The Village NEWS 1 May - 6 May

NEWS NEWS

Village

The

Mayoral Entrepreneurial Winner

Cape Whale Coast

1 - 7 May 2018

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EDUCATION We’ve come a long way

P4 WB XTREME Photo page

Athletes, adventure seekers and families that enjoy an active lifestyle flocked to Hermanus this weekend for the HI-TEC Walkerbay Xtreme, an adventure sports festival over four days from 27 to 30 April. One of the most exciting events for participants and spectators alike was the See & Sand Xtreme SwimRun-Jump challenge on Saturday, which included a cliff jump from Dreunkrans. Read article on P 3 and see more pictures on P 5.

PHOTO: Pia Nänny

P5

Plans to buy back Schulphoek land

LOCAL ENTREPRENEUR Pardon is your man

De Waal Steyn

I

nstead of the proposed seafront development of a luxury security estate on the controversial tract of land at Schulphoek, this site might soon be home to new lowcost housing schemes for Hermanus residents.

P 20

This comes after Mayor Dudley Coetzee last week approached two Western Cape

Ministers to broker a deal with developers Rabcav to buy back the property.

options to expropriate the land with compensation,” Coetzee said.

“I asked both the MEC for human settlements Bonginkosi Madikizela and Anton Bredell, MEC for Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning to contact the current owners and try and broker a deal to buy back the land at a fair price. I have also asked that should this fail, the Provincial Government must weigh its

The Municipal Finances Management Act prohibits the Municipality from buying back any land that it has sold, but both the Provincial and National Governments may do so.

Coetzee said the acquisition of the land would solve many of the current housing problems in town. “Not only is

this piece of land large enough to accommodate a mix of different housing options, it will also free up land in Zwelihle and Mt Pleasant that can be redeveloped with new houses.”

The Schulphoek land deal that was concluded in 2010 has long been a bone of contention after the sale, which saw 20 ha of residential land and 25 ha of Milkwood forest sold to Rabcav at a cost of some R5,8 million in cash. In

addition, the Municipality would have received business premises worth R5,7 million, bulk services of R17,5 million and R1 million in "facilitation fees".

Rabcav Director Leslie Viljoen at the weekend said he was not aware of the process but if a fair price could be reached they would consider the sale of the land. Viljoen would not be drawn into what a fair price for the land might be.

Continues on P 3

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1 - 7 May 2018

E WS

The Team

6 Royal Street, Hermanus

028 312 2234

THE

NEWS

OPINION Matters

We need to ensure better business in our towns Publishing Editor De Waal Steyn 083 700 3319 dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Design and Layout Nickey Jackson 079 408 7722 nickey@thevillagenews.co.za

Marketing René Hartslief 083 648 8700 ads@thevillagenews.co.za

Content Editor Hedda Mittner 083 645 3928 hedda@thevillagenews.co.za

Office Administrator Tania Hamman admin@thevillagenews.co.za

Marketing Kathy Bentley 083 581 7219 kathy@thevillagenews.co.za

The past weekend was filled with highlights for athletes and adventure seekers from far and wide during the third annual HI-TEC Walkerbay Xtreme.

Not only has this unique event shown tremendous growth over the past few years, it has also helped put the Cape Whale Coast on the map for sport tourists. But it has not only done that. It has also shown that adventurefilled weekends are not only for serious athletes – it is something the whole family can enjoy. There were scores of children taking part in a wide array of events, with their parents and grand-

Photography & Social Media Taylum Meyer 084 564 0779 taylum@thevillagenews.co.za

WHERE TO FIND US The Village NEWS is published every week and the next edition will be available on 8 May. The NEWS can be found at over 100 distribution points on the Cape Whale Coast, from Pringle Bay to Gansbaai.

Get your FREE copy from major retail stores such as Spar, Checkers and Pick n Pay, and at restaurants, tasting rooms, galleries and shopping centres. Should you wish to receive a copy, call us on 028 312 2234 or 083 228 7523 or pop into our office at 6 Royal Street, Hermanus.

shut down does not hold water anymore.

The organisers must be praised for the high quality of the events that were staged this year.

Anyone who walked around in town over the weekend would have seen throngs of people exploring our town and its shops. Restaurants were full, quite a few people visited our art galleries and small traders throughout town did brisk business.

With several festivals during the winter months as well as the attraction of the whales, the Cape Whale Coast is becoming an increasingly popular winter destination.

Recent research has shown that international tourism to our region during the winter months is also on the increase. The notion that between May and August every year our towns all but

However, it was noticeable how quickly the number of shoppers dwindled the moment some shops started closing their doors in the early afternoon. By mid-afternoon on Saturday the Hermanus Old Town was all but deserted, save for the frenzy of

activity created by the Walkerbay Xtreme above the Old Harbour.

Does it not make sense, when there are events in town such as the Xtreme and FynArts that attract a large number of visitors, for shops to stay open longer? Last weekend there were simply too many closed doors, leaving Main Road and High Street looking like a set of broken teeth.

For the sake of the economy of the Hermanus Old Town, the pedestrianisation of High Street and the revitalisation of the area needs to be a matter of urgency.

This is the good NEWS – ED

10 000 copies of good NEWS every week!

With the rainy season on our doorstep it will not only be the plants that will grow this winter.

Freelance Journalist Elaine Davie 084 343 7500

parents cheering them on from the side lines.

The Village NEWS is proud to announce that as of the beginning of May we will be printing 10 000 copies every week. This is to meet the ever-growing demand for copies from our readers.

In the last two months we have been inundated with calls and messages from readers saying they are struggling to find a copy of the newspaper as they fly off the shelves the moment they are delivered.

Over the last two and a half years, the NEWS has established itself as a firm favourite among readers and advertisers alike and we are proud to share this milestone with you.

This growth in circulation makes The NEWS the largest weekly newspaper in the region by a margin of more than 40%.

Copies of The NEWS are available at all major retailers, restaurants, wine farms and businesses on the Cape Whale Coast from Pringle Bay to Kleinbaai as well as in Botrivier, Caledon and Elgin.

The increase in circulation gives The NEWS access to a wider audience and enables us to tell more stories about our region and its people.

We will stay unwavering on course with our mission to bring our readers not only the good news, but also news you can use. It is our belief that every news event has a good news angle. If you cannot find good news, find the good in the news.

The reach of more than 40 000 readers per week also emboldens us to continue being an independent, unbiased and vocal voice of the

community. Not only has the newspaper made its mark in print, the online edition of The NEWS has also shown steady growth, garnering 129 000 impressions per month with 33 700 readers in South Africa, 3 200 in Europe and 1 500 in North America. On social media our posts reach 500 000 engaged users, resulting in 12,5 million impressions every month.

Should you find it difficult to obtain a copy of The NEWS, contact us. We would like to thank all our readers and advertisers for allowing us the opportunity to serve our community with passion and pride.

Weather forecast for the next week & De Bos Dam level Tuesday 1 May

14°C / 23°C Partly cloudy

Wednesday 2 May

17°C / 18°C Partly cloudy

Thursday 3 May

14°C / 22°C Clear

Friday 4 May

13°C / 23°C Clear

www.yr.no

Saturday 5 May

Sunday 6 May

Monday 7 May

14°C / 20°C

15°C / 20°C

15°C / 22°C

Clear

Partly Cloudy

Clear

De Bos Dam Level

39.5 % full

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1 - 7 May 2018

Housing plans still unclear From P1 Several estate agents in the area said it would be difficult to determine a market value at this stage. “House prices in the Overstrand have doubled in the last five years, but as there have been no sales in that area to use as a benchmark it is difficult to approximate a value,” said Dean Meijer of Chas Everitt. Cornel Janse van Vuuren of RealNet said the eventual value of the land would need to be determined by the number of investment opportunities it offers. The total area of the site is some 65 ha, part of which for many years was used by the coloured community as a camping ground before it became derelict.

The Schulphoek land was earmarked for an upmarket seaside development of 245 luxury houses in a security complex. In terms of the 2010 deal the developers would also have been responsible for the construction of a road linking Church Street with Schulphoek Road in Sandbaai.

The road was meant to run on the

mountain side of the Milkwood forest. The developers would also have had the responsibility to rehabilitate the Milkwood forest before handing it over to the Homeowner’s Association of the new Schulphoek development for future caretaking. The Milkwood forest would in essence have created a ‘green barrier’ between Zwelihle and the development.

Coetzee said the details of the buy-back would need to be finalised between the Province and the developers. “If the land is bought back new funds would be needed to build the road that would link town with Sandbaai, if it is still necessary to build it.”

Municipal Director of Infrastructure and Planning Stephen Müller earlier said a comprehensive environmental impact assessment (EIA), including a public participation process, would be needed before planning for housing in the area can begin.

The plan follows violent protests at the end of March by backyard

dwellers from Zwelihle demanding that land be made available to them to build houses. After the protests Minister Madikizela indicated that two parcels of land have been identified to house amongst others backyard dwellers.

The one parcel of land is the former waste disposal site that was originally occupied by protesters. The site consists of a western and eastern portion. The western portion will not be suitable for housing as it is filled with organic waste still seeping methane gas into the air. The cost of clearing the site will be in excess of R80 million.

The eastern site where garden refuse was dumped can be cleared to make way for plots. The site was in operation for almost 40 years before being closed down in 2002 and covered with a layer of sand. The cleared rubble will be used in other projects around the Overstrand, including the building of roads. The second piece was a portion of the Schulphoek

land that was described by conservationists as an important ecological site. According to the provisional plan made at the end of March the proposed extension linking Church Street near the entrance to Beach Club to Schulphoek Road in Sandbaai will be redirected towards the ocean, opening up tracts of land that can be used for housing. It will, however, mean that the road will have to run through the Milkwood forest and that parts of it on the Zwelihle side will have to be cut back to make space for erven.

This elicited comments from community leaders asking why Zwelihle cannot have a seaside development like all the other suburbs of Hermanus. They said the days of allowing the development of luxury housing are over and priority should be given to low cost housing.

According to calculations there are more than 10 000 households in Zwelihle that are either confined to backyards or living in squatter camps.

A weekend of Xtreme success There was cause for celebration amongst business owners in the Overstrand after a highly successful HI-TEC Walkerbay Xtreme (WBX) was hosted in Hermanus this weekend. This four-day adventure sports festival returned to the Whale Capital for a third time between 27 and 30 April.

Entry numbers were up by more than 40% on last year, with almost 85% of all entrants coming from outside of Hermanus.

Frieda Lloyd, Tourism Manager of the Cape Whale Coast, confirmed that accommodation establishments, restaurants and local markets did brisk business over the long weekend.

The action started with the Windsor Marine Mile on Friday evening, and included a sprint, off-road and junior triathlon, MTB Criterium, Cliffpath run, open water swim, mountain bike challenge and trail

run. Noticeable was the number of families participating in the various events over the four days.

According to Rick Oosthuyzen, one of the organisers of the event, the aim of hosting a sports festival over the second long weekend in April is to boost business in the area.

“After Easter weekend, things become very quiet in town. We need more festivals and activities to stimulate business during the quiet winter months and these events/activities need to be longer than one day to encourage people to stay in town longer.

“This event brings athletes from across the country to Hermanus and showcases what the area has to offer.” As we spoke, the last participant in the Walkerbay Xtreme Sprint triathlon crossed the line to the applause of guests at Burgundy Restaurant and

supporters standing at the finish line. “This is what the WBX is all about,” said Rick. “It’s about finding your own extreme.”

Jamie Day, a WBX ambassador from Noordhoek, participated in the Big 6 Xtreme. This event sees athletes competing in the street mile, 27km MTB Challenge, SwimRun-Jump Challenge, sprint triathlon, open water swim, and a beautiful 17km trail run.

“I’m having the time of my life,” she said on Sunday. “I’m telling everyone that they should enter next year.”

She also mentioned that she was blown away by the way the Hermanus community had come together to host this event.

“The atmosphere is amazing,” agreed Yousuf Asmal, a UCT student from Cape Town who competed in the sold-out triathlon on Sunday.

Bradley Weiss, who returned to South Africa last week after winning the annual XTERRA AsiaPacific Championship elite title in the Philippines on Sunday, 21 April, won the sprint triathlon, which he participated in as part of the Big 6 Xtreme.

“I enjoyed myself very much, although some events such as the street mile and the Swim-RunJump Challenge were a bit out of my comfort zone. Throwing myself off a cliff was one of the most intimidating things I’ve ever done.”

2017 Big 6 Xtreme champion Vicky van der Merwe from Stellenbosch was back in Hermanus to defend her title, bringing with her almost 50 members of the Stellenbosch Triathlon Squad to participate in various events.

