Bramon Wine Estate outside Plettenberg Bay

How many people know that Plettenberg Bay has also been classified as a wine of origin region - thanks to Bramon  the first Wine Estate this far east of Plettenberg Bay. Desmond and I love going there for lunch.. They do have inside tables, but we always book a table set right amongst the vines (their tel. nr is 073 8338183) In winter they have a fireplace.Their tapas style menu offers homemade bread served with a choice of salad, meats, cheeses, pates and local wines - I recommend their 'cap classique'

Home sweet homestead - an article by Paul Ash - Cape Times 1 April 2012 Weekend Escape

click on link below to view original article:

Paul Ash plays lord of the manor in a rambling Cape-Georgian mansion 

"I'M tired of boxy hotels, and I've had enough of drek little B&Bs owned by poxy, unhelpful pinch-faced landlords and stuffed with décor from hell. There, I've said it.

Running a B&B should require a licence, where applicants are subjected to the same vigorous scrutiny as those who wish to own automatic weapons. Sadly, that is not the case, which means I spend an inordinate amount of time sifting through the dross.

George, as you may well imagine, is overstocked with B&Bs. The town has more accommodation options than Jo'burg has Tuscan palazzos, so I was well pleased, on my very first troll of the web, to stumble across Fairview Homestead, a former farmhouse, built some time after 1864 and sold to one Koos Stander in 1894. The family farmed apples and cattle until 1974, fending off the urban creep. Today, the homestead is an island of beauty in the middle of George's spreading metropolis.

I wanted, in short order, an airport pick-up, a good home-cooked dinner, a really decent bed - and character. Lots of character. Fairview has the latter in spades - you can see that from the website. But how about the airport pick-up - 20km is a long way to walk - and what about dinner?

The owners, Philda and Desmond Benkenstein, were away, and apart from their locum, Richard, who provided a cheerful airport taxi service, I had the place to myself, along with a Bull Mastif puppy and a wandering cat. It's not every day one can play lord of the manor in a rambling Cape-Georgian mansion, and roam the rose garden like it's yours.


The Outeniqua mountains were lit by the last of the sun as the Bull Mastif and I prowled the garden, crunching happily along the gravel paths, feeling the heat seep out of the day. I watched the mountain flanks turn red then fade into darkness as the night rose up; the Boxer uncovered a stiff, dead mole and its joy was unconfined.

Richard, meanwhile, made dinner. Bangers and mash with a salad sourced entirely from the garden. Fairview's vegetable garden is famous. As he served dinner, Richard noted - with some regret, I felt - that the only things that didn't come from the garden were the sausages and the bottle of red wine.


Eating food as fresh as that, there is a glorious stirring of the senses, and it is useful to be reminded of the fact that, once upon a time, we ate like that all the time and were probably better for it, despite constant anxiety about hungry sabre-tooth cats and competition from other gangs of foraging hominids . so no change there, then.


I retired to a Victorian bedroom with antique iron four-poster bed and chaise longue in front of the fireplace, a whirring fan by the bed and heavy wooden shutters to keep the night out, and slept the sleep of the just.

True to form - me wishing that perhaps the service wasn't quite so, well, obliging - there was a gentle knock on the door before dawn. Time to go to Mossel Bay to catch a freight train. But that's another story.



WHERE IT IS: On the eastern edge of George, 20km from the airport and 8km from Victoria Bay.

WHY GO THERE: The house is a classic Cape-Georgian mansion with a big enough rose garden for you to lose yourself in. Although the farm has been swallowed by development, the quiet and expansive grounds mean you are hardly aware that you are, in fact, in a sizeable town.
WHAT IT HAS: Two lovely big double rooms in the main house and an outside studio that also sleeps two. Breakfast is included and dinners are available on request. The famous garden - a good place to hide from the world for a while - is an attraction in its own right. Apart from the veggies, there is a formal lavender and rose garden and enough indigenous plants to keep local greenies happy.
WHAT IT'S LIKE: Impeccably clean, beautiful to look at, quiet and relaxing.
AND THE FOOD: Richard cooked an excellent dinner of bangers and mash. The salad ingredients had been growing minutes before reaching my plate. It really doesn't get better than that.

RATES: Superior room starts at R440 per person sharing, R390 per person in the luxury double. Single rates start at R490. There is a discount for longer stays.

GETTING THERE: Turn left out of the airport, then first right onto the R102, the pretty little country road that will take you into George and right across the bottom. It's much easier and nicer than using the N2.

CONTACT: 36 Stander Street, George, phone 0822269466, e-mail info@fairviewhomestead.com, GPS co-ordinates -33.957083, 22.476804.



WHAT THERE IS TO SEE ON THE WAY:If you're staying for a while, check out the Outeniqua Railway Museum (2 Mission Road, George, phone 0448018288, open Monday-Saturday). The museum houses a collection of restored steam locomotives - many in working condition - and railway coaches from the country's golden age of rail travel. There is also a collection of historic vehicles, including a rare Brill SA Railways bus.

The museum is also the departure point for the Outeniqua Power Van, a converted railway inspection trolley, which runs up the beautiful Montagu railway pass that clambers over the Outeniqua mountains from George. The van makes day trips up the pass, stopping at various places for the passengers to alight and take in the view and learn something about the history of the pass. E-mail opv@mweb.co.za or phone 0448018239 for bookings."

