Something that comes up relatively often here at The Cookhouse...

A new gentleman customer emailed me a few days ago about his being "hopeless in the kitchen!" He was having 8 guests around for dinner the next night & was feeling somewhat desperate for help... His 8 guests included 2 x vegetarians which I think made the task ever more daunting :) I did my best to assist him and explained step by step how to put together a themed dinner for his guests using our scrumptious Cape Malay Creamed Chicken Masala with our Cape Malay Creamed Veggie Masala (to accommodate his vegetarian guests).

I also explained we do the pre-cooked white rice too, for convenience sake, which was welcomed...

MY TIP: Always stick to the theme! i.e. Serve the curry dish with sambals on the side - Chopped tomato & onion mix, a little chutney is divine, as well as a cucumber & yoghurt sauce. These all compliment your Cape Malay dishes beautifully. I love doing poppadums too as they always look so festive on a table. But one can also present with rotis on the side bought from your local curry takeaway. WELL.... the response was fantastic.... "A roaring success!" were his exact words the next day... He even decided to CLAIM IT and said one gent at the table wanted him to teach his wife the recipe!! ha ha... :)

News supplied by The Cookhouse.

Congratulations to NIBA and the Maritzburg Wets BC for hosting the first round of the Men’s and Women’s pairs this past weekend in sweltering KZN heat. Midlands clubs had mixed success and our team had an awesome last game but did not move into the playoffs.

Competitions
The HALFWAY TOYOTA HOWICK sponsored competition was held on Wednesday 14 February which also happened to be Valentine’s day. The team of Barbara Brook, Dave Riall and Mark Taylor took the Halfway Toyota Howick sponsored first prize. Alan Wells and Dudley Ventress won the Dr Alan Sara sponsored second prize. The lucky draw prize sponsored by Rene Stokes of Classic Cut was won by Margie Holl and Peter Burton & Rita Aitken on the 68 on Main sponsored lucky draw prizes. Amid the playing festivities, we also had a Valentine’s raffle draw which was won by Lisa Nagel. Halfway Toyota Howick again had an awesome vehicle on display for members to view and we are thankful to them and Dr Alan Sara for the sponsorship of this monthly event.

Two competitions will be played this coming week. The first is our J LESLIE SMITH & CO sponsored competition which will be played on Tuesday 20 February with tabs in at 8.15am. Our WOODSTONE CRAFT CAFE sponsored Teams-In 2 Bowl Trips competition takes place on Friday 23 February with starting time at 8.30am. As it stands, 16 teams have already entered this month competition and the closing date to enter will be Wednesday 21 February.

Forth Coming Attractions
We would like to extend an invitation to all bowlers in our region to support us in two events. One is our 2 Bowl Teams-In Trips competition which is played at 8.30am on the last Friday of every month. The second invite is for our Halfway Toyota Howick sponsored All Day Tournament which will be held on Sunday 15 April starting at 9am. Space in both these comps will be limited to 24 teams, so don’t hesitate but book your space by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling on 082 758 1246 for telephonic bookings or enquiries.

Club coach John Withers and his team will also be launching Friday Afternoon training and Fun bowls starting on Friday 2 March 2018 at 2.30pm. His focus will be to give all members the opportunity to enhance their bowling abilities through creative and fun activities. Finding that “Zone of Excellence” is every bowlers dream but it does not just happen. It takes practice. Here’s your chance. Commit the time and as Gary Player says…. “The more I practice, the luckier I get”.

Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.15am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours) Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club. 

Three Howick High pupils, cousins Rebecca Webb, Craig Pike and Robert Pike participated in the Dusi Canoe Marathon this weekend. Rebecca Webb (Grade 12) successfully completed her 3rd and Craig Pike (Grade 10) his 1st. Rebecca and Craig paddled with their fathers, past pupils Shane Webb (class of '84) and Trevor Pike (class of '88). Robert Pike (Grade 11) was unfortunately unable to complete the race as his partner fell ill after they started on day 3 and they had to pull out with just 20 km to go. Parent and SGB member Kemsley Wood also successfully completed the event. Age Quod Agis to you all!

Keeping in mind every business demand, we are engaged in offering unmatched quality range of EPSON Office Automation products. Available at Dynamic Communications and Surveillance Solutions (DCSS) to fulfill the unique requirements of each client.

This is an educational talk for young and old.

 Join Zane at Polliwiggle for an informative morning. It is of vital importance that the public are aware and are informed of what to do when coming across a snake.

