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Prince Albert

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The Olive Branch

August 2010   

This month’s newsletter comes to you bright and early to alert you to the fun we’ve lined up for the long weekend of 7 - 9 August.

We hope you’ll arrive on Friday to give yourselves a really LONG weekend. Astro Tours and the Ghost Walk offer insights into our ‘night life’ every evening this weekend (bookings are essential for both) and you’ll want to make your supper bookings at our local restaurants too – click here for details.

The NG Church Bazaar takes place on Saturday 7 August. A traditional Prince Albert event, this is not to be missed! The coffee shop opens bright and early so you can relax with a hot cuppa as you watch all the goodies being delivered and displayed – delicious Karoo chutneys, jams and preserves, incredible bargains at the meat stall, lots of variety at the cake stall and the ever favourite pancakes and ‘basaar-poeding’. Local musicians will perform and there’s entertainment for the children. At ten o’clock our dominee, Chris Briers officially opens the bazaar and the sales begin – by this time you’ll be poised at the table of your choice to pounce upon whatever it is you most prize – but don’t worry, there’s enough for all! As the braai fires start to crackle you’ll realise there’s no need for cooking this weekend – the braai is a true Karoo delight for the taste buds and if you’re wise you’ll buy enough to see you through at least two days!

Hennie Boshoff presents his “Art After Dark” tour in English at Villa Kruger on Saturday evening.  

Which brings us to Sunday, and our annual 30 x 40 exhibition and silent auction at the Prince Albert Gallery. Mary Anne and Brent extend an invitation to locals and visitors alike to take part in this fun event which starts with the viewing of an exhibition of unsigned canvases - each the same size and all the same reserve price – at 14h00. The auction is held from 17h00. A cash bar will be available and snacks will be served. With work by artists of the calibre of Philip Willem Badenhorst, JP Meyer, Wendy Malan and Diane McLean, amongst others, it’s bound to be an exciting evening. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Zwartberg High School ’s art department.  

That leaves Monday – giving you an opportunity to enjoy a leisurely breakfast on Women’s Day, time to wander around the village, perhaps take a drive into the magnificent Swartberg Pass or along one of the farm roads, before heading home, completely relaxed and restored after your Prince Albert weekend. We look forward to seeing you!  

We end this newsletter with a great big THANK YOU to Chantelle Freysen, whose position at the Tourism Office has been made redundant due to financial constraints.  Thank you for your cheerfulness, your enthusiasm and hard work and good luck in your new job!

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The Olive Branch

July 2010 

FIFA WORLD CUP IN PRINCE ALBERT

As we move towards the closing matches in the FIFA World Cup, remember that there is a tranquil little haven, far from the crowds, where you CAN still watch the matches and then relax in the peace which is Prince Albert . For all the events we will be “staging” during July 2010 visit our “forthcoming events” page.  

The big screen for the FIFA World Cup matches is at the VGK Hall in North-end.  There is also a large screen TV at Prickly Pear Restaurant in Kerkstraat.  

At 6.00pm on Sunday 4 July, our VGK church will host an exciting evening of choral music by the Canticum Novum choir from Stellenbosch. There is no charge.    

Allister Sparks will speak about his book First Drafts at a Cultural Foundation gathering in the Prince Albert Gallery on Thursday, 8 July at 17h30 for 18h00.

To download a Calendar of Cultural Foundation events and outings, including the dates for the South African Classic Film Festival, please visit the “what to do” page on the Prince Albert website.  

Christmas in July will takes place here on Saturday 24 July, villagers will be hauling out the faerie lights and tinsel to deck the halls. Contact Chantelle at 023 5411 366 for details about Christmas Dinner and other festive menu’s.    

Other news:  

Our first Moonlit Market was held on the 25th of June; music, good company and the fascination of a familiar place experienced in a new way added to the allure of the evening. Steaming hot food and drinks kept us warm and the moon played her part, providing silvery Karoo light to complement the fiery glow from braai fires and braziers. The “Moonlit Markie” is set to become a regular event.  

