The Crest 115

A FOND FAREWELL

The last few years have been a reflection of tough economic times and challenges related to health and natural disasters. But at the end of the day, these tough times have also shown us how resilient and vibrant our beautiful Upper Highway community is. Community always comes out stronger, and I have no doubt that ours will continue showing its strength for years to come.

At the end of this month, Famous Publishing closes its

doors. On behalf of the entire team, I want to thank you for reading and engaging with us since the very first edition of The Crest was published back in 2005. It truly has been an honour to edit and share the past five and a half years of The Crest’s 18-year journey with you. I am left incredibly inspired and enriched by all the wonderful people I have met –not only those featured in our stories, but also colleagues, advertisers and contributors. I feel so lucky to have crossed

MESSAGE FROM DAVID WIGHTMAN

My days at Famous Publishing were among my happiest times in journalism, notwithstanding they followed a long and fulfilling newspaper career through the rise and fall of apartheid. What fun we had on The Crest and what friendships were made. The Crest pioneered regional glossy magazines in this country and spawned many copycats – and setting it up was no mean feat.

Famous Publishing was the brainchild of Louis Meyer, Tim Lombard and myself – three men who had no money. We put our heads together, found rent-free

paths with every single one of you, and I confidently put trust in the fact that our paths will cross again soon.

We have rounded up some of the most popular features published throughout the years in this final edition, and although we have tried to keep these select few stories in original form – a few tweaks have been made here and there. To put things into context, please take note of the dateline in the top lefthand corner when reading our

nostalgia pieces. Enjoy – and cherish this last edition of The Crest as a memento of our community!

All the best,

premises in part of a paint shop, obtained furniture being discarded by a multi-national, took a deep breath and just began.

I will never forget the arrival of that first edition with Liz Clarke as launch editor, but from the outset The Crest was a success, professionally produced, beautifully designed, well received and loved immediately by readers and advertisers.

Over the years The Crest has witnessed the many stages of growth in the area, which has gone from a quiet country “town” to a thriving hub “up the hill”.

My memories centre mainly on the people I worked with. I loved them all. I can see all the faces, a kaleidoscope of memories, too many to mention lest I leave someone out. This final edition marks the end of a golden era.

– David Wightman

a trip down MEMORY LANE

WE CAN THINK OF NO BETTER WAY TO CLOSE THE CREST CHAPTER THAN TO TAKE YOU DOWN MEMORY LANE ... FOR ONE LAST TIME; LET’S CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PEOPLE, AND OUR PLACES. AFTER JOURNEYING THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR COVERS, ENJOY SOME OF OUR MOST POPULAR STORIES PUBLISHED OVER THE PAST 18 YEARS

THANK YOU, DEAR READERS

We would like to thank you for your loyalty throughout the incredible journey of The Crest magazine. We have so enjoyed sharing inspiring stories with you, and about you, over the past 18 years. And we have appreciated your valuable feedback and constant engagement. Thank you, it has truly been a blast!

Named by children, aimed for children, Aunty Penny Therapy is a private therapeutic practice in Hillcrest, that provides counselling and practical support in understanding and managing personal challenges.

Penny is a licensed wellness counsellor registered with the Association of Supportive Counsellors and Holistic Practitioners (ASCHP). She holds a master’s degree in counselling psychology with a specialisation in Play Therapy obtained in Canada. Having worked extensively with children and families around the world, Penny brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to support children, adolescents and adults with challenges that disrupt daily life.

Penny has been a great support for my son and to me as well. She is available in any situation with a wealth of expertise and wisdom.

Frequent signs of overwhelm that may indicate a need for professional support:

Aggressive/agitated/disruptive behaviour

Withdrawn/anxious behaviour

Struggles with diet/sleep/concentration

Low energy or hyperactivity

Emotional regulation

Difficulty adjusting to life changes

Social/relational difficulty

auntypennytherapy@outlook.com

If you’re noticing concerning levels of withdrawn/avoidant behaviour, or overwhelming emotion in you or your family, it is okay to reach out for professional support.

SWEDISH luxury at its best

VAUGHN MARESCIA, DIRECTOR AT FMGH MOTOR HOLDINGS AND HEAD OF VOLVO CARS HILLCREST AND PIETERMARITZBURG, TALKS ABOUT THE ELECTRIFICATION OF CARS AND THE NEW VOLVO EX30

Vaughn’s life in the motor industry began just over 19 years ago, with the then McCarthy Cadet Business Programme – which recognised and trained young cadets to join their motor group. “I joined one of their divisions and went through the ranks of sales team to management over the next 10 years,” says Vaughn.

In 2008 he began his journey with Volvo, and soon grew a strong affinity to the brand due to its people centric nature, safety and constant encouragement to take responsibility for the world around us.

“In 2014 I decided to leave the comfort of my corporate giant and establish my own company called FMGH, trading as Volvo Pietermaritzburg. Two years

later I returned to Durban and took over the Volvo Pinetown operation.” During FMGH’s time in Pinetown, Vaughn recognised a strong demand for a branch in Hillcrest and built the first Volvo Retail Experience (VRE) showroom in KZN – a showroom built in the exact detail of those you would find in Sweden.

“Our strategy is to become fully electric by 2030 and change the future of mobility and ownership – with a strong emphasis on growth and sustainability. We are constantly striving to be creative and have a very distinct line of products. We have always offered unmatched safety, however we would like to build on this legacy by continuing to be innovative and elegant.”

With the intention of minimalist Scandinavian

design and in-house baristas, designed to make the customer feel at home and experience Swedish luxury at its best, Volvo Cars Hillcrest has become a trusted brand in our community – and also participate actively in local community projects, with incredible partners such as Meals on Wheels, Amashova Durban Classic and The Upper Highway Baby Home.

“The exciting new addition to our Volvo offering is Volvo Studio Galleria in Pietermaritzburg,” says Vaughn. “Here you’ll find a concept where Swedish culture meets our South African community –combining hospitality, comfort, contemporary design and innovation. Come grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the Scandinavian atmosphere!”

Electrification has not

been embraced as rapidly in South Africa as abroad, however regardless of our local challenges it is most definitely the future. “We are living in a transition period, and as demand for electrification increases, so will the cost of production decrease. It’s important to note that not only is it cheaper to build, run and maintain – but the driving experience is far superior to that of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles,” says Vaugh. In addition, service intervals are only once every two years, there’s zero fuel expense, zero emissions, less noise, and regenerative braking charges your battery as you reduce speed.

The Volvo EX30 recently launched at R775 000, making it more affordable and accessible to the public. “With a range of 480km on a single charge, expect to see more EVs on our roads much sooner than you anticipate,” says Vaughn – adding that EX30 is due to arrive in December. “Drive and acceleration is effortless, and travelling in complete silence is fantastic. You realise that this makes perfect sense, and is indeed the logical choice – making it extremely difficult to revert to traditional.”

DEATH and taxes

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ONCE SAID THAT

the residual assets will be given to the beneficiaries. The unfiled tax returns up to the date of the deceased person’s death must be submitted by the executor, and the executor will not be able to finalise the administration process until SARS has issued a formal Deceased Estate Compliance letter that will authorise the executor to finalise the estate.

Once all the above has been attended to, the executor has to submit various requirements to the Master of the High Court before they will issue what is commonly referred to as a Filing Slip that will authorise the executor to finalise the estate.

Whilst there are various types of tax, these three remain applicable upon death.

can trigger capital gains tax because it is viewed as a deemed disposal with the assets being transferred to either the individual’s spouse, children, corporate entities, Public Benefit Organisations, or the estate. Therefore, if upon death the sale or bequest of the deceased’s assets realises a capital gain, the estate will be liable for capital gains tax, unless the surviving spouse is the only beneficiary – then there will be no capital gains tax payable, as the so-called “rollover” principle will be applied. Upon the death of the surviving spouse a capital gains tax event will be triggered, and all assets will then be subject to the possible payment of capital gains tax, where applicable. According to the Income Tax Act, SARS will hold the estate liable for capital gains tax, on the date of the deceased person’s passing.

When a person passes on, all their assets are placed into an estate. These assets include both movable and immovable assets. Deemed property, such as proceeds of life policies, will also form part of your estate when it comes to the calculation of estate duty. Proceeds of policies payable to a spouse are deductible when

An executor is the person in charge of handling the administration process of an estate. The estate assets will firstly be used to pay off all creditors and administration expenses such as executor’s fees, advertisement fees, bank charges and conveyancing fees payable to attorneys for any property transfers, before

Estate Duty Tax

Estate duty is payable at a rate of 20% on the first R30-million and 25% of the value in excess of R30-million. There is however an abatement which means that R3,5-million of the estate’s net value is exempt from estate taxes.

Income Tax

Addressing these three certainties, or at least sufficiently providing for them, can and will ensure peace of mind for those left behind when someone passes, and will prevent tax implications from passing on to future generations. Contact MJ Chartered Accountants for any tax related advice with regards to an estate. it comes to the calculation of estate duty payable.

In its capacity as a taxpayer, the estate of the deceased is also liable for paying income tax on all forms of income accumulated between the date of death and the day the estate is finally settled, approved, and closed by the Master of the High Court.

Capital Gains Tax

Death is an event that

“THE ONLY THING CERTAIN IN THIS WORLD IS DEATH AND TAXES”. WHILST IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE TAX CONSEQUENCES OF DEATH

LEFT: Suné Alexander and Melissa Jacobs.

story gavin foster

MEET ONE OF THE CREST’S BIGGEST FANS!

Toosie Hudson of Durban (74) has every single issue of the magazine and fetches each new one from his daughter in Kloof, as soon as it arrives. “I love the history stories and I’m a bit of a squirrel, so I’ve kept them all,” he says.

Toosie has another link to The Crest, though. It was he who first told me about the dreadful murder and mutilation of Pinetown teenager Joy Aken by Clarence Gordon van Buuren in 1956, a crime that ended up making news worldwide. Toosie was at school with Joy and his urging got me to dig deep into the available records, and write two articles about the murder for The Crest.

