I was delighted to discover parts of Howick that I never knew existed today, thanks to Pia Sanchez and Chris Ntuli who have spent the past 2 weekends voluntarily brush-cutting a trail all the way along the alien species-invaded Symmonds Lane stream to connect with Beacon Hill. Starting at Thabo's antiques, 13 keen 'Howickans' made their way up the path observing masses of aliens plant species, few indigenous ones and hearing anecdotal stories about the old oak tree on the way, as well as some of the history around the attempts to clear up this unbeknown and precious asset that has been neglected for so many years. As we made our way across one of the few remaining stands of grassland, we were delighted by the quaint and encouraging signage that Pia had made, guiding us along to a few inviting rest stops. Strategically placed logs in the wooded eucalyptus made the perfect regrouping points. We all agreed that this was a wonderful picnic spot and visualised what could become of this little stream in a few years when people started caring and contributing from all of Howick. We were impressed by the Lake's who live next to the stream and have adopted the river frontage. Imagine if all property owners along the stream took the same approach. Crossing over handmade footbridges (also made by Pia) I relished at sharing this trail with my mountain-biking friends, a superb run of single-track right through the centre of town! And certainly the more walkers and cyclists that use it, will help to maintain and keep the trail from becoming overgrown.

However one of the most significant realisations for me was that the very source of the Symmonds Lane stream was only a few hundred metres further up the trail, hidden in a wetland. Essentially, we have pure untapped spring water right at our doorsteps and most of the town doesn't even know it, and yet within a few hundred metres before entering the Umgeni at the Forgotton Falls as it is polluted and undrinkable - unthinkable! A steep climb to the exit at the top of Drew Ave, we were pleased to find lots of bushbuck dung, and also found it hard not to be distracted by Pia's coffee and tea signage which would have led us to the Country Lane Guesthouse & Coffee shop.

History
More than 20 years ago residents of Howick had envisioned the idea of rehabilitating and making the Symmonds Lane stream a utilised and cared for, public open space. Initially the concept was sparked by Mike Exelby in his proposal for the formation of the Howick Falls Nature Conservancy and in his "Recommended Developments" around the Falls, he had spoken about incorporating a trail from the Howick Falls up to Beacon Hill along the stream.

Others like Alan Turner had served on the Transitional Local Council in the 90s and was active trying to get the TLC on board to clean up the degraded stream. Ironically it was this very Council that was responsible for the laying out of the sewage pipes in the stream bed! WESSA had also developed a brochure about the trail proposal.

Since then not much has happened until DUCT became active in assisting the municipality in clearing alien invasives over the last few years. However unfortunately due to limited funding this hasn't been enough although it has renewed an interest from a few community-minded people like Liz Taylor, Pam & Ross Haynes, Scotty Burge, Pia Sanchez, Mike Farley, Robin Denny, Clive Bromilow and Hannes Zöllner who have been the latest champions of the cause, purely under their own devices.

Please go and discover this gem of Howick that we all need to look after. Take a walk and see it for yourself – you will be surprised and inspired! Please contact Pam Haynes 083 4569202, should you want to join the Symmonds lane conservancy or contribute in anyway.

Article kindly submitted by Bridget Ringdahl.

This weekend sees the 16th annual Cape Parrot Birding Day. The Cape Parrot is the only Parrot species endemic to South Africa. They are naturally found in the mist belt forests from Hogsback in the Eastern Cape to the Balgowan and Karkloof area of KwaZulu-Natal with a relic population in the Magoeboeskloof. Their numbers have declined since the 1940's, placing the Cape Parrot on the endangered list. There are several reasons for this decline in numbers, including loss or change in the quality of their habitat, illegal poaching for caged bird trade, disease, and avian predators.
Prof Colleen Downs co-ordinates the census with teams of spotters in Byrne, Bulwer, Boston, Balgowan, Dargle, Creighton and Karkloof in KwaZulu-Natal. Other volunteers cover areas in the former Transkei and in the Hogsback to Stutterheim area of the Eastern Cape. Volunteers from the local communities – will head out mid to late on Saturday afternoon to see if they can spot these striking birds and then return before dawn to recount, as these are the times the birds are most active. Cape Parrots make inter-forest movements and because of their distinctive piercing call while flying are easy to spot on these flights. Cape Parrots at a distance can be confused with African Olive Pigeons. The adult birds have orange at the bend of the wing and ankles, while females have orange on the forehead too.
Last year 245 volunteers were posted at 72 observation points, across three provinces. Volunteers from all these areas will rain, mist, snow or shine will be out on Saturday and Sunday for this Cape Parrot Census. If you would like further information or would like to get involved please contact Jenny on +27 (0)33 502 9090 (Karkloof area) / Sally on +27 (0)33 330 7175 (Midlands areas) or Colleen (overall co-ordinator).