Speaking of good food … Gwynne Conlyn, who chats about food and travel every Sunday around 12.45 on Radio Today (DSTV Audio channel 169), reckons that her soul resides in Prince Albert . In the March/April 2010 issue of Avocado magazine she talked about some fantastic meals she has enjoyed here and raised her glass to Bokkie Botha at the Olive Branch restaurant, Vanie Padayachee at African Relish Cookery School , Bergwater Wineries and Soet Karoo Wine Estate. Gwynne’s blog can be found at www.delicioustravel.wordpress.com  Those of you who read WINE magazine will know that Hendry Olivier of the Olive Branch restaurant featured in their most recent edition.  

The Karoo-Renu website underwent a face-lift during June. If you are looking for Karoo plants and seeds make sure to visit Sue and Richard Dean’s website at www.karoo-renu.co.za They also offer guided botanical and nature walks for visitors to Prince Albert and arrange special environmental education tours for school groups. Tel Sue 082 770 0206.    

Our Cultural Foundation is passionate about preserving the Swartberg Pass with its rich historical, cultural, engineering, botanical and geological heritage. Concern has been expressed at the deterioration of the condition of the road and a site inspection by the PACF in 2009 resulted in a CD with pictures and supporting text being sent to a number of key government departments who share legal and financial responsibilities towards the Pass. Although there was a favourable response from the Minister of Transport and Public Works and the project has been identified by the Western Cape Premier as a promising and sustainable job-creation project for Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn, the amount of money pledged for immediate road repairs and for the creation of a ‘Business Plan’ which would address the wider issues, has shrunk and only R1 million is currently available for short-term repairs, all of which will be spent on the north side of the Pass.  

The PACF has prepared a poster outlining the key issues and project details which is on display at our Tourism Association office. The Pass, which is a World Heritage Site and part of the National Estate, was on the agenda for the Collaborative meeting between the Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn held in April, unfortunately several key role players failed to attend the meeting. The PACF will continue to monitor the situation and we’ll keep you up to date on developments. At this stage it would appear that without adequate funding, the project cannot reach fruition and only crisis management may be possible. 

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The Olive Branch

June 2010 

 Here’s some exciting news: our new Prince Albert brochure is available on-line as a PDF file! Click here to see it.

The brochure was launched at a meeting of the Tourism Association hosted by the Swartberg Hotel. Make sure you have a look on-line or pick one up from a Tourism Office near you! If the local office doesn’t have one ask them to give us a ring on 023 5411 366 and we’ll gladly send some their way.  

The meeting was also an opportunity to provide feedback on the 2010 Olive Festival and the Tourism Association executive is already planning to make the 2011 Olive Festival a grand opportunity for you to experience all that makes Prince Albert such a wonderful place. In the meantime…  

GO BAFANA! FIFA WORLD CUP IN PRINCE ALBERT

South Africa ’s cities are packed as soccer fans head for the stadiums. Here in the Great Karoo you CAN watch the FIFA World Cup games on the Prince Albert big screen AND you can enjoy the tranquillity of our village too. Here are the events we will be “staging” during June and July 2010. So whether you are a football fan or you are avoiding the crowds, think about spending a few days with us in peaceful Prince Albert !  

Big screen for the FIFA World Cup matches – at the VGK Hall in North-end.  There is also a large screen TV at Prickly Pear Restaurant in Kerkstraat.  

Join Sue and Richard Dean of Renu-Karoo on a botanical and nature Ecotour: minimum 4, maximum 12 people @ R80 per person. Tel. Sue Milton-Dean 082 770 0206 or Richard Dean 082 845 9588, e-mail renukaroo@gmail.com  

Take a pre-dinner Ghost walk with the Story Weaver to discover more about local characters and the ghosts who don’t want to leave town… 6.00pm most evenings in June and July, R40 for adults, R20 for school children. Booking is essential so give Ailsa a ring at 023 5411 211. e-mail: story@storyweaver.co.za  

Hans and Tilanie Daehne of Astro Tours will be available for stargazing in Prince Albert on the 5th and from the 12th to 19th June 2010 and from the 3rd to 10th July 2010. For bookings, please contact Tilanie on 072 732 2950.  

