July 2019 • edition Seventeen

Holly Bellingham-Turner said,“The crass and insensitiveanswer would be that Africanelephants don’t have pinkears.” But Holly went on, “I amnot ashamed to admit that Iwept openly when I first sawthe complete and utter majestyof African elephants in thewild. We knew that theirgreatest danger was, and is,ivory poachers, but it was onlysometime afterwards, throughMark Shand and the charity“Elephant Family”, that Simonand I began to understand thedangers and problems facedby Asian elephants, who have,for centuries, been far moreadept at interacting withhumans, than their wildercousins in Africa.”As with so much in life, this is adouble-edged sword. Veneratedand revered by many, elephantsare loathed by others.The problems have come where,and when, human settlementsencroach on the animals’ naturalterritory, and human intervention– often with good intention – justexacerbates matters. This doesnot affect just elephants. Anotherbig problem is “the greatescapers”, animals kept incaptivity who have becomefugitives, survived and bred,sometimes thousands ofkilometres from their naturalhabitat. This is a problem faced byanimals and humans alike,across the globe. While it isalways terribly sad to see catsand dogs being thrown onto thestreets when they are no longer‘cute’ (to quote the Royal Societyfor the Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals “A dog isn’t just forChristmas, it’s for life”), therelease of exotic pets can causehavoc with the ecology of

anywhere, when those animalsare not indigenous to that area. While stories of alligators beingflushed down the lavatory andnow being prolific in the sewersof New York may be an urbanmyth, in the UK – hardly knownfor its game drives or “big five”,the introduction of the greysquirrel has decimated theindigenous red squirrelpopulation, Muntjac (Chinesewater deer) which were firstintroduced to a park inBedfordshire in the 1830’s, havespread across the whole of thesouth of England... the list goeson and on. The weirdest one?Wallabies! These days, spottedfrom the Isle of Man to Norfolk...Simon said, “Seeing The

Wallabies playing at Twickenhamis one thing, but if I saw a wallabyhopping down a country lane inSuffolk, I’d think I was seeing apink elephant!”Holly said, “The baboons that areconsidered to ‘invade’ certainareas of Hermanus, are a bigproblem and can, to say the veryleast, be somewhat tiresomeand, sometimes, frightening, butwhen you think of the thousandsof years they have lived here –who is encroaching upon whom?It’s never helped by peoplethinking it’s a good idea to feedthem. It is not! At the other end ofthe globe, polar bears are alsoknown for their resourcefulness inraiding bins and scavenginghuman scraps. In towns and

cities in England, ‘urban’ foxesare a huge problem. Animals areclever and very ingenious aboutforaging for food.“The late, great Mark Shand whofounded Elephant Family realisedthe enormity of the problemwhen he travelled across India,on Tara, and witnessed theconflict first hand. Hamlets andvillages had grown up around teaplantations, but with completedisregard to the ancient elephantroutes. Elephants continued touse these paths as they had forthousands of years, crushingcrops, cottages and anythingelse in their way. “Intense conflicts ensued. MarkShand’s vision was to map theancient elephant routes, establishelephant corridors, and movesettlements a few hundred yards.It works! It is not a quick, cheapor easy answer, but it is asustainable long-term solutionthat allows humans and thesebeautiful creatures to live side byside in complete harmony.Elephant Family has, in recentyears, supported 200 fieldprojects in six elephant rangestates: India, Thailand, Indonesia(Sumatra), Malaysia (Borneo),Myanmar and Cambodia.”A couple of years ago Simon andHolly took part in a fund-raisingtrek across India in aid ofElephant Family. As Simon said,“Self-driving 600km in a tuk tuk –some of it through tiger reserves– is not for the faint hearted, butto eventually meet Tara madeevery bruise very worthwhile.”Holly concluded “There you haveit. A very long answer to a veryshort question!”For futher details visitwww.elephantfamily.org

The Elephant in the RoomA frequent and, not unfair question, is “Why did you name a South African wine after an Indian elephant?”

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Vineyards growing in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, approximately 8km fromthe South Atlantic Ocean, have earnedthe valley its reputation for growing highquality grapes, and producingexceptional wines in this cool climateregion.

