The Orchard House hosted their first wedding on 8 July 2018.

The lovely coffee shop in St John's Village transformed into a delightful twinkling wedding reception for the evening.

For enquiries please contact Rochelle at +27(0)33 032 0584

News supplied by The Orchard House.

Dear Friends and Neighbours of Howick and the Midlands.

We look forward to Wed, 18 July 2018, Mandela Day
It will be a truly amazing day as we love and serve our town together for 67 minutes or more.

Thank you so much to all the volunteer champions who have committed to be involved. Awesome!!
Folk can still volunteer to join in.

There will be action at the following zones, from 08.30 am to 3 pm. These are:

- Zone 1: Main Street, opposite Sunfield Home
- Zone 3: Main Street/ Karkloof road areas
- Zone 4 and 8: Falls precinct
- Zone 7: N3/ Merrivale interchange
- Zone 9: Central Park, corners of Bell, Park and Harvard Streets
- Zone 10: CBD (meet at Old Agricultural Hall, Falls Drive at 12.30 pm)

Depending on numbers, Zones 2, 5 and 6 may receive attention.

Love Howick t-shirts will be on sale from 12 midday, Wed 18 July, in front of the Old Agricultural Hall, Falls Drive. Children sizes R 70, adult sizes R 100. Thank you for your support.

Rob Askew
Volunteer - Love Howick Projects Team
Tel: 081 762 7788

News supplied by Love Howick.

Midmar Crushers, along with the Midlands 4X4 club were proud to be a part of the Reach for a Dream's Dads and Lads Captain Courage on the 30th June 2018.

Reach For A Dream fulfils the dreams of children between the ages of 3 and 18 years who suffer with life threatening illnesses and inspires hope by helping them believe in the power of dreams.

Midmar Crushers were happy to support this worthy cause by donating goodie bags, umbrellas and caps to the children and their dads.

News supplied by Midmar Building Supplies.

The transition from holiday bliss to work takes effort. Something like a delicious escape into the pages of a great book or the scenes of an epic movie, an awesome holiday can leave you magnificently unprepared for the real-world responsibilities which lie ahead. When holidays near their end it is time to re-build your focus methods through simple conscious activities.

1. GEAR UP THE GREY MATTER
Prior to a task, calm your brain with some gentle deep breathing.
2. PRIZE THE OBJECTIVE
Understanding what the value of the outcome means to you, will help you to employ your best skill set most effectively.
3. BEST TEMPERATURE FOR FOCUS
The popular suggestion is around 20 degrees Celsius for clear thinking and productivity. This may be adjusted as age, weight and local climate impact on how individuals respond to the warmth or cold they prefer.
4. GOOD COFFEE MATTERS
Caffeine in the morning really does help physiological responses. Make sure it is a decent quality and try it black, with no sugar and do not overdo it!
5. DISCONNECT DURING YOUR LUNCH BREAK
Log out of your email program and unplug from social media, leave your phone in the office and take a walk outdoors. A smaller portion of healthier food and a larger dose of fresh air will prepare you better for the afternoon session.
6. CHOOSE YOUR VIBE
While noise can be distracting, your own personal choice of music can help you to channel your attention. Responses to music vary dramatically, so test and measure to understand what works best for you.
7. FOCUS IN PERIODS
Selected interruptions during a long drawn out task can help to optimise your attention span. Focus wanes over an extended learning session. We all respond differently to methods which can manage this, some find that a 2-minute stretch of the body and eye muscles every half hour is beneficial, others may prefer to slog on for a full hour and then take a quick walk. Pay heed to your responses to enjoying a break at different time intervals and then set alerts to remind you to honour the rhythm which you respond to best.
8. BE CREATIVE
When you must attend a long meeting feel free to let your creativity flow! The physical act of even mindless doodling can encourage recall. At the very least this activity will help you to stay awake and it reduces boredom.

Coffee remains the answer, however, it is not the only answer!

Supplied.