"Art at Sunset / Under the full Moon" 

Hennie Boshoff presents "Art at Sunset / Under the full Moon" tours at Villa Kruger. English: 3, 10, 17, 24 June and Afrikaans: 4, 11, 18, 25 Junie. Tickets are available at the Tourism Office at R50 pp. More information: tel: 0832672436 or e-mail villakruger@azazel.com  

Hans van der Veen will be offering a flash photography course including the use of Photoshop Lightroom at the Swartberg Hotel on 10 June. Those interested can contact Hans at hans@grandstreetstudios.co.za, or Anobe at anobe@swartberg.co.za.  

African Relish is offering several cookery courses during June and July:

4 - 6 June 2010  Culinary Crusade  South African specialities.

25 - 27 June 2010  Potjies & Praatjies  Winter dishes around the fire with local storytelling.

16 - 18 July 2010  Spice Girl  Repeat of popular Indian Fusion with Chef Vanie.

Tel:  023 5411 381 or e-mail:  virna@africanrelish.com

 

The Cultural Foundation will screen films by well-known and well-loved South African film-makers Jamie Uys, Jans Rautenbach, Emil Noval en Katinka Heyns at the Jans Rautenbach Schouwburg during June, July and August. Dates will be loaded to our Forthcoming events page as soon as they are available.  

Join John Claassens for a trip to Gamkaskloof in John’s Donkey tel 082 575 5133 or contact Lindsay Steyn of Dennehof Tours for trips into Gamkaskloof and around the Karoo and Garden Route , tel 082 456 8848. Swartberg Tours and Travel also offer tours through the Swartberg and the surrounding areas, tel Heinrich & Morne Hinkman on 078 287 9210 or 072 136 1407.  

Fancy a bicycle ride around town? Hire a bike from the National Garage 023 5411 797 or Lindsay on 082 456 8848, who can also arrange a bike ride up and/or down the Swartberg Pass.    

After all the excitement of watching a soccer game you might find a massage or a BodyTalk session relaxing! Contact Erica on 023 5411857 or 084 7728306.  

The Linden Choir from Hoërskool Linden will perform at 10.00am on 24 June at Huis Kweekvallei. There is no charge.  

Join us for a Moonlit Market on Friday 25 June from 18h00 in the "markie" next to the Museum.  Lots of hot food for an Autumn evening and puddings, cake and gluwein. 

At 6.00pm on Sunday 4 July, our VGK church will host an exciting evening of beautiful music by the Canticum Novum choir from Stellenbosch. There is no charge.  

Christmas in July will takes place on Saturday 24 July, villagers will be hauling out the faerie lights and tinsel to deck the halls. Contact Zelia at 023 5411 366 for details about Christmas Dinner and other festive menus.  

Remember you can visit our Where to eat and  Forthcoming eventsand What to do pages for contact details and more information on all there is to taste, see and do in Prince Albert at the Gateway to the Great Karoo.

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The Olive Branch

May 2010 

Wow, what a wonderful Olive Festival! Friday saw the sun rise on a busy scene as farm gates were trucked in to seal off Kerkstraat, stalls were erected and the crackle of braai fires promised traditional Karoo kos.  

With every bed booked the village was looking forward to lots of guests and our effective brochure drops in surrounding towns brought the day visitors too, so Prince Albert was a hive of activity.  

The Zwartberg Runners Half-marathon and fun run provided exercise for the health conscious, the olive pip-spitting competition offered a novel challenge for those who thought they’d seen and done EVERYTHING and the Garden and Home tours presented interior decorating ideas and gardening savvy to those who collected their map from the Tourism Bureau. Visitors were also able to visit Artist in residence, Sally Arnold.  

Live entertainment included the ever popular Patchwork Theatre Children’s Tales, where more than half the audience was made up of adults who are forever young. Mark and Ailsa raised the roof with their “Dinner for One” and Brian Finch, our local Prince Albert Primary School Choir and visiting musicians kept the beat going with live music. Popeye and Olive Oil paraded for the Mayor and film aficionados were delighted to find Classic South African films on show.  