His biggest passion, though, is for motorcycles, and he can tell you exactly

committed to THE CREST

when he fell in love with them because he still has the programme. On August 2, 1948, Toosie’s father, a keen motorcyclist, took the five-year-old to watch the Bluff Grand Prix, run on public roads in those days. Toosie got involved in bikes as soon as he could and went on to enjoy a long and illustrious racing career in and around Durban, winning the Natal Motorcycle Club’s hillclimb championship in 1982 and ’89, as well as being runner-up in ’84, ’85 and ’87.

All-in-all, he’s owned 31 motorcycles, six of which have been from his favourite marque – Norton. Today, he has three of the old British machines – a 1929 500cc

Model 18, a 1955 500cc Dominator twin, and a 1957 500cc International. Each took Toosie between three and 10 years to lovingly restore to better than new condition.

Toosie was a successful businessman throughout his working life, but had to overcome one dreadful hurdle along the way. When he was in his mid-30s, he had a stroke that was at first diagnosed as a tumour. “They gave me no chance of survival but I did, although for three years I couldn’t talk until I learnt to again. Throughout that time, I could still ride bikes as well as anybody else, and did so as much as possible!” *

TENDINOPATHIES

JULI-ANN RILEY OF RILEY PHYSIOTHERAPISTS TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT TREATMENT OF COMMON TENDON PROBLEMSX

Tendon problems are common and there is much research available – with new knowledge constantly emerging.

The old term tendonitis, implying inflammation, was later referred to as tendinosis – implying degeneration. We now realise that it’s a bit more complex, with varying stages of what we refer to as the Tendinopathy Continuum. The first stage is a reactive tendinopathy, which can become a tendon disrepair and worsen into a degenerative tendon – which could even tear (major tear or micro-tears).

Tendinopathies can be difficult to treat, with multiple management strategies and theories suggested. Tendons do not follow the usual healing process of other soft tissue injuries, so they need to be treated differently.

At present the strongest evidence supports the use of exercise as a management strategy, with loading the tendon the only intervention that can change its strength and mechanical properties. Initially, the day-to-day load on the tendon needs to be reduced by decreasing and adapting exercise or daily activities – and occasionally by also strapping, bracing or using orthotics. The initial exercises are usually isometric (static) and held for long periods, which also assist in decreasing tendon pain. Progressive loading is then suggested, with a large body of research advising eccentric training to increase tendon strength. The use of heavy slow resistance is also gaining support, and a combined approach is often used.

Importantly, rehabilitation should be progressed gradually, with sufficient time between loading periods. Tendon pain

should be monitored and the program adapted appropriately –with individual factors taken into account.

Exercise programs need to be followed for at least 12 weeks, and sufficient time must be spent on active treatment before starting with provocative (sports) loading. Plyometrics and sports-specific rehabilitation is only commenced later in the rehabilitation. As a rule, a return to full symptom-free (sports) loading is only possible after a few months of active treatment, at a minimum. A return to sports is associated with a greater likelihood of recurrence.

The following additional treatment options could be considered in case of insufficient improvement in three months of the above treatment: collagen supplements, ultrasound, manual therapy, laser/light therapy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, injection therapies

and dry needling. Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs are not usually recommended and Corticosteroid injections are not advised, as they may increase the risk of tendon tears. Surgery should only be considered in those patients who do not recover after at least six months of active treatment.

Making the correct diagnosis is essential to correctly manage the condition. There are different types of tendon pathologies that require slightly different exercise adaptations. There are also many structures very close to tendons that, if they are the cause of pain, will not improve and will likely worsen if treated like a tendon problem. Individual factors need to be addressed, and an individualised program designed, monitored and adapted as needed. Your physiotherapist is best suited to assist you through this rehabilitation journey.

Visit Us

Gillitts Branch: 031 764 2750, Gillitts Medical Centre Hillcrest Branch: 031 355 0030, Le Domaine Health

Juli-Ann Riley Physiotherapists, Kloof: 031 767 3989, Femina Health

was

1921

The greatest RACE

On Thursday May 24, 1921, Empire Day, 34 runners from 48 entrants lined up outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall to undertake a journey by road to

1923

IT’S AN ICONIC EVENT, IT GRIPS A NATION, IT REALISES DREAMS, AND IT’S A CHALLENGE UNDERTAKEN BY THOUSANDS. ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO THE FIRST STEPS WERE TAKEN IN WHAT HAS BECOME THE COMRADES MARATHON, WRITES DAVID KNOWLES

Durban. The first Comrades Marathon had been born, and this year the race celebrates its centenary – although it would have been only the 95th edition, as there were no races from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II.

Many believed those pioneering runners would not reach Durban before nightfall, but the first winner of the race, Bill Rowan, a farmer from Koster, breasted the tape just after 4pm in a time of 8:59, the slowest ever

Gerald Walsh (left) third and winner Trevor Allen negotiate Fields Hill in 1952. Both runners won the race twice.

1961 Start of the 1961 race.

On May 24, 1921, the first Comrades Marathon took place.

Miss Frances Hayward of Durban lined up unofficially.

It

an allmen affair, Miss Frances Hayward of Durban lined up unofficially and to great applause, crossed the line in 11:35

winning time, the race having started some 10 minutes after the seven o’clock chimes due to some minor hitches.

Of the 34 starters 16 finished, the last few in the dark and in later years, Rowan’s name was etched into modern times with the Bill Rowan Medal awarded to those finishing between 7:30 and 8:59.

And so a unique chapter in South African sport and history was born, an event acknowledged worldwide as the greatest ultra-marathon of them all; a race of character, emotion, struggle, pain, friendship and camaraderie.

It wasn’t long before legendary

characters made an appearance. Arthur Newton won the race five times between 1922 and 1927, later joined by fellow fivetimers Hardy Ballington, Wally Hayward, Jackie Mekler and the great Bruce Fordyce – who clocked an unparalleled nine wins.

Vic Clapham, an engine driver on the South African Railways, is credited with starting the Comrades phenomenon, approaching the League of Comrades of the Great War at the end of 1918 with his idea of a race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, something initially scoffed at.

Clapham remained undeterred and was given one Pound (R2), to be refunded, for

expenses, and allowed by the League to organise the race which was not to cost the League a penny.

It was an all-men affair, although as early as 1923, Miss Frances Hayward of Durban lined up unofficially and to great applause, crossed the line in 11:35, stating she thought the challenge, “too much for a woman”.

In 1935 the first black runner, Robert Mtshali, crossed the line in 9:30, his effort also not officially recognised until 2019 when the Robert Mtshali Medal was introduced to honour his contribution to the race’s history. This medal was awarded »

1978

The 1975 race saw new ground broken as the race was open to athletes of all colour as well as women.

Alan Robb who beat the fiveand-a-half hour mark in 1978.

1934 One of the Comrades greats, fivetime winner Hardy Ballington.

1935 Robert Mtshali, unrecognised in the 1935 race.

1981

to those finishing between nine and 10 hours.

History was being written at a rapid pace. In 1940, Allen Boyce’s winning margin of 1:50:28 over second man WD Parr remains one never to be beaten, as was the final tally of a mere eight finishers in the 1946 race.

Acknowledged by many as the greatest of them all, Wally Hayward won the race as a 21-year-old in 1930, a mere 37 seconds ahead of a fast finishing Phil MastertonSmith who, at 19, won the following year and remains the youngest ever winner. That 1930 finish was bettered in 1967 when Manie Kuhn pipped Tommy Malone by a second after Malone had stumbled at the

1989

finish from cramp.

Hayward was the first to break the six-hour barrier in 1953, achieving the impossible, the bar raised higher by four-time winner Alan Robb who beat the five-and-ahalf hour mark in 1978, finishing 19 minutes ahead of “Waltzing” Dave Wright.

The 1975 race saw new ground broken as the race was open to athletes of all colour as well as women. Elizabeth Cavanagh became the first official woman medalist and Vincent Rakabaele the first official non-white finisher in 20th position.

Rakabaele set the platform for the future of the race, which saw its first black winner in 1989 when Sam Tshabalala won the down

2019

run. This year also saw the women’s race change gear when Benoni’s Frith van der Merwe finished 15th overall in 5:54, a record which still stands. Gerda Steyn came close to that record in 2019, finishing the up run in a record 5:58 and 17th overall.

Fordyce, Graeme Fraser, Tony Abbott, Hosea Tjale, Bob de la Motte, Nick Bester, Helen Lucre, Lindsay Weight, Isavel RocheKelly, Willie Mtolo, Andrew Kelehle, the Nurgalieva twins, Vladimir Kotov, Dimitri Grishine, Stephen Mushingi, Bongmusa Mthembu – these are some of the modern names that have made the race what it is; an institution highly respected around the world – and proudly South African at that. *

Bruce Fordyce wins the 1981 Comrades Marathon, wearing a black armband in protest against apartheid.

Sam Tshabalala writes a new chapter in 1989.

Gerda Steyn captured the nation’s heart with her 2019 win in the women’s race, setting an up record and finishing 17th overall.

Pictures supplied by Comrades Marathon Museum

story robin lamplough

the royals AT CAMELOT

TAKING REFUGE ON A FARM OUTSIDE HILL CREST IN THE 1940S, 200 ROYAL CATTLE ENJOYED A “HOLIDAY” TO AVOID FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF ADOLF HITLER. WELL-KEPT SECRET OR JUST A WAR STORY?

If you speak to anyone who knew Hillcrest 70 years ago, it probably won’t be long before they tell you about the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to their village when she was Princess Royal of Britain. It is a well-established story in the district. It tells that, during the Royal visit to South Africa in 1947, the Windsor family made a special pilgrimage to the farm Albany Grove, in present West Riding, on the edge of Hillcrest below Botha’s Hill. The reason given for this detour is even more interesting – it involves a herd of important cattle reportedly sent to South Africa to keep them out of the greedy hands of Adolf Hitler.

And if you were to express any doubts about the story of these bovine refugees, you would be told about the specially-made plaque which provides all the details of the arrangement and the follow-up visit. You might even be taken to Camelot Estate’s Hathaway Village and shown the trough used by the cattle and the notice beside it, which tells the whole story.

The cattle were of the Jersey breed, peculiar to the small island of that name in the English Channel. Jersey – and several other Channel islands – have been in the possession of the British Royal family (but never part of the British Isles) since William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, conquered England in 1066, to make himself William I.