Established in 1995, Premium Cleaning is placing the "PRO" back into "PROFESSIONAL." I have a passion for the cleaning industry and my philosophy of providing my clients with:
Superior Service for both Corporate & Domestic Requirements
Peace of mind, Comprehensive & Sound Cleaning Advice
State of the Art Technology, Longer Lasting, Faster Cleaning
Specialist Oriental and Natural Fibre Carpet Cleaning
Minimal Disruption
Premium cleaning is the official service provider to Belgotex and Nouwen’s carpets for the KwaZulu-Natal Region.

My valued clients whether corporate or private are not just another entry in my invoice book, my aim is to build long-term relationships, the greatest compliment you can give me is a referral. Contact me today and experience service.

Stuart Grossi
Cell: 084 754 3887
Premium Cleaning

Investing in property can be a profitable venture if done correctly. Follow these tips and you will soon be well on your way to building a property empire.

1. Choose flats over houses
Most successful investors will tell you that smaller properties, like flats, generate a better return than houses.
If your budget can stretch that far, go for a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom flat. The greater flexibility will make the property attractive to a wider range of tenants so it’s less likely to lie empty.
2. Be patient
Make sure that you weigh up the pros and cons of an investment before you commit. Always remember that property is a long-term investment. If you want to make money from it, you need to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. Don’t put yourself in a position where you’re forced to sell quickly because you overextended yourself financially.
3. Look for ways to add value
One of the best ways to make money out of a property is to add value to it. Renovating bathrooms and kitchens, for instance, will ensure you get a better return when renting the property out and make you more money when you’re ready to sell.
4. Become tax-efficient
You will never become a property millionaire if you pay the taxman more than you absolutely have to. Speak to a tax advisor on the best entities for buying a property and how you can save tax on your rental income.
5. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
If you were investing in stocks and shares, any financial advisor worth his salt would advise you to diversify your portfolio so that the risk is spread. The same would be true for property investments. Spread your property portfolio across different properties in different areas to minimise your risk.
6. Exploit local knowledge
There is little point in trying to spot a property bargain hundreds of kilometres away. You’re not an expert on the area and are not likely to be able to judge whether the location, price etc. are good or not. A bargain will be much easier to spot in your own backyard. It will also be much easier to keep an eye on your tenants if you live nearby.
7. Find professional partners you can trust
Unless you’re part accountant, part lawyer and part DIY expert you’re going to need professional help in building up your property portfolio. Finding dependable builders, lawyers and accountants is not just key to maximising your profits but will offer you peace of mind during a complex process.
8. Don’t turn your nose up at unfashionable suburbs
You don’t have to pay a premium for a property in a fashionable area in order to make a decent return. A property in an unfashionable suburb will often give you a return that is as good, if not better than a more “happening” one.

Link to article: https://www.privateproperty.co.za/advice/property/articles/8-steps-to-becoming-a-property-millionaire/297

News supplied.

Exciting holiday entertainment is coming to the Midlands from 12 to 14 July as the fresh, new cast of the Upstagers Dramatic Club provide four exciting performance at the Schlesinger Theatre, Michaelhouse.

The Diamond Snow, an adapted Agatha Christie mystery, is the inaugural production by a newly birthed Midlands-based theatre company, the Upstagers Dramatic Club which aims to provide ongoing classic and nostalgic theatrical entertainment for local Midlands audiences during each school holiday.

The cast of The Diamond Snow, consisting of local, professional and amateur actors, will be bringing four performances of heart-warming entertainment to the Schlesinger Theatre, Michaelhouse which offers first-class technical facilities, excellent acoustics and a dedicated orchestra arena for top-class musical accompaniment. All three days will offer 7pm shows as well as an exciting matinee performance on Saturday, 14 July at 2pm.

Make this winter holiday a memorable one by booking your seats today. Enjoy a welcome glass of festive Gluhwein on arrival to add to the winter cheer.

The Diamond Snow will be hosted by the Schlesinger Theatre, Michaelhouse, with performances on Thursday 12 July at 7pm, Friday 13 July at 7pm, and Saturday 14 July at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are available at www.tickethut.co.za/michaelhouse for R80, and senior persons and scholars tickets at a cost of R50. Seats are limited so be sure to prebook your spot. For more information, contact William le Cordeur at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Pictured below; The cast of The Diamond Snow.

News supplied.

 

Another beautiful week of mid-winters bowling weather with cold nights but beautiful days.