There were the old faithfuls: the Historical and Ghost Walks, Star-watching and Art exhibitions. Lydia talked about her mineral collection and Renu-Karoo walkers discovered the wonders of our Karoo vegetation. Birders enjoyed a safari and the local farms hosted wine tastings, oil pressing and more.  

Then there was the food… stall after stall offering delicious Karoo fare and pancakes, poedings, vegetarian samoosas, chicken sausages, icecream, coffee, witblitz and much more. All our restaurants were fully booked for supper.  

We have left the Olive Festival programme on our website, so you can take a look and remember the fun or perhaps be tempted to join us next year!  

Just in case you think that the Olive Festival is all we did in April, here’s more news:  

Film production designer Johnnie Breedt, whose CV includes the critically acclaimed films Hotel Rwanda, Catch a Fire, Paljas and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, has just produced and directed a short film, The Far Far Tree, in and around Prince Albert. Local actors, including Michael Brunner, star in the film which will be launched at a premiere in the village later this year.  

Prince Albert Olives opened a new olive press; African Relish was the venue for a guided tour and business studies presentation for learners from Zwartberg High School and there are reports of a ‘new’ ghost haunting Seven Arches!  

All this and balmy Autumn days, what better time to visit the Great Karoo and its crowning glory: Prince Albert?

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The Olive Branch 

April 2010   

This newsletter reaches more than a thousand readers world-wide each month. Yet more readers beyond South Africa ’s borders learnt about Prince Albert in the March issue of the National Geographic Traveller Magazine for Holland and Belgium . Roving photographer Frans Lemmens and journalist Aernout Zevenbergen provided information about the Bushman paintings and museum at Scholtzkloof, the winery at Bergwater, Weltevreden’s fig farm, Albert Café and our magnificent Swartberg Pass.   

On the local scene, the Autumn edition of Village Life, the exquisite magazine produced by Maré and Annalize Mouton, features an article with text by Helena Marincowitz and Mary-Anne Botha about our Fransie Pienaar Museum . The Witblitz and potjie evening hosted by the Museum last week was thoroughly enjoyed by all who came to taste their new ‘brew’. Remember to stock up on the local ‘moonshine’ when next you visit us.  

The BMW Motorcycle Club celebrated their annual "BMW Bike Fest 2010" during the long weekend in March. On the Sunday loads of hungry bikers made their way from Oudtshoorn to Prince Albert to enjoy the wonderful scenery en route and the ‘lekker kos’ in our eateries.  

Earth Day was suitably observed in Prince Albert . The street lights around the school grounds were doused and Hans and Tilanie Daehne of Astrotours took the opportunity to tell a crowd all about the lights in the night sky, a splendid fund-raising event for Zwartberg High School

The village is all abuzz with preparations for the Olive Festival! Bookings are coming in fast and furious, so if you are planning to join us give your favourite guesthouse a ring or contact Zelia, Chantelle and Annalien who can help you arrange your accommodation.

Click here for our Prince Albert Olive Festival programme – the highlight of our year: 30th April - 1st May ~ SEE YOU THERE!

 

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The Olive Branch

March 2010

The Human Rights Day long weekend of 20 – 22 March will give you an ideal opportunity to enjoy our balmy ‘not quite Summer but not yet Autumn’ weather and relax in Prince Albert .  

The weekly Saturday Market kicks off the weekend, Hans and Tilanie Daehne of Astro Tours will be available for stargazing (for bookings, please contact Tilanie on 072 732 2950) and on Monday 22nd the Prince Albert Tennis Club offer you the opportunity to exercise your right to play Tennis!  Bring you own "tekkies", a tennis racket and a sense of humour! 

Other activities you might want to investigate and enjoy this month are…  

The Deep South, another of Peter McEwan and Chrisna Smit’s popular music evenings on Saturday 13 March at St John’s Church. Tickets (R50 each) are available from Peter at 023 5411 076. 

