Amberglen recently rocked to the 60's sound of the legendary musical, Grease.

60 years on from the era depicted in the movie, producer par excellence Jo Orsmond rustled together a group of retirees and put on an excellent production.

Playing to 4 full house audiences, the cast, led by Mike and Rita Fisher as Danny and Sandie, the audiences were treated to an outstanding show!

Kudos to all the cast and their superb producer!!

Pictured above are Mike and Rita Fisher (Danny and Sandie).

News supplied.

Fans of legal dramas and local theatre will not want to miss Justice is a Woman; a highly emotive theatre production highlighting issues of gender inequality and the ethical dilemmas of the justice system written by well-respected former KZN judge Chris Nicholson, directed by Paul Spence, formerly of the Royal Shakespeare Company UK and starring a richly talented South African cast.

Set in a KZN university in 2018, after the 2 000-year exclusion of women as lawyers in the courtroom, Justice is a Woman tells the captivating story of a female post-graduate student’s molestation case against her male university professor. Lead character Portia, the lawyer representing the professor, is faced with an ethical dilemma that forces her to question her values and threatens to tear her personal life apart.

Opening performances take place from 23 to 25 May at Michaelhouse, 29 and 30 May at Grace College, and from 4 to 8 June at the Hexagon Theatre, Pietermaritzburg.

Tickets are R80 per person (R130 Hexagon), R50 pensioners (R80 Hexagon) and students R40. For more information, follow @justiceisawoman on Facebook or contact Paul Spence on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (084) 341 1742.

Justice Cast : Pictured from left are Mark Mulder, Phiyayinkosi Mbuyazi and Paul Spence.

News supplied.

Our first baby Barn Owl (Tyto alba) of the season is here.

Barn Owls often use chimneys to nest in. In this instance, the home owners did not realize there was a family of Barn Owls using the chimney until they lit their first fire for the season, and this youngster came tumbling down into the fireplace.

They reacted quickly and pulled the hapless youngster from the fire before he sustained anything more than a few singed feathers and a bruised wing.

He has been in our care for the last few days and his minor injuries have been treated.

The home owners, residing in Nottingham Road's Gowrie Village, have decided that an owl box will be safer for him and his family than the chimney will be, so the FreeMe KZN's Owl Box Project team will be installing a Barn Owl box and he will be reunited with his family.

Would you like to contribute and be involved in the work FREEME KZN does? Then please join the Custodianship Program.
http://www.freemekzn.co.za/become-a-custodian/

News supplied by FreeMe Rehabilitation Centre.

Eat at Andrew's, Mushka, Nuts About Books & Toys and Harvard Electrical Wholesalers have put together spoils for one lucky Mom. To enter follow the steps on Facebook.

The prize includes tea/coffee and cake for TWO at Eat at Andrew's on collecting the hamper which contains gloves and a scarf from Mushka, a novel and a cookbook from Nuts About Books & Toys and two white desk lamps from Harvard Electrical Wholesalers. The winner will be announced on Facebook on Saturday, 11 May 2019 at 11am.

Follow the link to facebook and action the steps by the end of the day on Friday 10 May 2019!

https://web.facebook.com/Howickvillage.co.za/

Harvard Electrical Wholesalers have specials to keep you out of the dark  this Winter.

Harvard Electrical Wholesalers are stockists of industrial and domestic components for the building industry, indoor and outdoor lighting, switches, ECC and surface cables and lots more.

There is a full range of LED globes and lamps available and solar products available. All LED's are guaranteed for 12 months.

Prices are valid until 11 May or while stocks last.

Secure customer parking at the door.

Visit Harvard Electrical Wholesaler's showroom at 22 Harvard Street, Howick.

I would like to highly commend our Howick traffic licensing department for their courtesy and care today and in general.

I accompanied an elderly friend who uses a walker to the above offices today and we were so well treated by all the staff. The cashier from where one applies for a new driving license came out to the car park, helped my friend with her forms and took them inside for processing for her.

The cashier at the office for the renewal of vehicle licenses was very efficient and dealt with a large number of people quickly and pleasantly. The staff in the car park and at the entrance could not have been more helpful.

Such a change from other municipal offices in Howick!

News supplied by Margaret Parker

Horse-mad local lady and founder of Equine Transeva Technique - ETT™, a technique to improve muscle function and performance, Beth Shaw, studied under one of South Africa’s pioneers of equine bodywork, Winks Greene. Winks Greene trained in England under Charles Strong and brought the first Transeva to South Africa in 1953. Winks rehabilitated well-known racehorse Gondolier who after being treated by Winks for several months, went on to win the 1985 Rothmans July.