Information kindly supplied by Prof. Colleen Downs

Prof. Colleen T. Downs
School of Life Sciences
University of KwaZulu-Natal,
Tel: +27-33-2605127/04 (w)
+27 (0)82 920 2026 (m)
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After 8 years running Cooking Bear as a formal restaurant Peter and Cathy Hall wanted a new challenge, some flexibility and to have fun.  Cooking Bear Pop-Up Restaurant will certainly offer them all that.

What is a Pop-Up? Peter tells us that once or twice a month Cooking Bear Pop-Up Restaurant will offer a special one-off Cooking Bear menu at someone else’s premises; they will ‘Pop-Up’.  An established concept is working well in Europe, that Peter and Cathy are excited to bring to the Midlands.

Peter and Cathy explain the Pop-up rationale and format as: -

A good deal. Great food at reasonable prices.

Periodic, probably just once or twice a month. Always a surprise.

You will be served Cooking Bear favourites. 

Simple really and no more than you would expect for a dinner party at your own home.

The meal will be fixed price and a fixed menu which means that we will not be able to cater specially for vegetarians or allergy sufferers. We apologise for the inconvenience.

Cooking Bear pop-up will be popping-up at Crusty Corner Restaurant, Howick on Saturday – let us know if you were one of the lucky ones to attend this special event.

FreeMe are on the begging trial again, although not too seriously.  We do a lot of talks and presentations to schools and community groups and we are always having to beg, borrow or steal a data projector, which is very frustrating as we are always having to adapt to suit whatever equipment we can lay our hands on. They are not always compatible, resulting in some very red faced moments.  I am sure that there are a lot of retired management people out there who thought they could not live without one, only to find it has been stuck in the cupboard for the last year.   Please consider letting us have it, as it would make life so much easier. 

The FreeMe shop has been doing really well, but demand is beginning to outstrip supply, so please let us have any odds and ends you may be getting rid of.  Now is the time that a lot of people go through their winter and summer wardrobes to see what needs to be put away, and what should be discarded – please throw stuff our way.  This has the double benefit of FreeMe making some money and our customers getting good quality clothing at reasonable prices.  Remember that you do not have to make a straight donation on bigger items.  We are more than happy to take them on consignment and sell them for you.  Roz, our centre manager was in the unfortunate position of being on the wrong end of a vehicle theft, and lost her very much loved Nissan 1400 bakkie.  If you have anything going at a reasonable price, please let her know. 

FreeMe is getting ready for the Winter slow down and there is a real nip in the air.  This gives us time to mend and clean and generally get ready for the next influx.  Please remember that birds are now starting to feel the pinch and a little bit of feeding will help them out.  We have meal worms on sale and are more than happy to help the more adventurous get their own farm started. 

A thriving meal worm culture – waggies, robins and the like just love them.

Article kindly submitted by FreeMe

Firstly thanks to everyone who came to our FreeMe Open Day. It was great fun, but it was a learning curve for us so please send us any suggestions on how we can improve on it. Thanks also to all the people who helped make it possible.

The Jumping Castle was a great hit with all the kids and was donated free of charge. Daryl gave up his time to come and erect it and take it down and we really are grateful. Please support him. Fairfield came up trumps as usual and donated drinking yoghurt which is so much healthier than all the fizzy stuff.

Our volunteers rallied around and Lloyd Smith Junior gave a very interesting talk on snake identification and what to do when you find these slithery intruders around the house. Since then we have removed a rinkhals (ring-necked spitting cobra) from a drain at the Boston Police station which caused great excitement and, boy, would it have been a good day to go on a crime spree in the area, as everyone was hanging around to see how we coped.