Our Sumaridge Tara Rosé is carefullycrafted with early harvested Merlot (59%),Malbec (24%) and Cabernet Franc (16%)grapes, from South East and North Westfacing vineyards which have a variation ofdeep alluvium and rock ironstone soils. Allthese vines have been planted at a lowdensity of +/- 4000 vines per hectare, at analtitude of 210 – 230m above sea level.

All the grapes were picked by hand, onthe cool morning of 28 February2019. The grapes were all sorted byhand at the cellar before chilled,destemmed, crushed and thenpressed immediately to reduce skincontact, as it is the length of skincontact that dictates the eventualcolour of the wine. All three cultivarswere handled together creating anexciting ‘Bordeaux’ field blend. Along gentle press cycle followed,and the juice left to settle for twodays.

Due to its very short period of skincontact, selected yeast strainswere used to inoculate the juice,and a cold fermentation tooknearly three weeks to complete, instainless steel tanks withtemperatures not exceeding 14°C.It is this cool fermentation processthat ensures a fruity profile to the

wine. The wine was left on its fermentationlees for another four weeks, then rackedand prepared for bottling. Not needing anyfurther time to mature in bottle, this winewill be ready for release – and immediatedrinking – by the beginning of August2019.

Tara displays a light colour, with a beautifulbouquet of strawberries, red apples andcandy floss. A good crisp acid gives thewine a refreshing and lingering finish.

Elegant in style, it is the easiest of wines topair with food. As Holly has said, “Tara willdrink beautifully, both on a sunny summerday with friends and family, or snuggled upby the fire, on a cold winter’s evening, withsomething spicy and warming.” Either way,this soft easy drinking wine is ideallyserved chilled.

Walter Pretorius, June 2019.

Tara Rosé 2019

Only a few years ago, Rosé was considered “a woman’s drink”,only to be consumed by beautiful young ladies wearing little butskimpy swimwear and very large sunglasses, basking in thesummer sunshine of the French Riviera. How life has changed!

“Real men” don’t drink Rosé any more than they eat quiche – ordo they?

As Summer gets in to full swing in the Northern Hemisphere, (itdoesn’t always rain), beach huts are unlocked and spring cleaned;picnic baskets are dusted off and the chance for some home spun ‘alfresco’ dining becomes something to grab at any given opportunity.Be it in the countryside, city parks or anywhere on a beach. Picnicblankets will come into their own and be used by people aged fromone to 100. All of them enjoying the great outdoors! Finger food is amust – so you are just as likely to see a young lady with a sausageroll and a small cold beer as a young man with a large slice of quicheand a large glass of Rosé!

But what about winter in South Africa? As Toto sang, “Bless therains down in Africa”, and yes, everyone does pray for rain, buteveryone rather hopes that nature will play ball and send it when it’sexpected. Although, in the context of a map of the continent, itdoesn’t look it, South Africa is a large country, with very distinctweather zones. The rainy season in most of the regions of SouthAfrica is in summer.

However, the Western Cape is the exception that proves the rule andis a winter-rainfall area. August is the coolest month with averagedaytime temperatures of 17º C and night time temperatures of 7º C –a little warner than the South of France in January.

It is truly a Mediterranean climate, and appetites change according tothe seasons – unless you come from KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN)where spicy food is a given 364 days a year!

Both in South Africa, and in the United Kingdom, our increasingly

multi-culturalsocieties, andgreater access tointernationaltravel have leadto an explosionin the variety ofcuisines availableand loved by many. Long gone are the days when chicken Kievseemed exotic.

Because of the docks, the East End of London was, withoutexaggeration, literally the first port of call for migrants from across theglobe, frequently escaping religious or cultural persecution, butbringing with them their skills, ethnicity and cuisine. While manymigrants gradually moved further afield, many remained to the East ofthe City. Curry houses sprung up everywhere, and it was notuncommon to see an Indian restaurant next to a stall selling jelliedeels, the most famous of which was “Tubby Isaacs” which, sadly,closed in 2013 after a glorious ninety four year history.

The first Chinese restaurant – called simply The Chinese Restaurantopened near Piccadilly Circus in 1884, and probably explains why‘China Town’ is where it is today.

Back in the East End of London, Brick Lane in Whitechapel, hasbecome renowned for its Indian, Pakistani and Bangladesh cuisineand culture. From mysterious fruit, vegetables herbs and spices, “jetfresh” fish from the Bay of Bengal, to saris – here you will find it all.

