FIRST GATEWAY OPENS

The first Cape Town Routes Unlimited Gateway to the Western Province is to be opened at Beaufort West in October. “One of three gateways to the province – the others are at Storms River and Van Rhynsdorp – its aim is to offer full support to tourists giving them details of where to go, what to do, where to stay throughout the province, as well as a variety of other information to make their holiday unforgettable,” said Centre manager, Liesl Lund. “Our aim is also to offer Internet and booking services to tourists so that they can travel in a relaxed fashion, unworried about details and so enjoy full value of their holiday package.” The gateway is centrally located at Beaufort Square and has plenty of parking. Beaufort West Information is also opening an office in this complex.

LOOKING BACK AT THE ANGLO BOER WAR

An international history conference is being arranged in Natal to coincide with the 110th Anniversary of the Anglo-Boer War. The organisers, the South African Military History Society and Ladysmith Siege Museum Trust have selected January 25 to 27 as these coincide with dates of three significant battles during the Siege of Ladysmith – Wagon Hill (or Platrand) on January 6, iNtabamnyama between January 20 and 22, and Spioenkop on January 24. Top class speakers have been invited. Among them are Peter Miller, Associate Professor of History at the University of Maine in the USA and from the United Kingdom, Dr Stephen Badsey, University of Wolverhampton, Dr Mathew Hughes, Brunel University, Major Martin Everett, Royal Welsh Museum, Brecon, Powys, Wales, and Prof Mark Connelly and Dr Peter Donaldson, University of Kent. Many well-known local experts have also been invited. These include Prof Fransjohan Pretorius, University of Pretoria, Prof Donal McCracken, Howard College University, Dr Johan Wassermann, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, Prof Louis Changuion, University of Limpopo, Prof Kay de Villiers, Professor Emeritus of Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, Dr Mark Coghlan, KwaZulu-Natal Museum Services, Johan Hattingh, University of the Free State, Raymond Heron, chairman of the Battlefields Route Association and Lt Col Mike McCabe, Institute of Royal Engineers. Ken Gillings, an expert on Military History and the Boer War and one of the organisers, will discuss what really happened at Vlakfontein in May 1901. Other topics include a comparison of Gen Koos de La Rey and Gen Lord Methuen, uniforms, Emily Hobhouse, medical problems, what the army learnt from the war, British Intelligence, tactics, myths and mistakes.

AIMING AT THE FLAG

Beaufort West’s John D. Crawford Primary School has its eye on a green flag. This school is committed to environmental education and has included a variety of ecologically-based programmes in its teaching schedules. Learners recently visited Dunedin farm to learn about the Karoo and the critically endangered riverine rabbit under the guidance of Dr Vicky Ahlmann, manager of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Riverine Rabbit Working Group and coordinator of the Riverine Rabbit Eco-School programme. “This school hopes to qualify for the 2009 Eco-Schools’ Green Flag because it has an Eco-Club and a huge number of dedicated, enthusiastic learners, studying projects such as differences between indigenous and alien plants, waste pollution, recycling, responsible water use and threatened species. Grade Six learners are researching how to protect our threatened environment. Many learners tackle projects over weekends. This keeps them busy in a safe and positive way,” she said. “This group of young conservationists recently visited an EWT rehabilitation site along the Sak River and walked a two kilometre stretch of riverine rabbit territory. A highlight was seeing one of these elusive creatures flushed from its hiding place,” said Vicky.

SALUTE TO A LITTLE-KNOWN UNCLE

A 1942 air crash would, like many incidents in the Karoo, have vanished into history had it not been for one man. Ray de Villiers’s dedication to erecting a memorial to Desmond Gilfillan a young pilot, killed on the eve of his 21st birthday, impressed many Round-up readers. David Southey, owner of Mount Melsetter, near Middelburg, and a relation of the ill-fated pilot, wrote: “I was delighted to read your story on Desmond, the uncle we never knew. I visited the site of the crash in 1999 on my way home from Cape Town and met the owner of the farm, ‘Boy’ Nigrini, then about 76 and in poor health, yet he remembered everything ‘as though it had happened yesterday’. He too was a boy of only 14 when the accident occurred, yet it remained indelibly imprinted in his memory. Then, last year I received a touching letter from Ray setting out his motivation for wanting to build a memorial 67 years after the tragedy. On Mount Melsetter we have a beautiful original sketch of Desmond done by renowned South African artist, Walter Battis, only a few months before the accident. It captures his zest for living and underlines the sadness of losing a young man in the prime of his life.”