The story runs that a herd of 200 Jerseys was sent to Natal, where a noted Jersey breeder from the South Coast, Vernon Crookes, gave them refuge on a farm he owned outside the little village of Hill Crest. Then, when Hitler had been defeated, the cattle were sent home, apparently none the worse for their sojourn in foreign parts.

The problem for someone investigating the story in the 21st century is that your witnesses are not old enough to remember seeing the beasts with their own eyes. I banged off some emails to the UK and began interviewing some of my regular sources to test the details. Athol Webster and Hilton Cumming both confirmed that, as boys in the area, they had heard the tale.

Brigit Ramsden even took me to Camelot one damp afternoon, where we inspected the plaque on the edge of Paddy and Graeme Shuker’s front lawn, and skirted a flowerbed to see the water trough behind. Later, Graeme provided me with another lead.

ABOVE: Brigit Ramsden at the cattle trough in Hathaway Village.

LEFT: The plaque in the Hathaway grounds, recording the story of the royal cattle.

Meanwhile, I had received some responses from Britain. From the Royal estates at Balmoral and Sandringham, to which I had mistakenly directed enquiries before I learned the Jersey angle, came courteous replies that their records were silent on the subject. Then I received a message from Pam Clark, Senior Archivist at Windsor Castle. Pam advised that there was nothing in their archives to suggest that any cattle from any of the British Royal estates had been sent to South Africa during the war.

Now it became vital to follow up on Graeme Shuker’s intriguing tip. I made contact with Nancy Bevan, daughter of Vernon Crookes, who confirmed that the Jersey herd had been accommodated on Albany Grove in the 1940s. She said the animals had the place to themselves, correcting the popular story that the visitors mixed on the farm with local Jerseys. But then came the bombshell. At no time, Nancy insists, did the Royal family visit Albany Grove. There was, in the original itinerary, a projected visit to the South Coast, but that had to be scrapped, for reasons not disclosed.

So it seems that the story of the royal cattle at Camelot, like so many popular legends, is a blend of fact and fiction. In point of fact, the Germans did occupy Jersey for five years, so it is very likely that the sojourn of the beasts at Albany Grove saved them from being turned into hackbraten meat loaf, or perhaps even rinderwurst sausage by the end of the war. Well done Hill Crest! *

story hayley dennyson pictures © matthew willman/nelson mandela foundation

my time with MADIBA

NELSON MANDELA – THE MAN, THE MYTH, THE GAME CHANGER. LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER MATTHEW WILLMAN WAS PRIVILEGED TO WORK CLOSELY WITH MADIBA AND HAS PUT TOGETHER A COLLECTION OF IMAGES DEPICTING THE GREAT MAN

At the age of 15, Matthew Willman’s world was turned upside down when his mother passed away and he was enrolled as a boarder at Thomas More College. “I became friends with kids from different backgrounds and it made me realise there is a bigger world out there, beyond the bubble we live in in the Highway area.

“Soon after my mother died, I saw Madiba at the opening of the ICC. I was inspired by his message of love and caring, and decided then and there to journey towards him.

“Having a dream and a goal is essential,” says Matthew. “It chisels and refines you, and makes you a better person. Even if you don’t achieve that goal, you are able to see beyond yourself.”

After matriculating from Thomas More College, Matthew studied photography at Natal Technikon and he “pulled out all the stops to get closer to Madiba”. In 2003, he began working with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, initially at no charge. “I was a little pip-squeak from Pinetown, travelling to Joburg whenever I was needed and waitoring at the Langostine to pay my bills.”

It’s astonishing to think of the nowiconic images that must have sat tucked away in Matthew’s bag while he served those tables!

“Many Tuesdays and Thursdays, I sat at the foot of my teacher, but I was contractually bound not to speak about it. Now I have the opportunity to tell the world a beautiful story about an exceptional man.”

The result is a collection of 126 images (chosen from tens of thousands) that tell the Madiba story. Entitled We Called Him Madiba, this book is Matthew’s tribute to the great man and is “an accurate account of Madiba, including his frailty”.

“It’s the common man who will create the Madiba legend through his stories. These images contribute to that, showing him during quiet times, the ache in his hands.

“Madiba was a man of duty. He knew what was expected of him as president and went out of his way to ensure that he greeted those around him, right to

the end. His passion and sacrifice went beyond what most people know.”

Protocol dictated that Matthew sit to Madiba’s side, keeping a respectful distance and not addressing visiting dignitaries directly. “As the commissioned photographer, I was privileged to stand in front of Madiba rather than behind, with the other photographers,” Willman continues. “I was within the cauldron of bodyguards, capturing significant moments – both official and unofficial. Shoots were always exciting when Ma Winnie and Graça were around!”

Matthew ensured that he wore a suit when he was in Mandela’s presence, with the result that Madiba called him “My Prince Harry”. “One day, Madiba was feeling particularly mischievous and, clearly not in the mood to tackle the issues at hand, introduced me to the President of the World Bank as ‘His Prince Harry’.”

It’s through this time at the Nelson Mandela Foundation that Matthew met a number of his clients and subjects, many of whom have become friends – Annie Lennox, for example. One day, Madiba was running late and his assistant asked Matthew to entertain his visitors. Unaware of who he was speaking to, Matthew was shocked when someone pointed out that he had just met one of the music industry’s living legends. “We hit it off and Annie invited me to Umtata the next day to cover her SING campaign. I dropped everything to be there and that was the start of our journey together.” Money raised by SING is used to help prevent

the spread of HIV in South Africa and also supports those currently living with HIV.

“As a Christian, my journey with Mandela was not to glorify him, but to witness courage and sacrifice intimately,” says Matthew. “Early on in my time with Madiba, he taught me that if you want to remain relevant, you must serve.”

Born with an innate creativity and

“Using the visual arts as an enabler, we aim to inspire individual change and help uplift vulnerable communities. We also seek to provide empowerment opportunities for visual artists so as to nurture and grow talent and ability.”

Today, Matthew’s portfolio is nothing short of astounding, including work with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, US President Bill Clinton, Oxfam International, World Health Organisation and the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust.

Willman’s dedication to documentary photography combined with his personal commitment to developmental issues has taken him places few would contemplate, often confronting difficult realities. He has shot around the world, from Robben Island to the Inanda Heritage Route, The Royal Ballet School in London, Tromso in the Arctic Circle and Red Fern Aboriginal Centre in Australia.

During the early years of his career, Matthew worked extensively in the realm of HIV and AIDS. The heartrending stories took their toll and he shifted to focus on issues such as food security, access to water and sanitation.

having danced professionally for 18 years, Matthew has made it his mission to help those who show promise in the Arts through the Matthew Willman Foundation for the Visual Arts, which offers a number of scholarships, as well as grants for practical costs, from ballet shoes to exhibition fees. Funds from the sale of We Called Him Madiba will contribute to this fund.

“My role is to represent what is going on. I must be objective or I’d be doing the people I photograph and the viewer a disservice.

“I am both intrigued and inspired by people, who they are and what they shape themselves to be – none more so than Nelson Mandela. From 2004 to 2013, I was afforded many incredibly intimate experiences with a man who embodies the very spirit and conviction we all possess as South Africans. We Called Him Madiba is my tribute to him.” *

MAKING waves

MEET AFRICA’S FIRST FEMALE DREDGE MASTER

subject. “It wasn’t appealing because I didn’t know how to swim, so I literally chose the subject because I believed in horoscopes and being a Pisces made the decision much easier,” she laughs.

Aglobal ship navigator and dredge master, Captain Londy Ngcobo is passionate about unlocking Africa’s ocean economy. With over 15 years’ experience in the maritime industry, her background includes maritime studies, international merchant shipping experience, advanced dredging from the Netherlands IHC, an industry-shaking role as a former maritime compliance manager for Transnet National Ports Authority, founder of Global Maritime Youth, and chief executive of Womaritime Experts – a consulting firm in the shipping industry. Londy grew up in Clermont with her parents and three sisters. “I had a fairly liberating upbringing,” she says – adding that she went to a local school where maritime studies was introduced as a

“I am a typical Piscean who dreamed about being a mermaid and literally chased the title,” says Londy. One morning in 2007, she was on a ship standing at the focsle (bow). “It was so beautiful to witness the sunrise, the dolphins chasing the bow, and the wind blowing against my face… I thought of Ariel in The Little Mermaid

time until I was a third officer, and then I moved on to work on dredgers in Africa,” says Londy, who believes authenticity and boldness are the top two qualities needed for a woman in a male-dominated industry. “With both these qualities, the stereotype of a ‘man’s world’ can easily be wiped off. Yes, you have to keep proving yourself, but in the end the job will be done and it will be done in heels.”

For Londy, the sea brings a lot of harmony and peace. “There’s no noise, no traffic, no social pressures. Just the rare fascinating sights of mother nature,” she says.

I was only 19 years old as a cadet, and branded myself the Blaqmermaid – which today has lived to be a solid brand in the maritime industry.”

A ship navigator’s job, simply put, is to navigate (drive) a ship. “I worked for Maersk Shipping Line for a very long

Having mostly done West African and the Far East and European routes, Londy admits it was always hard being away from home for long periods of time. “Being homesick is common for seafarers, but usually our families understand that after some time, being at sea becomes more than just a job … but rather a lifestyle. It’s hard to say goodbye to your loved ones, but seafarers are essential workers and contribute 90% to the global economy,” she says. “My best memories are those where a ship’s route went via South Africa, so my family could visit me onboard for

I chose not to be Rose from the Titanic, I chose to captain the Titanic ”

– Londy Ngcobo

a few days and bring me home-cooked traditional meals.”

It was six years ago when Londy stopped working at sea and moved into her role at Transnet National Ports. She later established her own maritime consulting company, which has enabled her a way into a family life on the shore side, and now lives in Hillcrest with husband, Sbusiso, and their six-year-old daughter, Sama.

As a mother and wife, Londy is passionate about women and youth empowerment. Her experience has equipped her with the ability to focus on providing sustainable tools for women to thrive, and her zest for life encourages the youth to think outside the box. “Many African kids look up to the Blaqmermaid brand. I strongly believe that above all accolades is our ability to educate, hence I have founded Global Maritime Youth –where we cultivate pure love for the ocean and facilitate skills supply and demand through global collaborations.”

