Fidler in the Hood: Rumour has it there’s an election looming
The light went on - eureka! It's general election season. A time of promises. It's called election fever.
HOWZIT, friends! Is something in the air? Notwithstanding erratic water supplies and threats of power cuts by Eskom, there’s something going on in our town. The traffic seems to perennially be held up, long queues along main roads – not a nice experience in hot weather.
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Driving along the national road towards Ramsgate, there was a hold-up (not in the traditional S’African sense) with a chappie holding a sign saying ‘Stop/Ry’ – a sign indicating roadworks ahead. Roadworks? On a national road, too! Good news: they are resurfacing the roads and not filling in potholes with sand and papier maché. All smooth sailing. This is too much.
From Here to Eternity
The following day, venturing north along past Déja vu Boulevard on Marine Drive, past Shelly Centre and left into Izotsha Road towards the Southcoast Mall, traffic had come to a full stop. What’s going on? Your scribe doesn’t do queues and left all that behind in the big cities. The hold-up was due to a work gang digging up the road for major repairs. It took an eternity (all of 15 minutes) to travel from Marine Drive to the mall. Now, readers, you have to agree that is something out of the ordinary. Traffic-free, stress-free driving in our merry ‘Oldsmobiles’ is more the norm down here.
Something’s Cooking!
Concluding that ‘something is definitely going on’, teams of kerbside grass-cutters on Marine Drive were actually trimming and cleaning edges of roads – and, no, not just one cutter being admired and encouraged by the rest of his/her team-mates, but four really (sort of) working and four ‘resting’. That’s an increase of 400 percent on productivity! Travelling back home and into Edwards Street past the Riverside Sports Club in Uvongo – what’s this? The notorious six potholes across the road, cunningly camouflaged by the sun’s shadows, adjacent to the bowling club, had also been filled in. No more crash, bang, wallop to our beloved cars.
It was too much to expect but sadly Robbens Road in Uvongo, continues to be an eyesore, with the grass as ‘high as an elephant’s eye’ and street signs non-existent.
Promises, promises
But we should be grateful for small mercies and this is ‘a giant step for mankind’ as Neil Armstrong once said. However, all these road repair activities demanded some thought: why now all these improvements to highways after years of neglect with ‘city fathers’ contemptuously ignoring sincere pleas? Was there something happening to make them get off their posteriors? Was it coincidence, or was it those couple of out-of-the blue phone calls? The light went on – eureka! It’s general election season. A time of promises. It’s called election fever.
Women’s World Day of Prayer
The Women’s World Day of Prayer was held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Margate last Friday. This year’s host country is Slovenia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, Central Europe. Eighty-plus women from all denominations represented at this year’s celebrations and theme: ‘Come – Everything is Ready’ Slovenian-style, some wearing traditional head-scarves and clothing. Credit must be afforded to the local Catholic Women’s League who gave of their time to make the event a success, including Noreen Comte, originally from Dublin, Ireland – born within the sounds and smells of the famous Guinness Brewery in Molly Malone’s fair city. Noreen is one those selfless, tireless workers who help out selling pancakes, raffle tickets and raising funds for the local church. She also does a fine rendition of ‘Cockles and Mussels, Alive, Alive-O’ – but ‘Never on a Sunday!’ See you, Rob.
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