TOTT 7 November 2019

TALK OF THE TOWN 7 November 2019 Advertising & Newsdesk: (046) 624-4356 Find us on Facebook 17
The city is renowned for its
educational institutions, for
being the national seat of
the judiciary and for its
cultural events
makhanda
festival city
with SID PENNEY
Send your news of local events
and achievements, or of any
issues you might be having to
sidp@imaginet .co.za
or call (046) 624-4356
picture © bernard mackenzie / 123RF.com
THE DAY THE NATION CAME
TOGETHER DESPITE WOES
For one weekend the entire South
African nation – well, almost –
was deliriously happy and
ecstatic. The Springboks had
beaten England by a rather
handsome margin in the final of
the Rugby World Cup in Japan, a
nation that can be justifiably
proud of the way it staged the
tournament.
Back in SA, Bok supporters
watched the match in homes,
pubs, social clubs and community
halls – in fact, any venue that
boasted a television set. Of
course, SABC made the final
accessible to millions more
citizens by coming to an
arrangement with MultiChoice to
screen the match. Sanity
prevailed, it seemed.
A happy and proud nation,
thanks to Siya Kolisi, Rassie
Erasmus and the entire Springbok
squad and backroom staff.
A lot of money must have been
spent by ordinary South Africans
last week on Springbok jerseys
and flags, plus meat and liquid
refreshments for the almost
obligatory celebratory braais.
That win was good for the
nation, but then it was back to
reality on Monday.
Thousands upon thousands of
workers are being retrenched from
their jobs each month, food and
commodity prices are on the
increase almost every month,
crime is rampant, and the almost
countrywide drought is wreaking
havoc in all sectors, but especially
that of agriculture.
At least for one weekend the
nation rejoiced and ecstasy
reigned.
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
As South Africans geared up for
the Rugby World Cup final last
Saturday morning, and rugby fever
was prevalent everywhere, the
writer took a walk through
Makhanda’s (Grahamstown) CBD,
something he hadn’t done for
some time - one reason or the
other, you know!
In fact, it had been many
months since I had meandered
through the CBD on a weekend
morning, notebook and pen at the
ready. The changes I noticed since
the last walk were astounding, to
say the least.
Walk with me as I check out
what has happened to our CBD in
the past few months, striding from
Somerset Street to Bathurst Street
and back, via Pepper Grove Mall.
The latter is currently undergoing
quite a big change in the form of
the construction of the new FNB
b ra n ch .
I did not expect, at 7.40am on
a Saturday morning, to come
across a very alert armed guard in
black uniform holding a meanlooking
rifle-type weapon near
Clicks. An ominous-looking
vehicle was parked nearby
waiting for boxes of cash, no
doubt, to be loaded. But I’m
jumping the gun!
Just down the road from
Somerset Street one will notice the
once-popular Madhatters coffee
shop has closed down, and in its
place is 046 Grill Bar, while a new
name on the door at 112 High
Street indicates that Cloete &
Company Attorneys ply their
profession there.
The premises formerly
occupied by Butler’s Pharmacy
are now ‘home’ to Eskom, while a
sign on the wall of the building
indicates “This is a Zero Tolerance
Area”—wonder why that should
be a zero tolerance zone, and
who placed the sign there.
Mystery on High?
Emblazoned across the façade
of the high court building at 104
High Street are the words
“Grahamstown High Court”—
wonder when that will be
updated.
A few metres further on is one
of the bigger changes High Street
has seen in recent weeks, one
which saw Nedbank moving from
the Frontier Country Hotel
building (formerly Goodwood
Hotel) to 94 High Street,
previously occupied by the Post
Office.
Adjacent to Nedbank are the
offices of the municipality’s
finance department. It’s simply
quite unbelievable how grubby
and messy the street-facing walls
have become. Surely the powersthat-be
should take some pride in
that building, more especially in
view of the fact that Port Elizabeth
architect John Rushmere won two
major awards in the 1980s for his
creation.
Then the corner of High and
Bathurst Streets is reached, and
Osman’s Home Store has moved
in where Nedbank did business
until a matter of weeks ago.