Whitechapel is a stone’s throw away from ‘The Square Mile’ and aneasy evening stroll, when hunger strikes, after a pint or two in one ofthe City’s historic pub’s. When the shout goes out “Who’s up for aRuby?”

To the uninitiated, this probably sounds like Double Dutch, and couldeasily be misinterpreted! However, it’s Cockney rhyming slang. Rubyis short for Ruby Murray (a popular 1950’s pop’ singer) which rhymeswith curry. Obvious? Not necessarily!

Rosé wine pairs beautifully with all spicy food, be it “a Ruby”,Chinese, Asian Fusion or just a Cape Malay Bunny. So, whether youare on a beach in England, trying not to get sand in your Coronationchicken sandwiches, or lighting a wood burner in Hermanus, there isno excuse not to enjoy a glass of Rosé. Truly a wine for all seasons.

A Wine for all Seasons

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The Shanti Maurice, Mauritius

Drunken Sauce

A Hidden Gem in “The Starand Key of the Indian Ocean”

• 1x medium to large onion chopped• 1x clove garlic chopped• 2x tsp cracked pepper• ¼ cup dark rum• 1 cup ketchup• 3 tbls oyster sauce• 2 tbls honey• 2 tsp sesame oil

Method:To add extra zing add a little chilli or cayenne pepper

Blitz all the ingredients together, put it in an airtight container andkeep it in the fridge.

Both tangy and sweet and sour “Drunken Sauce” pairsbeautifully with everything from pulled pork to prawns. For asinful snack, try it with Patatas Bravas – delicious!

Blend all the ingredients togetherwell, cover and put intoa glass container with alid. Store in the fridgeuntil needed.

It is no secret that, in recent years, both Holly and Simon havegrown very fond of Mauritius or La Isle Maurice as it is alsoknown. We asked Holly why?

“I had preconceived ideas about the island, almost all of which haveproved to be wrong! I expected the island to be overbuilt and over-run with tourists. Neither of which is true. There are parts of theisland’s coastline which have many resorts and tourists abound – butsadly for them, they don’t seem too keen to leave the beautifulbeaches and explore.

Port Louis, half way between the airport and Grande Baie, is not onlythe capital, but also the burgeoning economic centre of the region. Ifyou drive straight through, it will not seem the prettiest of capitalcities. However, look a little more carefully and you will see somestriking architecture. It also holds some beautiful secrets, including itswonderful SSR Botanical Garden. Named, like many things inMauritius, in honour of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, the firstPresident and “founding father” of the Republic. The spice market isquite wonderful and rivals that of Kolkata. And if you like racing – theChamp de Mars in Port Louis is fantastic. Manically busy on everyrace day, it has an electric atmosphere that rivals the Met’ atKenilworth! If we are lucky enough to visit during the racing season,we always try to visit the Crown Lodge on the racetrack hosted bythe inimitable Jaques and Jennifer Ritter.

Lying East of both Madagascar and Réunion, this idiosyncratic island

archipelago is something of an enigma. Is it part of Africa? Mostcertainly it is. However, the influences of its Creole, Indian andcolonial heritage remain strong. The official language is English butask many a native Mauritian and they will tell you (in near perfectEnglish) that they speak French, Creole or a native Indian language athome.

As you venture south, you will pass through densely tropicallyforested mountains, with wonderful waterfalls. While closelyassociated with the island – Dodo souvenirs are everywhere - thislandscape acts as a very sharp reminder of the terrible consequencesof man’s continued interference with nature. The Dodo would not beextinct today, if it wasn’t for both the introduction of alien predatoryspecies and over hunting.

The up lands gradually give way to the verdant flat lands, albeit that,dependant upon your route, many a hairpin bend may have to benegotiated. In the South of the island agriculture is still a high priority– sugar cane and tea are very important crops to the island’seconomy. Simon always laughs because the sugar cane dwarfs me!

Nearing the Southern coast line, you drive along roads less travelled,through rural villages where Hindus, Muslims and Christian people,and their houses of worship, live side by side in harmony. “

When you reach the beautiful South coast, you might be luckyenough to a be a guest at, or visit, The Shanti Maurice Resort andSpa. Simon said, “It’s large manicured grounds and beautiful openocean views just enhance the sense of tranquillity that you feel assoon as you drive through the gates.”

