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Sleeping feline

My sincerest apologies to those who follow both this blog as well as The Firefly Photo Files for the double post of this picture this week.  I've had a corrupt Windows files which meant that my hard drive crashed and its going to take a little bit of time to load all the programs again and then check to see which photos I haven't posted on the blogs.  Luckily all my original pictures are on my external hard drive. Phew.Anyhow, this big cuddle toy…

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11/08/2012
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Feather Market Centre organ

A lot of people know where the Feather Market Centre is but I bet very few have seen the very impressive organ that adorns the front of the main hall.  The concert hall pipe organ was inaugurated in June 1999 and cost R2,6m at the time.  The organ stands 14 meters high, 10 meters wide and 4,5 meters deep, weighs 20 tons and has 5508 pipes.  Pretty impressive.  The organ was designed by Prof Albert Troskie, built by local organ builder…

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16/07/2012
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Rev Francis McCleland’s grave

Over the last two years every time I visited the St Mary's Cemetery I've had a look for Rev Francis McCleland's grave without any success.  Grizel Hart, the curator at No.7 Castle Hill, explained to me where to find it and on my last visit - after again walking right past it twice - I found it.  Rev Francis McCleland came to to Algoa Bay in one of the 1820 British Settler parties and became colonial chaplain in Port Elizabeth.  He bought…

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11/04/2012
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Fisher’s building

Fischer's Jewellers in Port Elizabeth are one of those businesses that has been around for just about forever.  In 1858 Edward Preiss from London advertised in the "Eastern Province Herald" that he has taken premises next door to the newspaper's office in Main Street and started business as a watchmaker and jeweller.  In 1859 Alwin Fischer and his brother Theodore, both watchmakers, came to the Cape Colony from Saxony.  Theodore opened a business in Cradock while Alwin came to Port Elizabeth and started to…

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23/03/2012
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Concentration Camp Memorial

Kemsley Park next to the SAP sports fields just off Mount Road was one of two Anglo Boer War concentration camp sites in Nelson Mandela Bay. The other one is situated just outside Uitenhage. Roché Petersen has pointed out to me in a previous post that the dead from the concentration camp was buried in the North End Cemetery where there also is a memorial. I haven't had a chance to pop by there to check it out, but hope…

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31/05/2010
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Horse Memorial

The Horse Memorial on the corner of Rink Street and Russel Road was erected in remembrance of the horses and mules that suffered and died during the Anglo Boer War which was fought between 1899 and 1902. Although the war didn't really play of in close proximity to the town, most of the British forces and their horses entered the country through Algoa Bay. The locals were very aware of the circumstances the horses were under on the ships as…

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11/02/2010
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Prince Alfred’s Guard Museum

I had to pop into the Prince Alfred's Guard Museum to other day to take some pics for a brochure. I've actually never been in the museum before then, although I know the monument at St Georges Park quite well. The museum houses military exhibits in the Regiment's Victorian Drill Hall (built in 1880). It is a national monument and one of the finest surviving examples of its type. I got the following history and information about the Prince Alfred's…

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30/11/2009
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Nr 7 Castle Hill well

Nr 7 Castle Hill is one of the oldest residential houses in Port Elizabeth and was built in 1827. Today the building is a historic museum and is kitted out with furniture and accessories mostly out of the Victorian era. In the back courtyard is the original well which was used my inhabitants of the house which has been restored and is in working order.

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20/09/2009
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Uitenhage Town Hall

The Uitenhage Town Hall, built in 1822Towards the end of the 18th century settlers settled in the Swartkops River valley. Amongst them were and Gert and Johanna Scheepers who's farm De Rietvallei was the site of what was to become the town of Uitenhage.Known as the Garden Town, Uitenhage was originally a farming community on the banks of the Swartkops River. Which as today grown into a thriving commercial and industrial area without loosing its picturesque charm. Situated only 30…

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21/08/2009
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Donkin Reserve

Today we are back home after our "trip" covering all the towns surrounding Port Elizabeth. So just to start off on the home front again, I am featuring one of Port Elizabeth's iconic landmarks. The Donkin Reserve. On the Donkin Reserve visitors will find the Donkin Lighthouse as well as the Donkin Memorial Pyramid. The story of the pyramid goes as follow: Sir Rufane Donkin married Elizabeth Frances Markham in 1815 and barely 2 months later was posted to India.…

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07/07/2009