Howick High School Eco-Club is making a difference. As representatives of the Howick High School Eco-Club, two pupils recently joined DUCT on a field trip to the Umgeni River. Nosipho and Zinhle Gwala helped with the assessment of the water quality using the mini SASS process, identifying water organisms and using a scoring system. The state of the Umgeni River is of great concern and it takes learners like these to make a difference. Thank you Nosipho and Zinhle!

Howick High Excels at the Regional Science Expo.
Of the 18 Howick High School Science projects entered at the Regional Science Expo in Durban on 31 July and 1 Aug, 16 received awards as well as two of the three Special Awards presented.

Jamie Loader and Michael Geldart received 3rd Class awards whilst Kiash Kalipersad, Joshua de Wet, Irfaan Ismail, Marianne Mentz, Tariro Maphosa, Jaydon Jansen van Rensburg, Timothy Probert and Megan Rencken each received a 2nd Class award. Irfaan, Marianne and Megan were acknowledged as "Most Promising Scientist" in their respective categories. 1st class awards were made to Kerrin Twigg and Taine Pollard.

Rebecca Webb and Lisa Wade received 1st Class Bronze Medals, Tyron Gibbs received a 1st Class Silver Medal as well as a special award for best engineering project using limited resources and Daniel Whitwell was awarded a 1st Class Gold Medal and the special award for best project based on a hobby.

Rebecca, Lisa, Tyron and Daniel have been invited to participate in a four-day sponsored tour to Johannesburg and Pretoria on the first weekend of the October holidays to visit the Planetarium, the Drakensberg Pump Station, The Tswaing Meteorite Crater, The Pretoria Zoo, the Sterkfontein Caves, the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and a ride on the Gautrain.

Howick High is proud of the achievements of its young scientists.

[photo: Left to Right: Mariaan Mentz, Lisa Wade, Daniel Whitwell, Tyron Gibbs and Rebecca Webb]

Saturday, 9th August was Women's Day. A fun competition was held with all bowlers present during the afternoon entering into the spirit of the game. A delicious tea was provided and the afternoon ended with snacks followed by a Lucky Draw. The fortunate prize winners were Stella Gardiner, Susan Nel, Jim Richards and Lionel Keating.

Forthcoming Events:
Wednesday, 13th August – Halfway Toyota, Howick/Giovision Tabs In Trips with chickens sponsored by Greendale Spar.
Sunday, 24th August – This tournament will now be sponsored by Rovic & Leers. We encourage all clubs in Pietermaritzburg, Hilton, Howick and the Midlands to enter teams. Please send your entries to Tim Waring on 082 453 3398 or Graeme Cameron on 033 330 3457 / 082 769 4486 by Wednesday, 20th August.
Wednesday, 27th August – Tabs In Competition sponsored by J Leslie Smith Inc.

Visitors are always welcome to play on any bowls day!

Members of the Meander Quilters’ Guild were treated to a feast of quilts when Jane Renton from Estcourt was their guest speaker at the end of July.

Jane is a prolific quilt maker and the range of work she has done was most inspiring.

The Guild’s next meeting will be held on Thursday, 28^th August 2014 at 13h45 in St Luke’s Church Hall, Harvard Street.

Please contact Lindy Briscoe on 083-735-5088 for more details.

Piictured above:Jane Renton

The KZN Midlands is bracing itself for the biggest field in the Midlands Ultra Triathlon since its inception in 2009 says race director Damian Bradley from B-Active Sports. "Entries from all over South Africa and internationally have been flooding in since April this year and at this point we have far exceeded our past race entries. The Midlands Ultra, KZN's most popular triathlon which takes place on the 30th of November has an entry cap of 1000 competitors and is known as one of the premier Triathlons in the country"

The Midlands Ultra has gone from strength to strength since its first race at Midmar Dam in 2009. In March this year it was again selected to host to the South African Long Course Triathlon Championships, making it the selection event for ITU World Long Course Triathlon Championships. It is the 3rd time in 7 years that the Midlands Ultra Triathlon has been awarded this prestigious Title. World ITU Long Course Triathlon Championships is being held in Weihai in China in September and Triathlon South Africa is sending a strong team to represent our growing triathlon community in SA. The March Midlands Ultra attracted a strong field of Athletes from the Cape to Cairo, who came to battle it out on the beautiful Midlands course. We have seen that the top athletes are coming to do battle again in November, which lends credibility to the status of the event " Says Damian Bradley. " To ensure that all our competitors have a great event, we have capped entries to 1000 athletes, so that we can give our athletes an amazing ULTRA experience with no chance of overcrowding on the race routes"

On the international stage, our overseas Triathlon field gets stronger each year, with over 32 international athletes attending the March race coming from Dubai, United Kingdom, United States and Germany.

