Prince Albert

tel: +27 (0)23 5411 366 fax: +27 (0)23 5411 788 e-mail: princealberttourism@intekom.co.za

Prince Albert ~ Kweekvallei

2012 Celebrations


Our 2012 logo is cropping up everywhere! Now the SA Post Office has designed our very own postmark for 2012

CREATIVE PRINCE ALBERT Autumn School 25 May - 3 June

read about Pick a Piece - Prince Albert's Community Project to care for our Children and our Environment

1762 - 2012

'Creative Prince Albert' Autumn School: workshops, lectures, demonstrations ... May 2012

The New Apostolic Male Voice Choir De Beer Re-union

8th Oktoberfest in Prince Albert Leesfees 9 - 11 November 2012 - details to follow

Prince Albert's own 2012 postmark

Prince Albert of Monaco receives PA prints as a gift Witblitz multi-tasking!

2012 dustbin 'art' project Dustbin of the month

Prince Albert Calendar with paintings by our children What has Prince Albert to do with the Titanic?

download the 2012 Celebrations programme

ALL OUR NEWS REPORTS - UPDATED AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES!

In 2012 we shall celebrate 250 years since the De Beer brothers: Zacharias, Mathys and Johannes arrived to establish their farm de Queekvalleij at the foot of the Zwartberg. Please bookmark this page as we shall be loading details of special events as we near the start of what promises to be a bumper year of celebrations and festivity for Prince Albert.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL PROGRAMME

Here is the year in summary:

January: our Mayor Councillor Goliath Lottering launched the year of celebrations as our Municipality commemorated 110 years since its inception. Jason Jaftha, South African Rugby referee became our Ambassador for the year!

February was dedicated to our young people with drama, colouring-in competitions and story writing at all our schools. Our Garden Club invited Ernst van Jaarsveldt to present a slide show to celebrate their birthday. During the year they plan to establish a new garden in the village. The Kielliebeentjies team celebrate their 10th birthday with a Valentine Dance on 18th February.

March focuses on the 100^th anniversary of the ACVV and the 40^th birthday of Huis Kweekvallei, whose residents will host tea parties for locals.

April is always Olive Festival month and we'll also raise a glass at the 'Witblitz Stoking' as the Friends of the Museum mark their 30^th birthday.

May finds us exploring Creative Prince Albert with a nine day Autumn School which will include workshops, demonstrations, walks and talks, a film festival and storytelling.

June - The New Apostolic Church choir from Cape Town come to add their voices to our celebrations and our Library celebrates 150 years - children's competitions, an evening of readings and discussions with local authors and tea parties for our older readers - much to celebrate in this warm, welcoming space.

July will be a taste sensation with a Winter Feast and a Victorian Market. Will locals don Victorian costumes? We hope so! We will also remember Outa Lappies with an open-air exhibition and tea in the Toelstede garden.

August brings the NG Kerk's 150th bazaar with boere sport en lekker kos and the congregation celebrates 175 years since it was established.

September is the jewel in the crown as De Beers from around South Africa gather for the 250th anniversary of the arrival of Zacharius, Johannes and Mathys and their families. An Art Festival will bring art into Kerkstraat. Heritage Day and National Braai Day will be celebrated in true Prince Albert style.

October is dedicated to the centenary of our newspaper, The Prince Albert Friend. The Patchwork Dolls, our busy patchwork club are creating a Heritage Quilt, which will be on display at the St John's Flower festival (6th - 7th October 2012). The Thursday Club will serve an International Tea Party in St John's Hall while the Flower Festival takes place in the church.

November brings us our Oktoberfest on the 2nd & 3rd and a 'Leesfees' organised by the Prince Albert Writers' Guild on 9th - 11th.

December - our Saturday Market stallholders invite everyone to mark 15 years since they opened for business - Christmas fare will fill the stalls. A Carols by Candlelight Service will take place on the Day of Reconciliation, bringing our year of celebrations to a joyful conclusion.

The Writers Guld and one of our book clubs are also planning events...

Read on for an invitation to the De Beer Re-union and news of our grand 2012 Dustbin 'art' project! and future celebratory events.

CREATIVE PRINCE ALBERT

AUTUMN SCHOOL

We extend an invitation for you to visit us from 25 May to 3 June 2012 and participate in our first Autumn School: courses, lectures, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions & excursions.

Many areas will be covered including:

~ Photographic Workshops ~ Art Appreciation Lectures

~ Art Courses for Beginners & more Advanced Artists

~ Cookery Courses ~ Floral Art ~ Jewellery Making ~

~ Antiques - Wood Restoration ~ Reduction Block Woodcuts ~

~ Botanical Excursions ~ Geological & Archeological Excursions

~ Lectures on the Medicinal Value of our Karoo plants

~ Star Gazing ~ Story Telling & more ...