- Pia Nänny

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1 - 7 May 2018

The history of education in Hermanus Education in the Greater Hermanus area has come a long way. In her Hermanus Stories I, S J du Toit records that in 1945 the Hermanus High School had only one learner in the matric class, while in 1952 there were only five registered schools in the area. Today, Hermanus is well-known for the quality and range of educational institutions available for residents, with more than 35 schools in various categories, ranging from pre-schools to high schools. In this extract from a new book currently being written by DR ROBIN LEE of the Hermanus History Society, we take a closer look at the development of education in Hermanus over the course of more than a century.

F

ormal education or schooling began in Hermanus some 13 years after the first families from Herries Bay settled at Rietfontein and started fishing out of Visbaai, known to us as the Old Harbour. In 1868 a school offering basic education was launched by the congregation of St. Peter’s Anglican Church and a man destined to play a major part in Hermanus life was appointed Principal. He was William Hugh Paterson, later known as ‘Meester’ for his educational standing.

“

The second school in Hermanus was established by the Dutch Reformed Church, which amalgamated with the earlier St Peter’s School in 1897.

Sixteen years later, in 1884, members of the Dutch Reformed Church established a second school, which met in the Church Hall. In 1897 the two schools amalgamated into what was known as the ‘public school’.

Classes were held in the DRC Hall and the instruction was given in Dutch and English.

After the conclusion of the South African War in 1902, parents and teachers started asking the colonial government for a formal school building, but construction did not begin until 1907. The chosen site was adjacent to Klipkop, as Hoy’s Koppie was known then. The building was constructed from stone found on the site. Because of this and because it was near the koppie the school was known as the ‘Klipskool’. It was completed in 1911 and opened in 1912. Among the first teachers was Magdalena Neethling, known as ‘Swallow’ and of course, Meester Paterson.

”

The Klipskool in 1915, four years after it was built from stone found on the site adjacent to Klipkop, as Hoy’s Koppie was known then.

An additional teacher, the newly-qualified Johanna van Rhyn, arrived in 1914. She had intended to stay for one term, but spent most of the rest of her life in Hermanus. Initially, she did not like Hermanus, but her attitude changed: By the end of the term, however, I had become interested in the school and was no longer eager to leave. I would not stay forever, of course, but just for a little while, until I got things organised. There was so much that needed doing. The school was poor, primitive and sadly lacking in every possible amenity. I was kept very busy; apart from my classes, I gave drawing and music lessons… There was no school library; at the end of the term I gave a concert with my pupils in order to raise money to buy some books.

It is not overstating the case to say that in the 21st century many young families decide that they want their children to get a quality education and they come to Hermanus primarily for that reason.

Hermanus teachers in the 1930s. In the centre at the back is ‘Meester’ Paterson.

PHOTOS: Old Harbour Museum The other teachers were friendly and helpful. Swallow Neethling was a small, lively woman, a keen gardener, and we found a mutual interest in flowers…

Meester Paterson, too, was an authority on wild flowers. He roamed the mountainsides bringing back specimens for classification…

Joey van Rhyn was not a teacher for long. Within a year

she had married P J Luyt, owner of The Marine Hotel and taken over management of the hotel, where she would remain for the next 32 years.

The ‘Klipskool’ became a formal government school in 1918 and, as the Hermanus Primary School, has created an admirable history since that date. In 1941 secondary clas-

ses were established on the same site, as part of the existing school. This situation lasted until 1977 when the present high school was inaugurated. In 1995 the Klipskool building was renovated and is now an integral part of the primary school.

Another reference to the Klipskool is provided by Sydney

Oblowitz (1915 - 2010), the only child of Jacob and Rachel Oblowitz. This family ran a general dealer’s store at what we now call Lemm’s Corner from 1904 to 1923. Sydney was sent to the Klipskool from an early age, but was a regular truant, preferring to hang out with the fishermen down at the harbour. In a television interview in 2010, when he was 95 years of age, he remembered that one of the teachers advised his parents that their son seldom attended school and was in real danger from an accident or falling into bad company at the harbour.

The Oblowitzes took this very seriously, sold their business to the Lipschitz family and moved to Cape Town. Sydney probably would have escaped unharmed anyway. Later, he had a charmed life, serving for four years with the South African forces in North Africa in WW II, and then with the Israeli army for the duration of the War of Independence, without incurring the slightest injury in either war.

Since 1977 Hermanus High School has grown steadily to its present enrolment of about 1 000 learners and has an enviable reputation for academic and sporting achievement.

It is interesting to analyse the social and economic reasons why Hermanus has built up and sustains such a varied and vigorous schooling provision.

The growth of the education sector may be explained as part of the growth of the service sector in the town.

As Hermanus became more popular, capital started to enter the local economic system from conventional tourism, holiday home owners and retirees.

None of these groups was specifically in need of schools, but they had economic needs of different kinds: garden services, banking, medical, home maintenance, computer repairs, vehicle servicing and many other areas. Younger people began to settle in Hermanus to provide these services. And they had children who needed to go to school. The demand for schools grew rapidly.

There is another dimension as well. Members of the new service sector differed in the age of children, religion, the location of schools, type of education wanted, and other ways. As a result the providers of education began to specialise as well as expand.

The lifestyle in Hermanus also attracted better teachers and the quality of education results began to rise. It is not overstating the case to say that in the 21st century many young families decide that they want their children to get a quality education and they come to Hermanus primarily for that reason. Once they have taken that decision they look for a job or become self-employed in our town.

These developments support the central thesis of this book.

Tourism of several kinds is at the base of everything in the town – even the education system. If development threatens the attraction of our environment to tourists, they will go elsewhere and the gains in the economy, in health care and education will be lost. It may sound strange, but the development we must avoid is over-development.

The author welcomes any comments or additional information.

He can be contacted at robinlee@hermanus.co.za

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Elzette Giliomee from Paarl gets some special support from daughter Cari and son Eksteen after the swim leg of the Walkerbay Xtreme Sprint triathlon. Elzette’s husband Eckert competed in the Open Water Xtreme Swim Challenge in the afternoon while Eksteen competed in the junior triathlon. Cari was the family’s cheerleader.

Tyla Setzkorn, one of the participants in the Urban Xtreme MTB challenge, races through the Old Harbour as part of an 800 m long round in this spectator-friendly, short-course technical race.

PHOTOS: Pia Nänny and Taylum Meyer Hermanus local Melanie Joubert leads out the runners in the 5,7km Cliffpath Xtreme Fun Run.

XTERRA champion Brad Weiss entered for the Big 6 Xtreme, which kicked off with the Windsor Marine Mile on Friday and concluded with the Blue Mountain Xtreme trail run on Monday.

Participants in the sold-out Walkerbay Xtreme Sprint Triathlon walk through the Old Harbour to the start of the swim leg. Athletes swam 600 m, cycled 20 km and ran 5 km.

Young and old enjoyed the MTB race, showing that it caters for everyone.

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THE

NEWS

Let’s Talk Send your letters to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

Municipal managers ‘not fit for purpose’ Following the recent unrest in the area, triggered by lack of housing, it was interesting to read the Human Settlements Minister comment that it was unacceptable that Human Settlements Budget was being returned to the Treasury unspent.

One is left to consider, is this the case with the Overstrand Municipality? Judging by the experience that I personally had with Mr Groenewald, the Municipal Manager over the last few months, I would strongly suspect that the answer is yes.

Mr Groenewald wrote to The Village NEWS in early December, calling on the public to contact the Municipality, and not the media to express any concerns that they had.

I took up Mr Groenewald’s offer and met him to inform him of concerns that I had relating to the performance of the Municipality in general.

He expressed concern and agreed to immediately in-

vestigate these issues and respond to me promptly.

After nine weeks and contacting Mr Groenewald several times, he finally called a follow-up meeting to be attended by me, him and Mr Müller. The meeting day arrived, but sadly Mr Groenewald didn’t, although he was in the building at the time. I was left to discuss the matter with Mr Müller and two of his cohorts, all of whom gave the impression that they were robots able to recite the Municipal building regulations manual.

I will not bore your readers with further detail, except to say that these so-called Municipal Managers are guilty of significant dereliction of duty, and their future within the Municipality should be reviewed, as they are obviously not fit for purpose.

Gerry Cassidy

Coenie Groenewald, Municipal Manager of the Overstrand Municipality, responded as follows: Mr Cassidy is well known to me and my colleague Stephen Müller – and also to members of the Department of Building Control. Be that as it may, I do not wish to discuss Mr Cassidy’s matters in public. Suffice, however, to mention that we have a duty to see to it that inter alia building legislation and by-laws are adhered to and this we will do.

Insofar as Mr Cassidy’s endeavours to discredit the Municipality regarding the spending of our human settlement grant is concerned, it should be noted that our spending of said grant for the last three financial years was 100%.

In fact, we have received more grant funding than was originally approved as a result of our exceptional performance.

Call on leaders to become part of democratic system After reading the article Are we losing our humanity?

(Village NEWS, 24 – 30 April) I have though hard and long about the situation we as a country find ourselves in, as well as what is happening in and around our towns.

Yes, there is no denying the inhumane policies of Apartheid have kept societies isolated from each other and still today, 24 years after liberation, have a profound impact on us.

But reading about the Zwelihle Revival group and its leaders’ insistence that they do not want to be part of any political grouping, made me wonder how such groupings

can be brought into the democratic system that so many of us have fought for.

In my opinion operating out of the bounds of the structures that were put in place to govern us is dangerous.

If you operate with impunity outside of a system designed to offer weights and balances and you are not accountable to anyone other than your committee, are you then not entering the domain of the warlords we see in other parts of Africa? Just the mere thought of this being the case fills one with peril.

I do not wish to be a prophet of doom, but I believe we

have not seen the last of the demands made in the name of a community that has been rendered voiceless, largely because of the failings of political parties.

I want to call on the leaders of Zwelihle to become representative within the democratic system. In this way they will be able to be heard and to dictate the policies that will govern their future.

We cannot live in a society where the basic tenets of democracy are thrown by the wayside.

My Penny’s Worth, Eastcliff

Is it time to act on the call, Thuma Mina?

Your front page article Are we losing our humanity? (The Village NEWS, 24 – 30 April) was inspirational and potentially a seminal event in the transformation of our town.

Taken together with KEA & SA’s challenging letter on page 6 (Yes, you can help to

break the cycle of poverty), is this not the moment when Hermanus leaders link up with the two impressive founders of Zwelihle Renewal, Sicelo Gxamesi and Gcobani Ndzongana, to plan the way forward and how, together, we can make Zwelihle the beautiful place it should be?

Is this the time we should act on Cyril Ramaphosa’s call, Thuma Mina (‘Send me’) and be part of what Hugh Masekela sang about: I wanna be there when the people start to turn it around?

MJM

Congrats to line dancing champ I’m sure many of you will remember Dee Ridge who became the Intermediate Line Dancing Champion of the World in 2016.

Dee and her husband, Richard, have relocated to the UK to be nearer their sons and the grandchildren.

Advanced European Gold division and once again achieved her goal.

Dee will compete in the World’s Advanced Gold division to be held in Bournemouth in August this year. We wish her the very best of luck. Sterkte, Dee!

In March this year she took part in the

Sylvana Doran, Onrus

Our shops should stay open longer We are indeed blessed to live in Hermanus, ‘a town set on the cliffs, between the mountains and the sea, in an environment of exceptional beauty’, to quote Beth Hunt in her book, Hermanus.

That in itself is enough to explain our town being on the destination map for South African and international visitors.

I am puzzled by the attitude of many independent retailers who open for limited periods, specifically on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. We are a world destination, and when people visit, they want to

stroll through our beautiful town, go into shops, wander down the alleys and take back happy memories, not those of irritation and bewilderment.

There is a wonderful opportunity to create a very positive and lasting impression with shops being open for trade i.e. doing what most cities and holiday destinations of the world do automatically. If shops need to be closed, perhaps opt for a Monday instead... assuming it’s not a Public Holiday, of course!

For 17 years I have worked with the philosophy, that if my shop is open, people

then have a choice as to whether they visit or not. If I am closed, there is no choice, the decision has been taken out of their hands. They are left with a negative feeling, sometimes even resentment.

A poor memory indeed.

I suggest we start with the 10day FynArts Festival, and that we all open for longer hours over the two weekends. We know from previous years that the town is packed with people attending shows and events.

We can all contribute to creating a vibe in the village.

Corinne Hendry, bookmark

Addressing the gap between the haves and have-nots I found your article Are we losing our humanity? (The Village NEWS, 24 – 30 April) both interesting and challenging!

from a society like Hermanus it is not morally defensible that there is such a huge divide between the haves and have-nots.

We need to find creative and sustainable ways to address the obvious gap between those that are comfortable and those that simply eke out an existence in our community.

It is encouraging to read about a community wanting to pick itself up without simply relying on handouts.

Dignity and self-esteem are such strong factors in a successful community and it is good to see that emerging from within the community.

Apart from the political opportunism that emanates

Coming from the previously advantaged category and having had some experience in community based forums I would like to try and help in further improvement of quality of life for the less fortunate.