"Past winners of the Ultra include James Cunnama, Kent Horner, Stuart Marias, Donovan Van Gelder, Gerhard De bruin , some of whom have already secured their place on the Ultra starting line. The Event has grown in leaps and bounds over the past 3 years by securing strategic partnerships with Old Mutual, ORCA, Saucony and GU Energy. These partnerships have allowed us to focus on giving our Ultra Athletes what they want, One of the best loved triathlons in South Africa" Says Race Director Damian Bradley.

Anyone looking to try something different should give the Midlands Ultra or Sprint race a go. The Event can be done in Teams and Individually and there is something for everyone. To book you place at one of SA's premier Triathlons, go to www.midlandsultra.com"

Merit Awards at Howick High School are awarded to pupils for service to the school and we are proud to have awarded Head Girl, Suman Nunkumar a Gold Merit at a recent School Assembly.  Silver awards were also presented to Kimberleigh van Jaarsveld, Genna Els, Lindo Sibisi, Christina Rencken, Abby-May Jones and Tracy Gardner.  (Pictured left)

Howick High School congratulates the following pupils who received either Full Colours or Honours awards at the beginning of the 3rd term.  (Pictured below)

Joshua Bull - Honours for Performing Arts
Kimberleigh van Jaarsveld - Honours for Hockey
Ben Wittoft - Full Colours for Rugby
Noluthando Greaves - Full Colours for Hockey
Emily Chalmers-Banks - Full Colours for Hockey
Emmanuel Mkhize - Full Colours for Rugby

We apologise to all the bowlers who looked forward to playing in the Rovic & Leers Tournament which was to have taken place over the past weekend. Unfortunately too few entries were received so the Tournament has been postponed. Please watch the press and your club notice boards for further information.

Congratulations to Yvonne Foot who was invited to play in the NIBA Women's Prelim Masters. We wish both Yvonne Foot and Barry Bedworth GOOD BOWLING in the NIBA Champion of Champion Competition which is to be held next weekend.

There was a good turnout for the Tabs In Competition sponsored by J Leslie-Smith Inc. The winners of the competition were Barbara Brook, Lionel Keeling and Susan Nel. The drawn prize was won by Ian Andrews.

Forthcoming Events:
Wednesday, 13th August – Toyota/Giovision Tabs In Trips with chickens sponsored by Greendale Spar.
Sunday, 24th August - Moffatt Optical Tournament.

We encourage all clubs in Pietermaritzburg, Hilton, Howick and the Midlands to enter teams. Please check club e-mails for details.

The lovely Fern Hill Hotel will be hosting a fantastic FOOD FESTIVAL in aid of Howick Hospice next Friday,1st August from 6pm till 9 pm. Fern Hill Hotel is situated on the R103 near Midmar Dam.

On arrival, you will be welcomed with a glass of wine compliments of "Greendale Tops" and delicious snack platters. We then invite you to browse the various food and wine stalls namely: Oscar Deli Meats, Mokador Coffee, Caversham Croft, Tasha's Fantastic Fudge, The Pickle Pot Café, Kishmish, Meridian Wine Merchants, The Wine Cellar, Naturezone, The Foodies Group, Merri-Ducks, Swissland Cheese, The Bunkers, Midlands Speciality Products, The Gourmet Greek, County Blockman, Cape Legends Wine, La Petite France, Dr. Andy's, Vinimark, The Cookhouse, Greendale Kwikspar, Fudart, Indezi River Cheese, Snappy Chef, Chocolates By Dee, Terrier Trading, Chocolate Sensations,Two Phat Ladies and the list goes on...

We also have the very talented Trevor Browne playing live music. Futhermore, every ticket purchased is an entry into our lucky draw to win some outstanding prizes!

Tickets are on sale from Mel at Howick Hospice (033 330 5257) or Steph at Fern Hill Hotel (033 330 5071) for R100 per person.Please bring your friends and enjoy an evening of food and wine tasting.

Midlands Wildflower – Aloe maculata.  Common name: Soap Aloe, Zulu names: icena, amahlala, Sotho name: lekhala, Afrikaans name: Bontaalwyn. 

Winter days are not particularly dreary in the Midlands, however a bright splash of orange in the faded grasslands is always delight. Aloe maculata, can be relied on to provide that. The flat-topped inflorescence can have many branches, each topped with flowers ranging from red, through orange to yellow. Young buds are erect with older flowers drooping.

