26th august

26 August 2015

Published every Wednesday by CXpress 2006 (Pty) Ltd - PO Box 1449, Plettenberg Bay 6600 - 6 Park Lane, Plettenberg Bay - Tel: 044 533 1004 - Fax: 044 533 0852 Email: editor@cxpress.co.za / advertising@cxpress.co.za Web page: www.cxpress.co.za Printed by Group Editors

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Fantasy coffin craft

PeeBee on Cab Franc

Hobie history made

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Local unrest On Monday morning, police in riot gear used stun grenades to disperse a crowd of protesters who had barricaded access roads to Wittedrift with branches that were set alight - read the report on page 3

Photo: Ewald Stander

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News & Views

26 August 2015

Excerpts from ‘The Story of Archerwood’ by Charles Westwood

Part III

Bouncers, beauty contests, and Des & Dawn for mahala We continue the late Charles Westwood’s account of how Plett’s famous Archerwood was established, having left off last week with the tale of an unruly crowd rocking up at The Cave one night in 1967 - turn to page 2 of the August 12 and 19 editions at www.cxpress.co.za for the first two parts of this series

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ROM the moment this crowd entered The Cave - somewhat under the weather, obviously having partied elsewhere - their behaviour was very obnoxious, leering at other patrons and making obscene remarks to the girls.

I had gone up to the kitchen to check that the staff had left everything in order when one of our helpers rushed up to tell me that all hell had broken loose in The Cave.

When I got there, I found out that several of the unruly late arrivals had simply walked up to couples on the dance floor and taken over the girls, who then started screaming.

This caused a chain reaction

and pandemonium ensued. A free for all.

After a short time, we sorted out the offenders with the help of several loyal regulars and manhandled them out of The Cave. We warned them never to set foot on the property again.

With shouts of anger and threats that they would be back, they left.

We felt, as this had happened quite often with drunken rowdies, the threats were mainly bluster and that, when they sobered up, they would realise how stupid they had been.

Several days went by, and then a good friend of ours who was staying at Pletten-

FORCE OF THREE: When hoodlums threatened harmony at Archerwood after being chucked out of The Cave, Westwood boys, from left, Rob, Jeff, and Mick teamed up with staff to chase the heavily armed aggressors off the property

berg Bay caravan park told us that a number of youths was gathering together many of their like-minded rowdies and even recruiting from other caravan parks as many as they could, to go en masse to The Cave and deal with the owner and staff.

We waited that evening for any sign of trouble, but it was very peaceful.

However, the next morning we received a phone call at 10am from our friendly spy to tell us that the mob was on its way armed with tent poles, knobkerries, tyre levers, and spanners.

We immediately armed ourselves with the like and I stationed our help, 10 in all, in various vantage points around the parking area.

They arrived in a convoy of about eight cars, shouting and wielding their various weapons and assembled in the courtyard of the hotel, just outside the disco.

There were about 30 of them and I realised at once that the situation had to be nipped in the bud to avoid bloodshed, which was inevitable if they were allowed to get the upper hand.

So Mick, Rob, Jeff, and I and two of our permanent helpers without any warning simply rushed them as they were milling around seeming uncertain how to proceed.

So violent was our onslaught and loud the sound of blows aimed at their bodies with sticks, with a number of them falling to the ground, that there was a sudden rush of their main body disappearing to all corners of the parking area and hiding behind their cars.

NO PAY, NO WAY: Des and Dawn Lindberg spent a long weekend at Archerwood, performing for three nights but refusing to accept any form of payment

DON’T GO THERE: The guard house at the entrance to Archerwood was constructed in the same style as the hotel, from rocks found on the property and sporting a thatched roof

Realising that the battle was lost, there was a scramble for their cars and a hasty retreat amid shouts and jeers not only from our staff, but from caravaners who had come out to watch the excitement.

Several of the ringleaders who had been somewhat beaten up, subsequently laid a charge against us at the police station.

The police came up to see me to ask what had happened.

Hearing the story, they told me not to worry. They would ignore the allegations as they well knew the trouble we had on occasion.

Quite often we had rung up the police when we expected trouble and they had come up to find everything quiet and the mischief-makers gone.

It is interesting to note that from the time Jeff took over The Cave in 1988, every similar establishment throughout

the country was employing professional bouncers, and during Jeff’s last year running the disco in 1995, he had 10 bouncers.

