Duncan du Bois
GOOGLE does not make someone an instant historian. That’s the view of Duncan du Bois, who has just released the book Sugar and Settlers: A History of the Natal South Coast 1850-1910. Continue reading
Ron Lock, author of Tales of the Old East Coast
Review: Tales of the Old East Coast by Ron Lock (published by I-Go-Books)
TALES of the old East Coast is exactly what its title implies, a number of stories spanning from Cape Town to KwaZulu-Natal and beyond.
It begins with the hazards of sailing up the East Coast and the ships which foundered off into, including Sao Joao, which was wrecked off Port Edward in 1552. The survivors trekked over one thousand kilometres to Lourenco Marques.
There are also tales of white children being taken in by local tribes, like the amaPondo, including a young girl called Bessie, who legend has it, gave birth to Senzangkona, father of King Shaka.
Other stories tell of slavers, the colonisation of South Africa by European nations, the 1820 settlers in the Eastern Cape, the Bushmen, and Robben Island’s first white convicts.
The book contains close on a hundred illustrations and spans a period of over 400 years. All the stories are told with the expertise of a true raconteur, so if enjoyed Lock’s previous offerings – Hill of Squandered Valour, Spionkop 1900 and Blood on the Painted Mountain – then this will definitely appeal.
Estelle Sinkins
Contact Ramsgate Stationers & Booksellers, 4 South Coast Mall, Beach Road, Shelly Beach, 4265 or phone 039 315 0213 for more information.
Dorren Gaze, author of Ramsgate Recollections
Review: Ramsgate Recollections by Doreen Gaze (published by Brevitas)
DOREEN Gaze, owner of the Gaze Gallery in Ramsgate and a member of the family which owns the popular Waffle House in the South Coast village, describes her book, Ramsgate Recollections, as ‘a collection of other people’s note and memories’.
“I believed Ramsgate’s colourful past was something that needed to be recorded for those coming next,” she says simply.
Gaze, who was one of several local authors who took part in the inaugural Ramsgate Literary Festival on the Heritage Day weekend, was born and schooled in Johannesburg.
In 1949 she married John Gaze and they left for a new life on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast. In 1957 the couple built the Tea House of the Blue Lagoon, which apart from a break of 15 years, has been in the family. It is now the popular Waffle House.
In Ramsgate Recollections, Gaze has threaded together recollections from people who helped shape Ramsgate into a place that, as John Clarke says in the foreword, ‘upcountry bumpkins like me could enjoy for a week or two once or twice a year.’
The book also takes a closer look at the shark attacks from 1957 to 1961 which nearly crippled the local tourism industry. And there are stories about the pioneering families of the South Coast, iconic eateries like the Crayfish Inn, and how the tiny village developed over the years. A must for local history buffs.
Estelle Sinkins
Contact Ramsgate Stationers & Booksellers, 4 South Coast Mall, Beach Road, Shelly Beach, 4265 or phone 039 315 0213 for more information.
Ruth Fifield, author of The Postmaster’s Mistress
A PASSION for history and the need to tell the story of legendary Port Edward resident, Elena Jennings, led Ruth Fifield to pen her inaugural book, The Postmaster’s Mistress, published by Partridge Publishing. Continue reading
Bongi Malishe, author of You are Wired to Win, was one of several speakers at the inaugural Ramsgate Literary Festival. She has written books in both English and isiZulu and is in demand as a motivational speaker. Malishe told festival-goers: “You are what you say you are; circumstances happen to equip you with the skills you need to reach your goal. So remember, whatever you go through in life will make you stronger.”
LOCAL history authors, writing, for the most part, about the people and places of the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, dominated the inaugural Ramsgate Literary Festival.
Sponsored by UGU South Coast Tourism, the festival took place on September 24 and 25 at the Whale Deck overlooking beautiful Ramsgate beach. In addition to talks by authors, visitors were able to view art exhibitions, visit quirky museums, taste fine wines and indulge in tasty food. Continue reading
THE inaugural Ramsgate Literary Festival, sponsored by Ugu South Coast Tourism, will take place on September 24 (Heritage Day) and September 25. Continue reading
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