I would like to meet the two leaders mentioned in your article to see if there is any way in which I can assist.

Dudley Meyer

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Hit us with your best shot!

We often receive photos from readers such as this one from Andree Frates Photography of her lovely dog, Storm, at the beach. This has prompted us to launch an initiative that invites you, the readers, to send us your photographs depicting the scenic beauty or any of the myriad attractions of the Cape Whale Coast and the joy of living here. The Village NEWS team will then select their favourite photo or the ‘Photo of the Month’, which will be published in the first edition of the following month.

REQUIREMENTS: ■ Photographs should be at least 1 MB in size – anything smaller will not be entered ■ No over-editing ■ No more than three photographs per entrant will be accepted ■ Your name and surname must be included in the email as well as a short description of the photo (where it was taken, what is happening in the photo, etc.)

■ Send your entries to taylum@thevillagenews.co.za So start clicking! You have between now and 31 May to send us your photographs. The first winner will be published in our 5 June edition.

PHOTO: Andree Frates Photography

Grease-proof paper and bashful sharks “Young man, I want to tell you something,” said the little old lady in a stage whisper. I was on my way to drop off a handful of newspapers at one of our clients, and although I’m no spring chicken myself, she had every right to call me young.

Peering up at me she sidled closer, her eyes crinkling in a smile.

“Young man, I know you’re just the delivery boy, but you tell your bosses they make a jolly good newspaper!”

That was a while ago, and I’m delighted to say I’ve recently been appointed (self ) to the position of CEO International Distribution for the entire group – worldwide. With an intrepid team of hands-on distributers, our fingers now reach as far afield as Pringle Bay, Caledon and Kleinbaai.

As you can imagine, we

Wit’s End Murray Stewart thevillagemuze@gmail.com

encounter a wide variety of the human species when servicing over 300 drop-off points across the Overberg.

Hermanus CBD is somewhat of a challenge though. It is a warren of narrow streets dotted with art galleries, guesthouses, boutique hotels, and restaurants which are prone to going bust and keep moving or changing names.

This happens mainly in winter when they should be advertising more and promoting themselves by creating attractions like a pub quiz, a Chippendale evening, or a rousing WARTS (Worldwide Alliance of Radical Trump

Supporters) meeting.

Apparently – despite being a moegoe – there’s a vibrant though secret WARTS following in the Overberg, so we’ll be publishing the names and addresses of the members for adjustment to your Xmas cards lists.

Anyway, most places welcome our drop-offs because the papers attract Mrs Jones and Mr Vosloo into their establishments, and while they’re there, they usually buy something. The big supermarkets graciously give us shelf-space, while one of them – I can’t mention their name – thinks it’s okay to relegate us to the

floor. Sorry for them.

The CBD teams also distribute to the industrial clients, clinics and various retirement establishments, both regular and larny. Once the newspapers have been read – and because of the high quality of the paper – some of the residents make paper planes with the most incredible designs, which also fly remarkably well.

At midnight on the third Thursday each month they hold an inter-retirement village contest to see whose plane flies furthest. These are clandestine gatherings because some of the competitors have to ‘break out’ of their residences to participate, so I can’t reveal the venue. But last week Tannie Nel from Huis Lettie Theron beat Harry Porter from Kidbrooke by 28cm when her creation flew right

across the bowling green and landed on the clubhouse stoep.

Monthly prizes vary from Snoop Dog’s Greatest Hits to fifty litres of blue roof paint.

Everyone gets drunk though and social intercourse between the retirement homes flourishes.

Anyway, I service the outlying areas, and keeping clients updated allows me to trundle across the Overberg, visiting wine farms with amazing views, sea-side restaurants with amazing views and poledancing clinics.

A couple who’d flown out from Wales recently spotted me dropping off a clutch of papers at a shark-diving shop in Gansbaai. The more malelooking of the two approached me and said they loved our newspaper, but complained

that she and her partner had cage-dived four times in the last week and hadn’t seen a shark – not one. After cursing venomously in Welsh, she claimed they sat submerged, waiting for hours with nothing to do. This gave her a lightbulb moment, which she thankfully thought necessary to share.

So due to her, I’m pleased to say we have researched and developed a newspaper specifically for cage-divers waiting for bashful sharks. The ink we use is luminous and each page has a grease-proof coating, which keeps it dry – ideal for reading under water. These special editions will also be available in German, French and Mandarin, but only in Gansbaai, and only once you’re in the cage.

So there. Where else will you get a free newspaper like this?

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1 - 7 May 2018

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Wednesday 2 May

Thursday 3 May ■ Hermanus Bird Club: This month’s outing will be to Arabella with Carin Malan as the guide.

Meet at the Onrus Trading Post to consolidate transport, departing at 07:40.

Friday 4 May

■ South Hill Supper & Movie Night: Join South Hill in the beautiful Elgin Valley on the first Wednesday of every month for sunset drinks from 18:00, main course supper at 19:00 and a movie screening at 20:00. This month’s movie is the delightful romantic drama The Big Sick, starring Kumail Najani, Zoe Kazan and Holly Hunter.

The cost of the movie and supper is R135 pp; fully licensed bar, dessert, coffee and tea also available. For those who would like to sleep over, South Hill offers a special mid-week accommodation package. Contact 021 844 0888 or events@southhill.co.za to make your booking.

At South Hill, from 18:00.

■ Hermanus Photographic Society: Everyone, from the beginner to the advanced photographer is welcome to join the Hermanus Photographic Society for their monthly meetings every second Wednesday of the month. The set subject for this month’s meeting is ‘Feathers’. Get all the details on their website, www.hermanusphoto.co.za or contact info@hermanusphoto.co.za. In the Hermann Swart Hall of the Dutch Reformed Church, Hermanus, at 19:00.

Wednesday 2 – Saturday 5 May

■ Joburg Ballet: SANTA presents Beating TB with Ballet, offering a programme of performances by Joburg Ballet. There will be a Master Class at 15:00 on the Wednesday, a Gala Performance on the Friday at 18:30 (including snacks and wine) and two further performances on the Saturday, at 11:00 and 15:00. Book online at webtickets.co.za, or contact Colleen Naude on 083 301 6061 or Sue Holmes on 082 762 5644.

Tickets are also available from the Hermanus Tourism Bureau (028 312 2629). At the Dutch Reformed Church, Berg Street, Onrus.

■ Hermanus Hacking Group: All volunteers are welcome to join the hacking group in the clearing of invasive vegetation. Contact Charlyn Vosloo at 082 558 8731 or mcvosloo@mweb. co.za. Meet every Friday at the bottom end of Rotary Drive, at 06:45 for 07:00.

vegetarian meals and all activities.

For more information or to book visit www.appliedheartintelligence.com/ upcoming-events/the-path-of-the-heartseminar-sa/ or contact Gabriel Gonsalves at info@gabrielgonsalves.com or 071 507 1772.

At Volmoed Retreat & Conference Centre, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.

Saturday 5 May

■ Hermanus First Fridays: Join the HFF Artwalk when all 18 galleries in the centre of town remain open until 8pm. Stroll from gallery to gallery, savour a glass of wine from one of our local wineries, and mingle with fellow art lovers while admiring the astonishing range of art and fine craft on display. From 17:00 – 20:00. Find the HFF map on P 10.

Friday 4 – Sunday 6 May ■ Volmoed Retreat: The Path of the Heart retreat will be hosted by Gabriel Gonsalves, offering a three-day transformational weekend experience for people who want to heal their hearts, build deeper, more loving relationships and reconnect with their natural joy.

R3 500 pp includes accommodation, healthy

■ Lemm’s Corner Market: This popular Sunday market offers exclusive arts and crafts, and handmade local products. At Fisherman’s Village (between Cattle Baron and Fisherman’s Cottage), from 10:00 – 15:00.

■ Lectures in Afrikaans: U3A Overberg presents a talk in Afrikaans on 'n Nuwe Benadering tot die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomiese geskiedenis by Prof Johan Fourie. In the Catholic Church Hall, at 10:00.

■ Hermanus parkrun: Meet for the weekly 5 km walk or run, come rain or shine. The route is dog friendly and children are most welcome. Set off from the Hermanus Forest on Camphill Road in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, at 08:00.

■ Hermanus Country Market: A favourite among the locals, old and young. Fourlegged family members are also welcome.

You’ll find wholesome goodies, home-made crafts, local produce, beers and wine, speciality foods, coffee and live music. Next to the cricket field, Fairways Avenue, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ History of the South African Wine Industry: U3A Overberg presents a talk on the History of the South African Wine Industry by Peter Finlayson and Robin Richards. In the Catholic Church Hall, at 10:00.

Sunday 6 May

Monday 7 May

■ Bhuki Café: Join the Friends of Hermanus Library for tea, coffee and eats for only R20 and help to raise funds for the library. Every Friday from 09:00 – 11:30, at Hermanus Library.

■ Kolwyntjie Teetuin: Everyone in the area is welcome to enjoy a sweet treat and tea or coffee at a nominal fee, and make new friends at the Onrus Care Centre (Dienssentrum). At the Onrus Dutch Reformed Church, every Friday between 09:30 and 11:30.

ernastark@outlook.com or 028 315 2582 or WhatsApp 076 708 0818 to book your stall.

At the Botrivier Hotel, every Saturday, from 10:00 – 15:00.

■ Hermanuspietersfontein Food & Wine Market: Where local and international foodies and wine lovers meet. You’ll find “real plates and real cutlery; real cups and real glasses; a real hangout for real people”. In the courtyard of Hermanuspietersfontein wine cellar at The Village, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ Market in the Garden: Hunt for treasures at this peaceful market set among the shady trees of a beautiful garden. At St Peter’s Church in Main Road, Hermanus, from 09:00 – 13:00.

■ Onrus Markie: Visit this friendly community market on the first Saturday of every month for tasty home-baked goodies, arts, crafts and plants. For enquiries, contact Charlotte Swanepoel on 079 494 4554.

At the De Wet Hall in Roos Street, Onrus, from 09:00 – 12:00.

■ Botrivier Hotel Market: For hand-made crafts and tasty treats, come and browse the new weekly market in the hotel garden. New vendors are welcome; contact Erna at

■ Cosmology: Join the Hermanus Astronomy Centre (HAC) for a presentation by Prof Sean Carroll of the California Institute of Technology of the DVD series The Higgs Boson and Beyond. For more information, contact Pierre Hugo at pierre@hermanus.co.za. In the Catholic Church Hall, at 19:00.

Tuesday 8 May

■ South African Artists: U3A Overberg presents a talk on The role of Landscape in South African Art

by Karen McKerron and Letitia Snyman. The role of landscape was a central theme in the work of Pierneef and several examples of his work will be discussed, as well as looking at the interesting reworking by artists such as Carl Becker. Other artists to be discussed in this session are William Kentridge, the Everard Group, Irma Stern and Maggie Laubser. In the Catholic Church Hall, on 10:00.

Wednesday 9 May ■ SAARP Hermanus Social Club: The guest speaker at the monthly club meeting of the South African Association of Retired Persons (SAARP) is Frank Woodvine, representing the Hermanus Botanical Society. His presentation is entitled Alien plants and their effect on the environment. For further information contact Ingrid on 028 316 2390 or 082 081 6889. At the Sandbaai Hall, from 09:30 – 11:45.

EXPLORER EXPLORER The BUSINESS

Join Floyd & Lloyd on a journey of local discovery

W

Aarde to see how the Hermanus wineries were doing on a Friday afternoon. The double cab gripped the dirt and there was a steady navigation without any hesitation or slipping. I certainly felt the power and got the impression that there was an equal measure of giving and receiving despite the bumpy ride to the best viewpoints.

ith a rainy (hopefully) winter season on our doorstep, locals are anticipating the start of our region’s quiet season, when residents snuggle into their warm winter clothes to chill at home until the first buds of spring arrive.

Well, the good news is that the quiet season is no longer that. Our towns are becoming a beehive of activity, even while winter storms lash outside.

Travel patterns indicate that not only do more and more international tourists visit our shores during winter, but more locals from across the mountain make their way here for great food, wonderful wines, festivals like FynArts, The Wine and Food Festival and Kalfiefees – and of course the whales.

Our Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is a delight for any wine lover. With more than 17 wineries squeezed into s short stretch of winding roads and rolling vineyards it is a feast for the eyes and the palate.

Some of the best Pinot noir, Chardonnay and MCCs in the world are made here right on our doorstep. Locals should make a point of visiting these farms. Not only are you supporting local, but you get the opportunity to understand the unique cool climate and terroir that make our wines so special.

This season, whether you are an outand-about type or a stay-at-homehibernator, The Village NEWS invites you to travel the length and breadth of our beautiful region with us, as local Tourism Manager Frieda Lloyd and renowned motoring journalist and resident, John Floyd take you to all the hot spots during the coldest months.