GETTING IT RIGHT

Ray de Villiers’s son Marais queried details of this air crash published in Round-up No 72. “According to the evidence on the ground and other sources Colonel Graham du Toit has the flight direction wrong,” he writes. “Desmond was flying from Cape Town to Bloemfontein and not the other way round.” Round-up contacted Colonel du Toit, who replied: “Many thanks for the feedback and for pointing this out. On re-checking I find that Marais is right, Second Lieutenant Gilfillan was in fact flying back to No 27 Air School at Tempe in Bloemfontein where he was stationed. He had taken off from No 9 Air Depot in Brooklyn, Cape Town. The error is regretted.”

REST, RELAX, READ, RECHARGE AND RECOVER

Looking for a place to rest, relax, recharge and recover? Try Mount Melsetter, David Southey’s three-star guest farm, 45km east of Middelburg in the Karoo. Run by Mike and Candy Ferraro it nestles beneath towering Mount Melsetter, on the banks of the Great Brak River and here visitors can enjoy the Karoo at its best. Gracious hospitality and good food are features of Karoo House, which has five guest rooms, an extensive guest library, comfortable porches, cosy fireside winter lounge, TV lounge and pub in which to socialize. Delicious, mouth-watering meals are served in the large dining room or, weather permitting in the garden, where there is a pool, gazebo, clay tennis court, grass volleyball court, and horse paddocks. The area around Mount Melsetter is characterized by Acocks’ veld also known as False Upper Karoo veld. It is an area of grassveld that has eroded into Karoo and encompasses the most spectacular changes of vegetation to be seen in South Africa. The terrain consists of irregular plains, hills and mountains, at altitudes varying between 1100 and 1900 metres above sea level, so there is much for outdoor “explorers” and nature lovers to see and do. Mike will arrange and, if necessary, guide, outings, walks, tours, trips, hunts or safaris to meet the needs of any Karoo lover. And, for those who would like to take a little taste of the Karoo back home, Mount Melsetter makes an excellent range of biltong, dried wors, as well as pre-packed and marinated ready-for-the-pot, fire or oven, cuts of Karoo lamb and venison. These are extremely popular and should be ordered.

ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW IN THE KAROO

Many people say that Hennie Boshoff has done for Prince Albert what Helen Martins did for New Bethesda. At Villa Kruger, “art house and sculpture garden”, on a koppie overlooking Prince Albert, Hennie and artist, Rossetta Woolf, have created a “gallery” of provocative artworks by local and international artists, sculptors, calligraphers and glass workers. The display includes a collection of internationally acclaimed artworks which Hennie acquired while living abroad. Among these are some stained-glass calligraphy pieces from world-renowned calligraphist, Frank Lalou a huge granite sculpture by Rumanian sculptor Nicolae Fleissig, and a two-metre-high bronze created by French sculptor, Laurent Belloni. To these Hennie has added contemporary South African paintings and other works of art. Some have been done by members of the Durban-based Vulindlela Art and Design Studio. These include an enormous mural, exterior and interior wall decorations, and utilitarian fixtures. Among the interesting displays in the garden is a specially designed and developed “African Tarot.” Hennie conducts tours of the garden and house each month, during the three days of the full moon. These tours, which begin at sunset at the foot of Le Fou – the first Tarot piece, last for 90 minutes and cost R50.

