Dargle Conservancy have shared their heart warming autumn wildlife sightings with us.

Thank you for sharing these captured moments which reveal to us the beauty of the KZN Midlands and remind us of the privilege it is to call it home.

The Care Bear Project is a voluntary association, we approach women in the community to make knitted Care Bears, supplying them with the materials necessary to complete the bears. In return for the completed Care Bears the women are paid for their services.

Our Lidgetton ladies have been hard at work. 69 bears were collected on Friday 20 June and that means The Care Project has paid out almost R3500.00 to the community in that week.

The Tax Season Opens on 1 July 2015 for 2015 Tax Returns. These tax returns cover the period 1 March 2014 – 28 February 2015 and the deadline is 21 November 2015 for all normal taxpayers and 31 January 2016 for all provisional tax payers.

Would you like a quote for me to submit your return on your behalf? Are are not sure which category you fall into? Would you like to find out any more information regarding what to submit?

Please contact Angela Ferguson from Petal Accounting on 082 921 3192 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.

Nine Grade 7 pupils from Howick Prep School were placed in the top 200 pupils in KZN after the final round of the KZN Horizon Maths exams. They attended a prize giving function on Saturday, 30 May down in Durban where they were presented with their medals and certificates.

Pictured:

Back (L - R) Franzwa Bronkhorst, Craig Pike, Rachel Hyland, Kyla Loubser, Nonjabulo Myeni.
Front (L - R) Siyabonga Ndlovu, Daniel Wing, Gareth Muller, Calista Subramanien

The work on the clubhouse is almost complete. For this we have to say 'Thank you' to those dedicated men who put in many hours of hard work painting the walls and window frames. Thanks is also extended to the ladies who washed and ironed the curtains.

The game against Howick Bowling Club last week was a most enjoyable event. The winners on total score were the Howick teams but we all ended up winners on the social side. Thanks must be extended to the members of Howick Bowling Club who provided a wonderful tea after the game.

Competition winners:
The Tabs-in competition held on Wednesday, 10 June and sponsored by Halfway Toyota Howick was won by Peter Burton, Tim Waring, Barry Fairbrother and Ben Bodington. We thank Margie Wheelwright of Halfway Toyota Howick who presented the winners with their prizes.

On Saturday, 13 June the Tabs-in competition sponsored by The Lawnmower Shop, Giovision and Greendale Spar was won by John Withers, Jeanette Cain and Ben Bodington.

Forthcoming Events:
Wednesday, 24 June – Tabs-in Competition sponsored by J Leslie Smith Inc and The Health Nut.
Registered bowlers are welcome to come along and join us for all sponsored competitions.

Regular start of play is as follows: Tuesday and Friday at 09h00 (dress is casual); Wednesday and Saturday at 13h30 (whites). Tabs must be in 15 minutes prior to commencement of play.

Visitors and prospective members are always welcome to join us on days when social bowls are played.

Those members who joined us in the past two months are requested to join us on a Wednesday or Saturday so they can be introduced to the larger body of members.

NB Members please check notice boards for club duties.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

Coming out of the dark ages, we lived in the Agrarian Age where wealth was created from the land and, therefore, a few landholders had the power and wealth of the nation. Battles were fought over land and the differing resources that the geography possessed, giving title deeds to the victor.

The Industrial Revolution changed this order. The era of capitalism was born with the creation of factories engaging workers through Adam Smith's division of labour principles and the production of mass market goods, provided ever-more cheaply through ever-greater size of operations and the economies of scale employed. This era started in the 17C and culminated with massive industrial complexes such as Henry Ford's car plants in Detroit.

In the Industrial Age, the ability to attain capital, own and run factories by organising workers and machinery led to wealth for the individual. There was a fundamental shift in financial power from the land to capital. On a global scale this became the age where America's industrial might showed itself and then latterly German engineering prowess and Japanese production efficiency rose to the fore. Within all this there was the creation of industrial magnates, tycoons and a new rich. It was also the birth of the middle classes.

In the latter half of the 20thC we witnessed the birth of the Information Age which has allowed rapid global communication and networking to shape modern society. Communication around the globe is now instantaneous through a multitude of channels, with access to information on any subject only one click of a button away.

The providers of these channels and sources have prospered on an unprecedented scale, benefitting from a global marketplace with seemingly no financial boundaries or constraints.

The Knowledge Age is now upon us and it has profound effects for business. Once you have access to all the information you may need on any subject, instantaneously available at no cost, then what next? Where's the competitive advantage?

