The Ridge 141

What an amazing journey it has been. But, as the proverb goes, all good things must come to an end. It is with a heavy heart that I have to share with you that this is the last edition of The Ridge magazine. Looking back through our archived issues made me realise how privileged and proud I am to have been part of this community. Our community has been home to some world-class sportspeople, enterprising business leaders willing to

AN AMAZING JOURNEY

risk everything, fun and quirky personalities, and loads more. Over the last 19 years The Ridge has kept readers abreast of the staggering developments that have turned KZN’s fields of sugar cane into a business hub filled with hope for the future.

Yes, much has changed in 19 years. But one thread that has remained intact has been the resilience of our community. Irrespective of all the hardships we have faced, especially in more recent times, our community knows

MESSAGE FROM DAVID WIGHTMAN

My days on The Ridge 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 Ridge and what friendships were made. The Ridge pioneered regional glossy magazines in this country and spawned many copycats – and setting it up was no mean feat.

The Ridge was the brainchild of Louis Meyer and Tim Lombard, with myself as the launch editor – three men who had no money. We put our heads together, found rent-free premises in part of a paint shop, obtained

how to bounce back and move forward even stronger. And for that, the team at The Ridge – past and present –commend you. You have been our inspiration for the last 140 editions.

Our farewell issue features a small handful of some of your favourite stories over the years to remind you that community is everything.

To all our readers, advertisers, contributors, businesses, shopping centres, schools and staff – past and present – thank you for your

support. You have made this journey a very rich and worthwhile one.

And what an amazing journey it has been – but, all good things must come to an end.

Go well,

Note: We have tried to keep stories in their original form, but in some cases have made small tweaks.

TALK TO US

lorna.king@famouspublishing.co.za www.theridgeonline.co.za

W Ridge Magazine

furniture being discarded by a multi-national, took a deep breath and just began.

I will never forget the arrival of that first edition, but from the outset The Ridge was a success, professionally produced, beautifully designed, well received and loved immediately by readers and advertisers.

This was a time of great progress in the area, new buildings, new roads, bridges and interchanges. As the area grew, so did The Ridge

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. Thank you, Lorna, for inviting me to write this. You have been a wonderful editor. This final edition marks the end of a golden era.

David Wightman

a trip down MEMORY LANE

AFTER 19 YEARS THERE FELT NO BETTER WAY TO CLOSE THIS CHAPTER ON THE RIDGE THAN TO TAKE READERS DOWN MEMORY LANE, AND FOR ONE LAST TIME TO CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PEOPLE, OUR PLACES. TAKE A READ AT SOME OF OUR MOST POPULAR STORIES OVER THE YEARS, AS WELL AS BE REMINDED OF THE CHANGING FACE OF UMHLANGA, AND CHERISH THIS EDITION AS A MEMENTO OF OUR COMMUNITY

captains great Sharks match

Jenna WORLOCK

FROM THE WORLD’S FITTEST WOMAN IN 2004 TO HAPPY MOM IN 2018, JENNA LAUNCHED THE RIDGE MAGAZINE

Homegrown sports star Jenna Worlock graced the cover of the very first issue of The Ridge in 2004. She had just been crowned in Hong Kong as the world’s fittest woman.

“It was awesome being on the cover of The Ridge,” recalls Jenna. “I had appeared in several other publications but this was really special for me because at the time I was living in uMhlanga and it was my home town. I had an amazing response from family and friends. Also importantly, coverage like this makes a difference as when you’re not performing

which had always been a part of my base training during the surf lifesaving off season. My final international competition was representing South Africa at the ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships in France before retiring from my ‘professional’ sporting career.

“In 2005 I gave the triathlon scene a go, and after a few injuries and niggles, I decided that recreational surf ski paddling, surfing, polo cross and mountain biking was taking up enough of my time between my new business ventures in the property industry.

At the time of writing in 2018, Jenna said, “Personally, I now live on a beautiful

Emma. Having kids is a game changer, and I’ve probably surfed and paddled three times in the last two years, but this is such an incredible phase of my life and more fulfilling than any world title or gold medal.

“Sport is such an integral part of leading a healthy lifestyle, making friends, teaching you discipline, time management and commitment to anything you pursue in life. My children will most definitely take part in sport, whichever sport they choose, even if it’s just at school level.” *

Jenna Worlock graced the cover of the very 2004. She had just been crowned in Hong woman.

in ‘mainstream’ sports (where one usually belongs to a society) it’s difficult to obtain sponsorship.”

on the cover of The Ridge,” recalls Jenna. other publications but this was really the time I was living in uMhlanga and it an amazing response from family and coverage like this makes a difference as in ‘mainstream’ sports (where one usually

Nearly 19 years later, and now Jenna Larsen, she has certainly not been idle. “After retiring from surf lifesaving in 2003, I pursued sprint and marathon canoeing,

WORLOCK: Keeping fit on the farm

Having kids is a game changer, and I’ve probably surfed and paddled three times in the last two years, but this is such an incredible phase of my life and more fulfilling than any world title or gold medal

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STYLES MBATHA making the connection

ON AIR AND IN PERSON, HE’S CHARISMATIC, OPEN, WARM, AND PLAYFULLY RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE WITH WHOM HE INTERACTS. THERE’S ANOTHER SIDE TO HIM TOO, AND IT’S THOSE COMPLEX LAYERS WHICH MAKE HIM RELATABLE TO HIS RISING LISTENERSHIP

ON EAST COAST RADIO, WRITES ANNE SCHAUFFER

You don’t need young Styles Mbatha, East Coast Radio presenter, to tell you he loves people. He’s open and welcoming from the second he sees you, and you feel the feeling strongly. This low dose of ego is slightly surprising for someone who’s not only going places, who’s determined to keep climbing, but as his name suggests, looks the part!

It’s no real surprise to learn his working life began in hospitality, particularly working and playing with children. He’s fun, young at heart and, as it turns out, adventurous. South African born, raised and matriculated, when Styles began analysing his strengths with a view to his future, he knew one thing for sure: “I love people,” so he thought “hospitality”.

He spent three months in Zinkwazi running a children’s holiday programme, and for the next eight, ran similar entertainment programmes in Drakensberg resorts. He believed he’d found his niche – but nothing’s ever cast in stone.

Covid hit, and being in one of the

worst affected industries, he ended up locked down for six months on a farm in Bergville. A grin: “I learnt to be a farmer.” This was never going to be his career.

Back in Durban, he won’t ever forget a particular Wednesday: “I was busy frying chicken at a Durban North takeaway, and my phone pinged with a link to The East Coast Radio Presenter Search –my friends believed this would be for me. I had until Friday midnight to put it together. Long story short, I wanted a fresh challenge, and was intrigued by this. My dad had passed away in 2019, and not long before, he’d asked what I’d like to do with my life. ‘Be a radio presenter’ was my reply.”

This competition seemed serendipitous: “With no clear idea of what was required, I listened and watched other entrants online. The video had to be posted on the entrant’s social media platforms, with the relevant hash tags and that of East Coast Radio.” When entries closed, there were 5 000 submissions.

Styles chose videographer Kyron Allen: “I wanted to shoot my content

in a different way. I showcased Durban, places that people knew – the beachfront or the Sharks stadium – all recognisable. Instead of introducing myself in a predictable way, I interviewed random people about random topics, I learnt to ride a bicycle, I showcased myself through my surroundings.” Styles’ video squeaked in before the deadline and, just before he was heading to bed, a friend phoned to tell him to check his social media: “They’re loving you!” Over 50 000 views, people he knew and many

he didn’t, from KZN to Gauteng.”

Next morning, he woke to an email announcing he was in the quarter finals. He jumped through the various hoops, and finally, gets the call live on air – “Hello Hi,” he answers with his trademark greeting –he’d bagged the number one slot on the East Coast Radio Presenter Search.

Yes, a contract with East Coast Radio, R20 000, and a range of merchandise was his. His life changed from that moment, not only because of his Saturday 2 to 6 show, but the wonderful spinoffs. For

Styles, this world of sponsorship or ambassadorship was a foreign one. He represents a brand within Edgars called J Exchange, which has grown to include fragrances and beauty; he works with Cell C campaigns, and he has a sponsored Toyota Urban Cruiser vehicle. He’s loving all this, and understands that as a public figure, he can’t be that guy in flip flops all the time: “I now own two suits,” he grins. “First suit I’ve ever owned. Mind blowing.”