Beth Shaw has been an Equine Transeva Technique (ETT™) practitioner for over 17 years. She openedBSET Academy in Karkloof in 2008, through which Shaw and her team, led by Robyn Butterworth, have been developing the modality of ETT™ to operate under the scope of para veterinarian services. BSET Academy has trained ETT™ practitioners working successfully country and worldwide. Beth acknowledges that her student’s hunger to learn more pushed her to become better.

Originally from the USA, Beth has owned and ridden horses all her life and has represented South Africa numerous times for Ladies Polo. Beth’s work with Winks began in the 90s.

Today she works with high-performance equine athletes in most of the top racing yards in South Africa. Beth and Birgit Schroder (BSET Graduate and ETT™ Practitioner) have impacted on many Group 1 wins including the Vodacom Durban July (6x), twice winning the Gold Cup and Vodacom Durban July in the same season. Her work also involves equine athletes involved in Show Jumping, Dressage, Polo, Showing and Endurance. Shaw’s longtime connection with the horse has now brought her to Hong Kong. As an ETT™ Practitioner Shaw services the HKJC racehorses based at Sha Tin racecourse and Beas River Equestrian Club.

ETT™ is a technique which will re-establish correct muscle movement and function. The trained ETT™ Practitioner assesses the muscle tone under contraction and adjusts the WG Transeva’s dynamic current to bring the Athlete’s muscle back on-line and to optimum performance. When the Athlete’s muscle is on-line there is less stress on tendons, ligaments, and joints.

On ETT™ use in humans;

‘With developing the company ETT International Limited in Hong Kong, I have moved away from human work. Although if David Miller needs me during the IPL, I will skip across the pond!’, said Beth.

Beth explained how her Asian working relationship began, ‘My awareness of racing in Hong Kong started with the exportation of SA racehorses to Hong Kong and following the developments of racing in mainland China at Conghau Racecourse.

As I know the application of ETT™ by a trained practitioner can be a valuable tool in preparing a racehorse for performance, when I get into HK I connect with SA trainers …in Hong Kong I am working with SA exports to help them perform as best they can under very competitive circumstances. The dream is to help the South African bred horse look better to the international buyer. This may, in turn, help the breeding industry in South Africa. My career started on the stud farms of KwaZulu-Natal.

Peter and Jenny Blyth of Clifton Stud, Nottingham Road, really opened the door to HK by introducing me to Pamela Ferraris. David And Pamela have been training for the HKJC for 16 years. Peter Gibson of the SARC also opened a big door by introducing me to the head of HKJC Veterinary Clinic.
About this time last year, I was visiting BSET Academy Alumni in Dubai, sitting on the beach eating Ben&Jerry’s ice cream and I spotted a John Deere Tractor. At that moment I said to myself, “If Ben&Jerry and John Deere can be International – so can I!” (B&J and John Deere(himself) are also from the small state of Vermont, USA)!

And so now ETT International Limited is a registered, growing company based in Hong Kong.’

On how she balances various aspects of her life, ‘My children, Gower and Madison Shaw are at fantastic boarding schools in Pietermaritzburg and we live in one of the most beautiful places in the world –The Karkloof Valley-so the Hong Kong commute is worth it. Even if I’m only home for 3 to 4 days at a time.’

We asked Beth about her future goals, ‘The next important step is to have BSET Academy’s course Equine Practices and Equine Transeva Technique recognised at the Diploma level by CATHSSETA.

The international goal is to develop the clientele of ETT International to require more ETT™ Practitioners in HK.

HKJC is the hub of international racing. I’m meeting so many people involved with horse racing industry wworldwide– creating the opportunity for ETT International to become an international force, like John Deere!‘

Beth Shaw’s story and insight provides a solid reminder that when times are tough, we can take courage from the successful paths carved by other businesses.

Photographs supplied: BSET Alumni at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai with Beth Shaw (pictured far right). 

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We would like to thank many people, those who generously bequest monies to our SPCA, those who assist us financially with our fundraising efforts, people who drop coins in our collection tins and give pet food for our animals, our executive committee who steer us, people who volunteer their time for our cause, be it with animals or our retail shops, people who donate books and other items to our shops, people who frequent our shops and the list goes on.

We would like to thank many people, those who generously bequest monies to our SPCA, those who assist us financially with our fundraising efforts, people who drop coins in our collection tins and give pet food for our animals, our executive committee who steer us, people who volunteer their time for our cause, be it with animals or our retail shops, people who donate books and other items to our shops, people who frequent our shops and the list goes on.