Research has shown that one of the top activities for residents of the Whale Coast is combining travel with food and wine.

In their new column, Floyd & Lloyd, this pair of intrepid explorers, with the aid of Nissan and Ford Hermanus, will not only bring you news from the best places to visit this winter but also tell you about their ride in some of the newest vehicles on our shores. Keep a lookout for special offers in the coming weeks and you can find yourself joining the pair on an outing filled with adventure, laughter, fun and of course food and wine.

Floyd & Lloyd will be published in every edition of The Business Explorer, so make sure you do not miss it.

Frieda hardly needs introduction as

there are few events, gatherings, food and wine tastings, expos and festivals she does not attend. As coordinator of the Hermanus Wine Route, Frieda was instrumental in putting our Hemel-en-Aarde region on the map and establishing wine tourism in our valley. As manager of Whale Coast Tourism, she continues to be a food, wine and travel ambassador for our region, and knows the Overberg like the back of her hand.

John, who started stripping and

cleaning engines at the age of six, and assembling them again by the time he was 10, cannot be describe as anything else but a motorhead.

Born in the UK in 1948, he and his wife settled in Fisherhaven in 2000.

John is a regular writer and columnist for both local and national publications, including Business Day and the Citizen.

As a preamble to their travels Frieda and John had the new Nissan Navara

2.3D double cab 4x4 LE auto underhand for a short test run. Here is what they found: Frieda: As far as vehicles go the Nissan Navara was my biggest drive ever. I had a whole weekend with the big boy and decided to test his muscle on vineyard roads. Nothing like a wine tasting excursion for a first date.

We took the journey up Hemel-en-

John: The double cab segment has been a very significant market player for some time and in many ways has usurped the ubiquitous Multi-Purpose Vehicle of the past. New generations of such vehicles have provided many with a new driving experience in comfort levels normally only found in a conventional sedan. One of the first to produce such a vehicle was Nissan when, several years ago, they launched the Navara. After a considerable period, the second generation has finally reached our shores.

Styling of the new Navara is typical double cab, but the lower roofline and copious amounts of chrome trim up front give it a purposeful yet stylish appearance. LED headlights with daytime running lights, along with a plethora of safety features make this a safe place to be and not just a pretty face.

Continues on P 14

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BUSINESS EXPLORER

1 - 7 May 2018

Rowan Yearsley, the CEO of local abalone farming business, Aqunion, was the lucky winner of the Hermanus First Fridays (HFF) Artwalk raffle in April. He was thrilled to take home a seascape by artist Lize van der Walt, who handed him the artwork last week (above).

Rowan says he and his wife, veterinarian Dr Esther Meusel, love supporting the Artwalk.

“We often do it with a group of friends and make a night of it,” he says. Lize van der Walt has been a co-owner of The Art Gallery in High Street since 2015, where her works are exhibited along with those of her three partners Jeandre Marinier, Erna Dry and Christine Henderson. Don’t forget to join the HFF Artwalk this Friday, 4 May, between 17:00 and 20:00. It will be the last Artwalk for a few months as the galleries take a break over winter.

However, most of the HFF galleries will be participating in the Hermanus FynArts Festival from 8 – 17 June by hosting special exhibitions, so there will still be more than enough reason to ‘Artwalk our Town’. Get all the details at www.hermanusfynarts.co.za or get your programme booklet at the Hermanus Tourism office, at the FynArts Gallery in The Courtyard or at any of the art galleries in town.

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner

Enlighten Education Trust presents art classes twice a week to learners from the local communities. Above is art teacher Ashleigh Temple-Camp with a group of Grade 7 learners from Zwelihle Primary. After the recent traumatic events surrounding the protest action, she decided to do an art project with her learners to encourage healing and make them feel safe again. She started by asking them what they would like their community to be like and to write key aspects on the board. Their words included respect, caring, happiness, tolerance, love, peace, hope and trust. They then proceeded to create their artworks, depicting their community by using different textures and materials. The children were deeply absorbed in this project and judging by their smiling faces, Ashleigh had succeeded in using the medium of art not only for self-expression but also healing.

PHOTO: Hedda Mittner

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BUSINESS EXPLORER

1 - 7 May 2018

Artist: Charles van der Merwe

Making memories at Harbour Road Art Gallery Elaine Davie

W

hen the Harbour Road Art Gallery in Kleinmond was launched by artist Chris Case and his wife Tina, in the midnineties, Harbour Road was at the heart of the town’s industrial area.

Then a man of true vision arrived on the scene. Owner of an abalone farm in the harbour, Mark Miles decided to develop the block where the ramshackle art gallery stood into what he hoped would be the beginning of a tourist hub. The new development comprised a number of smallish shops and areas suitable for restaurants, as well as the revamped art gallery. His wife, Jeanne, decided to take over the gallery with her daughter, Donna.

And that was the start of the existing Harbour Road Art Gallery, which became a landmark in the rapidly transforming tourist precinct. Over the years, it has been reconfigured several times and undergone a number of facelifts, but it has steadfastly retained its character as well as several of its original artists, some of whom migrated there from the Case gallery.

When, after a couple of years, Donna moved to Cape Town, Jeanne looked for assistance with the gallery. She herself had taken on the framing aspect of the business, from her home in

Des van Zyl has been running the Harbour Road Art Gallery in Kleinmond for 15 years with her partners Jeanne Miles and Nicki Westcott.

Pringle Bay. When Desiréé (Des) van Zyl, an amateur artist and former coffee shop owner, came to her to have her work framed, she grabbed her, first as an assistant and then as a partner at the gallery in 2003.

Nicki Westcott, who lived in Rondebosch, Cape Town, joined the other two as a partner in 2006. It was her responsibility to source new artists and objets d’art, while Des managed the Gallery and Jeanne added admin and financial management to her framing portfolio.

Another long-time stalwart of

the gallery, Marguerite van der Merwe has worked there part-time for almost as long as Des. Her husband, Charles, was one of the very first artists to display his work at the Case gallery and then migrated to the new gallery under Jeanne and Donna Miles.

History, loyalty, family, memory, have remained key characteristics of the gallery, whilst at the same time, moving with the times and tracking trends in the Western Cape art world. Des has seen artists come and go (some permanently, to the great Studio in the Sky), but they remain firmly lodged in the

memories of the owners.

Apart from Charles van der Merwe, there were a number of other artists who migrated from the Case Gallery and remained. Some of them were real characters, Des remembers.

“There was one in particular, the gentle giant, Geri Kruger, everyone knew him in Kleinmond,” she chuckles. “He called himself the Picasso of Africa and the honorary Mayor of Harbour Road. It left a huge gap when he passed away a couple of years ago, but we are proud still to sell his paintings on behalf of his estate.”

Others of the original artists

who have passed on have been Dick Fryer, Jan de Waal and Cedric Coetzee. All of them are fondly remembered.

craft work – ceramics, sculptures, basketry, bead- and wirework from some of these sources.”

Indeed, Charles is probably the only one who has continuously shown his work at the gallery from the very beginning. “We are privileged to have featured this fine artist who, over the past 10 years has three times been invited to spend periods working in Paris at the Cité Internationale des Arts,” says Des with pride.

However, it is not only the artists who have become intimately connected to the Harbour Road Art Gallery, but also the clients.

“That’s why I love my work so much,” smiles Des. “We have supplied businesses, wine estates, hotels, professional and corporate offices with art over the years, but the clients I have really got to know well are the people from all over the world who regularly visit the gallery and who send their family and friends to us.

“Another artist who was launched at the Galley was Gavin Collins, who went on to own his own two galleries, one at the Waterfront in Cape Town and one in Stellenbosch.” Then there are the two internationally recognised botanical artists, Vicki Thomas and Lynda de Wet, who have been popular artists at the Gallery for many years.

Although a significant number of the artists over the years have been local to the Overberg, Des emphasises the need to maintain a high standard and to constantly be on the lookout for new talent.

“Nicki visits the Michaelis Art School on a regular basis to see what the young people are producing and to source their work,” she says “and it is equally important for her to check out the artists and craftspeople on Greenmarket Square and other markets. We have featured magnificent

“Some are swallows who come each year, but some are tourists.

From Alaska to Australia and everywhere in between, they come. We have a huge client data base and keep in regular touch with them. Some have become close friends and we have got to know their family histories, their children and grandchildren.

“The amazing thing,” she says, “is that when a client asks me if I remember the painting they bought, sometimes years later, I remember not only which one it was, but also exactly where it was hanging in the gallery. The building of these shared memories is what has made my life so truly rich.”

Harbour Road Art Gallery, Kleinmond. Tel: 028 271 5689; facebook: Harbour Road Art Gallery

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BUSINESS EXPLORER

1 - 7 May 2018

Creative Notions – all stitched up Elaine Davie

I

t was love at first sight for Louis and Mireille Pretorius.

On a day-trip from Cape Town where they were holidaying, the moment they set foot in Hermanus, they knew they wanted to stay.

Of course, there was the small matter of the sewing and haberdashery business they owned in Pretoria, but where there’s a will, there’s a way, and three months later, with a manager installed in Pretoria, they were back in Hermanus, this time for good. That was about a year ago. And never, for one moment, have they regretted the move.

The first thing they did was to find suitable premises for a shop similar to the one they had in Pretoria. “We were really just taking a chance,” admits Mireille. “We had existing clients from this part of the world and there seemed to be a need for our kind of business which sold and serviced all makes of sewing machines, kept a wide range of haberdashery, and could offer sewing-related courses and workshops, so we thought we would give it a try.”

They soon realised, however, that needs and conditions in Hermanus were significantly different from those in Pretoria.

Here, the most important thing was for them to keep products that before were only available ‘over the mountain’. Then they discovered that, whereas in Pretoria they had been focusing on giving people the sewing and embroidery skills to start their own small businesses, in this region retired people wanted assistance with their hobbies.

It has slowly dawned on them that their business is becoming what every company in Hermanus longs to be – a year-long, rather than a seasonal business. Their main clients are locals, rather than visitors, and it is, therefore, crucial that they devote all their energy to serving their needs and building client loyalty and satisfaction.

Another major role they found themselves playing in Hermanus was the servicing and repair of all brands of sewing machines, both domestic and industrial. Indeed, they soon also introduced training for sewing machine owners to clean and maintain their own machines.

The important thing was to remain flexible and respond to customers’ needs as they arose. This pertained to both the products they stocked and the services they offered. One of the unexpected needs identified, for example, was for second-hand clothing patterns, so they are presently going all out to source as many as possible for their clients.

Their range of threads is enormous, including popular bamboo thread and, on a commission-basis, they sell items made by their clients, including soft toys, children’s clothing, toilet bags, etc., together with a range of embroidered baby products they purchased from a business that was closing down in Cape Town. In addition, an extensive choice of quilting fabric is available for the many local quilters. From a sparsely stocked shop at the beginning, their premises in Long Street are now bursting at the seams.

The courses and workshops they offer are gaining their own momentum and they now present a new, eightweek-long course every quarter, starting with the ‘Learn-to-sew’ beginners’ course, which highlights a wide range of sewing techniques. Other courses and workshops planned for this

In many ways, Mireille and Louis form a unique partnership. She is quick to admit that before she met him she had absolutely no interest in needlework. Her focus was on graphic design and IT. This has equipped her to market the business, design and manage the website and present and develop on-line sewing courses.

Louis and Mireille Pretorius who opened Creative Notions a year ago after relocating from Pretoria.

Creative Notions offers several courses and workshops on a wide range of sewing techniques, including patternmaking, crafts, quilting and embroidery. year include pattern-making, lingerie and underwear, and crafts such as teddy-bearmaking, fabric-covered accessory boxes, quilting,

embroidery etc. They find that they are now attracting clients from neighbouring towns like Bredasdorp, Napier, Gansbaai, Caledon and Kleinmond.

So where does the sewing expertise come from? Well, Louis, of course. And it’s all self-taught. As Mireille says with a laugh, “You could say he’s a Jack of all trades and master of all!”

So, how did this all come about? Louis has a fascinating story to tell. “After I left school,” he says, “I went straight into the SAAF (South African Air Force). Then, when we were expecting our first child, my former wife gave up her job and began looking for something to do from home. She decided to buy a knitting machine, but, as it happens, her interest lasted exactly a week and then she gave up on the idea.

“So, I thought I can’t just let the darn thing lie there; it has to pay for itself. So I started knitting and sewing up jerseys. I couldn’t keep up with the orders from my colleagues

at work!”

Much to his and the rest of the family’s surprise, knitting led to sewing and embroidery, then to pattern-making, dress designing, craft-making and anything else that caught his fancy. “I just couldn’t stop, I found it so challenging” he laughs. “At the beginning, I didn’t even know how to use a tape measure; all my measurements were done using my handspan.”

However, soon he was sharing his knowledge with others and although he still runs some training courses himself, he finds his plate is full running two businesses, so he makes use of outside expertise for some of the training offered.