Competitions
We had a brilliant morning of bowls on Friday 29 June when we played our Woodstone Craft Café sponsored 2 Bowl Trips Competition. This has become a very popular competition supported by teams from the Midlands and PMB. 18 teams fought it out for the honour of being this month’s winners and was the closest contest yet with the highest shot ratio being 26 shots and the highest shot difference a mere 10 shots. This month the winning team was Pat Bailey, Pat Bennett and Eric Simpson. Second place went to Peter Freer, Vic Rowell and Dave Brotton and the third prize went to Colin Burden, Julia Strachan and Bev Vorster. All the main prizes were sponsored by Woodstone Craft Café who operate from The St John’s Village Lifestyle Shopping Complex. There were also Toucher prizes for the first lead, first second and first skip to touch the jack with their bowls. These prizes were sponsored by The Treatery who operate from Yard 41 and were won by Marianne Taylor, Julia Strachan and Pat Bailey. Mark Schraader the owner of Woodstone Craft Café was away on business so could not hand out the prizes but ensured that we once again had some lovely scones for our tea time treats. As a club we would like to thank all our visiting bowlers for playing in this competition and special thanks to our sponsors for making it possible with their generous sponsorships.

Our members are hereby informed that we will be having a Club Finals Day on Saturday 7 July. There will be tabs in as usual but at the same time we will be staging the Men’s Singles as well as the Ladies Singles Final. Our next club competition will be the Halfway Toyota Howick comp which will be held on Wednesday 11 July with tabs in at 1.15pm

Special Congratulations
Our ladies participated in the NIBA Saunders Competition this past weekend and handsomely won their first round set of matches played at the Howick Bowling Club but lost in their Sunday morning match at the West Bowling Club. Our men too had an awesome afternoon of bowls in the NIBA Lambert Brothers Competition and succumbed to Collegians on the last shot of the day. Both the men’s and ladies teams can hold their heads up high as they fought to the bitter end. Well done all.

Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.45am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)
Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

It's done!
We have officially moved and expanded
our production premises in Howick.
Our new address is : 3A Mare St. Howick
(the old Mirror & Glass building across from Yard 41)

Over the past few weeks, we've had such an exciting time meeting so many new faces &, of course, welcoming our dear regular patrons into our new spot!
Pop around and see for yourselves if you haven't already :)
--------------

Recently I had a delightful day of collaboration with
my favourite shop in Howick,
"The Ruby Orchard"
and Dee During of "Dee During Photography"
"The Ruby Orchard" has long remained my "home and gift"
shop of choice.
It was a real treat being able to use their beautiful pieces of crockery, boards & platters coupled with the gorgeous textures of the their tables and chairs, to compliment & present The Cookhouse's scrummy meals.
Dee During, who adores photographing food, kindly took the special snaps for the day... We had such fun presenting, styling and of course snacking!

News supplied by The Cookhouse.

SA's most iconic triathlon without any doubts, the MANDELA TRI will be once again hosted by B-Active Sports in the beautiful surrounds of the KZN Midlands on Saturday, the 25th August.

You cannot get a better setting for what is one of the most iconic triathlon events you will ever get to compete in. With a Finish-Line that awaits all long walk triathletes at the very capture site of the late great Nelson Mandela, this is one of those triathlon events that every South African should get to compete in at some stage in their careers.

 Into its 4th year now, the Mandela Tri is a well-established triathlon event within the local ZA triathlon community which offers a hefty prize purse of R70 000. Most local PRO's will tell you that this is big money and they are all sure to be toeing the line in less than 6 weeks-time as they seek out their share of the spoils that come from finishing on top of the podium

Race weather conditions are ideal at this time of year down in the Midlands near Howick and with a race start for the Long Walk Triathlon (Olympic Distance TRI) at 1pm, athletes will be greeted to optimal race conditions over the 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run.

 Racing gets underway at 10am with a short walk duathlon (1km Run / 5km Cycle / 2.5km Run) which is ideal for the non-swimmers as well as those just looking to get into the sport and have some fun. The youngsters will love this event and parents are encouraged to bring the family along and participate in all the events on offer – something for the whole family to compete at and enjoy.