A few weeks ago, he wore Mickey Mouse pjs. Another laugh, “I was quite nervous

about the Disney shoot, but they were very cool items. I have a strong audience from Grade 7 to late 20s; on air, my audience is quite a bit older, so I’m talking to a wide age range.”

From the outside looking in, Styles is a good-looking young man with the world at his feet. Before Styles, he was Cecil. Styles came about back when he was a freeSTYLE rapper, and his friends dubbed him Styles. He’s happy with Styles, and very happy with this new life: “I feel most alive when I’m in front of people entertaining them –anything that involves complete strangers and showcasing who I am. For that split second, you’re giving everything of yourself, and they’re receiving it. It’s just a moment of connection, but I value that.”

Styles understands the value of that connection, and he puts it down to “how relatable your story is”. He believes his story is relatable, even though he’s firm

about radio’s focus on the listener, not the presenter. He’s a facilitator. That said, he feels “Listeners are trying to find a friend in a voice. Why do you think radio listenership rose so substantially during lockdown?”

Whether it’s radio or sporting the latest PUMA sneakers – he’s a self-confessed sneakerhead – Styles is adamant: “Be the best version of yourself, whatever you’re doing. Always give more than is expected.” He has a great work ethic, but it’s not just a job, it’s a future: “I’m afraid of a lot of things, but one thing I’m not afraid of is work. I have a blueprint in my mind of what I want for the next five years. I’ve accomplished three of them, and look forward to watching the other two play out,” he grins conspiratorially. “You must be your best ‘hype man’, no one else can be that person. Only you know yourself; know what you’re capable of. I aim high – over there, but further.” *

Styles is adamant: “Be the best version of yourself, whatever you’re doing. Always give more than is expected”

Picture: Val Adamson

INDIAN RELIGIONS ARE AMONG THE FEW IN THE WORLD WHICH DO NOT SEPARATE PIETY FROM PROSPERITY. IN HINDU CULTURE THERE IS EVEN A GODDESS FOR WEALTH, KNOWN AS LAKSHMI. WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE THERE IS NO DENYING THE IMPACT OF INDIAN BUSINESS ACUMEN ON THE KWAZULU-NATAL ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE. AS THE COMMUNITY CELEBRATED 150 YEARS IN 2010 IN SOUTH AFRICA, AND DURBAN IN PARTICULAR, WE LOOK AT SOME OF THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMERCE

Indentured Indian labourers arrived on South African soil on November 16, 1860, to work the sugar cane fields for the British, who could not get the local Zulus to do what was perceived as “women’s work”.

The plantations boosted Natal’s economy but the Indian community remained at the bottom of the food chain and anti-Indian sentiment saw a barrage of laws passed against them to ensure they remained there.

Shortly after the arrival of the indentured labourers, the passenger Indians followed,

TOP: Between 1860 and 1911, 152 184 indentured labourers arrived in Natal. They were brought to shore in smaller boats because of the harbour’s limitations. Trips from Madras and Calcutta took 45 and 54 days respectively. Picture: J.B.Brain, 125 Years – The Arrival of Natal’s Indians, Natalia, (1985)

ABOVE: Warwick Avenue Market in Durban, opened in 1934, was where Indian farmers sold their produce. Picture: LHM (Photos left and above taken from the book From Cane Fields to Freedom, researched and edited by Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie, published by Kwela)

CANE WORKERS to captains of industry

the majority of whom were traders, artisans and workers. They paid for their own voyages to Natal and were not bound to any labour contract. They used their existing ties with free Indians to set up shop and so the British colonisers labelled them the “merchant menace”. From the beginning the business-minded nature of these traders prevailed.

After indenture, many took their freedom and plied their trade as merchants selling fruits, flowers, and food in town streets, or sought employment in the public sector, hotels, manufacturing and construction.

Essentially the Indian commercial class in colonial Natal consisted of the well established merchants, the petty storekeepers and the hawkers. Many initially sought employment as hawkers, selling fresh produce and Indian groceries, or worked salesmen or store supervisors. Once sufficient capital was accumulated, they became general dealers and later entered the wholesale business. The rights of Indians, however, were severely limited.

In 1893, Natal was granted self-governing status and it began to introduce a series of discriminatory laws against Indians. In the same year a young Indian lawyer named Mahatma Gandhi, who had been educated in England, arrived in Natal. In 1894, a year after his arrival, he founded the Natal Indian Congress along with local Indians – their

campaign for social justice was known as a Satyagraha.

The congress made headway but prohibitive legal Acts against Indians continued. “Coolie locations” were established and the road to apartheid had been established.

During this time a number

of revolutionaries emerged, among them Dr Monty Naicker, who is regarded by many of his comrades as the greatest South African Indian leader since Mahatma Gandhi. He signed the famous Doctors Pact in 1947 – a declaration of co-operation between the

Natal Indian Congress, the African National Congress and the Transvaal Indian Congress, which paved the way for the Congress of the People, which met in Kliptown in 1955, and adopted the Freedom Charter. Women like Ela Gandhi, Phyllis Naidoo and the late Fatima

RIGHT: Clockwise from top left: Ashok Sewnarain; Vivian Reddy; AB Moosa; Anant Singh.

Meer played pivotal roles in the struggle as well.

Kalpana Hiralal, professor of history at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, in a 2004 paper, discussed the emergence of powerful family businesses. She said the Group Areas Act hastened the emergence of family monopolies and business consortiums, which invested in large blocks of flats, modern department stores, wholesale businesses, hotels and mills.

Hiralal’s research suggests that by the 1970s most Indian retail businesses were largely characterised by family, co-operative labour, followed by partnerships and private companies. In terms of individual ownership, partnerships and private companies, Indian businesses were mainly general dealers engaging in Indian and African trade, primarily in the areas of food and clothing.

Thus it becomes apparent that Indians were heavily concentrated in a limited number of retail trades only.

This scenario was to change in the 1990s with the new political dispensation.

Post apartheid neoliberal economic policies resulted in some Indian family businesses embracing the new economic changes while others failed to adapt. In Grey Street crime was the most constricting factor. TK Soni, a well known jeweller, whose business was established by his grandfather, originally from Gujarat, India and who acquired his licence to work as a jeweller in Durban in 1910, traded for about 40 years in Grey Street before the family closed the shop’s doors

after a spate of violent attacks.

Like another popular “town” jeweller, Narandas, many businesses moved to expensive shopping malls. While prominent and well established family businesses of the 1980s – for example, Popatlal Kara, Damjee Jewellers, Roopanands’, Mistry’s/Dash supermarket, and Manilal Ratanjee’s –which were plagued by either personal or socio-economic factors, gradually downscaled their enterprises, others skilfully created opportunities within the new economic climate. They formed alliances with white capitalists locally and abroad, embracing the new African political order and liaising with Asian foreign capital and diaspora connections.

These individuals have become corporate giants dominating the home market and rivalling international competitors.

Among Durban’s most prominent Indian businessmen over the years are Edison Corp’s Vivian Reddy; KZN Oils’ Rajen Reddy (late); International Bank Vaults’ Ashok Sewnarain; Property mogul Saantha Naidu; movie producer Anant Singh; Avalon Cinema’s Moosa Moosa (late) and his son AB Moosa; Yunus Akoo, former owner of Durban South Motors; BMW Supertech director Shabir Tayob, and Metro Group managing director, Ishwar Mangaroo (late) to name a few.

It’s evident that despite a difficult history in SA, Indian entrepreneurs have entrenched their positions in South Africa’s commercial landscape. *

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Atholton’s proud HISTORY

MISS GAMLEY AND HER DONKEY CART CREATED THE FOUNDATIONS OF A FINE SCHOOL, WRITES SHIRLEY WILLIAMS

Atholton Primary School in uMhlanga Rocks is steeped in history spanning 10 decades, during which time it has been relocated several times.

Natal Estates started the original school for children of their employees in 1912. Known as Farm School Mt Edgecombe, it was situated in a building on the cane lands of the present Mt Edgecombe Golf

Estate 2. Miss Gamley was the principal, with 19 pupils, one being Athol Campbell, son of Sir Marshall Campbell.

The school was affectionately known as Miss Gamley’s school and Miss Gamley drove a donkey cart to and from school each day, her lunch packed in a picnic basket on the back.

