is the true path to
success. We need more
uninhibited,
aggressive,
proud tinkering. What Taleb
is arguing for is this: most
economists are too bathed in
enlightenment-style causeand-effect to realise the
effects of wild randomness.
Tightly planned and narrowly
lived lives, businesses and
organisations are highly unlikely to reach the dizzy
heights of success that can
be achieved by those who
constantly try new things,
slightly different things, those
who tinker with what is to
produce what might be. Taleb chides us to make our
own luck: we can be scared
and worried about the future,
or we can look at it as a collection of happy surprises
that lie just outside the path
of our imagination.
Nassim Nicholas Taleb is
an eye-opening thinker, one
who teases our intelligence.
He awakens us to the Black
Swans, more prevalent than
we suspect, that lie hidden at
the edges of the pond of our
daily lives.
Greyton Laundry
Open for Breakfasts (08h30–11h00)
& Lunches* (12h00-14h00)
Open for dinner on Christmas Eve
Teas & Coffees (all day until 16h30)
Tel : 028 254 9995
Closed on Mondays
*Unlicensed, so bring your own wine
Monday to Friday 8.30-4.30pm
Public Holidays, Weekends Closed
Detergents, Laundry
Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning
Tel: 254 9454 (Theresa)
Pointer Road, Heuwelkroon, Greyton
December 2007 No 57
CHOCOHOLICS
ANONYMOUS
by Anyone’s Guess
I am a chocoholic (and fudge,
and meringues and cheese
cake). There, I’ve said it.
According to the counsellors of
Chocoholics Anonymous, this is
the first important step to
healing from the addiction.
Of course, I’m a reformed
chocoholic (of course). I used to
pooh-pooh those health freaks
who ran everywhere, munching
fruit instead of a large piece (or
slab, actually) of chocolate.
(You know that lovely milk chocolate that melts in the mouth,
filled with praline and perhaps a
hint of coffee with…) Yes, well
anyway, as I mentioned, I am
now reformed. I’m sure you can
tell.
Not that it’s been plain
sailing. Oh no. It all started with
a quick trip to our local medico
for insurance blood tests, who
rather unsportingly pointed out
the double digit figures on his
sugar metre
machine thing.
Well, I threatened to move to a
FAT doctor, one who gives
chocolates to patients who behave (not books on how to eat
healthily).
Well, needless to say, my
husband and I both failed our
blood tests. The sugar ones. I
mean, that’s a bit rough, isn’t it?
It‘s one thing to fail maths or
something. But one’s own
blood? There’s something deeply disheartening about the thing.
And both of us. We told our kids
that ‘die suiker’ genes are heavily against them and that we
should have stuck to hamsters,
not children. They didn’t seem
too phased by such damning
news…
But now here’s the real ‘drol
in die drinkwater’: Having been
advised to ‘replace fat with
Page 19
THE SENTINEL
muscle’ (nicely put, Doc), we
set about tucking into ‘rabbit
food’, turning the other cheek
when offered huge juicy
steaks,
TT’s
chocolate
mousse, croissants with melted butter, and other such
foods that previously made up
our staple diet. A demure, “No
thanks, I’ll just have a glass of
water” when proffered a beer
and, “I’m afraid we can only
come after Our Run” with a
seraphic smile is now the
latest response. But now
here’s the thing:
Do you know that if you
put a podgy man and a podgy
woman on the same healthyeating programme (I’m giving
a
non-specific
example,
obviously), get them both
thundering around their farm
daily and doing the famous
Canadian Air force exercises,
the man will lose 11 (yes,
eleven) kg and the woman will
lose 3 (three)! I mean, how
does that work? And then,
just to add insult to injury, the
man has the cheek to suggest
he is actually enjoying his
runs…Oh I try, I really do. But
just yesterday, I fell while
running, and between gasps,
said two really short, rude
words, unbecoming of good
Christian folk. In fact, I said
them twice! I’m beginning to
wonder if this thing is bringing
out the best in me, now that I
come to think of it.
Just this morning, helping
The Child pack up his fudge
for the market, I found myself
shaking and drooling at the
sight of the precious fffffudge.
The f-word. And all that
delicious ssssssugar. The
s-word. Yes, that’s what I
yelled defiantly when I fell
and tell her how mingy thin
yesterday: “SUGAR! FUDGE!
and sick her husband is lookSUGAR! FUDGE!” Oh dear –
ing and how Ravishing she
looks as if I’m going to need
looks having lost three whole
another counselling session
kilos; give her a large slab of
at Chocoholics Anonymous,
Canderel chocolate to cheer
doesn’t it?
her flagging spirits, and you
So if you happen to come
will have a friend for life.
across
two
podgy runners,
wearing bells
about
their
necks
to
declare
‘Unclean’, and
if one of them
is drooling and
begging you for
just
one
leeetttle bite of
your
chchchchocolate,
then smile en‘Anyone’s Guess’ during a relapse!
couragingly
Cape Access Projek
Ons is meegedeel dat Cape Access in hul finale stadium is
van hul projekte en het ‘n vergadering geskeduleer vir Genadendal Gemeenskap en omliggende gebiede, op 29 Oktober 2007 om 18h00 (ses uur) te Genadendal biblioteek.
Die doel van hierdie vergadering is om ‘n e-forum te kies,
bestaande uit 8-15 jong persone, wat hul tyd en vaardighede
(voorsien deur Cape Access Span), kan gebruik om die gemeenskap op te lei en te assiste in die gebruik van IT sentrum
tot die uiterste voordeel van die gebruikers.
U ondersteuning en betrokkenheid in hierdie proses is van
kardinale belang. U word ieder en elk (nie slegs een afgevaardigde) hartlik uitgenooi om ons te ondersteun om Genadendal E
-mag to gee en om te help om die digitale skeiding in die gemeenskap te oorbrug.
Voel vry om my te kontak vir enige verdure/addisionele inligting
met betrekking tot bg.
By voorbaat dank. Die uwe, A S Jellen, Genadendal Biblioteek
The Greyton Carolers Present:
Carols by Candlelight
on the Market Square Tuesday 18 December.
Bring along your picnics and your rugs at 18h00.
Carols start 19h00
A collection will be made in aid of the
Red Cross Children’s Hospital
Donations of children’s clothes and toys will also be appreciated. All welcome, children especially.
Enquire for details or book – Tel: 028 254 9800
52 Main Street, Greyton
www.greytonlodge.co.za
Page 20
Art and Soul, December
December, and you probably
have a jammed diary already. If
not, read on:
The ‘Cape’ has its usual
smorgasbord to choose from,
but except for the Summer
Music Festival, the fare is
mainly light.
