Fidler in the Hood: With 20/20 vision, it’s going to be a great year
The local tourist industry appears to have done good business.
Season’s greetings, friends. Hopefully this year will be a lot better. Easy to say, now that we all have 20/20 vision. This year sees the start of the ‘Roaring Twenties’. Local authorities will roar into action and finally get around to all urgent maintenance and repairs. On with the show.
Season of goodwill
The local tourist industry appears to have done good business. Traffic was bumper to bumper; car parks were full and car guards all reported business was good. Not sure if that rubbed off and filled coffers of local shops, but hopefully, everyone benefited.
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Our season got off to a great start. The CO lost her wallet containing all her cards and driving licence. Fortunately she remembered leaving it at the Izotsha toll gate – although finding dropped wallets in the dark did not inspire hope.
Norma to the rescue
At the toll gate we approached the cashier who remarked “Oh, so pleased to see you. I picked up your wallet; here it is!” Saved by Norma – patron saint of lost driving licences and wallets. Sadly I did not get Norma’s surname.
Profuse words of thanks and tokens of appreciation were afforded to Norma, who certainly saved our Christmas. The moral of this Christmas carol is there are still many super people around. Thanks, Norma, you were our Christmas star (and saviour).
Turkey in Trafalgar
To celebrate this good fortune, we drove to Trafalgar for a Christmas Eve lunch at the Gallery Café. The lunch was superb and the CO had her wallet to pay for the memorable meal. Fellow scribe Philippa Makepeace was there with friends and we agreed to divide and share local and out-of-town visitors between for a story for the Bonus.
When Buddha smiles
It was a pleasant surprise to meet the Jefferys family from Bapsfontein, Mpumalanga, who asked whether the town of Bapsfontein was ever heard of here. The South Coast might be a bit insular, but not that insular.
Yes, your scribe had actually visited the magnificent Buddhist temple and cultural centre in Bapsfontein. A donation was even made to Buddha in exchange for a prediction that lottery winnings would feature in the not-so-distant future. How could anyone forget Bapsfontein? Perhaps Buddha is still smiling.
Welcome visitors
The Jefferys family were a delight. Simon is head of the family, with good wife Sally, and three good-looking children: Amber (17), Aiden (12) and Jason (27). Jason was the surprise package: Tall, dark and handsome, he ‘threw’ the writer with his admission of being a missionary serving in Ethiopia. Currently he is on a sabbatical, furthering his studies in East London.
Simon is a local businessman in Bapsfontein, specialising in electronic security. The family were making a pilgrimage to their second home in Munster. They still have this love affair with the Hibiscus Coast, which for them is ‘home away from home’. Who can disagree with that?
Heading north
After Christmas, with the CO still zealously clinging to her wallet, we ventured north to Johannesburg to get far from the madding crowd for New Year. With Gautengers heading ‘thisaway’ for the coast, we headed ‘thataway’. ‘Joeys’ is great this time of the year – no rat-race traffic, no problem getting a table at restaurants and shopping till you drop made easy. Great for a short visit, but life down here is something special.
Back home the place was intact but the green, green grass of home desperately needs cutting. Finally, latest news is that editor David Rush is going round with a smug smile on his face. Does he know something we don’t? That maybe his beloved Liverpool might achieve the unthinkable this year and steal the crown from Manchester City? It’s a cruel world! See you, Rob.
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