18th Century Stellenberg and its gardens (Kenilworth, Cape Town)

                                                                      In upper Kenilworth stands the beautiful Stellenberg, a Cape Dutch property dating back to original Van Der Stel ownership. Fortunately it has been blessed with sensible and caring owners - starting with the Felthams, who required Stellenberg in 1878, who did not succumb to the fashion of the times by removing gables, replacing thatch with corrugated iron or to tamper with the Cape Dutch windows and shutters. Finally the Ovenstones acquired Stellenberg in the 1950's and today, nearly 60 years on, Stellenberg remains one of the most beautiful Cape Dutch houses in the Cape Peninsula. The Ovenstones open their beautiful gardens to the public once a year  (usually the first weekend in November) There is also a Nursery on the grounds - this is open to the public Monday to Fridays 08h30 to 16h30.   Enquiries 021 761 2948. E-mail: stellenberggardens@ovenstones.co.za.

To quote their brochure: "With time the garden's structure becomes more evident and the sense of place changes as the garden matures.

We inherited a wonderful home and a garden with extensive lawns, old English oaks, hydrangeas and the Wild area, planted as was fashionable at the time.

The garden, as it is now, commenced in 1987 with the Herb Garden. Graham Viney and Gary Searle were inspirational in the planning and planting of this garden as in other areas of the garden too. In 1989 the Walled Garden, designed by David Hicks was begun. The Rose Garden which was executed in 1989 has been removed and a new parterre has been designed in its place (2001) by Franchesca Watson. We feel that the link between house and this new garden relates better to the house and provides a better balance to the rest of the garden.

New ideas and inspiration have taken place from year to year and planting schemes have changed reflecting old and looking towards the contemporary and the future of gardening.

The philosophy behind our gardening is to plant each section with a different mood in mind, but always to give a sense of peace and serenity to the person walking through it."                                          

Nelleke & Philda's simple,Simply the Best Chocolate Brownie recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar
1 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 beaten eggs
200ml cocoa
375ml plain flour
2,5ml salt
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
optional: handful nuts
Method:
Beat eggs with sugar (should be light and fluffy), add butter + vanilla (beat some more)
add rest of the ingredients ,mix and pour into greased, flat ovenproof dish.
Bake at 180 degrees Celcius for 25 to 30 minutes (not longer as it needs to be moist and goooey)
Let it cool in the dish,cut into squares and munch away!!

Talking point: Hopping along the Hop Route

We hosted a Travel journalist forum a month ago - 16 journalist came to George to see what the Outeniqua Hop Route was all about and the following article appeared in Tourism News.

"Beer is made of barley and hops. But why is a hop called a hop? No-one on the Hop Route in George was able to tell me, and even a dictionary of etymology (the history of words, Miranda) was tantalisingly vague. Seeing that hops were first grown about a thousand years ago in the area of Europe now called Bavaria, it is likely that it comes from a Teutonic word 'hoop' (heap) which indicates the way in which hops were left to dry.
Etymology aside, hops are what makes beer beer. Any beer without hops is a mere ale. Hops are what gives beer its distinctive bitter taste as well as acting as a preservative. South African Breweries is the second-largest beer manufacturer in the world, and beer is the third-most consumed beverage of all. So we are talking a lot of beer indeed. And the hops for all the beer brewed in the whole of Africa is grown around George, that unassuming little town on the Garden Route.

George is the only area in Africa where hops are grown. The hop fields stretch out inland of the town, along the mountain pass country of the Outeniqua Pass and the Montagu Pass, protected from sea winds by the Outeniqua Mountains. "

year end garden project December 2010

Gert and Johannes doing their magic:  finishing off the flowerbeds with paved edging.

Yoghurt

HOME-MADE YOGHURT

600 ml milk
30ml natural yoghurt

45ml dried skimmed milk powder

*warm the milk until almost boiling. Turn off the heat and allow to cool to about 40 to 43 degrees C (hold your finger in the milk for 10 seconds - if it still feels hot the temperature is right)

*mix the yoghurt and dried milk powder together to form a thick paste ; in the warm milk until thoroughly combined and free from lumps

* Pour into a wide mouth vacuum flask rinsed out with boiling water. Leave undisturbed for at least 8 hours (if you shake the flask it will influence the thickening process) Transfer to a covered container and chill for at least an hour before serving.

BAKED YOGHURT

2 XL eggs
2 t honey
2 cups of yoghurt (or buttermilk)
2 t cornflour

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Beat all the ingredients together until smooth.Divide the mixture betweed 6 greased ramekins or dariole moulds. Place in a bain-marie (ovenproof dish half filled with warm water) Loosely cover the ramkekins with grease proof paper and bake for about 20 minutes. Turn out moulds onto a pretty plate and garnish with fresh fruit or serve in the ramekins.

Ireland 2010 - visiting our good friends the Barnards

Guinness Stew

50g flour1kg top side beef (shin can also be used)

oil for fying

1 large onion peeled & thickly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and thickly sliced

300ml Guinness beer

1 bay leaf125g

pitted prunes soaked in water

salt & pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Saeason the flour with salt and pepper, toss the meat in it and fry until browned all over. Add onoin and cook for a few minutes then add the rest of the flour.

Add the carrot, Guinness and 750ml water, stir well.

Bring to boil, add bay leaf, cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 - 2 hours till meat is tender, alternatively cook in oven for same length of time- 150-160 degrees C.

Half an hour before end of cooking time add prunes, remove bay leaf.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve with baked potaotes.

Cheese Cake Recipe

Secrets first: we cook apple slices in a small quantity of water with one heaped teaspoon of sugar. These apple slices go into the bottom of the cake tin. This is how Probst Bakery used to do it in Walvis Bay and the Benkies love cheese cake this way. Bake a day before you want to serve it to allow the flavour and texture to develop.