Next up after this is the Long Walk Duathlon which starts promptly at 10h15 (2.5km run / 10km cycle / 5km Run) This event is possibly for the slightly fitter athlete but equally do-able for many of the weekend warriors who are looking for a sense of fun and adventure with some hard fast action-packed racing thrown into the mix.

The duathlon (run/bike/run) event has been brought in purely for the guys and girls who are not too keen to brave the 16 degree water temperature that Midmar offers up at this time of year. Duathlon is a great way to get into the sport of triathlon and competitors get a real feel for the racing experience that takes place in a duathlon event and they still have loads of fun at the same time.

 

The first triathlon event starts at 11h15 with a Sprint Distance comprising 600m of swimming, 20km of cycling and then finishing off with a 5km run. This event will start and finish at the Midmar Dam Resort as will both duathlon events.

 The main even of the day – the Long Walk Triathlon (1.5km swim/40km cycle/10km run) will close off the day's proceedings with the first athletes starting their event at 1pm.

The swim takes place at Midmar. Wetsuits are well advised at this time of year with water temperatures normally hovering around the 16 degree marker at midday. Conditions are flat and the water is clean. The bike course will comprise a few10km loops that run past the dam's front entrance numerous times depending on what event you have been entered for with some gradual climbs on each end of the bike loops. Not flat but very manageable for the lesser fit triathletes. The races are all draft-legal so no tri bikes and tri-bars will be permitted. Road Bikes and Mountain bikes will be required for this event so make sure you bring along the correct bike for race day.

 The run sections for the duathlon and sprint triathlon events is fairly flat and fast whilst the Olympic Distance guys and girls will have an up-hill section close to the end of the 10km run as they proceed to finish their event at the Nelson Mandela capture site which is around 3km in distance from the race start venue at Midmar Dam Resort.

 

Henri Schoeman, Current Olympic Bronze Medal and Commonwealth Games Gold Medal winner has won this race two times in the past which adds to the prestige of "who will win the title in 2018?"

 

Entries are open so book your spot before the entries are all sold out.

 

RACE INFORMATION

 

Date: 25th August 2018 Start Venue: Midmar Dam

 

Registration Venue: Midmar Dam Conference Centre – 9am to 12:30pm on Saturday

 

Prizemoney: R70 000

 

ENTRIES OPEN: 18th July / close online: 21st August. Late entries will be available.

 

EVENTS:

NEW - 10am Start – Short Walk Duathlon – 2.5km Run / 5km Cycle / 1km Run
Briefing @ 9:45am at the Finish line – COST: R180 (Min Age: 8yrs old)

NEW - 10:15am Start – Long Walk Duathlon – 5km / 10km / 2.5km Run
Briefing @ 10am at the Finish line – COST: R230 / Team: R350 (Min Age: 12yrs old)

11: 15am Start – Short Walk Triathlon - 600m Swim / 20km Cycle / 5km Run
Briefing @ 11am at the Transition area – COST: R330 / Team: R480 (Min Age 16yrs)

1pm Start – Long Walk Triathlon - 1.5km Swim / 40km Cycle / 10km Run
Briefing @ 12:45pm at the Transition area – COST: R600 / Teams: R750 (Min age: 18yrs)

 

Prize giving for all races: 4:30pm At the Mandela Capture Site

 

Olympic Race cut off: 5pm (4hrs)

 

 

Triathlon & Duathlon entries are open. http://www.cycleevents.co.za/triathlon-and-duathlon-events/mandela-day-triathlon-2018/

 

 

 

So I visited the new Pick n Pay that has opened up on Karkloof road and noticed that at the checkout they have these massive adverts that are designed to create awareness of plastic pollution in our oceans.

The kicker, they offer no other alternative to plastic throughout their store. At the checkout, they only have disposable plastic bags (no paper or reusable bags were available – I asked), they haven't switched their produce bags and all of their in house products are packaged in plastic.

This kind of armchair activism should be highlighted as shops like the Pick n Pay are the biggest reason we are all still using plastic. Very few have made any move towards alternatives to plastic (well done Merrivale SuperSpar for your paper bags), and, if they got creative, they really could give us options to cut our plastic footprints. Things like milk dispensing machines that allow you to fill your own jar (at a discounted rate to encourage this kind of behavior), or removing the pre-pack meat and using butchers wrap from a kiosk (people could then also buy the amount they want, rather than the standard amounts meat is always packed in).