When the school vacated these premises, they were used as an army base

and the building was demolished in 1925. Today there are very few records of the initial years.

However, since then a log book has been kept which contains interesting anecdotes of the school’s history. It is kept in a cabinet in the principal’s office.

In January 1925 the school re-opened in the Mt Edgecombe Hall with 19 children enrolled. On August 4, 1925, it was renamed Mt Edgecombe Government-Aided School with Miss K Nutt as principal. From 1925 -1930 each child received a Christmas present from the school!

In the early days, any major or patriotic event was celebrated by the entire school. When His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, visited Durban on August 10, 1925, the school closed and all pupils caught the train to line the streets of Durban to see him drive past.

Once again, on a sadder occasion, the children lined the streets when Athol Campbell’s coffin was carried through Mt Edgecombe on its way to the cemetery. He had been killed in the war and his body brought back to South Africa.

Disease was a great problem, and there are records of three occasions when the school was closed because of an outbreak of malaria in 1931, for a measles epidemic and diphtheria in February 1938.

The library was formed in 1934 with a collection of 68 books and the log book also notes that school fees were 18 shillings a year.

As a tribute to Athol Campbell and his family the school was renamed Atholton Government School on April 6, 1947. At the time, Natal Estate Limited was controlled by the Campbell family who were the major shareholders in the company.

With uMhlanga Rocks developing, more children needed schooling, so the new

building in Kingston Drive was constructed. At the official opening in January 1976 there were 370 children and a staff of 20. Basil English was the principal during the years 1964 to 1980. In 1981 Mr P Coyne was appointed principal, a position he held until his retirement in 1988, when Barry van Heerden was appointed. In 1996 Van Heerden emigrated and Graham Aaron assumed leadership until 2016 when he retired.

Old boy – and now the principal – Mark Bursik, said he can remember, on special occasions, he and some of the boys from Mt Edgecombe riding their bicycles from home to the new school building. But normally they travelled on the “sugar bus” which was run by Huletts.

The children from Atholton are very family oriented; the school is not an institution and everyone is known in a close knit community. Educators are dedicated and nurturing.

The school is lucky to have fabulous kids. They differ because of the familyoriented ethos of the school, commented headmaster Graham Aaron.

A family man himself, he sets the example for a philosophy that is carried right through the staff to the parents and

children. The Atholton philosophy is to create a “well-rounded pupil”.

Today with a campus of 620 girls and boys, this government school is showing its stature among the best schools in Durban. With average class sizes in the 20s, learners enjoy individual attention.

Atholton Primary School is proud that in 2006 17 of its learners were awarded bursaries, including to top KZN schools like Michaelhouse, Kearsney, Clifton, Crawford La Lucia, Northlands Girls’ High School, Danville Park Girls’ High and Northwood School.

Not content to rest on their laurels, plans have been drawn to construct a special pre-school catering for Grades 000 and 00. Currently Grade 0 is offered.

“We would like children from as young as three years to be part of our family,” said Aaron. “Our aim is to raise finances so that we can start construction and be ready for the January 2008 school year.”

Steeped in tradition, the sports houses of Marshall (named after Sir Marshall Campbell), Morewood (after Edmund Morewood), Hulett and Campbell (after the Hulett and Campbell families) all pay tribute to the original sugar industry barons. *

TOP LEFT: Miss Gamley in 1921 with a group of pupils; the school among the trees.

LEFT: Retired principal Graham Aaron.

RIGHT: Retired teacher June Van Rooyen who taught Mark Bursik (now principal), who in turn taught Carla Schabram in the current school.

CITY THAT’S GEARED FOR GROWTH

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WHY DURBAN?

3

SONGS from cane fields

GUY BUTTERY IS DESCRIBED AS “EXTRAORDINARY” BY ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE, A NATIONAL TREASURE, AND REGARDED AS ONE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S FINEST EXPONENTS OF THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR. PROUDLY, WE CAN CLAIM THIS ACCOMPLISHED YOUNG MAN FROM THE RIDGE AS OUR OWN

Guy Buttery describes his music as: “An amalgamation of so many things. Broadly speaking it is acoustic World Music (music encompassing many different styles of music from around the world, including traditional music, quasi-traditional music, and music where more than one cultural tradition intermingle), however not at all traditional; I like to think it has a thought-provoking element with a lot of improvisation as I love dabbling in different sounds.” Growing up he loved listening to guitar solos. “To me, vocals were always the gaps between the instrumental breaks. When I was young I was very much inspired by certain film scores. I don’t sing and consider my voice as an instrument that I don’t know how to use!”

His biography credits his upbringing in the north of Durban as “a lush fertile belt, where rich green shades of sugar cane meet the turquoise of the Indian Ocean. This is a place of enchantment, freedom, promise and where the creative spirit takes charge”. Here Guy learnt to play the piano and guitar, encouraged by his mother and brothers. The sound of the Zulus playing their brand of music – known as maskandi – on finger-picked oil drum guitars, blended with the sounds of the tabla and

sitar from the Hindu temples, brought together a diversity of colour, spirit and enlightenment to his enquiring mind.

“I believe KZN is one of the most interesting places, culturally,” explained Guy, as we sat at the beachfront. “We represent a true Rainbow Nation. As a youngster I never felt our indigenous sounds were unnatural. I guess I created an insular world and would digest these alone in my room. I felt very at home with the vast diversity of music that is unique to KZN.”

His enquiring mind took him off to the cultural melting pots of the BAT Centre and The Rainbow. He considers these adventures as a path of personal discovery and an experiment where he could exchange musical ideas. Although largely contemporary, his music has also been described as “a spicy sonic soup of maskandi, Indian classical music, with some influence from his older brother’s Led Zeppelin records, and later absorbing the finger-picking brilliance of Steve Newman, Tony Cox, Madala Kunene and Nibs van der Spuy”... producing quite a delightful earful!

Nibs van der Spuy started teaching Guy the guitar when he was 15 years old. One only has to watch Nibs and Guy in concert to know they are speaking the same

musical language.

“It’s as though we have telepathic communication,” expanded Guy. “Something interlocks; we are good friends and we complement each other as musicians. When he’s improvising I know exactly what he is trying to say musically. It’s a beautiful thing to be a part of.”

At the time of writing, Guy had produced

five albums since 2002: When I Grow Up…, Songs from Cane Fields (2005), Fox Hill Lane (2009), To Disappear in Place (2011) and In the Shade of the Wild Fig (2013).

All albums are available online, and interestingly, To Disappear in Place was only produced on vinyl. “It was an experiment done with Steven Howes from Erased Records. We are both vinyl junkies,”

story lois kuhle picture brett florens

nominations at the South African Music Awards for his album with Nibs van der Spuy In the Shade of the Wild Fig, and his solo LP To Disappear in Place. Both albums have been nominated in the Best Instrumental Album of the Year category.

To spice things up a little, in 2012 Guy was invited to perform with the 52-piece KZN Philharmonic Orchestra! “The score for my music was done by an incredible arranger in London. It was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying working with the KZNPO! Timing needs to be spot on when you are playing with a 50+ piece ‘band’, there’s no freedom to wander off the musical track – it needs to be in the pocket!” Despite Guy’s nervousness a CD recording has been released with added DVD footage. “I’m impressed with what they have captured, and it’s possible we will have a repeat performance.”

Guy has been likened to Joanna Newsom – an American harpist, pianist, vocalist, and songwriter. “She’s so eccentric, totally left of centre,” he said laughing. Known for her musical prowess on the harp and piano, Guy describes her as “having taken the instrument out of context. It’s a courageous step that requires you to have your own musical voice. I have the utmost respect for a musician that has his/her own sound. I don’t necessarily even need to like their music. It’s not easy to pioneer a unique sound, to step out of the box, delivering a fresh sound. One really has to dig deep to do this.”

It seems that Guy has dug deep enough to find his treasure, with Casimi Guitars offering to make him custom made instruments to suit his specifications.

Guy explained, “and we made a limited edition of 300 copies which we sold online and at shows. It was very well received.”

Since his debut album in 2002, Guy’s musical success has gained him several awards, which have led to sold out shows at festivals and concert halls in South Africa, Europe, Australia and the USA, fetching rave reviews. This year he has two

“This is particularly WOW! for me,” exclaimed Guy. “They are unparalleled in the luthier world so being associated with them is a great honour! I’m really looking forward to working with Casimi Guitars and building my future dream instruments.”