Next, Lloyd and Roz set off on what we thought was a routine snake call out in Lincoln Meade in Pietermaritzburg. Used to our more normal snakes, we were certainly not prepared for this one. The family involved had two children, one at crawling age, so when we did not find the snake on first attempt, we decided to keep looking. Thank God we did. We spotted the snake behind a cushion in the lounge and when Lloyd caught it behind the head with his grab stick, it opened its mouth and there was the telltale black of one of our most aggressive and venomous snakes, the Black Mamba.

Lloyd has been a volunteer with us for a while and we had him sent on the Pure Venom Snake Handling course, but nothing prepares you for an encounter like this. At about two metres, it was small for a Mamba, but certainly one of the biggest snakes we have dealt with, and the knowledge that there is no anti-venom for the toxin gets the adrenalin pumping. We managed to get it into a bucket, but as it was already injured and died later. We are so proud of Lloyd – the thought of one of the kids coming up against a snake of that calibre, just makes the blood run cold. The chances of a happy outcome were negligible.

Let's hope that this was a once in a lifetime experience for Lloyd who handled it like the true star he is.

Read more about FreeMe here.

Greg Beyrooti of BeyCom Computer Consultants says "We don't simply fix computers – we help people who have computer problems"

BeyCom's philosophy of supporting everyone – individuals, small- and medium-sized businesses, no matter what the problem may be, has proved to be a winning formula.

After seven years of continued growth Beycom Computer Consultants continue to be a popular choice for IT Support. Covering Howick, Hilton, the Midlands, Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas, Beycom Computer Consultants are well-placed to assist you with any of your IT needs.

Beycom Computer Consultants offer a complete range of IT related services. Computer support and repairs, software and hardware sales, data security and networking are our most popular services.

With the expansion of normal computer functionality to newer devices like tablets and cell phones it has become extremely important to ensure that your data is both freely available wherever you are and safe from the many modern dangers that exist in our rapidly expanding world. With nearly 30 years of working with constantly changing technology, we are able "move with the times" and advise you what is best for your unique situation.

Data Security is one of our biggest areas of concern. Too many people don't take this seriously enough. While most computer users do backup their data from time-to-time, a proper, easy-to-use, effective and working backup procedure should be followed, leaving nothing to chance. No amount of money can bring back lost data and none of us can afford to lose our vital data. One of the worst experiences IT Consultants have to deal with is to tell someone that their data is irretrievable. At Beycom Computer Consultants we take this area extremely seriously and have developed a simple procedure to cover this important area of our modern lives. Don't lose your data, call us.

Beycom Computer Consultants also offers a full range of Internet Connectivity products. In a region where Telkom infrastructure is no longer able to service the needs of our customers we have partnered with various service providers and are able to offer all types of Internet connectivity e.g. ADSL, 3G, Wireless Internet and even Satellite Internet at affordable prices. We are well-informed on the available options in your area and can advise you as to what choices are best for you.

Whatever your IT needs Beycom Computer Consultants can assist you. Click here for our contact details.

FreeMe Wildlife Rehabilitation KZN was established seven years ago in response to the growing need for a dedicated Centre which could care for sick, injured or orphaned wildlife in a large area which extends from south of Pietermaritzburg to the Drakensburg and from Ixopo through to Greytown. This area is largely rural and covers a number of different climatic zones from sub tropical forest and thorn veldt through misty wet grasslands to the harsh climatic conditions of the Drakensburg Mountain Range with its snow, big storms and run away fires. It is also an area renown for its wildlife biodiversity, its attraction as an ecotourism and birding destination, and the large number of Threatened or Protected Species found within its boundaries. Previously, all rehabilitation was being handled by a few dedicated individuals, but as the need grew and costs increased, this became unmanageable. Ezemvelo Wildlife KZN, the local conservation authority, introduced a set of norms and standards for the keeping of wildlife in captivity which regulates and ensures that rehabilitation is carried out in line with overseas protocols and complies with all ethical requirements.

Adele Malan, from FreeMe Gauteng, set up a task force to investigate the best ways of establishing the rehabilitation facility, and land was donated on a fifty year non commercial lease basis. Rob Taylor, a local property developer responsible for the Amber Retirement Villages, donated the clinic building and various other donors came on board to ensure that the Centre was comparable with the best in the country. Adele was unfortunately killed at van Reenen's Pass on her way to take over the running of FreeMe.

