Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Magic in the air and on the bookshelves
From a guide on how to be your own boss to a memoir by a top SA ballroom dancer, a gripping new Jeffrey Archer thriller and a wizard special edition, Patricia McCracken’s selection this week makes great gifts!
Freelance Like A Boss by Shea Karssing (Penguin, R240)
Side hustles are becoming engrained as surviving in the South African economy urges us to make money where we can, but running a side hustle that doesn’t run you ragged and unable to perform as competently and professionally as you’d like at your main job is something of an art form. Karssing hasn’t just been there and done that, she’s given the process a lot of thought so what you get here is experience distilled and fermented into clear guidelines, from remembering that you’re now the boss and need to know when to say no to learning to recognise your value to clients and pricing accordingly. It’s all delivered in a bouncy tone that’s aimed at energising you to take control of your freelance venture so that it’s genuinely enriching you – financially and professionally. Karssing aims at any scale of freelancer, from occasional to full-timer. A useful book to spend time with as you plan out next year’s goals and a great gift to any floundering freelance wannabe.
JoJo: Finally Home by Johannes Radebe (Hodder Catalyst, R415)
UK Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe is one of the brightest butterflies to come out of Zamdela township, near Sasolburg. It seems a miracle he made it through South Africa’s relatively homophobic society to blossom as he has. It helped that he was a winner, he believes, not at conventional sports but in ballroom dancing. That gave his family, his school and his township something to celebrate together. It didn’t eradicate all bullying and threats but the acclaim and acceptance now are astonishingly sweet. He made showbiz headlines as the first Strictly professional to compete in an all-male couple, with Great British Bake
Off winner John Whaite. He has even been received at Buckingham Palace, where he gave a motivation speech to young people. It would have been good to hear a bit more about his childhood dance mentors but even so, this is an and engaging memoir from a special South African abroad.
Traitors Gate by Jeffrey Archer (HarperCollins, R380)
Although the jacket blurb promises “24 hours to stop the crime of the century”, Archer takes his time showcasing the crime in this sixth William Warwick novel. That, however, doesn’t mean he’s fumbled any of his storytelling smarts. In a series of subplots that ingeniously build up towards the main event, Archer fills in the background for anyone new to the series while moving the story forward.
Arch-opponent and criminal Miles Faulkner has been plotting his revenge on Warwick and his colleagues during his years in prison. Now he’s determined that his scheme to hijack Britain’s crown jewels will end with their public humiliation and a slew of resignations at best, firings and disciplinaries at worst. The mystery has plenty of inside suspects to justify the title, is cleverly constructed and canters along at a good pace. Just don’t give it to a friend who’s hot on grammar as there are some bloopers.
The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac (Bloomsbury, R900)
“The only official companion to the Harry Potter stories,” declares the publisher – and they’ve crammed as much as they possibly could into this “ultimate compendium” of everything from ways through the wizarding world to care of magical creatures. The book shot to the top of the bestseller lists in the UK and US. From charts, maps and Harry Potter’s packing list for Hogwarts to a round-up of charms and IDs for different dragon species, this is the book that brings a smile to the face of every Potter enthusiast. Whether or not you’ll hanker after “a working Invisibility Booster” for your car, shrinking door-keys or a teapot that squirts boiling tea will depend on how bewitched you are by this world. Be warned, though, a combination of cleverly developed text with plenty of in-jokes, all set in magnificent illustrations from a team of seven magical artists, makes it an immersive experience you won’t want to escape.
Only 85km from Cape Town is Dassenheuwel Farm Stay & Cottages, between the towns of Malmesbury (to the west) Riebeek-Kasteel (to the north), and Hermon (to the east).
A fourth generation of the Lesch family lives on the farm, Dassenheuwel.
Owners Kobus and Lida make a formidable team and ensure all is running like clockwork on this working farm. Kobus, assisted by his son Pieter, manages the farming activities, and Lida, a pharmacist, takes care of the Farm Stay & Cottages.
FARMING ACTIVITIES
Dassenheuwel produces wheat and canola commercially, while it grows lupine and oats on a crop-rotation basis to use as fodder. Livestock includes a herd of Sussex cattle, and a flock of Dohne Merino sheep, a multipurpose breed. Drifts of feral pigs and troops of baboons are the major destroyers of crops, and caracal is responsible for killing lambs. Kobus tells us that the natural fauna in this area is Renosterveld, and the mountains in the region, with the local, natural habitat, are home to more than 120 bird species on the farm.
