TOTT 11 October 2018

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Talk of the Town 21
FESTIVAL CITY GETS A NEW NAME
According to Arts and Culture Minister Nathi
M t h e t h wa ’s office, the renaming process is complete
and Grahamstown will in future be known as
Makhanda. After fulfilling all the legal obligations, the
final decision regarding the change was taken on
October 2.
Residents swiftly took to social media, some
agreeing with the name change, but many others
vehemently opposing it. One of the concerns raised by
those opposing the name change is the cost involved
in the renaming exercise.
Others questioned the timing of the renaming
process, what with the city falling into a state of
disrepair – potholed and crumbling streets, dirty and
overgrown pavements and streets, water leaks on
pavements and in streets throughout the city, erratic
water supply and fading street markings.
The general consensus is that money should be
spent on fixing the city instead of renaming it. Others
are wondering what institution will be next in line for a
name change – the university, museums, hospital?
FAMILY FAIR AT GRAEME
The sprawling Graeme College campus, nestled below
Oatlands North and Somerset Heights, and in
particular its Somerset field, will be bustling tomorrow
when the school holds a family fun fair.
Graeme’s main sports field, scene of many a rugby
and cricket clash in the past, will take on a completely
different look tomorrow with dozens of stalls, games, a
beer tent, activities and even outdoor cinema. The
gates will open at 2pm and the fun of the fair will
continue until 9pm.
LEADING THE PUPIL BODY
Kingswood College has announced its head and deputy
head prefects for 2019. Headgirl is Siya Nomoyi and
headboy is Ben Maposa; deputy headgirl is Amy Mills
and deputy headboy Caleb Daniels.
Kingswood celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2019.
THEY ROAM THE STREETS
There’s a family of three that roams the streets of the
Sunnyside suburb all day, every day, on the lookout for
food – father, mother and baby son, or is it daughter?
A close-knit family they appear to be, and the child
looks pretty healthy. Trouble is, many residents wonder
whether it’s the right thing to do to feed this family as
they’ll soon be back, asking for more.
These three are but part of a large group of donkeys
that roam the streets seeking sustenance. They have
survived the winter on the streets, now for summer!
SY B I L L ’S SHUTS SHOP
Sybill’s Hair Salon on the African Street side of Pepper
Grove Mall has reportedly closed down.
Sybill’s has been in business in Makhanda (formerly
Grahamstown) for several decades, and in the
mid-1960s operated as Sybill’s Beauty Salon on the
corner of Bathurst Street and Queen Street, across the
road from the old Odeon bioscope.
RUNNING ON COUNTRY ROADS
A fair number of Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown)
athletes were among the 189 finishers of Saturday’s
BUCO 27km road race from the Big Pineapple at
Bathurst to the Port Alfred Country Club, held in good
w e at h e r.
The race was run and walked mainly over gravel
roads surrounded by farmlands, with the last few
kilometres on tarred roads.
Mario Hockly of Albany Saints & Sinners Multi-Sport
Club was 24th overall in a field comprising, in the
main, Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage entrants.
Terri-Lynn Penney of Nedbank Athletics Club was
26th overall – second lady finisher and first in her age
group – and Jene Banfield of Bluewater Bay Athletics
Club was 34th overall – fourth lady finisher and third in
her age group.
Makhanda finishers:
24th Mario Hockly (Albany) 2 hours 10 minutes 22
seconds
26th Terri-Lynn Penney (Nedbank) 2:11:42
34th Jene Banfield (Bluewater Bay) 2:14:22
81st Terri Blake (Albany) 2:34:26
86th Stephen Penney (Kowie Striders) 2:36:20
88th Juanita Fuller (Albany) 2:37:01
90th Richard Foss (Albany) 2:38:30
126th Carolyn Grant (Albany) 2:52:47 (third in age
group)
128th Kathryn Cleary (Temporary licence) 2:53:19
133rd Johannes van Dyk (Albany) 2:56:06
140th Michelle du Toit (Albany) 2:57:56
144th Andrea Comley (Albany) 2:59:15
163rd Theo du Toit (Albany) 3:15:28.
Lynne Marshall of Albany was third walker in 3:56:45
STOP NO MORE?