Since then FreeMe has grown in reputation and now has permits from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for the rehabilitation of all wildlife in the area, including Threatened or Protected Species. Working with the Raptor Rescue Centre outside Pietermaritzburg and the Primate Centre outside Richmond, we are able to handle nearly all the rehabilitation requirements of the area. We handle between 800 and 1 000 cases per year and this includes antelope species such as Oribi, Reedbuck, duiker, blue duiker, blesbok, bush buck, and impala. We run a 24/7 emergency call out service and cover large distances, with the associated travel costs. A number of cases include our larger bird species such as cranes, storks, herons, etc. Amongst our Threatened or Protected Species workload we include Oribi, Reedbuck, Crane, some of the Raptor species, Samango monkeys, serval and a number of bats.

As we become better known, the demand for our services has grown and we are now the centre of choice for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, vets and the public in general

Because we do not pay rent, electricity , water or rates, the bulk of our donations can be directed towards animal care. Our running costs are kept to a minimum and we use a fair number of volunteers to reduce staffing costs. FreeMe also run an education programme for schools and community groups, and are the charity of choice for community service for scholars from, inter alia, Michaelhouse, Epworth, Grace College and St Annes.

The uMngeni SPCA recently held an informal tea to honour and thank the very special volunteers that work at our SPCA Centre and have been selflessly serving our Society for many, many years.

Anne Smith has been the driving force behind establishing our Gardeners' Corner, firstly at Campbell Road and later at our Fundraising Centre in Main Street, Howick. She has been with us through thick and thin, planning, executing and running our highly successful plant nursery. Anne not only plants from other nurseries at very special prices, but she also goes to Kloof SPCA to fetch loads of plants donated from their nursery and she also pots out slips, cuttings, divisions of huge matted plants and other material that is kindly donated by gardeners. Whatever else she does with her magic wand to produce the huge stock of fine plants, seedlings, shrubs and trees to sell at competitive prices, I wouldn't know, but the measure of her success is in the band of loyal supporters who always look for their garden needs at the SPCA Centre before they even think of going anywhere else.

Anne was honoured for her years of dedicated service with a magnificent hand painted plaque and a lovely stone bench that will now hold pride of place in our Gardeners Corner and be known as "Anne's Nook." Horace Vilakazi, a valued member of our team and Anne's right hand man was also thanked for his loyal service.

The tea also served to thank other very special volunteers that have done so much to allow our Society to flourish under difficult economic circumstances and other trying times. They have dedicated hours and hours of their personal time, to our SPCA, showing only care, concern and love for the animals that we are dedicated to helping. Their smiles and happy banter whenever they are around make them an absolute pleasure to work with every day.

Jenny Rooken-Smith, who lovingly takes care of our book section of the SPCA was also honoured with a beautiful wooden plaque. Her room where she sorts out all the many books we receive, will now be known as the "Jenny Rooken-Smith Room." It is not an easy task maintaining, sorting and arranging the collection of books, yet Jenny does it with complete ease and care.

The other key volunteers that help and take care of our SPCA Centre, were all thanked with an exquisite hand painted plaque that holds pride of place in our reception area at the SPCA centre. It reads "This plaque commemorates all the many hours that so many caring people spend assisting our SPCA, each in their own special way."

Thank you to each and every person that volunteers to assist us with stamping out neglect, abuse and cruelty to animals.

Kindly submitted by Tess Fernandez, PRO for uMngeni SPCA

From Iconic Bird to Bionic Bird – Cold, clear mornings are upon us and against the ice blue sky flocks of our largest goose, the Spurwing, stand out as they move to new feeding grounds. With a animal feed and a transport company named after them, they are probably one the most iconic birds of the region. Often seen in large groups (there were about 60 at Thurlow last year), they are a relatively shy bird and it is very difficult to get close to them, making it nearly impossible to observe the clear spur on the wing from which they get their name.

On Sunday, 28th April, FreeMe staff were just sitting down to enjoy a quiet fund raising day at St. Ives (thank you again, Fiona) when a call came through that a Spurwing had been found at Thurlow with two broken legs. When we met the people at Greendale to take transfer of the patient, it was unable to stand and was flapping helplessly, with its two legs just dangling. On closer inspection, it was found to have an open break on the left leg and a closed break on the right, very typical injuries from flying into power lines or fences. Early Monday morning, our beauty was taken to the vet who performed miracles and pinned both the legs satisfactorily, despite water birds being very notoriously bad candidates for anaesthesia, and often giving their last gasp as the final stitch is inserted. Wednesday, we entered the clinic to find the bird standing on both legs and very happy to be placed in an outside enclosure for the six or so weeks required before the pins are removed.

