FAMILIAR NAMES, FACES AND PLACES IN THE MIDLANDS
‘When we moved to Curry’s Post 30-odd years ago, Justin and I were the youngsters here,’ recalls Amanda McCarthy, co-founder of Groundcover, the leather shoe company. ‘Over the years, younger people moved into the area with more innovative ideas – how to grow your community; train staff; education became more important. South Africa was changing and a new mindset was moving in here. Now, the next generation is taking things a step further and the opportunities are incredibly exciting.’ ‘There is such a strong sense of community in the Midlands,’ says Rob Shuttleworth, who runs Shuttleworth Weaving in Nottingham Road. His parents, weavers Helen and Andy, are founding members of the Midlands Meander, which started in 1985 as a rolling exhibition. ‘I’m surprised by how the Midlands Meander has come to define what the area is called,’ says Andy, ‘and really proud of how it continues to draw tourists to the area.’ ‘The Midlands is special because of its diversity, especially of birdlife,’ says sculptor Betty Ntshingila, who has been working with Ardmore Ceramics since 2002. ‘I’ve always been really inspired by the birds. My favourite place in KZN is Fort Dunford, near Escourt. There is a good museum and a lot of Zulu heritage there, and it also has a lot of birdlife that has been a big influence on my subject matter.’