The going was tough to start with, but Louis is happy to say that during the past year, his turnover has more than doubled and they will need to appoint a technician to assist with the servicing of the sewing machines as well as an additional shop assistant.

Despite all the time and effort the new business has demanded of them, he and Mireille say they are still bewitched by every new sunrise and sunset they experience in Hermanus, as well as the relaxed lifestyle. Soon after they arrived, Louis’ eldest daughter, her husband and little girls moved here, too, so, in every way, they feel Hermanus has delivered on its promises.

Find Creative Notions at 23 Long Street, Hermanus.

Contact them on 028 312 2182 or 083 657 6617 / 087 808 9213 or hermanus@creativenotions. co.za. Visit www.creativenotions.co.za or look them up on Facebook: Creative Notions Hermanus.

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BUSINESS EXPLORER

1 - 7 May 2018

‘A smile from a child is packaged sunshine’ it seems sensible to protect a child’s teeth by instilling good oral care habits right from the start.

Hedda Mittner

P

arents the world over know how traumatic a visit to the dentist can be for children. And let’s face it – expecting a child to voluntarily open his or her mouth so that a grown-up stranger can poke around with scary-looking instruments and possibly inflict pain is hardly a reasonable request.

However, dental care remains an important aspect of raising healthy little people and one dentist who has made it his mission to make a visit to the dentist not only tolerable but a positive experience for both parents and children, is Dr Hanco Blignaut of Hermanus Dental Care.

Dr Hanco’s room at this practice in Main Road is like a burst of sunshine and could not be more different to the clinical interiors we associate with dental rooms. With the predominant use of yellow in the décor, colourful mural paintings and a large model airplane hanging from the ceiling, it rather resembles a friendly and welcoming playroom.

Equally unthreatening is Dr Hanco himself, whose bright smile and gentle manner are sure to win over even the wariest of toddlers. He schedules extralong appointments to allow for play time and getting to know his little patients. This includes watching entertaining and informative videos, and pretending to be a pilot flying a plane.

“Yes, we have lots of fun,” he grins.

It clearly takes a special kind of person to specialise in paediatric dentistry. Hanco admits that it’s

“Small cavities in baby teeth can easily be treated without the need of injections, so it’s better not to wait until you have a big problem,” says Hanco. “It is also important for children between 8 and 12 years to be evaluated regularly in order to identify the need for interceptive orthodontics due to crowding, crossbites or skeletal disharmonies. Early intervention can prevent more serious problems later on, it lowers the risk of extraction and gives better results.”

Dr Hanco Blignault of Hermanus Dental Care specialises in the treatment of children in this cheerful room. challenging, which is why most dentists avoid working with children. “It can be problematic and frustrating because children don’t always cooperate.”

Not to mention that it is more time-consuming and therefore less lucrative.

Hanco, however, says he always wanted to move away from the clinical approach and create a more personal and holistic environment. “A dentist works in very close proximity to the patient and can sense their stress levels,” he says. “Having a relaxed patient enables a dentist to do a better quality job and makes it a better experience for both.

For me there is nothing more satisfying than seeing a child leave my room with a smile, looking much happier than when he or she first walked in.”

I suspect that Hanco’s knack

with children has everything to do with the fact that he is the father of two young children, aged five and two years respectively. His wife Lida is a medical doctor and the couple first met during their high school years in Vanderbijlpark. After completing their studies at the Stellenbosch University’s Tygerberg campus, they settled in Vryheid in KwaZulu Natal, where Hanco ran a dental practice while Lida worked at the provincial hospital.

After eight years in Vryheid, Hanco sold his practice and relocated to the Cape with his young family. They rented a home in Rooiels (“We like small towns,” he says) while looking for a new challenge.

That opportunity came knocking when Hanco met Dr Christo Frick of Hermanus Dental Care, who had referred a child patient to the paediatric den-

tal practice in Somerset West where Hanco was doing locum work.

“When we visited Dr Frick in Hermanus he showed me a storeroom at his practice that I could use if I joined Hermanus Dental Care. And that is where we are sitting right now,” says Hanco, gesturing to the inviting space he has created.

With the whole family now happily settled in Hermanus since December last year, Lida is doing locum work at the Caledon and Hermanus provincial hospitals while Hanco is fulfilling his dream of establishing a paediatric dental practice. But why this specific desire to work with children? I ask him.

“People often have the attitude of ‘it’s only baby teeth’ and that taking care of them is not as important as perma-

nent teeth,” says Hanco. “But baby teeth are an essential part of a child’s health and development – they not only help children to chew their food properly but also to speak and smile.”

Hanco goes on to explain that the health of baby teeth is also closely linked to the health of your permanent teeth. “Extracting baby teeth has a profound effect on the development of a child’s jaw. You need those teeth because they hold space in the jaw for the permanent teeth that are growing under the gums. When baby teeth are lost too early, the permanent teeth can drift into the empty space and obstruct other adult teeth when they are ready to descend, leading to crowding and the necessity to also have adult teeth extracted.”

To avoid getting to that point,

Hanco and Dr Frick both offer Laughing Gas (Nitrous Oxide Inhalation Sedation) for most procedures. “It provides excellent pain and anxiety control and remains one of the safest methods of conscious sedation,” says Hanco. “It has made such a big difference for patients, even if we just do a routing cleaning of the teeth. One can eat before a procedure, it is quick and easy to administer, and the recovery time is very short.” Is it only for children? Most definitely not, says Hanco. “I would rather say it is for children too” Because Hermanus Dental Care values oral health they also have a program for smokers who want to quit.

Although this is not widely known, Hanco says Laughing Gas is very effective in controlling Nicotine withdrawal symptoms and cravings, making it much easier for people who are serious about kicking the habit.

You’ll find Hermanus Dental Care in a beautifully renovated house at 31 Main Road, Hermanus. Contact 028 312 1898 for an appointment.

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From P 9 Inside the cabin the trend is continued, dashboard layout and switchgear are functional and intuitive. Even the four-wheel drive controls are simple to operate, and a multi-function steering wheel is another very useful feature, ensuring you keep your hands on the wheel. Seating is very comfortable both front and rear and the rear load space is now longer and deeper.

The Navara’s performance is a joy over any terrain, as we found during our test drive in the Overstrand and Groenland areas.

The 2.3 litre twin turbocharged diesel engine delivers 140kW of power and a healthy torque figure of 450 Nm, providing plenty of power on tap.

With the seven-speed automatic transmission coupled to an easily selectable four-wheel drive system, it’s a vehicle for almost any road condition. If it’s off road you crave there’s 4 High, 4 Low and rear differential lock. Ground clearance is 229 mm and fuel consumption is claimed at 7 litres/100 km. We managed to keep it around 9 litres/100 km.

Ride quality is good and one of the reasons is the unique multilink rear suspension using coil springs rather than the more conventional leaf spring. This is a first in the segment.

Frieda: With me in the driving seat, my nerves were slightly frayed about the parking. I am not bad with parking but have some spatial issues. Again, our ride did not disappoint. The turning was sharp, and we fitted snuggly into the parking bay.

Things were looking promising.

John: All up the Nissan Navara 2.3 D/C 4 x 4 auto is a great way for you and your family to explore our beautiful surroundings.

Frieda: But as they say: travel is the best relationship test, so the Navara was taken off on a little road trip to Stellenbosch to see how this toughie would perform in the company of other tough guys at the Mountain Bike World Cup. This event was hosted for the first time in Stellenbosch and the steep, rugged terrain was challenging if not downright scary.

We quickly sorted out our trust issues. I tested the boundaries and felt safe knowing that there would be a positive reaction to my need for acceleration. The Navara was responsive and reacted powerfully to my whims. There were no compromises.

As could be seen the past weekend during the Walkerbay Xtreme, adventure tourism, be it running, walking or mountain biking, has become a firm favourite amongst travellers. The spinoff from events like the MTB World Cup for areas like ours is tremendous. The Cape Whale Coast with its many meandering paths offers the ideal opportunity for family and serious adventure outings.

BUSINESS EXPLORER

1 - 7 May 2018

Big saving on a Hyundai Grand i10 in Incredible Local Deal

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yundai Hermanus has put a darling of the South African compact car market up for sale in the May Incredible Local Deal offer. Only residents of the Overstrand qualify for the Incredible Local Deal, in partnership with The Village NEWS. This month you can buy a brand-new Hyundai Grand i10 1,0 litre Motion at a dealership discount of only R143 624. This is an unbeatable price as the little hatchback normally retails at R154 900 – a massive saving of R10 900.

“There is only one car available per month in our Incredible Local Deal and it is first come first served,” says Branch Manager Johann Grobbelaar.

“Over and above the R10 900 saving for the new owner, Hyundai Hermanus is pledging its support to the Overstrand community by donating a further R1 500 to a local charity which the new owner gets to choose.

As the largest independent Hyundai dealer in the Western Cape, Hyundai Hermanus offers only the best personalised customer service, whether you are looking for a new or pre-owned model. The Hermanus dealership is also supported by an approved independent Hyundai service and parts centre, and offers after-hours roadside assistance as part of impeccable service levels.

Johann, who has 20 years’ experience in car dealerships, is a man who likes to think out

At one of KIA South Africa’s annual dealer events held in Cape Town on 11 April, KIA Motors Hermanus was awarded the Platinum Prestige award for 2017. The Platinum Prestige, which is awarded to the top 3% of KIA dealerships globally, is based on excelling in the application of dealership standards, overall dealership performance and, most importantly, exceptional customer satisfaction levels. Taking proud ownership of this award are, in the back row: Timothy van Staaden, William Scott and Vitalis Masunungure; middle row: Bismark Handile, Kenneth Ruiters, Michelle Grobbelaar, Pieter Pretorius, Simon van Jaarsveld and Aspher Manda; and in the front row: Justin Bawden, Shinica Olivier, Sean Smith, Pauline Smith, Stuart King and Carla King.

Visit Hyundai Hermanus in Adam Street in the Business Park to take advantage of their Incredible Local Deal. of the box and who is making it his mission to serve the local community.

Grand i10 1,0 Motion, writes local motoring journalist John Floyd.

“We always go the extra mile for our customers, whether ensuring the highest service levels or structuring a deal that will suit your pocket. We service the whole of the Overstrand and there is no reason to travel over the mountain to chase the best deals – you’ll find them right here at Hyundai Hermanus.”

Powered by a 998cc 3-cylinder petrol engine, the small fiveseater hatchback surprises with more than adequate performance for a car in this segment and a level of comfort more commonly found in much larger cars. The standard equipment list is comprehensive and includes air conditioning, multi-function steering wheel mounted controls, on board computer/ multi information display, CD player with USB/AUX inputs, Bluetooth connectivity, 12V power socket, front electric windows,

When it comes to compact cars the local market offers a very large choice of excellent vehicles, but for me the one that stands out is the Hyundai

front fog lights, and high-level stop light, to name a few.

Load space in the boot is 256 litres, increasing to 1 202 litres when the split rear seats are folded. With a 43-litre fuel tank and a claimed fuel consumption of 5,6 l/100km, it means the Grand i10 has a range of nearly 800 km.

Another plus is the level of safety equipment with ABS and EBD as well as a driver and front seat passenger airbags.

All up, the Hyundai Grand i10 1,0 Motion is a great bang for buck vehicle in this highly competitive market segment.

The Ford Hermanus team excelled at this year’s Ford Dealerships Awards where they were awarded the Runner-Up title in the 2017 Dealer of the Year (DOTY). Alongside this incredible achievement Ford Hermanus has been placed in a higher category for next year’s awards, meaning they will compete on sales and service with some of the largest dealerships in the country. Tank Coetzee, Dealer Principal, says during the last year more than 200 new vehicles were sold allowing them to achieve more than 130% of their annual target. “We would like to say thank you to all those involved: our clients, our team and their families. We could not have achieved this without you,” says Tank.

BUSINESS EXPLORER

1 - 7 May 2018

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15

The right chemistry

ynbos has many spectacular flowers like the king protea, Protea cynaroides, our national flower and the emblem of many of our international sports teams. Ask any child and they can identify it as a protea.

CleanMarine tackles fishing line bin project

MY NEWS Environment THE

Then there are the quirky ones like the Roridula gorgonas that catches insects as food for a little beetle that lives on the plant.

The beetle returns the favour by defaecating fertiliser for the plant.

Marine litter affects a variety of marine animals, notably turtles, seabirds and whales. Fishing line and other fishery-related products pose a major problem as marine creatures may become entangled in it and this can impede movement thereby causing the loss of body parts, drowning or starvation. Entanglements off South Africa’s coastline have been reported in at least five species of mammals, two turtle species, six fish species and thirteen seabird species. Bird species most affected by entanglement are African Penguins, Cape Gannets, cormorants and gulls.

We also know about ericas – the beautiful heath-like flowers that can coat a whole landscape in colour in the flowering season.