As indeed, Guy, it is our great honour to know that you are a Ridge protégé! *

good food GOOD WINE

ERICA AND JOHN PLATTER CHAT TO THE OYSTER BOX’S KEVIN JOSEPH, A CHEF WHO KNOWS A THING OR TWO ABOUT FOOD, CURRIES, SPICES AND MORE

The year 2010 was the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Durban’s first Indian immigrants, whose contributions to the country have been so profound, and over time there have been countless tributes to these pioneers, and their descendants.

And every lover of local cuisine, our bright, distinctive, punchily-flavoured approach to food here on the KZN coast, should give special thanks to those who brought their spices and tarkaris (curries) and kachoomers and achars to the neighbourhood, to create the most interesting regional dishes in the country. No prim pastel plates here! Thank goodness.

A much more recent immigrant – from that other country, the Cape – is Kevin Joseph, executive chef of The Oyster Box hotel. And what a champion of all things local he’s become. He’s worked all over the world, but now he seems entirely at home, celebrating locally-grown and gathered

produce, re-inventing local classics, and generally working with other chefs to raise KZN’s food-tourism profile.

Sample Kevin’s menus at The Oyster Box, but here’s how we describe him in East Coast Tables, our book showcasing local cooks, ingredients and food traditions.

If Giorgio Armani did chef’s whites, he would want Kevin Joseph to model them. He is the epitome of suave, as The Oyster Box hotel’s executive chef ought to be, with the steely edge necessary to keep a brigade of 54 sharp – “knowing there may be consequences if they don’t perform…”

Hints here, perhaps, of the mastergunner he once was in the South African Navy? Or shades of Gordon Ramsay, at whose Claridges Hotel restaurant in London Kevin worked, and whose vitriolic tongue seems to keep his crew in check? “No, no!” corrects Kevin. “Gordon would die for his staff. That cursing is only for TV.”

Kevin’s father was a pastry chef for the Bakers Biscuits company; and Kevin grew up at home in a kitchen. When his parents died unexpectedly, it was he and his sister who prepared the family meals after school for their six older siblings – who were studying or working. “The burning and learning curve,” he recalls.

His own boys can cook anything, especially on the braai, Kevin’s off-duty kitchen. His wife’s chicken curry is his all-time favourite dish. “She’s from KZN, of course,” he says, as if this explains everything. (And it does.) Kevin may have been born and bred in the Cape, and worked there and abroad, but it was at Durban’s Royal Hotel that he did most of his training, and he’s become passionately KwaZulu-Natalian.

“We serve ONLY local oysters,” he says. “We have our own licences. If we run out, well that’s it. We won’t order from Knysna or the West Coast. Our beef comes only from the KZN Midlands.

Our veg is local. So is our fish. Local fish is brilliant. I will not serve kingklip, however much someone might beg for it. We are making a concerted effort to be socially responsible, to reduce the carbon

footprint of our ingredients.” He loves the “unpretentiousness” of East Coast cooking. “We’re not into foam and froth. People here like comfort food. And they really do know their spices.” *

RIGHT: Erica and John Platter, food and wine connoisseurs who contributed to the Good Food, Good Wine column in The Ridge magazine for many years.

They were little, the size and shape of coasters. It was Dee’s Lockdown Series 1, a painting a day that, at 6pm sharp, went up on her Instagram feed. It was rare if it remained unsold for longer than five minutes. From flowers past their best, to a dog, to a reflection: “It was a nice shift for me, just sitting at my dining-room table, painting these little pieces. I wanted them to have a playful feel.” They do. From there, she moved on to Lockdown Series 2, slightly larger, square paintings, both series capturing little moments, often arbitrary, parcelled up and so treasured by the fastest typist of Me in the comments section. Sold.

This little lockdown series has in one way, little to do with Dee’s main bodies of work, yet in another, says something about both her and her paintings: playfulness, her spontaneity, her intuitive response to a moment, a person or an object.

Dee was about 12 when she developed scoliosis, and was fitted for a brace: “Looking back, when kids get set apart in some way, they start to look inwards, rather than outwards,” she says, “I knew one way or another, I’d be a writer or a painter.”

Dee studied fine arts at DUT, and was awarded the coveted Emma Smith Scholarship which she used to spend six months in a studio at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris: “For a girl whose travel history was limited to Johannesburg (once), and numerous South Coast holidays, the experience was life altering.” She stretched out that magical time, backpacked around Europe, UK and spent a few years in America.

“Arriving back home was tough. What now? I was never going to be anything other than a full-time artist, so I had to find a way to make it work.”

Dee took over art classes from a friend who was leaving Durban in the 90s. Almost to her surprise, she loved teaching. She shrugs, “I love painting, so teaching painting is a joy. When you see

the fine art of TEACHING

FINE ARTIST DEE DONALDSON IS KNOWN FOR APPROACHING AND TEACHING ART FROM WONDERFUL NEW ANGLES. ANNE SCHAUFFER MET UP WITH HER TO FIND OUT MORE

people’s eyes light up when they get it …” Over the years, Dee moved these classes from various small locations, ending at ArtSpaceDurban, where she began what all who’ve attended them would call, her legendary workshops or boot camps. “Have you attended one of Dee’s workshops?” is usually said in hushed tones. That was 2013, and they represented a seismic shift. She still shakes her head: “I’d been trying to loosen up my own painting, and spent six months teaching myself how to do it. I documented the process, and devised workshops for doing it with Portraits and Landscapes. The results were amazing. People responded so well. The workshops kept filling up.”

These workshops changed the trajectory for Dee. Together with a printmaker, she fell upon a vast, beautiful, perfect space in the Point Road regeneration zone, and somehow, made it happen. Studio3 opened its doors, a venue for workshops and classes, individual studios for artists, exhibitions, and Dee’s own studio.

Health, loss, pandemic … the past few years have been disruptive and mindaltering for Dee: “I take a while to recover from emotional stuff. I holed up in here, painting and stacking them up.” Time – no workshops – and quiet, extended

introspection gave her time to put in long hours on her own work.

Dee’s art right now: “Layers, not just physical layers but those that attempt to bridge time – bringing memory to the surface; layers, including historical painting and images from my own archives.”

Dee is constantly juxtaposing imagery, so there’s often an unsettling feeling in the paintings. She laughs, “Life is a little bit odd, little bit of an improv … my work is probably a bit like that.”

Her painting process is intriguing: “I never plan an image digitally, then paint it – it’d be stale by the time I got going. I activate the canvas by getting rid of the white, putting down some colour, adding some marks. I don’t anticipate the imagery that’ll go on the canvas – this just puts some tension there, certain rhythms that might attract certain imagery. I want the play of images together, so I’ll keep pushing and changing the painting in quite an intuitive way. In the last stage of the painting, I focus on getting the ‘feels’ right on the surface. The painting is never a documentation of something I created digitally – I do use a digital process at times, but it’s a tool to move the painting forward, it never replaces the process on the canvas.”

Dee’s classes have just started again, she’s planning a Saturday morning Portrait Painting Club, and she’s talking exhibitions again. For her, “Success is a tricky word. I think I’m a little closer to being the painter I want to become. I’m certainly better than I was a year ago.” *

FOR MORE INFO

Studio3: 162 Mahatma Gandhi Rd, Point Waterfront; W https://www.facebook.com/ DeeDonaldsonArtist/ Dee donaldson artist

ABOVE: Bobby Seated. LEFT: Artist Dee Donaldson.

DEE’S NEXT EXHIBITION opens August 11, 2023, at Studio3

pictures val adamson

Forced to retire from the game he loves in January 2019 due to injury concerns, Pat has chosen to follow a career in the property world, joining Collins Residential.

While Pat has settled into married life – 2014 was when they tied the knot – fatherhood is another new challenge. There is a definite twinkle in Pat’s eye when he says, “Jackson (who, since this story was first written, now has a brother Sam) is already on Michaelhouse’s books and will grace the school when his time comes.” A hard act to follow, but with Pat’s leadership qualities, the family name will fly high in the Midlands in years to come.

“I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to join Collins Residential,” said Pat. “In my playing days, I was fortunate to do some work experience with the company. Besides enjoying what I was involved in, it was exciting to see the company’s vision and plans to invest back into South Africa, in particular along the North Coast of KZN, which is one of the fastest developing areas in the country.”