LEEU GAMKA ‘PUSSY-FOOTS’ INTO INTERNATIONAL ARENA

Leeu Gamka will feature in the international journal, Cat Mews in November. Why? Well, because of its name – both words mean lion and Cat Mews is a special publication for cat lovers and people who collect cats on stamps. Published quarterly since 1979 it strives to inform its readers of everything in the world to do with cats. The journal’s first editor Virginia Haywood was an enthusiastic stamp collector. Robert F. Yost followed and his efforts as editor led to the establishment of the American Topical Association Charter of the Cats on Stamps Study Unit (COSSU). Under the guidance of the next editor, Virginia Gifford, the journal won several awards. After she died Frank and Nancy Ladd continued its excellent service and now at the helm and assuring the award-winning success of Cat Mews is Marci Jarvis. She some time ago approached Rose Willis for an article to bring the little settlement of Leeu Gamka with its dual “cat names” to the attention of her readers. “Your article is a companion to my larger article on various South African places with ‘lion’ names that appear on postmarks, indicating they have or did have their own post office,” writes Marci. “I have a small collection that includes Leeu Gamka. Our study unit’s is known as Cats on Stamps, but we also collect place name postmarks, pictorial postmarks, first day covers and so on. We even have members who do not collect philatelic cats but are simply cat lovers. Our journal has articles about domestic cat breeds and wild cat species and is interesting to most ‘cat people’ in the world.”

A DROP OF SWEET COMFORT ON THE ROAD

No traveller should take to the road without a tin or packet of Dunn’s Chocolate, suppliers advertised in 1884. They stated that it was a “delicious, nourishing and wholesome beverage” and “just the thing for the Diggings” because “it does not require boiling and is ready within a minute.” Dunn’s Chocolate was said to be “totally agreeable without either milk or sugar” and, said the makers, “it is far more conducive to good health than coffee” For that reason alone, they added travellers might find it a valuable aid to their comfort while on the road.

REMARKABLE MARE HELPS CATCH A LEOPARD

Way back in October 1854 the manager of J C Naude’s farm, Winterhoek, in the Graaff-Reinet area, was surprised to see a mare, running wildly about near the homestead. “She was neighing loudly and in a great state of agitation,” he said. “Her foal, only a few days old, was nowhere to be seen, so reasoning this to be the reason for her distress, I called a few fellows together and we set off to search for it. Initially we felt it might have fallen down a gully.” The mare, however, ran agitatedly ahead, and her continued distress warned then that they may find something worse, reported the farm manager in the Graaff-Reinet Herald of October 15, 1854. On and on ran the mare till she led them straight to a grim sight – the remains of her foal half eaten by a leopard. The farm manager bated a trap with the remains of the foal and next night captured the leopard. Naude was most distressed because the foal was the progeny of a fine blood horse and of considerable value stated the newspaper.

A QUALITY GUIDE NOT TO BE MISSED

Well known photojournalists Brent Naudé-Moseley and Steve Moseley have done it again. They have produced another winner in their stable of tourism guides and one covers the fascinating Overberg area and Klein Karoo’s captivating Route 62. Well illustrated as ever, this Getaway Guide to Route 62 and the Overberg is designed to help visitors enjoy an alternative way of travelling from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth while taking in some intriguing little towns and magnificent scenery along the way. Only an hour’s drive from the Mother City, the Overberg is a compact, historic region of small rural and coastal towns dotted among rolling wheat, canola and barley fields – Route 62, on the other hand, is a never-ending pot-pourri of tiny towns and sightseeing spots in a restful world away from the busy N2 coastal highway. This full guide of where to go, what to see and where to stay, will be a valuable addition to any regular traveller’s collection.

RICHMOND’S BOOK FAIR – PROGRAMME FINALISED

A highlight of the Richmond Book Fair this year will be three bookbinding workshops, each three hours long, free of charge and presented by The National Library. Topics will include an introduction to book and paper preservation, short history of paper, surface cleansing, adhesives in paper repair, make up of a book, and minor repairs.