Artscape has the World
Aids Day Gala concert on the
1st, with Library and Rent bulking up the month. If you’ve been
to any of the glitzy ‘gala’ concerts (read: ‘Variety Shows’),
you’ll know that producers seem
to fall back on these whenever
they run out of real ideas. (‘Ho,
hum Maude; let’s stage Virginia
Woolf in December’. ‘Does it
require talent?’ ‘’Fraid so.’‘Nah,
let’s rather do a gala, then we’ll
still have time to go to Plett.’)
I’ve heard mixed reviews
about Rent, which I’m about to
go and see. I like the idea that
it’s based on La Boheme, so I’m
keeping an open mind.
The Baxter is awash with
light entertainment. The Kramer
Peterson Songbook, (Music by
David Kramer and Taliep Peterson), It’s Just Not Fez, (standup comedy) and The Elves and
the Shoemaker, a kiddies’
show, are on the programme,
and you can get details from
their website www.baxter.co.za
And then, some treats: the
CPO’s Cape Town International Summer Music Festival
runs deep into December, starting with the John Lill Festival
Recital on 1 December. This
concert
includes
Mozart’s
Sonata in F, K332, Schumann’s
“Carnival de Vienne”, Op. 26,
Prokofiev’s Toccata, Op. 11
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
and Three Intermezzi in E flat
major, B flat minor and C
sharp minor, Op. 117 by
Brahms.
On Thursday 06 December, you can treat yourself to
a choral concert at the City
Hall, featuring Virginia Davids
(soprano), Sibongile Khumalo
(mezzo
soprano),
Sidwill
Hartman (tenor), and Otto
Maidi (bass). Owain Arwel
Hughes will conduct the
Libertas Choir & New Apostolic Church Choir in a
performance of Verdi’s Messa da
Requiem. This concert will be
repeated on the 9th at the
NAC auditorium, albeit with
different soloists.
The Festival continues
with Veronica Paeper’s ballet:
Orpheus in the Underworld
at the Artscape Opera House
on the 12th. You can take the
whole family to enjoy this
comical ballet.
Details of the festival are
on www.cpo.org.za
And now back to Greyton.
If
you
haven’t
made
www.greyton.net your opening web page yet, do so this
month. You’ll find a superb
web page with all the details
you need for a cracker of a
month.
If you can still get a ticket,
make sure you see Zanne
Stapelberg and guitar virtuoso James Grace at the Moravian Church on 15th. Their
programme, Canciones en
Espanolas, is guaranteed to
enthral.
There is a lot happening
in our village - get onto the
website and see for yourself.
This is family time and for
those of you lucky enough to
be with your families in
Greyton this month, warmest
wishes from me for a peaceful
and blessed Christmas and a
memorable holiday.
Dave Jackson
BOOK REVIEW: ON CHESIL BEACH
Ian McEwen. Jonathan Cape
Ian McEwen's ability to 'hit the
ground running' - a supermarket kidnapping in ''Child in
Time' , 'Enduring Love' and
the earthward bound balloon and Saturday's eminent
neurosurgeon suddenly very
ordinary - all crack off at a
tempo which holds the reader
in suspense until the end. On
Chesil Beach is a bleak
novella tackling the pitfalls of
innocence of sex in the '60's
and the resultant descent
from normality to disaster.
In England at the time
young couples just couldn't or
wouldn't
discuss
sex,
'Sexual intercourse began in
1963...between the end of
Lady Chatterley's ban and the
Beatles first LP' cited Philip
Larkin's poem Annus mirabilis. Two lovers celebrating
their wedding night in July
1962 are hopelessly embarrassed with each other in a
small hotel on the exposed
Dorset coast. Both virginal,
they are on edge about their
first time in bed together.
Edward is so totally swept
away by thoughts of at last
possessing Florence that he
can't even undress her. She,
on the other hand, is totally
repelled by any idea of sex.
A classic Greek tragedy
in five parts with flashbacks
unfolds: from hotel dinner to
their first meeting, and the
wedding night to courtship.
'Act 5' is a nocturnal finale on
the deserted pebble-strewn
beach when the couple's
naive and clumsy attempts to
communicate are rounded off
with a brief cameo of their
lives thereafter. This is a sad
Chekov look-alike narrative
about young Edward and
Florence with their communication failures and missed
connections.
Ian McEwen is at his
best
with innocence gone
wrong. Perhaps he wanted to
emulate Saturday and Atonement where he examined so
caringly the vulnerability of
daily life and the difficulty of
grasping and retaining simple
pleasures. Sadly On Chesil
Beach hasn't achieved this,
but rather it has given a
blurred and stilted portrayal of
two rather unlikeable and
unforgiving young people.
McEwen with heed to
detail is an expert in capturing
the reader's attention. He can
charm with appealing intonations, and there are some
moving images when an older
Edward goes home to his
Father. Notwithstanding, I am
left high and dry on page 166
feeling that this is one of his
more outlandish and unsatisfactory stories.
John Wynne-Edwards
December 2007 No 57
Page 21
THE SENTINEL
Community Forum
From the Seniors’ Desk
My brain has been telling me
for years that time and tide
wait for no man. So how is it
possible that I seem to be
constantly running out of that
elusive factor : TIME? Is it due
to a lack of planning or just
the gradual slipping into the
slow-mo modum of retirement?
Whatever the case may
be, I can hardly believe that
once again we find ourselves
just four weeks away from the
hustle and bustle of Christmas,
a time for celebration and
giving. What gave me quite a
lot to think about the deeper
meaning of Christmas gifts
was
Owen Arnold’s list of
‘Christmas Gift Suggestions’
For your enemy, forgiveness
To an opponent, tolerance
To a friend, your heart
To a customer, service
To all, charity
To every child, a good example
To yourself, respect
Quite some list I would
think !
The prime fundraiser of
our Seniors’ Club, the annual
Greyton Rose Fair, was once
again an unequivocal success, making all the effort
and hard work worthwhile.
The weather was perfect, the
stalls interesting and well set
up, the available food ample
and delicious, the ambience
superb. According to the
e-mails, phone calls, faxes
and SMSs received, the stallholders as well as the local
businesses all did extremely
well and the many visitors
and residents enjoyed the
day immensely. The Rose
Hall was absolutely stunning!
Congratulations to the organisers responsible for the
detailed planning and execution of their plans, also to the
many exhibitors showcasing
such a variety and such
beautiful blooms. Special
congratulations to Martin
Smyth and Fanie du Toit on
entering the ‘Best on Show’
specimen. It was amazing to
see so many and such perfect entries, as the roses all
over the Western Cape were
about three weeks slower
than in previous years. A
heartfelt word of thanks to
all, club members, friends
and residents, without whose
help we could never have
successfully pulled off an
undertaking of such magnitude.
Congratulations to Ken
Johnson on winning the wine
raffle and to Jean Nicholls
on winning the whiskey
raffle. Our sincere thanks to
those who donated the
raffles.
With great shock and
sadness we received the
news of the sudden and unexpected death of Tseppi
(James) Koning at Schiphol
airport on his way home
from a holiday in Scotland.
