September 2018
Dear Residents
Spring Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere crept up on us in the wee hours of Sunday 23 September. Though most of us prefer to mark spring on 1 September, nature cares little about our rigid determinations!
Spring lifts the spirits and brings wonderful messages of hope and renewal; how famous now are the flowers covering hills and valleys along the West Coast and Namaqualand and the whales arriving in our waters to calve! Media reports have reflected record whale sightings at De Hoop Nature Reserve along the Southern Cape coast. These included an albino calf.
Albino calf, photographed by marine conservation photographer Jean Tresfon.
Marine conservation photographer Jean Tresfon and whale scientist Chris Wilkinson’s aerial whale survey between Skipskop Point and Lekkerwater at De Hoop showed 1 116 whales, or 558 cow and calf pairs. They duo reports that Koppie Alleen along that coastline is now considered the most important southern right whale nursery along the South African coastline.
1 Colleague Els Vermeulen, who heads the Whale Unit, reported 1 347 southern right whales between Hawson and Witsands in August, a figure thought to be three times the number spotted there in 2017. In an era of shrinking biodiversity, this is good news indeed!
A burst of spring colour on The Terrace, the clivia in full bloom.
At The St James a fresh, new spring look graces the reception and buffet areas of Gentrys dining room, where the carpets have been replaced by beautiful, non-slip tiles, in keeping with and continuing the welcoming ambience of our entrance hall.
The St James’ newly tiled reception area.
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One for the books – a chat with Jane Mulliner
On 8 September UNESCO celebrated International Literacy Day to “advance the literary agenda towards a more literate and sustainable society”. This year’s theme, ‘Literacy and skills development’, focused on youth and adults within a lifelong-learning framework. UNESCO reports that the world is home to 750 million adults, including 102 million young people (15 to 24 years old), who lack basic literacy skills.
The focus on literacy and the written word provided a good opportunity to catch up with resident and librarian Jane Mulliner, whose love of books and hard work have transformed The St James library, a much-loved and well-used space.
Jane Mulliner peruses some of the large-print books available in this corner of the library. On the left is the presentation table featuring books that reflect weekly themes.
Jane has been a St James resident for two years, but her library career goes back to 1976 when she obtained her diploma in librarianship from the University of Cape Town.
“I fell straight into a job at Bishops,” she recalls. “They didn’t have a librarian and all the books were put into the little chapel … And so, in I went and stayed for 20 happy years.”
Second wind
After retiring from the school at the mandatory age, Jane and fellow Bishops librarian Sonia Worthington-Smith became freelance librarians.
“Wherever we could find a library to organise, we did, and we’ve been at it ever since.”
3 For the past 20 years the duo has worked for Penguin Random House, placing their published works in various libraries.
Aged 86 and Sonia 85, they are due to retire (again!) soon, but don’t expect to be replaced by the publisher any time before next year. There is a great need for libraries, Jane says.
“People like to think there isn’t, with so much media to play with. But many people I associate with say there’s no substitute for a book in your hand.”
Jane Mulliner with her book repair kit, used to give old favourites a facelift.
After she came to live at The St James, Jane soon saw that the library needed some restructuring. When the late resident Angela Lloyd asked Jane to help organise her own donation of books to the library, Jane took stock and between them they reorganised the entire library.
The shelves in the Angela Lloyd section of the library were funded by Angela and carry her name. Her books, part from the works of fiction, are now collated there.
“They are not classified – there aren’t enough for classification – but arranged alphabetically, from art and architecture to wildlife,” says Jane.
The library also houses a miscellany of books and a children’s corner as well as a separate, well-lit section for large-print books. The fiction section is housed in the main part of the library.
4 But the space is much more than just a book-lending facility, she points out. It’s one of The St James best-used spaces; the heart of the residential hotel where a wide variety of presentations, events and gatherings takes places.
The library’s sea-facing reading nook provides a dedicated space to peruse the day’s newspapers and current magazines.
A sea-facing reading table is a particularly popular spot, where residents can find the daily papers and a broad variety of magazines – and sit down to a good read in the company of others.
The working end of the library, the actual book loans, is an informal self-service arrangement. Residents choose books, sign them out in the record book and in again once the books have been returned. It’s all done on trust.
“I don’t jump them, and I don’t bark at them,” Jane quips, referring to late returns.
She has also introduced a display table, the books selected according to the weekly themes. Book donations are also very welcome. Duplicates are given to charity.
If you hadn’t guessed, Jane is a proud bibliophile, her tastes catholic (“I read almost anything”), though she does love biography.
“Actually, I don’t have a lot of time to read,” she laments. “I’m so busy here!”
Which we think is just how she likes it.
5 Art exhibition charts 70-year journey
Resident Mollie Townsend held an exhibition of her paintings and sketches at The St James in July, the works charting her 70-year journey as an artist.