It’s almost as if the STOP signs at the bottom of
Bertram Street and Anglo-African Street in the CBD are
not there. In the past couple of weeks vehicles have
been observed just sailing through. It’s as if the signs
on poles have been stolen and the white-painted STOP
SWEET STRING
SOUNDS: These three
Victoria Primary
School violinists were
among the musicians
who entertained
visitors to the school’s
recent fete. They are,
from left, Iyonke
Nogqala, Lusenathi
Mkalipi and Tatum
Jacobs. In the
background, watching
the musicians, is
teacher Donovan
Wynne
signs on the tarmac have faded away completely.
WATER SPRING DRAWS CROWDS
The water spring a couple of kilometres outside
Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) on the road to
Stones Hill was exceptionally busy last Friday and
Saturday amid reports that there were water
disruptions in certain areas of the city’s eastern
suburbs. And the parking area adjacent to the R67 at
the spring was totally congested.
MULTIPLE FINISHES FOR COUPLE
In completing the BUCO Kowie Striders 27km road race
from Bathurst to Port Alfred last Saturday, Makhanda
(formerly Grahamstown) couple Stephen and Terri-Lynn
Penney have notched up 41 Kowie Striders 27km races
between them.
Stephen Penney, a member of Kowie Striders, has 20
finishes to his credit, while Terri-Lynn Penney, a
member of Nedbank Athletics Club, has completed 21.
PARACHUTE FABRIC AND SOME TUBING
I was seated on the deck at about 7am last week
Monday – a gloriously warm morning it was – when a
micro-light aircraft flew over Sunnyside in a southerly
direction.
There was a time some years ago that micro-lights
were regularly seen above Sunnyside. Reminds me of
the time a few years ago when Sharon McGillewie
invited me to accompany her “up there” in a micro-light
as a member of the media.
It was an unreal experience indeed, sitting in the
“back seat” surrounded by an engine and what
appeared to be parachute fabric and some aluminium
tubing. Fairly high above the veterinary research
station at the top of George Street the micro-light
shuddered quite severely.
My immediate reaction was an “Oh dear, oh dear”
over the microphone. “Not to worry,” responded
Sharon, “it’s just an air pocket.” My response was:
“Well no fine, how far is it to the aerodrome?”
Thanks, Sharon, for the flight and the reassurance.
GOOD EFFORT
Well done to the SPCA staff and helpers upon holding
a “Spay Day” at the new SPCA clinic facility on October
1 when 24 animals were successfully sterilised.
This brings the number of sterilised animals since
mid-July to more than 100.
HOTEL WITH ITS OWN BREWERY
I was paging through the coffee-table book
Grahamstown Reflected the other day and came across
a chapter titled “Hotels and Hostelries”, taking my
mind back to the many hotels that Grahamstown once
boasted, including the Grand, Carlton and Goodwood.
Remember, the book was published in 1995.
Author Emily O’Meara wrote this about the Cathcart
Arms Hotel: “The oldest existing hotel in South Africa,
the Cathcart Arms is situated under the shade of some
Kurrajong trees – Australian evergreens which never
lose their cool.”
Remaining with the Cathcart Arms, O’Meara wrote
that “the hotel also had a brewery which operated in
the cavernous cellar, complete with well, below the
present bar. Beer made from the clear pure water was
popular among the thirsty frontier forces. Today,
equally convivial customers down pints brewed further
afield”.
Sadly, the Cathcart Arms is no more.
After writing about the Cathcart Arms, O’Meara
visited The Cock House, situated nearby, and wrote:
“Diagonally across the Market Square is another
hospitable haven, The Cock House. It was originally the
home of Benjamin Norden, and later William Cock.
“More than a century later, Afrikaans literary doyen
Andre Brink, then lecturing at Rhodes, rescued the
property from a downward slide. The former ballroom
became a living room. Now it is the elegant restaurant
of an atmospheric guest house, a proclaimed National
Monument with generous helpings of history on the
menu.”
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
Grahamstown Building Society (GBS) advertised in a
local publication in 1989, informing readers: “After 112
years of professional service to happy house owners,
we look forward to offering you our friendly advice and
expertise for your next loan.”
The general manager of the GBS back then was Mr J
Reynolds, the assistant general manager was Winston
Riddin, and the loans manager was Paddy Page. The
Port Alfred agents for GBS were H and H Associates
and the Kenton-on-Sea agent was Stanley J Dold.
REGULARS IN THE GARDENS
Most of the regulars were in Makana botanical gardens
last Saturday for their weekly dose of parkrun –
runners, joggers and walkers (162 of them) and
volunteers (a dozen of them).
