Secret Johannesburg Some time back I purchased the gem of a book called Secret Johannesburg by Lisa Johnston and Claire Bell. These two photo-authors have gone on a treasure hunt through Joburg and its surrounds, and have found 93 little known objects, sights or sites. It’s really beautifully researched with fascinating histories and contexts and […]
Read More »Javett Art Centre, University of Pretoria I think art-loving Jozi-ites have a little of the green-eyed monster in them in the face of the latest additions to Cape Town’s cultural scene. As if Zeitz Mocaa is not enough for one city, they now have the Norval Foundation as well. So when I read about the Javett […]
Read More »Sandton Central- the financial centre of South Africa I personally seldom go to Sandton Central and when I do, every 3 or 4 months, I am always amazed, somewhat cynical and more than a little disillusioned by the widespread evidence of rampant consumer capitalism on steroids. Buildings, which are often no older than 40 odd […]
Read More »Liz at Lancaster or Liz@Lancaster? To all our wonderful guests, friends and family and those who are connected with Liz at Lancaster in some way 24 years ago I started Liz at Lancaster (with one room), and before communication via email was commonplace, I did not realize what confusion the ‘at’ in the establishment name […]
Read More »With an amazing woosh the December holidays have landed on us once again. Time to look at keeping youngsters busy and adults sane this year-end. Family and children’s theatre Goggas at the National Children’s Theatre, Parktown There’s a fair bit of theatre for youngsters. Who can resist Antony the ant who helps Lady Caroline the […]
Read More »Liz at Lancaster arranges birding tours for guests A recent guest from the United States who came to stay at Liz at Lancaster is an avid birder. Arriving on a Thursday evening and leaving on Sunday morning meant he only had 2 days in Joburg. He was completely amazed at what Liz managed to arrange […]
Read More »Reviving the city in different ways The collapse of inner cities is a world-wide phenomenon, as is their revival and reinvention. There are so many ways in which life has been brought back to Jozi’s inner city. Here are some of them: Walking tours Walking tours are also part of a global phenomenon, giving a […]
Read More »The future Manhattan of Joburg? Well this might be a glamorous by-line but if infrastructure, traffic access, services and occupancy do not meet the supply of the huge number of new buildings going up in Rosebank, it’s going to be another business district snarl-up like Sandton. However it does seem that there is a conscious […]
Read More »A walk in the inner city from 1 Fox Street to Gandhi Square and back: led by Josine Overdevest About Josine Overdevest Passionate, visionary, generous and inspiring are all words that come to mind when describing Josine Overdevest. For over 25 years (over 15 of these in South Africa), Josine Overdevest has worked in information […]
Read More »Liz at Lancaster’s Pavement library More firsts for Craighall Park – guerilla art comes to the ‘burbs. The eye-catching red reading box on the pavement outside Liz at Lancaster Guesthouse caused quite a stir in the Craighall Park ‘hood when it was first installed, with lots of positive response. But now it is even more […]
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