Neville Ritchie from Standerton is captivated and energised by his hobbies

The town has a man with absorbing hobbies which leaves him with not a minute’s boredom.

Mr Neville Ritchie has made his mark professionally in the marketing field, a trophy in the braai area testifying to his accomplishments.

In a nutshell, there are the slot cars, superb wine collection, single malt whiskey collection and a sound system that allows for music to be played at full tilt.

“I have many old LPs and hundreds of CDs,” Neville said.

“My taste in music is wide with the possible exception of heavy rock, heavy metal and heavy techno-stuff.”

He was first in the line to buy the late Mr Paul Daniel’s record collection and has hundreds of tapes.

“I am a bit of a hoarder,” Neville admitted.

“The crystal-clear clarity of the instruments and the artists has the fine hairs on my arms standing up.”

On the classical side, he enjoys without a doubt renditions highlighting the sounds of the violin, cello, double base and clarinet.

“I am transfigured by music and can spend the whole day, just listening to music.

“That is where I find myself.”

Just name it, Afrikaans artists such as Anna Davel, Koos du Plessis, Mathys Roets and Valiant Swart occupy a meaningful place in his heart.

He also loves Sting, Paul Simon and Andrea Bocelli’s merit is not underestimated.

Onto his second hobby, with a number of wine apps on his phone, he checks past experiences and identifies the specific bottle, maybe even the vineyard.

This hobby is closely linked to gastronomical delights since he is no rookie in the kitchen.

“I like to try new things and experiment with flavours.”

His herb garden has a variety of freshly-grown condiments.

With his green fingers, the plants grow in abundance in neatly, organised beds.

Everything in the garden is used in dishes.

“I like the earth and enjoy pottering around in the garden,” he commented.

Neville described himself tongue-in-the-cheek as linked to wine, music and the kitchen.

Culinary specialities include the popular, practiced South African way of life.

“I am big on braai,” he said.

He loves fly-fishing, with Dullstroom, and not the commercial places, a preference.

Neville, a product of Standerton Primary School and Hoërskool Standerton, played provincial golf at high school.

He also obtained provincial colours in hockey, cricket and tennis.

Culture-wise, the entrancement of choirs awaited the man, who sang from Grade 8 all the way up to Grade 12, when it was called Standard 6 to 10.

“I am blessed sport-wise and culture-wise.”

The family business, that was established in 1944, could have played a role in his fascination with cars.

His house accommodates the tiny slot cars, ready on their tracks and onto the real thing, Max Verstappen and Formula 1 races are not to be missed.

“There are not enough hours in the day,” was one of his succinct observations.