Refreshments and wors rolls will be on sale.

Funds raised will be used to assist the Capture Service Program which Zane is self funding.

News supplied by Polliwiggle Pre School.

The one moment you’re playing in the most glorious sunshine, wondering how on earth you actually forgot you sun cream at home. Then two hours after finishing your game, the green was pelted with rain and hail and this did not just happen once this past week but twice. The result of it all is that our greens are lush, our beloved Midmar Dam is full and ready to overflow and we still got to play all the bowls we wanted to.

Competitions
There were no sponsored competitions held this past week but we did see the culmination of our 2 Bowl Trips Internal Competition. Congratulations to the team of Barbara Brook, Dudley Ventress and Neil Wright who are 2018’s first champions. In an absolutely pulsating match they beat the team of John Withers, David Mainprize and David Riall by 15 – 13. The next club sponsored competition will be played on Saturday 10 February with tabs in at 1.15pm and will be our SUPERSPAR Greendale sponsored comp which will be followed by our Halfway Toyota Howick competition on Wednesday the 14th of February which also happens to be Valentine’s Day.

Club Activities
The highlight of the week was our Prize Giving which was held on Saturday 3 February at a bring and share event. It was wonderful to spend time celebrating the achievements of our bowlers and special thanks to all the members for the lovely spread of eats. As a club we would like to congratulate the following bowlers on their success on our bowling greens during 2017. The champions for 2017 were as follows Ladies Singles: Alison Toms, Men’s Singles: Clark Logan, Novice Singles: Mark Taylor, Nominated Ladies Pairs: Alison Toms & Lyn Durandt, Nominated

Men’s Pairs: Clark Logan & Barry Bedworth, Nominated Mixed Pairs: Ed Sharpe & Alison Toms, Drawn Mixed Trips: Peter Burton, Alison Toms & Eric Simpson (with Tony Gage as sub). As can be seen from the set of results, the Victrix Ludorum Trophy went to Alison Toms and the Victor Ludorum Trophy to Clark Logan. Congrats again to everyone. Let the games begin for 2018.

Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.15am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours) Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club. 

The Howick High School Equestrian Team have started on a high note this year, with four of the five team members competing at Dolcoed this weekend in Stadium Eventing. Luca Tissiman was placed first three times, both in arena eventing and cross country; Tristan Strauss had a first place in cross country; Daena Horne came second and third in arena eventing and Nadine Dickinson came fifth in cross country on her horse, Silver Flight, who was a first time eventer.

As long as you're over 60 enjoy our entire range of delicious, home-made convenient meals at a discounted price EVERY Tuesday!

T's & C's apply. Offer available in all 3 stores Howick, Hilton & Hillcrest.

"Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people get together to eat." - Guy Fieri

News supplied by The Cookhouse.

The Good Health Group is a recently formed group based in Howick. It is for individuals who want to take charge of their health and well-being. It has been initiated in order to support and empower people who want to take a more holistic approach and play a more active role in maintaining good health and/or in recovering from a particular health challenge. Emphasis is placed on the body-mind connection. At each monthly meeting a health practitioner is invited to present on a topic that has been chosen by members of the group. Q & A and/or a discussion of important points follows the presentation. Stephanie Joyner Dietician, a registered dietician will focus her presentation on: Promoting the health of your digestive system.

Meeting Date: 8th Feb 2018 (Thursday) Time: 17:30 – 19:00 Place: 15 Riley Crescent, Howick.

Healthy refreshments will be served. Please RSVP for catering purposes and, if you would like to know more about the group, contact Alistair Mork-Chadwick on: Ph: 033 – 330 7973 / Cell: 072 – 365 5875 / Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

News supplied by ALISTAIR MORK-CHADWICK Counselling Psychologist.

Hot off the press:
Hooray.... Sunday 25 February 2018 we celebrated the day that our beloved Midmar Dam overflowed for the first time since 2014. This magic moment was the culmination of the overflowing blessings of another awesome week of bowls at Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club. 

Competitions
Tuesday morning 20 February J LESLIE SMITH & CO launched a new initiative by sponsoring a 2 4 2 competition. This format of play will enhance the bowling abilities of members and we are indebted to J Leslie Smith & Co for their continued sponsorship of our club activities. The winners of the JLS sponsored first prize was David Mainprize and Barry Fairbrother. Second prize also sponsored by JLS was won by Rita Aitken and Ed Pyle, with Ann Pyle winning the new Hairitage Hair & Beauty Salon sponsored lucky draw prize. Special thanks to Macheila Purchase, owner of Hairitage for her monthly sponsorship of this prize. JLS PR Coordinator, Crystal Dekker was again on hand with her beautiful smile to present the prizes.