A creative Prince Albert map will lead you to our uniquely Prince Albert

artists, products & street art.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Tel. 023 541-1366 / E-mail princealberttourism@intekom.co.za for further details.

Proudly Prince Albert awaits your visit!

The New Apostolic Male Voice Choir

from Cape Town are visiting Prince Albert to

celebrate our 250th anniversary

Come and join us - entrance is free

CD’s will be on sale

Die Nuwe Apostoliese Kerk Mannekoor

uit Kaapstad kuier saam met ons in Prince

Albert om ons 250ste herdenking te vier

Gratis - kom luister saam!

CD’s sal verkoop word

NG Kerk

Saturday/Saterdag 2 June / Junie

3.00pm/nm

De Beer Family Reunion in Prince Albert 2012

Calling all South African De Beer family members: join us for a reunion in the historical Karoo village of Prince Albert, the hometown of your ancestor, Zacharias de Beer.

The reunion will take place from 21 to 23 September 2012. The week-end will be filled with nostalgic visits to sites closely connected with the de Beer family in and around Prince Albert.

The farm, Kweekvallei was established by Zacharias de Beer as the first loan farm in the district in 1762, 250 years ago, and was laid out at the foothills of the Swartberg where the town of Prince Albert stands today.

The programme for the week-end includes:

	a visit to the site of the original farm,
	our children's theatre group Patchwork Theatre tell the story of Prince Albert from pre-history to today.
	the De Beer family cemetery,
	a trip up the majestic Swartberg Pass
	and traditional Karoo food & hospitality.

For more information about the week-end and for accommodation bookings: Contact Zelia Mullins at the Prince Albert Tourism Office:

Tel: 023 541-1366

Fax: 023 541-1788

E-mail princealberttourism@intekom.co.za

www.patourism.co.za

'click' hier vir Afrikaans

250 years Prince Albert

The 8th German Oktoberfest

in aid of Zwartberg High School ,

Prince Albert 2nd - 3rd November 2012

in the school hall

Festive German music,

Beer on tap, German Schnaps,

"Bergwater" wine and other drinks.

Entrance fee: R 130.00 p.p. incl. dinner

German Eisbein and Sauer-kraut or braaivleis, boerewors and salad or vegetarian.

! B I G R A F F L E !

(Prizes to the value of nearly R 10 000)

Come and celebrate, eat, drink, dance and sing with us!

Prince Albert offers accommodation to suit every taste and pocket.

Why not make a weekend of it? On Saturday morning there are a host of different activities on offer: A guided tour through the village,

visit the olive farm, and/or the Swartberg Pass , enjoy our Morning Market.

Tickets are available from the 15th of August 2012.

Tourist office, tel: 0235411366 or E-mail: princealberttourism@intekom.co.za

Our mayor, Councillor Lottering posts the first letter cancelled with our very own 2012 postmark!

Prince Albert 250 year date stamp canceller

The Tourism Office is pleased to announce the arrival of an official SA Post Office date stamp canceller to commemorate Prince Albert 's 250 year celebrations. Usually all mail items posted in Prince Albert go to Beaufort West where the stamps are cancelled, however for this year only we have received a special dispensation for all mail posted at the Tourism Office (yes we have a bright red post box in our office) to be stamped with our own unique date canceller.

So when you visit our beautiful town be sure to post your postcards from the Tourism Office and they will be stamped with this very special canceller.

Remember your mail must be posted at the Tourism Office

to receive this special postmark.

Here's a bit of history about stamp cancellers

Before postage stamps were used, letters were hand-stamped or postmarked with cancellers in ink. Postmarks were first called 'Bishop' marks after Henry Bishop who invented them. These postmarks, which indicated the date on which postal items were mailed, were first used in 1661 at the London General Post Office.

What are cancellers?

A stamp is 'cancelled' with a post office 'canceller' or 'date stamp' to indicate that it has gone through the post. The canceller is designed to prevent a stamp's re-use. When commemorative stamps are issued, a matching commemorative canceller is usually also designed. It indicates the date of the first day of issue and usually echoes the theme of the stamps.

The Prince Albert 250 year celebrations canceller was specially designed by the SA Post Office and will be used on all postage items at the Prince Albert Post Office during 2012.

The Prince Albert Collection 2012

The picturesque town of Prince Albert lies at the very edge of the Great Karoo, South Africa; a semi desert, barren land of extraordinary beauty and raw earth energy

Originally founded 250 years ago and named Prince Albert in honor of Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg the town has developed over recent years as a contemporary creative hub with art, eateries and vintage shops thriving and its natural wonders being explored and celebrated.