Not only are they beautiful, but also fascinating to those who stop to look closely. The shapes of their little flowers are uniquely adapted to the insects or birds that pollinate them.

For these reasons the erection of fishing line bins was identified as one of six projects forming part of BirdLife Overberg’s CleanMarine conservation campaign along the Overstrand coastline. The initial aim is to set up fishing line bins at sites other than those already set up by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (DICT) in the Kleinbaai and Gansbaai area. Several new sites have already been identified and plans are being made to use local communities to identify more sites.

Probably the least fêted “stepchild” of the fynbos families is the Restionaceae or Cape reeds.

Called restios for short, they are often confused with grasses, but grasses they are not – they have no leaves for a start. Yet restios are very much part of our historic consciousness. Think of the thatching reed that crowned many a Cape Dutch homestead as well as homes in Hermanus in days past.

teas and Ericas that may be in evidence.

Unfortunately many of these buildings were lost to fire, but the reeds live on very prominently along the R43 around Onrus, where their seeds were scattered by passing trucks carrying the reeds. Restios comprise the defining family of fynbos. If there are no restios in a patch of veld it’s not fynbos, despite any pro-

The family name of Restionaceae refers to the Latin restis, which means cord or rope and alludes to the use of the plants in southern Africa. More than 400 species in about 40 genera of the Restionaceae family occur in the winter rainfall regions of South Africa and Australia.

Discussions were held with officials of the environmental management division of the Overstrand Municipality in view of developing strategies to make decisions about the spots where these bins will be erected along our coastline. Decisions on this will be taken once the bins have been received.

Restios bear small male and female flowers on different plants. The anthers of the male flowers are shaped like little boats and the pollen lies there until it is scattered by the wind.

Female flowers are almost hidden by petal-like structures called bracts that funnel the pollen to the styles of the females. Styles are appropriately stylish, sometimes resembling feather boas, just waiting

for the right pollen to arrive. Yes indeed, only the right pollen from the right species will find favour.

Despite pollen from many different species wafting by, only the pollen with the right “fit” and chemistry will do and thus succeed in fertilising the female flower. Just goes to show – if the chemistry is right …

Join in BirdLife Overberg’s monthly coastal cleanups Are you concerned about the impact of plastics and other marine debris on our oceans and shoreline? Do you care about the detrimental impact that this has on our coastal birds and other marine creatures?

Then you are invited to take part in BirdLife Overberg’s regular monthly Coastal Cleanups along our beautiful coastline. You might get your hands a bit dirty, but the satisfaction of making a difference and contributing towards clean oceans and plastic-free beaches certainly makes up for this.

The seventh monthly coastal cleanup was done along the Vermont shoreline on 14 April, starting from the Jan Rabie tidal pool and working westwards towards Brekfisbaai. The group worked in threes with one marking off the litter items collected. This is done on the

standard form developed by the Oceans Conservancy, an international agency based in America, and the information is forwarded to them and Plastics SA. This is done to gain a better world-wide understanding of the negative impact of plastic waste on our oceans.

On this cleanup, prominent items collected included 87 cigarette butts, 38 plastic bottle caps, 35 plastic straws, 12 plastic beverage bottles and 84 small pieces of plastic.

A total of 76 condom wrappers were also collected, confirming that abalone poachers are still active along this coastline. Nine bags were collected totalling a whopping 41 kg!

The bags of litter were delivered to the recycling plant where it was sorted and processed.

The next coastal cleanup will take place at Onrus beach on

Saturday 12 May and BirdLife Overberg is appealing to all its members to become involved in this campaign and see how many friends and other interested parties they can involve.

10 May by contacting Elaine at mwjasser@mweb.co.za or 082 455 8402; or Helé at birding@southernartceramics. com or 073 456 0393.

Many examples of the success of these fishing line bins have already been illustrated. Members of the Great Brak River Conservancy have collected 540g of fishing gut from such bins – this equals 2.16 km of fishing line – while international marine volunteers at DICT recently emptied and fixed the fishing line bins along the beach at Die Plaat and collected 580g of fishing line!

“We have been very fortunate in receiving a sizable donation from the Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) division of BirdLife South Africa and we could consider using part of this towards the production and erection of the fishing line bins,” says Anton Odendal of BirdLife Overberg. “The best news however is that John Kieser of PLASTICS SA will gradually make bins available for use along our coastline. We express our sincere appreciation for these very generous donations. Kindly take note of the appeal below and assist us in deciding where these bins need to be placed.”

Members of the public are invited to get involved with this exciting project by informing BirdLife Overberg of important spots where fishermen/ anglers are operating regularly, as well as spots where significant amounts of fishing line wash up along our shoreline. Thanks to individual members and friends who have already responded to this request, a provisional list of sites is available from BirdLife Overberg. Kindly report further possible sites, preferably with GPS coordinates, to birding@overberg.co.za

This cleanup is being done in collaboration with the Milkwood restaurant and the children from the Recycle Swop Shop will again be joining in. Anyone who would like to volunteer their support is welcome.

Participants will meet up at the Onrus beach parking area at 08:00 and the cleanup should be done by 11:00 at the latest. Wear good walking shoes as the rocks may be a bit slippery, a backpack with something to eat and drink, and remember your hat and sun screen. Bags will be provided.

Confirm your participation by

Narina Howard of the Recycle Swop Shop in Zwelihle (in the centre at the back with dark glasses), who was honoured as BirdLife Overberg’s Oystercatcher Hero earlier this year, and some of the children of the Swop Shop regularly participate in BirdLife Overberg’s coastal clean-ups. This photo was taken at the Vermont clean-up on 14 April, as part of the club’s CleanMarine campaign for the conservation of our coastline and estuaries. (Read more about the Recycle Swop Shop on P 17.)

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BUSINESS EXPLORER

1 - 7 May 2018

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves “Winter is coming” is a familiar quote for those who are familiar with the Game of Thrones television series. In the series, this mantra serves as a warning to prepare for hard times. Locally, winter is indeed upon us, but we should ensure that winter doesn’t prevail in our finances as well, writes JANA FOURIE, Assistant Portfolio Manager at PSG Wealth Hermanus.

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he state of the economy certainly hasn’t been favourable for cashstrapped South Africans. Fuel prices are on a steep rise, electricity tariffs are expected to increase, new municipal budgets will soon come into effect and the 1% VAT hike (from 14% to 15%) means that life has become a whole lot costlier for all of us. The effect of the VAT increase on households varies depending on your lifestyle, but all South African households have less to spend monthly, from 1 April 2018.

Many of us only think of the impact of 1% more VAT on grocery bills, but its wider impact on monthly cellphone and telephone bills, insurance premiums, banking fees and utilities is not to be missed. You can still try to curb spending on groceries, but the effects of the VAT increase on fixed monthly expenses aren’t that easy to

manage. You should resist the temptation to allow increases in living costs to lower your savings rate. Consider smarter ways to absorb the rising costs of living.

This provides clear reason for South Africans to diligently review their budgets, or to set one up if they don’t already have one!

So how do I go about drawing up a personal budget?

People often make the mistake of thinking that a budget can be memorised and doesn’t need to be written down. You don’t need a spreadsheet with fancy formulae, but you will have to have a systematic, documented approach so that you can revisit your budget on a regular basis. Refer to the easy budgeting tips below: 1. Start with an Excel spreadsheet or get a simple

piece of paper on which you draw a few columns.

2. Review your record of expenses, e.g. bank statement of the past month and categorise ALL your expenses (including all debit orders) according to their nature, e.g. fuel, food, discretionary.

3. Once you’ve identified and quantified your expenses for a few months you will gain an understanding of your spending patterns and you will be able to establish where unnecessary spending goes. You might be paying subscription fees to a gym you don’t go to or magazines you don’t read.

Be very clear on the difference between essential expenses (needs) and non-essential expenses (wants) and cut out things you can do without.

Most of the time this provides an eye-opener on wasteful spending.

4. All income that flows into your bank account should serve as the basis for calculating your average monthly income.

5. If you didn’t stick to your New Year’s resolution to save more money, it’s not too late to start now. Saving should never be an afterthought. Budget for a fixed amount of monthly savings and ensure that you have an appropriate savings vehicle in place.

6. Add up total income and expenses, subtract and calculate your net income.

7. If net income is positive, i.e. if you spend less than your earnings, earmark as much as possible of this amount for your savings account/unit trust or other investment plan. Bear in mind that cash in your bank account is easily spent. If you have to repay debt, start with the most expensive which will

usually be credit card debt outstanding for longer than 55 days and car loans which attract high lending rates.

8. If your net income is negative, adjust your lifestyle. Sell extra nice-to-haves like that treadmill or extra TV. Declutter and sell all the useless stuff.

Look out for opportunities to earn a second income to cover the shortfall.

9. Keep your budget up to date and evaluate it on a regular basis. Don’t agonise about getting it right from the first month. No budget is cast in stone. Refinements are in order as you go.

Budgeting is more than just recording numbers. Budgeting is about achieving financial peace of mind, managing your income to cover all your monthly expenses and ensuring some is left to take care of your future needs. Be

realistic, implement sensible spending plans and protect income sources. By doing so, you can ensure the financial survival of your household.

The opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of the writer and not necessarily those of PSG. The information is provided as general information. It does not constitute financial, tax, legal or investment advice and the PSG Konsult Group of Companies does not guarantee its suitability or potential value. Since individual needs and risk profiles differ, we suggest you consult a qualified financial adviser, if needed.

PSG Wealth Hermanus Portfolio Management and Stockbroking 028 312 1508 10 Magnolia Street www.psg.co.za/hermanus stockbrokers

Send your questions to dewaal@thevillagenews.co.za

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1 - 7 May 2018

Giving children a hand up, not a hand out

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he Recycle Swop Shop in Zwelihle, an innovative community development project that enriches children’s lives by encouraging them to take initiative and rewarding that effort, celebrated its 15th birthday last week.

The joyful celebrations included cake and treats for the children and coincided with a visit by the mobile clinic of the Hermanus Animal Welfare (HAWS). The children who brought their dogs for deworming, vaccinations, tick and flea treatment also received a bag of pet food to take home.

The Recycle Swop Shop (RSS) operates once a week from their premises at the Yomelelani ECD Centre in Zwelihle. The concept is simple: the children are encouraged to collect and sort recyclable litter in their neighbourhood and bring it to the collection yard every Wednesday afternoon, where the material is weighed. Each child then receives a ticket bearing points based on the quantities they have collected.

From there, they go to the Swop Shop where they can

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HELPING Hand Sponsored by Hermanus

purchase items with their points, including essential items such as stationery, toiletries and clothing. Some of the children choose not to spend their points at once, but to rather save up until they have enough to buy something special, such as a bicycle. On their way out, all children receive a nutritional snack, regardless of the amount of recycling material they brought in. A municipal truck collects the recyclable waste every Wednesday and takes it to Walker Bay Recycling.

But for the children there’s much more to it than getting a few goodies. Through sorting, counting, calculating, weighing, budgeting, saving and banking points, the children are being introduced to educational processes and valuable life skills that are practiced and reinforced in a practical manner.

This makes the project far more than just charity practice. It provides life skills and opportunities for personal development – with lots of fun being thrown in for good measure!

The RSS initiative was established in 2003 and Narina Howard has been running it for the last five years. To continue their work, this non-profit organisation requires the ongoing support of the community.

Volunteer a few hours of your time by visiting the RSS and helping out, or donate supplies for the Swop Shop, such as nonperishable food, second-hand and new clothing and shoes, school supplies and toiletries, toys, books – anything a child can use.

For more information, call Narina on 082 339 5768.

Wednesday is recycling day for youngsters in Zwelihle. Children are encouraged to bring in any plastic, glass and other recyclables to the Swop Shop to be weighed and sent for recycling. In exchange for bringing in these items, the children earn points to spend in the Swop Shop that has been set up on the premises.

These youngsters make up some of the volunteers that assist at the Swop Shop. This particular group helps to sort the recyclables into separate bags for Walker Bay Recycling.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

Children from the Recycle Swop Shop celebrated this community project’s 15th anniversary last week with volunteers Corny Rode (back row on the left), Luzuko Mpalweni (back row second from left), Ninky Matthee (back row second from right), Theo de Meyer (back row on the right) and Narina Howard (second row on the left).

This young boy gives his friend a thumbs up whilst he waits in line for his bag of plastic bottles to be weighed.

Theo de Meyer, founder of the Hou Moed Centre (now Yomelelani ECD) with one of his “adopted grandchildren”.

The children line up eagerly to spend their points earned at the Swop Shop, where Ninky Matthee volunteers her services.

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1 - 7 May 2018

How ‘Inflammaging’ can damage your health Dr Arien van der Merwe

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he renegade fire of chronic inflammation has been linked to most, if not all modern day chronic diseases, even when the connection may not be altogether obvious. These include osteoarthritis, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, cancer, dementia, depression, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disease, even autism. It becomes the silent killer, as it gradually destroys our cells’ function and ultimately our organs. This is also the inflammation that leads to accelerated ageing.