Soon after The Cave was built, we realised that a large proportion of the teenage public would try their level best to get in free, so we had to have some way of recognising them if they went in and out of the disco during the course of the evening.

The first system was a stamp on the inside of the wrist with indelible ink, which did wash off fairly easily the next day.

Subsequently, we found out that the youngsters were going outside with their stamped wrists, then wetting the imprint and transferring it to a friend’s wrist, who then got in free.

Quite frequently arguments arose at the door as it was fairly easy to spot the transferred prints. Often these altercations evolved into unpleasantness, and as there was usually only one person manning the door it became rather difficult to control the situation.

So, I installed a push button bell under the counter for the door attendant to alert me at my position inside The Cave if help was needed.

--Over the years, we had so many entertaining nights at The Cave. One of the highlights was when Des and Dawn Lindberg spent a long weekend with us and played and sang for us for three nights.

When they left, they refused to accept any payment for the shows notwithstanding the fact that The Cave had been packed out for those three nights.

We also ran the Miss Plett beauty contest for three years, and hosted an annual talent night for many years.

These occasions were very entertaining, as is usually the case when amateurs with aspirations are given a showing. The talent nights mostly ended up with jolly drinking parties. We hired out The Cave for private parties and had bookings from as far away as Mossel Bay. ARCHERWOOD HOTEL During 1967, we were approached by the Hotel Board inspector. He told us that the Board had received letters from various sources to the effect that the restaurant served great food and that perhaps this establishment was worth looking into.

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News & Views

26 August 2015

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‘No ambulance or hearse can get to our homes’ - Green Valley fights horrific conditions The Green Valley community’s battle for basic services reached fever pitch on Monday when about 600 residents gathered in the streets of Wittedrift to highlight their plight - YOLANDÉ STANDER reports

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ROTESTERS barricaded access roads to Wittedrift at about 5am with branches which they had set alight while they waited to hand over a list of their grievances to Bitou Municipality.

Residents described themselves as the “forgotten community of Bitou” and claimed they had been battling to have their issues addressed for more than a decade.

“Enough is enough and the time has come to fight for our rights. We are no longer interested in the municipality’s empty promises, we want action,” community leader Martin Booysen said as he addressed the crowd.

Several law enforcement agencies, including police, responded to the protest action and by 9am they made a final call on protesters to clear the road. When after 15 minutes they refused, police used stun grenades to disperse the crowd.

This move was, however, met by retaliation and several protesters pelted police officers and their vehicles with rocks before moving to a clearing at the entrance of Green Valley, where they were addressed by Booysen.

Booysen added that they aimed to stage a peaceful protest but had been provoked by police action.

Issues highlighted in their memorandum, which they handed over to municipal representatives who arrived on the scene during the course of the morning, include the lack of housing, inaccessible roads, inadequate sport facilities, no graveyard, no community hall, only six toilets for hundreds of families, and inadequate water distribution.

The community also fear for the safety of their children as they have to walk in the roads to get to school every day as there are no sidewalks for them to walk on.

“We give the municipality

seven days to respond to our list of issues, or else,” Booysen said.

Second generation Green Valley resident Andy Wildeman said the community lived in “horrific conditions”.

“We have lived like this for years, I would say 10 to 15 years, and if we don’t have these issues addressed now, what about the future of our children,” Wildeman said.

Stnel Williams, a Green Valley resident for 24 years, said an example of the horrendous conditions was the lack of sanitation.

“There are only a few toilets, most of them are broken most of the time, for about 150 families, including children.

Some people have to walk about 30 to 40m to get to the toilets, even in the rain.”

He added that about two thirds of the community did not have adequate roads.

“There are areas where you can’t get by ambulance or hearse.” This, he said, have resulted in families having to carry their sick or dead to an area that these vehicles could access.

“When it rains, the water just runs through some of the homes, highlighting the lack of infrastructure in our community.”

Acting municipal manager David Friedman said municipal law enforcement officers and police had contained the protest and said no serious injuries had been reported.

He confirmed receipt of the memorandum and that the wheels had been put in motion to address the issues.

“Some of these issues have already received attention and are being discussed in-house in order to obtain council approval. However, all information will be handed over to mayor Memory Booysen for his address to the community of Green Valley,” Friedman said.