Ninety-six-year-old resident and renowned artist Mollie Townsend held an exhibition, ‘From the Kalahari to Cape Town’, at The St James from 7 to 28 August. The works record images and conversations from her life between 1970 and 2014.
Born in South Africa, Mollie lived in Zambia and Botswana before returning home.
Speaking of her journey at the exhibition, Mollie said, “It is also a spiritual quest through the medium of painting. A seascape is not just the physical aspect of water, sea, sky and objects. It holds also the meditations of the artist about the secret life of the sea, the unknown beyond the horizon, the hidden thoughts of people once in this place, now gone, the inexorable passage of time and weather.”
The exhibition was a great success and many of Mollie’s works have found new homes. She also made generous donations to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and the National Sea Rescue Institute.
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Talk and slide shows, armchair travel
The library, a hub of activity this quarter, was the setting for a busy season of DVDs, musical presentations (thanks to our busy Classical Music Circle and Popular Music presenters), as well as guest talk and slide shows.
Armchair travel Our armchair travellers ventured far and wide, from Ethiopia and India to Turkey and back to Africa, thanks to our presenters, all travellers to foreign lands who share their sojourns and journeys, pictures and DVDs with our residents in the library.
Sister Louise shared her trip to India and Ethiopia and Heather Powell of the University of the Third Age (U3A) presented a summary of their five-day trip to the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site, with its important fossil remains relating to hominid evolution, and Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site. This ancient African Kingdom, Southern Africa’s first, was established at Mapungubwe Hill between 1200 and 1290 AD. It was home to a powerful tribe that traded with China and India. It is also the site where archaeologists excavated the famous golden rhino and other artefacts of the rich African kingdom.
Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site.
7 Lewis Walter shared his four-month journey through Turkey, and resident Janice Maguire told the story of the filming of the BBC Series ‘An Adventure into the Ruwenzori Mountains in East Africa’. Professor John Morris followed with a DVD about the Chelsea Flower Show.
Gary Mills’ presentation on the early era of sailing ships encompassed life aboard these ships and the vessels that met their fate in False Bay. Gary is a professional diver and has explored dozens of wrecks, photographed them, and retrieved valuable items.
Talk shows and presentations
Heather Howell of the U3A present a talk all about owls and speech and language therapist Helen Terblanche spoke about overcoming communication barriers. Steve Reid encouraged residents to enrich their lives with positive thinking. Paul Kilfoil’s talk ‘Stephen Hawking: His Life and Work’, paid tribute to the scientific luminary.
Verity Price entertained residents with a presentation titled ‘Activating Positive Productivity’. Michael Walker invited residents to join him in a virtual meander along the coastal road between Muizenberg and Simonstown between 1743 and 1890, the subject of his richly illustrated book. This was followed by a talk about fire prevention, delivered by our local fire chief.
In August Justin Bonello gave residents food for thought with his presentation, ‘Creating a Well Being Economy’– all about growing food, minds and communities.
Commander Gerry de Vries presented a most interesting talk on the origins, historical relevance and future of antique cannon. Gerry is regarded as the country’s foremost cannon authority. Before he retired from the South African Navy, he was Officer Commanding at Wingfield Base. According to an article on the Hout Bay Heritage site, his duties there included the staffing of the resident personnel at the Lion Battery, where the Noon Gun is fired.
To end the quarter, Pauline Solomons and Wouter van Warmelow of the Children’s Hospital Trust shared stories of hope and healing at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
Outings and aboutings
In July residents enjoyed a matinee performance of ‘The Producers’ at the Masque Theatre in Muizenberg.
National Women’s Day in August saw residents visit the Willowbrook Alpacas at the Ohio Farm in Noordhoek. Farmed for their prized wool, Alpacas are becoming
8 increasingly popular in the province, with breeding farms in Wellington, Paarl and Montagu.
St James residents visit the Alpacas at Ohio Farm in Noordhoek.
These cute and cuddly looking animals are often confused with the Llama. Alpaca is a breed of South American camelid and noticeably smaller and the Llama. However, the two animals are closely related and can cross-breed. They are usually sheared once a year in spring. While Llamas are used as pack animals, Alpacas are raised mainly for their soft wool.
Heritage Day on 24 September took residents to the Giraffe House Wildlife Awareness Centre outside Stellenbosch, where visitors can enjoy interactive encounters with the animals.
Flower power When spring is in the air, a jaunt up with West Coast is always a must. For two months of the year the West Coast and Namaqualand produce a spectacle of wild flowers and a group of residents visited the West Coast National Park to enjoy the festival of colour.
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A feast of spring colour in the West Coast National Park.
Birthday wishes Congratulations to residents who celebrated their birthdays during the past quarter.