Several parkrunners taking part last Saturday are
nearing personal landmarks, whether it’s 50, 100 or
200 parkruns. They are Lynne Henson – 197 (three to
go to 200); Peter Stockwell – 197; Ngabisa Bridget
Mazwai – 97; Mariss Stevens – 96; Naomi Nel – 94;
Rasayi Mdlankomo – 93; Jackie Arendse – 92;
Charlotte Abraham– 90; Aaron Mdlankomo – 89; Sioux
McKenna – 48; Arisha Babu – 48; Nomfundo Siqwede
– 48; Patrick Pringle – 47; Enoch Odei-Addo – 45; and
Valerie Moyo – 45.
Last Saturday’s volunteers, without whom parkruns
would not happen each week, were Jackie Arendse,
Mark Arendse, Catherine Deiner, Lawrence Ferreira,
John Haydock, Ross Marriner, Aaron Mdlankomo,
Valerie Moyo, Sydney Moyo, Jacqui Sauer, Peter
Stockwell and Wayne Tammadge.
TOPS AT MEETING
The best track performance at Victoria Primary School’s
athletics day was achieved by Kelsey Frazer (also the
senior victrix ludorum), and the best field performance
by Grace Mayekiso (also the junior victrix ludorum).
The under-9 victrix ludorum was Lisa-Jane Evans.
RECITAL TONIGHT
Entrance is free to the Masters Recital by soprano
Jo-Nette Lekay in the Beethoven Room in Somerset
Street this evening (7.30pm). She will be accompanied
by Paul Ferreira.
DSG NAMES PREFECT BODY
At a moving assembly last week, pupils and staff of the
Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) said farewell to the
outgoing prefects of 2018 and gave a warm welcome to
the newly-named prefects of 2019. During the
assembly, older sister Kathryn Basson passed the title
of headgirl to her younger sibling, Julia Basson.
DSG’s prefect executive for 2019 is: Julia Basson
(headgirl), Peo Ramokgope (deputy headgirl), Laura
Fowlds (headday girl), Phoebe Elliott (head of Crewe
House), Cebokazi Mtshemla (head of Espin House),
Qhayiya Dywili (head of Knowling House), Diana Dixie
(head of Merriman House), Babalwa Kleyi (head of
Manyano House) and Julia Murray (head sacristan).
PREFECTS NAMED
St Andrew’s College has announced its prefect body for
2019.
In Upper House, Dylan Bowker and Guy Rushmere
are College prefects, and Miles Danckwerts and Ryan
Ford are house prefects. Braydon Barratt is head of
house and Peter Voges is second head of house in
Merriman House. Andrew Coxwell is head of house and
Richard van Coller is second head of house in
Armstrong House.
Christopher Poole and Benjamin Akker are College
prefects in Espin House. Head of house for Mullins
House is Ignus Potgieter and second head of house is
Stephen Ross. Head of house for Graham House is
Menno Bouman and second head of house is Thomas
Russell.
BUTTER FROM ABROAD
Why, I’m wondering, would SA find it necessary to
import salted butter (Golden White brand) from the
Ukraine and which is being stocked by a supermarket
chain. I thought we produced enough butter in this
country. Or am I wrong?
NATAL AND THE PERM
A local publication in 1983 carried advertisements for
banks and building societies with branches in
Grahamstown (now Makhanda).
Check these out – only one is operating under the
same name today: Natal Building Society (NBS);
Barclays Bank; Permanent Building Society (The Perm);
Trust Bank; Standard Bank; and Grahamstown Building
Society (now GBS Mutual Bank).
NEW AWARD
For the first time in its history, St Andrew’s College has
awarded the Honours in Leadership award to two
matric pupils – Jonathan Campbell and Peter Jarvis –
who have excelled in displaying leadership within
various areas of their school life.
Colours in Leadership have been awarded to
Matthew Barlow, Brian Cordner, Brad Landrey, Oscar
Liss, Nicholas Stadler and Gabriel Walsh.
STILL STARTING: Graeme College’s “Graemian”
magazine of 1988 contains a photograph of
teacher Nico van der Meulen, starter’s pistol in
hand, starting a race at the school’s annual
athletics meeting that year. After so many
years, Van der Meulen was still at it, starting
track races at Graeme’s 2018 athletics meeting
held recently, as seen above Pictures: SID PENNEY
NOT FOR LONG:
Residents are
wondering how long it
will be before the
‘Welcome To
G r a h a m st ow n ’ signs
leading into the city
will be changed to
‘Welcome To
Makhanda’. City
residents were
informed last week
that the name change
had been approved by
the relevant minister.
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