Across the road and slightly up
from Birch’s are two separate
buildings occupied by municipal
departments, and whose awnings
facing Church Square are rotting
away. The mind boggles that this
has not received attention in the
past couple of years – like the
finance department further up the
road it’s looking grubby and rund
ow n .
In recent weeks this column
has carried items pertaining to a
TV series shot in and around the
then Grahamstown in the 1980s,
recalling that Standard Bank
became the Supreme Court for the
series.
I made a point in my
meanderings last Saturday to
check out the pillars of the bank
and yes, they are still there – t wo
neatly-drilled holes on each of the
central pillars where the “Supreme
Court” nameboards were affixed
about 35 years ago!
Something that hasn’t changed
is Stewart Armitage’s Estate
Agency – it’s been there, on the
northern fringes of Church Square,
for many decades, it’s still there
and it’s still in the family.
Across Hill Street, His Majesty’s
Fruit & Veg is now the Post Office,
and AN White Hardware is now
Foodeez Grocery Factory Shop.
Around the corner in High
Street, pavement traders leave
their tarpaulin-covered stalls and
equipment overnight, making the
area look grubby.
Further up High Street, Edgars
closed its doors in a shock move
not too long ago.
Well, that was an eye-opening
stroll along High Street. Next time
it will be Bathurst Street or Hill
Street, checking up on what’s
happening in central Makhanda!
FINE VOICES
The Trinity Church hall in Hill
Street is the venue for the Trinity
Vocal Extravaganza on Sunday,
November 10 (3pm). Entertaining
the audience will be Lithemba
Busakwe, Nomatile Kula, Siba
Mkhize, Sisa Nomana and Ntsiki
Sishuba. Tickets at the door are
R50, with pensioners and students
paying R40.
BLOOD VISIT
A reminder to Makhanda blood
donors that the next visit of the SA
National Blood Service (SANBS)
to the Dutch Reformed Church
hall in Hill Street will be from
12pm to 6pm on Tuesday,
November 12.
NEXT SEASON’S RUGBY
HIGHLIGHT
A total of 62 teams, 31 matches
and more than 1,000 players and
teachers from 18 Eastern Cape
schools and one Western Cape
school, plus development teams.
These are some of the mindblowing
statistics for Graeme
College’s annual Pam Golding
Properties rugby day on Saturday,
March 14 next year. To
accommodate the increased
number of teams and matches
over past years, fields at
Kingswood College and St
Andrew’s College will also be
utilised.
Matches will be played at 1st
XV, U16, U15 and U14 levels.
Schools will be travelling from
Cradock, East London, George,
Humansdorp, King William’s
Town, Komani (Queenstown), Port
Alfred, Port Elizabeth and
Uitenhage.
Makhanda schools’ 1st teams
playing on the main field are Mary
Waters v Cambridge High at 8am;
Kingswood v Selborne College at
1.50pm; St Andrew’s v Framesby
High at 3pm; and Graeme v
Marlow Agricultural High at
4.10pm.
Other schools taking part are
Grey High, Dale College, Pearson
High, Muir College and
Outeniqua High.
PARADE ON THE SQUARE
The annual Remembrance Day
Parade will be held on Church
Square at 10.30am on Sunday,
November 10. The parade is held
to pay tribute to and remember
those who served their country so
bravely and paid the supreme
sacrifice, particularly during
World War l and World War ll.
Among those in attendance
will be former servicemen and
women, MOTHS members, the
Kingswood College concert band,
St Andrew’s College cadets and
pipe band, local citizens and
officers and soldiers from the local
military base.
Wreaths will be laid by
Makana councillors, and
representatives of local schools
and other organisations.
FOOTPRINTS FADE AWAY
For several years, SABC2
television viewers have enjoyed
the Afrikaans documentary
Voetspore (with some English
thrown in here and there) on
Monday evenings. The final
episode was screened on Monday
last week. I watched the last sixor-so
episodes, touring South
Africa and the Kalahari with Johan
Badenhorst and his friends.
So much did I enjoy being
taken on these treks that I really
wo u l d n ’t mind re-runs being
screened.
DAMPIES SCORES A DOUBLE
TO N
It was quite a sensational
weekend for Graeme College’s
Garwin Dampies a fortnight ago.
In a local double-header the
Graeme 1st Xl played Kingswood
College in a Stayers Xl day/night
T20, and then contested the derby
against St Andrew’s College on the
Saturday. Dampies scored two
centuries on consecutive days that
weekend.