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disturbs the carefully calibrated balance between calcium and magnesium, where both work optimally together in nearly all biochemical reactions inside the body.

MY Health

medication may be counterproductive?

BUT, what happens when the immediate threat is over but the immune system troops never get the command to retreat, because of some unknown break in communication? The squad keeps on working… And this is where inflammation turns from friend to foe: chronic inflammation.

My top tips to prevent and manage inflammation based on my holistic, integrative approach to medicine

What is inflammation?

You slam your finger in the car door. It immediately turns red, warms up and starts to become swollen. And it hurts! Why does this happen? The swelling puts pressure on nerves and the pain alerts you to keep your finger still. The redness is your body sending blood to the site of injury, carrying the immune system troops to assist with healing, like an ambulance with emergency personnel on board.

The inflammatory reaction itself causes the heat.

1. Food as medicine The imbalances and low levels of nutrients in the typical modern Western diet, which contains 20 to 30 times more pro-inflammatory nutrients than a century ago, remains the primary underlying cause of the chronic degenerative disorders related to inflammation, so prevalent in our society.

We tend to think that inflammation is all bad but your body’s inflammatory response is vital to the healing process. Can you see why taking anti-inflammatory

It takes the right mix of nutrients for the body to form the proper counterbalance between pro-inflammatory substances required to fight in-

fection and irritants, and antiinflammatory substances needed to moderate and turn inflammation off at the appropriate time, so that tissue healing and repair can begin.

Top anti-inflammatory foods to include in your healthy eating plan: whole, raw, and super foods. Eat unprocessed, organic, unrefined, fresh, seasonal, plant based (for phytonutrients) and high fibre foods.

Choose free-range poultry, organic eggs, grass-fed beef, ostrich, wild game and coldwater fish. Eat complex unrefined carbohydrates, avoiding refined sugar and sugar-based products, refined grains, grainfed meat and fish, as well as conventional cooking oils, block margarine, or anything with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats.

Use monounsaturated fats found in nature, such as coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, grapeseed oil, avocadoes, and more omega 3 essential fatty acids from flaxseed, and cold water fish like sardines, herring, trout and wild salmon.

2. Nutriceutical food supplements The following nutriceutical (nutri = food; ceutical = medicine) grade food supplements to top up your healthy eating plan will further help manage acute inflammation, while reducing and balancing chronic inflammation: • A daily comprehensive antioxidant supplement, with optimal quantities of vitamins A, E, B-complex, C, D, E, bioflavonoids, and coenzyme Q10.

• The following minerals in a food form (amino acid chelate): calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, and boron.

• Omega 3 from fish oil that contains sufficient quantities of EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) Magnesium: Low magnesium levels have been implied in nearly every single disease linked to an underlying inflammatory process, i.e. high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, diabetes, depression, etc. But do not take magnesium on its own as this

3. Herbal remedies: Antiinflammatory help from nature Many herbs, spices and essential oils can give fast and gentle relief from the symptoms of inflammation, while restoring health over the longer term.

My favourite anti-inflammatory hot toddy recipe (e.g. colds, flu, fever, sinusitis, muscle aches and pains, joint pains, arthritis and so on): mix a pinch each of dried (or fresh) ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and mustard powder in a small glass of warm water, add some raw honey to taste and drink regularly for fast relief.

Other useful herbs include Ginkgo biloba, Arnica, devil’s claw, licorice root, white willow bark, yarrow, black pepper, rosemary, basil, cardamom, chives, cloves, garlic and parsley. These can be used either as food if suitable, or as herbal infusions, capsules or tablets obtainable from most pharmacies and health shops.

4. Include pre- and probiotics Heal your intestines by taking pre- and probiotics to aid

digestion and restore the balance of healthy bacteria in your gut – your microbiome, the tiny universe inside you.

5. Exercise Your body was made to move!

Regular, moderate, fun exercise such as swimming, walking, strength, dancing and yoga, reduces inflammation.

6. Chill out!

Manage your stress triggers, especially inflammatory thoughts!

Stress gives only one command: we are in a war-zone! Most of us are not even aware that this is the constant command we give our bodies, because we are so used to being all tensed-up.

Actively make time to de-stress and consciously replace this destructive message with one of relaxation. Maintain work-life balance as best you can, learn to let go, allowing your natural healing mechanism free access, and an open channel to do what it is meant to do. This is probably the most important tool for restoring your body and mind to its natural state of health and happiness.

7. Sleep I cannot emphasise this point enough. Your body requires time to sleep to replenish, recover and refresh. The troops do their admin and filing and when you wake up, everything is where it is supposed to be.

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1 - 7 May 2018

‘If you are not evolving, you’re simply revolving’ spersed with Spa management training in the UK and Florida, USA, Zurica decided it was time to come home. She was running her own salon from premises at the Harbour House Hotel when she met Christian. “We just clicked,” she says. “Christian and I had the same vision and right at our first meeting we spoke about opening our own business.”

Hedda Mittner

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e don’t do basic,” says beauty therapist Zurica Lubbe with a cheeky smile. “We can do express if you have limited time available, but not basic – quality product service is what we provide at Evolve.” And with her bubbly personality, glowing good looks, and perfectly groomed skin, hair and nails, Zurica is certainly a walking advertisement for beauty and wellness.

The other half of Zurica’s “we” is massage specialist Christian Pinkerton, who joined forces with Zurica in September last year. As co-owners they have created a boutique day spa that offers bespoke treatments, be it a half-day pamper session or a 30-minute express treatment to look your best before a big event.

“Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes of ‘me’ time to get a fresh perspective and feel better than before,” says Zurica.

“That’s why we cover a wide range of all-encompassing relaxation, personal care and beauty treatments designed to suit your lifestyle. Him, her, tots and teens – there is something for everyone at Evolve Day Spa.” As for the name of their business, Christian says: “If you are not evolving, you are simply revolving. At Evolve we believe in being better than before.

That means leaving the past behind you and focusing on what lies ahead, embracing each day as a new opportunity for you to grow, learn, achieve – and simply be the best you can be.”

Sounds tempting, doesn’t it?

Especially when Christian describes Evolve as “an oasis in the desert of this unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle we are caught up in. Sometimes we are so busy that we don’t even notice we are falling apart!” And as for feeling guilty about spending time and money on pampering yourself, Christian

Zurica Lubbe and Christian Pinkerton, the owners of Evolve Day Spa in Harbour Road. insists that it is not a luxury – it’s a necessity.

“Massage therapy allows the body to heal itself, lower blood pressure, increase circulation and lymph flow, relax muscles, improve range of motion and flexibility and increase endorphins,” he explains. “Weight loss and cellular regeneration from touch therapy visibly slows down the process of visual aging.

Remedial massage stimulates weak inactive muscles and accelerates recovery from injuries or strenuous exercise.”

Christian discovered the joy of movement relatively late in life – through dance. He was busy studying law when he started training with the Joburg Ballet Company (then the South African Ballet Theatre). “It was like taking a breath of air for the first time,” he says. “I totally immersed myself in dance and soaked it up like a sponge.”

Having started so late in life, Christian had to put in a massive amount of work, but he remained focused and

there was no stopping him. He went on to dance full-time for several years, and was part of the South African team that competed at the 2015 Dance World Cup in Romania.

“Because of my age, my range was limited and my dance training went hand-in-hand with remedial massage,” he says. “Just like a car that needs to be serviced and maintained, the body needs therapy to function optimally.”

As a Massage Specialist and Advanced Reflexologist, Christian has worked as part of therapy teams on professional sporting events and dance productions, as well as elite Spa’s such as the Saxon Hotel & Spa. Clients are referred to him by doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists, and he provides specialised treatment to dancers and sportsmen and women.

Happily settled in Hermanus since the beginning of last year, Joburg boykie Christian says our town fits him like a glove. “I feel very much at home in this beautiful, vibrant

town – Hermanus has a real sense of community and I’ve formed solid friendships.

Joburg has become a very stressful place where you just survive but you do not live.”

It was shortly after his arrival last year that Christian met local gal Zurica, who grew up in Hermanus before leaving our shores to study at the International Academy of Health and Skincare in Cape Town.

After gaining her internationally recognised qualifications, Zurica worked at a laser clinic in Somerset West for a year to learn more about aesthetics.

She took to the high seas aboard the luxury cruise ship Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas, working as a skin care and massage therapist at the ship’s Spa. This was followed by a second contract, with the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, where she was appointed as assistant Spa manager and, finally, as Spa manager on the Royal Caribbean Legend.

After four years at sea, inter-

As soon as Zurica found the premises in Harbour Road, she knew it was the right location for Evolve. She contacted Christian, who agreed that this was the place where they could ply their passion, side by side. “We love the vibe and the colloquial touch of Harbour Road – we almost feel like part of a family of businesses,” says Christian. Surrounded by guesthouses, eateries, art galleries and markets, they also enjoy being in the midst of the monthly First Fridays Artwalk.

With Christian and Zurica both operating within their own realms of expertise, combined with the services of visiting aesthetics practitioner, Dr Sebastian Pretorius, Evolve is able to offer a wide range of bespoke treatments. Christian offers 18 different forms of massage therapy, including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aromatherapy, Hot Stone and Bamboo massages. He also specialises in Remedial sports massages, Lymphatic and Pregnancy massages, Scalp massages, Lomi Lomi and Reflexology.

Christian emphasises that every client is unique and deserves a unique experience that is tailor-made for them.

“The success of Remedial Massage is built on trust, expertise and a personal touch. It is very gratifying to work with clients on a longterm basis and to see the positive impact that treatments have on their overall health and wellbeing.”

Zurica’s passion is skincare, which explains her motto: “Beauty is about being com-

fortable in your own skin. Look after it.” But just as Evolve’s logo depicts a fan, she stresses that their goal is not to focus on one aspect alone but rather on holistic, overall wellbeing.

“Beauty is, after all, more than skin deep and involves your whole being,” she says.

In addition to massages Evolve offers a staggering array of services that include spa packages, body treatments, facial treatments and enhancements, manicures, pedicures, waxing, brows and lashes, nail acrylic and Gelish treatments, artificial nails, teeth whitening, permanent and non-permanent make-up, and tanning.

Treatments based on consultation with Dr Pretorius range from anti-wrinkle injections and fillers to medical grade needling, silhouette threading, chemical peels and Plexr nonsurgical eye and face lifts.

And if you are in need of a real pick-me-up, Dr Pretorius also offers a unique therapy that involves a 40-minute restorative IV treatment that boosts the immune system, increases energy and enhances detoxification by administering a high dose of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants directly into the bloodstream. This means that the nutrients are rapidly infused into the circulation and are delivered directly into the cellular space without having to go through the digestive tract.

“The benefits last up to six months,” says Christian.

“Sometimes, life can be daunting as demands pile up and you feel like you are always chasing time. We’ve created an environment where you can pause, be it for 30 minutes or a half day, refocus and gain a fresh perspective,” says Zurica. “We want to remind people to value themselves and not to accept less than they deserve.”

Find more information visit www.evolvedayspa.co.za or find them at 5 Harbour Road, Hermanus. Call 028 312 3203 or send an email to evolve@hermanus.co.za

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Pardon’s your man for children’s furniture Elaine Davie

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ermanus residents and regular visitors to the town may remember Pardon Kambarami, a resident of Zwelihle, whose beautiful metalwork sculptures were on display at the craft market on Market Square. Once seen, never forgotten.

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Unfortunately, a year or so ago, when new leases were allocated for the market stalls, Pardon was not successful in obtaining one.

Without a car, he found he could not travel to weekly markets with his work; so what to do now, to make a living?

His first port of call for advice was his family. Every one of the six Kambarami siblings is a talented craftsperson in his or her own right and perhaps the most economically successful of them is his oldest sister who, in 2013 started her own business, Classic Designs, in Kathlehong making wooden baby furniture.

For her, the answer was simple: “Start a branch of the business in the Western Cape.” No sooner said than done. Younger brother Obey, a master carpenter, went on a crash course at his sister’s business and then joined Pardon in Hermanus. As Pardon is quick to affirm: “Obey is very good. He can just look at a picture of a

Pardon Kambarami (right) and his brother Obey manufacture practical, space-saving, highquality children’s furniture that consists of multi-purpose units geared towards the age of the child. Their business, Unique Kiddies Designs, will move to new premises in the Mimosa Business Centre in the industrial area on 1 May.

piece of furniture and he knows how to make it.”

