Fidler in the Hood: Paradise is almost closing down
Surely 'human rights' includes having access to water and electricity?
HOLIDAY greetings friends and out-of-towners. The Indian summer shows no sign of cooling off with incessant heat night and day. A cold comfort (pardon the pun) for those who have air-conditioning – you need electricity. If you want an ice-cold beer, you must have a fridge. If you have a fridge, you gotta have electricity. If you want to relax and watch TV, then you have to have electricity. Get the point?
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Romantic illumination
Candlelight dinners are very much in vogue on the Hibiscus Coast. Problem is how to cook the meal in the first place. No electricity, no cooking. No cooking, no meals. (No washing up either. The dishwasher runs on electricity). So blow out the candles, it’s much too hot in any case. Don’t bother to freshen up for dinner, or for any meal for that matter – there’s no water coming out of the taps. Water shortages for any fabricated reason or excuse can be anything from three days to a week, depending on where you live.
Powerless
It’s Human Rights Day this week, but surely ‘human rights’ includes having access to water and electricity? This has been blown out of what little water we have (pardon the pun) and timing could not have been better. The holiday season is here again – a time when we are supposed to welcome visitors and tourists who believe the Hibiscus Coast with its wonderful beaches and lots on offer is still a great place to chill out.
However, and which has so often happened in the past, authorities at local, provincial and national levels do their utmost to drag the area down.
The incompetence and indifference of both municipalities is beyond words. When will the penny drop that tourism is the life-blood of the South Coast?
Green, Green Grass of Home
Most locals believe the Hibiscus Coast is something special and take pride in their homes and environs, but are stymied by the ineptitude shown by the local municipality. And sadly, there is also a minority of residents who will not pitch in to make surrounding areas look neat and tidy. If it is to be believed, standing orders are that grass verges adjacent to residences should be cut and cleaned up every three weeks in summer and six weeks in winter. Maybe council works on northern hemisphere summer/winter times? The last verge-cutting and clean-up of the Robbens Road/Dee Road/Edward Street area was in January – 12 weeks ago. The grass is sky-high and roads are crumbling from vegetation growing under the tarmac. If there was a prize for ‘best eyesore’, then this part of the woods would win hands down.
“We’ll call you”
Advice on who to contact falls on deaf ears. “I’ll get someone to phone you” is the stock answer. You guessed correctly: no one listens and no one calls back. The CO received several messages on her smart phone, most folks offering empathy, if not sympathy, and all agree that ‘something must be done’. But most think it is a ‘losing battle’ and we will continue to have this love/hate relationship with the authorities who run the place.
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By The Sleepy Lagoon
The upside is that these frustrations make us to turn to the demon drink. The CO and your scribe popped over to the Blue Lagoon in Ramsgate to drown our sorrows during load-shedding. The weather was nigh on perfect; dusk drawing in and a magnificent view over the beach and lagoon. Perfection – it doesn’t get any better than this, anywhere. Lovely people, laughing, joking, good food, ice-cold beverages. Okay, it’s decided – we’ll stay; we’ll give it another week! But, please, please, get the water and electricity to stay on. In this weather, one can go ‘off’ very quickly. Oh, and don’t forget the grass verges, please, this time – pleading once more with much more feeling.
Social calendar
The plus-side of living here is the amazing social calendar. There’s the monthly Moondeckers get-together tomorrow (21st), to which visitors are welcome to attend, aided with a drink in one hand, nice food and convivial company. Saturday evening (23rd) brings the ever-popular Guinea Pig Kitchen dining-in event hosted by Arnie and Sandy Hoffman, with food for thought from the ‘Deep South, USA’, along with some Dixie music, which fits well on the Hibiscus Coast.
Great shows
Also on Saturday evening (23rd), Margate Retirement Village will host a great evening of music by George Gershwin, with Christopher Duigan tickling the ivories in the Azalea Hall.
It will be a classic case of trying to be at two venues at the same time. For lovers of really good music, Mbango Valley Association will be hold its monthly music get-together next Thursday afternoon (28th) from 2 to 4pm.
The theme will be ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue’. Everyone is most welcome.
Roll, roll your bowls
Finally, don’t forget the Bowls Fun Day at Riverside Sports Club next Saturday (30th) from 1.30pm. Winston Smile will entertain and has promised to sing ‘When You’re Smiling, The Whole World Smiles with You’, to lift morale in these dark and dry times. It’s a great place to ‘roll your balls’ and easy to find; just hack your way through the tall grass and voila, you’re there. See you, Rob.
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