On the Friday, Graeme
amassed 177 for 3 in their 20
overs, with Dampies scoring 101
not out and Fabio Rischbieter
adding 40. In its turn at bat,
Kingswood scored 135 for 4 after
20 overs – Graeme won by 42
runs.
The next day saw St Andrew’s
scoring 206 for 6 off their 50
overs, and when it came to
G ra e m e ’s turn at bat, Dampies
scored another flawless century,
being dismissed on 110 off 129
balls. Despite Dampies’ fine
knock, St Andrew’s won by 12
runs in the final over.
Meanwhile, over the same
weekend, young Graemian Chris
Zimmerman notched his second
century of the term for the U11A
team in which he scored 108 as
Graeme beat Gill College by 177
runs.
GOOD SQUASH AT THE
OPEN
Diocesan School for Girls (DSG)
was well-represented at the
Westview Dunlop Youth Squash
Open in Port Elizabeth on Sunday,
October 20.
Lucy Holderness (winner) and
Megan Wienekus (runner-up)
played in the U11 section, while
Abby Holderness (winner),
Maddison Were and Elsje Griesel-
Crous played in the U13 section.
At the same event, Erin Powers
played five tough matches,
winning gold in the U16 division.
CLOCKING UP THE KAYS
Well done to Natasha Agnew who
completed her 150th parkrun in
Makana botanical gardens on
Saturday, a day when 159 runners,
joggers and walkers took to the
undulating 5km course.
Meanwhile, Kimberleigh
Oxenham has one to go to the
‘magical’ 100-mark, Catherine
Deiner has three to go, and Shane
Hazell four.
First parkrun finisher was
Sylvester Jeffries (21 minutes 07
seconds), while Charlotte
Abraham was first in the ladies’
section (26 mins 14 secs).
Parkruns are held at 8am each
Saturday from the entrance to the
botanical gardens in Lucas
Ave n u e .
COMMITTEE IN THE VALLEY
Rob Beer and Warren Henry are
president and captain respectively
of Belmont Golf Club in Belmont
Valley for 2019/20, with John
Williamson vice-captain, M
McCallum secretary, and C
Richardson treasurer. Completing
the committee are Dave Duncan,
L Bowker and Luc Hoefnagels.
NO LONGER HERE
I came across a copy of
Grahamstown This Week (GTW)
newspaper the other day, dated 3
February 2006, and was taken
aback that it was so long ago that
the free newspaper graced local
newsstands before being snapped
up.
Several businesses advertising
in that edition, I noticed, are no
longer in existence. Check them
out: Fruit & Veg City and AN
White hardware merchants in Hill
Street, Buddy’s Liquor Store in
New Street, Kingsley Tyre Services
at 41 High Street, and UPB
(University Publishers &
Booksellers) at 129 High Street.
Back then, GTW boasted three
columnists, and their weekly
columns drew a wide readership –
Thelma Neville and Richard
Buckland have both since passed
on, while I see ‘Cock Robin’
occasionally around town.
JUNIOR STARS REWARDED
PJ Olivier’s Foundation Phase
‘Sportsman of the Year’ and
‘Sportswoman of the Year’ are
Jethro Stuurman and Madione
Heinen respectively.
Meanwhile, Marcelle
Schoonbee received trophies as
the U13 netball player of the year
and the primary school tennis
champion, while Kiernan Frans
was awarded the trophy for U13
rugby player of the year.
SCHOOL DOCTOR
At its award ceremony in the
Monument each year, Victoria
Girls’ High School (VGHS) awards
the Dr Ella Britten Prize for English
to pupils from Grade 8 to Grade
12. Dr Britten was the school
doctor in the 1930s and 1940s.
The 2019 winners are Ishka
Fullarton and Janie Weeber (Grade
8), Tosca Stoloff (Grade 9), Jaden
Keulder (Grade 10), Eleanor Amner
(Grade 11) and Mihle Gadu (Grade
12 for English literature).