Geheime eerste: ons kook appelskywe (so 2 appels) in bietjie water met 1 opgehoopte teelepel suiker in en sit dit onder in die koekpan. Dis soos Probst Bakkery  in Walvis dit maak by en vir die Benkies net 'n lekker ekstratjie. Bak dit ten minste een dag voor jy dit wil bedien sodat die geure/tekstuur kan ontwikkel.

Initially apples were farmed on the grounds of Fairview. We were told by old doctor Tiensie Stander that when the ground for the development of Bergsig was subdivided, serious consideration was given to the name Appelboord, but because the apple orchards had to go for the development it was decided to name the new suburb Bergsig. Today we have apple tree left on the yard and it hardly ever bears more than 5 apples per season!

First things first:
Place ½ packet Tennis Biscuits biscuits in a plastic bag and roll to fine crumbs with a rolling pin (a bottle also does the trick)
Add to 80ml melted butter and press the mixture onto the base of a lined 20cm spring form cake tin.Make sure the sides are well coated with Spray 'N Cook. Refrigerate.

Preheat the oven to 160°C ;
In a bowl: 3 cups ricotta cheese (600g) , 125ml cream , 180ml castor sugar , 15ml cake flour , 30ml cornflour (maizena) + 3 extra large eggs Beat together until smooth (bearing in mind that ricotta is a crumbly "cheese" and the texture will remain slightly crumbly , but smooth - you get it?)
Stir in juice and zest of one lemon
Pour into cake tin and bake for one hour ; then increase temperature to 180°C and bake a further 10 minutes. Take out of oven, put on rack and allow to cool in cake tin, remove and keep in fridge overnight. Serve at room temperature (that's important!)

the Benkensteins at Fairview

In 1994 we bought Fairview and took up the challenge to rescue this historic George landmark. The 4 chimneys and fireplaces needed radical repairs before they could be used again and most of the light fittings were removed and had to be replaced with antique ones again. Waterproofing of the clay walls also proved to be a major challenge, as was the stripping of the many layers of paint – this time consuming job was contracted out to a specialist team and took nine months to complete. The house is now fully restored to it’s long lost splendor and elegance. Desmond is the creative force behind the glorious gardens...

Cold/raw oats with fruit

6table spoons of thick plain yoghurt
6 table spoons rolled oats
1 large mango
2 bananas
3 kiwi fruit
2 table spoons brown sugar
1 table spoon Hazel or Brazil nuts, Chopped
Place the yoghurt in a bowl with the oats. Peel the mango and slice the flesh away from the stone. Chop finely and add to the bowl.
Peel and slice the bananas and kiwi fruit and add to the bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

Herbs troughout the year

Wash the herbs, dry well , then pull the leaves from the stems ; chop and store in a jar with olive oil. Use flavored oil in salad dressing, for omelets etc…
Wash the herbs, dry well , then pull the leaves from the stems ; layer the leaves between wax paper and roll the tube into then wrap it in cling wrap and store in freezer. Use the herbs as you need – not necessary to thaw.
Wash the herbs, dry well , then pull the leaves from the stems ; put in food processor with a few drops of water and puree. Pour into ice cubes ; allow to set in freezer then transfer to zip-lock bags and use as required.

Breakfast Basics

FIRST IMPRESSION : FOOD PRESENTATION
We eat with our eyes before we taste with our mouths… A few rules:
• Garnishes should be edible Yes, that goes for flower and / or leaves too…
• Keep it simple : if you have tomatoes and fresh herbs providing color , it is really unnecessary to add a circle of orange with a sprig of parsley too
• Yes, definitely lose the sprig of parsley on the orange or tomato slice!
• Leave a clean rim on the plate: a rim full of sprinkled paprika or finely chopped parsley is so yesterday. A clean rim leads the focus to the food in the centre.
• Balance : distribute the food on the plate so it does not appear lopsided
• Strive for a variety re. colors and shapes. Add color with garnish or food and keep shape in mind too : e.g. when serving a fried egg (round) use tomato wedges or baby tomato halves heaped together; when serving scrambled eggs off-set it with round tomato slice.
• Add interest with a different plate: you will sometimes have businessman who will have the same bacon, sausages, mushroom and eggs 3 mornings in a row! Add interest by using a square, colored or patterned plate on alternative mornings.

plumbing service

Deon (tel 073 787 0688) has 14 years plumbing and 4 years installing gas experience. I have used him for General as well as servicing my gas hobs and can recommend him anytime.
Philda - Fairview Historic Homestead

www.naa.co.za

The NAA_SA is a national association, bringing together the local and provincial networks and associations throughout the country. For more information visit the website http://www.naa.co.za/ or e-mail info@naa-sa.co.za