 I find it offensive when companies show concern for the environment as a tool for their own promotion and are not even making gestures towards actually caring. Step up Pick n Pay!

News supplied by Roxanne Thomas.

Unexpected but welcome rain curtailed our bowling activities this past week. The one thing we never complain about in the Midlands is rain. Just means that we can have down time with hot chocolate and rusks .
Special Congratulations

Our congratulations might be a week late but our neighbours the Howick Bowling Club hosted an awesome Senior Masters Men’s and Ladies Singles competition last week. Anyone who managed to watch would have been overawed by the talent on display. Well done to the winners and organisers.

At the same time our club hosted the Men’s and Ladies Singles Final. Congratulations to Bev Vorster on becoming the 2018 Women’s Singles Champion with Margie Holl as runner up. Mark Taylor was crowned as 2018 Men’s Singles Champion narrowly beating Neil Wright. The Novice Singles and Nominated Pairs notices are now on the board and members are encouraged to please enter these competitions.

Competitions

We had an awesomely well attended Halfway Toyota Howick sponsored competition on Wednesday.

A full green and some very close contests saw Dudley Ventress, Bev Vorster, Colin Brown and John Spence win the coveted Halfway Toyota sponsored first prize. Second prize sponsored by Dr Alan Sara was won by Brian Ellison, Piet Van Rensburg, Rita Aitken and Grace Abrahams.

Prizes were handed out by Margie Wheelwright of Halfway Toyota. Tiny Lourens and Allan Pienaar both won our lucky draw prizes sponsored by 68 On Main. While on the subject of 68 On Main, on behalf of our Club President, I would like to give special thanks to owner Barbara for hosting our winter luncheon. 30 members packed into the lounge section of the restaurant and had an amazing afternoon.

Sadly a heavy downpour this past Saturday morning meant that we had to postpone our SUPERSPAR Greendale competition. This competition will now be rescheduled.

Despite some freezing weather the Natal Inland Bowling Association (NIBA) had the first round of its Men’s & Women’s Open Singles Competition at various clubs throughout the region. We had 4 bowlers enter the competition. These results will be reported on next week.

Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.45am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)

Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club.

Fern Hill Hotel will host a fundraiser for Funda Nenja at the end of July, this will take the shape of an Art Exhibition, Auction and  Gala Dinner with music by Charles Webster. Stephen Cloete (MSC Cruise Director) will be the auctioneer for the evening. Bookings are being accepted by Lisa at Funda Nenja, please call her promptly on 082 657 5201.  

Funda Nenja roughly means 'learning with your dog'.

It is a programme which aims to educate children and the community; care and responsibility for animals and at the same time develop respect and compassion for all living creatures through the medium of dog training classes.

The programme focuses on educating children while addressing animal welfare in partnership with uMngeni SPCA . Funda Nenja also focuses on child well-being by using the services of a social worker and promoting skills development for the youth.

 

What makes Knight Security Solutions different?
• Our 29 years of operation in the KZN Midlands region.
• Our hands-on approach by the Owners and Management of KSS.
• Our expert Technical teams with a combined knowledge of over 70 years.
• Our proactive Operations teams (Armed Reaction, Guarding and K9).
• Our highly efficient and competent Controllers that work quietly and tirelessly behind the scenes co-ordinating and supporting our staff on the ground.
• Our capacity to respond to and facilitate a response to all types of emergencies.
• That our Management Team and Mentors we are continuously looking at ways to improve, and that we value any feedback from our clients and the community as a whole.
• That we know and understand the needs of our clientele.
• That we really do care for our community – because we also live in it!
• Seriously – who else goes the extra mile like we do!

Remember – You ARE safer with Knight Security Solutions!

News supplied.

Howick Covered 2018/2019, the annual business directory with a big heart has been distributed.  If you live out of the residential delivery areas please collect a copy from Fern Hill Hotel, Il Postino, Ruby Orchard or MediClinic.  They move fast!

