16 | BOOKS 14
18 March 2020
Trauma, loss and rebirth The sky broke open like an egg into full sunset and the water caught fire – Pamela Hansford Johnson An apt description indeed of the experiences of Betty’s Bay villagers when a fire storm engulfed their community at the beginning of January 2019. Afterwards, when its effects could be assessed, it was found that roughly 70 properties had been damaged and of these, 41 had been completely destroyed, including the Catholic Church. One home owner, Henry Hopkins lost his life, but not a single resident was unaffected by the trauma of this fire from hell. Each one had a unique story to tell. One of the residents was Troula Goosen. She had personally experienced the earthquake of 1969 which caused widespread damage to the villages of Tulbagh, Ceres and Wolseley and was involved in producing a book commemorating the 50th anniversary of the event. She felt that the Betty’s Bay fire and its longer-term effects on the village should be chronicled for pos-
terity. With like-minded fellow-residents, Gerard Scholtz and Lisel Krige, an editorial committee was established and a call was put out for written and photographic contributions from anyone in the community who had a story to tell. They received over 90 written pieces and almost as many photographs! It had been the initial intention of the editorial committee to tell the story themselves, merely quoting from the contributors. However, faced with this overwhelming response and aware that the re-telling had had an important healing effect on the writers and carried a powerful personal message, they decided to use the raw input as it was, with little or no editing. The beautifully presented bilingual coffee table book which resulted has been designed to give a chronological account of the events which took place between 1 and 11 January 2019, as seen from a variety of standpoints, including fire fighting, the
plight of household pets and wildlife, the destruction of fynbos and gardens, and the rallying of volunteers to assist those in distress and provide refreshments for the fire fighters. Although some of the photographs were taken by professional photographer Justin Sullivan, there to collect material for a fire-fighting documentary (he also provided a written contribution), many of the others carry the grainy quality of amateur cellphone photography. Like many of the written accounts, they carry the raw immediacy of personal experience. All those who contributed time or expertise to the production of this self-published book under the imprint of Solid Stuff Creative Studio, did so on a voluntary basis; neither did the stockists add a mark-up to the price of the book. All the profits generated by its sale will be presented to voluntary fire-fighting organisations in the Hangklip area for training, equipment and raising awareness
Fire Storm / Vlammehel Gerard Scholtz, Troula Goosen, Lisel Krige (Editors) of the dangers and control of fires. Troula estimates that when the final accounting is done, they will have raised in the region of R100 000 for this cause. The first print run of 600 copies sold out within 10 days and of the second batch of 100 copies, only a handful remains. It will depend on demand
The show goes on at bookmark It seems fitting that bookmark’s new owner is someone who had known Corinne Hendry for 18 years before this much-loved Scotswoman passed away last year. “When I first met Corinne, bookmark was still in the Eastcliff Village shopping centre and I always enjoyed popping in whenever I was in Hermanus,” says Amanda de Vos, who has taken over this iconic bookshop in Main Road. “I even gave her my card and said, ‘If you ever want to sell your shop, contact me’. She had no intention of selling, of course, and then she died so suddenly. It was a huge shock. I had always so enjoyed her witticisms.” Encouraged to read from a young age, Amanda says as a child she was “horse and book crazy”. Not much seems to have changed since then! In her ‘other life’, Amanda and her husband Carl are champion horse breeders, based at Varsfontein Stud
near Paarl. However, as the owner of another local business, Pure South, she often comes to Hermanus and the family has had a holiday home here for many years. “I have always gravitated towards Hermanus, ever since spending childhood holidays here with my grandmother,” says Amanda. Which might explain why she is so keen on investing in the town and supporting local businesses. Not only is Pure South thriving under Amanda’s considered direction, but she is determined to continue Corinne’s legacy at bookmark. “I am extremely grateful for the dedication of my team – Ronel Tutt, Penny Dommisse, Elsabé Kettering and Karin Nel, who have ensured that the show carries on as before.” – Hedda Mittner The bookmark team: Karin Nel, Ronel Tutt, Penny Dommisse and new owner, Amanda de Vos. PHOTO: Hedda Mittner
whether they decide to print more, says Troula. Stockists of the book at R250 a copy include John the Potter’s Potter’s Gallery, Penguin Place, Coffee on Clarence and the Central Shop in Betty’s Bay; Kleinmond Boekwinkel and Bloubakkie in Kleinmond; the Deli and La Gallerie in Pringle Bay. Troula can be contacted on troula. goosen@gmail.com – Elaine Davie