Accommodation Swap

Accommodation Swap
I have joined www.accommodationswap.co.za . I find the website extremely user friendly. The swap forms are filled out on-line on departure and the swap credits are automatically calculated - taking human error out of the equation. As Mike Kieser explains in one of his... newsletters: "Allow me to recap the central principle for participating members: • We recognise that the central aim of all establishments is to make a profit out of their business and as such paying guests is a top priority. • Accommodation Swap is not designed to impact on your need to host paying guests. It is designed to fill in the “down time” when you are quiet and have empty rooms available. • There is a misconception amongst some members that when you receive a request for accommodation by a fellow member that you are obligated to oblige. This is not so. You have the OPTION to accept or decline …… I agree to make my establishment available to bone fide members of the scheme who have credits to their names, at times suitable to myself……. BUT: • Once you have AGREED to host another member all we ask is that you honour that agreement ……… I promise not to renege on any booking agreed to, even, and especially if, prior to arrival date, I should receive a normal (paying) request for a booking over the same period of time. I get the impression from this email I received ( and perhaps there might be others thinking along similar lines) - that they are not actually “making” anything out of accommodating fellow members. This is a totally wrong perception. Although you might not be receiving direct cash for the stay, you are definitely receiving it in kind, when you are hosted by others. The Average amount saved by all members now stands at R8260,00 per member !! This is what you would have paid if you had booked into a normal paying establishment. In my books the one or two occasions you might loose out if, after accepting a swap you suddenly get a “paying” request (and have to turn that down) is more than made up for when you don’t have to pay for the holidays you take! It’s actually R8260,00 cash put back into your pocket !! My request to you all is that you please honour the “Agreement and Code of Practice” especially the clause covered above so that any ill feeling and frustration can be avoided. I was also informed of a swap where the host asked their member guests if they would mind leaving a day earlier than what the agreed number of days was, as the host had, in the mean time, received a normal business enquiry. Again this is contrary to the spirit of Accommodation Swap etiquette and I ask you to please not do this kind of thing. I remind you of the following which was sent you in our last news letter which has to do with etiquette : Apparently there are a few who when applying for a swap are not being upfront about it vis a vis they will first ask if there is an available booking and only then mention that they would like it to be an Accommodation Swap transaction. Some members are taking offence about this as they feel this is being a bit “sneaky”. Please bear in mind that members are not obligated to accommodate other members should they not want to do so for whatever reason. But to avoid any ill feelings I would request that in future all members be upfront when applying for a swap and inform your fellow member at the outset that you are applying for an Accommodation Swap. It would be impossible to cover every possible contingency and I don’t want to attempt to do this – we are all adults and instinctively know what is right and wrong. I ask you all to just use a bit of common sense and when In doubt as to what to do, ask yourself this question, “Under similar conditions how would I like to be treated?” There is one other issue that I need to clear. Please note that the swap agreement is for staying free of charge at any Accommodation Swap establishment except for breakfasts, which if required, can be arranged between guest and host and paid for separately. Please note that this is the ONLY additional cost allowed in the modus operandi of Accommodation Swap – you should not ask your guests for any other “side” costs such as room cleaning fees, tax etc. Your cooperation on the above would be greatly appreciated and will go a long way toward fostering a happy and contented membership. I must say that on the whole there are very few etiquette complaints by members and most have enjoyed and hugely benefited from the unique advantages that Accommodation Swap has to offer – we want to keep it that way folks, please do your bit to make this happen. One final request – (one which I have repeatedly asked of members) – if you do not want to continue being a member of Accommodation Swap please let me know so that I can remove your establishment from our data base. It causes endless frustration for genuine members who try to make a booking only to be told “I am no longer a member” – if you no longer want to participate then please let me know!

Restoration : soundproofing

In an older house with wooden floors soundproofing will always be a challenge. Downstairs we had ceiling board put up between the beams. We were advised to lay a "floating floor" on top of the upstairs floorboards in the form of interlinked compressed wood boards and that it should stop 1 cm away from the walls. Over that we installed a 6mm layer rubber underlay underneath good quality wool wall to wall carpet. Still not perfect , but the best we could do. The only option to improve soundproofing even more is to have a ceiling put over the downstairs beams... I'll welcome any further bright ideas?

The Storm of Winter 1998: taking down 5 of our big trees

One night in the winter of 1998 we were woken up by a terrible "bergwind" . When I entered Nelleke's room I was so shocked by the fierce movement of the big tree next to her window that I promptly ordered her into our bed. We could hardly sleep and could actually feel the old house sigh and move as the wind battered against the house. In the early morning hours I thought I heard thunder - which was strange as it was a cloudless night. As we peered into the darkness we suddenly realised that we could see our neighbor's houses - previously obscured by the old trees that surrounded the property. It dawned on us that the thunder we heard was actually the trees falling! I ran to Nelleke's room and saw that "her" tree was gone too and that the three remaining blackwoods between us and Stander Street number 34 were swaying very badly. We could not see Desmond's boat and realised that the tree had fallen on top of the carport with the boat underneath.

The next day we saw that the tree next to the house had hit a second tree, which then took down the carport as well as the wall , fell right across the road and took down the Van Kervel School fence too! In the early morning hours before light we had a couple of cars come to a screeching halt in front of the obstacle - we were just thankful that no on got hurt. The Municipality quickly came to remove the tree across the road , but then it was up to us to pay for the removal of the trees as our insurance covered the damage to the carport and wall, but "garden damage" were excluded! Fortunately we had no guests the night before and the damage to the boat was also minimal.

We were so sad to loose 5 beautiful old trees in one night. Aparantly they became unstable because of the very strong wind in combination with a drought : the roots were not as anchored as they would have been had the ground been moist.

Koos Stander , Mayor of George from 1926 to 1932

I chanced upon the following passage in the delightful book by Victor Smith called 'Open Cockpit over Arica' in which he tells of his adventures flying more than 13 000 miles from George to London and back. Arriving back in George he was welcomed back as a hero by the locals:

"Uncle Jack Smith (JK), who had once claimed expenses from the tax-man for 'lubrication of the best machine in the factory' (brandy for himself), arrived in great style in his new six-cylinder Studebaker. But, despite his weakness, never let it be said that my uncle Jack was not a man of his word. I think the reader will agree when he or she reads the story which I will now have to tell.