His initial role has been to get involved with communication, strategy and sales consolidation, fulfilling a link between the development teams in the office, the professional teams on the ground (the engineers, surveyors, architects, etc) and the principal estate agents.

life after RUGBY

WITH THE SAME COMMITMENT, PASSION AND FEARLESSNESS HE SHOWED ON THE RUGBY FIELD, SO HAS PAT LAMBIE APPROACHED LIFE AFTER RUGBY. DAVID KNOWLES CAUGHT UP WITH HIM TO FIND OUT WHAT’S NEXT IN HIS LIFE

“There is also the task of sales consolidation across the different developments currently on the go,” said Pat. “I have been asked to contribute towards the strategy going forward in terms of how sales are progressing and what the market dictates with future phases of our developments.”

Pat is involved in two developments up the North Coast – Seaton near Salt Rock, and Zululami, a residential estate near Sheffield.

Working in the property world during his playing days has now laid the foundation for what Pat sees as his definite career and his choice could be construed as a chip off the old block, thanks to his dad Ian.

“He has been in property all his life and has his own business, Lambie Spark and Associates, focusing more on commercial and industrial matters,” said Pat.

Able to now focus completely on his career, Pat is well equipped to tackle whatever comes his way. He has a solid platform from which to launch and while he may seem quiet and unassuming in character, there is a steely resolve within, a determination to do whatever comes his way properly, in a decent manner and with the best result for all involved.

In his matric year at Michaelhouse, he was head boy and captain of cricket and rugby. Leadership is a quality with which he has been blessed, but his leadership is done by example, encouraging

others and doing the hard yards regardless of what position he may have attained or been awarded in life. He is not one to make a noise and issue instructions in the hope of getting results. He earns

respect and has prepared for life off the field, planning for his future.

“I am excited at what lies ahead, a challenge away from rugby. It is an opportunity to grow and potentially make

use of the studies I have done – a degree in environmental management (UNISA) and a property development and investment online course (UCT),” he said. “I have been fortunate in having people around me to ensure there has been a balance between rugby and life. There was always some thought and time given to post playing days and that will make this transition easier.”

Pat is prepared for what lies ahead. He is a young man of strong values, principles and standards, and while the rugby world is poorer for his retirement, the business world is richer. “I love KZN. It is so good to be home,” he said. “There is no country like South Africa and despite its challenges, we at Collins Residential are all optimistic about the future.” *

LEFT: Pat, with wife Kate and little Jackson.

VIRGINIA’S future

NOW THAT KING SHAKA AIRPORT HAS BEEN COMMISSIONED AND DURBAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NEE LOUIS BOTHA, HAS SHUT DOWN, DURBAN’S AVIATORS ARE LEFT WITH ONE BIG QUESTION; WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN TO VIRGINIA AIRPORT? GAVIN FOSTER TRIES TO FIND OUT

The idea of building an aerodrome for general aviation at Virginia was conceived in 1951 when Durban’s posh new Louis Botha airport became home to commercial and military flights, leaving the light aircraft fraternity to carry on at the Stamford Hill airport.

Stamford Hill was far too big for their needs at that time, so city councillor Mervyn Gild and Durban Wings Club chairman Mike Hartley ventured aloft to

find a location for an alternative general aviation airport. Gild’s Cessna 182 was hardly out of second gear, figuratively speaking, when the pair spotted the perfect spot just north of the Umgeni River mouth.

The coastal area, bordering the edge of the suburb of Virginia, was perfect, and after two hangars were moved from Stamford Hill and erected along with some smaller buildings next to the new 800m runway, the new facility opened in June

1959, with an air race ending at Virginia being held to mark the occasion.

Because of its short runway and its position alongside the coast, the new airport became affectionately known as HMS Virginia among the flying community. Ironically, Mike Hartley later revealed that the landing strip could quite easily have been made 500m longer, but the committee felt that was unnecessary because

the planned runway could comfortably accommodate a Douglas DC-3 Dakota, and who was ever going to need more than that? But that was then and now is now. The future for Virginia, though, is less clearcut, with a marked reluctance on the part of the big players to commit to anything in writing until a firm decision is taken about what to do with the old Durban International Airport, nee Louis Botha.

Toyota South Africa first wanted to lease the land for factory expansion, then it was reported that negotiations had fallen through, then in July Durbanites were told a short-term lease was again on the table. Comair hoped to take over the airport as an alternative to King Shaka airport, but the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) was having none of that because it feared competition. To complicate things further, the SA Air Force has a base there and is reluctant to move, and Transnet was, and probably still is, keen on expanding Durban harbour into the unused area. Until this mess is sorted out nothing can be done, but should Virginia be forced to close, Durban International, or at least part of it, is the logical place to base general aviation in Durban for the 21st century.

“Our lease expires in 2012 but we expect to be where we are for at least some time past that,” says Virginia’s airport manager Glen Bryce. “The hangars are leased »

LEFT: Glen Bryce.

nostalgia from October-November 2010*

to tenants – some will revert to Durban Metro when the time comes, while others who erected their own hangers will dismantle them if and when the airport closes. I really think the decision, whatever it is, has already been taken, and Durban Metro is just waiting for the right time to announce it. We may very well be told that we have to start moving out in two years’ time, with a year or so to wind things up and move, possibly to the old Durban International Airport.”

If this does happen, it may not necessarily be bad news for our city. “It’ll be good for

the south of Durban,” says Glen. “Virginia has played an important role in the growth north of the city because the businessmen and engineers involved could fly in here, and only be five minutes away from the action when they landed. All the big businesses use us – they didn’t fly into Durban International and then drive across town before King Shaka opened.”

While most cities worldwide have at least two airports and sometimes even three of four, Airports Company South Africa is reluctant to have Durban’s old airport near Prospecton

attracting scheduled airline flights and reducing revenue. The general aviation activities that take place from Virginia are a different matter though – King Shaka International doesn’t need a couple of hundred light aircraft and 60 helicopters flitting in and out on a daily basis giving flight training, picking up charters, tracking stolen cars, monitoring shark nets and engaging on medical mercy missions. Durban Metro also appears to be willing to leave things as they are, if possible. In May, City Manager Mike Sutcliffe told an interviewer there were

no plans to close down Virginia, as a recent feasibility study had indicated that it should remain a general aviation airport.

“In my dealings with Durban Council they’ve said Virginia is staying, at this stage, but there’s no commitment in writing, which is what upsets the aviation operators here,” says Glen. “Without a written commitment by the city, how can they plan ahead and invest in the future?

Whatever happens, HMS Virginia is still afloat. For the moment it’s a case of “full speed ahead, and damn the torpedoes!” *

QCongratulations on your achievement! Thanks to the Dante Durban JET programme, we know that in July you’ll be moving to Japan for one year. Can you explain what the JET programme is?

AThe JET programme is a project financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of Japan which allows a Japanese language student to be able to work for a year in Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) or as a Co-ordinator for International Relations (CIR), or as a Sport Exchange Advisor (SEA).

QThat’sgreat! How did your passion for the Japanese language come about?

AThe Japanese language has always been my passion, and since I was a teenager I’ve read anime and love eating out in Japanese restaurants. When I found out that Dante Durban offers both face-to-face and online Japanese classes, I immediately enrolled and studied with my teacher Saera Takahasi for two years. Saera has always encouraged and stimulated me, and constantly adapted to my busy schedule as a university student.

NEW ADVENTURES for Dante Durban

WHILE DANTE DURBAN MOVES TO UMHLANGA, OUR STUDENT KIMMYKA MOVES TO JAPAN

In addition, Dante Durban gave me the opportunity to take the JLCAT language proficiency test for free, and fostered me to continue my studies on the JET programme.

QTell us more about what you’ll be doing in Japan?

AI start work at the end of July in Japan, and although I’m very excited about this move, I will miss lessons at the new Dante venue in uMhlanga at 1 Torsvale Crescent. I’ll be working as an Assistant Language Teacher in a junior and senior primary school in Tokushima, a small town on Shikoku island.

QAnd what do you expect to gain from this experience?

AI’m very happy to be able to live in a small town as I’ll be in contact with the local community, and will be able to improve my level of Japanese as well as immerse myself completely in their culture and traditions.

QWould you recommend Dante Durban to aspiring Japanese students?

AAbsolutely yes! Dante Durban have supported me tremendously over the last two years. They even organised an online language exchange with students from Kyoto University, which was a fun and enriching experience. As Dante students we were able to speak freely in Japanese and discuss

different topics such as food, university, entertainment, and so on, which was always supervised by our teacher Saera.