We have received numerous posts on social media, as well as calls from the public regarding the uMngeni SPCA not having a resident veterinarian anymore.

Tanya Hughes left our employ in January, emigrating to the UK. We do not have a resident Veterinarian. Dr Megan Dixon is completing her one year compulsory community service at uMngeni SPCA, under the supervision of Dr Mike Thompson.

The core function of any SPCA is the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: having a veterinary clinic is a privilege. We receive funding from donors who request that the funds be used specifically to assist animals in disadvantaged communities. There is the assumption that by using the SPCA clinic, the public is assisting with funding it. In fact they are being subsidized by the SPCA and thus it is not a benefit to the SPCA.

Owning a pet is a choice, with huge responsibilities: we have a strict adoption policy. To adopt an animal from us the adoptee must be able to afford private veterinarians. We compete with numerous charities for funds and need to use our limited resources to benefit animals in desperate need of assistance, especially in the low income,rural communities. Dr Mike Thompson has generously agreed to sterilize our animals, and we pay the Pietermaritzburg SPCA for this service. A decision was taken not to employ a full time veterinarian as we cannot afford the salary.

 News supplied by uMngeni SPCA.

Love Howick NPC (2018/242807/08) invites you to join us for our Annual Corporate Golf Day, set to take place at the prestigious Bosch Hoek Golf & Country Estate on Friday 26 April 2019. The aim of this charity fundraiser is to promote the excellent work that the Love Howick organisation is doing to bring transformation to various sectors of our community, as well as to raise much needed funds for the nine projects currently underway to transform lives and bring positive change in our area.

Date: Friday 26 April 2019
Time: 11:00 Arrival and Registration
11:30 Start
Venue: Bosch Hoek Golf & Country Estate, Balgowan, 3275

We would love your business to get involved in this valuable initiative in one or more of the following ways:
1. ENTER A TEAM:
Teams of 4 can be entered at R2950 per team (includes Greens Fees,Prizes, Halfway House Meal and Light Snacks at Prize Giving). Golf Carts can be hired (R335) at your own discretion at an additional cost.

2. PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:
We are offering individuals/businesses the opportunity to be an official sponsor for this event.Benefits from this offering are:
• Sponsor logo on advertising and media coverage (newspaper, social media, posters etc.)
• Sponsors able to advertise around the clubhouse and greens as per options below
• Mention made of sponsors at Prize Giving
Options for sponsorship are:
• Hole Sponsorship: - R1000 Includes banner display at hole/tee 1st & 9th Hole Sponsorship – R1500 Includes banner display and coverage at this great vantage point on the golf course.
• Sponsor the Event: - R3500, this includes being an official sponsor of the event as well as opportunities to exclusively display your company’s promotional material in the prize giving area.
• Prize Donation: - This event would not be successful without some exciting prizes, so any donation of prizes will be acknowledged and greatly appreciated. Please consider donating prizes in sets of 4 to allow for a whole team to receive something.
ALL PAYMENTS CAN BE MADE TO LOVE HOWICK NON PROFIT COMPANY:
Account Name: Love Howick NPC
Account Number: 627 747 27 039
Bank: FNB Howick
Branch Code: 220 725

Should you need further information or would like to register a team/donate please contact Leneke at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or on (033) 330 3456. DEADLINE FOR BOOKING IS WEDNESDAY 17 APRIL 2019.

News supplied by Love Howick.

Working with ToPs Species (Threatened or Protected Species).

It is always a fantastic feeling when we are able to release this special species back into the wild where they belong.

We spend weeks finding the safest release site with the correct habitat so that these cats may thrive as they go forward.

How would you react when being introduced to a new and exciting area? Follow the photos below to find out how these Servals reacted!

Would you like to contribute and be involved in the work FREEME KZN does? Then please join the Custodianship Program.
http://www.freemekzn.co.za/become-a-custodian/

News supplied by FreeMe Rehabilitation Centre KZN.

Every term Howick Pre-Primary School host a "GIVING CHALLENGE". Through this challenge we encourage our children to support people and organisations that help others who are struggling or less fortunate.

Last week Friday, we enjoyed Slipper Day at school in support of the Reach For a Dream Initiative.

Encouraging our young children to help others forms the foundation for them to grow up to be grateful, sympathetic and empathetic towards others.

News supplied by Howick Pre Primary School.

Host an event and help raise funds for Howick Hospice.

Birthday parties, tea parties, braais, any event goes. Ask your guest to donate an entry fee that will be donated to Howick Hospice.

