Happy Valley figures

I took a walk up Happy Valley last week while I was doing a recce for an Amazing Race I organised.  Early morning and with no wind walking there was absolute bliss.  Not a soul in sight, birds chirping and the cool air on my face. What a spot and so under-utilised.  The lawns were cut, gardens mostly well looked after and the pathways cleaned.  A little maintenance is needed on two or three of the figures and some of…

Comments Off on Happy Valley figures

Port Elizabeth’s Shark River

Did you know that the little stream that flows through Happy Valley is called the Shark River?  The river valley actually extends up through the old Boet Erasmus Stadium and Forest Hill.  Back in the early days of Port Elizabeth the Shark River was one of the town's water sources with the Frames Reservoir being built in 1864 (and still there today).  The Shark River has never been a big river and unless there was rain it usually just kinda…

2 Comments

Lights in Happy Valley

The peak summer holidays might be over but it doesn't mean that we have to stop going out to explore and experience out beautiful city.  That we can do all year around.  Something you can't do in winter though as the lights are only on in summer (unless they change that in future) is Happy Valley. So if you haven't been to Happy Valley this summer, why not get a few family, friends and kids together and head down there…

Comments Off on Lights in Happy Valley

Happy Valley – wish I was happy

Today was one of those days.  You know, those where you just want to disappear off the radar for a while so nobody can find you.  I feel tired and stressed and its all thanks to having my car stolen last week.  Not just my car but also my backpack that was in the boot with my whole life in it.  Except for the fact that we're going to have to make debt to buy a new car.  The car…

3 Comments

Walking through Happy Valley

After yesterday's post on Happy Valley there was a comment by Grunt saying - "I understood that visitors get mugged when visiting Happy Valley. Used to love it as a child, but based on what I have heard, I tell visitors to avoid it."  There probably hasn't been a mugging in Happy Valley for close to a decade. Yes, it was a problem area but it has been cleaned up and sorted out.  The municipality even has two security guards stationed…

Comments Off on Walking through Happy Valley

Visiting Happy Valley in the evening again

As some of you might know, I have a very special place in my heart for Happy Valley and it was the best news ever when the NMB Municipality fixed it up before this year's summer season started.  I walk up Happy Valley quite often but with the Damselfly's operation we didn't really get a chance to go over the December holiday.  A week or so ago we had a perfect Saturday evening and we bundled the KidZ in the…

2 Comments

Happy Valley – a kids’ paradise

Happy Valley is one of the real Port Elizabeth institutions.  We all went there as children and its great to be able to take our children there these days.  For the decade or so Happy Valley has had a terrible reputation and very few people ever went there.  Three or four years ago all the characters were fixed up again and this year the stolen electricity infrastructure has finally been replaced.  The characters received a new coat of paint and two security…

1 Comment