We wish Kimmyka good luck as she starts her new venture.

ABOVE: Kimmyka Chetty.

best party EVER

Shaa’ista Kathree (left) is this month’s gift shopper, and with 10 years of party planning experience under her belt, there’s no better person to share her ideas for sourcing items for the best kids party ever!

Shaa’ista has two children, and her daughter Yara, who is nine years old, simply loves everything glittery and sparkly. Shaa’ista works in digital marketing. Have fun shopping with Shaa’ista.

 BARBIE TAKKIES

Barbie walks tall. Shaa’ista holds the Barbie Movie Denim print pink takkie, R1 699; other Barbie takkies include the Barbie Movie print takkie, R1 599,99; and the Barbie white takkie, R1 599,99. Superga.

 CUTE AND CUDDLY

Choose from a range of soft toys in every shape, size, colour, and price. Gift bag, R19; pink unicorn bag, R109; lilac hat box, R89, with Hello Bunny inside, R225; pink kitten cup, R69. Panda Stores.

 COOL WATCHES

Swatch pastel watches in a choice of lilac, pink or green, each R2 950. Swatch.

 PARTY FUN

Every child – girl or boy – has hidden creativity just waiting to burst out and surprise us. Here are some fun creative additions to keep little ones busy at your next party. A Khoki Art and Craft Glue and Glitter Set, R149,99; Colour your own Fashion Bag, R119,95; Balloon Arch Set, R199,98. The Crazy Store.

 ALL DRESSED UP

No party is complete without the birthday girl in her special party dress. Green dress, R529,99; Have fun Alice band, R129,99. H&M.

 PRETTY PERFECT

The perfect gift for little girls. Donut eye shadow palette, R129; lilac mug, R30; turquoise game controller, R29; glitter eye shadow palette, R69. Panda Stores.

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAKE

Spoilt for choice – but Shaa’ista didn’t hesitate in choosing the Pinata Birthday Cake, R699, for her daughter’s next party; Happy birthday cut-out sign, R38. Chateau Gateaux.

ALL ITEMS AVAILABLE FROM GATEWAY STORES. VIEW A FULL LIST OF STORES ON WWW.GATEWAYWORLD.CO.ZA

In the early 1980s the Huletts Country Club was a relaxed country golf course with bowling greens and a cricket pitch, associated with the Mount Edgecombe sugar mill and supported by the incumbent Agricultural Managers for Huletts – Bruce Hulett and Geoff de Jongh. The surrounding land was all sugar cane, and road access was via an old two-lane road from the N2. But big changes lay ahead. Firstly, the M41 was elevated to dual carriageway status. Then in 1988 the clubhouse – seen on the far left of the photo on the right – burnt down and was replaced by the grand structure we know today. In 1987 when this photograph was taken, the development of the old golf course for the inclusion of housing was being planned and Course Two lay in the future for Moreland Developments – now Tongaat Hulett Developments.

THEN AND NOW

Mount Edgecombe

IN JUST OVER 40 YEARS MOUNT EDGECOMBE HAS MUSHROOMED INTO A MODERN SUBURB, A SOUGHTAFTER GATED ESTATE OFFERING A SECURE, CAREFREE LIFESTYLE. BUT, BACK IN THE DAY, THE LANDSCAPE WAS VERY DIFFERENT …

Clubhouse 1987

In the early 1980s the Huletts Country Club was a relaxed country golf course with bowling greens and a cricket pitch, associated with the Mount Edgecombe sugar mill

Closer to Kingfisher Conference Centre you will see Old Mill Industrial Park on the right replacing the now defunct sugar mill (seen below) and perhaps even some of the older buildings along the R102 through Mount Edgecombe including the Shri Mariamman Temple and Whitehouse. Watch this space as further road developments are planned for the upgrading of Phoenix Interchange and the R102 over the next five years. *

story brian downie pictures tony smith and brian downie

By 2009 – see photo on the left –beyond Golf Course Drive, the open land is now occupied by the Mount Edgecombe Driving Range, Palm Springs Village, Cornubia Gardens and Mount Edgecombe Manors on the right – and Course Two on the left. In the distance Kindlewood Estate is springing out of the ground, and further afield is the water tower on uMhlanga Rocks Drive.

Clubhouse 2009

grande dames of UMHLANGA

NOW 69 YEARS SINCE IT WAS BUILT, THE OYSTER BOX

HOTEL REMAINS UMHLANGA’S LANDMARK 5-STAR HOTEL, WITH ITS NEIGHBOUR, THE UMHLANGA LIGHTHOUSE THE SYMBOL OF THIS TOURIST MECCA. THE RIDGE MAGAZINE MUSES OVER THE HISTORIES OF BOTH THESE ICONS, WRITES CARA REILLY

UMhlanga or “place of reeds” in Zulu, is one of South Africa’s most well-known tourist and investor locations, that, visually, is most often captured by images of the lighthouse or The Oyster Box Hotel.

In 1863, uMhlanga’s first beach cottage known as The Oyster Lodge was built on a rocky site overlooking the ocean. With its reflective roof, the cottage was originally used as a beacon by passing ships’ captains to navigate safely around uMhlanga’s rocky headland. In 1952, the cottage and overgrown grounds were sold to Ken O’Connor and his sister Kay O’Connor (Hill), who started a tea garden, which changed to a restaurant, and then in March 1954 opened as The Oyster Box Hotel, located on the site next to the lighthouse.

The building of the lighthouse itself was completed in 1954 to replace the original Durban Bluff lighthouse which was commissioned in 1869, but had to be abandoned due to its rapid rate of deterioration. This now iconic maritime guardian is 21 metres high with a light power of 600 000 CD, and group flashing three every 20 seconds.

The fully automated circular concrete tower that is the lighthouse can be seen some 24 miles out at sea. Operating off the mains supply with one diesel alternator

FACTS ABOUT THE LIGHTHOUSE

• Date Commissioned: 25 November 1954

• Architect/Builder: Designed by the Office of the Chief Civil Engineer and constructed by the System Harbour Engineer, Durban, South African Railways and Harbours

• Original Cost: R23 838

• Height of Tower: 21 metres (25 metres above high water)

• Range of Light: 24 nautical miles

• Construction: Completed in four days and 19 hours

• Light Type: Revolving-electric with group flashing three every 20 seconds

• Light Power: 600 000 CD (candle power)

back-up power supply, the lighthouse also has an additional red light feature fixed to it, which acts as a secondary warning system to ships waiting in the outer anchorage of the busy Durban Harbour. Its red top literally serves as a “guiding light” leading vessels through some of South Africa’s most treacherous coastline and warning them of hidden dangers.

The circular design of the lighthouse meant it was built in sections on site, with a crane laying one precast concrete ring on top of the other. While the end result was near perfect, if you take a closer look, you’ll see that the second window from the top does not line up with the others.

In 2006 when The Oyster Box property came up for sale, the then owner, Wayne Reed, wanted the hotel to be owned by a family who would see hospitality, traditions and values as the most important elements of the hotel. Stanley and Bea Tollman (the Founder and President of Red Carnation Hotels) bought the property and immediately launched their vision to

restore the then run down property to its’ original glory, staying true to the authentic design of the period while moving the hotel into the 21st century.

Building began in October 2007 and was completed in September 2009. While for the most part, the hotel has been re-built, with the main building complex having undergone a number of changes since the 1940s, key landmarks remain part of the hotels’ fabric. These classic elements include the grand, revolving door at the entrance; the reception and foyer with its black and white terrazzo tiles; the wrought-iron balustrade and original, inlaid hand-painted tiles and friezes, collected by Kay Hill on her regular travels to Spain and Portugal.

Wayne Coetzee – who at the time of writing in 2014 had been general manger of The Oyster Box for the previous 12 years – says that many of the hotels clients are old regulars who remained loyal to the hotel even through its more derelict times. “Many of our clients who come from old

money and have been coming to The Oyster Box for decades, feel like they are coming home when they stay with us,” said Wayne.

The relationship between The Oyster Box Hotel and the lighthouse is more than just physical, in that the hotel is the official warden of the lighthouse, operating its lights and negating the need for its own lighthouse keeper. The lighthouse controls are located in the hotel office where staff monitor the controls, and report to Portnet Lighthouse Service.