The broad, recurved leaves are triangular shaped and this aloe usually has no stem, although a short stem does form over a long period of time. The leaves have brown teeth along the margin and are spotted (maculata means 'splotched'), making them pretty easy to identify even though they occur in a variety of habitats – including rocky out crops, open grassland and thicket.

In traditional medicine, crushed leaf infusions are used as enemas following the use of other purgative medicines. Reports include use of stems and leaves, in powdered and infusion form, as cleansing agents after the ingestion of too much food, alcohol or narcotics. This plant is the logo of the Mpophomeni Conservation Group - where it is flowering profusely at the moment, despite being burnt.

Why not join the regular walk on the second Tuesday of each month, to explore Mpophomeni grasslands for yourself? Book with Penelope Malinga 0084 226 5227 Donation R20 to MCG.

Thanks to Penelope Malinga, Christeen Grant and Nkululeko Mdladla for the photogaphs.

Thanks to Nikki Brighton for the article.

Leanne and Peter of Peter White Photography, are new to Howick decided to venture out and discover parts of Howick and Karkloof which they had read about but not yet discovered. "We packed a picnic and headed off to the unknown and ended up at the Karkloof Conservancy. We were met by the beautiful avenue of trees and the splendour of the winter. Ambling to the hides, we were taken with the silence and how amazingly beautiful our surroundings were.

The hides were the most amazing bird hides we have ever seen and with the peace of the surrounding areas you could hear the birds' wings flapping before they took a quick splash in the dams. Unfortunately we didn't see much but one thing for sure is that we will be regular visitors there and will definitely spend time through the different seasons capturing the splendour of our beautiful Midlands." says Leanne.

They are now keen to discover some more of the breath-taking spots in our lovely Midlands. Peter White Photography is running a promotion to find out more of these gems. Click here to find out more.

The Lions River Club was a hive activity on the 19th and 20th of July with MTB riders, trail runners, horse riders and dog lovers all arriving to take part in the Marriott Dargle Trails Festival.  "This is the 3rd time we are hosting the trails festival and we were delighted to have Marriott Asset Management onboard this year as our title sponsor", said Julia Rees, Lions River Club Chairman. "This year had a very strong equine flavour with horse trails added to the trail cocktail and also carriage driving, mounted games and polo all entertaining the crowds at the club."

"We were particularly thrilled by the positive feedback we got from the horse riders who completed the horse trails. This year was a trial run, but the turnout proved that there is a demand for an event where riders of all abilities can go out and enjoy themselves at their own pace".

Large bedoin tents donated by The Bedoin Company transformed the club and created a wonderful festival atmosphere and visitors were treated to live music by Shomon & Jack Mantis on Saturday and the Hairy Legged Lentil Eaters, courtesy of Iuncapped, on Sunday. An ultimate frisbee tournament also provided great entertainment.

"The great appeal of this event is that it caters for everyone", says Simon Pease, CEO of Marriott. "If you are not a mountain biker, runner or horse rider you still had the opportunity to explore the beautiful Dargle valley by taking part in the 6km boot and paw walk to raise funds for the very worthy Midlands Meander Education Project."

Simon had the distinction of entering every discipline on the programme: the 45km MTB trail, 21km trail run and 21km horse trail, in addition to playing in the invitational polo matches on Saturday and Sunday. To the rest of us that would seem impossible. But to Simon, who completed the arduous Mongolian Derby in 2013, it was a challenge he couldn't resist.

Seasoned MTB rider Marc Adams held off the challenge from the younger riders and took top honours in the 45km MTB trail. "I really enjoyed the race as it was challenging, scenic and as close to natural mountain biking as you can get", he said. "The new single track through the pines was lovely. Even the rider who came last thought it was a great track".

No sooner had Marc leapt off his bike than he headed down to Pietermaritzburg to collect his son Chris so that he could enter the Boot and Paw Dash at the end of the day with their much loved family dog Victoria. The children's and adult races were great entertainment and much to Marc's delight Chris and Victoria also came home victorious.
"The Boot and Paw Dash was tremendously popular with the crowd and participants and we will definitely be making it an annual event at the festival", said Eidin Griffin, a member of the Midlands Meander Education project who organised the race.

The 200m kiddies bike race was as popular as ever with lots of small aspiring cyclists heading off towards the polo goal as fast as their little legs could peddle. It was unquestionably a fun weekend for the whole family.

For photos and the race results please visit www.dargletrailsfestival.co.za.

Herewith is a letter Debbie Preston of Knight Security Solutions received from Frans Labuschagne, the Operations Assistant at Knight Security Solutions (KSS). Debbie says, 'I would like to share his experience of SA CAN and KSS with the community as it optimizes what we at KSS are aiming to achieve in the Midlands community – that being unrivalled security and emergency support for any eventuality.'