Oom (Uncle) Koos Stander, Mayor of George, paid me the honour of a handshake with hands the size of boxing gloves. Oom Koos, with JK Smith, had been two of the most enthusiastic supporters of the bar in the old Victoria Hotel at the top of York Street - now the George Museum.

Said my uncle, after his fourth brandy, to the ex-mayor who was holding a cigar in his left hand and a brandy in his right: "Koos ou swaer (old brother-in-law) I think you are becoming a bit of an alcoholic!"

"Nonsense, I can give it up anytime I want to. I'll bet you five pounds I can go without a drink longer than you can."

"Taken", says JK. " I'll bet you my brand-new Studebaker I can abstain for longer than you can; we start from tomorrow."

Six weeks, or it may have been six days later, Uncle Jack decided that one small brandy would be very nice, and no one would notice. After looking round the bar he walked in and ordered a double. Great minds think alike, and before JK started to settle down to business, Oom Koos with the same idea in mind peeped around the door and walked in.

Uncle Jack paid up - but the ex-mayor never learnt to drive. It was always to be next week. The brand new Studebaker could be seen for many years corroding away beside the ex-mayoral home."

Mushroom the Cat : pets and wonderful creatures at Fairview

Nelleke brought this cat home from school ; curled up in her hands he looked like a giant mushroom and was of course named - Mushroom. Since Umbi died he has grown quite fat - Umbi used to gobble down her own food so that she could chase the cat away and eat poor Mushy's food as desert.

restoration work done on the back of the house

We replaced the kitchen window with two salvaged antique French doors -

opening up the kitchen to the swimming pool and back garden. About

a year after we moved in we had roof sheeting put down on the beams

as we found the harsh afternoon sun and glare on the white walls unbearable.

The swimming pool was changed to a salt water system.

Bridges and Passes by Thomas and Andrew Bain

Andrew Bain came to South Africa (from Scotland, where else!) in 1816 and his first attempt at pass building was the Ouberg Pass (on R63 north of Graaff-Reinet) He established himself as a passbuilder of note after the completion of the Van Ryneveld Pass (also on the R63) In 1837 he was appointed as road-builder to the Royal Engineers on the eastern frontier and he built the Queen's Road (R67) from Grahamstown to Fort Beaufort. This road included the Ecca Pass. The Fish River Brdidge at Fort Brown and his triple-arched Victoria Bridge over the Kat River still stands at Fort Beaufort.

In the Western Cape Andrew Bain built the Houw Hoek Pass on the N2 at the same time that he worked on the Michell's Pass (R46) and the Gydo Pass (R303) - pretty remarkable for an "engineer" with no formal engineering qualifications! His biggest memorial must be the Bain's Kloof Pass (R301) connecting Wellington and the Breede River valley. This pass included South Africa's first road tunnel.

In 1860 he began work on the Katberg Pass (R67) between Fort Beaufort and Queenstown in the Eastern Cape. He died on the 20th November 1864. His son Thomas Bain started his life as road-builder under apprenticeship of his father on the Michell's Pass and passed with distinction an exam set by Colonel Charles Mitchell (the Cape Colonial Engineer) and James Rose Innes, the Superintendent-General of Education.

Thomas Bain built the Grey's Pass (off N7) , Prince Alfred's Pass (R339 in the Langkloof) The 7 Passes Road joining George with Knysna took almost 20 years to complete and is today a declared National Heritage Road. The Robinson Pass connecting MosselBay with Oudshoorn (R328) was also built by Thomas Bain ; as well as Tulbach Kloof (R46) , Cogmans Kloof (R62) , Burgers Pass (R318) , Garcia's Pass on the R323 between Ladismith and Riversdale and Meriringspoort (N12) He also built the Tsitsikamma Road between Knysna and Port Elizabeth and while working on this the Molteno Pass (R381 north of Beaufort West) , and the Van Rhyns Pass (R27 between Vanrhynsdorp and Nieuwoudville.)Then of course the famous Swartberg Pass (R328 between Oudshoorn and Prince Albert) and at the same time he had to build Schoemanspoort.

The family then moved to Cape Town where he was tasked with the Victoria Road between Hou Bay and Cape Town (M6) Thomas Bain died in 1893.

Restoring Fairview

We put a new front pergola up and planted 4 vines. The doors were originally painted green but someone started stripping the paint away - we decided to keep to the traditional Heritage green. (Somehow the Cape Georgian style dictated a formal front garden.)

15 years later...

size of the property over the years

We know that when the Standers lived at Fairview the farm could support cattle and orchards. Desmond found an aerial photo taken on the 11 April 1936 where one can see that the farm was surrounded by small holdings - if you look carefully you'll see the rough circle that I drew with a marker pen around the property. When we bought Fairview in 1995 we were very relieved that plans to subdivide the property further could be halted. The grounds now measure 3'750 m² and of course today we are situated mid suburbia in the eastern section of George.

Bull Mastiffs : pets at Fairview

Bull Mastiffs turned out to be perfect guest house dogs : they are non territorial , not unnaturally aggressive and do not bark. Fawn coloured Misty (registered name Madame Mistique) would greet guests with her exuberantly wagging tail - I would always say one would swear the only attention she ever gets were from guests. When we got her as a puppy we also got a small Ginger cat (called Garfield, what else) and the two had a very special relationship. They slept together , would groom each other and the favourite party trick was for Misty to carry the cat by her head in her mouth ! When I heard guest frantically shouting for me I'd know - they're at it again! Of course Garfield only had to give Misty a gentle whack with her nails out to be let go of. When Misty turned ten my daughter brought a new Bull Mastiff puppy home for her to train and mother. I took one look at this ugly brindle pup and Eveline confirmed in Xhosa "Inja m'bi" (ugly dog) She was prompty named Umbi , but she grew in our hearts and turned out to be the most beautiful dog anyone could ever wish for. So sweet natured, intelligent, sensitive and incredibly loving. We were heartbroken when she died of cancer in June 2009, not even 3 years old.