While the lighthouse is the icon of uMhlanga Rocks, it is fair to say that the upgrading of The Oyster Box Hotel was a catalyst for the redevelopment throughout the precinct. “Our upgrade definitely sparked a cycle of rejuvenation throughout uMhlanga that is world class, and with this, we now have a greater international clientele which has spin-off for the area as

a whole,” says Wayne.

As for the local market, Wayne says it is growing hugely with almost 80% local clientele, not only staying at the hotel but coming for meals and high tea.

Icon, instigator of change, symbol of elegance, maritime guardian – as both The Oyster Box Hotel and the uMhlanga lighthouse turn 60 (in 2014), we wish the Grande Dames a very happy birthday. *

RIGHT: Bea Tollman bought The Oyster Box property in 2006 and restored it to its orginal glory.

an ode to NATURE

SO MANY INTRIGUING MYTHS AND LEGENDS SURROUND THE AFRICAN BAOBAB TREE, BUT ON HERRWOOD DRIVE, IT’S MORE ABOUT SCULPTURE, ART AND A POINT OF ARRIVAL, THAN FICTION AND FABLE, WRITES ANNE SCHAUFFER

The Bushmen believe the baobab tree aggravated the gods, and when thrown out of heaven, it landed upside down. Africa is full of colourful stories about this iconic tree, and no matter how many times one looks at a baobab, it’s always intriguing. There’s something about them that goes beyond their looks, to their history and longevity … often over 2 000 years old.

The most recent of Africa’s baobabs however, is younger and right here in uMhlanga. Travel along Herrwood Drive, past the KZN Sharks Board towards Izinga Estate, and there, imposing,

PICTURE: Val Adamson

towering, undoubtedly surprising, is a vast baobab sculpture dominating the landscape. It’s magnificent, a landmark designed and created by the team at Uys & White Landscape Architects – Lucas Uys, Bianca Heath and Ignes de Beer.

It wasn’t simple. Creating a commanding sense of arrival at Izinga was complicated by the concrete storm water retention dam which lies beneath the circle. It was about marrying two concepts: a reference point of arrival, and the road landscape link to Izinga.

“We, as Africans, relate well to the African tradition of a tree as a point of arrival,” says Lucas. “It’s where the community waits to be announced to the N’kosi. It’s the point where you pause, take a decision, then move towards your goal. At Izinga, it’s likewise – the moment you decide to enter.”

Lucas found the “model” for the baobab sculpture on a visit to Rato, a farm bordering the Limpopo River. He was completely taken by the characteristics of what he describes as, “these giant living sculptures, their rough markings over time reflecting weather and animal onslaught.”

The key challenge in designing the tree was to position flat boxes in radial order to give the perception of a round stem or three-dimensional quality. “We decided on ‘less is more’,” says Lucas. “We wanted it to be stylised rather than realistic, so kept it unpolished and slightly rough, so it can age … which adds to the character. We made metal boxes, and welded them together –they were massive.”

Earl Moller and Tim Wilford from EFM Engineering manufactured the baobab. Eight

metres tall, it’s fabricated from Aluminium (AL-Mg) Wrought Alloy, and weighs in the region of two tons. The Uys & White team designed tapering, shaped pieces to give emphasis to the base of the stem, which is its outstanding characteristic.

An additional unplanned bonus are the figures which emerge from the positive and negative spaces in-between the base of stems.

Making it was one thing, erecting it quite another –like a massive Meccano set, separate elements welded together. In construction, the time-consuming element was that each stem has two sides with a tapering closing edge bent to follow the stem’s profile. Weeks turned into months of many welders making the “boxes”. They were then welded together in sizes to fit road restrictions and, thereafter, welded on site into separate branches.

Lucas explained the site preparation: “After roadworks were completed, and the water retention dam was constructed below surface, the area was flat. We raised the centre of the island with a metal stand, and covered it with soil to visually add to the size and impact of the sculpture.”

Baobabs are considered the – or one of the – most water-wise plants on the planet, storing up to 75% water in their trunks. At a time where water is a critical resource in Africa, the symbolism of this isn’t lost. Aside from its water-wise properties, the baobab is considered the tree of life for many different species – including our own – and standing tall, there, at the entrance to Izinga, it’s appropriate to pause in awe. To feel that sense of place, that point of arrival. *

We wanted it to be stylised rather than realistic, so kept it unpolished and slightly rough, so it can age … which adds to the character”

booming BUSINESS

IN 1972 IT WAS NO SECRET THAT THE RESIDENTS OF LA LUCIA SAW THE AMALGAMATION WITH UMHLANGA ROCKS AS A THREAT TO THEIR INDEPENDENCE, BUT, 51 YEARS LATER, BUSINESS IS BOOMING WRITES BRIAN DOWNIE

The Borough of uMhlanga was formed when uMhlanga Rocks and La Lucia were amalgamated in 1972. Named after Lucia Michel, the wife of the owner of the original sugar farm, La Lucia was clearly the premier suburb to the north of Durban. In 1974 it welcomed the development of a new mall – one of the first such prestigious shopping centres in South Africa.

By 1987 when the construction of Seaview Interchange on uMhlanga Rocks

Drive and the M41 had been completed (see left), fortunes had begun to change. The development of the La Lucia Ridge Office Estate to the south of the M41 was being planned and successful marketing saw the cream of South Africa’s professional and commercial companies deciding to make the Office Estate and the future uMhlanga Ridge their new Durban home.

Taken in August 2017 (below), the aerial view of La Lucia Ridge now shows a complete Office Estate clustered

around the forest of fever trees on uMhlanga Rocks Drive and the original Tongaat Hulett “Glasshouse”. The communities of Somerset Park and Ilala Ridge can be seen in the background with the La Lucia Ridge residential community abutting the old Durban boundary in Addison Drive. *

BEFORE AND AFTER: Growth of uMhlanga – especially the La Lucia Ridge area –started taking off about 26 years ago, and today is a booming business hub and home to many key businesses contributing to Durban’s economy.

a pier among PEERS

THERE’S A WHOLE LOT MORE TO THIS AMAZING NEW STRUCTURE THAN MEETS THE EYE, DISCOVERS ALISON MYBURGH

Few would associate the new 21st century pier in uMhlanga, described as “unlike any other” by engineers, with its humble but necessary function: carrying stormwater discharge out to sea.

It is an eerie, ethereal vision at night, enhanced by elliptical lighting masts making subtle reference to the skeleton of a large sea mammal.

No ordinary pier for a number one tourist destination such as uMhlanga would suffice and the design team had their work cut out for them. Not only did the pier have to be aesthetically pleasing and disguise its

true function, but it had to be constructed in an aggressive marine salt environment and on rock, rather than in beach sand.

At high tide during construction, workers had to wear lifejackets.

Respected Durban architect Andre Duvenage (Andre Duvenage Architects) was employed. The functional double-box superstructure was the starting point and inspiration for the development of the pier’s three-dimensional maritime design theme. According to Duvenage, the intention was not to be too literal but rather to have fun, using marine references where appropriate. For example, the

functional stormwater void (the belly of the pier) has a shark-like mouth where the stormwater spouts out to sea, and a whale skeletoninspired deck. The materials and finishes used had to be able to withstand the ravages of the corrosive environment and have low salvage value to discourage theft and vandalism.

Cutting-edge lighting was sought and LED (light emitting diode) provided the answer. Its high efficiency is said to be up to four times more efficient than standard incandescents.

using the equivalent output of one kettle.

“From the beginning, the pier was planned to minimise any environmental impact on the rock pools,” said project co-ordinator Dick Martin. “Various specialist reports were commissioned to ensure suitability of the design for the conditions likely to be encountered. Detailed geotechnical investigation for the foundation was done and the CSIR was commissioned to study wave-loading on the columns and the wave climate likely to occur. A special effort

Mast-mounted white LED pedestrian lighting and blue LED decorative lighting installed below the deck delicately illuminates the pier, its belly and the beach below,

was made to preserve marine life, especially during the excavation work.”

Martin explained the reason the pier was built. uMhlanga‘s main stormwater system

Respecated Durban architect Andre Duvenage was employed. The functional double-box superstructure was the starting point and inspiration for the development of the pier’s three-dimensional maritime design theme

was inadequate and a series of contracts to increase the size was commissioned. The final stage was two contracts: one for the construction of a large underground box culvert and the second for the construction of an outfall pier to carry the stormwater discharge across the beach and as far out to sea as possible. The pier extends about 85m to a deep-water channel.