It lies not in the information itself but how you assimilate it, using experiences, intellect and understanding to create added value to customers – and on a constant basis. The Knowledge Age is where ideas are paramount. In this era, knowing how to use the relevant information in a digestible, implementable form - and take it to market quickly - is the key to success. It has never been truer that it's not what you know it's what you do with what you know. A good depth of knowledge enables asking the right questions to get the right decisions to take the right actions and then – get the desired results.

To summarise: In the Knowledge Age business owners need to apply constant learning to their own development and seek out the best advice and ideas from knowledge-rich sources of business. In a competitive market those that choose to know more about their ever-changing marketplace and take action will win.

News supplied ActionCOACH Business Coaching.

The Swan Song Concert was a fitting tribute to Howick High School teacher, Debbi Le Roux, who is leaving to teach in Sweden. A program of music, singing and dance by Debbi's Dancing pupils, the Howick High Senior Band, Choir and dance company entertained members of the local community with a fantastic guest performance by Grace Botha (nee Sonjica), a past Howick High School Head Girl, who sang 'Gloria' especially for Debbi. Some of the Howick Prep School grade 4 and 5 girls participated in the Swan Song concert.(pictured)

Over the past weekend the Frank Lambert Trophy, the Lambert Brothers' Trophy and the Sanders Trophy were hotly contested by clubs affiliated to the Natal Inland Bowling Association (NIBA). It gives me great pleasure to announce that the men of UWBC won the Lambert Brothers' Trophy for the second year running. Well done and congratulations to the men who represented UWBC. We, the members of UWBC, are proud of you!

The ladies who played in the Sanders Trophy can hold their heads up high as they played well despite going down to Collegians.

The Tabs-in Competition sponsored by J Leslie Smith Inc and The Health Nut was played on Wednesday, 27 June. The winners were John Hodgkinson, Alan Wells and Tim Waring. The runners-up were Barry Bedworth, Dudley Ventress and Pat Ciro. The drawn prizes were won by Brian Ellison and Rita Aitken.

Forthcoming Event: Wednesday, 10 June – Tabs In Competition sponsored by Halfway Toyota Howick. Play commences at 13h30.

Regular start of play is as follows: Tuesday and Friday at 09h00 (dress is casual); Wednesday and Saturday at 13h30 (whites). Tabs must be in 15 minutes prior to commencement of play. Visitors are always welcome.

NB Members please check notice boards for club duties.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

Howick High School’s Grade 8 & 9 pupils learn to knit during Arts and Culture lessons and each pupil has knitted and donated a square.  The squares have been used to create beautiful and colourful blankets which have been donated to a community project at Lisakhanya, a local development program.

Lisakhanya teaches skills and provides exposure to different career paths in order to empower youth to become dependable, employable people in society or start and run their own business.  Funded by Rotary International, it is administered by the Midlands Meander Association Education Project (MMAEP).  Joanna Ngwenya, Gael Taylor and Jeanette Stewart coordinate the program with nine participants, the oldest being 30 and the youngest 16.

The participants have to complete a community project which benefits the local community.  One of the projects is to provide blankets to children and the elderly in Mpophomeni.  Two representatives, Sibongile and Syethemba, visited Howick High School on Thursday, 14 May to collect our blankets and share with the pupils what a difference their piece of knitting will make to members of the community this winter.  

At a recent Inter Schools Cross Country meeting Howick Prep athletes occupied eight places in the Top 10 of the Boys U/10 Cross Country event. They have consistently occupied the top 5 places, in their age group, on a weekly basis in every Inter Schools Cross Country meeting held during the 2nd Term.

Well done to (Back Row L - R): Rhett Quin (1st), Greg van Laun (2nd), Nathan Graham (3rd), Darryn Checkley (4th), Johann de Goede (5th), Front Row (L - R): Keane Wheeler (6th), Callum Taylor (9th), Andrew Webb (10th).

News and photograph kindly supplied by Howick Prep School

It's not often that the entire family can enjoy time together in the great outdoors – with the family pooch coming along too! This must be one of the reasons for the success of the annual 1000 Paws Walk for SPCA, which takes place this year on Sunday 12 July at the usual venue: Hilton College outside Pietermaritzburg. It's a great way to celebrate the outdoor in the wonderful KZN Midlands' countryside, with a choice of an easy 2km walk around the school sports grounds or the more challenging but lovely 4km trail through the plantations on the school borders overlooking the Albert Falls dam. Walkers without dogs will also enjoy the opportunity to stretch their legs in these safe and scenic surroundings. In addition to the relaxed festival atmosphere, it's also a wonderful way to support the three local SPCA branches that care for the area's needy animals of all shapes and sizes: the Pietermaritzburg, uMngeni (Howick) and Mooi River branches of this worthy animal welfare organisation that relies on public support for funds.

