The St Georges Park Brass Band

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k87wyxb9fs&w=500&h=400]The St Georges Brass Band has become an institution at the St Georges Park Cricket Ground over the years.  Some people join in with them singing their lungs out while others despise the noise. Regardless of this it is hard to deny that the band has given St Georges a very unique atmosphere and once the local team gets their tails up and the band gets involved, its hard to stop the wave washing over the opposition.  

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Prince Alfred’s Guard sergeant-major

On top of the Prince Alfred's Guard Memorial in St Georges Park stands a guy with a gun.  Who or what is he? Not to leave the question open ended and you all wondering what the answer is, here it is.  He is a life-size figure of a sergeant-major of Prince Alfred's Guard, in full dress and standing at the "charge".

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The fountain in the Pearson Conservatory

I swung past the Pearson Conservatory last week while looking for a Geocache in St Georges Park and was happy to see that the fountain inside had a new lick of paint.  Whatever they put on it after the Conservatory's renovation started to get ugly.  The fountain itself wasn't working but I'm hoping its a case of not being turned on yet after it got painted.  The Pearson Conservatory was originally built in 1882 and restored to its former glory between 2009 and…

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The green green grass of St George’s Park

I took a walk around Park Drive a day or two before the cricket test between South Africa and the West Indies were due to start and decided to pop into the St George's Park Cricket Stadium quickly.  I love the fact that one can get in and right onto the field without anybody stopping and questioning you.St George's Park staged the first cricket test to be played outside England or Australia in 1888-89 with England winning by eight wickets.  In…

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The lions’ heads at Prince Alfred Guard Memorial

It's surprising how few Port Elizabethans know that the Prince Alfred Guard Memorial in St Georges Park stands on top of one of the city's oldest reservoirs.  The 2 million gallon reservoir was completed between 1906 and 1907 at a cost of  £15 525 back in the day.  This memorial actually forms the central ornamental feature of the Service Reservoir.  On each side of the memorial is a lion's head and it turns out that these were fountains with jets of…

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St George killed the dragon

The Cenotaph outside St Georges Park was unveiled in 1929 and was erected to the memory of the men from Port Elizabeth that fell during the First World War.  After the Second World War memorial panels were added to the walls.  The memorial was the work of James Gardner of the Art School.  On two sides of the memorial are different figures - one representing a mother and child and the other St George.  The woman, or warrior's wife, symbolises the protecting of the home,…

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Old Port Elizabeth coat of arms

A week or so ago I went for a walk around St Georges Park and at one stage spent a little time at the Prince Alfred Guard Memorial.  On the memorial I found this old Port Elizabeth coat of arms and I decided to go and do a little research about it.  Turns out this one evolved into a more elaborate coat of arms that was used until Port Elizabeth became part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.The later arms (above) were…

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The St Georges Park war memorial cross

People interested in history in Port Elizabeth should know the war memorials around St Georges Park.  The Cenotaph, the Prince Alfred Guard Memorial and the bronze plaque where the South African Heavy Artillery Memorial used to be.  Not many people know though that there is a fourth war memorial in the park.  Right behind the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Gallery is a plaque with a small hedge in the form of a cross.  Unfortunately the one side of the cross has died a…

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Port Elizabeth Lawn Tennis Club

The Port Elizabeth Lawn Tennis Club in St Georges Park was founded on 1 September 1879, making it the oldest active tennis club in South Africa.  The club hosted the first South African Lawn Tennis Championship in 1891 and today the club is still situated on its original site.Check out the St Georges Park website for more info on the club's history. 

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