Amongst many others, Londy recently won the Veuve Clicqout Bold Women Award 2022 – competing with 450 nominations from all over the world. “Bold authenticity is simply walking in flow

towards your highest self and staying true to that flow in every platform you occupy,” she says. “It requires a lot of inner work, vulnerability and a sense of purpose in order to define your service to the world. Being recognised for my own life flow, with its ups and downs, is nothing short of wholesome.”

There’s certainly nothing stopping this inspiring motivational speaker and powerful business woman.*

the name shall be MARIANNHILL

ROBIN LAMPLOUGH DELVES DEEP INTO THE HISTORY

BEHIND THE RENOWNED MARIANNHILL MONASTERY AND ONE MAN’S DETERMINATION TO ACHIEVE A GOAL

Almost 140 years ago, in December 1882, a small band of Austrian Trappist monks settled on a remote Natal hillside west of Durban. There, under the leadership of Father Francis (christened Franz) Pfanner, they would build a monastery complex which became the focus of an important Catholic missionary endeavour. Pfanner named it after the mother and grandmother of Jesus of Nazareth, Mariannhill.

These men were not new to Africa. Two years earlier they had settled in the Sundays River Valley, inland of Port Elizabeth. Then, defeated by prolonged drought, Pfanner decided to move to Natal. A forceful personality, Pfanner had earlier founded a Trappist monastery in Bosnia, then part of the Turkish empire. His experience in the Cape led him to refuse to start his Natal mission in another remote area. He acquired land near the British settlement of Pinetown,

and made a fresh start.

The Trappist rule called for silence and hard work. The monks laboured in the fields and erected buildings. They lived on a simple diet of bread and vegetables. Meat, eggs, fish and seasoning were excluded from their menu. Pfanner’s goal was to draw the indigenous people to Catholicism. He devised a scheme to attract landless Africans to Mariannhill. He offered land rent-free for the first year, under certain conditions. The renter was required to build a European-style house, with at least one door and one window. In addition, the house was to contain at least one table and one chair, obtainable from the mission carpenters at a total cost of £1, which could be earned through day-labour. And, in a typically 19th century European rider, civilised clothing and monogamy were obligatory – with “idleness” unacceptable. Later Pfanner would also open two schools, boys and girls separated, to provide an introduction to western education. A Mariannhill order of nuns, Sisters of the Precious Blood, was established in 1885. They subsequently opened an orphanage.

pictures paul reichle

Meanwhile, workshops were built and manned by monks with special skills. Woodwork, metalwork, baking, tailoring and bookbinding were just some of the services offered. Later a guest house and a tea room were added to the list, all generating revenue for the station. In 1910 a Mariannhill-owned Zulu newspaper was founded, Izindaba Zibantu. In 1928 it was re-named UmAfrika. Although still published, UmAfrika is no longer owned by the monastery. St Mary’s Hospital was opened in 1921. It would serve the entire Highway community for almost a century, until it was taken over by the provincial health service in 2016.

Pfanner decided to start Mariannhill outstations. As a result, missions were established at Centecow, Reichenau, King’s Grant, Lourdes, Emaus and other places in the Natal interior. Even further away, after Pfanner’s death, was Endaleni, near Plumtree, in south-western Zimbabwe. But none of this addressed the inherent contradiction of a Trappist missionary order. Trappism requires silence, whereas missionary work involves spreading a message. This tension would reveal itself in Pfanner’s later history.

In May 1890 Pfanner was charged with mismanagement of the monastery »

ABOVE: Abbot Francis Pfanner.

and found guilty. The Mariannhill community responded with a vigorous protest and Pfanner was subsequently exonerated. But two years later a visiting superior summarily suspended him. Pfanner withdrew to Emaus near Umzimkulu, where he lived until his death in May 1909. Ironically, just months earlier, the reforming Pope, Pius X, had separated Mariannhill from the Trappist order, resolving a problem that had festered for years.

In a bizarre finale, it is reported that the abbot’s heart was removed and buried at Emaus. It was an eerie reminder of the end of another missionary, David Livingstone, in East Africa a generation earlier. Pfanner’s body was then sent by road and rail almost 300 miles to Pinetown, after which it was interred at Mariannhill. A bronze memorial was erected at the grave.

But although Pfanner was dead, the Mariannhill order he created had developed a life of its own. His example, memory and achievements were preserved and venerated. A 2018 website reveals that there are 49 missions in South Africa under Mariannhill. The website of the Emaus Heritage Centre urges adherents to pray for the beatification of Abbot Francis. This is the first step towards him being proclaimed a saint, clearly the organisation’s goal.

Even in the 21st century Mariannhill continues to have an influence beyond its perimeter. Dr Frank Mdlalose, first premier of KwaZulu-Natal in 1994, was a graduate of St Francis College. In 2008 local academic and former Pinetown schoolboy, Michael Cawood Green, published a novel about Francis Pfanner entitled For the Sake of Silence. Most recent of all is an ambitious plan inspired by the Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Trail through the Pyrenees in Europe. The broad intention is to develop a Natal hiking trail linking some outstations and ending at Mariannhill. *

RIGHT: Sister Orthmar Mnguni, one of the monastery’s resident nuns.

life, family & FRIENDS

LALELA ESTATE REDEFINES COMMUNITY LIVING WITH NOSTALGIC NEIGHBOURHOOD VALUES

Nestled in the picturesque coastal town of Sheffield Beach north of Ballito, Lalela Estate is reshaping the concept of community living by embracing nostalgia and family values. This exceptional residential development captures the essence of neighbourhood living, fostering a sense of belonging and close-knit connections. Lalela Estate offers an idyllic community-centric environment with design, lifestyle, and amenities reminiscent of a quintessential neighbourhood, all at an astonishingly affordable price point.

Collins Residential – the developers of Emberton Estate – have brought their

expertise to the North Coast with their latest project. Drawing on their wealth of experience in the region, Collins Residential is set to deliver another exceptional development that promises to exceed expectations.

Geoff Perkins, Head of Residential Projects at Collins Residential, says, “Lalela Estate is the perfect fusion of a traditional estate and an authentic neighbourhood experience. By implementing ‘lane architecture’ and cul-de-sacs, the development enables small communities to thrive within the greater estate, promoting a strong sense of connection while ensuring privacy and security.

Living at Lalela means being part of a vibrant neighbourhood where life revolves around family and friends.”

Residents can enjoy a wide range of activities, including walking and running trails, as well as access to a clubhouse with amenities such as a kids’ club, family pool, braai area, tennis courts, cricket nets, putt-putt, and a skate park. The adjacent Manor House Venue – with its iconic white gables – stands as a beloved centrepiece in the community and an extension of the amenities on offer to the residents of Lalela. It serves as the focal point for hosting a variety of significant community events, including bespoke dinner clubs, markets, festivals, and concerts. The venue has been the proud host of events such as ZA Fest headlined by the world-renowned Ndlovu Youth Choir, and the Jeremy Loops concert. With its rich history and versatile spaces, the Manor House Venue continues to be the go-to hub for bringing the community together in celebration and entertainment.

Lalela Estate, with its lush green hills, expansive wetlands, and coastal forests, strikes a perfect balance between sustainability and development, with about 50% of the estate dedicated to green spaces. Geoff adds, “There is an increase in demand for secure estates that prioritise sustainability and environmental consciousness. Lalela Estate addresses this demand by incorporating biodiversity into its development, ensuring ample green spaces and a low environmental footprint.

Sustainability is a core value of the development team, and each freestanding home is equipped with a rainwater harvesting tank, gas geyser, gas hob, and all units are inverter-ready for emergency back-up electricity during power outages.”

Residents can choose from five customdesigned, single-storey architectural home designs, each featuring a private garden. With prices starting at just R2 295 000, Lalela offers an incredible opportunity to own a home without the burden of transfer duty or conveyancing fees, and only a R50 000 deposit fee is required.

making a DIFFERENCE

IT ALL STARTED WITH A VISION AND THE DEDICATION OF DR KRISTINA WALLENGREN; SHE HAD AN AUDACIOUS DREAM TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITHIN THE PUBLIC HEALTH SECTOR FASTER. THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF LOCAL NPO, THINK, CELEBRATES A DECADE OF RELENTLESS PURSUIT, INNOVATION AND IMPACT

THINK is a non-profit organisation committed to advancing health and well-being for vulnerable communities – both locally and globally.

Our work spans three central domains: research, health systems strengthening, and capacity building. Although our initial focus was on TB and HIV, we have expanded to address a wider spectrum of critical health challenges – including mental health, gender disparities, and building resilient healthcare systems in the face of pandemics and climate change.

Our holistic approach spans prevention, treatment, and care, and involves

developing new diagnostic tools, effective treatment regimens, improved vaccines, and innovative healthcare delivery approaches – while also addressing the underlying determinants and risk factors that exacerbate health challenges. Our research, training, and healthcare improvement initiatives are interlinked and supported by cross-cutting core disciplines – ensuring operational efficiency, quality, and reach across our three central domains.

THINK belongs to a large and diverse group of people, but our exceptional team is the heartbeat of the organisation –having grown from just three individuals 10 years ago to nearly 300 today. Throughout

these years THINK has created 500 jobs, and 500 000 South Africans have been directly impacted by our work. We have also gained R500-million of foreign investment to improve health in SA.

As a result of our work, treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis has been reduced from two years to six months, three new TB drugs have been developed for adults and children, and the World Health Organization’s guidelines for TB treatment has changed three times.

Looking into THINK’s future, important focus areas include mental health, planetary health and Metaverse health.

With our current head office right here in Hillcrest, along with five district offices and

three Clinical Trial Units in KZN, THINK is rapidly expanding into the rest of South Africa and beyond. Our international arm, established in Denmark nearly two years ago, is making sure that the organisation’s global impact is sustainable and long-lasting.

This year THINK is not just celebrating

a milestone, but the triumph of resilience, grit and unwavering belief. We have contributed to reshaping the health sector in South Africa and in the world, and left a permanent mark on the canvas of progress – empowering lives, lifting community spirits and igniting the flames of inspiration in countless efforts.