SPORTING STARS
Among the sports awards made at
PJ Olivier High School’s annual
prize-giving ceremony were:
Sportswoman of the Year – Je a n -
Mari Barnardt; Sportsman of the
Year – Kenan Warren; U19 netball
player of the year – Amy-Leigh van
der Walt; Hockey player of the
year – Jean-Mari Barnardt; U19
rugby player of the year – Ke n a n
Warren; Most versatile rugby
player – Alanzo Gysman; Senior
victrix ludorum – Simone
Schoonbee; Senior victor
Ludorum - Nushaad Williams;
Junior victrix ludorum – Ti f f a ny
Tutton; Junior victor ludorum –
Lisolethu Makubalo; Girls’ senior
tennis champion – Shirley Retief;
B oy s ’ senior tennis champion –
Lithaletha Zabo; Most promising
rugby player – Nickwin Plaatjies;
and Best senior cricketer – Ethan
Sonanze.
ATHLETICS AWARDS
Victoria Girls’ High School’s
sports prizes and awards made at
its recent prizegiving ceremony
included: Senior victrix ludorum –
Esperance Mwepu; U16 victrix
ludorum – Isivile Mafani; U14
victrix ludorum – Abigail Benn;
Best track performance – Jil
Msindo; Best field performance –
Kyla Fullarton.
Cross-country awards were
made to: Esperance Mwepu
(senior champion), Sibahle
Sogcwayi (U16 champion and
most outstanding runner), and
Emma Gush (U14 champion).
THE CAVALIERS
A fortnight ago this column
RESPECT IN
REMEMBRANCE:
Hundreds of
Makhanda
residents — f ro m
ex-servicemen,
p re s e n t - d a y
soldiers and city
councillors to
school cadets,
band members
and interested
onlookers — will
gather on Church
Square for the
Remembrance Day
Parade on Sunday
November 10
(10.30am).
Wreaths will be
laid by
representatives of
schools, civic
o rg a n i s a t i o n s ,
SAPS and exservicemen
and -
women’s leagues
Picture: SID PENNEY
carried an item on The Cavaliers
band of Port Elizabeth that
performed in the Boy Scout Hall
in African Street in the 1960s.
Former Ravens band member
Errol Fellows sprang into action
and contacted former Pleasure
Machine bandmate Randy Gouws
in Port Elizabeth, who supplied
the following info on The
C ava l i e r s .
“The story of The Cavaliers is
sad, strange, but true. Jake de Jager
(lead guitar), Stanley ‘Coffee’ du
Randt (rhythm guitar), Colin
Hartel (bass guitar) and Cyril
Hartel (frontman and vocals) have
all passed on. Only my good mate
Keith Yoko, who joined the band
aged 17, is still with us, although
he had a quadruple bypass in
February, but has recovered well.
“Back in the day, The Cavaliers
won the open section of the ‘On
The Go’ show just before The
Zeroes came on the scene. The
Cavaliers disbanded when Jake
died in the mid-60s.”
Thank you for that info, Randy
Gouws.
MARKET IN THE HALL
Dates for residents of Makhanda
to diarise are Wednesday,
November 27 to Saturday 30th
when the annual Grahamstown
Christmas Market takes to the PJ
Olivier school hall up there on the
hill.
The annual market has made
something of a name for itself at
this time of year, stocking mostly
unique and handmade products
and gifts, ideal for Christmas, at its
40-plus stalls. The coffee shop in
the foyer will serve the usual tea
and cake, plus light lunches.
Opening times are 10am to
7pm from Wednesday to Friday,
and 9am to 3pm on Saturday.
KNIGHT AND DAY
In response to the item in this
column dealing with slogans a
couple of weeks ago, Nigel
Waters wrote as follows regarding
the slogan for Knight’s Shoes: “It
prompted a memory for me. My
mother (Maureen) worked at
Knight’s as a part-time (mornings
only) administrator for many
years. To the best of my
recollection, Mr Quick was the
owner of the store back then.
“Her standard introduction
when asked by anyone where she
worked was, “I work mornings
only at (K)nights”.
Fellow Grahamstonians
understood perfectly well, but
people not familiar with Knight’s
Shoes were often left looking
rather bemused and puzzled,
much to my mother’s delight!”
LEADERS IN THE WATER
Matthew Hillary and Josh Cowen
are the St Andrew’s College
waterpolo captain and vicecaptain
respectively for the
2019/2020 season.