Turmoil in South Africa The events of the week of 11th July 2021 left South Africa reeling. Much has been written about what happened; why; and what needs to be done so that it does not happen again. Many “Joe and Jill Does” have resorted to the all too superficial view of both generalizing and […]
Read More »Cry the Beloved Country. What do we do in times like this? Watch the news to keep abreast? Weep for those small businesses and informal traders who have lost everything; for all those who will lose their jobs; for the further disruption of the vaccine roll-out; for the possible shortage of oxygen, essential medications, and […]
Read More »Jeppe Street Post Office 1935 While writing my last post on Art Deco in Johannebsurg, I came across photos in my archive of the Jeppe Street Post Office. Three years ago Laurice Taitz of Johannebsurg In Your Pocket together with JDA and Africa Housing Company [AFCHO] arranged a tour of this 1935 Public Works building. […]
Read More »Buildings competing for Numero Uno Like many born and bred Jozi-ites I have seen many iterations of this mad brash vibrant city, not least of all the Sandton sky-line. Glinting glass phalluses compete for attention a la Donkey-of-Shrek fame in a persistent “Choose Me! Choose Me!”. The bigger, the taller, the more expensive, the more […]
Read More »Some things are very South African, in fact probably very Joburg. The cry of the mielie-seller with her trolley, the leather worker on his wonky chair with his pile of shoes and sundry items, single sweets and fruit laid out on a sloping makeshift table at the corner vendor, waste pickers with their massive load […]
Read More »Men and Monuments was on show for over a year at the Wits Art Museum Sadly this post is really a case of “closing the door after the horse has bolted” (in a manner of speaking) … or, put another way, “too little too late”. I am ashamed to say that Emmanuel’s exhibition at Wits […]
Read More »This is not flattery “Flattery”: excessive and insincere praise, given especially to further one’s own interests. Diane Victor brushes off gratuitous positive feedback. Flattery as a human failing is a strong theme in this solo exhibition. In an interview Victor talked about the vain stupidity of contemporary society in terms of “the infatuation that seems […]
Read More »A planned Creative Hub at Constitution Hill Over the last year I have missed exploring Joburg so was delighted when I got notification of a meeting in mid March about a Creative Hub planned for Constitutional Hill. Mariapoala McGurk, or MP as she is known, is the Public Programmes Coordinator at Constitutional Hill and she certainly […]
Read More »A prime birding location I wrote about Zaagkuilsdrift and KgomoKgomo in my last post but only posted one bird photograph! So more on the actual birding here. Just 50km north of Pretoria, this area is one of South Africa’s most prolific birding spots with grassland, woodland and water birds abounding. Illustrious company We knew we […]
Read More »Peter and the Wolf at the National Children’s Theatre until 18th April A specially constructed outdoor stage, a superb cast of 4 talented actors, a much loved story told by a narrator and various props; and a wonderful creative retelling of this story: with school holidays coming up Peter and the Wolf at the National […]
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