THINK IN THE METAVERSE

At THINK, we measure success by the difference we make. We care that our work is of quality – not just that it’s done. We care that a person is cured – not just treated. And we care that we make an impact – not just that we have been there. To us, success is making a difference in another person’s life.

1: We care about people and outcomes. We commit to fostering a supportive environment that encourages growth and development, and we commit to delivering exceptional outcomes that exceed expectations.

2: We kick the paradigm. We believe in challenging the status quo to drive innovation and progress. We commit to embracing

GET INVOLVED!

new ideas, doing the right thing and continuously pushing boundaries to transform health and well-being.

3: We make a difference. We are driven by a desire to make a positive impact in the world. We are committed to improving health outcomes and promoting wellbeing by leveraging our resources and expertise to address the most pressing health challenges of our time. Our focus includes building resilient healthcare systems, advancing research and innovation, delivering patient-centred care, and promoting health equity –while improving planetary health. Through our efforts, we aim to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives and contribute to a healthier, more sustainable future for all.

Please get in touch with us for partnerships in raising awareness within public health, as well as collaborations in projects relating to planetary health.

THINK has ventured into the Metaverse with an innovative NFT fundraising project, first launched in the leading immersive virtual platform Decentraland. In an effort to extend our reach in improving public health for vulnerable people, we have introduced a digital wearable –a unique, blockchain-backed hoodie for avatars. With this foray into the new digital frontier, THINK is harnessing the power of emerging technologies to drive impactful change, marking a fascinating shift in how non-profits engage with supporters, and setting new standards for philanthropy in the Metaverse.

Kearsney College turns

ROBIN LAMPLOUGH TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SCHOOL’S HISTORY AND ITS SUCCESSION OF HEADMASTERS

The renowned school started a hundred years ago at Kearsney, inland of KwaDukuza, the old Stanger, on the Natal North Coast. There Liege Hulett had built a palatial home that, by 1920, was empty. Hulett, by that time Sir Liege and a widower, had moved to the Manor House – overlooking Durban’s Mitchell Park.

Liege Hulett was a faithful Methodist, and back then there was no Methodist school closer than Kingswood in the Eastern Cape. To run the new school, Hulett chose D. Pyne Mercier. In 1923, Pyne Mercier was succeeded by Robert Matterson, formerly a teacher at Kingswood. Almost all the pupils at Kearsney in those days were descendants of Liege Hulett, who died in 1928.

The Great Depression of the early 1930s made it unlikely that the school would survive. Members of the school staff addressed an appeal to South African Methodists and, as a result, the school was able to move in 1939, to a piece of land in Botha’s Hill, between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. With six classrooms, two boarding houses and a dining hall which doubled on special occasions as a place of assembly, the school began its second chapter in a new location.

Before the end of the year, World War II had begun. By its end, 23 Kearsney Old Boys had died in service, a loss keenly felt by the small community. After the

war, Old Boys built a memorial cricket pavilion, a project which started a very active Old Boys’ club.

In 1946 Robert Matterson retired, to be succeeded by Stanley Osler, a Kingswood Old Boy and brother of the famous Springbok Benny Osler. Osler saw potential for significant growth. He commissioned the building of the Kearsney chapel, with space for twice as many congregants as there were boys in the school.

Osler was succeeded by James Hopkins, long-standing member of staff and direct descendant of Sir Liege Hulett. He presided over the golden jubilee celebrations in 1971 and the opening of the Kearsney library. The glass windows that decorate the entrance to the library are artefacts taken from Kearsney

BELOW: The opening of Kearsney College in 1939 in Botha’s Hill.

Manor, where the school began and which had been the home of Hopkins’s greatgrandfather.

Jimmy Hopkins was succeeded by Colin Silcock. He is reputed to have commented that Kearsney boys were good at being gracious in defeat, and he wanted to make sure they had more opportunities to be just as gracious in victory. The indoor sports centre that he opened during his tenure contributed to Kearsney’s sporting competitiveness.

 1939: A view of Kearsney’s original dining hall at the Botha’s Hill school, taken from the classroom block.

 2021: Today nutritional analysis, conducted by the school’s professional caterers, ensures the boys’ dietary needs are catered for in four bright dining halls.

 1947: Finningley House and the adjacent dining hall.

 2021: Finningley is one of four boarding houses for seniors at Kearsney, with Grade 8s being accommodated in Haley House.

 1922: Kearsney headmaster David Pyne Mercier with Kearsney choir boys at the original North Coast school.

 2014: The international award-winning Kearsney College Choir has won 15 gold medals and seven silvers at the World Choir Games between 2000 and 2018.

During the Silcock term, Kearsney joined the small group of private schools admitting black pupils. In the same year, the Kearsney Board of Governors ended its historical association with the board of Epworth, the Methodist girls’ school in Pietermaritzburg.

In 1991, Silcock was succeeded by Owen Roberts. His first year in office saw the opening of the Kearsney cultural centre. One of the hallmarks of his tenure was the growth, both in size and in prominence,

of the Kearsney choir. Roberts also aimed for an improvement in academic results. He introduced the practice of boys writing tests every Saturday morning, before their sports commitments.

Roberts was succeeded in 2001 by the present headmaster, Elwyn van den Aardweg, from Pretoria. His solid emphasis on academics, particularly mathematics and science excellence, has seen Kearsney post outstanding results, with distinction rates double those of the Independent

Examination Board in these subjects for 10 consecutive years. He introduced Mandarin as a matric subject, and the building of a new academic block, designed in line with international best practices for collaborative and modern learning and research. The Kearsney Easter Rugby Festival and development of the SportZone, which provides facilities to complement the school’s High Performance programme, have taken place during van den Aardweg’s tenure and contributed to Kearsney becoming a premier independent boys’ school in South Africa.

Without doubt, however, one of the greatest challenges to any headmaster in the school’s history has been presented by the demands of carrying on in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Headmaster, all staff and boys are to be congratulated on the creative ways they have adapted to these unique circumstances. *

#BackAKearsneyBoy

Last year this initiative raised R362 000 to assist Kearsney College families whose income was seriously affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Much of this was driven by California-based old boy Michael Hall. It assisted some families to keep their sons at Kearsney and enabled boys without access to laptops and data to receive these, to ensure their online learning was not impacted.

prince in the SPORT OF KINGS

CHAMPION JOCKEY ANTHONY DELPECH HAS MADE AN IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD, BUT IT’S IN DURBAN THAT HE’LL BE HOPING TO WIN ANOTHER SPECIAL TITLE

Born in 1969 in predominantly French-speaking Seychelles, Anthony emigrated to South Africa in the early 80s and settled in Durban with his family. He attended Glenwood High School with his brother, but found the language barrier infuriating.

Desperate to escape the frustrating situation he found himself in, Anthony entered the Jockey Academy in 1984 and thus began the career of this successful, driven and committed sportsman. After qualifying from the Academy, he would spend hours in the racing yards, getting to grips with life in some of the most active racing establishments of the day, learning about horse care, injuries and training methods from some of the more successful trainers of the late 80s.

Anthony concedes that luck played a part in things. “There were a lot of good jockeys around then,” he said. “You needed a break. Some of us got a break and some didn’t.”

His break came in the form of racehorse owner, Len Salzman, who had Anthony ride a number of his string of around 150 horses, who were in training with some of the greats, like David Ferraris, Alan Greef and Herman Brown.

One of Anthony’s more memorable years was 1998. It was the first time he became South Africa’s top jockey by winning the South African Championship. He broke all previous records by riding 335 winners that season – a record that still stands today.

Another career highlight for Anthony was the time spent racing in the Far East. Together with his wife and young children, he lived in Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan at the start of the 21st century. He also rode in Dubai, battling with the best in the business and winning.

Riding in these countries is by invitation only and offers are only made to the best international jockeys. When asked how he felt about the time spent riding abroad he replied, “Incredible! The atmosphere was fantastic. Horse racing is very well supported in those countries – thousands of people attend the race meetings. It’s an occasion over there still. People take it seriously. They dress up. That makes it worth it, makes it exciting.”

a

Anthony spent five years in Hong Kong, two in Singapore, two seasons in Dubai and some time in Japan. A highlight was winning the “Shema Classic” on Dubai night. In the end, it was Anthony’s choice to return to South Africa. But not before he achieved perhaps some of the greatest achievements of his racing career. One of these was his relationship with easily the best horse he ever rode, the Chinese owned “Vengeance of Rain” on which he won eight Group One races.

For Anthony, life away from the track also had its high points. He met and married

his lovely wife, Candice, in 1992 and they have three children. It seems good, old-fashioned family values are alive and well in the Delpech household. During my interview with their father, the children hung around unobtrusively observing.

Family was one of the main reasons why Anthony decided to return to South Africa. His children were growing up without knowing their extended family. Foreign jockeys and their families lived in the same apartment block and all of them on contract. Nothing was permanent and, therefore, it was not the most desirable environment in which to raise children.

Anthony is as busy as ever these days. He races six days a week and is in demand all over the country. It is not unusual for him to race in Durban in the afternoon and in Johannesburg the same evening. A punishing schedule successfully executed by this focused sportsman.

Over the years, Anthony has won the Durban July four times, including 2010 and 2011. Unfortunately, he will not be riding Igugu in this year’s Vodacom Durban July, as she is on her way overseas to participate in this year’s Dubai season. However, he will be riding another of Mike De Kock’s entries. Which one remains to be seen, as the draws have yet to take place, but whoever it is, one thing is

for sure, it has a good chance of winning!

And what is it like to be married to such a prolific sportsman? Candice takes the risks involved in her stride, her faith in Anthony’s abilities quite apparent. She does not come from a horsey background. In fact, she is petrified of horses!

They met when she was in Grade 11, or Standard nine as it was then known. One of her few gripes is the fact that Anthony refused to take her to her matric dance. At 23, Anthony considered himself too old to attend school functions and in the end it was his brother who accompanied Candice to the dance!

Although they do spend a lot of time apart, with Anthony riding all over the country, they are in close communication with each other. Candice books all his flights, deals with his various business interests, makes sure he gets to the airport on time and runs the household. With three children to organise, there is not much “mommy time” left. When she does find time for herself, she enjoys scrapbooking, collecting roses and reading autobiographies, especially sporting ones.

