Soldiers of the Prince Alfred Guard standing at attention while the giant flag on the Donkin Reserve is being lowered. The reason 6 guys are needed is due to the size of the flag and the fact that it may not touch the ground when it comes down. It was quite fun watching them grab the 12 meter x 8 meter flag and putting it back into the base of the flagpole. The flagpole is the tallest in Africa while…
I always like photographing historic buildings lit up with spot lights after dark. Perhaps its just me but there aren't as many these days as there used to be in the past. I had to go to an evening meeting at the Grand Hotel in Central and because I was a bit early I popped along the Donkin Reserve to get a couple of photos of those buildings that were lit up. This is the Grey Institute.
The Grey Institute across the road from the Donkin Reserve was completed in 1859 and housed Grey High School until 1915 when they moved to their present site in Mill Park. Since then the building housed Pearson High School (now in Summerstrand) and then the Albert Jackson Primary School. Since it was bought by the Mediterranean Shipping Company the building has had extensive renovations done to it although the historic look and feel was kept. When I got to visit a little…
Today is 18 July and Nelson Mandela is celebrating his 94th birthday. Happy birthday Madiba! To celebrate the day and the 67 selfless years Mandela spent in the public eye, people all over the country (and the world) have been giving 67 minutes of their time to help others. Activities range from working at soup kitchens, painting township schools, helping to establish vegetable gardens, clean-up campaigns or just entertaining old folk at a retirement home. Anything that brings assistance and happiness to…
I've been wanting to see the soldiers from the Prince Alfred Guard either hoist or lower the giant flag on the Donkin Reserve for a while now but just haven't had a chance to do so. Big was my excitement when I was standing on top of the Donkin lighthouse with a media crew the other day when the soldiers arrived to lower it. Yay! If you look carefully at the base of the flagpole you will see six soldiers standing…
This past Sunday the inaugural Donkin Downhill Dash took place at the Donkin Reserve here in Port Elizabeth. Since the upgrade at the Donkin Reserve local skateboarders have discovered that the new winding path from the lighthouse down towards Chapel Street is the ideal skateboard run. The n_mb city project approached the Mandela Bay Development Agency who was responsible for the upgrade to support a downhill skateboard competition and they agreed. The rest, as they say, is history. I posted…
I often post pictures taken around the Donkin Reserve but I realised that I haven't taken one looking slightly up the hill with both the lighthouse and the pyramid in it for a while. The Donkin Reserve is truly one of the most iconic sites (and sights) in Port Elizabeth and has recently been names one of Nelson Mandela Bay's Top 10 tourism icons. The pyramid was built as a monument to Lady Elizabeth Donkin (after whom the city was…
Its not every day that I get to meet celebs and when I do I don't get all gaga and star struck (well maybe a little but I hide it very well). I've never been one for autographs but I like to get a picture with said celebs if I feel that its appropriate to ask. So here I am (I'm the one on the right just in case you don't know) with Top Billing presenter Simba Mhere on top of…
Standing on top of the Donkin Lighthouse and looking east towards Algoa Bay the new winding walkway leading up from the city centre is visible. The walkway is part of the Route 67 development and lately the skateboarders have discovered it and the fact that its a perfect downhill run. There has even been a submission to council to hold a skateboard competition there.
The Donkin Reserve is truly one of Port Elizabeth's biggest iconic sites with the lighthouse and pyramid standing side by side on the city's balcony overlooking Algoa Bay.