Its creative history and boundless stories of rural life at the foothills of the imposing "Swartberg" is still a constant visual inspiration and enhanced by the great variety of architecture, diverse building styles and interesting mix of old and new set off against the dark colours and textures of the mountain.

From the enchanting wind pumps in the middle of the town and the Karoo sun bouncing off the whitewash facets of Victorian cottages, the town's visual language is what inspired this collection of artworks. Telling its collective history and present state in little 'corners', rather than an architectural survey, the prints reflect the town's own personality and creative aura.

Technique: Hand cut, layered stencils were used to capture the images.

On 23 March 2012, at the preview of the "Prince Albert Collection" in Cape Town , a selection of 9 stencil artworks from this series was chosen to present as a gift to H S H Prince Albert II of Monaco to honour his marriage to the South African born H S H Princess Charlene of Monaco and his name.

Witblitz 'stoking'

Witblitz 'stoking' to celebrate the Friends of the Museum's 30th anniversary

April 2012

This picture proves beyond doubt, once and for all time, that "men can multi-task"!

Naturally, it goes without saying, only if they are interested in what they are doing!

click here for more

2012 dustbin 'art' project

dustbin of the month - May 2012

Our 2012 Olive Festival was a tremendous success and great fun was had by all. As our olive farmers continue to harvest the bumper crop, bottle black and green olives, create chutney and spreads and press the golden oil, this month's dustbin is a gentle reminder of one of the wonders of the Karoo!

2012 dustbin 'art' project launch

lots more photos below

The launch of our AMAZING 250 year Commemorative Dustbin Project took place on Saturday 3rd December outside the Art Gallery

Dozens of residents and visitors gathered to admire the incredible creativity that has gone into designing and painting the dustbins that will be placed throughout the town and which should make Prince Albert the cleanest town in the country AND the one with the most attractive, colourful and informative dustbins in the world!

Local resident John McKenna has driven the dustbin 'art' project, our Mayor, Mr Lottering has given his full support and the Council supplied labour to help prepare and erect the dustbins. John approached local artists, schools and Christine Thomas' children's art group to convert oil drums into 'works-of-art', which will do double duty as dustbins.

The logo reflects the common theme, celebrating 250 years since the farm Kweekvallei was established. Some bins reflect the history of the buildings outside which they are situated, others highlight special features and aspects of our town, as seen through the eyes of our children and artists. Humour has crept in and Robert Gordon, the artist who created the first visual image of the farm Kweekvallei, is seen holding a bottle of a famous brand of gin...

photo: Sandy Farmer

The first dustbin was painted by Clive Heyne who chose to add a reproduction of Robert Gordon's 1778 painting of de Queekvalleij. This bin will be installed at Gay's Dairy, the site of the original farm buildings. Two similar bins will be installed outside the Municipal offices.

Clive designed and painted every single Prince Albert logo, all the informative text and supervised the refurbishment of old bins from around the town. Prince Albert is most grateful to him and John for this wonderful initiative.

This really has been a community project. The municipality employed men through their job creation scheme to mend bins and do the base coat.

Children from all our schools and those attending Christine Thomas' Art classes used their talents to capture nature, history and buildings in brilliant colour.

the official launch was great fun!







the last three photos: Sandy Farmer

What has Prince Albert to do with the Titanic? adapted from an article by Ian Uys, published in The Prince Albert Friend: Issue 178 November/December 2011
The Ysberg on Bushman Valley ’s Titanic Trail	Prince Albert 's eldest grandson, George V, was on the throne when the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912. Due to an inadequate number of lifeboats 1 517 people perished while 705 were saved. Centenary commemorations of the sinking will be held worldwide during our Prince Albert - Kweekvallei 250^th anniversary year. In honour of the double-event Bushman Valley has named their Oukloof mountain hike The Titanic Trail, not only because it is lengthy and awesome but also because of an iceberg-like rock along its crest, with two large rocks like the wreck beneath it on the mountain slope. It takes two and a half hours to reach the Ysberg, which is about the length of time it took the ship to sink. The pathway then meanders down past the 'wreck' rocks and its 'debris field.'
Two years ago Ian and Barbara Uys of Bushman Valley founded a very popular Titanic Room at the Maritime museum in Knysna. Barbara is distantly related to the Titanic's captain, Edward J Smith, while Ian has a website www.titanicresearch.com which may be published as an e-book. A Titanic Centenary dinner will be held in Knysna on the 15April 2012 to commemorate the sinking. Among those who perished was a former Worcester hotelkeeper. His daughter, Edith Brown, 16, recalled that he told his family as they were leaving on a lifeboat that he would see them in New York , knowing full well that he wouldn't.


Clive has also painted the gables which welcome visitors to Prince Albert and send them on their way with our very best wishes!

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