Passion, loyalty and determination are virtues she attempts to instil in her children. She encourages them to try their best in everything they undertake. “Try, try and try again” is a mantra she holds close to her heart.

The family’s recent move to Hillcrest from Mount Edgecombe has been one of the best decisions they have ever made. Candice’s parents live in the area and are an essential part of her support system when dealing with the children. Anthony is also much closer to the training centre at Summerveld where he rides for Mike De Kock. As Candice says, “It’s no joke having to get up at four in the morning and travel all the way from Mount Edgecombe to Summerveld.”

Having spent nine years overseas, Candice has come to truly appreciate South Africa, our wide blue skies and natural beauty, and once again Anthony can indulge in one of his favourite pastimes – a good old South African braai. *

TOP: Anthony on Bold Silvano, en route to the winner’s circle.

ABOVE: Anthony with wife Candice and their beautiful children Damon, Chelsea and Brooklyn.

capture your IMAGINATION

THE SPECTACULAR AMMAZULU AFRICAN PALACE IN KLOOF IS FULL OF HISTORICAL TREASURES AND CELEBRATES THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF KZN, WRITES KATRINE ANKER-NILSSEN

Around 50 years ago Peter Amm was on his first job as an architect in Kloof when he discovered a beautiful vacant plot nextdoor – right on the edge of the gorge. Peter saw a golden opportunity and decided to buy the plot, planting the edges with trees and promising himself he would return to make the most of it one day.

Forty years later, after living in Cape Town for some time, Peter returned to Durban and reconnected with Kevin MacGarry –whom he had met at University of Natal’s School of Architecture in 1968. And that’s when the idea of Ammazulu African Palace started to form.

“Peter’s energy, passion and grasp of the wholeness of our three-dimensional world is the reason there is a palace to talk about,” says Kevin. “He defines a world in which less is definitely not better than more. His appreciation of the luxuriousness of the plant world spreads to be surrounded by the richness of hand-crafted beauty – the items of everyday use and adornment that are governed, in his case, by ‘new is not necessarily better than old’.” With a laugh, Kevin adds that Peter was born with compulsive collector’s syndrome.

In the garden, in Peter’s Kloof home Merrywinkle – previously a cattle farm – there was a cow shed with a collection of Zulu arts and crafts; fragile, damp and forgotten. And the garden itself was full of teak windows and doors, choked by tropical plants. “I realised I needed to incorporate these treasures into a building,” explains Peter. “The treasures had to be the building, not in boxes inside the

Peter considered a cultural museum, but this idea was rejected by the council – deeming it inappropriate in a residential area. So he decided to turn his treasures into a boutique hotel – supporting beautiful artefacts, earning running costs and satisfying council

“Among Peter’s scattered variety of possessions were the title deeds of that property he found and fell in love with all those years ago,” says Kevin. And now the ball started rolling. For three and a half years Peter and his partner, Leon Mostert, sat to lunch with

Kevin to search for the heart of the scheme. Then time was spent weaving new windows, doors, timber shutters, marble paving and other things that Peter had found in his garden, into the building fabric. Ammazulu African Palace was complete and opened its doors to the public in 2011.

Walking into Ammazulu you find yourself catching your breath at the sheer scale and magnificence of the space and building. You may feel a little overwhelmed at first and unsure of where to look, as there is so much to take in. But once you have explored, one part at a time, you are certain to be left in awe.

Traditional artefacts, beadwork, sculptures and much more »

FAR LEFT: The majestic Art Deco bronze original front door from the old Colonial Mutual building in West Street.

LEFT: Ammazulu is the vision of local artist Peter Amm (left) – here pictured with fellow architect Kevin MacGarry, who helped make the palace what it is today.

adorn walls, floors and ceilings.

Twenty columns, arrayed on a gentle curve – wrapped by Jane Durand in traditional beadwork panels fixed next to the sparkle of chipped china, topped with traditional spears, wooden spoons and milk pails – stand 5-6 metres tall, assembled in twos with a sense of twinning.

Ten guest rooms, kitted out in beautiful things from India and Bali and supported by kitchen and health amenities, are on the top floor – which can be reached by a spiralling down cast-iron stair rescued

from Greenacres. There’s also a private dining room and a peaceful reading area upstairs, along with a veranda boasting breathtaking views of the gorge.

Downstairs you’ll find reception, a curio shop, the African Art Peeping Museum, a sauna and a steam room. There’s also a large dining space with eye-catching snake-shaped tables by wood-artist Russell Walford – which along with a kitchen close by is perfect for functions and conferences.

All this is protected by the dragon’s multi-coloured roof, whose spine is split to provide beautiful, natural light. There’s also an inviting splash pool outside, and direct access to trails in the Krantzkloof Gorge.

So what’s next for Peter, you may wonder? “We are working on a sculpture garden, hopefully to be opened soon, in my home garden at Merrywinkle,” he says with a twinkle in his eye. If Ammazulu is anything to go by, I expect this project will be just as magical. Watch this space! *

FOR MORE INFO

www.ammazuluafricanpalace.com

it's a CLASSIC

TO MOST OF US, A CAR GETS US FROM A TO B. BUT FOR SOME ENTHUSIASTS, A CAR IS AN INVESTMENT PIECE THAT NOT ONLY NEEDS LOTS OF LOVE, CARE AND ATTENTION, BUT ALSO DEEP POCKETS. GAVIN FOSTER CHATS TO TWO CAR CONNOISSEURS TO FIND OUT MORE

THE REPAIRER

When Keith Gentles of Kloof sold his very successful security company about 15 years ago he thought he’d retire, but that was not to be. He’d always enjoyed owning and working on interesting cars, and soon found himself helping friends out with restorations and repairs. “It’s a proper business now with five people kept busy every day,” Keith says. He and his team do pretty well whatever needs to be done –refurbishing rusted bodywork, overhauling engines, fabricating parts and sorting out upholstery.

“To rebuild any car properly is going to cost between R250 000 and half a million,” he says. “It’s an expensive game.” Those who are mechanically adept, on the other hand, can be spared much of the expense, and many of them do an excellent job. “There are a lot of people doing it on a shoestring budget,” says Keith.

“When it comes to the investment value, a lot depends upon what the car is. It takes the same hours of labour, it costs the same

for spares, and it has to be done properly –no matter what it is. If you rebuilt an AustinHealey 3-litre starting with a R50 000 car and ending up with something like the one standing outside, that’s an R850 000 car. That’s an investment.”

THE COLLECTOR

Some successful business people fill the dead space in their offices with coffee tables, couches, expensive artworks or massive pot plants. Others display trophies and sporting memorabilia. Gerard de Billot doesn’t have the time or the space for any of those though. His office – a building in a parking lot on the roof of a shopping centre in Ballito – doubles-up as a home for six of his valuable classic cars.

“My heart is really in American V8 muscle cars,” he says, “although I have others. If you ask me how much money I make on them, I’d have to say ‘nothing’, because I haven’t sold any, but the value goes up all the time and most are worth between 25 and 500 percent more than I paid for them.”

Gerard’s collection includes three Ford Mustangs, a 1938 Chevrolet pickup, a 1974 Ford Ranchero, a low-mileage as-new unrestored 1981 Ford Cortina bakkie, a very rare 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado, and a mint 1979 Ford Escort 1600 Sport. “That Escort has appreciated the most of all my cars,” he says. “I paid R40 000 for it eight years ago, » and because of its condition it would sell for more than R200 000 today. I’d say the cars appreciate by between 15 and 20 percent yearly on average. Probably the most important thing is originality – that’s where the money is in the big ticket items.”

When it comes to collectability age isn’t everything. Rarity, desirability and condition are all important. Pre-1918 veteran cars, vintage cars from the years between the »

FROM FAR LEFT: A completely rebuilt 1968 Alfa Spider Duetto; an original 1965 Jaguar 3.8 MK2 in for repairs; Keith Gentles with an Austin-Healey and the Alfa; an original 1937 Graham Paige in for maintenance. Pictures: Paul Reichle

wars, and more modern classic cars all have their fans, and an outstanding example of a 1970s icon could well be a better investment than, say, a 1928 Model T Ford.

There are different ways of accumulating a decent car collection. Some people buy ancient rusted wrecks for a pittance, then use their own skills and energy to restore them without breaking the piggy bank. That way, if they’ve chosen wisely and worked properly they can reasonably expect to turn a decent profit if and when they ever sell them. Others, like Gerard, prefer to buy only original, lowmileage immaculate cars if possible. A third, also expensive option, is to buy dilapidated cars and pay a restorer to rebuild them. All see their beloved cars as investments, but in truth, many would be loath to sell them.

So, where do you start? Choose carefully, and when it comes to actually buying the car, hunt down the best available example

you can afford. Above all, don’t pay more than it’s worth. Remember that you have to maintain and licence the cars and have somewhere to safely store them. Gerard’s 15 cars are scattered around various garages, all equipped with air-conditioning and dehumidifiers, and he has two mechanics on call to keep them running.

Collecting can be addictive. “My best friend in London had 500 cars,” says Gerard. “He’s cut down to about 200 now but is trying to reach fifty.” Also remember that the oldest cars aren’t necessarily the most valuable. You could pick up that running 90-year-old Model T Ford for under R200 000, while most 60s American muscle cars go for three times that.

Gerard’s most valuable car is currently in a container making its way to Durban from Silverstone Auctions in the UK. It’s far from original, but has an interesting past. Film

star Demi Moore bought the 1969 Dodge Charger R/T as a gift for her even more famous then-husband, Bruce Willis, in the 90s and he subsequently had it converted to a near-replica of the car driven by the baddies in the epic 1968 Steve McQueen movie, Bullitt.

Willis kept the car until 2008 and then sold it for R1,2-million to British pop star Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, who spent a further R460 000 converting the V8 engine into a fiery 8.2-litre 700hp monster. Gerard in turn bought it on auction in February, and by the time it lands here the Charger will have set him back close to R2,5-million with commission, duties and shipping costs tacked on. “The auction attracted a lot of interest, and I’ve already been offered R3,5-million for it, but it’s not for sale,” he says. One of the two 1968 Chargers reputedly used in the movie was recently offered for around R12-million! *

RIGHT: Gerard de Billot posing with three of his prized possessions, two Mustangs and an Oldsmobile.