Under the caring and efficient management of Haje Thurau, the hotelis equally welcoming to everyone from honeymooners to families withnew born babies and grandparents, so it’s no wonder that the hotelhas many guests who return time and time again.

There are many different dining options and all the restaurants takepride in using fresh locally sourced ingredients. From freshly caught

fish served on the beach to a more formal dining room. However,Simon and Holly agree that their absolute favourite is The Rum Shed.Taking its name from the informal rum sheds where, traditionally,locals met to enjoy their free time.

Simon continued “It’s the people who make Mauritius one of themost welcoming Islands in the world – but headed up and managedby the ever calm and efficient Davisen Murwan, the smiling staff atthe Rum Shed are, perhaps, the friendliest of all”!

Hidden away in the gardens, with the gentle sound of waves lappingin the distance, if you have been so busy doing nothing that you aretoo tired to walk, the Shanti Maurice will happily supply door to doortransport in one of their golf buggies. The menu is very varied – andthere is always something to appeal to anyone and everyone.

Holly said “With any lovely holiday, the worst part is leaving, albeitwith a myriad of happy memories, and Simon and I always takesouvenirs of Mauritian Rum – some of the best in the world andsome locally made chilli sauce, so we asked Chef Akash for a recipe,from The Rum Shed, that is easy to concoct at home and pairs wellwith fish or meat. Whatever you choose to eat, with this sauce, it willalways bring back memories - or conjure up dreams - of an idyllichideaway in the Indian Ocean”.

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A legend and her legacyBorn in Scotland, in 1873, Isabella Gordon Dove known then, asnow, as Ella Gordon, lived in the environs of Hermanus from about1902 till her death in 1958.

Ella was certainly a colourful characterwho challenged many of the socialconventions of the time. Ella nevermarried and lived a relatively solitary life.She farmed successfully, without maleassistance or support. Her hair was cutshort, and adding to her perceivedeccentricity, Ella wore men’s clothing andsmoked a long pipe!

When Ella first arrived in the area, shebought a portion of the farm Braemar in theHemel-en-Aarde Valley and built a house butmoved to Karwyderskraal in 1907. Ella’sfarm at Braemar is now part of the HamiltonRussell Estate.

Ella was educated at home. At time, when itwas almost impossible for a woman to gaina place at a university, but when she was 18,her enlightened father allowed her to receiveprivate tuition, at university level, in drama,English, French and history. Sometimebetween 1887-1893 Ella received music andacting training and became very involved inthe popular variety shows of the time –whether her father approved of this, no oneknows!

After her father’s death in 1897 Ella travelledto France, with a theatre group and circus,and it was here she became involved intraining horses.

Ella arrived in South Africa at the dawn of the

20th century and performed at the TivoliTheatre in Cape Town. It is thought that Ellamay have learnt about the Hermanus areawhen she met and became friends withClara Markgraaff.

When Ella moved to Karwyderskraal in 1907,she built her own house in a veryindividualistic style; she also painted frescoeson the walls and made the furniture. Forsome time, her companion, Clara, lived onthe farm, and did the cooking andhousework.

She was kind, but a disciplinarian, andexpected everyone on the farm to attendSunday church services. She forbade wineon the farm – even prohibiting the planting ofvines. She built a school, a church, stablesand more dwellings with, and for, herlabourers and created a strong, albeit small,community. Her great love was for herhorses and dogs. She taught the horsesmany tricks. They could step out in time tomusic and Ella rode and trained her horsesevery day. When the horses died they weregiven a specially devised, formal funeral andthen buried in her specially constructedhorse-graveyard. Every horse had atombstone.

Ella died in 1958 and was buried next to herdog Woppy in the small Karwyderskraalgraveyard next to the horses’ graveyard.

Today little material evidence of Ella’s legacyremains. Her house at Karwyderskraal stillstands but in a dilapidated condition.

However, Ella did make a huge difference inher small community on and around herfarm, and her real legacy of schooleducation, for a small community; teachingpeople farming skills and being a role modelregarding the care of dogs and horses liveson and continues to flourish in the valley.

Consistent with Ella Gordon’s passionatebelief in the importance of early childhooddevelopment pre-schooling, there are twoPre-Schools in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley.

