In November last year, parts of the Johannesburg Parks region were hit by a   devastating hail storm -  large hail stones fell with a ferocious intensity.  They shredded leaves of agapanthus and arums, as well large robust trees, and reduced every impatience and begonia plant  to a bruised and damaged lone green stalk.  Of [...]

Guests at Liz at Lancaster have a small (completely adorable) 2 year old.  He is very sociable and wants to socialize with persons who have the same interests (like us all!) and because his parents are only here in SA  for 2 months or so, they cannot enroll him in a creche.  While there is [...]

Ever wondered how long things take to decompose? Well, apparently it depends largely on whether they’re decomposing in a viable compost heap filled with hungry organisms, or in a landfill that gets little air, water or sunlight. But here’s a rough guideline:
Paper towel [...]

Part of the entertainment landscape in Joburg in the mid 20th Century was the Drive-In Cinema. Sadly the last one, the Velskoen Drive -In,  will disappear in a week or so.  See http://findingjozi.co.za/reminiscing-an-ode-to-velskoen-drive-in/ I remember when I was about 10 or so my mother taking me to see what turned out to be quite a scary movie at [...]

Would any of these viewers have photographed this painting if the comment from the Presidency had been ‘no comment’?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ferial Hafajee writes eloquently, subtly and critically (as always) on the debate between ‘the personal right to dignity’ and the right for freedom of expression (and so public debate and critique): http://www.citypress.co.za/Columnists/How-a-painting-divided-a-nation-20120527   I have currently not had [...]

. Hugo and Cleary won the non-EU section of the music video category with their black-and-white video for Mathambo’s electronic cover version of Joy Division’s ‘She’s Lost Control’. Well worth watching see http://mg.co.za/article/2011-06-24-pieter-hugo-wins-young-director-award-at-cannes/

Remember there’s a total lunar eclipse on Wednesday 15th June. It starts at 8:22pm, is total from 9:21 pm to 11:02pm, and ends at 00:02am. It will be visible from all of Africa, although north-west Africa misses the start. You don’t need any special equipment to watch this. The next total lunar eclipse will be [...]

In 2008 Managing Diretctor and developer Jonathan Liebmann purchased the old DF Corlett Construction offices and warehouses and worked with architect Enrico Daffonchio on converting them into the space that is now Arts on Main – a mix of galleries,  [Goodman Gallery, David Krut, Seipel, Goethe Institut] private artist studios, [Kentridge, Leiberman, amongst others] advertising [...]

See  http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/blog/my_south_africa_by_jonathan_jansen.html#

Since November 2010 the coffee shop at the Apartheid Museum has been re-opened.  Even better news is that it is run by Mrs D’Angeli, who together with her son Dario ran Yum in Greenside for a number of years.  With an interesting and varied menu, the coffee shop is accessible even to those who are not [...]