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Photos: Ewald Stander

NO MORE PROMISES, PLEASE: Green Valley residents fight for their rights, and community leader Martin Booysen said they were no longer interested in the municipality’s ‘empty promises’

EN MASSE: About 600 residents added their voices to the protest action, which resulted in police using stun grenades when some protesters started pelting them with stones

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26 August 2015

Easy escape for Plett attackers

O

N late Sunday afternoon, an older resident of Pendeen Crescent above Piesang Valley Road was horrified when coming home to find his wife had been rendered unconscious by what appears to have been a misguided attempt at house-robbery.

Apparently, the would-be thieves managed to escape before the victim’s husband got inside, and - since nothing appears to have been stolen - it would seem that the criminals were surprised.

Crack SAPS detective W/O

John Nomdoe, has been assigned to the case and it appears, too, that two suspects have already been identified, but the case requires more forensic homework to make the matter stick in court.

Given the ease with which the culprits were able to access and exit the relatively small neighbourhood bound

by Piesang Valley Road and Robberg Road, it would seem obvious that an active neighbourhood watch is required to protect the area from marauding criminals.

In my experience over 20 years in these matters, there is no substitute for an active neighbourhood watch, whose members are the constant eyes and ears of the police and private security companies, in this town operating under the auspices of the Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association (PBCPA).

If you have any queries, contact the PBCPA hotline on 082 251 8134. Put it at the top of your phone contact list for ease of dialling. /"Okmg"Mcpvg{

News & Views

George on the GO again after arson attacks After buses of the GO George public transport system’s fleet were set alight by taxi operators last Wednesday, George mayor Charles Standers announced the formation of a multiparty task team, urging all councillors to put aside their political differences and to show true leadership in addressing the matter. The protesters went further than targeting buses, also attempting an arson attack at the home of a George Link employee in Thembalethu, with several reports of damage to other homes and the destruction of security CCTV cameras. The estimated cost of a single afternoon’s protest was estimated to be in excess of R15-million.

Swift police action meant that, by Friday afternoon, buses were rolling out of the stations again, to cheers and applause from motorists and pedestrians.

News & Views

26 August 2015

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CXPRESS

Nothando hosts famous Ghanaian coffin craftsmen Nikki Ridley

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ARYNA Dreyer of Nothando Backpackers in Plettenberg Bay was proud to introduce two guests staying with her and using her workshop for a few weeks to create carved masterpieces for an upcoming international art exhibition.

Famous in the art world, Ghanaian coffin-maker master Paa Joe and his son and apprentice, Jacob, are in South Africa to make two fantasy coffin pieces for the Johannesburg Art Fair being held in September at Sandton Convention Centre.

The event is Africa’s leading art fair, exhibiting contemporary works from the continent’s finest artists, some of whom, like Paa Joe, enjoy world-wide acclaim.

Known as ‘The Grandfather of Fantasy Coffin-making’, Paa Joe learned from the originator of the craft in Ghana, and has exhibited his fantasy coffins in top galleries around the world, including New York, Paris, and London.

He and Jacob are also currently the focus of an inproduction documentary film called Rcc"Lqg"cpf"Vjg"Nkqp,

by UK film-maker Benjamin Wigley. (You can view the trailer on YouTube.)

The two craftsmen ended up in Plett thanks to Maryna’s brother, Nicolas, as he is friends with the owners of the CtvUqwvjChtkec magazine, which has brought Paa Joe and Jacob to SA. Maryna explained that Nothando had workshop space for them after they experienced difficulties in finding

FLY LIKE AN EAGLE... TO THE NEXT WORLD: From left, Nothando manager Elvis, Paa Joe, Jacob, and Maryna check out a coffin-in-themaking, with Maryna holding up a photo of the eagle-shaped end product

a workshop elsewhere in the country. She added: “In the art world, these two are celebrities. After the Joburg Fair, their exhibition will go on to Berlin.”

The elaborate ceremonial coffins are a tradition of the Ga people of Ghana who believe that they are vehicles that will take them into the afterlife; as such they should be carved and decorated accordingly. Life continues in the next world more or less as it did in this one, and the ‘vehicle’ should represent that person’s status and profession.

With a big smile, Paa Joe explained the significance of the fantasy coffins in more straightforward terms: “Maybe you are a cameraman in your life; if you died, maybe you like a cameracoffin for you?”