On Friday 23 February we played our much anticipated 2 Bowl Trips Teams-In competition sponsored by the Woodstone Craft Cafe. This competition has grown by 2 more teams this month to 16 participating teams. The top 3 teams were separated by 2 shots. Congratulations to the team of Mike Hill, Alistair Stott and Ann Marnoch who took home the first prize. Second prize went to Barbara Brook, Piet Van Rensburg and David Mainprize and the third prize was won by Egon Von Mayer, Hugh Barr and Rowena Muir. All three prizes were generously sponsored by Mark Schraader, the owner of The Woodstone Craft Cafe, who incidentally also made his bowling debut at the competition. The toucher prizes sponsored by The Treatery were won by Rowena Muir (Lead), Alistair Stott (2nd) and Mike Hill (Skip). Special thanks to our sponsors for making this competition happen including sponsorship of the mid morning tea consisting of yummy, freshly baked cream and jam scones. Special thanks also to our ground staff Graham Sharp and Londi Mvelase for the amazing greens and Barman Brian Ellison for offering up his morning to serve us.

Forth Coming Attractions
We would like to extend an invitation to all bowlers in our region to support us in two events. One is our 2 Bowl Teams-In Trips competition which is played at 8.30am on the last Friday of every month. However, the March competition will be held on Thursday 29 March instead of on Good Friday. The second invite is for our Halfway Toyota Howick sponsored All Day Tournament which will be held on Sunday 15 April starting at 9am. Space in both these comps will be limited to 22 teams, so don’t hesitate but book your space by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling on 082 758 1246 for telephonic bookings or enquiries.

Club coach John Withers and his team will also be launching Friday Afternoon training and Fun bowls starting this Friday 2 March 2018 at 2.30pm. His focus will be to give all members the opportunity to enhance their bowling abilities through creative and fun activities. Finding that “Zone of Excellence” is every bowlers dream but it does not just happen. It takes practice. Here’s your chance. Commit the time and as Gary Player says…. “The more I practice, the luckier I get” 

Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.15am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours) Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

Midmar Building Supplies (MBS) is the place to shop for all your building needs.

A part of the umbrella company Midmar Group, MBS specialises in providing hardware and building materials for all types of construction projects at prices that will make your budget work.

Whether it be minor DIY home improvements or providing material for large building contracts, MBS will be sure to have you covered. We stock a wide range of hardware that include tools, bathroom and plumbing items, paint and paint accessories, electrical and lighting, garden and outdoor equipment, as well as doors and windows.

We also provide concrete products that are produced by Midmar Concrete Products (MCP), our sister company, located next to the store. We source the raw materials needed to produce our concrete products directly from our quarry, Midmar Crushers.

Due to this value chain, MBS products can be sold at more affordable rates while still maintaining an extremely high level of quality.
The needs of the local community play an extremely important role in MBS’s philosophy as we always strive to better the lives of the residents in the nearby communities. We aim to not only be the trusted local supplier of high quality building materials at affordable prices, but more importantly we aim to assist our local community in the building of their homes.

One of our goals is to provide building advice to our customers including building methods and products. We had the privilege of sponsoring stone to aid in the development of the main road that leads into the township of Enguga. Along with our passion of helping the development of our local community, we have also sponsored sand and stone to FreeMe KZN Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, which is a local wildlife initiative that rehabilitates injured wildlife. Our building materials were used in the construction of aviaries for their injured birds.

In order to provide an even wider variety of products, we have decided to expand our store to accommodate more of the best building materials and hardware. This, coupled with our attentive and reliable customer service will ensure our customer’s specific building needs are satisfied.

Product Categories:
Tools
Bathroom and Plumbing
Doors and Windows
Electrical and Lighting
Garden and Outdoor Equipment
Paint and Decorative
Homeware
Treated Poles and Roofing Timber
Wide Range of Bricks, Blocks, Lintels and Kerbs
Superior Quality Quarry Aggregates
Water Tanks and Pumps

Some of the Brands we stock include:
Swartland
Ruwag
Bo’s Plant and Tool Hire
Excelsior Paints
Nasa Industrial Supplies
Gluedevil
WHD

Business Hours
Monday – Friday: 7am to 5pm
Saturdays: 7am to 12pm
Sundays and Public Holidays: Closed

Security hints from Knight Security Solutions.