Tseppi was a respected and
much loved member of our
club for many years, also
club treasurer for some
years and will be sadly
missed by all. Our sincere
condolences to Shirley and
her family. You are very
much in our thoughts and
prayers, Shirley.
For 14 November Eben
Kotze had arranged yet
another interesting Seniors
outing, to the Breede River
Valley, Bonnievale and Robertson. A group of 23 seniors
met at the Parmalat cheese
factory in Bonnievale from
where they drove through
the scenic Breede River Valley to the Shellam cactus
and succulent farm. This
farm, famous for its more
than 2000 species of cacti,
succulents and cycads, is
recognised as one of the
finest collections of specimen plants world-wide. After
lunch the group enjoyed seeing all the exotic birds at
Birds Paradise in Robertson.
Thank you Eben for always
arranging these outings with
such meticulous care to
detail.
Our End of the Year
function will be a ‘bring and
braai’ at Riverside Cottage
on Sunday 16 December at
18h00. The last take-away
meal for the underprivileged
will be on Tuesday 18 December after which the club
will go into recess, until
Tuesday 8 January 2008.
With the festive season
upon us may I wish all our
club
members,
friends,
residents, weekenders and
our editorial staff a very happy and blessed Christmas
and may the peace and joy
of Christmas remain with you
throughout the coming year.
So, until next time, take
care, go well and God bless.
Ilse
FOR SALE
US
Gravely
10hp
twowheeled tractor complete with
implements. This is a rare
opportunity to own a superb
small machine to make your
large garden or plot productive and grow your own organic vegetables. It has had one
owner only since new. Valued this month by the managSimilar to the above
er of the Gravely importers at
±R25 000.00 Attachments include a bush/field cutter, tipping
trailer, rotary plough, a shredder and a rotivator. The tractor
has a 10hp self-starting engine, a new 12 volt battery (with
one year’s gurantee) and its original tyres still look new. Reasonable offers considered. Please phone Nigel Goodale on
028 254 9622 to view.
Page 22
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
Community Forum
RED CROSS REPORT.
November
by Jennie Martin
CONSERVATION
BRAAI
Wednesday
12 December, 5pm
Gobos River Picnic
Site on Vlei Street
Members and
friends welcome!
Bring your picnic
baskets, chairs, etc.
Fires will be lit for
you
VILLAGE BANNERS
Banner hanging in Greyton has
now become simpler. There is
a new permanent pole structure on the corner of Main and
DS Botha Street, which is
available for advertising village
events. The construction of this
was a joint venture between
TWK and the Conservation
Society.
Red Cross house. Rather
late in the season, but we
hope diligent watering will
allow them to survive the
move.
COMMITTEE UPDATE
Paul Marais has left the
village so is no longer part of
the Conservation committee.
Stuart Shearer has been
co-opted onto the committee.
HACK NEWS
The last Hack for 2007 was
held again along the upper
reaches of the Gobos River.
The area requires a huge
amount of work, and we will
return there in January to
carry on where we left off.
Anyone prepared to give
three hours of their time?
OAKS IN HEUWELKROON
Three more of ‘Erral’s Oaks’
have been relocated, this time
to the area around the Greyton
www.greytonlodge.co.za
KELKIEWYN FRAMERS
It always takes an emergency to make one aware of just
how fantastic people can
be.
Faced with flooded
homes, no tap water and no
power, there are many homes
that have no food. This presents a challenge for us in the
Red
Cross
to
provide
both food and blankets.
We immediately started making pots of soup in our
Red Cross Centre Wendy
House. To my amazement,
and without being asked,
people began arriving with
pots of cooked soup. It is hard
to estimate just how difficult
our task would have been
without those extra pots. I
estimate that we were able to
feed some 300 people with the
only hot food that they received in the last 24 hours.
Delivering food to individual homes gave us a good opportunity to assess the conditions under which some people are living and the results
are not encouraging. Whole
families in leaking single
rooms, with soot-blackened
walls and sodden floors with
so little protection from the
elements that water was continually seeping in.
One shack was no bigger
than my bed and it housed two
men, both with TB, and with
no facilities whatsoever. If they
need to cook it must be done
over an open fire outdoors.
We will be
making a report
to the Ward Representative in
the near future.
We have a need for cloth-
ing as many people have either
insufficient
or
their clothes are wet through.
We particularly need childrens' clothing as they seem
to get wetter by playing outside. If you can help in this
regard, please will you drop
them off either at my house or
at the Red Cross House.
I would like to end this
brief report by thanking Caroline Wood and the
Municipality for their tireless work to
cope with the emergencies
and the challenges of this
unprecedented weather.
My Committee, including
the VAC and the Youth, have
been magnificent and have
cooked up a storm and to all
the unnamed heroines who
delivered hot soup, you know
who you are and nothing was
more welcome than your
thoughtfulness. We do live in
an amazing village.
Artwork - Portraits
Certificates - Photos, etc.
Janice Roper
Tel: 028 214 1267
Cel: 082 654 9871
Lillian Laing Building, Prince Alfred Way,
Caledon
PO Box 420, Caledon
Five spa sessions R150
Spa special and facial for only R210
Tel: 082 565 3644
Jané
Tel: 254 9560
Mon–Sat: 08.00-17.00
December 2007 No 57
LETTERS
TO THE
EDITOR
The views expressed in the letters published by The Sentinel do not
reflect the views of The Sentinel, or the owner and publisher. Only
properly signed letters containing the contact details of the correspondent concerned, including a verifiable address and contact telephone
number will be published. Letters will only be published under the name
of the correspondent concerned. Letters written under a non de plume
or anonymously will not be published. In the interests of the village community we urge all correspondents to avoid personal attacks. Letters
addressing issues concerning the village at large will receive priority.
Dear Editor,
COOKING UP A STORM AT
THE JAM TIN
On the Friday morning of the
floods things looked grim at the
Jam Tin restaurant, home of
Dora van der Burg and Jam Tin
Cook, Cynthia. They had not
slept for 48 hours as the force of
the storm drove the rain up between the roof sheets and
soaked Dora’s bedroom and
kitchen, bringing down ceiling
panels complete with light fittings. They had no electricity
and no water, yet, on that day,
they had to provide lunch for
eight members of the Greyton
Tourism Committee.
At 05h30, unable to sleep,
they put on wellies and, while
Dora held an umbrella over her
head, Cynthia started preparing
the food. As soon as the shops
opened they were able to purchase water and a gas bottle
with plate, on which, while Dora
opened at Mfala, Cynthia prepared a meal of bobotie, chicken
pie, fresh vegetables & pumpkin
fritters.
Unfortunately they were
unable to serve the committee in
the restaurant as furniture had
been moved from the leaking
part of the house into their dining room. However, one of the
committee hosted the meal and
later wrote on behalf of GTA to
Page 23
THE SENTINEL
Cynthia and Dora: “Thank you,
so much for a most delicious
lunch. Everyone thoroughly
enjoyed it and could not stop
exclaiming.”