COFFIN KING: World-renowned Ghanaian master carpenter Paa Joe, here creating works for the Johannesburg Art Fair at Nothando Backpackers in Plett, has been making fantasy coffins since the early 70s - Photos: Nikki Ridley

TO ETERNITY IN STYLE: Another of Paa Joe’s fantasy coffins, created for a Mercedes Benz aficionado Photo: Wikipedia

SLIPSLOPPING AWAY TO ETERNITY: Paa Joe with his sandal coffin made for an exhibition at the Bern Kunstmuseum in 2006 Photo: Wikipedia

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News & Views

26 August 2015

Notice Board Xkukv"yyy0ezrtguu0eq0|c"hqt" Ykvvgftkhv"vcng As promised in the previous edition, the story of the Wittedrift Champions’ road to fame towards becoming one of the top 10 entries in the Pharrell Williams MySchool competition appears at www.cxpress.co.za along with images. Check it out!

Tjqfgu"hqt"Mwtncpf"Mkfu The Kids of Kurland Project is delighted to have secured a performance by Rhodes University Choir in Plett on Ugrvgodgt" 5. Taking place at The White House Theatre from 7:30pm, entry is R100 and tickets are available at the Old House Shop in Plett CBD or by phoning Ann Fermor on 082 452 8764.

WEV"Ejqkt"cv"Uv"Vjqocu The choir of the University of Cape Town will perform at Plett’s St Thomas Meth-

odist Church on September 4 from 7pm onwards.

Tickets cost R80 for adults and R50 for pensioners and scholars. Phone Adele on 083 957 3241 and see the advert on page 9 for additional information.

RCYU"Ect"Dqqv"Ucng The next Plett Animal Welfare Services car boot sale will take place on Sunday Ugrvgodgt" 8 from 9am to 1pm at The Market Square.

This event has grown in popularity over the years, with many more regular stall holders and growing numbers of shoppers looking for interesting items and bargains - an excellent opportunity to sell crafts or dispose of unwanted items around the house, while benefiting PAWS. Call Margie Hollely on 044 533 6262 or 082 551 6301 for information about your participation.

Cwnf."Htquv"cpf"Pcign"iq"hct Catch top rockers Robin Auld, Albert Frost and Rob Nagel at Far Hills Hotel for a family affair of note on September 6. The tunes start at 2pm and tickets at R100 are available from Far Hills on 044 889 0120. A spit roast (R105) will be served under the marquee on the deck from 12 noon.

Dqyn"dctghqqv"ykvj" nkhgucxgtu" Don’t miss Plett Surf Lifesaving Club’s Barefoot Bowls day on Sunday September 13. Fierce competition on the greens will be matched by excellent food and family entertainment.

There’s also an array of sponsorship opportunities that local businesses can benefit from. Contact Mike Polson at plettsurf@gmail. com or on 082 553 4625 to find out more.

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Tel: 044 533 2030 Fax: 044 533 2074 40 Church Street, Plettenberg Bay www.collectionmcgrath.com/plett/

Food & Wine

26 August 2015

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Sasfin Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival A feast of bubbles by the sea

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ORE than 10 local wine producers will be showcasing their awardwinning wines during the second Sasfin Plett Wine & Bubbly Festival, which takes place in Plettenberg Bay on October 9 and 10.

In addition, says Plett Tourism manager Cindy WilsonTrollip, premium international Piper-Heidsieck - one of

France’s oldest champagne houses and the official champagne of the Oscars - will be available, too.

The festival draws visitors from Gauteng, Cape Town and near neighbours on the Garden Route along with those travelling from the Eastern Cape towns of Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown and East London.

Leading up to the weekend extravaganza, an entire week of wine farm events and sporting activities link in to the festival.

The participating vineyards this year include Andersons Wine, Bramon Wine Estate, Lodestone Wine & Olives, Luka Wines, Newstead Lund Family Vineyards, Packwood, Plettenvale Wine Es-

PeeBee’s Wine Column

tate, Rare Earth Vineyards and Redford Lane Wines.

Friday and Saturday’s grand tasting at the main event will showcase the wines with artisan cheeses, breads, canapÊ platters and, of course, succulent coastal oysters.

Tickets are available online at www.pletttourism.com or from the Plett Tourism offices and participating wine farms.

Photo: Sharyn Hodges

Words & Photo: Peter Bishop

Cab Franc and the message of Druk My Niet

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HAT great connoisseur turned winemaker of the 1970s, Billy Hofmeyr advocated at a time that the Cabernet Sauvignon of the Cape (1969 to 1984) were so commandingly brilliant, it ought to be blended with the Bordeaux support grapes of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

A new era, led by Meerlust Rubicon, Delheim Grand Reserve and Overgaauw Tria Corda commenced in 1979, the first proponents mainly being with Merlot. Entrepreneurs like Norma Ratcliff (Warwick) and Chris Keet (then Cordoba) bottled single Cabernet Franc.

