Talk 10 February 2022

TALK OF THE TOWN 10 February 2022 Advertising & Newsdesk: (046) 624-4356 Find us on Facebook 7
From dikkop to
thick-knee and
plover to lapwing
On first arriving in our
village, a rambler and
keen observer soon
learns the difference between a
honeysuckle and a honeysucker;
not only by the
imagined smell associated with
each, but by the understanding
that honeysuckle can remain
where they are, while honeysuckers
must do the task
required of them quickly, and
go away.
In our village, not unlike
many others, we take a keen
interest in our natural
surroundings and the creatures
we find here.
We do not all share the
same interests, or passions;
loves or hates.
Monkeys, for instance: some
swear murder, many are
tolerant, or ambivalent, while
one soft soul is known to feed
them. “Oh my word!” exclaims
one old biddy.
Moles, too, are not
universally tolerated; ask those
who tend the Mashie course, or
those whose garden plants are
eaten by these rodents.
What may surprise the
newcomer is that not all birds
are popular: “Rock pigeons
wake us too early in the
morning, and they mess on the
d e ck ! ” declares one old fellow.
KLEINEMONDE
MUSINGS
Ash Collen
“Starlings, oh my word,”
chirps the old biddy, “they
make nests in our ceilings, and
bring lice!”
The cheeky little drongo can
be entertaining; the wagtail,
hoopoe and dikkop are
universally popular.
Ah, the dikkop! Let us pause
here. You may have thought
only streets, towns, cities,
airports and the like undergo
name-changes, but this also
applies to our flora and fauna
(though these are done by
international bodies).
The dikkop is now called a
knob-knee or thick-knee, or
some such comical name –
they’ve done the same with our
plovers; now called lapwings!
Oh, well, a dikkop it will
remain, and we’ll just continue
to call our plover a kiewietjie.
Late in November, as we
were leaving a friend one night,
we were told to “Look out for
the dikkops and their chicks”.
As the car swung round we
saw them in the lights as they, in
their typical fleet-footed way,
raced across the lawn before
entering the undergrowth. We
recognised the one adult, by its
gammy-legged scamper, as
having previously nested in the
precincts of the Village Church.
In mid-December, I was told
of another pair that had a nest
below Nettie’s house.
With bated breath, the
immediate neighbours waited
for the chicks to hatch. Their
incubation ended during New
Ye a r ’s night, and we were able
to follow their progress with
regular sightings.
Now for the sad news: All
seemed well, until a week ago,
when I went for my earlymorning
walk and found that
one of the chicks had been
flattened about ten paces up the
road.
By late that afternoon, all
the neighbours had heard the
news, and three of us were
standing around the spot of the
dastardly deed.
There was mention of the
baby tortoise that had been
killed a week earlier, a little way
along the next road. An angry
message had been put on the
chat group; and we were
determined to see about having
speed-bumps being laid down.
Happily, the sleepy-eyed
dikkops are still around and the
remaining chick is doing well.
A DV E RT I S I N G
F E AT U R E
Gem Auto grows its courier service
Gem Auto, one of the busiest workshops in
Port Alfred, had battled to receive parts
timeously, often letting customers down.
“As we take pride in what we do, our
efficiency and affordability, we took on the
collection of our own parts in East London.
“This in turn gave us the opportunity to
grow our courier business, GemXpress, and
allowed us to offer our services to our
community and enabling other courier
services to utilise us as well,” owner Daron
Abercrombie said.
“For just over a year now we run daily,
Monday to Friday, allowing parcels to be
TENNIS PROS
READY SET: The Port Alfred High School
U13 tennis team recently played against St
A n d re w ’s College. Back, from left, are Josh
Harvey, Ziyaad Rahman, with, front, Lilitha
Gobane and Ibenati Kondile
delivered and collected on the same day,
providing a request is handed in timeously.
“Our courier leaves Port Alfred at about
7.30am to make its way through to East
London and returns before 3pm.”
Pricing is determined according to
weight, but GemXpress also does price
matching and is prepared to match and beat
any quote customers receive elsewhere.
For further information and quotations,
call GemXpress on 046-624-1030 or
WhatsApp on 071-859-4999.
“Gem Xpress is safe, reliable and
a ff o rd a b l e , ” Abercrombie assured.
Continental Breakfast and choose any one of the
Ź
Includes a Glass of Sparkling Wine, Full Continental
Ź
Ź
New Vehicles:
2022 Ford Figo 1.5 Ambiente 5MT........................ R216 300
2022 Ford Ecosport 1.5 Ambiente 6AT................... R324 400
2022 Ford Ranger 2.2 TDCi Single Cab Base 5MT...... R333 700
2022 Ford Ranger 2.2 TDCi Super Cab XL 6MT........ R446 600
2022 Ford Ranger 2.2 TDCi Double Cab XL 6MT....... R480 300
Contact us today for great specials!
29 Main Street | Port Alfred 046 624 1125
079 746 5993 | clint.roesstorff@ecmpa.co.za
Served Sunday 13 February 2022
Crispy Eisbein with
Sauerkraut and a
Choice of Side
150g Steak, Egg & Chips OR Fish & Chips
12 Prawns with Rice OR Chips with
Lemon OR Garlic Butter
Plus 50% off on all Soft Drinks!
Top Up with Another 12 Prawns for R115
2 Portuguese Rolls,
Meatballs with Cheese,
Greek Napolitana, Greek
Arrabiata and Chimichurri
Creamy Butter Sauce
Chicken served with
Rice, a Wrap, Salsa
and Tzatziki
T’s & C’s
Highlander Pub open Monday – Sunday 10h00 until late & Paper Nautilus Open Monday – Friday – 07h00 – 10h00,
Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays – 07h00 – 11h00
046 604 5400 | reservations@rsah.co.za