Although Dora van der
Burg works full time at Mfala,
she runs the Jam Tin restaurant as an income-generating
opportunity for women in her
community who are unemployed but have excellent
home cooking skills. Cynthia
has been working there for five
months and her dishes are
widely praised by guests.
Seven days a week, Dora
and Cynthia provide one nutritious, hot meal to each of five
people in their neighbourhood
who, due to chronic illness, are
unable to afford to cook for
themselves. Cynthia provides
care during the day to them,
her work funded by income
from Jam Tin and supplemented by Dora’s wages from Mfala. This help became critical
during the flooding.
If you would like to help
Cynthia and Dora with their
community work you can drop
in a donation at Mfala or visit
Jam Tin. There, not only will
you enjoy a delicious meal but
you will be helping somebody
in need to have a hot meal that
same day.
Nicola Vernon, Krige Road
Dear Editor,
Rose Fair 2007 has come and
gone and on behalf of the
Greyton Rose Fair Committee I
would like to extend a very big
thank you to all our members
and many friends who gave so
generously of their time and
talents to help us make it such
a great success. We couldn’t
do it without each one of you
and all your very generous
donations are greatly appreciated. Your help goes a long
way in aiding the Greyton Seniors’ Centre in their outreach
project to feed the needy in our
community.
Rose Fair 2008 will
again take place during the last
weekend of October (24, 25
and 26) and we look forward to
your continued support and
assistance.
Gillian Moore, Chairman
Dear Editor,
Congratulations to our Town
Manager, Denver Damons,
and his team on their quick
response to the recent disastrous flood damage. The rapid restoration of water supply
and other services was to our
minds
quite
remarkable. We are truly fortunate to have someone of Denver's ability at the helm.
Alan and Jilly Paynter Paine,
Vigne Lane
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the Anglican
Church Creche we would like
to express our sincere thanks
for the donations and support
we have received during the
past year. For each donor,
whether financially or in the
form of goods or a beautiful
smile, we are highly appreciative. We wish you a pleasant
and joyful festive season.
Debbie Stanfield
Dear Editor,
On Friday afternoon, my husband and I drove around the
village to see the various disaster areas. At nearly 6pm we
went to the end of Nerina
Street where the water pipes
come across the river. There
were at least eight municipal
personnel on site - including
Town Manager, Denver Damons. A yellow front end loader was half in the water and
two municipal workers (I don't
know their names) were standing in the very fast flowing water of the Gobos river trying to
attach yellow ropes to the water pump that had been
washed away. Several times
they dived down under the
water to locate the pump which
was not visible
because of
the brown fast flowing water.
Eventually they managed to
attach the yellow ropes to the
pump (it is very big and extremely heavy) and while they
hooked it onto the scoop of the
front end loader another worker, Frans Latier, was ‘riding’ in
the scoop to direct where it
should go untangling the ropes
that had been wound around
the scoop by the pressure of
the water. Miraculously they
had not only found the pump
but also managed to lift it to the
bank - and put it back in use.
The two ‘divers’ were not only
soaked but shivering and very
cold - they had risked their
lives diving into the flooded
water to try to recover the
pump. I would like residents to
know that these men certainly
went the extra mile on our behalf - and they deserve a big
thank you. As do those who
were also there, working
in deep, wet trenches trying to
reconnect water pipes to restore water supplies for the
community.
Pamela Duff. Vigne Lane
Vigne Lane
HF ELECTRICAL CC
Butchery
Riviersonderend
We guarantee quality meat
and exceptional service!
NEW TO GREYTON:
Free delivery to your door!
For all your meat requirements
contact us!
Tel: 028 261 1579 Fax: 028 261 1612
After hours: Cell - 072 370 1679
[email protected]
Repairs and installations done at your home
Cold & freezer rooms, dishwashers,
fridges, freezers, microwaves
stoves, washing machines, etc.
AEG, Bosch, Danfoss, Defy, Electrolux, Fridge Master, Hoover, Ignis, Indesit, Kelvinator, KIC, LG, Miele,
Ranco, Samet, Samsung, Siemens, Speed Queen,
Telefunken, Univa, Whirlpool, etc.
HERMAN FRANKEN, TEL: 028 212
Page 24
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
Spotlight
on Schools
Greyton Primêr
No News is Good News
Greyton Primary School is well
and is moving ahead. The year
races to its end and the new
year is already upon us. Here
are some highlights of the past
year:
CURRICULUM DELIVERY;
Despite the teachers’ strike our
learning programmes were
completed according to plan.
There is a 10% increase in
pass rate, which is significant.
We are still looking into
pupils’ ability to read with
understanding and to better
their ability to react to instructions and questions.
Our
Friends of Greyton are doing a
superb job in helping stimulate
reading especially in English as
a second language.
Our
thanks to these dedicated and
enthusiastic group of friends.
Parent and teacher ‘one-toone’ conferences’ attendance
is increasing and reached 70%.
Hopefully we can increase this
to 85% in 2008 but unfortunately parents from farms still
suffer as a result of transport
problems and also find it
difficult to get time off work to
attend these very important
sessions.
STAFFING: We are lucky to
have a stable teaching establishment which means 318
pupils to 8 teachers including
the principal. Unfortunately we
still have classes with well over
45 pupils per teacher, some
even 50. Three teachers are
employed with our own funds
to alleviate the problem,
amounting to R108 000. The
Debutante Ball raised enough
to pay for one salary. We
hope to raise R9000 through
quarterly fundraising in 2008.
Our staff work with so
much dedication and hard
work against the odds. We
have a winning team and we
honour our partners within
the Greyton community.
SAFETY AND HEALTH: We
have regular safety drills and
on 19 October Cape Nature
held a successful talk on how
to prevent veld fires. Thank
you Hennie Africa and his
team. Our biggest concern is
still how do we fit into the
Disaster Management Plan
for the town and how do we
prepare our children for it.
Our pupils receive a
substantial meal each day
thanks to Peninsula School
Feeding Scheme. To thank
them we again held a
successful ‘Blisters for Bread’
walk raising the record
amount of R3 700 for them.
Two volunteers cook these
meals each day, receiving
only R250 a month for both.
We would like to give them
something for their dedication
and hard work. (Please
contact the school with any
contributions).
SPORT: We had a bumper
winter season. Our netball
teams were unbeaten in all
their matches and our cross
country team, although they
did not have many opportunities, also had much success.
The cricket season started
with a bang. One boy, Marco
Phillips, was selected for the
Under 11 Southern Boland
Cricket team. Congratulations
to Marco and his tireless
coaches. The school cricket
team only lost one match out
of four. They are in dire need
of proper kit: shirts, caps,
socks, pants and shoes. Every player costs about R250 to
equip. (Again please contact
the school if you can help.)
