The Victorian Conservatory

St Georges Park was established in 1861, and in 1864 the lands around it were subdivided and sold off, to create funds for the further development and maintenance of the park. One of the developments was this conservatory, built to house tropical plants. It is a bit tatty these days, but remains a beautiful structure.

6 Comments

She’s no longer alone…………

Some time ago on Arty Fartying Around, I featured a delightful piece of street art that had appeared in Port Elizabeth. A group of trees had been felled near the golf driving range in Walmer, and the logs left lying around.Someone with a brilliant eye and lateral thinking ability spotted the potential for one to become a reclining woman, and painted a white dotty bikini on her. She brought a smile to many of us as we spotted her lying…

9 Comments

The Black Widow

The glamour of jets - we love them.This picture was taken at the Port Elizabeth Air Show in October 2006. The Black Widow as she is called, is the only flying Mirage III CZ in the world. The Mirage IIIC, a single-seat interceptor, first flew in October 1960 and was used in French Air Force until 1988. It was exported to South Africa and designated the Mirage IIICZ.

4 Comments

Trinity House

We'll come back to 7 Castle Hill, but today we wanted to share pictures of another very old house in Central which has been maintained in its original state.This is Trinity House, and it is about 30 years newer than 7 Castle Hill, having been built around 1858. It was recently bought by Amanda and Karl Wellmann, who have done a wonderful job of lovingly restoring it, and turning it into a guesthouse.Here you can see one of the bedrooms,…

3 Comments

Courtyard 7 Castle Hill

A peek inside the delightful cobble stoned courtyard of the historic museum at 7 Castle Hill, the oldest home in PE still in existence. It has been beautifully preserved. It was built in the 1820s by Rev Francis McLelland, who was the Minister of the St Marys Church down the hill in market square. The old water pump and coal bin are still there. To the right are the old stables. It is well worth a visit, to get an…

5 Comments

Jimminy Cricket!!!

Cricket has certainly moved with the times. For those who find 5 days of stiff-upper-lip play with white clothing and a sedate pace a bit heavy going, there are now new formats which make the game much more exciting. The newest of these is the 20-20 match, which is fast paced, 4s and 6s fly, the music is loud and trendy, gogo dancers and flame throwers go ballistic everytime something exciting happens, the crowds really get involved and the atmosphere…

Comments Off on Jimminy Cricket!!!

A different view of Donkin Lighthouse

This was taken in Richmond Hill one morning at sunrise, from the road that runs past the proposed block that was halted, which we told you about in Friday's Post. Because of its position on the brow of the Hill on which the first buildings in the city were developed, it is possible to get glimpses of this landmark from many angles.

1 Comment

Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria still watches over parts of her former empire, with her "We are not amused look". This Sicilian marble statue of her, is situated at the entrance to the Main Library, on the North-Western corner of Market Square. It was erected and unveiled in 1903 two years after her death.

1 Comment

Stone Crosses

Since it is Easter Sunday, we thought this group of old stone crosses found on various churches in PE and Uitenhage would be appropriate. Happy Easter to all!

12 Comments

Yay Yippee Yay

The saga of the high rise development in Richmond Hill has been resolved, and it goes to show that it IS worth while for concerned citizens to get involved and not take 'stupidity/vested interests/lack of logic/all of the above' from city officials lying down! A while ago, concerned citizens noticed some earthworks on the hill below the teachers college, and upon investigation, found that a 4 story block of flats was going up. This picture was taken in June last…

4 Comments