REMEMBERING THE FALLEN
Sunday’s Remembrance Day Parade on a crowded Church Square enjoyed clear skies, interspersed with some drizzle, plus a group of young first-time participants, and a change in the set-up.
The slickly-run parade was once again presented by the Makanakop Shellhole of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats (Moths), whose members took on various roles.
Moths’“Old Bill” Andrew Kirk welcomed participants and visitors, Pastor Johan Beer gave the lesson and benediction, and Ben Bezuidenhout played The Last Post and Reveille on his trumpet.
Bezuidenhout has played the trumpet at various parades and formal occasions for many years, and was performing again despite having only arrived back in Makhanda the previous day after extended visits to England and Australia.
Piper Chris Terry, who has played The Lament on his set of bagpipes at Remembrance Day parades since 1963 when he was in standard 9 (grade 11) at St Andrew’s College, was at his post once again, but this was his last appearance, having announced his retirement.
St Mary’s Primary School has established a scout group and a dozen scouts marched onto Church Square after training over a period of some months by Moths Basil and Steven Mills.
Also in attendance were the St Andrew’s College pipe band, led by drum major Sauvan Sewsunker, and the Kingswood College concert band under the baton of music director Nici Coleman.
Laying wreaths at the foot of the World War 1 Memorial were representatives of local schools, Makana Municipality Council, 6 SA Infantry Battalion, the SA Police Service, Moths and other organisations.
DISAPPEARING
Makhanda’s notorious potholes aside (how can we ever put them aside, motorists may well exclaim in horror!), now Makhanda’s street markings (some of them vital to road safety) are disappearing at a fast rate. That’s not a good sign, especially at some intersections.
STUDENT EXAMS END
Rhodes University’s end-of-year examinations officially come to their conclusion tomorrow (Friday), and many late nights will no doubt be spent by academic staffers marking papers until the university closes on Friday December 15.
Then, Rhodes reopens its campus on Wednesday January 3 for its 2024 academic year, and supplementary exams are due to be written from January 22 to February 2.
The Rhodes campus will be really buzzing with activity over the weekend of February 3 and 4, when thousands of firstyear students and their parents descend on Makhanda for registration.
GLORIOUS GARDENS ON SHOW
Six Makhanda gardens will be on show on Saturday November 18 (from 10am to 3pm) for public viewing. Tickets to view the gardens cost R80 per person for all the gardens or R20 per garden.
The show gardens are: 16 Hillsview Road and 9 Webber Street in Sunnyside, 37 Oatlands Road, 18 Cory Circle in Hill 60, 8 Kings Crescent in Kings Heights Estate, and Brackenhill smallholding off the N2 in Howiesonspoort.
For more info contact Benita on 076- 878-0137.
STRINGS AND PIANO
The Odeion String Quartet and Catherine Foxcroft (piano) present Modern Musings in the Beethoven Room in Somerset Street from 7pm on Thursday November 23.
They will offer a programme of contemporary chamber music by Barber, Shostakovich and Ndodana-Breen.
Tickets are R100 each (concessions R60) and bookings can be made on Quicket at https://qkt.io/modernmusings.
GRAEME WINS DERBY MATCH
In their low-scoring first Xl derby cricket match on Somerset field on Saturday, Graeme College defeated long-standing rivals Kingswood College by six wickets.
Scores in brief: Kingswood 121 all out (Michael van Staden 25; Aphiwe Mnyanda 6/24, Kevin Geldenhuys 2/31). Graeme 122 for 4 (Luphelo Mdyesha 39; Josh Loon 2/21).
Graeme won by six wickets. Other scores between the schools (all Kingswood’s individual details not available at time of writing):
Graeme U13A v Kingswood U13A Kingswood 125/9 off 40 overs (Ashton Burger 4/23, Iyazi Zwedala 4/27). Graeme 126/1 (Caleb Jattiem 87 not out). Graeme won by nine wickets.
Graeme U14A v Kingswood U14A Kingswood 105 all out (Sibabalwe Deliwe 3/9, Kits McConnachie 3/19). Graeme 106/7 (Kits McConnachie 57 not out). Graeme won by three wickets.
Graeme U15A v Kingswood U15A Kingswood 228 all out (Matthew Spring 47; Rhys Wiblin 3/29, Lisekho Zinyane 2/45, Andrew Muir 2/46). Graeme 229/4 (Rhys Wiblin 79 not out, Enrique Strydom 45, Andrew Muir 42). Graeme won by six wickets.
BEAMISH IN FINE FORM
St Andrew’s College defeated Pearson High School by 68 runs in a high-scoring first Xl cricket encounter in Gqeberha on Saturday, with William Beamish not only scoring 124 runs but also taking two Pearson wickets later in the day.
Scores in brief: St Andrew’s 319/7 (William Beamish 124, Murray Wilson 62, Matthew Poole 41). Pearson 242 all out (Laurie Apps 3/46, William Beamish 2/25, Alastair de Kock 2/57).
St Andrew’s won by 68 runs.
SISTERS ARE CHAMPS
The Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) squash championships in the open and U15 age groups have been decided, and have resulted in the Holderness sisters being declared the champions, Abigail in the open division and Lucy in the U15 section.
AILSA AT BELMONT
The Ailsa Trophy mixed pairs competition at Belmont Golf Club attracted 40 players, with Megan Renton and Jamie Renton winning the trophy with 40 points. Second were Megan McCallum and Dave Duncan on 38. In the non-handicap section, Rene van Rensburg and Angus McRae were first with 32 points and Cate Pike and Greg Pike runners-up on 30.
