Briewe / Letters

Thursday Group thanks Prince Alberters

The Thursday Group wish to thank all those people who have made contributions to their White Elephant stall at the Saturday morning market as well as many other contributions throughout the year. Without your help we cannot succeed in helping those who are not able to help themselves.

We have ongoing projects such as knitting teddies for children in the hospital, making caps for premature babies, assisting with the BADISA-run soup kitchen, providing toiletries for an orphan, and leading exercises and games at Huis Kweekvallei. There are also undertaken numerous other smaller projects.

As we have no overhead expenses and all work is voluntary, all monies are ploughed back into the community.

Dankie aan almal wat ons so goed ondersteun. Met julle hulp kan ons voortgaan om die gemeenskap te help waar daar ‘n behoefte is.

Ione Auerswald
(on behalf of the Thursday Group)

Yes to waterwise gardening

We would like to thank Richard Dean for his article on Waterwise Gardens (October 2009) and give our support for his views. The committee discussed his suggestion for the Garden Club to demonstrate how to create a waterwise garden at their last meeting.

At present, our membership is small and, although enthusiastic, we are somewhat senior in average age. However, we would be happy to donate plants towards and give our support to any future initiatives.

Prince Albert Garden Club Committee

Trash or Treasure

Corroded by time and tortured by the harsh Karoo elements, rusted relics have become a Prince Albert signature. All over town one sees these old treasures of the veldt used in most creative ways. However, it seems these monuments to the town’s story, both past and present are treasure of a different kind to others.

Some time ago while walking on the Koppie, I noticed several white bags scattered around and each one filled to the brim with familiar old rusted metal bits and pieces, obviously awaiting collection. Weeks later, driving out of town early one morning on our way to Oudtshoorn my suspicion was confirmed. There in front of us was a large truck chugging along loaded high with Prince Albert’s scrap metal of all shapes and sizes….including the easily recognisable white bags – all leaving their origins, untold stories and a town that much poorer for their removal.

How sad and helpless I felt that these sentimental remnants so much part of the Karoo landscape had been scavenged by outsiders and merely regarded as “scrap metal” to be sold for a couple of bucks.

The hope of finding an interesting piece on a walk through the veldt is now diminished. I will be left wondering instead where all that potential has ended up ….maybe China?

Lorna Verran

Prince Albert Cares

I was pleased to read in “More water for PA?” in last month’s Friend (October 2009) that steps have been taken to make sure that the water furrow is now safe for wildlife.

I used to regularly check those parts of the furrow where tortoises in particular were always trapped and expressed my concern to the Municipality, on my blog and to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

It is a relief that the furrow no longer poses this danger. This restored my confidence in Prince Albert as a community, which cares for all its inhabitants, human and animal.

Returning here this spring, I could see for myself the progress that has been made. Again, as I often have stressed, South Africa is in very many respects an example to others.

Anders Paulsson

Thank You Animal Lovers

I would like to thank everyone that has supported PA Animal Care this year. Thank you for the donations, both cash and food.

A special thank you to Brian & Marion Finch for their contribution, which we greatly appreciated. I am also grateful to Yvette Breedt & Martie vd Merwe of La-di-dah and Yolande Singery of Décor de St Géry for helping so many wild cats off the streets this year and to anybody else who has taken pity on and helped animals in need.

Thank you to the wonderful people who have adopted our strays and given them a loving home. I will be doing one more sterilisation this year - we are hoping to sterilise all the female cats behind the Swartberg Hotel, to prevent them from breeding any further.

Finally I would like to thank Brett the Vet, without whom PA Animal Care would not be able to do any work. Thank you for all your endless advice, free consultations, medication and providing cheap animal sterilisations to the poor. We can never thank you enough.

Merry Christmas to all animal lovers in Prince Albert and may God bless you.

Lynette Brand
PA Animal Care

Ongelukkig met die Vriend se redaksie

Nadat ek ‘n paar maal my artikel, “Die Beste Skou in 18 Jaar”, in die Prince Albert Vriend (Oktober 2009) deurgelees het, moes ek vinnig na my “pen gryp” om beswaar te maak.

Die feit dat julle die feite en paragrawe heeltemal geklits het, is nie vir my so ‘n groot probleem nie, maar die laaste paragraaf het nou regtig my genoop om die briefie te skryf.

Dit moes as volg lees:“Ons wil net ons gelukwense aan Samie Luttig Jnr en sy bestuur oordra vir ‘n baie suksesvolle skou.Ons dank ook aan alle borge en vertoners.Sonder hulle sou dit net nie moontlik kon wees nie.Doe so voort!” (m.a.w Die borge en vertoners maak eintlik die skou moontlik).

Julle het dit so deurmekaar geklits dat niks sin maak nie.

Die Derksens wat ons bedank het moes onder die perde se hofie kom.

“Elke jaar word daar ook beoog om tydens die skou iets vir die dames te reël.Sonder hulle sou dit net nie moontlik kon wees nie.”Soos julle sin nou lees lyk dit asof niks moontlik sou wees sonder om iets vir die dames te reël nie of iets dergeliks!

Ek wil regtig vra dat indien julle in die vervolg ‘n artikel redigeer julle dit asseblief sal deurgee aan die persone wat dit geskryf het, net om seker te maak dat die betekenis nog dieselfde bly.

Miems Theron

Die redaksie waardeer opbouende kritiek en ons teken verskoning aan vir enige onduidelikheid, maar terselfdertyd behou ons die reg voor om alle kopie te redigeer en te verkort. Dankie vir u bydrae aan vorige uitgawes van die Vriend. Ons sien uit na nog artikels in die toekoms.

Here’s to Karoo Charm!

Please let all of Prince Albert know how much we appreciated the natural beauty of the Karoo and the equally beautiful nature of the people.

Mavis and Peter Walker
Manchester, UK

PA – a Cyclist’s Mecca?

We are an informal group of cyclists of varying ages - all over 40 - and levels of fitness, who ride a few times a week in the early morning. Our enthusiasm wanes with the onset of winter but as the days lengthen and grow warmer so our pleasure at the simple freedom of being able to ride several kms before breakfast increases.

We would like to thank the farmers who generously allow us to ride regularly on their land and wish them all the very best this festive season and in 2010. We won’t name them so as to avoid abuse of their good heartedness towards us and other cyclists who respect them and their property.

The large numbers of cyclists who have recently passed through Prince Albert and so enjoyed the town and its surrounds are a growing breed, people who enjoy exercise, the beauty and the thrill of nature and some, the edge of competition that cycling offers. Couldn’t the Tourism Association work with the farming community to promote Prince Albert as a mountain biking mecca?

We also feel strongly that more children should be riding bicycles; it is healthy, economical and means fewer cars on the road in our town. Whatever became of Hoërskool Zwartberg’s promotion of BEN bikes at the school?

Let’s become the bike-friendly town of the Western Cape!

Romy Mathews, Sue Goosen,
Lorna Verran, Gill Hall, Sally Arnold
Proudly Prince Albert Pedallers