“The pier is unlike any others constructed in the region with 12m-long spans to permit continuous public access along the beach underneath the structure,” said Martin. A special highdensity marine concrete mix has been used for durability and all reinforcing has been

management and stormwater and catchment management department, headed by Randeer Kasserchun, awarded the contract to ICON/ESOR JV. From the contractor’s point of view, the architecturally pleasing design of the concrete

manufacturers. Another challenge was to support the concrete structure during erection of the formwork and pouring concrete. And then there were storm conditions but construction work did not stop.

To the team’s credit, the pier won the South African Civic

Engineers’ annual Durban branch award for technical excellence.

At the pier’s official opening function, then city manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe said the pier was iconic and that every worker involved would have his name inscribed on a plaque installed at the pier. *

DOGS with style & attitude

DO

YOUR

THE RIDGE MAGAZINE RE-VISITS TO RIVAL YOUR OWN?

HAVE A WARDROBE TO RIVAL YOUR OWN? THE RIDGE REVISITS KINGSLEY & GRAY TO FIND OUT WHAT’S HOT AND HAPPENING IN DOG FASHION

DOGS

It’s been two years since we first met Karen Burnett, founder and creator of the Luxury Pet Brand, Kingsley & Gray. Karen is a vivacious uMhlanga resident, who through her love for dogs and a passion for style, started an online boutique in June 2019 selling luxury pet accessories to dog lovers in South Africa, as well as internationally.

They recently celebrated their fourth birthday and have outfitted hundreds of dogs and a few kitties too over the years, with many customers sporting a full K&G wardrobe for their pets. We asked Karen what’s hot and happening in dog fashion in 2023.

DO YOUR DOGS HAVE A WARDROBE KINGSLEY & GRAY TO FIND OUT WHAT’S HOT & HAPPENING IN DOG FASHION accessories that had emphasis on quality. However, we also focused

“When we first launched, we created a range of dog accessories that had emphasis on style, luxury, individualism and quality. However, we also focused on sustainability, to ensure that our products were eco friendly as much as possible. After the pandemic in 2020 and of course, global warming, I think the world is even more aware of the importance of being earth

conscious, which is why we only use 100% cotton, recyclable or biodegradable materials for our accessories. This costs more than plastic, nylon or polyester, but our customers want quality for their beloved pets. Our customers also love that we keep our collections exclusive and limited, and that they are customisable. We also offer a bespoke service for special occasions or for unique doggie sizing.”

The Kingsley & Gray range is extensive, from collars, leads, bow-ties and bandanas, to various style harnesses, doggie jerseys, name blankets and stunning pet beds. However, recently they added beautiful porcelain pet bowls and car safety straps to their offerings.

“There is a huge interest in health and safety for pets, as they are considered to be part of the family. Pet parents want nothing but the best for their

Karen Burnett with a few of her beautifully presented products

RIGHT: Karen Burnett with a few of her beautifully presented products. BOTTOM RIGHT: Cooper in a Tropical Thunder Snuggle Pod wearing a Houndstooth Collection bow-tie.

Fur Babes and this is from fashion, to bed time, to staying warm in winter, to meal time and to staying safe in the car,” Karen says, “… and thankfully we offer it all.”

All of the Kingsley & Gray products are made by hand by various talented artisans throughout South Africa, with nothing being mass or factory produced. There are over 50 collections to choose from and once the fabric is sold out, it is gone for good. This keeps the Kingsley & Gray range unique, fresh and exclusive. They also introduce new collections throughout the year and Christmas is a fun and festive time in the boutique, therefore there is always something new and exciting happening.

“We want our customers to create a K&G wardrobe, so that they can choose what their dog will wear each day,” Karen says. “With more restaurants, cafes, hotels and venues becoming pet friendly, dog parents are socialising

more with their dogs and they want them to look as stylish and as fashionable as possible.”

If you are a proud pet parent and you want a unique set of stylish accessories for your dogs, then shop at the online boutique of Kingsley & Gray and select your favourites. But be warned, the choice is vast and it’s hard to choose just one – but there are lots to choose from. And for something exclusive, perhaps Karen will create a new collection just for you.*

FOR MORE INFO

Stockists: The Oyster Box Hotel, uMhlanga; The LifeStyled, Durban North; www.kingsleyandgray.co.za; enquiry@kingsleyandgray.co.za

@kingsley_and_gray

W @kingsleyandgray

Fleur proudly showing off her

uMhlanga; The LifeStyled, Durban North

ABOVE: Fleur proudly showing off her Alla Moda applique jersey. RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: Summer admiring her K&G parcel; the white porcelain pet bowls; a strap harness and lead set from the English Rose – Sage Collection.

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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.

looking BACK

AS WE CONTEMPLATE THE RIDGE MAGAZINE PUBLISHING ITS FINAL ISSUE, LET’S LOOK BACK AND EXPLORE SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE SWEPT THROUGH OUR PICTURESQUE COASTAL TOWN SINCE THE MAGAZINE’S LAUNCH IN 2004, WRITES

GARETH BAILEY

Ihave personal memories from the 80s of the blackand-white-tiled Mike’s Kitchen, the bird park, and a skateboarding half-pipe in the area between where Beacon Rock (Mini) and the Radisson Blu Hotel are located today.

Although it now feels like an eternal feature, Gateway Theatre of Shopping only opened its doors in 2001, and when The Ridge mag launched in 2004, nothing but lush green sugar cane swaying in the coastal breeze occupied the land in front of Gateway spanning from uMhlanga Rocks Drive down to the M4 in the east with uMhlanga Manors to the north and the M41 to the south.

Around Gateway, there existed only a smattering of commercial buildings including the Crescent Shopping Centre. There were no residential developments except for Horizon Views which still overlooks the traffic circle adjacent to the Sharks Board.

While the area between Gateway and the N2 had been mostly cleared for development, the land between Gateway and Prestondale and

everything west of the N2 was still under sugar cane too.

Around this time, the uMhlanga Rocks Hotel – a well-known landmark in the area – was demolished to make way for The Pearls development. The Oysters complex (Pearls, Quays, Rock and Schelles) was developed from 2004, and Grace Family Church commenced construction in 2005. The renovations on the old Oyster Box Hotel were completed in 2009, which was the same year that construction commenced at Beacon Rock and Ridgeside Office Park (Richefond Circle). Although a little north of uMhlanga, the King Shaka International Airport opened its runway in 2010 catalysing demand for our coastal property market.

In 2011, One on Herrwood commenced construction, and the Oceans development –featuring the 5-star Radisson Blu Hotel – commenced construction in 2016 on the old Post Office and uMhlanga Country Club site. Many other residential and commercial buildings like uMhlanga Arch (2017) have since sprouted

up mainly around the greenfield areas of Gateway and the uMhlanga Ridge and Ridgeside precincts.

Although it predates our period, it would be amiss not to mention and pay tribute to the most iconic of uMhlanga’s structures which was built in 1954 and constructed to replace the original version from 1869 – the uMhlanga lighthouse!

The developments since the turn of the century have seen uMhlanga transform from a quaint coastal town into the modern, bustling epicentre of Durban’s business and leisure activities that it is today. Despite the growth and modernisation, uMhlanga has, in many ways, managed to retain its village ethos with its charming local shops, familyrun businesses, restaurants and cosy cafes.

Despite some recent municipality challenges, uMhlanga has upheld its cherished coastal traditions over the years. Our beachfront still witnesses local families and inlanders gathering for laughter-filled days of sandcastle building and

soaking up the sun. If you’ve spent some time walking past Granny’s Pool on a still, sunny morning, the sounds of children’s laughter mingled with the crashing waves create a nostalgic atmosphere that transcends time.

As with any nostalgic journey, it’s important to remember that uMhlanga’s charm lies in its ability to blend the past with the present. By embracing its rich history while embracing progress, uMhlanga will continue to capture hearts and create new memories for generations to come.

We bid farewell to The Ridge magazine and honour the wonderful team that has

ABOVE: Gareth Bailey, Pam Golding Properties.

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, 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

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

sometimes no mean feat. Like when a photographer needs to be at uMhlanga pier at 5.30 in the morning in the dead of winter to get the perfect shot of the sun rising. Or teetering on the edge of a 20-storey building to get the right angle. 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. *