Stander weddings

Marie Van Der Westhuizen (daughter of Lydia Stander) remembers:

When young men began being interested in the five daughters they had to tread lightly, because none could be good enough in the eyes of their father.

The oldest daughter was sternly prohibited to pursue a relationship with a young farmer from the “Vleie” and could never forget this first love. Ultimately she married a farmer from Murraysburg. The second daughter came to George as a teacher and was quickly instructed to inform the unwished teacher-boyfriend (despite his Aberdeen M.A. degree), that she would not be allowed to marry him – and this before he had even asked! She later went to visit her sister at Murraysburg where she met a bachelor lawyer whom she later married. After their engagement they travelled to Cape Town for the celebration of the establishment of the Union in 1910, but her father went along as chaperone and was constantly on watch!

Blanche had a fellow Blanco teacher as boyfriend, but he first had to study in Scotland to become a dentist before they could become engaged. The bridal gown was ready, but tragically he passed away shortly after graduating. Blanche was never to marry. The other twin (Ethel) met an English-speaking journalist while on holiday in Durban and had to hire a postbox so that his letters would not be delivered to her home. The daughter had almost reached retirement age as headmistress when she married a widower grape farmer who became acquainted with her through articles she had written in the Strewensblad. The youngest daughter was abruptly called back from Cape Town where she was studying at the College of Music, because it emerged that a divorced man may have become interested in her! Other young men also failed to make the grade: she was later married to a retired magistrate, twenty-four years older than her.


Marie Van Der Westhuizen (dogter van Lydia Stander) onthou:

Toe die kêrels begin belangstel in die vyf dogters moes hulle ligloop ,want geeneen kon in die vader se oë goed genoeg wees nie.

Die oudste dogter is ten enemale verbied om 'n verhouding met 'n sekere jong ma boer van die Vleie aan te knoop en het hierdie eerste liefde nie kon vergeet nie. Sy is toe later wel met 'n boer van Murraysburg getroud. Die tweede dogter het op George kom onderwys gee en is vinnig aangesê om die ongewensde onderwyser-kêrel , sy Aberdeen M.A. nieteenspyt, betyds te sê sy mag hom nie trou nie - en dit nog voor hy gevra het! Sy het later by haar suster op Murraysburg gaan kuier en daar 'n oujongkêrel prokureur ontmoet met wie sy getroud het. Na hulle verlowing is hulle na Kaapstad vir die vierings van die uniewording in 1910, maar haar vader is saam as "chaperone" en was oral by! Blanche het 'n mede Blanco onderwyser as kêrel gehad, maar hy moes eers as tandarts in Skotland gaan afstudeer voor hulle verloof kon raak. Die bruiduitset was reeds gereed , maar ongelukkig is hy kort nadat hy met onderskeiding geslaag het oorlede en Blanche het nooit getrou nie. Die ander tweeling (Ethel) het met vakansie in durban 'n Engelssprekende koerantman ontmoet en het 'n posbus moes huur sodat sy briewe nie by haar ouerhuis afgelewer moes word nie. Die dogter het byna aftree-ouderdom bereik as skoolhoof toe sy met 'n wewenaar druiweboer getroud is wat haar leer ken het deur artikels wat sy in die Strewensblad geskryf het. Die jongste dogter is summier teruggeroep uit die Kaap waar sy by die College of Music besig was met haar lisensiaat, want dit het gebleik dat 'n geskeide man in haar belangstel! Ander kêrels het ook hulle moses teëgekom : sy is later getroud met 'n afgetrede magistraat , 24 jaar ouer as sy.

The Standers at Fairview

Not unlike many of their peers , Koos and Miems Stander did not have much more than five years of formal schooling. Their children's education was therefor very important to them. To allow the 2 oldest children to attend school from home they sold their farm at Kraaibosch and moved to town where they lived in York Street. When Koos heard that the farm Niepothsdale was for sale he immediately bought the farm. The lovely 6 bedroom double story house was called Fairview and this is where the Stander family would reside from 1894 to 1974. In those days he kept cattle, planted an apple orchard , but he also dappled in politics and was the Mayor of George for a good many years.

The Stander children went to school by horse and cart , traveling along the gravel road that passed just in front of the house. The horse knew this road so well that the children turned the cart around and would send the cart and horse home with a pat on the flank. Two of the Stander boys later became attorneys ; the 3rd son studied dentistry in Scotland. The girls were all 5 sent to become teachers at the Wellington Teachers College. In those days that meant a trip by horse and cart to the harbour in Mossel Bay from where they were unceremoniously hoisted onto the ship in a basket for the long trip to Cape Town. In Cape Town they took the train to Wellington - today this trip along the famous Route 62 takes less than 5 hours by car!

Koos Stander was quite a man about town and there are many stories about him and his friends. He had one drinking buddy in particular who were regulars at the local pub, situated conveniently halfway between the Old Townhouse (today a restaurant by the same name) and Fairview. He and Jack made a pact that they were going to abstain from drinking alcohol for an agreed time - the one to break this agreement had to buy the other the latest status symbol : a Ford car. And that is how Fairview acquired the fanciest chicken coop in history , as Koos never learnt to drive this monstrosity - he much preferred a brisk walk or his trusty old horse and cart!

