Lawrie still full of life
REPORTER
AT THE age of 100, Lawrie Shuttleworth might be one of Kimberley’s oldest residents, but that has not stopped him from pointing a finger at the current city fathers.
“It is blatantly obvious that there is no leadership present in the running of Kimberley. While there is so much to be done, those employed to fill potholes or clean litter do not even pretend to work – they are comfortable with sitting around or even sleeping next to the road where they are supposed to work. If only our leadership would take some responsibility, Kimberley could again be the sparkling city it once was,” Shuttleworth said yesterday.
One of Kimberley’s best-known residents, Shuttleworth yesterday celebrated his 100th birthday with close friends and family members.
Shuttleworth served on the Kimberley City Council from 1968 to 1994, and was Deputy Mayor of Kimberley at the time when the city celebrated its centenary in 1971. He served as Mayor from 1972 to 1974.
In what was described as a “major public relations fiasco”, the ANC caucus of the Sol Plaatje City Council last year snubbed Shuttleworth on the eve of his 99th birthday by turning down the opportunity to surprise Shuttleworth with the Freedom of the City award, apparently because he represents the “old regime”.
Shuttleworth yesterday commented on the incident, saying that while it might have been a huge honour, the last thing he wanted at this stage of his life was to be placed on a pedestal and bestowed any special honours.
“For now, I will be pleased when all the fuss about my birthday is over and things can settle back to normal – all the attention has been a bit overwhelming,” he said.
Shuttleworth bestowed the Freedom of the City upon Harry Oppenheimer in 1973, while he was the Mayor of Kimberley.
Shuttleworth was in high spirits yesterday as he greeted and welcomed guests at a private birthday celebration at Gum Tree Lodge, which he established after realising the importance of providing reasonable accommodation facilities for young visitors to Kimberley.
It was formally opened by Harry Oppenheimer in 1982.
Gum Tree Lodge was yesterday bustling with friends and family members from across the globe, all gathered to celebrate the “full life lived by Shuttleworth”.
One of the special guests at the celebration was Susan Harper, one of Shuttleworth’s granddaughters, who had travelled with her husband, Greg, and their son, Quinlan, from Canada to attend the festivities.
She recalled many “very happy” memories with her grandfather.
“My fondest memories will always be of grandfather religiously taking an early morning swim and walk while we holidayed together. Some of my earliest memories also involve him walking around with a walking stick – the children made smaller walking sticks for themselves and imitated their grandfather as they walked by his side. Ironically he used his walking stick much less as he grew older,” Susan said.
Her husband added that their visits to Kimberley, where Shuttleworth would play tour guide, would stand out as his favourite memories of Shuttleworth.
“Not only was he extremely knowledgable about the city and its history, but obviously he commanded the respect of fellow Kimberley residents. Everywhere we went people greeted him by his name – that was really impressive – he is obviously considered a celebrity,” Gregg added.
Talking about his secret to reaching 100 years, Shuttleworth attributed his long life to a healthy lifestyle.
“I believe in only visiting a doctor when it is really needed – the less medical attention one receives, the better. People should take responsibility for their own health – only you know what is best for yourself,” the centenarian said.