Hoërskool Zwartberg will host an Easter Bazaar on Friday 26 March in the "markie" next to the Museum. Join locals to buy curry vetkoek, bazaar pudding, cakes, sweets, fresh veggies, jams & preserves, pancakes, home made bread and find loot at the jumble stall.  

The Prince Albert Community Festival, organised to raise funds for our Municipal Bursary Fund and built around our children’s performances with Jazz Art, was a great success and we know that the energy and vibrancy will be carried forward into our Prince Albert Olive Festival at the end of April! Speaking of which…  

The countdown has started! Entertainment plans include "open garden” visits arranged by the Garden Club; Lydia will once again take guests on historical walks and open her "mineral collection" to the public.  The Cultural Foundation plan to screen "antique films". Patchwork Theatre will be telling children’s stories, the Ghost Walker will be abroad at night, Zwartberg Runners are organising the half marathon and a 10km walk/run and African Relish is offering a cooking course and has invited Dave Ferguson, blues harmonica player, to perform once again this year.  One of the highlights will be our celebrated local production of "Dinner for One"!  

An application form is available on-line for stall-holders wishing to sell their wares at the Olive Festival.  

So, although we might appear to simply slumber away the hot summer months, there’s always something happening here and we look forward to welcoming you to the ‘Prins-dorp’ of the Great Karoo.

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The Olive Branch

February 2010 

2010 has got off to a good start for Prince Albert. We have welcomed lots of visitors from far and near and we look forward to seeing lots more as the year progresses.  

The next few months promise old favourites – and new delights.  

From 5 – 7 March the JazzArt Dance Theatre will entertain young and old as they run a theatre workshop for our children who will then parade and perform for the townsfolk. This forms the focus for the Prince Albert Community Festival with food and craft stalls on the Odendal Sportsfield, a Variety concert, Fun Run, Rugby and Soccer matches and a Gospel Choir ‘Fees’ on the Sunday. All proceeds will go to the Municipal Bursary Fund, so come and join the villagers as they have fun together and support a good cause.  

On Saturday 13 March Peter McEwan and Chrisna Smit will host another of their popular music evenings of at St John’s Church. Tickets for their programme from The Deep South (R50 each) will be available from Peter at 023 5411 076.  

Plans are in hand for the annual Prince Albert Olive Festival on 30 April – 1 May. Experience true Karoo hospitality as the villagers and farmers share their enthusiasm for life in our special town. Details of all that’s on offer will follow in future newsletters – it’s definitely a date to highlight in your diary. Runners will want to register for the Prince Albert Half-marathon, details are available from Terry at 072 331 9354  

African Relish Cookery School recently featured in Country Life. They have a host of events lined up from now until the Olive Festival.  Their courses have intriguing titles which hint at the fun which accompanies the learning: Wine Harvest; Mosbolletjies and Moonshine; Kitchen Cowboys with Pete Goffe-Wood; Escape to Culinary Karoo and Let's get Saucy! with Jacques Erasmus. Full details can be found at www.africanrelish.com

You don’t have to wait for festivals or special events to enjoy Prince Albert . Our Summer evenings lend themselves to outdoor activities. Villa Kruger Art Tours at full moon, Astrotours star gazing and the Story Weaver’s rambles with local ghost stories are ideal ways to appreciate Karoo evenings and magnificent star-filled skies. Every Saturday there’s a cheerful gathering (and bumper-to-bumper parking!) in Kerkstraat as the Market springs to life, offering local fare from organically grown veggies to decadent sugar-laden pancakes. There are handicrafts, health foods and the Thursday Ladies’ white elephant stall, where you can pick up a bargain and support local charities.  

Then there is the wonderful countryside which surrounds us. Gwynne Conlyn will be chatting about Gamkaskloof, the Swartberg and Prince Albert on Radio Today (1485AM or DSTV Audio channel 169) just before 1.00pm every Sunday in February.  

So plan a visit to Prince Albert – you’re assured of a warm welcome!  

 

to read The Prince Albert Friend on-line click here

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