International extravaganza
ST CLEMENT’S developed a tunefully national and international reach this week.
Charlie Berea and The Survivors (Rick and Jill Andrew plus Alan “Axman” Judd) put on a lively rendition of their own compositions, plus some Van Morrison and Bob Dylan numbers.
They were then joined by Jeremy Stephenson and Barbara Peirson, all the way from Simonstown. Snoektown calling!
Then, totally unscripted, Dutch guitarist Jim Gorissen dropped in with female vocalist Shimon from a rehearsal at UKZN, and they just about raised the roof with a couple of Brazilian jazz numbers.
Then, just as everyone was about to pack up, Shimon lassooed Belgian national Jean-Marie Spitaels – a regular at St Clement’s – and accompanied him for a couple of numbers on the harmonica.
The music is fairly pumping these days. Gorissen and Shimon will be performing with the rest of their group at the Jazzy Rainbow in Morningside on Saturday, and at the NSA Gallery in Glenwood on Friday, August 15.
Nudes galore!
THEN next Monday the mood changes at St Clements as Durban artist Barbara Siedle launches her book, Breathe The Dust: journey of a wildlife artist (Spurwing Press).
I’ve been fortunate enough to get an early squiz at this excellent publication. Hey – nudes galore!
No, just kidding. The only nudes are flamingos, hippos and that kind of thing.
Breathe The Dust is a travelogue of Barbara’s wanderings about southern Africa accompanied by husband Joe Martin (a cheery individual not entirely unknown at the Street Shelter for the OverForties), painting the superb watercolours and sketches, with which the book is lavishly illustrated.
Barbara’s literary style is direct and engaging, a thread of humour running through it and with a deep affection for the birds, animals and landscapes she has captured in paint and sketch.
Everything seems to be there – not just the Big Five, but creatures like hornbills, wild dogs, bat-eared foxes, polecats and springhares. It could almost be the Street Shelter for the Over-Forties, late at night.
Clinging koala
A KOALA bear clung to a car grille for 90km after being hit on a motorway in Queensland, Australia.
It happened at a place called Maryborough.
The family in the car had no idea they had a stowaway hanging on grimly to the grille.
It was only when they stopped at a petrol station that he was discovered.
The koala was taken to the Australia Zoo wildlife hospital in Brisbane where he was found to have … a torn nail.
He’s been admitted to recover fully from his ordeal and has been named Timberwolf by the zoo staff.
Where he goes from Brisbane is not clear. Maybe he’ll hitch another ride back to Maryborough.
Puns
SOME “puns for educated minds” come this way:
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it.
Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
A cartoonist was found dead in his home. Details are sketchy.
I used to be a banker, but then I lost interest.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
They told me I had Type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.
I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.
Jokes about German sausages are the wurst.
She was only a whiskeymaker, but he loved her still.
A rubber-band pistol was confiscated from an algebra class, because it was a weapon of maths disruption.
No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.
A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
Ar-r-r-g-h! That’s enough education!
Chivalry
THE age of chivalry is not dead. If a teenage girl should drop her book, a boy will kick it across to her.
Tailpiece
A SUPERMARKET dialogue:
Elderly fellow: “'Excuse me, I can’t seem to find my wife. Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?''
Gorgeous, busty young thing: “Of course. Do you know where your wife might be?'“
Elderly fellow: “'I’ve no idea, but every time I talk to a woman with lovely boobs like yours, she seems to appear out of nowhere.”
Last word