Thanks to all involved, miracles do happen.

Article and pictures kindly supplied by FreeMe

April is gone – and winter approaches rapidly. We have "sort –of" settled into our new shop which is a real step up from the previous showroom.

Andy's Mart can now be found at 1 Market Street, opposite Mica Hardware in Howick – along Main Street below the Post Office. We have plenty of shop front parking as well as tree-shaded parking in our soon-to-be-adopted park!

In line with the new showroom, we are stepping up in the range of items, in particularly the quality of furniture that we source. What we don't want to change is our pricing structure! We aim to offer bargain prices for quality new furniture! Remember we still supply new beds to the residential and hospitality sectors, as well as new pine furniture for homes in the Midlands!

Andy's Mart furniture repair workshop is gradually taking shape once again and will soon be producing quality pine furniture. At present our showroom is "selectively stocked" – more stock comes in daily as we re-embark on our traditional buy-sell progress!

Pop along to see the new showroom with quality second-hand furniture and household goods. You can find all our updated details here.

Why by new, when second-hand is great!!

The Sappi 60km Karkloof Classic, the feature race of the Sappi Karkloof Classic MTB Festival, saw Brendon Davids (Team Jeep) reign victorious over fellow elite stars Rourke Croeser (Kargo Pro MTB) and Travis Walker (Team Jeep) after an enthralling cycling shootout through one of the country's leading MTB facilities, whilst Jeannie Dreyer claimed a deserved win in the women's race.

After two days of non -stop rainfall which saw the festival's Peri Night Race on Friday and Saturday's Stihl Karkloof Enduro staged in exceptionally challenging conditions, Mother Nature finally smiled upon the region on Sunday morning and the over two and a half thousand entrants took to the muddy yet manageable trails in warm conditions and under clear blue skies. Despite the tricky conditions Davids' class saw him complete his maiden victory at the event.

"I'm super stoked with how things went for me today and it's definitely a nice result ahead of the first two Worlds Cups that are coming up." said Davids.  "It was obviously muddy, more so on the climbs than the single track, but it really wasn't too bad. It's a great course here at Karkloof with some really special features," said the 'Maritzburg College old boy. "That new Bat out of Hell descend from Lebanon is possibly my favourite trail I've ever ridden! As we crested Lebanon the view from up there was simply breath taking. As we got to the top I thought we were could see a load of clouds in the distance but then I realized all the white was actually the snow capped mountains in the background and it was just an amazing, amazing sight!"

The highly competitive ladies field also produced a race to remember as Jeannie Dreyer (USN/Hi-Tec), wife of Dusi Canoe Marathon legend and keen mountain bike competitor Martin Dreyer, claimed what was a comfortable victory in the end over Ashleigh Moffatt (BMC-SA) whilst Yolandi du Toit (Team Bizhub) claimed third.

"I've been off the bike for a couple of years with the birth of children but I've been back riding competitively since the Triple Challenge in November last year and it's been a really good six months since then," said Dreyer.

Moffatt, having just returned earlier this week from a hugely successful European tour, has been in good form in recent weeks. Unfortunately she was just unable to match Dreyer's performance on the day, crossing the line over nine minutes behind the leader.

"I'm still really happy with my performance today," said Moffatt. "And it's great to be back on home ground again too!"

In the aQuellé 40km Half Marathon it was Westville Boys' High School matric pupil Wade Finch who claimed a comfortable six minute victory over Dani Jensen (Varsity College) and James Damant (Kargo Pro MTB).

The day also played host to the aQuellé 20km Family Race and aQuellé 10km Kids Ride which saw hundreds of cycling enthusiasts young and old and of all walks of life take to the trails, bringing down the curtain on all yet another Sappi Karkloof Classic MTB Festival.