Unalarmed out-buildings
There has been an increase in break-ins to unalarmed outbuildings (wendy houses and sheds). Please ensure that if you have out-buildings, they are locked and alarmed.

Cable theft
Cable theft is on the increase with at least two reported incidents this past week. Please report cable theft immediately to the KSS Control Room on 033 3305911. KSS are working alongside SAPS and other key role players in combatting this serious crime.

News supplied by Knight Security Solutions. 

Julie Hay, the founder and director of local charity, Singakwenza, swam her fifth 8 Mile event at the aQuelle Midmar Mile this past weekend. As it is her 50th birthday this year, she set a goal of raising R50 000 for the Early Childhood Programmes that Singakwenza runs in economically disadvantaged communities. Thanks to the support of friends and family, she exceeded this goal by more than R10 000!

“This is just one example of the way in which Julie gives her absolute all to the vision and mission of Singakwenza, and it ignites a passion in us to do the same. She shows us what it means to really love the teachers and children that we work with, to care about our children’s futures and to make a change in our country,” said Claire Willows, Occupational Therapist at Singakwenza - a sentiment echoed by the Singakwenza team.

Julie was among 30 swimmers who swam for Singakwenza over the Midmar Mile weekend, as Singakwenza is one of the 6 official charities of the 8 Mile Event.
“I had lots of fun swimming across the dam 8 times, surrounded by wonderful people who were all there to do their bit for charity. I am incredibly humbled by the support and generosity of family and friends who donated towards my cause,” said Julie. “Our grateful thanks goes to Wayne Ridden, his team, and the amazing sponsors who enable this world class event to happen.”

To find out more about Singakwenza, please visit www.singakwenza.org

Pictured below: With fellow Singakwenza 8 Mile swimmers, John Wright, Julie Hay, Brad Ray, Abi Ray and Tracy Kerr.

News supplied by Singakwenza.

Players from the KZN Dolphins cricket squad recently visited Howick Prep School to speak to the pupils and run coaching clinics for both the coaches and all players at Howick Prep.

Pupils were all also issued with tickets to go along and support the Dolphins against the Titans which was played at the Maritzburg Oval. Howick Prep pupils would like to thank the Dolphins players for giving up their time to spend a day at Howick Prep and for the professional manner in which they interacted with both the players and coaches of the school.

Photo attached: Dolphins players with a group of Howick Prep cricketers during the coaching clinic run by the Dolphins players.

News supplied by Howick Preparatory School.

Specials at Harvard Electrical Wholesalers. 

Valid for one week. 

Despite the Iffy weather we manage to get two sessions of social bowls in this past week. If you have never bowled in mizzly weather, it’s like bowling on a green where your slightly wet bowls pick up every bit of wet grass and it looks like you’re bowling in a sea of coconut.

Competitions
Each year our members have the opportunity to play for club trophies and we play all the traditional options like singles, pairs, trips and fours…. But this year we launched a new “2 Bowl Trips” competition for a brand new trophy. On Saturday 20 January we had one of the biggest turnouts for a club internal competition in a long while. There were some very close matches and in the end 6 teams went through to the next phase of the competition, which will run to a conclusion in the next week or two.

By the time this report goes to press the J Leslie Smith & Co competition will have been played and the results of that competition will be in the report next week. The brand new Teams-In 2 Bowl Trips competition sponsored by Woodstone Craft Café and The Treatery as a support-sponsor, starting on Friday morning 26 January @ 8.30am, now officially has 14 teams coming from all over PMB and the Midlands to play. Much excitement looms for this competition.

Club Activities
The coaching and PR team are putting together plans to launch couching and fun bowls on a Friday afternoon from the beginning of February. Notices to follow in the next few weeks.

Regular Times Are:
Tuesday mornings Tabs in by 8.15am (Civvies)
Wednesday and Saturday afternoons Tabs in by 1.15pm. (Club Colours)
Visiting bowlers are welcome to join us at these tabs in times.

Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club. 

Visit Harvard Electrical Wholesalers before the end of January to get in on these specials. 

The new Grade 1 pupils of Howick Preparatory School already hard at work in Mrs Tooms class on their very first day of their school careers.

News supplied by Howick Preparatory School.