HISTORIC PROPERTY UP FOR AUCTION

Makhanda’s (formerly Grahamstown) iconic accommodation establishment, The Cock House, goes on auction by Broll Auctions & Sales at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg next month.

While the property, situated in the block comprising Market, George, Retief and Wilcox Streets, was previously a residence, it was opened as an accommodation establishment by Peter and Belinda Tudge in 1991.

Belinda Tudge continued running the business after her husband’s death in 2003, and sold the concern to businessman Richard Anker-Simmons in 2005. Nordens’ Restaurant forms part of the business, while the adjacent Broughton Court apartment block was also acquired.

In the book Grahamstown Reflected, author Emily O’Meara wrote that the original building was owned by Benjamin Norden, then by the Honourable William Cock, followed by noted SA author Andre Brink.

PJ OLIVIER MATRIC PRIDE

Of the 41 grade 12 pupils who wrote matric examinations at PJ Olivier High School last year, 18 gained Bachelor’s degree passes, 12 Diploma passes and five Higher Certificate passes, while six will write supplementary exams in June.

Top candidate was Shirley Retief with an average of 88.6% and seven subject As, including 96% for accounting and 95% for life orientation. She is one of the recipients of the Jakes Gerwel Fellowship Bursary and will study towards a BA degree at the University of Cape Town this year.

Retief hopes to follow in the footsteps of her parents and enter the teaching profession upon graduating.

In second position was Lane van Vuuren with 79.1% and third Cara Meyer with 75.7%.

“We are proud of this class who attended extra classes, extended school hours and a winter school during the holidays, and gave of their best, in spite of difficult circumstances,” said PJ Olivier principal Joubert Retief.

“Our best wishes accompany them for the future.”

RECORD AT VG

Maintaining its proud academic record, Victoria Girls’ High School (VG) achieved a 100% pass rate in the 2021 matric examinations, with a 91% Bachelor’s degree pass. The matric class of 2021 also achieved 101 subject As.

PASSING MATRIC AT GRAEME

Graeme College recorded a 96.6% pass rate in the 2021 matric examinations, and along with it 50 subject distinctions. Nqobile Bala achieved five distinctions and Wothando Funani four.

WATER WOES

Makhanda West was without municipal water at the weekend due to the low level of reservoirs, and municipal workers and contractors are currently busy repairing leaking, broken and burst pipelines and mains across the city.

Tankers spent much of the weekend delivering water to the various suburbs.

Makana Municipality called for “patience and understanding” from residents, some of whom stated on social media they had been without water for several days.

ON THE JOB

In the item headed “Of a trench and thorn trees” in the column of January 6 it was mentioned that maybe ward 8’s new councillor would read the item or be informed of the problems of an unfinished trench-filling job in Thackeray Street, and thorn trees protruding into Rivers Street nearby.

Well, it wasn’t long before a municipal team was on site to fill in and tar over the miscreant trench, as well as repairing potholes in several streets in the neighbourhood.

To whoever initiated the action, as well as the tar patching team, thank you!

Residents will have noticed that the same crew has also been active in other areas of Makhanda.

ACE AT BELMONT

Well done and congratulations to Kingswood College pupil Brad Goss on his hole-in-one at the 5th hole of the Belmont Golf Club course during the Kingswood/Selborne College match last Friday.

TRIPLE CENTURY IN THE BOTS

As Grahamstown parkrun celebrated its 300th run, jog and walk in glorious summer weather in Makana botanical gardens on Saturday, so Stavie van Aardt completed his 288th parkrun.

Two other local parkrunners nearing their 300th are Peter Stockwell (286) and Lynne Marshall (273).

It’s been a while since the local parkrun attracted more than 100 participants, but thanks to the warm conditions 112 took part on Saturday. Mzwandile Matebese completed his 50th parkrun on the day.

The parkruns are held at 8am each Saturday from the entrance to the botanical gardens in Lucas Avenue.

BURGERS AT THE CENTRE

Graeme College hosts a burger evening at the Graemian Centre tomorrow (Friday) with funds raised headed the way of the school’s first cricket team.

MARKET ON THE FIELD

Albany Sports Club at the lower end of Florence Street hosts a market day from 9.30am to 3pm on Saturday, January 29.

In addition to the usual stalls selling food, there will be those offering baked goods, hand-made crafts and secondhand goods, plus music and jumping castles.

MOVING

Two recent “business movements” have seen Pam Golding Properties move to 30 Somerset Street (look out for their distinctive green branding) and Café Capellini that has moved barely 100m away in Pepper Grove Mall, with its entrance at 20C African Street. Best trading wishes to both of you!

ROAMING CITY STREETS

As they would say in the classics, “It’s getting a bit thick now.”

I’m talking about donkeys and cattle roaming the streets of Makhanda in their twos and threes. We’ve become so used to that, haven’t we?

But Thursday morning last week really took the cake, as it were.

I was returning home after collecting my copy of Talk of the Town from the Settler City Motors convenience shop when I was confronted by between 15 and 20 members of the cattle community cows, bulls and calves totally blocking upper Bathurst Street at its intersection with Lawrance Street.

Dilemma do I thread my way through them or make a U-turn and find another route? When I saw this huge 50-ton bull glaring at me, it was a U-turn!

Surely herds this size should not be permitted on city streets. In fact, there should be no cattle and donkeys at all roaming Makhanda’s streets.

OFF TO THE CAPE

Jeanette Eve, parishioner at the Cathedral of St Michael and St George for more than 40 years and longstanding local resident, left Makhanda last week to live in Somerset West.

According to a Cathedral spokesperson, she “made an enormous contribution to the life and ministry of the Cathedral over many years”.

SECOND ASTRO

St Andrew’s College headmaster Alan Thompson and Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) head of school Jannie de Villiers visited the site between Balfour Terrace and African Street last week where work has begun on a second hockey Astroturf for the schools.

The first phase involves the creation of a platform for the new field, which is expected to be completed by the middle of 2022. The new Astroturf is situated alongside the first astro, Webster field.

This will bring to four the number of Astroturf fields in Makhanda the others are at Kingswood College and on the Rhodes University campus.