NO REST NEAR THE RIVER

The year 1852 did not start well for William Trollip, a farmer at Daggaboersnek, an area that had been “in a hopeless state for about six months.” Shortly after first light on an early January day his farm was attacked by 16 marauders who “made a clean sweep of all his sheep and horses.” Because of the unrest William had kraaled the stock overnight near his homestead. The marauders, however, struck just as he and his sons, Edward and Henry, were releasing the animals graze. Henry, acclaimed as a crack shot and one of the bravest men on the frontier, immediately gave chase, followed by his brother and two friends. He later reported: “Four or five of the rustlers charged ahead with the herd, while the rest of the men hung back, keeping us at bay with well aimed long shots. Just as we were considering giving up Gilbert and George Stokes, rode up, saw what was happening and joined us. The rear guard of miscreants closed ranks, but their ammunition was running low, so they changed tactics, abandoned most of the stock and tried to get away with a small flock of sheep. This manoeuvre was not successful, and we managed to recapture all our animals, plus three extra horses, one of which was shod.” The scoundrels scrambled into a kloof and vanished, so the pursuers decided to be happy with their victory of regaining the stock and return home, reported The Grahamstown Herald of January 3, 1852. A later report stated that William Trollip held out for almost a year, but at times sustained heavy losses. He sold his stock, “taking what he could get for the animals,” but that did not put an end to his troubles. At the dawn of the next year little frontier family was hit by a fresh tragedy.

YET ANOTHER BAD START

Early in January the following year both of William Trollip’s sons lay dead almost on his doorstep. “A neighbour woke me just after 04h00 with the news that Henry and Edward had been waylaid by villains and fatally wounded only a few yards from their father’s front door,” said George Stokes to a reporter of The Grahamstown Herald of January 17, 1853. “Constant unrest in the area meant my horses were constantly kept tethered and ready to ride. So, six of us instantly galloped off and reached William’s house at 06h30. There we found a scene of woe. Both William and his wife were ill, their spirits broken by the anxieties of the frontier. The old man was too infirm to go outside to drag in the naked bodies of his sons, stripped of their clothes and dignity. Near the bed where he and his wife lay was a young wife, with an infant at her breast, and two others at her knees. A 17-year-old girl sat huddled on the floor. The whole family were panic stricken. In addition to knowing their beloved sons, husband and brothers, lay murdered virtually on their doorstep, these poor people had spent the entire night fearing their house would be attacked, set alight and that they would be burned alive.”

ARRESTS BROUGHT SMALL COMFORT

William Trollip had sold his livestock in the hopes of being left in peace by cattle rustlers. His son, John, who’d moved to Cradock to live with his in-laws, the Colletts had, however, left a small flock of goats behind. These, of course, were of interest to the raiders, but John returned to collect the animals before they could strike. His brothers rode with him to the drift because of the many evil doers in the area. Then, on their way home Henry and Edward spied a band of mischief makers approaching the house. They broke into a gallop, but as they neared the dwelling a shot rang out. Edward fell from his horse – a bullet had passed through his neck a few centimeters below his ear. Henry reigned in his horse and turned intent on going to help his brother just as a volley was fired. One bullet hit Henry in the head, another hit his horse in the shoulder. Both fell, but Henry was not killed outright. He tried to crawl away, but the malevolent band soon pounced on him and battered him to death with rocks. They then stripped him and Edward of their clothes and made off. George Stokes stayed to helped old William dig graves and bury his sons. He said: “It is so sad that after holding out for 12 months the Trollips have lost everything. They are now leaving the place they called home. Sadly, the farm next door, that belonged to Joseph James, is also abandoned. His fields of oats, hay and Indian corn now stand ripening only to be appropriated by the enemy.” After a while letters arrived from Somerset and Cradock saying the men who had killed the Trollip brothers had been arrested. One still had Henry’s gun and others were clad in clothes the brothers had worn on the day they were murdered. These arrests brought little comfort to the frontier farmers. George said: “Few men have sufficient courage to remain in this area. Many will soon be forced to flee if no change for the better happens quickly. We will also have to take steps to ensure that any such a change once implemented can be maintained.”

Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. – George Bernard Shaw