Originally a grape from the Loire, it was brought south

by Cardinal Richelieu, and in 1997 it was verified to be a parent plant with Sauvignon Blanc of Cabernet Sauvignon - a fuller wine that ripens later.

The gifted Bruwer Raats has earned international fame by concentrating on Cabernet Franc as a single cultivar and as a blend in his esteemed Compostella. Tasting with Bruwer is a privilege, as he explains the effect of varying soils on the grape.

Each vintage of Compostella from its maiden 2008 to 2013 varies. The warm 2009 shows dark blackcurrant and is an assertive expression of Stellenbosch. The more steely leaner 2011 was cooler, is more elegant and subdued, but classic. The 2013 is in the process of complexifying.

Bruwer bottles the pure Cab Franc under the Raats Family Range. The 2013 has royalty, perfumes, blackcurrants and an intensity coming from high-density planting on mainly dolomite soils.

Recently I went to a tasting of Cabernet Franc at Avontuur Estate and came away from tasting 20 bottles with

DON’T PRESS THE BUTTON: Dorothee Kirschner of Druk My Niet Estate shows off the classic 2011 Cabernet Frank

a mixed reaction. Some ‘Cab Franc’ was obviously made by a Shiraz producer - even to the point where this was admitted.

Perhaps the guys should have had a symposium first.

A few were rather plain, but there were a few that impressed, mostly in the assertive direction.

Depending on soil, Bruwer categorises Cab Franc as fruity and spicy (cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg), or as fruity and herbaceous (oreganum, rosemary and thyme, cloves, nutmeg, mushrooms).

For the uninitiated, herbs are the leaves of plants and spices are the seeds.

My top rating went to the smooth, gentle, almost Right Bank (of Bordeaux) Druk My Niet 2011. It was soft and velvety, breathing elegance and finesse and going at R120.

This was the most stylish of the Cab Franc presented.

Another restrained product

was Lynx 2013, at R140 - accessible and quiet, albeit the single barrel was in oak for 24 months.

I used the Raats Red Jasper as a yardstick. The mantle of charity covers the name of one producer whose wine, though not faulty, was plain ugly. Another shouted out peppers and truffles, made by the prominent producer of a classic Pinot Noir and an excellent Shiraz.

A good shot in the dark was the rather extracted Integra Cabernet Franc made by Christiaan Kuun, the young winemaker at Beau Joubert under his own aegis, at a mere R70 a bottle, and easily having eight years maturation ahead.

Worth a dabble it was tight, dense, strong and needing time - 18 months in new oak, and at that price!

Another rich extracted wine was Bartho Eksteen’s Swartskaap - dark cherries in abundance.

I was impressed by the pricier and worthy trio of Nelson’s Creek, rating the 2010 and the 2008 as 19 out of 20, as to 16 for the more fruity 2009. It was excellent and more noble than most reds one encounters.

I had also rated Raats Family 2012 as 19. And when I got home I asked myself why it was that I, in my chill penury, purchased the Druk My Niet. It was not just the name.

We all wish we could tell someone to “Druk My Niet�.

There is just something about delicacy in a wine.

In my excitement, I did not give a score, and forgot to ask too many questions, like Not To Druk. All I know is that it was “a Swiss lady with a young family who was pleased that I liked Druk My Niet�. So I will research and pay a visit, uqpfgt"ftwm.

A Facebook search showed the farm to be near Dal Josafat close to Paarl and the good owner’s name to be Dorothee Kirschner and her winemaker whom she often sends to Bordeaux is one Lucas van Loggerenberg.

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Tel: 044 533 2030 Fax: 044 533 2074 40 Church Street, Plettenberg Bay www.collectionmcgrath.com/plett/

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Interval

26 August 2015

If you fall, I’ll be there. - Floor

A horrible way to go

J

ON and Clive meet up in a bar. Clive asks: “Did you hear the news? Mike is dead!”

“Whoa, what the hell happened to him?” Jon asks.

“Well he was on his way over to my house the other day and when he arrived outside the house he didn’t brake properly and boom!

He hit the curb, the car flipped over and he crashed through the sunroof. Went flying through the air and smashed through my upstairs bedroom window.”