If a walk isn't appealing then come along for the arena events and activities. Be wowed by the growling majesty of various motorbikes from several biker clubs. Chuckle at the various dog-and-owner competitions – and maybe enter, there are great prizes to be won! Clap along to the talented Dancing with Dogs display, be impressed by obedience routines from Funda Nenja and the Midlands K9 dog-and-kids educational projects, and hold your breath at the skills of the canine agility course entrants. Chance your luck with the 'lucky plate' skydiving demonstration, where if a skydiver lands on your plate you're a winner. Amble around the stalls and pick up bargains and treats at the various food outlets. There is also a beer garden and tea tent to quench that post-walk thirst. The dogs will be accommodated with bowls for drinking and paddling placed throughout the grounds and walks, and vets are on duty throughout the day.

The 1000 Paws Walk for SPCA is the major annual fundraising event for the three Midlands branches of the SPCA, and funds raised will help support the dedicated and ongoing work to prevent cruelty to all living creatures, including domestic pets, livestock, wildlife, birds, reptiles and fish, with a focus on education and assistance to impoverished communities. The SPCA receives no funding from national government and all SPCA branches are required to source funding from their own areas to survive, making this event a significant opportunity to support the SPCA.

So make a note – it's Sunday 12 July. Entrance is R40 per person, R10 per dog, with kids under 12 enjoying free entry. The gates and walks open at 9am, with the walks closing off at noon, when people and their pets can head back to enjoy the many options for a tasty lunch and take in the entertainment at the main arena. Pack a rucksack, check that your walking shoes still fit, and we'll see you there! It's a great day of fun in the sun, and you'll be doing something for the animals of your community too!

The Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy is holding their annual Ashburton Aloe Festival, just outside Pietermaritzburg, on the weekend of the 27th and 28th June. The Festival coincides with the flowering of the wild Aloe Candelabra on the hillsides, making a spectacular show!

Five venues are open to the public between 9am – 4pm with a variety of activities including specialist talks, self-guided trails, a wide variety of Aloes on sale at special prices, succulents and indigenous plants, TopRock gemstones, crystals, fossils and rock museum, live music, arts & crafts stalls, pony rides and more. A variety of light lunches will be on sale as well as the very popular tea-garden with delicious home baked fare.

Entry is R30 per person (both days), with children under 12 free. All proceeds go towards conservation projects. This area has been proclaimed the first Protected Environment in Kwazulu-Natal and the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy welcome all visitors to share the beauty and tranquillity of this last remnant of 'wild Africa' right on the doorstep of the city of Pietermaritzburg.

To get there take exit 69 off the N3. North and Southbound traffic turn right at the intersection and travel 4km towards Ashburton East along Pope Ellis Drive till the ticket stall and follow the signs to the venues 1 – 5. Enquiries Darlene Bond 082 9335036

Specialist Talks:

SAT 27TH 10H00 – 11H00 'Gardening and Children' (hosted by KZN Inland Branch of Botsoc) Venue 1: Galago Farm

SATURDAY 27TH JUNE 11H30 – 12H30 'Wildlife Poaching' by Garth Carpenter Venue 3: Impala Bend

SATURDAY 27TH JUNE 14H00 – 15H30 'Crystal Species' a talk by palaeontology expert, Nick May Venue 2: TopRock Farm

SATURDAY 27TH JUNE 16H00 – 17H00 'The Last Outpost (of Empire) Speaks Back' Howard Bradshaw reads Roy Campbell and other SA voices. Venue 1: Galago Farm

SUNDAY 28TH JUNE 10H00 – 11H00 'The hazards of modern household cleaning products and some alternatives' by Edith Elliot Venue 2: TopRock Farm

SUNDAY 28TH JUNE 11H30 – 12H30 'Snakes Alive' by Garth Carpenter. Venue 3: Impala Bend

SUNDAY 28TH JUNE 14H00 – 15H00 'How and why to start beekeeping' by Barrie Lewis. Venue 3: Impala Bend

SATURDAY & SUNDAY 9H00 – 16H00 'Walkabout' Galago Eco-Centre Public Participation Process with Pandora Long. Venue 1: Galago Farm

Programme of Activities:

Venue 1: GALAGO FARM
• Tea Garden hosted by Ashburton Pony Club
• Succulent Sales by Giddies Nursery
• Self-guided trails
• Art under the Trees
• Mpushini Rehabilitation Project (Alien Weed Eradication)
• Campfire from 4pm

Venue 2: TOPROCK
• Craft Market
• Mineral, Crystal & Gemstone Shop
• Lunches
• Live Music

Venue 3: IMPALA BEND
• Lunches
• Craft Market
• Snake Display (Sunday)
• Live Popular music 11 to 5
• Self-guided trails