BELOW: The Dodge Charger that belonged to Bruce Willis, which Gerard has bought and will soon be arriving in Durban.

something FOR EVERYONE

ROBIN LAMPLOUGH EXPLORES HOW THE DURBAN SHONGWENI CLUB HAS CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AND HOW IT TODAY BLENDS ITS TRADITIONAL VALUES WITH POPULAR INNOVATIONS

This club makes a bold claim. Entering the Saddle Inn restaurant, you see a plaque stating: “South Africa’s best equestrian, social and outdoor lifestyle club.” The club certainly has an interesting past. Trustee Sandy Cox provided much

detail along with documents and photographs. Long-time member and judge, Pam Crompton, provided more photos and explained the intricacies of many of the disciplines involved in training and riding horses.

A century ago, many well-todo white families in Natal kept their own horses. Some had

Durban stables and travelled there at weekends. But that ended with petrol rationing during Hitler’s war. The custom developed for 10 or 15 riders from Kloof, Gillitts and Hill Crest to assemble on Sundays at some central venue – the Pepperpots tearoom was a favourite – for an outride followed by a social gathering.

Before long, the group was looking for a more permanent home. They found one in the plantations of J.B. McIntosh’s Natal Wattle Syndicate. The new Shongweni Pony Club was able to negotiate a long lease. Late in the 1950s, wattle stumps were cleared and some rudimentary wattle-and-daub stables, built of poles and clay,

were put up along with a small clubhouse.

Then, early in the 1960s, the Durban Horse and Polo Club lost its grounds at Newmarket, near King’s Park. The expropriation of this municipal property brought the Durban club a handsome sum in compensation. The outcome was a convenient marriage between the two associations, with the pay-out as dowry. From that point forward, the new body was called the Durban Shongweni Club.

Many members hoped they could create a country club to rival that of Kloof, already over 20 years old and built around a golf course. But that was not to be. The new club, however, was able to level the ground and build two polo fields, soon in use nearly every weekend. In addition, regular dressage and eventing competitions were held. Before long, the club could offer 60 permanent stables, as well as extra accommodation at weekends for visiting polo ponies and grooms. Then, in 1975, Tongaat-Hulett acquired the wattle plantations and cleared

ABOVE & TOP: A rider is judged on appearance and skills.

LEFT: The clubhouse in 1950.

BELOW: Aerial view 20 years ago.

them for planting sugar.

The next threat came from the proposed route of the new N3 highway. Long negotiations followed and eventually the

road plans were modified. The club lost land but received a goodly sum in compensation.

By 1985, however, many local polo players found it more convenient to use a new club off Inanda Road, and the Shongweni polo section ceased to exist.

But in the same year, the

club was transformed by the granting of a liquor license – which enabled it to open full time. For the next decade and more, a number of ex-pat Rhodesians played a variety of roles in organising and running club activities.

By the 1990s, the approach of political change in South Africa and rivalry between local factions produced conflict which affected the running of the club. Foreign grooms were attacked, and equipment and building materials stolen. When the clubhouse was broken into, a rapid-response security system was installed.

Subsequently, under the energetic leadership of Anton Mostert, the decision was reached to make the clubhouse self-sustaining. In a recent interview, club manager Gavin Proctor made it clear that he sees his function as keeping the club profitable by staying abreast of current demand. His formula appears to blend traditional values with popular innovations. A glance at the club’s website reveals that regular activities in the grounds include a park run, a meeting of model airplane enthusiasts, trail runs, rugby games and a mountain bike track.

Clearly the Durban Shongweni Club is here to stay. *

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3

a bittersweet CIAO

THIS MAY BE A BITTERSWEET FAREWELL FOR THE TIME BEING FOOD LOVERS, BUT I’LL BE BACK, PROMISES ANT ELLIS

As the darkest of days (my deadline for this, my final piece of writing for these hallowed pages) approached – insidiously stalking me, creeping ever nearer, much like the icky, burgeoning mould eating at the lost potato at the back of the veggie drawer – I was bound to ponder. Reflecting on three amazing years, nearly 100 published recipes and what a blessing it has been to work with this rockin’ team, I decided – rather than stewing in my own juices (food pun) – to treat this column not as a misty-eyed retrospective, but as a heroic last foodie hurrah for all the amazing people at Famous Publishing. Suck it, misery!

Yeah, this is a sad occasion, but writing for this mag has also been the raddest of rides – bittersweet, indeed. I’ve been through culinary school, become a chef and learnt so much more about food –ingredients, techniques, trends and more – than expected in my research and recipe testing. Most importantly, I’ve

fallen even more in love with the cathartic creative outlet that is the kitchen. So, to round things up satisfyingly in this, our final issue, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to deliver two recipes that reflect and express the Rock The Kitchen ethos I have shared with y’all from day one: Good Food. Better Drinks. The Best of Times! So, let’s raise a glass, a spoon and our voices to the good life.

THE BITTER Americano Cocktail

This deliciously sharp and refreshing cocktail is the precursor to the classic negroni, and was named for the American tourists to Italy in the mid-1800s, who, the bartenders found, wanted their Milano-Torino cocktails of bitter Campari and fortified vermouth watered down with soda water. It was after that, that the soda was replaced with gin to create the boozy negroni. Karin and I love this drink – it’s the perfect weekend kickstarter.

• 1½ tots (45ml) Campari

• 1½ tots (45ml) sweet vermouth (osso, no other hooch will do)

• 1½ tots (45ml) soda water, with more to your taste

• orange twist (slice or peel), to garnish

Fill a glass – I prefer a highball glass, but traditionally it’s served in a short or rocks glass – with ice. Pour in Campari, vermouth, and soda water. Give it a gentle stir, add soda water to taste. Garnish with an orange twist and serve, then mix another.

THE SWEET Natalie’s Easy Tiramisu

More Italian influence here. This is pretty much the only dessert we eat in Italy, where every family has a secret recipe for this incredible after-dinner treat. As legend has it, this delightful dish dates back to a brothel mistress in Turin around 1800 (Ha!) and was brought into the mainstream only in the 1960s. Disclaimer: This isn’t the most authentic recipe, because according to them Italians (including Natalie), everyone else’s is wrong. Still, I can’t get enough of it.

• 1½ cups whipping cream

• cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese at room temperature

• 1½ cups cold espresso

• 3 Tbsp Kahlua

• 1 pack Boudoir finger biscuits

• cocoa powder for dusting the top

Add cream to a mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl and begin

beating. Slowly add sugar and vanilla, continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Add mascarpone cheese, mix gently until just combined, then set aside. Add coffee and Kahlua to a shallow bowl. Dip finger biscuits in coffee (don’t over-soak them – just quickly dip them on both sides to get them wet) and lay them in a single layer on the bottom of a 20x20cm pie or casserole dish. Smooth half of the mascarpone mixture over top. Add another layer of dipped finger biscuits. Smooth remaining mascarpone cream over top. Using a sieve, dust top generously with cocoa powder. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or preferably overnight before serving.

And that’s a wrap. Thanks for reading, and for all the amazing feedback over the years. Yup,

all good things must come to an end – except, of course, our enduring and eternal love of food. They may take our magazines, they may take our internet access ... but they will NEVER take our appetites! Always remember that the best times we spend together are at the table. And hell yeah, I’ll be back. Talk to me at ant@rockthekitchen.co.za *

ABOVE: Durban lover of good food, wine and company, Ant Ellis.

story metropole architects pictures grant pitcher

OBAN estate

Summerveld is located within the lush rolling hills of Upper Highway’s Shongweni, and this tight knit horse racing and show jumping community is home to the Oban Estate – a contemporary residence and equestrian facility named after the Scottish seaside town from where the owner’s family originates.

The point of entry to this four hectare (40 000m²) site involves driving through a raw concrete and corten gatehouse and along a curved, tree lined avenue. This provides an opportunity to catch obscured rhythmic glimpses of the home through evenly spaced Plane trees. Emerging from this leafy tunnel of dappled light, and passing under a low slung cantilevered canopy that opens up into an expansive

parking court, signals the arrival at the private residence.

This modern home with brutalist undertones expressed in the structural design, takes on a simple arrangement of monolithic linear forms that project out across the vast manicured lawn and gently sloping paddocks, while still managing to position itself comfortably amongst the existing mature trees.

Approaching the home, an organic shaped concrete wall weaves its way above a shallow reflective pond, enthusiastically inviting visitors over a small bridge and through the front door.

On entering the home, the view of the distant horizon vista through an expansive unobstructed 10m opening is simply breathtaking. Simultaneously, the prominent V-column, the “googie” styled

floating staircase, and the triangulated coffer slab double volume ceiling, set the tone for what lies ahead.

The open plan kitchen, lounge and dining room area leads on to a fully equipped, covered outdoor living and entertainment area, swimming pool, and 24m long koi pond. A guest suite and combination study/ lounge/gym area make up the remaining ground floor spaces.

While functioning as the means to transition floor levels, the feature staircase offers a sculptural backdrop to the double volume space that leads up to the mezzanine landing.

Arriving at the upper section gallery area of the double volume, there is a notable change of atmosphere. The filtered light moving through the wall of vertical screens, as well as a series of

WHERE CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE, EQUESTRIANISM AND NATURE COALESCE INTO A REALITY THAT IS INSPIRING, FUNCTIONAL AND UNIQUE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ITS SPECTACULAR SETTING

nine symmetrically formationed triangular skylights, collectively create an ethereal and uplifting experience, which always tempts a moment of contemplation.

This floor level is made up of two twin suites and a master suite that includes a private lounge/reading area. All the suites are linked by a 28m floor to ceiling glazed passage that can be completely opened up to allow for natural cross ventilating breezes during the humid summer months.

The equestrian component adjacent to the home consists of stables, an oval shaped office, complete with private lounge and bathroom, a 2 400m² open showjumping arena surface, arena storage, workshops, and public parking for visitors cars and horse trailers.

While this lightweight building departs

from the modernist architectural language of the private residence, the shape of the building reinforces the linear form originating from the home.