“What a horrible way to die!” exclaims Jon. “No, no,” says Clive, “he survived that; it didn’t kill him at all. So, he landed in my upstairs bedroom, all covered in broken glass on the floor.

“Then, he spotted the big old antique wardrobe we have in the room and reached up for the handle to try to pull himself up.

“He was just dragging himself up when bang! The massive wardrobe came crashing down on top of him, crushing him and breaking most of his bones.”

“What a way to go, that’s terrible!” says Jon. “No, no, that didn’t kill him; he survived that. He managed to get the wardrobe off him and crawled out onto the landing, he tried to pull himself up on the banister but under his weight, the banister broke and he fell down on to the first floor.

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“In mid-air, all the broken banister poles spun and fell on him, pinning him to the floor, sticking right through him.”

“Now THAT is the most unfortunate way to go!” shouts Jon. “No, no, that didn’t kill him; he even survived that.

So he found himself on the downstairs landing, just beside the kitchen. He crawled into the kitchen, tried to pull himself up on the stove, but reached for a big pot of boiling hot water, whoosh! The whole thing came down on him and burned most of his skin off him.”

“Man, what a gruesome way to go!” says Jon. “No, no, he survived that, he survived that! He was lying on the ground, covered in boiling water when he spotted the phone and tried to pull himself up to call for help, but instead he grabbed the light switch and pulled the whole thing off the wall and the water and electricity didn’t mix and so he got electrocuted, wallop! Tenthousand volts shot right through him.”

“Now that is one awful way to go!”

“No, no, no, he survived that… ” “Hold on now, just how did Mike die?” asks Jon. “I shot him,” replied Clive.

“You shot him? What the heck did you shoot him for?”

“Well, he was wrecking my bloody house.”

All strung out…

worried woman rushes to see her doctor, looking all strung out.

She rattles off: “Doctor, take a look at me. When I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and saw my hair all wiry and frazzled up, my skin was all wrinkled and pasty, my eyes were blood-

shot and bugging out, and I had this corpse-like look on my face!

“What’s WRONG with me, Doctor?!”

The doctor looks her over for a few minutes, then calmly says: “Well, I can tell you that there is nothing wrong with your eyesight.”

Social Scene

26 August 2015

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BLOOD LIONS CONQUER THE CAPE: Plett locals Ian Michler, right, and Adam Oosthuizen, centre, hang with director/cameraman Nic Chevallier at the August 20 screening of ‘Blood Lions’ to a brimming Labia Theatre crowd in Cape Town. The documentary film on canned hunting in SA, with Ian in the lead and also starring Adam, once again received a standing ovation. Now locals can see the flick on Friday August 28 at The White House, when Eden to Addo and Plett Tourism present a screening at 6:30pm. Email admin@edentoaddo. co.za to book your seat (R100pp) - eats will be on sale and there will be a cash bar. Ian, the movie’s specialist consultant, will be on hand to answer questions. For more information call 044 533 1627 during office hours or visit www.bloodlions.org and also read the letter on this subject on page 11.

Photo: Sonja Barnard

BITOU HISTORY BEAUTIFIED: The Van Plettenberg History Society thanks Bitou’s Parks department for sterling work done during the past week to beautify The Old Timber Shed in anticipation of a visit of historical proportions. Says the Society’s David Rowe: ‘We are privileged to have a substantial party visit us from the Simon van der Stel Foundation (Southern Cape) and the Outeniqua Historical Society on August 29. We will gather at the Van Plettenberg boundary stone at 9:30am before proceeding down Meeding Street to Hobie Beach to visit the shed and Old Rectory - site of a major reconstruction by Nic Opperman, as can be seen in the photo. The gathering will be addressed on site by VPHS committee member Mike Kantey and a member of the Opperman family.

During a picnic lunch at St Peter’s Church, Mike will give an overview of Plett history while Van der Stel Foundation chair Natie de Swardt will discuss the Gothic Revival period of English architecture, and the particular contribution made by Mrs Sophy Gray towards the design and construction of many of SA’s 19th Century stone churches. All interested parties are invited to join - bring your own picnic lunch, entrance is free!’

CXPRESS

People, places & events

SEND-OFF TO A FRIEND AND FATHER: On Saturday August 22, Plett’s Main Street was awash with fellow bikers and friends and family of Horst Braun, who passed away unexpectedly on Friday August 14. In the pic, members of Joburg’s Mac’s Motorcycle Club and locals listen to his son Byron Braun’s address, with Horst’s other sons Dylan and Brandyn seated alongside. A gallery of photos from the day will be posted at www.cxpress.co.za towards the end of this week.