The twins, Ethel and Blanche stayed on at Fairview into their old age and in 1976 the house and it's contents were sold on auction.

Stander House/Fairview up for auction in 1978 ; 2 years after Mr Swallows bought the historic home from the estate of Blanche and Ethel Stander

Blanche in the light coloured dress with her sister Ethel Stander.


In The Oudshoorn Courant and Het Suid-Western on Wednesday September 27, 1978 Brenda Hartdegen reported:

GEORGE: A magnificent leather-bound 260-year-old Bible was sold for R535 after brisk bidding at an auction of mostly antique furniture. The Bible was bought by a Cape Town dealer, Mr H A Lammers , who flew to George especially to attend the sale.

And he is confident that he will sell it immediately to one of several Dutch dealers who are out in South Africa from Holland to buy up all the Dutch antiques they can find.
Antiques in Holland have become very scarce and the dealers have now turned their attention to South Arica which is still regarded as a rich field for many Dutch antiques.

Mr Lammers flew to George mainly to buy paintings that were to be sold at the auction. "But I found the painting very disappointing and not of a high quality and then I saw the Bible and I knew my trip to George had not been wasted.The only thing that worried me was that the auction was going so slowly to start with that they'd never get around to putting the Bible up before I had to catch my plane."

The Bible, a Staten Bijbel, was printed in Dordrecht Amsterdam in in 1719. It is printed in scroll print on hand-made paper. It is boun din leather with brass hasps and corner supports.
"What makes this particular Bible highly negotiable to an overseas dealer is that it is not a family Bible with limited South African connotations," Mr Lammers said. "By that I mean the record of the family who owned it is not written in it."
But slipped inside the front of the Bible is a handprinted and painted certificate in Dutch stating that Sophia Anna van Straatenwas born on 5 December , 1811, and baptised in the Cape Colony on 1 January 1812.

Bidding against Mr Lammers Towards the end was Mr Harold Groombridge of Knysna, owner of the famous genuine gypsy caravan that used to be parked alongside the national road at the Garden Of Eden.
Mr Lammers said that he would have been prepared to bid up to R600 for the Bible. "I must be able to recover the cost of my trip to George and make a small profit when I sell it," he said.

The Bible belonged to Mr E Swallow. Most of the goods on the auction sale were owned by him and were bought from the estate of the Stander twins, Blanche and Ethel. In 1976 Mr Swallow also bought their historic home in Stander Street, built before 1890, for R33 000. He bought most of the furniture in the house at a later auction sale.

The house was also up for sale at the auction The highest bid was R25 000 but it is not known whether this bid was accepted.
Hundreds of poeple attended the auction which started at 9 am and lasted for most of the rest of the day. Another high bid was R850 for a beautiful old piano.

the owls at Fairview

Every now and then we'll have owls nesting
in the big trees in front of the house. One
year my brother Philip,who lives in New Zeeland, came to visit and brought us a
blue eyed owl that will not fly away from
Die Uilhuis in New Bethesda.

History of the house and it's people

The grounds on which Fairview stand was first registered in 1861 in the names of Messrs. Swemmer and Meyer, directors of the first bank in George. When these two gentlemen found themselves in financial difficulty in 1894, they sold the farm to Koos and Miems Stander. They had sold their farm at Victoria Heights so that their 8 children could go to school from home.

In March 2008 we had as guest the granddaughter of one of the Stander daughters She sent me a poem written by her grandmother . On weekends the daughters would stroll down to the Kat River and obviously the young Maria met a young man from the other side of the river whom her parents did not approve of :



Remembrance
Twixt bracken banks and shady woods
The streamlet ripples gently west
Where oft in childhood’s happy days
I watched the wood-finch build it’s nest;
Where oft in happier days we wove
The golden threads of love’s young dream
To warbles sweet and twillering tones –
Sweet music from the rippling stream!

But when in after days those banks
Recorded sorrow’s doleful theme,
I heeded not the linnet’s song,
Not heard the rippling of the stream!
When skies are blue and fields are green,
And all the world seems bright and fair,
All veiled to us the distant scene
With what it harbours over there!

Too soon we learned life’s sad refrain:
“Sunshine and sorrow ever meet!”
Had we but met to part again,
Our hopes be shattered by defeat!
For him his queen was never to wear
A bridal blossom in her hair,
For him, no bridal veil to hide
The crimson of his blushing bride!

How oft I dreamt that at his side,
In all the world the happiest bride,
Entranced I stood in ecstasy –
My dark-eyed prince, a king to me!
Alas that love is but a dream
And mournful we awake to find
As we retrace our steps again,
Our loved ones’ foot-prints left behind!

Those foot-prints on the sands of time
Are treasures thine, oh memory,
To cherish in the starless night
When sorrow bids us fly to thee!
Remembrance, aye, this God’s great gift
Which through this dismal vale of ours,
Recalls in accents soft and sweet,
Sweet memories of bygone years!

M.C. Retief.

Almond Tart (easy enough, even for a bachelor...)