Main Photograph:  Anthony Grote/ Gameplan Media

Below Photograph: Kyle Gilham/ Gameplan Media

Old cars are rarely just a hobby. They are often an obsession and sometimes even an all-encompassing disease. Nicholas Hoferichter falls into the latter category, smitten by any and all things 'old car'. Rather besotted with his vintage Volkswagen collection, comprised of a '74 Fleetline Kombi, a '67 crewcab, a rarely-complete '67 ambulance, a rare '54 Kombi and two Beetles, a '66 and a '67 LHD Deluxe sunroof model, he'll be the first to admit that there is always space to be found for another one and that despite the common sight of his legs dangling out from underneath one of them, accompanied by the sound of much grumbling & mumbling, it is a labour of love made worthwhile every time he trundles down the road in one of them.

"Any real vintage petrolhead will present their collection in short order, because no man, or woman, with an old car just has an old car. Soon an excuse will be found to acquire a second vehicle, and then a third and so on. You'll find a reason to buy a few tools this month and then decide that you need some accessories that require those tools. Your garage will start looking lonely without some motoring signage, you'll trade your bedtime fiction for a car manual and your furniture will make way for a model display cabinet."

A visit to Nicholas' miniature 'private museum' [with a bed and bathroom attached somewhere insignificantly] is a rather overwhelming example of this notion. There are old sign-written doors, reclaimed signage, tools, framed ephemera, endless displays of badges, models and other odd trinkets, a vintage petrol pump and other assorted antiques, motoring-related and more eccentric acquisitions.

"I've driven these cars all over the country. Pedantic maintenance means greater reliability, but ultimately you are dealing with old technology and the inevitable does happen, they breakdown. It's part and parcel of owning an old car. It's certainly not for everyone, especially not when it comes to daily driving, but I find a distinct lack of soul in a modern car and love the smiles they bring to other motorists."

"I wasn't the type to get my hands dirty when I started in this game, I just wanted to drive something a little different. I soon learned that maintenance and reliability come as part of the package and today I have the requisite knowledge to do what needs doing, on my own. It brings a sense of pride and security knowing that I keep my cars on the road, in peak condition."

"My cars opened up a new social world to me too, spurring me on to make like-minded friends, to join in the fun when related events came along and to network with other car people across the globe."

"My interest quickly ran from a novelty to an obsession and then more, which meant that my knowledge of the car world boomed. Coupled with a love for antiques and history, I became involved in writing about the subject, trading in related goods, organising events, travelling to far-flung events, getting involved with a myriad of activity online and now to my quest for an active career in the vintage motoring and antique industries."

"I am always on the hunt for more early Volkswagen items, old "Kombis" or any interesting 'old car stuff', be it tools, accessories, signs, badges, etc."

Nicholas can be contacted on 078 121 7607 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can find a brief write-up on some of his cars at the3rdrock.com

Monthly showcase of interesting, local collectors. Brought to you by:

Golly Gosh - Vintage, retro, kitsch, kewl & funky. These are perhaps just some of the words that come to mind upon entering Golly Gosh, a whimsical hide-a-away offering everything from antique crockery to porcelain and ceramic treasures, dashing cushions, ephemera and even toys for little ones, all hosted by the elegant and delightful Leigh Goddard.

Roslyn's Ladieswear in Buchanan Street, Howick has been producing clothes for the mature woman since 1990. Take heart all the ladies who dread finding themselves red faced with frustration in a fitting room beside a growing pile of rejected outfits on the floor beside you, take a big breath and calm down, then contact Rosalyn Rood or Lorraine Meadows, the mother and daughter team who own this growing little business.

Ros and Lorraine will provide you with a personal service, Lorraine has a trusty database set up and jokes that in no time at all she will know more about what you have in your cupboard then you will. Keeping records of client's preferences and measurements results in Roslyn's Ladieswear providing consistently reliable garments to fit your needs, time after time.

The clothing these ladies design and make on site with the help of two trusted seamstresses is classic, casual but stylish. Outfits from Roslyn's Ladieswear are ideal for the older lady who does not want to be frumpish. Tops and bottoms can be purchased separately making it so easier to accommodate the unavoidable changes time forces on us all.

Typically mothers and daughters can have testy relationships but Rosalyn and Lorraine have a very professional ethic that guides their interactions, Lorraine explains, 'Mum trained me, I have benefited from her years studying fashion design in the UK, I have learned all I know from her, so we have similar ideas. We bounce new designs off each other and when we cannot agree we simply abandon the fabric or design.'