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26 August 2015

Classifieds

On the Soapbox

26 August 2015

Letters to the Editor

CXPRESS

Email: editor@cxpress.co.za - Fax: 044 533 0852 - PO Box 1449, Plett 6600

Thank you for backing ‘Blood Lions’ Thank you so much for such an amazing, fascinating and informative feature on the Blood Lion campaign. [Turn to page 2 of the July 29 edition at www.cxpress.co.za for the full story.]

Please also do convey our thank yous to Melissa Reitz

for her great work. We need such coverage in order to put the word out there and get people behind not only the film Dnqqf"Nkqpu but also the fight against canned hunting.

We really appreciate it and we kindly urge you to continue supporting the Blood

Lions campaign and the fight against cruelty to our lions.

Thanking you once again.

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Do you remember members of Knysna’s Baard family?

I sincerely hope that some of your readers may help me to track down the following people.

A very close friend of mine, Mr Edward Sayers from the United Kingdom, lived in your beautiful area of Knysna and owned a house there back in the 70/80s with his friend, Mr Richard Baard a South African who was a principal ballet dancer with the South African ballet back in the 50s.

Mr Sayers opened and ran a restaurant in the area and was also a renowned spiritual me-

dium in the churches there.

Mr Baard’s family were the nearest thing Edward Sayers had to a family, but unfortunately all contact has been lost over the years.

Mr Sayers, now 88 years old, is cared for in a home for the elderly in Brighton on the UK south coast.

But I wondered if you could enable me to track down Mr Baard’s family, as I would very much like to make contact with them again.

Edward Sayers came from this area and moved back here towards the end of the

80s, after having lived in Knysna for around 20 years.

He went to Knysna in 1970 when he was a month short of his 43rd birthday (he was born on 11.3.1927).

He was very well known there for his restaurant as he was a brilliant chef. People would come from miles to eat there and the place was always fully booked.

He was extremely well known for his spiritual mediumship too, working in many churches and giving private readings.

Mr Baard’s sister, Karena

(Carina?), married and I believe she and her husbands, both first and second, had car dealerships for many years in the Knysna area. She lived on a farm and belonged to the local golf club. She had two sons and a daughter, called Karenza (Carenza?).

I would be so grateful for any information that your readers might possibly be able to offer. I can be contacted on 07908 040 564 or at sandy.j.wri@gmail.com in this regard.

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Plett Rotary calendar project a major success SABRINA AND PLETTAID ASSISTED: At left, Sabrina Love Foundation founder Tony Lubner receives a cheque from past Rotary president Ruby Chetty and Rotarian David Pickering, right, at Sterreweg centre for special-needs kids where, moments earlier, the school’s head Lindiwe Mnweba also scored a nice cash injection from sales of the Rotary calendar; at right with David, Ruby and Rotary president Ate Bos are Amanda Frost and Cecily van Heerden, right, of PlettAid and Hospice

Rotary Plettenberg Bay’s 2015/6 calendar raised some R65,000 net of expenses and a big THANK YOU is now due to the many people and organisations who supported this venture in so many ways.

Through sponsorships, donating photographs, subsidising promotion and printing costs, carrying the calendar in shops and businesses, or simply being out there selling, every contribution mattered.

And last but never least, thanks to those many generous residents of Plettenberg Bay and tourists alike who supported the project and purchased the calendar.

Exciting feedback has been reported of the many calendars that found their way overseas and across South Africa and enticed new tourists to visit our beautiful town. Thus can the word be spread both internationally and locally, increasing the much needed tourist funds

necessary to bolster local business and provide vital, additional employment.

Encouraged by the positive reception of our first calendar, Rotary is diligently at work producing a 2016/7 version, themed ‘Action Plett’, which it is hoped will appeal to additional interest groups.

The plan is for even more extensive distribution, thus attracting a broader range of adventurers to Plettenberg Bay to take part in, enjoy

and swell the ranks of participants in the multitude of excitingly varied activities and events staged annually in our marvellous little town.

Plett Rotarians hope that the 2016/7 calendar will prove even more successful than its predecessor and so create a larger sum for distribution among the many deserving charities.