The first Pre-School was founded in 1996 onHamilton Russell Vineyards by AnthonyHamilton Russell.

From humble beginnings in 1996, with asmall number of students from HamiltonRussell Vineyards’ own staff at the day-care,the school has been dramatically improved

and extended, and with four teachers and afull-time chef, can now take up to 50children.

The pre-school on Hamilton RussellVineyards currently has 47 pupils, only oneof which are from their own staff. Theremaining pupils are all from less-privilegedfamilies in the farming community and fromthe local township.

Fortunately, the school is able to provide thestudents with a vitamin enriched breakfast,cooked warm lunch made from freshingredients and a yoghurt and fruit as anafternoon snack.

With much direction freely given by TalitaEnglebrechet of Hamilton Russell, the Pre-School goes from strength to strength, and ithas been heart-warming to see theassistance the school has received fromsome local businesses and especially theHermanus Rotary.

With running costs of just over R40 000 permonth, government funding ranging from R3 000 to R10 000 per month leaves theschool with quite a shortfall.

More recently, the Ella Godon Crèche

opened in Karwyderskraal, but after threeyears of receiving help and funding from thegovernment, funding was withdrawn inMarch 2016 and it was then that the Hemel-en-Aarde Winegrowers Association steppedin to help maintain, run and build theoperations of the Ella Gordon Creche.Megan Parnell, from Domaine des Dieux,represents the Hemel-en-Aarde producers,on the management committee of thecrèche and helps in its day to day running.Currently there are 11 children at the crècheranging from one to five years old, all ofwhom come from families that areunderprivileged and can barely affordeducation costs for their children. Thecrèche charges the bare minimum schoolfees in an attempt to cover costs. However,without any formal grant there is inevitably amonthly short fall in funding.

Recognised by Ella Gordon 100 years ago;in agricultural communities, across theglobe, it is common for both parents towork. This most often results in their childrensimply being supervised indoors during theday, without any developmental training oreducation. In South Africa, when a childreaches the age of six, the governmentcontributes for schooling, but if noinvestment is made in childhooddevelopment prior to this, it is rare for a childto succeed at school and even rarer for achild to go on to university.

Holly said, “As Mandela Day approaches, weshould all remember what he said:‘Education is the most powerful weaponwhich you can use to change the world.’Both the Pre-School and the Crèche haveambitions for their future development, butfunding is always an issue. It really is a caseof every cent helps!”

To learn more about these enterprisingprojects, and what you can do to help,please contact:talita@hamiltonrussellvineyards.com ormegan@domainedesdieux.co.za

Ella Gordon

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As you drive up or down the valley, the beauty of the vineyards is evident, but the valley also holds avery different treasure... horses.

It’s not only vines that flourish with our cooling sea breezes…

The fertile and verdant Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is just a fewkilometres inland from the picturesque town of Hermanus,enjoying generally moderate temperatures and sea breezes in aclimate that suits the growth of thoroughbred horses.

Owner of the Hemel ‘n Aarde Stud, David Hepburn-Brown has beenraising horses on this land for over twenty years. The beautifullydeveloped main property was originally land leased from smalladjacent farms that David ran, one now dwarfed by but still formingan important part of Hemel 'n Aarde Stud.

Development has been extensive: new stabling and storage havebeen added along with additional staff accommodation. Hundreds ofmetres of new fencing has systematically replaced the old, whileground clearance has extended the paddock/kamp areas uptowards the mountains and across both the higher and lowerreaches of the farm. David's mind's eye ensures that alldevelopment will fit the landscape and its shelter and to allow closemonitoring of every mare. No mare has to battle for feed against toomany others.

Whether the horses take it all in or not, the views from some locationson the farm are spectacular and the entire property is backed by theimpressive Babylon Tower Mountain Range, looking across theHemel-en-Aarde Valley Valley below. View or no views, Hemel 'nAarde Stud has rich land, ideal for raising high quality thoroughbreds.and it shows.

David has grown up with horses both in the sense of equestrianexpertise and as a hands-on professional rising through the ranks tofarm ownership and quality production.

Equine Studies modules at Elsenberg College a successful showjumping and eventing rider including Provincial representation, Davidworked as a teenager at the Kenilworth racecourse starting stalls andlater served as a Stipendiary Steward there for seven years. Always

maintaining that understanding of and empathy with horses intraining, David moved to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley to manage asmall stud named Four Seasons where he produced a number ofwinners for the stud owners. Then for seven years, teamed withbreeder and successful owner Ken Truter, he managed High SeasonStud incorporating the Four Seasons land.

High Season - twice ranked third in the country for most winnersproduced - had as its flag bearer extraordinaire JAY PEG, SouthAfrica's highest money earner ever, an International Grade 1 winner

and one of the highest rated horses in the World. The Stud stood twoleading freshman sires in Casey Tibbs and Camden Park, the formerbeing sold together with High Season Stud and the latter sadly diedyoung.

When High Season was sold, David acquired extensive adjacent land- previously leased - and continued on the Four Seasons land aswell, developing the high profile and successful operation that istoday's Hemel 'n Aarde Stud.

David is married to renowned veterinarian Dr Sandy Waddingham.The couple has also been highly successful in breeding humans!David and Sandy have two successful adult daughters, who are alsoaccomplished equestrians.

Sandy is known for many aspects of veterinary science andmanagement but above all, for putting herself out – day and night –time and time again in the care of all animals and the people whocome to her for help.

Sandy is senior partner in her very busy practice – Hermanus AnimalHospital, the oldest veterinary practice in the Overberg. David andSandy have formed a successful partnership on their farm and asracehorse owners together. Having been involved with horses all herlife, Sandy's contribution is immense both hands-on and as adirector/consultant helping to ensure that the daily stud vet duties arecarried out to the highest of standards.

Wendy Hvidesten personifies the work-ethic that characterisesHemel 'n Aarde Stud. She has the knack of encouraging staffmembers to follow her lead. Coming into stud farming from anotherprofession, Wendy joined Hemel 'n Aarde in 2011, Wendy wasalready an experienced equestrian through competitive riding andrelated horse care.

The speed with which she translated that grounding into stud farmingexpertise is demonstrated by her appointment as Farm Manager inmid 2012, reporting to David, and her development as a recognisedindustry practitioner in subsequent years. Day-to-day management ofmares and young stock is complemented by supervising the showingof sales consignments, amounting to very strong support for Davidand Sandy in all aspects of farm operations.

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The winners were...

The V&A Belligham award for Visual arts

1. Michaela Lawrence - Metal Land #772. Nick de Jager – Hybrid of the Greedy Man #84Higly Commemded – Neil Bosch – Unravel #4Highly Commended – Aerin Atkins - #45Highly Commended – Valerie le Roux - #20

Davall Award for 3D works of art

1. Kristen Ganz – Hybrid Stag #892. Max Kuijers – Weight Lifter #943. Ravick Black – Nymph Vase #79

HFF award for most dedication:

1. Chante Melicia Barends #26 - Lady2. Keanu Jacobs - #40Highly Commended – Anna van Deventer #85Highly Commended – Jordan Swartz – Behave #31Highly Commended – JP Lottering #69

Bruce Oldfield award for fabric, textiles & design

1. Matilda Pillay – Madiba Dress2. Tayana Dorland – Phobia #553. Kara Slabbert – Sunnies - #1

Public Choice Award

1. Neil Bosch – Unravel #42. Kara Slabbert3. Kristen Ganz

The youth of Greater Hermanus has a great deal of talent

The private viewing and prize giving for the Sumaridgesponsored competitions for Youth Art took place on Saturday15th June, was a great success, and thoroughly enjoyed bystudents, tutors, parents, and art lovers alike.

The competition, this year, saw further changes to its structure, andthere are now five equally prestigious awards.

• The Violet and Anne Bellingham trophy being awardedfor visual arts.

• The Davall trophy for design.

• The First Friday ArtWalk Award for exceptionaldedication and effort.

• The Bruce Oldfield Award for Fabrics and Textiles

• The People’s Choice Award.

Holly Bellingham-Turner said “Simon and I have been delighted tosee the competition grow over a relatively short space of time, withan increasing number of schools and students taking part, and anever-increasing number of guests and visitors coming to enjoy theexhibition. Almost 250 people took the time to come to the tastingroom to vote for The People’s Choice.”

Like many of the Sumaridge wines, there are also stories behind thenames of the awards. The original award was named after Holly’smother and sister – Vi’ and Anne Bellingham, while both Simon’smaternal grandfather and great-grandfather were clock makers inLondon, hence the Davall Trophy.

The First Fridays Artwalk Award was instigated at the behest of theexhibition judges, all of whom were prime movers in the formation.Combining art, wine and convivial company, after its winter break itwill recommence in September and will be looked forward to greatlyby visitors and locals alike.

Bruce Oldfield OBE is, perhaps, best known for some of themagnificent dresses he designed for Diana, Princess of Wales and amyriad of beautiful women for whom he works his design magic.Bruce is also a Vice President of Barnado’s, the oldest children’scharity in the UK. Bruce was born illegitimate and of mixed race – avery difficult start in life in 1950’s England. He learned dress makingat his foster mother Violet’s knee, and to whom his autobiography‘Rootless’ is dedicated. When Holly explained the judge’s wish toensure greater diversity among the students and her wish toinaugurate the Bruce Oldfield Award his reply was simple andunequivocal. “YES!”

Chairman of judges, Jozua Rossouw was very keen to involve thepublic in having their say and suggested the “People’s Choice”Award. How very right Jozua proved to be.

Holly said “I am always so very grateful for all the help andenthusiasm that we receive from so many people to make thesecompetitions a success. Firstly, and most importantly, are thestudents who give up their valuable time, Jeandré Marinier and all theteachers who give also their free time and encouragement to all thestudents. The judges too, deserve thanks; they have a verydemanding task, which gets more challenging year on year as thenumber of entries grow.

We also receive great help from some unsung heroes who worktirelessly to make to happen. “Team Sumaridge” have gone beyondthe call of duty (particularly, this year, when, for health reasons, I wasunable to be of much help to anyone). Frames for Africa do awonderful job – in double quick time, and the Art Shop, who arealways supportive in helping to sponsor the winners’ vouchers forartists materials.

We are also very grateful to Nicole du Toit for her fabulousphotography – only a fraction of which we have, with her permission,room to publish here.

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My Story

Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hermanus, South Africa. Tel: 028 312 1097 GPS: -34° 22' 1.416" , 19° 15' 19.116"www.sumaridge.co.za

‘My Story’ is a process art experience for teenagers that is designed to

foster self-acceptance, self-expression, confidence, enrichment, creativity,

personal transformation and healing.This is the first My Story ‘pilot’ project that was undertaken by 7 High

School Learners from Quayiya High School in Zwelihle at Enlighten

Education Trust. The group includes 4 learners from grade 8, two from

grade 9 and one from grade 11 (2 girls and 5 boys). Most of them were

previously in the Enlighten Education Trust extra mural ‘Awakening to

Creativity’ grade 7 class. This special group, however, showed so much

enthusiasm, dedication and devotion to art that they were the inspiration to

form a new class especially for dedicated High School Learners who have a

particular love for artmaking and may want to work as artists in their future.

They walk every week on a Tuesday afternoon to do art, unprompted by

teachers or parents. ‘Art is my life’ says Iviwe Mrwebi.

This particular project was designed by Process Art Facilitator, and Visual

Arts Teacher Ashleigh Temple-Camp. The idea was to create a ‘body map’

within which the learners could express themselves and their life stories,

making a statement if called to. They first wrote their life stories, then lay

down in a ‘gesture’ that expressed their story or self and another learner

drew around their body, creating a contour in which to work. They collected

images that reflected these stories, created personal symbols, drew pictures

and collected words which they collaged together in their form. A short

summary of their story accompanies each art piece.

This project took place over 5 classes with the learners giving input as to

what ‘worked for them’ and what they needed. They were encouraged to

share parts of their story in each class. ‘It was wonderful to watch them

grow in confidence and individual expression as each week passed’ says

Ashleigh. Ashleigh has now ‘fine tuned’ the creative process to be able to offer

this non-judgemental experience to future learners in one full day workshop

… thanks to the enthusiasm and input of this very

special group of young artists

To coincide, and celebrate Mandela Day, the tasting room atSumaridge will be exhibiting works of art by Nelson Mandela andpictures of him. To coincide with these exhibits, there will also be anexhibition of art by the students at the Enlighten Trust, for whomMandela is a great inspiration.

“My Story” will be on display from 12th – 21st July.

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