SMALL GAME
The blue crane (bloukraanvoël) makes a regular appearance, as do the Verreaux’s eagle (witkruisarend). Guests may be fortunate to see small antelope, such as steenbok and duiker on the farm.
ACCOMMODATION
Lida tells Farmer’s Weekly that the most important reason people book into Dassenheuwel is for the peace, tranquillity and fresh air it offers.
City dwellers from Cape Town and Gauteng make up most of the guests, while several are from the rest of South Africa and across the globe, who usually stay one or two nights when attending weddings, functions, and sport events in the area.
RESTORATION
When Kobus’s father passed away, he started to restore the more than 200-year-old house in 2010 and the first guests made a booking in 2011.
After the success of the home as a guest house, they added two cottages, Flower Cottage and Windmill Cottage, in 2015 to accommodate guests who
wished to stay for only one or two nights. All the accommodation on offer is fully self-catered.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED
Guests will find everything needed to prepare meals. Towels are also provided. Wood is available for purchase should you wish to braai.
All of the units have a Nespresso coffee machine, as well as filter coffee to enjoy.
Guests who book in advance, and should time allow, may find on their arrival a loaf of freshly baked farm bread awaiting them in their unit.
Lida booked Farmer’s Weekly into the Flower Cottage. This cottage makes provision for two adults with a queensize bed. It is completely open plan, free Wi-Fi is available, and it has an en suite bathroom with a shower only.
THE MOUNTAINS AND THE LOCAL NATURAL HABITAT ARE HOME TO AN ABUNDANCE OF BIRDS ON THE FARM
Guests also have their own stoep with braai. Complimentary tea, coffee, sugar and milk await guests, and an honesty bar is available with snacks, cold drinks and water. The cottage also has an air conditioner. Windmill Cottage has the same facilities as Flower Cottage and the two cottages are adjacent to each another.
The Farm Stay caters for five people with a single bathroom and two bedrooms. One bedroom has a queen-size bed, and there are three single beds in the other. Air conditioning is available in the living room, and fans in the bedrooms.
A fully-equipped kitchen and dining room are available. For a braai, you have a choice between indoors or outdoors.
A shared bathroom with a shower and bath is available for ablution.
Two exciting new developments are also taking place and will be available to guests. The first is an old silo around the corner from the two cottages that Kobus and Lida are converting into a unique stay for a couple. The double bed is on a mezzanine level with stairs leading to it inside the silo, with a small kitchenette and bathroom with a shower on the ground level. It also has a braai.
OFF-GRID
A second development is the Wheat Cabin. It lies on the edge of the farm and is completely off-grid, the ideal getaway for a couple. It has a fireplace that will keep guests warm during the chilly winter nights and a hot tub to light up the romance. A net where guests may relax and have an idyllic view of the Riebeek/Wellington Valley with the Winterhoek Mountains beyond
rounds this cabin off to perfection. Even though the last incident of theft on the farm occurred about 25 years ago,
Lida advises guests to close windows and lock doors when leaving their accommodation. The Lesch family attributes the absence of theft to not being close to a major road, and almost 7km of well-maintained gravel roads lead to this tranquil destination.
ACTIVITIES ON THE FARM
Depending on the season, guests may observe the shearing of sheep and feeding of lambs. Guests may also hike and cycle on the farm roads.
Each cottage has a map indicating where farm roads are, and the distances covered by each. If you are into twitching, remember to bring your binoculars and books, and see if you can add new birds to the official bird list of the farm.
ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA
The area around Dassenheuwel offers guests lots to do in the form of eateries, history, activities and shopping. You will find MTB tracks, wineries and even hot-air ballooning in the area.
For meals, when you do not want to cook, there are eateries such as the Cherry Lane Coffee House and Deli, Beef and Barrel Restaurant, and Café Myrtledene and Hofstraat Kelder on offer in Malmesbury, only 18km away. Riebeek Kasteel boasts wineries and art galleries, and then there is Cape Town, which is less than an hour away, with all of its attractions.
Rates start from R1 200 a night in a cottage and from R1 900 in the Farm Stay house. Rates for the Silo and Wheat Cabin will be available soon, so keep an eye on social media and the website. Visit dassenheuwel.co.za, or
hone 082 896 9124.