Thank you to all our advertisers for their wonderful support.

It is evident that Sandra at The Plan and Plant Nursery (at Fairways on Main) has been planning all year long for the upcoming annual garden show.  As a result, the nursery is looking great, with an impressive range of many plants, and if you are still crazy about succulents her stock will delight. The growing stock of white rock roses is especially desirable and will be available at The Witness GARDEN SHOW, 7 - 9 September 2018 at the Royal Showgrounds in Pietermaritzburg, open from 09H00 until 17H00.

Children from three schools in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands enjoyed a hands-on, fun-filled experience at the uMngeni Valley Nature Reserve, as they helped plant 250 indigenous trees as part of the Trees4KZN initiative.

The brainchild of local NPO, Blue Sky Society Trust (BSST), Trees4KZN is aimed at increasing the province’s tree count while educating KZN’s youth about why it is important to plant and nurture our trees. BSST recently teamed up with IT trailblazers, Network Configurations, and WESSA uMngeni Valley for the KZN Midlands rollout. They were joined by 120 children from Shea O’Connor Combined School, Corrie Lynn Primary School and Currys Post Primary School as well as little ones from Siyabonga Helping Hands and the Shiyas Bizali Eco Club.

“Great weather, magnificent surroundings and a bunch of people doing good - the feel-good factor was high!” says BSST founder, Carla Geyser. “During my many expeditions through Africa, I have seen the negative impact of deforestation. It’s a massive problem. We need trees to survive. They provide us with oxygen, shade and beauty. What’s more, studies have shown that tree planting is a sustainable way to combat the effects of environmental pollution. So, planting more trees is crucial and we’d like to see more people involved.”

For the 50-strong Network Configurations team, the day’s experience was both priceless and humbling, knowing that the trees they helped plant would be there for generations to come. “The children’s laughter and smiles were definitely the best part of the day,” says Ian Emmerson, Managing Director of Network Configurations. “Our team really enjoyed being able to work together in a natural environment, interacting with the children and witnessing their joy as they caught all kinds of creatures and learnt about nature.”

The Trees4KZN Midlands rollout received a huge thumbs up from the WESSA team that pours its heart into conservation education. “What a fantastic initiative for our beautiful nature reserve!” says Matthew Cocks, Centre Manager for uMngeni Valley Nature Reserve. “We are working hard to eradicate alien vegetation on the property, and by planting yellowwoods, acacias, cabbage trees and stinkwoods in the place of the resident gum trees, we are returning the valley to its natural state.”

The sobering message amidst a day of planting, learning and playing was not lost on the children and Cocks believes there could well have been budding environmentalists and conservationists among the group! Some of the comments received by the WESSA team include, “What a cool day! We had so much fun exploring the stream and catching all those awesome bugs!’’ and ‘That was the best day of my life, all I want to do is work on that reserve and protect nature!’

Pictured above: Network Configurations’ Operations Director, Erica Floweday, and founder of Blue Sky Society Trust, Carla Geyser, at WESSA’s uMngeni Valley Nature Reserve.

News issued on behalf of Blue Sky Society Trust by KZN Media and Communications.

It was a beautiful winter day today for the first farmers market held at the tourism centre in Mpophomeni. So much fresh, organically grown and delicious food on sale along with local crafts.

Grace Ngobese had tubs of amadumbi and new season dried beans.

Spha Mabaso had guavas, kale and amangoza (turnip tops).

Ntombenhle Mtambo's fresh vetkoek flew out of the bowl as did her just picked spinach, mustard greens and leeks.

Neli Ntombela sold local eggs - there were dressed and live chickens too.

The gardeners from Vuka Wenza - Mr Mtshali, Elizabeth Ngobese and Bonge Zungu had ibece and pumpkins, pickles and sweet potatoes.

Sabelo Xaba was promoting his Mpophomeni Horseback Tours, Nana Ngcobo of Ikwanathi made all the market signs with her cut out wooden letters.

There was music, sunshine, views of the hills and friendly people - what more does a market need?

Next Market Dates: 30 June, 14 and 28 July 9am to 3pm.
Contact Bongani Maseme for details: 065 982 7533

News supplied.