"On the afternoon of the 28th July 2014 I started getting some pains on my chest, but I thought that maybe it was my stomach or indigestion, so I took some medication that I have at home. By the morning of the 29th July 2014 I still had this constant pain but only every now and again it got worse - like a crushing pain or like something pushing hard on my chest. By the evening of the 29th July 2014 I was really concerned and got a slight cramp in my jaw and neck. Being a heart patient for a few years, I was now really concerned. I started shivering a lot; maybe from shock, I'm not sure. I wanted to drive to Northdale Hospital but was concerned that I might not reach the Hospital safely. I didn't know what to do. Fortunately I had joined SA CAN two months ago, so I pressed my AAA emergency speed dial # 5 on my phone for the SA CAN emergency controller.

A few seconds later I received a call from Brian Jones at SA CAN asking me if everything was alright as he had received my emergency call. I told him about my problem and he said he would send the emergency services right away. Brian phoned me a few times just to keep me relaxed and to see if I was doing ok. About 5 minutes later a Knight Security Solutions vehicle stopped at my house and the response officer, Jaco Ronquest came in to see me. He assured me everything would be fine and that I must try to relax. Soon after that Gary Preston and the ER24 ambulance and Advanced Life Support (ALS) arrived at my house. The paramedics quickly took charge of the situation and I must say that I felt very safe and comfortable in their hands. It wasn't long before they had me stabilized, on the stretcher and into the ambulance to transfer me to Northdale. Gary and Jaco assisted by keeping my fiancé calm and that was a huge reassurance for me knowing that she would be looked after even when I was not there.

On my way down to the hospital the ER24 paramedics kept on checking my vital signs and assuring me that everything would be fine. All the hospital staff at Northdale were so helpful and immediately got to task by sorting me out getting all the blood tests done and doing an ECG. The service I received from the Northdale Hospital staff, ER24 staff and Knight Security Solutions staff was phenomenal.

I can only say a big THANK YOU to all involved. I believe that SA CAN is the greatest organization out there and I would advise everyone to join them. You never know when it could happen to you.

With Regards

Frans Labuschagne"

Howick Prep School hosted a very successful Music Festival on Friday evening, 01 August.

Well done to the Howick Prep Senior Choir, Howick Prep Dinky Choir, Howick Prep Music Groups, Thembilihle Children's Choir, St Peter's Prep Girl's Choir, Howick High School Jazz Band and the Howick Choristers on a fantastic evening that Howick can be proud of.

News and photographs kindly supplied by Howick Prep School

As a member of the Pietermaritzburg Children's Choir, Howick High pupil (Kayleigh Szente in Grade 8), participated in the 8th World Choir Games in Riga, Latvia during the July Holidays.
The Choir achieved the following:
Silver Diploma – Level 3 in the Scenic Folklore category
Silver Diploma – Level 3 in the Children's Choirs category
Silver Diploma – Level 1 in the Musica Sacra with Accompaniment category.

Three Howick High Pupils, have made the South African team travelling to New Zealand at the end of the year to compete in the 5 Nations Mounted Equestrian Games. Storm White, Jayme Tegg and Taro Reece (reserve) will face teams from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America. The team selected to travel to New Zealand is selected from throughout South Africa. There are 2 riders from Gauteng, 1 Rider from Western Province and 2 Riders plus 1 reserve rider from KwaZulu Natal.

The Aim of Cubs & Scouts is to encourage the spiritual, mental, social and physical development of boys, girls and young adults in achieving their full potentials as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. 1st Howick Cubs & Scouts strives to fulfil this using funds generated by hosting the Annual Howick Highlander Adventure weekend. The event has grown from its humble beginnings 19 years ago to a family orientated adventure day with over 800 entrants.

The success of the event in the past number of years has allowed 1st Howick Cubs & Scouts to make a meaningful contribution to the less privileged youth in their community with financial support for and interaction with the Kazimula orphanage.

The event is MORE THAN A MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE...
MTN bike events have become expensive. As Cubs & Scouts, we believe in family orientated outdoor activities. Our vision is to present a community focused outdoor event that the whole family can enjoy and afford. We have therefore cut out all extra's in a bid to provide you and your family with a fun filled day of cycling without the cost.

This event is not intended to be a race. If you would like to know your finishing time - bring a watch! As this is an untimed event, there will be no CSA licence fees payable.

The trail runs will be run through Umgeni Valley nature reserve. Riders will be able to enjoy a sociable ride along dirt roads and jeep track in the Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve and Everdon Estate - places that you cannot normally ride with the most stunning views! There will be no road crossings to worry about, and the routes will not be technical in nature (except for the 20km extreme) - no excuses Mom!