This steel and sheeted structure houses all the equestrian functions under a single mono-pitch roof, with angular sheeted walls either wrapping downwards, or opening upwards depending on the relative function that occurs within. In some areas the wrap down is dissolved into horizontal louvre elements that facilitate the sensible balance of natural light and solar control, particularly in the area of the stables. In addition, the early morning and late afternoon shadow patterns generated by the louvres bring a warmth and texture to the robust surface areas.

The design framework for both components of the project was established

in the resolution of two fundamental challenges: The first being from a site planning aspect. The residential and equestrian components had to be functionally defined according to their respective private and public usage, while at the same time achieving the aesthetic of a

single integrated development.

The second being from an architectural aspect. The introduction of a bold modernist structure within a rustic country environment demanded a rigorous design approach. The process pursued an outcome that would present buildings confident in their demeanor, yet respectful of the prominent site that had received them.

Ultimately the aim of this project was driven by a vision to see contemporary architecture, equestrianism, and nature, coalesce into a reality that was inspiring, functional and unique within the context of its spectacular setting. *

This modern home with brutalist undertones expressed in the structural design, takes on a simple arrangement of monolithic linear forms

timeless FASHION ICON

AMANDA LAIRD CHERRY MAY HAVE REACHED THE PINNACLE OF HER CAREER, BUT SHE’S NOT DONE REACHING FOR THE STARS, WRITES DEBBIE REYNOLDS

Pinning Amanda down between her trip to London to accept her Fashion Designer of the Year award, her businesses in the USA and South Africa and the birth of her second grandchild is no easy task.

When we do talk, she gives me her full attention, which is exactly what makes this exceptional fashion designer and businesswoman so extremely successful. Amanda immerses herself totally in everything she does, be it making sandwiches for her husband Glen’s work lunch, creating an inspired runway collection or launching a new brand across the world.

With her roots firmly entrenched in her beloved Durban, Amanda managed to branch out to USA’s Charlotte, North Carolina, where she has lived for the last 11 years.

“We still have our home in Kloof, and I come back to SA four to five times a year for various shows or work commitments,” she says. “Each time I see my country with a great perspective and a fresh eye.”

Moving away from South Africa was

never on Amanda’s agenda, but when Glen suggested going on an adventure, Amanda said “why not!”

“It was hard at first, but I have such a wonderful team beside me that it works really well,” she says.

In her acceptance speech at the 2019 World Fashion Awards in London, which she was “flabbergasted and thrilled to win”, she paid tribute to “all the people I have worked with and who have supported me over the years”.

“From my husband to my seamstresses, patternmakers and partners, it’s a team, not just me!”

Amanda has always had an inclusive mindset, a passion for culture, social responsibility and mentorship and an insatiable thirst for knowledge and understanding.

It is these qualities she brings to her design ethos and brands, which include Amanda Laird Cherry Apparel, ALC Menswear and The Space in SA, and Ivy Citizens “athleisure” in the USA.

“Collaboration within the local industry and supporting local for strategic

TOP: Amanda Laird Cherry fitting a model for one of her runway collections.

ABOVE: Amanda Laird Cherry won Fashion Designer of the Year at the World Fashion Awards in London in September.

sustainability has always been my business model,” says Amanda.

It’s a commitment which also won her the Changemaker Award at the inaugural Twyg Sustainability in Fashion Awards 2019.

I first met Amanda in the 90s when she headed the rampant Durban Designer Collection fashion pack. The girl who wanted to be an actress turned into a confident, passionate, humble, adventurous and classically elegant woman with an edgy twist.

“I think my style comes from my mom who has a great eye for decor and clothing,” she says. “With my dad being a racehorse trainer, she had to dress up a lot and was always beautifully appointed. I ended up with a lot of her clothes which ignited my love for the soul of second-hand things.”

Her unique collaboration with Gumtree to create a collection from restyled second-hand clothing for SA Fashion Week 2019 was a sensation. For Amanda it was fulfilling to create awareness of our unsustainable “throwaway” culture.

Particularly telling is her “most memorable” career moment. “I always

think of the 1999 Durban Designer Collection where my collection was inspired by traditional African umBlaselo pants.

“I’d been intrigued by them from the days when we would drive from Durban to Cape Town for the horseracing season in the December holidays and I’d see men wearing them along the way.

“Wanting to use them as an inspiration for my range that year my research took me on a wonderful journey of meeting people, from professors at UKZN to Warwick Avenue workers and an amazingly proud man who created them from a tiny room in a KwaMashu hostel.”

It was “goose bump” collection, which Amanda remembers more for how well it was received for its cultural heritage

and sensitivity than for winning the Best Designer award.

If forced to find a reason for staying relevant in such a fickle world as fashion, Amanda reckons it could be down to her tenacity.

“I’ve had my ups and downs, but I don’t like giving up and I don’t let go easily,” she laughs. “I’m also insanely curious and blessed to work with my great loves … art, drama, community and people.”

Being a mom to Raqel (28) and Ethan (23) and now grandmother to Josi and Deyla, Amanda has considered slowing down.

“But, when I chat about it to Glen, I know that I don’t want to stop. There’s so much more to learn and discover and new goals to reach. I’ve not achieved my 100% yet!” *

If forced to find a reason for staying relevant in such a fickle world as fashion, Amanda reckons it could be down to her tenacity

TOP: Amanda Laird Cherry with some of her Durban studio team, from left, Linda Peters, Zwelisha Giampietri, Robyn McMillan and Brendan Sturrock.

ABOVE: Amanda and Lisa Thomson, her Ivy Citizens partner in Charlotte, North Carolina.

story robin lamplough

Seventy years ago, the village of Hill Crest had a human population of 1 135. Almost half this number was white, while the other 585 were those who served them. How is it possible at this distance in time to be so precise? These details were recorded in a report by a government inspector, preserved by that tireless chronicler of Hillcrest, Elizabeth Camp. The report, like a photo album, captures through the written word glimpses of the village as it was then.

But why was the inspector there? In the previous year, 1943, the central government had ruled that local government – through elected health committees – could be installed in Natal. The informal leaders of Hill Crest immediately applied to be included in the process. At that time, the village covered 830 acres (just over 300 hectares) of privately owned properties averaging about two acres in area. Some of these properties were still on leases dating back to the original settlement of 1895. The others were freehold, purchased since 1924 when one of the Gillitt sons sold his land to a syndicate of residents known as Hill Crest Properties.

A large proportion of the town’s population, however, was classified as

A MOMENT, frozen in time

Household refuse was commonly buried on the property and waste water was disposed of on the ground. Toilet facilities varied from pit privies (with removable buckets) to the occasional septic tank.

TO GOVERNMENT RECORDS AND THE EXTENSIVE WORK OF LOCAL CHRONICLER ELIZABETH CAMP, WE HAVE AN ENLIGHTENING LOOK INTO HILL CREST OF 1944

THANKS

temporary, including the patients at the new hospital for the chronically ill, the population of Highbury School, and the residents at the hotel.

On some lots, the original wood-and-

iron holiday cottages stood, but later on homes were built of brick and tile. Each stand had its own servant quarters, and many still had a poultry run, as well as a few horses and cows for private use.

One of Hill Crest’s most serious problems was water. A few residents had their own springs or wells, but some of them were horrifyingly close to the pit toilets – and most villagers relied on rainwater tanks, which often ran dry by September. A few also drew untreated water from the railway storage tanks. However, the scarcity of water was not the only difficulty. Wood’s store had been investigated earlier because it was a rat haven. The butchery was well organised but the walls needed repainting and its

YESTERYEAR

A distant memory of Hill Crest. Pictures of landmark buildings, like these, have been captured and preserved by chronicler Elizabeth Camp.

fly screens repaired. Highbury’s workers’ latrines and the disposal of rubbish, as well as pupils’ used bath water presented serious health hazards.

Generally, however, the picture was reassuring. There were four small dairies around the edges of the village and a general dealer, SG Wood, had his store on the main road, with the new hotel opposite. Slavin, the butcher, sold meat supplied to him from the Durban abattoir, while David Fregona ran a trading store opposite the railway station. An African cobbler worked behind Wood’s store and an entrepreneur named Ndaba ran a mobile canteen in a side street near the station to cater for the African market. There were 17 street lights but none of them had burned since the introduction of a war-time blackout. Once a week during the war, too, an air-raid siren was sounded to keep it in good shape for emergencies.

There was a regular rail service during the week and, at weekends, the hotel with its tennis courts and frequent dances provided a social centre, which replaced the dilapidated old wood-and-iron community hall near the present library. One of the first acts of the new health committee would be to dismantle the hall and sell its parts for £600. This must have been a great relief to the committee – as they had started life with an overdraft of £25! *

THANK YOU!

FAMOUS PUBLISHING’S MAGAZINES ARE NOT JUST PAPER AND INK. THEY’RE ABOUT SHARING STORIES, THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR, THE PLACES WE VISIT, THE SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA, AND SO MUCH MORE. IN THIS, OUR FINAL ISSUE OF THE CREST, WE HONOUR THE MANY CONTRIBUTORS WHO HAVE SHARED THIS RIDE WITH US

You’ve heard the saying: a picture is worth a thousand words? Yes, that might be true in some instances, but it is often the words that bring the story to life, adding quirky nuances, humour, and emotion that only the writer is able to feel and put down for our readers to enjoy.

But, of course, what would a bunch of words be without pictures to complete the visualisation of the story,

thus offering readers the full experience?

Since the beginning – in 2004 – Famous Publishing –The Ridge, The Crest and KZN Invest magazines – wouldn’t have been able to produce the quality of publications that we did without our vast team of dedicated contributors. From initiating ideas, following up leads, sticking to briefs, and hounding interviewees, we have worked with seasoned journalists who have stopped at nothing to bring you, the

reader, the best version of their stories with passion and perfection.

Getting the perfect picture is sometimes no mean feat. It’s all part of the game – just as long as the picture is spot on and makes our magazines stand out from the rest. Hundreds of pictures later, hours of sifting through them selecting the best, sometimes reshooting – all for the sake of perfection.

To the many writers

and photographers who have contributed to Famous Publishing’s titles over the past 19 years, thank you for going beyond the call of duty. Thank you for working through the night and over weekends to meet deadlines. Thank you for coming on this journey with us. And thank you for making our magazines the best. Without you, there would have been no stories, no pictures – and no magazines for our communities to call their own. Thank you. *

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