Howick Hospice is a non-profit organisation committed to caring for the terminally ill through home-based care, education and training, and bereavement support. Hospice relies on support and financial contributions from the general public, corporate sector, and philanthropic donors.

News supplied by Howick Hospice.

Hilton SAPS
“Over the last 6 months Knight Security Solutions (KSS) has been assisting members from the Hilton Police Station with Crime Prevention Operations to combat the increase in House Breakings, Theft out of M/vehicle and Theft of M/Vehicles in the Hilton residential areas. Combined operations have been planned in accordance to the Crime Threat Analysis and Crime Pattern Analysis. These operations have included vehicle patrols, foot patrols in the residential areas as well as observation duties in the plantations and along the railway line that runs through Hilton area. The information on hand is that the criminals are using the plantations and the railway line to gain access to the residential areas to avoid detection.

A good working relationship has been established between the Hilton SAPS and KSS. By combining our resources our operation have become more effective and this working relationship has had a positive effect with regards to us addressing the crime in Hilton. Hilton Vispol would like to thank the Management of KSS as well as their members who work closely and alongside the members from the Hilton Police Station for their assistance. The KSS members have been very professional and have always had a positive attitude towards the fight against crime. Your assistance is greatly appreciated”. W/O A Salzwedel – Hilton SAPS.

Howick SAPS

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you (Gary and KSS) for the valuable assistance you provide to the SAPS. You are always there helping out whenever and wherever you can. We cannot do it without your expert services. I am very appreciative of your continued assistance and looking forward to maintaining this working relationship. Once again I really appreciate your willingness and commitment to assist when the need arises. It is very helpful to have someone who has the same experience with similar issues on previous projects to offer guidance which goes unnoticed. Keep up the good work. Well done to you and your friendly staff”. Capt. Reddy – Howick SAPS.

KSS Operations update
Due to the recent high volume of crime, KSS has placed more Response vehicles on the ground. This has meant the Response crews have had to be split, but this will ensure better response times and more area coverage. Management are monitoring this accordingly and will ensure that KSS standards are not compromised.

News supplied by Knight Security Solutions.

Solar as an option; I have been completely off the Grid for just over three years. In that time my Solar system has worked flawlessly.

Unlike Generators that need continuous maintenance and ever more expensive fuel. Solar needs just the Sun, and because there are no moving parts the maintenance is minimal.

I have learned that more often than not people are sold big, expensive systems, where large numbers of batteries and solar panels are used ( in some case up to 30 batteries).

We are lead to believe that these big systems are necessary in order to run a home effectively.

For me the thinking here is flawed. One should rather adapt one's lifestyle to Solar than adapt Solar to one’s lifestyle, If you do the former then one can use a smaller system as I have and save.

My system uses 12 Solar panels and ONLY 4 batteries, and as I have said it has run beautifully for over three years.

One must also remember that a Solar installation is a capital investment, this means the cost will be recovered on the sale of the property. Also, the saving per month on your electricity bill ( in the region of R1500 per month) means it could well be paid off in seven years.

With the ever increasing cost of electricity and its unreliability and the huge leap forward in technology, Solar is becoming a more and more viable and affordable solution for one’s home or business. It can, of course, be used in conjunction with Eskom.

Please phone me for free advice and discussion/solutions for your home and or business.

Garry Barlow
Finely Fixed

082 627 3339
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In recent years South Africa has seen a dramatic increase in the keeping, breeding and trading of exotic animals and reptiles for the pet industry. The reality is that exotic animals and reptiles do not belong in captivity and should not be kept as pets.

INDIGENOUS WILDLIFE:
Indigenous reptiles and tortoises require permits from Nature Conservation, and those keeping wildlife illegally will face serious legal repercussions. Should you know of anyone who is illegally keeping indigenous wildlife, please contact the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on 012 399 9604. Alternatively, contact us, or your nearest SPCA.

Animals suited for rehabilitation will be taken to a rehabilitation centre and then released back into the wild, in a suitable area. Those who are unable to survive on their own due to any impairment, should be taken to a rehabilitation centre and then a reputable sanctuary.

In a sanctuary they will be able to live a life as close as possible to living in the wild. Please contact our Wildlife Protection Unit on 011 907 3590/1/2/3 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for help in giving a wild animal a chance at a better life.

EXOTIC ANIMALS:
If you have exotic animals that you wish to surrender to the NSPCA, please contact our Wildlife Protection Unit on 011 907 3590/1/2/3 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

News supplied by uMngeni SPCA.