Another refreshing benefit customers will enjoy when shopping for their clothing at Roslyn's Ladieswear is the frank opinions, both ladies will honestly share with their clients if, in their opinions, an outfit is flattering or not. This truthfulness has nurtured long term relationships with many loyal ladies.

Some clients choose to deal with Rosalyn while others select Lorraine and they know that whoever takes their order will follow the production process all the way through to cutting and collection. Orders take around ten days to be ready and each item sewn by the seamstresses is personally inspected by one of the owners. That's service!

The reward for this team arrives when their client's exclaim, 'My goodness, I can look good!'

Pictured here is Lorraine Meadows with seamstresses Thembi Zondi (left) and Sindy Ntombela (right).

Contact Roslyn's Ladieswear here.

Selecting a care provider for a loved one can be a complicated and daunting task. Nightingales undertake to make this process simple, by helping you make an informed decision about the type of care that is required.  This will enable them to select the correct carer whose qualifications, personality and experience best fits in with your lifestyle.

Nightingales work closely with the patient's family, doctors and other care givers, and encourage good communication and co-operation between all parties to ensure the client receives the best possible care at all times. All staff are supervised on a daily basis, and their performance is assessed monthly by their current client.

Nightingales has professional, friendly and approachable management staff, and all enquiries and consultations are strictly confidential. Should you require any further information regarding our service, please click here.

Jenny Weber launched Impilo Conferences over 20 years ago. Jenny's husband was in the training business, so knew what the requirements for meetings and training conferences were. Together Jenny and her husband travelled extensively every weekend, to visit and experience as many venues throughout KZN as they could.

Impilo's owners together made sure they saw an amazing selection of varied places, taking photos, making notes and collecting brochures and all the information in detail. Today, with more details on Internet, it's so easy for clients to find a website and believe all it says, but personal visits are very important to Impilo, to get the feel and ambiance of each and every venue.

Impilo Conferences have been to see at least 500 conference and function accommodation and leisure venues and are still expanding their repertoire.

So, if you have an enquiry for any type of function, anywhere within KZN, read more here.

Jenny says "There is no charge to you whatsoever for using this service, I enjoy what I do, and certainly have vast experience in this field, and many, many contacts. Relax and let me help you. For businesses, give your PA a break, use Impilo Conferences."

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an overwhelming turnout at our recent "Riding the Storm" with Peter and Kim Van Kets, Cheese and Wine event! The uMngeni SPCA were privileged to have hosted the renowned husband and wife duo of extreme adventurer's, Peter and Kim Van Kets at an extremely well supported cheese and wine evening in aid of uMngeni SPCA.

St Ives was filled to capacity with a crowd of 250 people that came from all over the Midlands to enjoy a magnificent spread of cheeses, very generously donated by Barbara at Indezi River Cheeses, delicious olives from Romesco Olives in Howick, breads, biscuits and other lovely "goodies". Wines and juices were also in abundance. Thank you very much to Indezi River Cheeses and Romesco Olives! Your support was so appreciated.

There was much frivolity and excitement in the air as everyone in attendance waited in anticipation to hear Peter and Kim each tell their amazing stories of their journeys as extreme adventurers. Peter and Kim certainly did not disappoint! Their humorous and courageous accounts of overcoming adversity to accomplish their dreams were awe-inspiring to say the least! Facing fear in the face, persevering in spite of this and accomplishing what us mere mortals would perceive as impossible feats, are indeed what sets this dynamic duo apart! We were all blown away by this husband and wife team's passion for life!

uMngeni SPCA were also very proud to be able to hold this event at St Ives Country Estate. Set in the most magnificent grounds, with abundant wild life and bird life, this unique venue had it all! Friendly and professional staff and views to envy! A huge thank you to Fiona and her dedicated staff who so generously provided the venue and Accommodation voucher to us for no fee at all. Abingdon Wine Estate kindly donated 2 bottles of superb boutique wine from their estate to us to use in a raffle. These bottles were extra special as they had been signed by John Plumtree, Keegan Daniels and Pat Lambie. Grateful thanks to Ian and Jane from Abingdon for this donation. Our raffle raised R3100-00 for our furry friends!

To each and every SPCA supporter, we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for so enthusiastically supporting this event. We appreciate you all. We most certainly are very lucky to have such a giving and generous community of animal lovers!

Kind submitted by Tess Fernandez, PRO for uMngeni SPCA