This is one of those recipes that I got ,scribbled on a piece of paper - ingredients only. I do not believe it is possible to mess this one up.
You can also make individual tartlets : for a beautiful colourful effect, sprinkle blueberries on one, gooseberries on another, fan an apple or a nectarine on another. Strawberries have a high water content and are too moist for this tart. Don’t press the fruit down as it will disappear under the batter as the tart is baking.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup unsalted butter
¾ cup castor sugar
1 egg
1 ½ cup cake flour
5 ml baking powder
Pinch salt
5 ml almond essence
Preserved pears, berries or fresh fruit of your choice.
¼ cup slivered almonds (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Cream the butter and the castor sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and the almond essence and mix well.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and add this into the butter mix until well combined.
Spread into greased 22 cm tart shell.
Arrange your fruit on top.
Sprinkle with the slivered almonds.Bake for 25 minutes.Place on a cooling rack and
dust with icing sugar when cool.
Serve with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream

The Chickens at Fairview

We have always kept our own chickens - they are kept in a coop, but allowed out in the evening. And they will alwasy make a bee-line for the strawberries, juiciest baby lettuce and spinach! Who can blame them... at least they pay back with fresh eggs with bright yellow yolks, thanks to the spinach.

Pickling Peppadews - on request by Raymond

Hmm... obviously those peppadew plants flourished, Raymond. When we lived in Shoal Lake in Canada, I had an Ukranian neighbour (Baba Stech) who taught me a thing or two about pickling. Just as well , because before long you'll too find that you'll be begging people to take a bag of Peppadews home when they come to visit! (At one stage Desmond would fill a bag with Peppadews every night and walk down to our local supermarket where he exchanged Peppadews for a loaf of bread and a litre of milk)
You have probably noticed that the green shaped ones will all turn red at some stage - I quite like the look of a combination of green and red in one jar.When pickling the Peppadews I use surgical gloves to protect my gentle hands (ha-ha) but I've also heard that it helps to rub sunflower oil ,or olive oil if you want to be wasteful, all over your hands as it forms a protective layer. Like any chili/pepper the burn lies in the pips, so you can make it less sharp by cutting off the stem and scraping out the pips with a small spoon. You have to cut off the stem anyway to allow the pickling solution to get in. If you leave it overnight in a brine mixture, it will prevent the chillies from becoming soft over time once bottled. Do not use table salt as this could make them go cloudy , but make a simple soaking solution of about 100gram pickling salt or coarse sea salt on 1 litre water. The next morning you drain them, give a rinse with fresh water and now you're in business:

I use my big stainless steel pot and add:
3 cups white wine (or cider vinegar)
2 cups white sugar
2 cups water
to taste: about tablespoon whole peppercorns, 3 to 5 bay leaves (try lemon or orange tree leaves for something different) + a few whole garlic cloves (I sometimes add peeled ginger too)
This you bring to the boil while stirring for the sugar to dissolve. When it is bubbling and jiving you add the Peppadews for about a minute and then start bottling:
You fill the jars with Peppadews, then ladle the pickling solution in to about 1cm from the top, (push the peppers down to allow the solution to fill their cavities)

Re. the bottles / jars : your mother will heat the oven to 180°C and put the washed jars and lids in there for at least 10 minutes prior to bottling. I just pour boiling water over the lids and pop the glass jars 3 at a time into the microwave oven for a minute...

some wedding cakes

Lesley and Shayne's wedding cake 19/12/'09

Over the years that I ran Trio Bella Catering with my friends Karen and Rosanne I have always loved doing wedding cakes. Rosanne being an amazing baker and Karen and myself trying to outdo each other by mastering cake decorating skills that we have no formal training for. Whenever I watch my pastry chef daughter Nelleke making a cake I stand in awe of her skill - and I watch and learn! Sure you agree that these are not too shabby :)

Breakfast treats

POTATO WAFFLES
500ml Mashed potato;
Little butter;
Salt and Pepper;
125ml Flour;
2.5ml Baking powder.
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Cook waffles on waffle iron until golden and crisp. Cut into wedges.

BUTTERMILK WAFFLES
2 Cups self raising flour;
1 Teaspoon bicarbonate of soda;
2 Teaspoons sugar;
Pinch salt;
2 Eggs;
90g Butter;
¼ Cup buttermilk.
Sift self raising Flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and pinch of salt. Whisk the eggs and add the melted butter gradually mix until smooth. Add the buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and slowly add liquid mixture until it is incorporated. Heat up a waffle pan and cook the batter for about 2 minutes. Stack the waffles and serve with syrup and fresh berries.

The Elstons took these lovely photo's of our garden

We always enjoy seeing the garden through our guests eyes/lenses.

A new Rose Garden

We have planted more than 100 new rose bushes and finally the archway is up, painted green and planted with a "fruit salad" : pear and apple trees, vines, climbing roses with strawberries just for good measure. With the draught that we are experiencing in George this summer the new plants are watered by hand with laundry water!

Desmond's vegetable crop

This is the first year that we've planted potatoes and what a crop!

Eckart and Olivia's wedding cake

My daughter Nelleke and I made this stunning chocolate cake for Eckart (my son) and Olivia's wedding celebration. And it tasted yummy too...

Recipes

SAUSAGES POACHED IN CHAMPAGNE
6 Chicken sausages;
250ml Champagne or sparkling wine.
Prick sausages, place in champagne in a frying pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, slash sausage sides with a knife and quickly grill or pan fry until brown. Serve with potato cakes.


CROISSANT HAM AND CHEESE SPLITS:
Split croissants in half, place cut side upwards on turn table, top with strips of ham and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with kitchen paper, cook on high for 1 minute (for 2 croissants) or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle lightly with paprika and serve immediately.

Lesley and Shayne's wedding 19/12/'09

Lesley and her bridesmaids collected flowers from the garden the night before the wedding and all pitched in to make the posies for the tables, buttonholes and even the bride's bouquet!see Facebook Album http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=143524&id=576051999&l=caeee33139