July August September 6th Anne Dommisse 4th Dr Edward Anderton 2nd Anne Welsh 13th David Allaway 6th Rosemary Bradford 5th Brian Quail 18th Janice Maguire 12th Vaughan Bray 8th Hazel Shaw 21st Patricia Pearce and 21st Pieter Swanepoel 10th Kim Huskisson Pam Long 22nd Ruth Raath and Helen 23rd Sybil Funnel 29th Hilary Super Hoffman 25th Truus Van`t Hof 24th Jeanette Hamber 29th Elizabeth Knemeyer 30th Betty Halstead and Valerie Prout 31st Johanna Theunissen and Lyn Assin
Our centenarian, Johanna ‘Joantjie’ Theunissen
Resident Johanna ‘Joantjie’ Theunissen, who celebrated her 100th birthday on 31 August, was born in a particularly memorable year in history.
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St James resident Johanna Theunissen celebrated her 100th birthday on 31 August.
There were great dramas – both highs and lows – on the world stage in 1918. Sadly, that year marked the great flu epidemic (Wikipedia states that South Africa was the fifth hardest-hit country, with 500 000 deaths).
But luminaries former president Nelson Mandela and poet and writer Guy Butler were also born that year. In the province, the South African College Schools and Victoria College became the University of Cape Town and University of Stellenbosch respectively.
The high point of 1918 was surely the signing of the Armistice between Germany and the Allies, ending World War 1, the Great War, on “the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month”.
Born Johanna Auret, Johanna married Pieter Theunissen, a bank manager from Stellenbosch. The couple settled in Lakeside and had three children, two daughters and a son. In his later years, Pieter was the curator of the Military Museum.
11 Johanna was apparently an excellent seamstress and volunteered at the Westlake TB hospital. She later worked for Warner Lambert once her children became independent. Today she has nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Our centenarian also shares a 100th birthday with the neighbouring town of Fish Hoek, and her special day was noted in the Echo newspaper. In her article on “Joantjie” as Johanna’s beloved grandfather called her, Echo staffer Karen Kotze writes that Johannas’s stories are rich with rich with detail. Christmas was “a time of special joy and family cohesion”.
She quotes Johanna: “My grandfather had boats and fishermen who worked for him, but there was no ‘us and them’. As children, I played with the fishermen’s children, and we all played marbles on Abe Bailey’s stoep. He never chased us away,” she said, referring to the diamond tycoon, politician and cricketer.
Kotze writes: “In the lead-up to Christmas, Ms Theunissen’s mother, aunt and grandmother would go to the city to do the gift shopping; to Garlicks and Stuttafords to buy the ‘poplappies’ for the girls, and marbles and badges for the boys.
“As a child, part of her contribution would be to sew dresses for the dolls, which would be given as gifts to the fishermen’s children on Christmas Day beneath a massive pine tree brought to their front garden for this very purpose. Fairy lights and decorations in the tree, the excitement, the preparation and the sense of community were a central part of her childhood.
“Ms Theunissen’s early memories were of her grandfather building little homes for the fishermen and their families in Constantia.
She quotes Johanna: “There were no houses there yet. No roads. They hadn’t been built yet. And my grandfather built homes for the men who worked for him and their families”.
Kotze continues: “Her memories are unfiltered – she as readily remembers her grandfather giving the fishermen wine – each man had his own- but giving their pay cheques to their wives. ‘Otherwise they would drink all their money out in one weekend, and the wives would not be able to feed or clothe the children’.
“Ms Theunissen described Simon’s Town as raw in those days – undeveloped, and far away. Too far away to visit because only the rich visitors could afford to take the train, not the locals, she said.
“Kalk Bay, St James and Muizenberg were the fishing centres of the far south of her youth, and Ms Theunissen remembers waiting with her friends in Kalk Bay to watch the fresh fish catches come in.
12 Johanna said: “You could see the fish jumping high out of the nets there were so many. It was a wonderful life.”
Sea Views contributions welcome
Residents are most welcome to contribute anecdotes, poems, pictures and even short essays or stories to Sea Views. If you have anything you’d like to put forward for consideration, please let Jade at the reception desk have your item/s. (Please note that given space constraints, the editor reserves the right to choose what to feature.)
Last words
Resident Margaret McAllister shared this bit of light humour with us:
The horse and mule live 30 years And nothing know of wine and beers The goat and sheep at 20 die With never a taste of scotch or rye The cow drinks water by the ton And at 18 is mostly done The dog at 16 cashes in Without the aid of rum or gin. The cat in milk and water soaks And then in 12 short years it croaks The modest, sober bone-dry hen Lays eggs for nogs then dies at ten All animals are strictly dry – They sinless live and swiftly die But sinful, ginful, rumsoaked men Survive for three score years and ten And some of us the mighty few Stay pickled till we’re 92.
That’s all until the next edition of Sea Views in December.
With love
The Sea Views Editor
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