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www.thevillagenews.co.za
3 February 2021
LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL
Creative Notions is bursting at the seams W
hile most businesses in the Overstrand are staggering under the economic impact of the Covid-19 lockdowns, some have managed to not only survive but thrive. One of them is the local sewing shop, Creative Notions, whose owners Louis and Mireille Pretorius celebrated their move to larger premises with an open day on Friday and Saturday. This is their third move in just over three years – from Long Street in the CBD, to Hemel-en-Aarde Village next to C Beyond Health, to just around the corner where At the Village Stall was before. This space is three times bigger than their previous shop and, after concluding the purchase, Louis and Mireille spent three months renovating. The spacious, double-volume premises now have a fresh, new look and include a cosy sitting area and a coffee bar. Louis and Mireille are bubbling with enthusiasm, not only about their new shop but also their brand-new partnership with Bernina. “Customers were saddened to hear that Bernina in Hermanus had closed shop in June last year,” says Louis. “The majority of sewers in this region own Bernina machines and they were concerned about where they would be able to obtain local support. The nearest Bernina dealer was 80km away in Somerset West, which is quite a drive for delivering and picking up a machine just for a service.” Following negotiations with Bernina South Africa, Creative Notions is now the official Bernina dealer in the Overberg region. As a multi-dealer with an online shop that has been going strong for many years (previously based in Pretoria), Louis says they had to make some compromises, as Bernina South Africa normally only deals with sole Bernina dealerships. That is why the shop now focuses on only two brands – Bernina and Brother – for purchases, but sewers with other machines can rest assured, as they still service all brands of sewing and embroidery machines as well as overlockers, both domestic and
industrial. “Furthermore, Creative Notions continues to sell other brands such as Elna, Pfaff and Singer machines and accessories via our online shop,” says Louis. The bigger shop also offers the opportunity for expansion and the couple is looking forward to resuming their sewing and quilting courses. While the coffee shop offers their customers delicious coffees and cakes, Mireille says they don’t want to run a full kitchen and have instead collaborated with Biga Bakery Café, so that customers attending their courses can order light lunches for delivery and enjoy them in Creative Notions’ lovely courtyard garden. So what are the reasons for this local business’s good fortune in spite of the pandemic? “Fortunately for us, our market comprises locals and not tourists, so we have not been impacted in the same way that the hospitality and tourism industries have,” says Mireille. “Clothes are an everyday necessity, not a luxury.” And with everyone feeling the economic pinch, it seems more and more people are opting to make their own clothes, or to update their existing wardrobe instead of spending money in clothing stores.
ABOVE: The Creative Notions team: Sylvia van den Berg, Laura Johannisen, owners Mireille and Louis Pretorius, and Tania Hamman. BELOW: Creative Notions’ new premises in Hemel-en-Aarde Village are three times bigger than their previous shop and include a coffee bar and a cosy sitting area. PHOTOS: Taylum Meyer
Mireille also points to the proliferation of home industries during lockdown because of the demand for face masks and the fact that many retired people took up sewing, knitting, crocheting, quilting and embroidering to stave off the boredom of lockdown. Besides, working with your hands is therapeutic and relaxing – good for mental health during these stressful times! Creative Notions offers a one-stop shop for sewing machine purchases and services, a fully stocked haberdashery and knowledgeable staff who can attend to all your sewing, quilting or embroidery needs. You’ll find them at Hemel-en-Aarde Village (next to Taishan Restaurant). Contact 087 808 9213 or visit their website at creativenotions.co.za.
Work continues on Materials Recovery Facility The construction of the new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) and public drop-off facility at the Hermanus wastewater treatment works site in Schulphoek Road is progressing well. According to Municipal Manager Dean O’Neill the bulk earthwork at the site has been completed, while two irrigation water pipelines have been rerouted around the MRF building area. “In addition, the Preekstoel Water Works pipeline that crosses the site has been upgraded and the bulk of the road works have been complet-
ed. Workers are currently busy with the placement of the curbs and the interlocking brick paving road surface,” O’Neill said in a statement.
concrete retaining structure, as well as the importing and placement of fill material to allow for the elevated drop-off facility.
The structural concrete works for the MRF structure have also been completed and the old MRF structure in Mbeki Road, that was gutted during the riots in 2018, has been completely dismantled. The structural steel that is going to be re-used has been sent off to be resized and galvanised.
According to O’Neill the decision has been taken that the garden waste drop-off and the chipping of garden waste will remain at its current location, in front of the existing Hermanus Waste Transfer Station in Mbeki Street. It was envisioned that the chipping facility will be situated next to the Law Enforcement premises in Hemel-en-Aarde, along the Camphill Road, but difficulties with access for large trucks scuppered these plans.
At the new drop-off facility, the contractor is busy with the reinforcing steel and concrete work for the
According to the municipality a new three-year tender for the operation of the MRF will be put out for tender early in February. The envisioned commencement date for the contractor to start operation of the MRF is July 2021.
Once the MRF is operational the municipality will start with the reinstatement of the two bag collection system from households where the service was previously provided (i.e. collection of recyclable waste in the clear bags).