Howick local, Paula Taylor, moved to Australia to complete her masters in Humanistic Psychotherapy. While overseas she worked for the Department of Family Services as a case manager dealing with child abuse, drug abuse, mental health, and other social issues. Eighteen months into this two-year practical application season Paula was overwhelmed and about to burn out but she chose to push through and complete the contract.

Complete exhaustion led Paula to question whether she could work in this profession at all, feeling unskilled and out of her depth she recognised her own deep need for childhood trauma therapy and began a two-year healing journey. She sought to heal her own experience of loss, lack, and abandonment. Paula chose to work through these emotions alongside an incredible Australian therapist who had previously been her lecturer at university.

This result of this watershed experience is Paula’s development of ‘Tackle the Feelings Before the Behaviour’, a parenting approach that aims to regulate or manage children’s emotions and build healthy attachments/bonds between parent and child. Paula sees that children’s behaviour is often very misunderstood.

Paula believes that families and teachers can benefit by understanding that before age 5 children cannot process words, their neocortex area is not developed enough for them to reason through language. Therefore, for children, early childhood communication is limited to what they see repeatedly– they respond to their parent’s and teacher’s actions, the tone of voice, body language and all levels of emotion which are physically expressed. This combined with the fact that our planet is seeing the arrival of a growing number of highly intelligent and highly sensitive children means more children are experiencing depression and anxiety than ever before.

Paula can guide parents and teachers through the different emotions and feelings in a variety of contexts and would like to share several helpful tips to provide the knowledge and support required to manage children’s emotional needs. The world can only benefit if we teach our children how to cope with difficult emotions and situations.

Paula Taylor offers confidential and affordable WhatsApp consultations, locally and internationally.

There will be a round 2 of Bush Day Care on the 18th of April. Share the news with all the parents with children currently on school break.

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 033 330 3931 to book a spot.

News supplied by Wessa uMngeni Valley.

KZN MIDLANDS: Self-directed education through interactive creative practice, exchange of ideas and skills will mark the two-week-long Thupelo International Workshop currently being held at the beautiful Kings School in Nottingham Rd.

This workshop includes 18 artists from five different countries and give them the opportunity to work together in various discipline.
This initiative of the Cape Town-based Greatmore Studios, runs until Friday 12 April, culminating in a public open day on Saturday 13 April from 10am until 3pm during which the work will be on display for public viewing and audience engagement.
The organisers received an astonishing response from close to 80 art makers from all over the world wanting to be considered for one of the 20 spaces to benefit from this opportunity. The multi-lingual, multi-cultural participants will be working and living on campus at King’s School for the duration of the residency.

“The idea behind the workshop’s ethos is about creating space for making art without the pressures of structured conventions often accompanying the so called ‘mainstream’ institutions and is open to self-motivated visual artists who are keen to expand their ideas, exchange knowledge and experiment in fellowship with other artists. This also encourages a space for sharing skills and ideas in an innovative environment where artists feel safe to experiment and learn from one another. Since 1985, each workshop, regional or international, has had its own identity which unfolds as the workshop progresses. Because the material budget is often quite low, sharing and the use of found objects or donated materials is encouraged,” explains Witty Nyide co-ordinator for both regional and international KZN-based Thupelo workshops.

Thupelo, which is Se Sotho phrase meaning ‘to teach by example’, was initiated in 1985 in Johannesburg by David Koloane, together with the late Bill Ainsle and a group of artists. Both regional and international Thupelo workshops were initiated in response to a need for interaction between artists and are therefore artists-led. It is part of the international Triangle network of studio and workshop initiatives. Durban has hosted a regional workshop last December and is hosting an international version this April in the beautiful KZN Midlands.
Participants are: Anushka Kempken (Jhb); Crawford Mandumbwa (Zambia); Danisile Ncube(Zimbabwe); Khaya Sineyile (CT); Lara Vlaska (Germany); Mat Li (Madagascar); Ncumisa Mcitwa (Durban); Nkcubeko Balani (Grahamstown); Nomusa Mtshali (Durban); Owen Shikabeta (Zambia); Selloane Moeti (Durban); Tahina Rakotoarivony (Madagascar); Vanessa Chen (CT); Thalente Khomo (Durban); Clive Sithole (Durban); Thami Jali (Durban); Anthony Cawood (CT) and Witty Nyide (Pretoria).

The workshop culminates with an open day where the public can experience the visual conversations created during the retreat, and this will open to public viewing on Saturday 13 April, from 10am until 3pm. Entry is free and all are welcome.
If there is demand for a bus to take people from Durban to Midlands and home again for the morning, one can be organised for a nominal fee. Should you be keen to take arranged transport – please contact Witty Nyide on 076 333 3671.

News supplied.