The two brothers rented a back-yard shack in Zwelihle and set up their business, turning out practical, spacesaving, high-quality children’s furniture. Painted in bright, cheerful colours, the main idea is for them to be multi-purpose units, geared towards the age of the child for which it is intended, even going so far as making cots for twins, joined together by a set of drawers, with another drawer at the base of each cot.

pine. Zwelihle people want us to use chipboard because it is cheaper, but this is not good quality and we don’t use it,” he adds. “We also make use of very high quality paint which is leadfree and therefore safe for children.”

It is apparent, however, that their manufacturing space is anything but ideal. They work out in the open and have no space for storage. Another problem is that some potential Hermanus customers are nervous about going into Zwelihle to see their work.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel. On 1 May, Pardon is very excited that they will be moving into a workshop space in the industrial area: Unit 2, Mimosa Business Centre. Up to now, most of their marketing has been done on Gumtree, or by word-of-mouth referrals, but Pardon believes that the new premises will be a turning point for their one-year-old fledgling business.

They also make two or threelevel bunk beds for older children (a normal two-bed bunk, with a third trundle pull-out bed on wheels at the very bottom). Again, there is storage space aplenty, with boxes built into each tread of the staircase leading to the top bunk and more space for toys under the stairs. A different bunk-bed design for older children incorporates a desk below, with drawers and shelves – ideal for homework. They also do ornamental wall decorations for children’s rooms. “Basically we will make anything a client wants, in whatever colour they want,” says Pardon.

These two talented and hardworking brothers are an outstanding example of what can be done with very limited resources, but a passion to succeed and the magic in the hands to turn out products to be truly proud of.

He emphasises that they use only the best quality materials.

“In most cases, we use A-Grade SupaWood, or if requested,

Pardon, whose business is called Unique Kiddies Designs, can be contacted on 061 146 5630.

1 - 7 May 2018

WORLD BOOK DAY

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World Book Day was celebrated in schools throughout the Overstrand on Monday 23 April. The theme for 2018 was ‘Reading Empowers’ and was aimed at raising awareness about the importance of reading. The World Book Day celebrations included reaching out and giving children access to books. This was done by staff members of Hawston Library, who visited Hawston Primary to distribute books and talk about the importance of reading.

Librarian Belinda May told the learners that a book is a present that can be opened again and again, and that a child who reads discovers a love for learning.

Celebrating World Book Day at Hawston Primary were, in front from left to right: Granville May, Eden Gelderblom, Liam Human, Grace Liebenberg, and Davindene Windvogel. Back: Teacher Rugene Dees, Librarian Belinda May, Library assistant Hillary Arends, Teacher Ann Brewell, Teacher Sophine Jacobs and Library assistant Francina Philander.

The learners of Generation Schools Hermanus celebrated World Book Day this year by dressing up as their favourite book character. The 9-12 years class really put a lot of thought and effort into their costumes. Among the group were a Viking, the Mad Hatter, Darth Vader and a soccer player.

Sisters Maggie-Lou (6) and Lilly-Rose Fourie (7) went as Batgirl and Alice in Wonderland respectively. The girls were on their way with their grandmother to visit the pop-up bookstore that Bargain Books had set up on the school premises.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

Kai van der Riet from the 12-15 years class terrified many of his peers and teachers as he decided to go as Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King’s popular novel ‘IT’.

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Sport coaches go from heroes to zeros

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he careers of sport coaches and team managers epitomise the saying "living on the edge". A coach or manager is under continual scrutiny by fans and the media, often compounded by off-field issues.

Offside Tony O’Hagan

Positive results are paramount and there have been many illustrations of unruly crowd behaviour both locally and abroad. The recent incident in Durban is the worst example of this unacceptable chaos and destruction of property by fans, reacting to the poor display by the Kaiser Chiefs players and their dissatisfaction with the coach.

Former Liverpool manager, Bill Shankley once remarked: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure it is much, much more important than that.” This reflects the pressure imposed on managers of Premier League clubs.

As an example of a coach's brief career life span, there have been 24 appointments to the head coaching position of Bafana Bafana since readmission in 1992. Only a couple of these have been as caretaker on an interim basis. Poor results, fan dissatisfaction, off-field issues and media pressure have led to this number of coaches over a period of 26 years.

English football also has

should feel aggrieved by treatment from officials in the hierarchy of SA Rugby are Nic Mallett and Jake White. Mallett broke a world record of consecutive wins (17) during his time in charge but was ditched after saying test tickets were too expensive. Jake White, after winning the World Cup in 2007, was requested to reapply for his job which he refused to do and was replaced by Peter de Villiers.

On the other side of the coin there are illustrations of longevity in a coach or manager's career. Sir Walter Winterbottom served as England's manager from 1946 to 1962, overseeing 139 matches. Sir Alex Ferguson was at the helm of Manchester United for 27 years, from 1986 – 2013.

Arsene Wenger recently retired as Arsenal manager after 22 years. examples of managers serving brief spells. Sam Allardyce was dismissed as England's national manager after 67 days and 1 game against Slovakia which England won. He was fired due to off-field issues but has the consolation of the best record by an English manager (100%), played one, won one!

Frank De Boer was manager of Crystal Palace for just 4 games and since the start of 2014, Leeds United have employed 8 managers. During the same

period Watford and Swansea have both had 7 managers at the helm.

Since re-admission, SA Rugby has appointed 14 Springbok coaches, with the shortest tenure under John Williams who was in charge in 1992.

The best record of a Springbok coach belongs to Kitch Christie, with a 100% record in 14 matches, including victory at the 1995 World Cup. Kitch retired due to ill health.

Two Springbok coaches who

Arsene Wenger, recently resigned as Arsenal manager, had just under 22 years at the club. Despite his success and loyalty, he did not escape the wrath of the fans, calling for his head due to poor results. The latter was not entirely due to his making, but rather a lack of funding to buy players during the transfer period.

The Springbok coaching job is often referred to as the Poison Chalice but this probably applies to the majority of managerial or coaching positions. One can go from hero to zero in the blink of a fan’s eye.

Hermanus bowlers triumph at provincial tournament Once again bowlers from the Hermanus Bowls Club reigned supreme at the recent Boland Bowls Tournament.

The prestigious Boland Senior Masters competition was played on 17 and 18 April and our ladies swept the medal's board in the singles event, with Louise Roediger winning Gold, Jean Greyling taking Silver and Tish Bryce, Bronze.

These were great achievements by our ladies after an arduous two days of competition. They progressed through three rounds on the first day, with two rounds and the finals on day two.

On the final day the ladies had to overcome stiff opposition and high velocity winds to advance to the finals. Well done on a full house of medals!

More accolades must go to our Hermanus bowlers as our ladies' four won the Boland Open Ladies Fours at Worcester on 21 April. The winning team of Sonya Kruger, Amanda Meyer, Lucille Herbst and Louise Roediger (skip) took the spoils.

Congrats to all our bowlers who have excelled on the greens in recent weeks at the various Boland Competitions.

SPORT NEWS? Share your sport news, results or photos with us! It has never been easier. Just send the information or image to admin@thevillagenews.co.za and we will gladly consider it. Competition results, a friendly rivalry, a funny anecdote, a once-off feat or a major improvement – all news is welcome. We would like to feature our community’s major sport stars as well as its unsung sport heroes – just let us know.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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1 - 7 May 2018

Another fantastic junior event

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reetings once again from your favourite pirate of the high seas, or should that be high fairways! This week saw the third leg of the Kosie Pieters Junior series being played at Hermanus Golf Club. We had 20 juniors and all had a super time. This week was made extra special by the very kind sponsorship from Ford Hermanus and as a special treat they brought along their fantastic red Mustang!

It really did create a buzz, and a couple of the younger juniors did ask if it was a prize! Sadly it wasn’t.

Anyway the competition this time was won by George Botha on a terrific 42 points. The runner up was Tim Simpson, just one behind, and Alric Rooi from Theewaterskloof Golf Club came third with a very respectable 39 points. Well done again to all who took part and to Strydom and Riaan Pieters for the organising. We are looking forward to the next leg next month.

Also in the junior news, we have our Junior Club Championships coming up this week, so lots of practicing happening. Wishing the best of luck to all.

The other big news of the week was of course the wedding of the year. Our membership secretary, long-time staff member and daughter of the General Manager, Tarryn Lee finally tied the knot with our Assistant Greens Superintendent Mark Pnematicatos. It was the most fantastic, romantic and meaningful wedding I have been to in a long

The Putting Pirate Julian Shaw

Curro Hermanus U16 and U19 netball teams extend their thanks to Water Worx (Anton Bothma) and Coastal Timber Mouldings (De Wet Herbst) for their sponsorship. Curro Hermanus U19 netball team: back row, from left are Mariet Lemmer (couch), Kaci van Romburgh, Zama Kamana, Lané Venter, Yohké Swanepoel, Anton Bothma (Sponsor Water Worx), and Mia Winter. In front are Caylin Lehman, Camlynn Timmie and Abigail Bothma.

From left are Mr Kosie Pieters, George Botha, winner of the third leg of the junior series, Riaan Pieters and Strydom van Dyk. time, and even brought a tear to the eye of this old hardened pirate. Wishing you both all the very, very best for a long life together and if you have anything like my marriage you will both be extremely happy.

A last giggle Paddy was quite overweight so he went to the doctor.

“I want you to eat regularly for 2 days,” the doctor said, “then skip a day, then eat regularly again for 2 days, then skip a day. Repeat this procedure for 2

weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least 5 pounds.”

When the Irishman returned, he shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 60 lbs!

“Why, that's amazing!” the doctor said. “Did you follow my instructions?”

The Irishman nodded. “I'll tell you though, by goodness, I thought I was gonna drop dead on that third day.”

“From the hunger, you mean?” asked the doctor.

“No, from the bloody skippin'!"

Scores at a glance LADIES TUESDAY 17 APRIL 3 Ball Alliance 56 players Winners: Rusty Demmer, Moira Stadler and Biddy Schouw - 77 points Runners up: Petro Streicher, Kim Davies and Margie Wakefield - 76 points MEN’s WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL Betterball Bogey Plus 81 players Winners: Albert Streicher and Shaun Smith +8 Runners up: Simon O’Sullivan and Shaun Smith +7 C/I Ball pool pays to +1 Best Gross: Simon O’Sullivan - 80

SATURDAY ALTOGETHER 21 APRIL Individual Bogey Plus – Dockerall Cup (awarded to best overall male member) 120 players - Winner of Dockerall Cup – Kruger van der Walt. South Course (Green) 10-18 & 19-27 1. Peter Adams (non-member) +7 C/I; 2.

Kruger van der Walt +7 C/O; 3. Tony Richards +6; 4. Gavin Brown +5; 5. David Bunn +4 C/I; 6.

Chris Thompson +4 C/O. Best gross: Dave Bunn and Adrian Kuiper - 76. 2 two clubs and ball pool paid to +1 Attendance draw won by Simon Upton, kindly sponsored by Hermanus Glassmen fellow member Pete Bouwer.

Curro Hermanus 1st hockey team played at Hermanus astro turf against the first team of Robertson Logos Christian School on Saturday 21 April. The score during half time was 2 – 1. Both teams played extremely well but in the end Curro won 4 – 2.

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MY School Generation opens High School

(Above) A view of the school’s main courtyard and the front entrance.

(Right) Generation Schools Hermanus principal Caronne Vermaak officially opened the new high school buildings.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer

On Wednesday 25 April, Generation Schools Hermanus officially opened their new high school and tertiary school buildings. Each classroom is furnished according to its needs, such as heightadjustable tables (which allow you to sit or stand), amoeba-shaped tables (for doing group projects and experiments), and low tables which allow you to sit on the floor and work. Caronne Vermaak, the school’s principal, started the evening off by inviting all the current students and their parents to take a tour of the new classrooms and facilities that are now on offer. Among these new facilities are a science lab, art classroom and an AstroTurf for sports such as football.

The AstroTurf can also be divided into two to accommodate five-a-side soccer.

“Those who wish to play soccer as a sport will be trained by professionals in the field,” said Jevron Epstein, Managing Director of Generation Schools. Also on offer to students will be swimming, climbing and gymnastics. The school has more than doubled in size, from 87 students to over 200 since Generation Schools took over the reins. The Montessori education system is still used and has been integrated into the school’s Cambridge system. Also in attendance on Wednesday was Mark Barber from Cambridge Assessment International who addressed the older students and their parents on what a Cambridge education would mean for them: “Cambridge’s ideology is to get children to think for themselves. A Cambridge A-grade here is recognised worldwide,” he said. The school’s tertiary education arm will be launched in January 2019.

WORLD BOOK DAY The learners of Generation Schools Hermanus celebrated World Book Day this year by dressing up as their favourite book character. Children from the ages of two years to fifteen years participated and the costumes were exceptional. On the left are Daniel Olivier (as Santa’s Little Helper), Matthew Burton (as a farmer) and Jaime Williams (as a penguin) from the 0-3 class with their assistant educator Mikaela Meyer who went as Thing 2 from The Cat in the Hat. See more pictures on P 21.

PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer