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St James a fresh, new spring look graces the reception and buffet areas of Gentrys dining room, where the carpets have been replaced by beautiful, non-slip tiles, in keeping with and continuing the welcoming ambience of our entrance hall.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. 2 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. 6 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.