Tennis coaching is going
ahead with the help of the
Genadendal Tennis Club.
Greyton Primary School is
fast becoming a school of
culture. The choir, under the
leadership of Stan Balie took
part in many events including
youth Sundays, Koring Kuier
Competition as part of the
Caledon Wild Flower Show,
etc. They also had the huge
honour of taking part in the
Artscape School Choirs Festival in Cape Town for the first
time. Congratulations to the
aromatherapy,
massage
& reflexology
Lisa Kevitt
Protection of Properties
and Alarm Response
Oubaas Groenewald - 31A Main Road.
FJ Hans, Principal
The Debutantes Ball
GREYTON
SECURITY
254 9555 (all hours)
choir and its leader. The
Drama Group took part in the
Akkedissie Drama Fees in
Villiersdorp with the drama
‘Die Kat Kom Weer’. Mrs
Augusta Johannes, with the
help of Mrs Hazel Erskine,
started a recorder ensemble
at the school with a group of
30 pupils and our thanks to
Mrs Erskine for coming on
board. We look forward to
their first public appearance.
A group of 30 pupils also
took part in the flower
arrangement competition at
the Caledon Wild Flower
Show.
Finally, we are looking for
a professional fundraiser for
the school. If you, or anyone
you know, are interested,
please contact the school on
028 254 9943 or myself on
082 323 5226.
Thank you for your
support, even those who are
just silent partners. Without
you we cannot move forward
in cultivating our school motto
‘Knowledge and Wisdom are
Precious’.
21 Main Road
Greyton
Nature’s Touch
Tel: 028 254 9909
Cell: 083 499 2825
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
Spotlight
on Schools
Greyton House News
Skye du Plessis was one of 50
finalists chosen from a countrywide Pritt art competition. We
are so proud! Here is her report
on the prize-giving.
‘Our whole class and the grade
1-2 class took part in a competition throughout the whole of
the South African country. This
year the theme was sport, so
my art teacher said that we
could all do soccer, so it would
be easier for everyone to have
the same instructions. We all
worked very hard and waited a
long, long time for the results to
come, but Thursday they came.
I was so excited to hear who
was a finalist. The principal,
Mrs Gallagher, said the results.
She looked at me and said, “It’s
you Skye!” I was more excited
than ever before now. I received a letter that said there
would be a prize-giving ceremony on 11 November at the
MTN Science centre, Canal
Walk. It was time for the prizegiving so we went inside. First,
they awarded grade R, nursery
and grade 1. Then the grade
2/3. I did not get the first, second or third place but I did get a
prize, a Pritt bag full of art supplies. Afterwards there was a
party with 2 gigantic cakes.’
Skye du Plessis grade 3
On Thursday 15 November
Skye du Plessis, Pritt
collage finalist
whole morning was seeing
the enthusiasm and good
sportsmanship
of
our
athletes. Truly, we were
proud of our little school that
morning and felt our children
were a credit to the village.
the grade 1’s to 4’s enjoyed
an outing to Applethwaite
farm in Elgin, where they
were hosted by Mr Johan van
Zyl, who made the discussion
about apple farming very
entertaining, thereafter a
delicious pie & milkshake and
a wonderful time was had at
the Orchard Farm stall.
TRIATHLON IN GRABOUW
No! He couldn’t believe his
bad luck. As he grabbed his
bike, he noticed with dismay
the flat tyre. The other teams
had gapped it, and it seemed
the Greyton House U13 boys’
team’s chances were as
deflated as the tyre. With
lightening speed our innovative boys had made a plan B
and rustled up a friend’s bike.
‘Boer maak ‘n plan’ after all
Undaunted, Tom Stapley
was off. Could he possibly
catch up? The competition
included large Cape Town
schools and some equally
tough farm stock from
Grabouw…But our country
boys are not easily thrown.
To our amazement, the
Greyton House U13 boys’
threesome galloped in to a
victorious first place – metres
ahead of their dismayed
opposition who may still, for
all we know, be dusting off
their designer sports’ outfits
and their egos.
Speedy swimmer Jono
Goodale
and
rampaging
runner, Piet Matthee completed the team. Oh, it was very
hard not to gloat.
Greyton
House
had
several teams who participated in the triathlon hosted by
Applewood and, in spite of
challenging competition, we
were very proud of the
achievements of our individual and team participants who
all came first, second or third.
Catherine Kramer, our resident violinist, added another
string to her bow, coming
second in the U11 individual
girls’ triathlon event, and over
quite a gruelling course.
Perhaps the best part of the
Piet Matthee, Thomas
Stapley and Jono
Goodale triathlon
winners at Applewood
Greyton Primêr
Reading Competition
Greyton Primêr held its annual
Reading
Competition
on
Wednesday, 14 November, in
the school hall. The preliminary rounds had been contested earlier, in class, so that the
five finalists for each class
from Grades 2 to 7 could be
chosen.
Each finalist read a short
prepared passage in both
Afrikaans and English. The
person with the most difficult
task was Philip Nel, who was
the adjudicator. It was not
easy to find the winners
because many of the competitors were so close to each
Page 25
other in ability.
Philip commented not only
on the excellent standard of all
the finalists this year but also
on the improvement he has
observed over several years
judging the competition. Congratulations are due to all who
took part, the organisers and
the teachers.
At the end of term all the
finalists will be presented with
certificates and each winner
will receive a book prize.
These prizes have generously
been given by the Friends of
the Library Book Club who are
thanked very much for their
continued support.
The finalists for each class
are given below, with the winners in capitals:
Grade
2
WHITNEY
STRYDOM, Elzonia Gertse,
Tesnine
Davids,
Carolynn
Lakay and Nicole Koelat
Grade 3A - SHARNÉ FOURIE,
Nowida Abrahams, Dylon Phillips, Audrey van Wyk and Byron Majiedt
Grade 3B - SHANDRÉ ZIETSMAN, Bridgette Everson,
Rodwin Abrahams, Downé
Latier and Yanic Delport
Grade 4A - SHAHIEDA LOTZ,
Bianca Small, Adriana Dicks,
Maliska Davids and Jesmene
Fourie
Grade
4B
JESMENE
AVANTIES, Lauren Phillips,
Caryn Klink, Anthony Appollis
and Denzil Burts
Grade 5 - CHANTAL BUYS,
Chandré
Cloete,
Julian
Snyders, Sherwin Latier and
Deidre Letier
Grade 6 - PEARL-DONAY
STANFIELD, Jessica Steward,
André Stanfield, Gerome Koelat and Shamilla Lewis
Grade 7 - DANAË DAVIDS,
Anita Abrahams, Olivia Coert,
Charnine Plaatjies and Jade
Damons.
Children’s party at the Anglican Church Creche
Sponsored by Pam Golding Properties
Page 26
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
What’s On
Mondays Monday hikers,
meet at the market at 09h00,
contact Klaus Wehrlin on
[email protected]
Tuesdays Seniors Club,
lunch at 12h30 at the DRC Hall
Social Bowls, 15h00, for play
to begin at 15h15, Greyton
Village Bowling Club, Contact
Barry Cahill, 028 254 9573
Line dancing, Uitkyk School
hall, 16h30, Contact Kay Cuttler, 028 254 9499
Conservation
hack,
third
Tuesday, meet at Municipal
sheds, Vlei St., 07h30
Wednesday - 1st Wednesday
of the month, Greyton Library
Book Club, 17h00, Greyton
Library
Last Wednesday, 100 Club
Draw, Greyton Bowling Club,
Greyton Village, contact Sancia Cahill 028 254 9573
Thursdays - Thursday hikers
(men), meet at 07h00 at 112
Main Road, contact Jon Nesbit
Thursday
Yoga
Group.
Time - 16h30 every Thursday
18 Oak Street in the garden or
Uitkyk School hall when it rains.
All money is used for supporting children's projects in the
village.
Fridays - Friday hikers meet at
07h00 at 76 Main Road, contact Penny Nesbit
Social Bowling, 16h00 for play
to begin at 16h15 followed by
bring ‘n braai, Greyton Village Bowling Club
Saturdays - Social bowling,
Greyton Bowling Club, 14h00
for play to begin at 14h15.
Sundays - Mixed hikers,
07h00 at 76 Main Road,
contact Jon Nesbit
Saturday, 1 December, Celebrations for World Aids Day,
Greyton Primêr
Saturday, 1 December, Aids
Day, St Andrew’s Anglican
Church, Greyton
Monday, 3 December, Children’s Christmas Party, Greyton Library
Wednesday, 12 December,
17h00 Conservation Braai,
Gobos River picnic site
Sunday,
16
December,
11h30, Genadendal Brass
Band,
Greyton
Moravian
Church
Saturday, 15 December,
Canciónes en Espanloas,
Zanne Stapelberg & James
Grace, Greyton Moravian
Church
Sunday, 16 December, Seniots Bring ‘n Braai, Riverside
Cottage, Vlei Street, 18h00
Tuesday, 18 December,
Carols by Candlelight,
Market Square, 17h00
Wednesday 19 December,
100 Club Draw, Greyton
Bowling Club, 18h00
Monday,
31
December,
Greyton Bowling Club New
Year’s Eve Party
Community
Notice Board
Thanks
THANKS
I would like to thank Dr Jens
Kargaard and his wife, Jill, my
friends and neighbours for the
good wishes, assistance and
help at a very difficult time.
Jutta Hess
Suzie is ‘tickled pink’ and
would like to thank all the folk
who came to share her birthday picnic, one for every year
of her life! Thank you for all
the lovely gifts, too many to
personally thank and here’s to
another ‘Pimms Picnic’ next
year.
Suzie Gordon
Clothing Wanted
Due to the floods, clothing is
badly needed by the Greyton
Red
Cross,
particularly
clothes for children. If you
have any to donate, please
deliver them to the Red Cross
House in Heuwelkroon or to
Jennie Martin’s home.
Greyton kids movie
and hotdog club
Fridays, 18h30 – 20h30
R10 per child for supper,
movie free
Cold drinks on sale
Ages 8-13
Uitkyk Primary Hall
vegetarian and meat hotdogs
age appropriate and good
family style / fun movies
Starts Friday 25 January
HOME WANTED
Independent, elderly gentleman (feline!) seeks quiet new
home as his elderly owner
has urgently relocated. Willing
to cover ongoing food costs.
Please help! Contact Amanda
on
(021)
7853429
or
0847010012.
WANTED
Donations of clothing, food
(not perishables), toys for
children are urgently needed
by Genadendal Child Welfare
on an ongoing basis. Please
contact either Marshanette
Benjamin or Elaine Cloete on
028 251 8111.
Greyton Christian Fellowship
meets at Uitkyk Primary School at 9.00am every
Sunday morning. Family service and Sunday School.
Rainfall Stats
Statistics kindly supplied by:
Montgomery Cottage in Regent Street.
2004
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
2005
2006
19mm
59mm
65mm
56mm
21mm
45mm
46mm
18mm
39mm
140mm
9mm
134mm
90mm
33mm
25mm
190mm
48mm
60mm
6mm
63mm
41mm
28mm
51mm
4mm
62mm
48mm
18mm
73mm
81mm
63mm
114mm
311mm
31mm
73mm
30mm
36mm
Annual 651mm
Totals
640mm
940mm
Up to and including 27 November
2007
22mm
66mm
35mm
59mm
82mm
63mm
92mm
43mm
31mm
87mm
362mm
Contact: Bev Jennings 028 254 9080
Basil & Laurette Smit 028 254 9303
John and Ruth Reader 028 254 9434
Dave van den Heever 082 457 1433
Church Services
St Andrews Anglican Church, 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays,
Morning Prayer, 10h30
2nd & 4th Sundays, Holy Eucharist, 10h30
Greyton Christian Fellowship, Inter-denominational
services & Sunday School for children at 9:00am on
Sundays.
Moravian Church, Sunday - 10h00, Morning Service
Sunday, 18h30, Genadendal, Wednesday, 18h30
Genadendal
NG Kerk, Sunday, 10h00
New Apostolic Church, Sunday, 09h00, Morning Service;
Wednesday, 19h30, Evening Service
Roman Catholic Church, 1st, 3rd & 5th Saturdays, 17h00,
St Andrews Anglican Church, Greyton
2nd Sunday - 16h00, 4th Sunday - 09h30, Anglican Church,
Caledon Tel: 028 254 9176
7th Day Adventist Church, Saturday, 09h30, Morning
Service
December 2007 No 57
LOCAL BUSINESS LISTINGS
Name in BOLD, 4 lines maximum, Including name, R30 or R1
per word. Call 028 254 9061.
ACCOMMODATION
BED & BREAKFAST
THE GREYTON LODGE
15 en-suite rooms surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Swimming pool, restaurant, bar, art gallery and conference centre.
The perfect venue for weddings. Live music every Friday afternoon. Tel: 028 254 9800 / 9876
High Hopes B&B & Healing Energy Centre –
Five beautiful guest rooms in exquisite woodland gardens.
From R290ppp night sharing. Tel: 028 254 9898
Suzie’s Tickled Pink Chalet, Kleinmond
A getaway by the sea, 5 mins from the Arabella
Bookings: 082 811 2312
FOOD AND BEVERAGE
RESTAURANTS:
THE GL RESTAURANT
The GL Restaurant
Great food. Nice ambience, Voted one of South Africa's 800
best in 2007 by the Eat Out Magazine. Open 7 days a week
from 8am until late. Breakfast, lunch, tea & dinner, 52 Main
Road. Tel: 028 254 9800 / 9876.
Greyton Fish 'n' Chips
Closed Tuesday & Sundays, Tel: 028 254 9820 for orders.
The Abbey Rose Restaurant
Burger bash!
Tuesday evenings only
Buy one, get one free!
Bookings essential
No take-aways or doggy bags
Pizza take-aways as normal
Telephone: 254 9470
HEALTH & WELLNESS
High Hopes Healing Energy Centre
Kinesiology Clinic - Community and Pensioners’ Day
Tuesdays 09h30-13h30
89 Main Road
R80 all consultations, follow-up appointments R50
By appointment only
Tel: 028 254 9898
Next Issue of
THE SENTINEL
Saturday 22 December
Deadline for adverts and articles: 14.12
Page 27
THE SENTINEL
THE SMALLS
FOR SALE
1985 Mercedes 230E, 259
000kms, full history available,
only
one
owner/-driver,
‘voetstoets’.
Tel: 083 555 6168
FOR SALE
Knysna yellowwood dining
table, 260cm x 130cm
Ladies bicycle, new.
Tel: 028 254 9736
BICYCLES FOR SALE
His ‘n hers, hardly used, in
mint condition, gears for
Africa! R450 each.
Tel: 028 254 9127
FOR SALE
Oregon Pine Sideboard with
Granite
top 1835mm x
802mm.
Chaise Longue.
Telephone 0282549212.
FOR SALE
HO Water purifier, as new,
R400ono.
Phone 021 787 0116
CAR PROBLEMS?
Phone Cecil 082 979 7240
NEED A GLAZIER?
Phone Cedric 083 925 5559
TO LET
1. Delightful cottage in the
Greyton
Country
Village.
Tucked away with privacy.
Large lounge/dining room – 2
bedrooms -1½ bathroom –
auto garage – two stoeps –
long lease – R3 150.00 per
month.
2. Commercial shop in prime
position on street frontage – 2
rooms - ½ bathroom – stoep
and patio garden Rental
R2 000 per month
3. Superb position flat-let – 1
bedroom - large open plan
lounge/kitchen – full bathroom
– patio garden – Rental
R2 000 per month
Phone Yvonne Nel 028-2549031 or 082-920-2753
HOUSE TO LET
3 double beds, fully equipped
and serviced, ±22.12.07 to
±03.01.08. Ph. Suzie Gordon
028 254 9009/082 893 3307
GARDENING
The Big Tree Company II
Up to 600mm high trees, mulberry, wilge, yellowwood,
oak, keurboom, melkhout R30 each
Phone Felix le Roux 073 162 6557
HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION
SEDGEFIELD. Holiday cottage on The Island, near Farmers’ Market. Spacious, all mod-cons. Wonderful birding, walks
and beaches. Great value. Also stop-over option. Tel: 044
343 1261
Website: www.birdcottage.co.za
The Old Mill Restaurant
Traditional food, Pizzas - the very best
Open evenings
Sunday lunch boerekos
Sunday evenings - pizza takeaways
Tel: 028 254 9811
R30 000 reward offered
Cash reward of R30 000 is being offered to anyone who
furnishes us with evidence that leads to a conviction in the
assault upon Mrs Hess of 13 Weder Street, Greyton on 25
September 2007. Contact 028 212 1108, Ref: ADB
BlockOut insect screens
Tel: Gertie Nyman Tel: 028 251 8105 or 084 207 9045
Page 28
December 2007 No 57
THE SENTINEL
Brass Band launches first CD
The Genadendal Brass Band
will launch their first CD on
Sunday, 16 December, in the
Moravian Church in Greyton,
the venue where this milestone
CD was recorded.
The Band plays a wide variety of music, from traditional
African and ‘Kaaps’ to choral
and classical. The band currently has 23 full members and
17 junior members. The experience of the active members
ranges from one year to 34
years.
New players are trained
every second year and the
Genadendal
Brass
Band has been proud
to export its protogées
since 1980. Its members have been making
their mark in the SA
Navy Band, SA Police
Band, SA Army Band,
Stellenbosch University’s Symphonic Brass
Band
and
another
member
is
the
‘Landesposaunenwart’
or Brass Master in Germany.
Highlights of the Band’s
career include a performance
for President Nelson Mandela during a visit to Genadendal in 1995. Several
members of the band were
also selected to represent
the Brass Band Union of SA
on its concert tours of Germany in 1987 and 1997.
Copies of the CD called
‘150 Years of Brass Evolution’ will be sold at the
concert. The performance
starts at 11h30 and the band
will play music from the CD.
Hazards in Voorstekraal
by Christine Nyman, Voorstekraal
Mother Nature must have
heard the cries of the frustrated community of Voorstekraal
who have been plagued with
inaccessible roads for weeks
caused by the contractors
employed by the municipality
to install sewerage pipes but
who left the manholes unfinished.
After the flood, the community of Voorstekraal now
have their own 4x4 trail in
front of their houses and a
simple task, such as walking
to the nearby tuck-shop, could
lead to losing a shoe in mud
or falling down an uncovered
manhole. One needs a 4x4 to
get around but even that is
not enough as a 4x4 is known
to have got stuck in kneedeep mud, mud that would not
have been there had the
workers closed the holes they
dug.
Many of the manholes or
holes around them have no
safety precautions, and safety
barriers that have been broken have almost never been
replaced. The holes surrounding the manholes have filled
up with soft clay and dirt, a
hazard to anyone who falls
into them.
The negligence has resulted in nothing but frustration and pain for the inhabitants of Voorstekraal. The only
people benefiting are the owners of washing powder companies and the private contractors.
(Christine is a student at
Overberg High School. )
Kathy
Ashwell
who
appeared
at
Greyton
Lodge
recently
to
entertain
dinner
guests.
If Yoga is not your thing, but you want to improve your
posture and find harmony and balance in your body,
come and try Jonathan Blumberg’s
DYNAMIC ALIGNMENT SEQUENCE
11.30 am, Mondays + Wednesdays
corner of Kloof and Park Streets
phone 028-254 9667/082 738 7809
[email protected]
Yvonne Nel
Properties
29 Main Road, Greyton
P O Box 113, Greyton, 7233
Tel/Fax: 028-254-9031
Cell: 082-9202-753
E-mail: [email protected]
www.yvonnenel-properties.co.za
B&B and Healing Energy Centre
Massage, Reiki, Acupressure, Bach Flower
Consultations, Applied Kinesiology, Attunement
High Hopes guests return over and over
– it’s about tranquility, rejuvenation,
good food, very comfortable sleep and
deep care for you and the environment.
89 Main Road, Greyton
Tel: 028 254 9898
www.highhopes.co.za
Butchery
Riviersonderend
We guarantee quality meat
and exceptional service!
NEW TO GREYTON:
Free delivery to your door!
For all your meat requirements
contact us!
Tel: 028 261 1579 Fax: 028 261 1612
After hours: Cell - 072 370 1679
[email protected]
19 Caledon St, Greyton
Tel/Fax: 028 254 9895
Cell: 082 778 0070/072 522 0120
[email protected]
www.bumsonbeds.co.za
Zimbabwe – week 8
My little bubble of security is
coming to an end as I leave
this house with 24 hrs of power every day, a phone line that
works, and water on tap.
Now it will be interesting to
see how well I cope...I am
moving into a section of the
family home on the farm near
Wild Geese Lodge. Very basic
furniture, but a lovely view,
with table under a big Msasa
tree on the lawn. My grandmother lived in this house, as
did my mother, so it’s my turn
now.
Stock feeds are now hard to
come by, and chickens have all
been slaughtered. Farmers are
trying to sell sheep or beef
from their farms, but have
armed road blocks at the entrance to their farms, and not
even a chicken is allowed off
the property. All has to be
sold at the government regulated price. After a few early
morning starts to
queue for bread and milk I
have given up. No tea available anymore, despite the fact
we have wonderful tea estates
here. Eggs are sold under the
bushes in the parking lots,
nothing on the shelves of the
supermarkets, which attempt
to open their doors but not for
long each day. It looks like
the TM supermarket chain is
going to close. Meikles Hotel
has turned into a brothel, and
all white managers have resigned. The fixed prices mean
anyone can spend a night or
eat in the five star restaurants
for way below cost. It is of
course, extremely serious.
Driving up to the eastern highlands, we stopped at farm
stalls and bought cabbages and
honey. In Rusape all the shops
empty, but a thriving street
market, selling tomatoes avocado pears, cabbages and potatoes. All quite jolly - a normal
market scene. This is,
I suppose, what the government is aiming for.
Behind Pine Tree Inn we
stopped to look at the azalea
nursery, adjoining Prue
Hare’s old property. The
same old gardeners were
there, and the nursery had
row upon row of beautiful
plants all in full flower. They
were selling for less than 40
cents a plant. There is a new
fashion of gardening in the
Troutbeck area, every bush in
sight has been pruned right
up, leaving bare stems and a
little tuft of leaves at the top,
this includes my lovely wild
garden at Sticklepath cottage, I will not be returning.
The Troutbeck hotel is still
functioning, aided by the
government.
Rich, corrupt officials lounging about, a soccer game on
the lawns in progress, no one
fishing..
The cattle sale - 60 of the 300
bulls sold were not paid for,
and remained in the sale pens
for three weeks before the
reluctant sellers had to remove them. So much for the
high prices, no money in the
bank to pay.... perhaps it was
just showing off.
I have received six cheques
for Colcom and Truworth
shares to cash. This was for
the year’s dividends. I
thought that the total amount
was 20 million Zimbabwe
dollars. .Actually the total
amount was 20.000 Zim.
dollars, which would not buy
one loaf of bread!! Into the
dustbin.
Every weekend since I have
been here there have been
terrible teenage car accidents
and deaths. Every week is
another funeral, and I cannot
see why these parents allow their 16 and 17 year olds
to drive smart cars and come
home at 3am. I suppose
they are following in their
parents footsteps, party as if
there is no tomorrow. This
week’s tragedy is a young
man, who was killed flying
his helicopter into the Zambezi river, after dropping his
wife and two children off on
a sand bank. They were
stranded there till 7.30 in the
evening. Fortunately they
had a satellite phone to get
help. The pilot was a great
friend of my daughters. We
spent a week together at a
hunting camp last year. His
hobby was studying raptors,
and the helicopter flying was
to check out nesting
birds. The memorial service
is at Wild Geese tomorrow it will be my first time back
there in 5 years.
.
We are racing to get the fence
erected speedily around my
property, as unidentified
trucks are now arriving to
cart away huge chopped up
trees. It is heart breaking, but
perhaps I can save some of
them. Once the fence is
finished we are going to
move zebras from my daughter’s farm into the new area,
which is about a hundred
acres and perhaps a small
herd of cattle. I am trying to
find a guard dog so my man
can patrol the fence line, but
the SPCA is putting down all
dogs, as it is so hard to find
food for them.
The unspeakably tragic story
to affect us all this week is
our neighbour’s 6 year old
son He walked by the rottweiller guard dog who was
chained to a tree too close to
the front door and was
attacked. He was been severely mauled on the head,
and the family in horror were
turned away from three hospitals before one Lanark
Road Clinic would admit
him. He was by then losing
blood pressure fast and in
deep shock. No doctors on
duty, but someone was found
to stitch his scalp back on and
stabilise him for the flight
out. Luckily they had BUPA
medical aid, and he is now in
the critical care unit in the
Millpark Clinic in Johannes-
burg. This is when things fall
down here - you are on your
own when trouble hits.
The Msasa trees down our
valley are looking glorious in
their spring colours, but sadly
they are also the best trees for
firewood. Ruwa golf course
is being upgraded and turned
into a housing scheme, plus
the golf course, and there the
trees are magnificent, but
outside the park, there is not
one single tree left all the
way into Harare. All the
cyprus trees lining roads in
the suburbs are being cut
down and sold for firewood.
Timber is the big last remaining commodity left to steal
and sell.
Sorry no good news really.
But I have to be a little realistic!
Mana Pools this weekend....
in spring, the very best time
to be there.
Groenewald’s Garage
We have now moved the workshop to 10 Pointer
Street, Heuwelkroon (nex to You Come and You Go
Bottle Store). Although the workshop is much smaller
and if and when available we may move to a bigger
workshop, we are still able to do vehicle repairs,
services, welding work, etc.
The telephone number for the workshop is still 028 254
9380, Cel 076 614 6370, Home 028 254 9953.
On behalf of myself, Gail, my children (Barend and
Paul), my mom, Joyce, and my right hand Johannes, I
would like to express my sincere thanks for the support
over the past eight years and the words of encouragement during the difficult time we’ve been having throughout the past year.
Riaan Groenewald (Sakkie)
Die werkswinkel het nou verskuif na Pointerstraat 10,
Heuwelkroon (langs You Come and You Go Bottel
Stoor). Al is die werkswinkel baie kleiner en indien
moontlik ons dalk na ‘n groter gebou sal trek, ek nog
steeds herstelwerk aan en diens van voertuie kan verig,
asook sweis/staal werke.
Die telefoon nommers bly onveranderd: Werkswinkel
028 254 9380, Sel 076 614 6370, Huis 028 254 9953.
Namens myself, Gail, ons kinders (Barend en Paul), my
ma, Joyce, en my regterhand, Johannes, wil ek baie
dankie se vir die ondersteuning die afgelope 8 jaar en
die woorde van bemoediging gedurende die moelike tyd
die afgelope jaar.
Riaan Groenewald (Sakkie)