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