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11

Read CXPRESS online @ www.cxpress.co.za

La Luna

12

CXPRESS

Sport & Adventure

26 August 2015

Plett sailors make history in Italy

S

FIRST EVER: These South African sailors made history when annexing the podium at the recent Hobie World Champs, the top two spots occupied by Plett dad-lad teams William and Douglas Edwards in first place, and Blaine and Peter- Blaine Dodds second, while Sean Ferry and Lee Hawkins from the Cape, right, brought home the bronze

OUTH African flags dominated at the final presentation of the recent Hobie Tiger World Champs at Lake Garda, with SA sailors making a clean sweep of the podium places for the first time in history.

Most importantly, Plett’s trumpet was blown loud and clear, with father and son teams William and Douglas Edwards (gold), and Blaine and Peter- Blaine Dodds (silver) showing the world again that there’s no messing with

these local hobie masters.

Capetonians Sean Ferry and Lee Hawkins took the bronze.

Blaine then placed Plett even firmer on the world sailing map by walking away with the Hobie 14 world title in a performance described in raving detail on the sail ing.co.za site: “This man is simply invincible in a Hobie.

“He has won himself another world title by winning the Hobie 14 Worlds by a massive 20 points from his closest rival, adding this to a

string of Hobie World titles he has previously won.”

Further contributing to Plett and national glory on the world stage was Roxanne Dodds, daughter of Blaine and proud mom June, who came third in the Ladies Hobie 16 Worlds.

Also worth a standing ovation is the fact that William Edwards and his wife, Lucinda, went on to win the Sylt Sailing Week in Germany which, according to Jens Hannemann at www.hobie

class.com provided an “electrifying” finale for thousands of spectators on the beach.

“During every day the Hobie Tiger world champions 2015 Lucinda and William Edwards from SA showed the most consistent performance and won the Hobie World Cat 2015 convincing with a four-point lead after 11 races sailed.”

CXPRESS congratulates these two super sailing families for yet more international accomplishments.

Kylan sets the tone at excellent Kyousei competition Congrats to all the Plett Karate Kyousei students who took part in a local competition on August 8. Says Sensei Jonathan: ‘It was a first time experience for some of these young karatekas. Everyone delivered excellent performances and received medals according to their age categories, well done!’ In from left are Kylan Fritelli (3rd kata), Hylene Cedras (2nd kata, 1st kumite), Shakurdre Andrews (1st kata, 3rd kumite), Jenayra Jansen (3rd kata, 3rd kumite), Luchiano Damonds and Riley Clark (3rd kumite); in the second row from left are Noah Prinsloo (3rd kumite), Nivesha Pika (1st kata, 3rd kumite), Mackenzie Wates (3rd kata), Tyrique Masenda (2nd kumite), Jemeille Dixon (3rd kata, 3rd kumite), Witney Pasja (1st kata) and Caleb Lottering (2nd kata, 1st kumite); in the third row are Carin Plaatjies (2nd kata, 1st kumite), Anastagio Davids (1st kumite), Kierren Windvogel (3rd kata), Noah Bosman (1st kata), Meadin Jansen (3rd kata) and Lebo Maikhoso (3rd kata, 3rd kumite); in the fourth row are Michael Crone (3rd kata, 2nd kumite), Luciano Aweries (3rd kata), Devargo Paulse (3rd kata, 3rd kumite), Henrico Terblanche (2nd kata, 1st kumite), Kyle McCallum (3rd kata, 1st kumite), Jayden Wates (2nd kata, 2nd kumite) and Jayden Davids (3rd kata, 1st kumite); with Caitlin Bosman (3rd kata, 3rd kumite), Duane Clark (2nd kata, 2nd kumite), Thenique Arnolds (1st kata, 1st kumite), Josh Rossouw (3rd kata), Ashwill Pegram (3rd kata), Enrico Kamm (2nd kata, 1st kumite) and Brayen Plaatjies (1st kata, 3rd kumite) in the back row. Jonathan thanks all the parents, supporters and sponsors Spar, Pick n Pay, LM in Plett, and Medlife, and wishes his students all the best for the nationals in Cape Town during October.

Kylan Fritelli had a particularly good day on August 8, when being awarded the medal for most dedicated, most motivated karateka of the competition out of all the Karate Kyousei students in the Southern Cape, i.e. hailing from towns as far flung as Heidelberg, Slang River, Still Bay, Riversdale, Mossel Bay and Great Brak River. Says Sensei Jonathan: ‘Thank you, Kylan, for your inspiration and for showing us that nothing is impossible if you want to make it possible.’