Newsflash - November 2011
A week into November and I can almost taste the boxing-day leftovers already! Another year has hurtled past like a train through an empty station, and the next one is tooting its arrival.
Newsflash - July 2011It snowed here in Nottingham Road on Monday, and the ground was covered in a
blanket of white – it looked completely wonderful, but was as cold as Cruella !
Newsflash - March 2011
Wow – we certainly seem to be living through interesting times (isn’t that a Chinese curse?). With so much political turmoil going on in northern Africa and the Middle East, our politicians having slanging matches and overstepping the boundaries in preparation for the municipal elections in May, and now the earthquake and tsunami that has hit Japan, it’s been an eventful year so far.
Newsflash - July 2010
How amazing it has been in the last months to be a South African. Wasn’t it just divine to see the whole country rising to the occasion, supporting Bafana Bafana, and then adopting other teams to support?
Newsflash - May 2010
Classical Music Trip to New York and Washington DC - It hardly seems possible that this trip is now just a wonderful memory. It was a fabulous mix of music, art, culture and sightseeing. Dr Richard Cock, who accompanied us, was his usual amiable and charming self, and added huge value to the trip by giving talks on the music we heard.
Newsflash - October 2009
Would you believe it – Monty has just recovered from the worst bout of the Measles I’ve ever seen! He was as sick as a dog for nearly three weeks, and had spots where he didn’t even know he had places. Even his spots had spots. It’s great having him up and about again, but guess what? My daughter had a mild cold this weekend, and now she’s just erupted in spots … aarghhh … here we go again …
Newsflash - July 2009
At time of writing, the southern Drakensberg which we can see from our kitchen window is covered in a light dusting of snow – a really beautiful sight. It makes the mountains look much closer, and forms a spectacular backdrop to the cows grazing in the adjacent field. Our hens have produced a crop of the most delightful little chicks, and they’re all busily scratching away at the soil, and cheeping contentedly. Ah, well, such is farm-life here in the Midlands. It’s tough, but I guess someone’s got to do it!
Newsflash - February 2009
Well !!! ... no-one could ever accuse South Africa of being a boring place to live. What with the likes of Malema shooting his mouth off, controversial names appearing on the ruling party’s candidate list, and the strengthening of the breakaway party, the upcoming election promises to be a lively and interesting spectacle....
Newsflash - November 2008
This is my last newsletter for the year and there’s plenty to tell you, so I’ll get straight down to it:
We’ve got some really exciting things happening in 2009 and beyond:...
Sappi Birding Big Day - 29 November 2008
One of the highlights on any birders calendar should be the Sappi Birding Big Day which takes place this year on Saturday, 29 November. To participate, all you need are some friends, binoculars and a bird book - simply count the number of different bird species you see during a 24 hour period, between midnight and midnight, in a 50km radius unless otherwise specified.
Newsflash - August 2008
Hi there, isn’t it amazing how our own mundane, every-day tasks can sometimes hold such excitement for others? We keep some farm animals here on our small-holding, and feeding the pigs isn’t exactly my idea of drop-dead fabulous fun. But my brother visited over the weekend with a friend and they found the whole concept so novel that they made a video of themselves helping our swine to dine, and playing Bo-Peep with our thirteen sheep. Sure takes holiday videos to a whole new level! Beware invitations from friends bearing photo albums...
Newsflash - June 2008
A very warm hello from Nottingham Road, where we’ve had some glorious autumn days, and some very chilly ones too. The frost lies thick in the mornings, and there’s been snow on the Berg.
Newsflash - April 2008
Hi there, everyone. The days are getting shorter and crisper, and the trees more beautiful. We have a tiny little dam on the farm where a pair of Egyptian Geese took up residence and produced six fluffy little goslings. Just last night we had our first snows on the Berg, and this morning the mountains seem close enough to touch. It’s a really special time of the year in the Midlands.
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Newsflash - January 2008
Greetings, folks, and welcome to our new-look Newsflash. Sincere apologies for our deafening silence and the late start to our year – you probably thought we’d fallen off the planet! Much has happened, so I’ll bring you up to speed.
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Click here to download the press release of 17 Sept 2008 