For those wanting a tough technical ride, try the 20km extreme which follows the 20km trail run route down into the Umgeni Valley. Beware it's a long hard ride out of there!

We have a relaxing halfway lounge for you to rest your weary legs and take in the spectacular view of the Umgeni Valley!

Please look at the EVENTS CALENDAR for more information on start times.

Come and enjoy a cup of coffee from Marley Coffee with a fresh muffin from Miss Muffin to get you going, delicious pancakes made and served by our Cubs and Scouts, or enjoy a burger or egg and bacon roll served by the Lions.

An event of this nature will not be possible without sponsorships. There will be lucky draw prizes up for grabs after your run or ride including a raffle prize of a 29' Pinnacle Bike, so don't forget your raffle money on the day!

Brian Jones, CEO of SA CAN Community Action Network and Debbie Preston, a partner in Knight Security Solutions shared some insight to ways of working together for a safer South Africa with Laddsworth Primary School staff. Recognising the vital support role which teachers play in ensuring children are as safe as possible in any emergency situation, SA CAN listed all Laddsworth staff as subscribers at no cost to themselves. The next SA CAN public presentation will take place at Grace College in Hilton.

Pictured below L-R Gavin Lambooy, Laddsworth Headmaster, Debbie Preston and Brian Jones

Josephine Clewlow, who is currently in Grade 4 at Howick Prep School, represented the KZN Regional Pony Rider Showing Team at the South African Champs in Jhb from 27 June – 04 July. In the individual classes Josephine was placed 1st in the Novice Working Riding Pony.

On the 05 July Josephine competed at Durban Shongweni Club in the ESP Show and came 1st in the Novice Show Pony, Novice Show Riding Pony and Novice Show Hunter Pony categories.

Josephine competed in a local show in Tweedie on the 13 July and came 1st in the Prelim 1 dressage, Utility Pony and Best Rider classes and won the Victor Ludorum trophy. Josephine was also placed 2nd in the 60cm Jumping Final. Howick Prep is very proud of Josephine's achievements.

News and photogrpah kindly provided by Howick Prep School.

As part of her duties as a Mrs SA Finalist, Melissa Vurovecz teamed up with Elaine Kooiman, owner of Skinworx, at Amber valley. Elaine, the key speaker, gave the ladies a detailed presentation on how and why a woman should apply make-up, which the ladies really enjoyed. It was R100 per person and 17 ladies attended, totalling in R1700.00 for CANSA.

Melissa had a chance to share with the ladies a bit about her journey so far in the pageant.

Delicious sweet and savory eats with coffee and tea were served. Overall it was a successful, informative and inspiring morning. Thanks go to Grapevine for sponsoring the eats.

Special thanks to Elaine Kooiman for her brilliant presentation and for sponsoring the raffle prize and samples for the ladies to take home.

To end the morning off a stunning raffle prize put together by Elaine with Skinworx products was won by Judy Bester.

Amber Valley kindly sponsored the lovely venue.

An expert on the KwaZulu-Natal battlefields and a former Director of Pietermaritzburg Tourism are the two guest speakers at the annual general meeting of the Howick-uMngeni Community Tourism Organisation on Thursday, July 17.

Evan Jones has been a specialist battlefields guide since 1991 and a tour operator since 1996. He also qualified as a tourist guide for the Free State and Northern Cape, and was the first South African to be accepted as a member of the International Guild of Battlefield Guides. He was the chairman of Dundee Tourism for two terms and for the past three years has been chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields Route.

His illustrated talk is on the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, with the emphasis on the battles of Isandlwana and Rorke's Drift.

Melanie Veness has been the CEO of the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business for the past three years, but for nine years prior to that she was the Director of Pietermaritzburg Tourism. She also served as chairperson of the Community Tourism Association of KwaZulu-Natal and was president of Skal International KZN Midlands.

She currently chairs the Chamber CEOs Forum at the S.A. Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SACCI), sits on the SACCI Board and the KZN Economic Council, and is chairperson of the local branch of the S.A. Institute of International Affairs. She also serves on the SAIIA national council. She is currently a semi-finalist in a competition to find Africa's Most Influential Woman in Business and Government.

Melanie's topic is "Tourism as a Key Pillar of Economic Development."

The venue for the HUCTO AGM, starting at 5-30 p.m., is the Yellowwood Café conference centre on the Karkloof road. Snacks will be served and there will be a cash bar.

The cost is R50 per person and attendees should RSVP before July 15 to the HUCTO Secretary, Lorraine Bryant, at 033-3306192 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.