APPOINTED DEPUTY HEAD
Life sciences and natural sciences teacher Harley Searle has been appointed deputy headmaster at St Andrew’s College.
He has been a staff member since 2001, housemaster at Graham House since 2015 and senior housemaster since 2021.
DANCING AND DEBATING
At Kingswood College’s cultural awards assembly last week, colours were awarded to Rosemary Colenso (debating), Nicholas Godwin (debating), Mbenyana Kwakhanya (music) and Kayleigh Smith (ballroom dancing).
TARGETS UNDER THE TREES
Sixty-three runners, joggers and walkers turned out in Makana botanical gardens on Saturday for their weekly dose of parkrun.
Among those taking part were four who are nearing personal targets Francois Hendrikz (two to go to his 150th parkrun), Jobst Bodenstein and Thoko Sipungu (three each to go to their 100th) and Kjetil Torp (one to go to his 50th).
Three participants from Saturday whose next target is 250 parkruns are Andrew Stevens (231), Mark Hazell (223) and Harry Porthen (205).
Parkruns are held each Saturday at 8am from the entrance to the botanical gardens in Lucas Avenue.
ON-COURT SELECTIONS
Following trials held a fortnight ago, six Kingswood College players plus one non-travelling reserve have been included in Eastern Cape (EC) tennis teams for upcoming tournaments.
Selected for the EC Aloes girls’ U19A team are Madison Edwards (ranked number 1 in the EC Aloes), Isabelle Oertel (ranked fourth) and Isabella Greyling (ranked 12th), while Jenna Gadd is nontravelling reserve.
Aeryn Putzier is a member of the EC Elephants U15B team for the Synergy Cup involving southern provinces, while Anna Stocks has been included in the Aloes U15B team for the same tournament.
Onalenna Mokgosana (ranked eighth) is a member of the EC Aloes U15A team for the SA interprovincial tournament.
TENNIS SELECTIONS
Eight DSG players have been selected to EC tennis teams for upcoming tournaments.
Selected for the EC Synergy U19A Aloes team is Anne Cuthbert, while Salizwa Mpambaniso has been included in the EC Synergy U19B Aloes team.
Grace Kemp and Natasha White have been included in the EC U15A team for the interprovincial tournament, while Emma Watson, Sam Wienand and Elam Petse (reserve) are members of the EC Synergy U15A Aloes side.
Selected for the EC Synergy U15B Elephants team is Jenna Callow.
IN PROVINCIAL SIDES
Seven Graeme College players have been selected for EC tennis teams at senior and junior level.
They are: Kits McConnachie (EC U15A team to play in the interprovincial tournament in Pretoria), Ryan Stobbs (EC U19B), Jesse McConnachie (EC U19B reserve), Josh Potts (EC U11B), Joshua Beckman (EC U11B), Eric Griffin (EC U12B) and Jed van der Merwe (EC U13B reserve).
HONOURS AND COLOURS
Graeme College’s last awards assembly for the year saw Aphiwe Mnyanda (SA U19 player) receive an honours re-award for cricket, while colours for cricket were awarded to Ethan Beyleveld, Kevin Geldenhuys, Onosizo Ntinga, Murray Tyson and Christiano Jasson.
Colours for sports achievement were awarded to Cameron Doyle (cricket).
ANOTHER ONE
The ‘Down Memory Lane’ item dealing with pharmacies in last week’s column elicited response from a Western Cape reader who wrote: “I recall that in the early 1990s there was another pharmacy in Bathurst Street, namely Morton s Pharmacy, owned by Seaton Morton.”
The weekly Makhanda column is sent to scores of former Grahamstonians now living across SA, as well as a handful residing overseas.
A GRAVE MATTER
Makhanda streets are named mainly after mayors, governors, kings, queens, military officers, councillors and members of parliament.
However, there are some exceptions, according to the listing of local streets compiled in the 1960s.
The entry in the list of streets states that Spring Street below the former railway station was named after a “possible spring”, while Grave Street, not too far away, has its entry reading “Adjoins old cemetery close to the railway station.”
TABLE FOR TWO?
How many readers remember these restaurants, cafes and fast-food outlets from the 1970s through to the 1990s in the then Grahamstown?
Little Coffee Shop in the Carlton Arcade in upper High Street; Wimpy at 7 Bathurst Street; Copa Snack Bar adjacent to Settler City Motors at 69 Beaufort Street; Guido’s Restaurant at 8 New Street; La Galleria Restaurant on the corner of New and Bertram Streets; Die Tap Huis Restaurant on the corner of Cawood and Caldecott Streets; Calabash Restaurant at 123 High Street; Reddits at 29 New Street; and Sea Breeze Restaurant at 57A Beaufort Street.
FINE FINISH FOR FLETCHER
St Andrew’s College athlete Zac Fletcher put in a superb performance for the SA team at the Biathle World Championships on the island of Bali a fortnight ago when athletes from 34 countries took part in the four-day event.
Fletcher raced in the U17 category although he is still 15.
After competing in the initial stages, he made it to the top 24 for the finals, eventually finishing 10th overall.
The biathle event comprised a 1,200m run, 200m swim in the sea, followed by another 1,200m run.
MANLEYS MOVED IT
These days there are cartage contractors who transport furniture and building material, shuttle services for passengers, courier companies for parcels and goods and, of course, mini-bus taxis that move passengers and their luggage.
Going back two to four decades, there were various transport companies locally, and their names may well ring a bell or two.
Leopard Express transported passengers and parcels to Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) and back, while Beaumont & Rice was a furniture removals firm operating countrywide.
Then there were Dagbreek Transport, Manley’s Cartage and Jorgensen Transport that carried bricks and other building material around the Eastern Cape.