Venue 4: ROCKY WONDER ALOE NURSERY
Over 200 species of Aloes & succulents on display and for sale at special festival prices. 40 different species of Aloes from the rest of Africa.
• Self-Guided Bird Trails
• Accommodation & Camping Available

Venue 5: SPECERS PLACE
• From 6am Self-guided Bird Trails through the valley bushveld and wild flowering Aloe Candelabra
• Pony Rides

The Environmental Education team at Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve have two holiday programmes running during the coming July holiday. They are hosting a Bush Day Care for younger kids (5 to 10 years) which includes 5 days of fun crafts and activities around the theme "The King & Queen of Green". This will be from the 6th until the 10th of July. They also have a Wildlife Adventure trail for older learners (10-17) which includes 2 nights and 3 days of camping and activities around the theme "Game Rangers Academy".  The activities are a lot of fun, while being educational at the same time.

See our Events calendar for more information

Booking is essential. 033 3303941 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Congratulations to Howick Prep School Grade 3 pupil, Sarah Macaskill, on her outstanding performance, winning 7 awards, at the Royal Show.

Sarah was awarded 'Overall Stockman Winner' for the age category: Junior Juniors (9yrs & under).  Sarah and her special calf went on to compete in the Breed Classes where they also did very well. Sarah received the following awards:

1st Prize for Best Ayrshire on Show
2nd Prize for best Dairy animal on Show
4th Prize best Cattle on Show

Another lovely surprise for Sarah was seeing her Art pieces exhibited at The Royal Show. She won a 1st Prize for her hand painted clay flower and 2nd Prize for her Khoi Fish painting.

Well done, Sarah! Howick Prep is very proud of your achievements.

News and pictures kindly provided by Howick Prep School

There are changes afoot at Umgeni Waterfall Bowling Club. The walls are bare and curtains are down while the clubhouse is being repainted. The work is being done by a small group of dedicated men who are doing a wonderful job. Once the work is completed all notice boards will be updated, pictures and curtains will be rehung and the honours boards will be refurbished and brought up to date.

A sudden change in the weather and the strong winds of the past few days has had most bowlers scuttling to find their warmest bowling gear. Despite the need for layers of clothing and the lowered temperatures there was a good turnout of bowlers on both Wednesday and Saturday. This goes to show that bowlers are a hardy lot!

Forthcoming Events:
Wednesday, 10 June – Tabs-in competition sponsored by Halfway Toyota Howick.
Thursday, 1 June - The annual match between Umgeni Waterfall and Howick will be played at Howick BC. Play will commence at 13h30. Please arrive at the venue at least 15 minutes before commencement of play. Members are requested to wear club colours. Plain white shirts may be worn by new members.
Saturday, 13 June - Tabs-in competition sponsored by The Lawnmower Shop, Giovision and Greendale Spar.

Regular start of play is as follows: Tuesday and Friday at 09h00 (dress is casual); Wednesday and Saturday at 13h30 (whites). Tabs must be in 15 minutes prior to commencement of play. Visitors are always welcome.
NB Members please check notice boards for club duties.

News supplied by Umgeni Waterfall Bowls Club.

Friday, 29 May was an exciting day for the youngsters who attend St Joseph's Pre-school – it was their annual sports' day. Boys and girls ranging in age from 4 years to 6 years participated in sack races, potato and spoon races, three-legged races, obstacle races, etc.. It was wonderful to see their concentration and the smiles on their faces during all the races.

The morning ended with refreshments for both children and spectators.

Helping keep the Midlands clean. Local waste management business Central Waste reminds us of the benefits of recycling.

Landfill Airspace Savings. The quantity of solid waste going to landfill sites will be reduced, therefore landfill site space will be saved. Savings in airspace brought about by recycling should be quantified and used to offset recycling costs. For every ton of paper recycled 3 square meters of land is saved.

Recovered Fibre releases Methane Gas when sent to landfill – Methane gas which is not only flammable is 20 times more potent than CO2 which contributes towards global warming.

For every ton of paper recycled 17 trees are put to other use as trees sequester carbon.

Recycling benefits everyone, from a child to a pensioner no matter what age one is everyone wants to save some part of our wonderful world we live in. It only takes one to start a cycle that will one day benefit all those around.

News supplied by Central Waste.

AFRICAN INSIGHT SAFARI TRAVEL SHOP is offering a bus service to those who would like to ride on the Steam Train and enjoy the Creighton Aloe Festival, but either do not have transport of their own, or would prefer not to drive. The journey from Howick to Creighton is approximately 2 hours. The bus will collect passengers from Howick, take them to the Creighton Train Station, help them collect their train tickets, and put them on the train.

The train journey is about 2 – 2 ½ hours, through lovely scenery to Riverside Station, where passengers may walk among the aloes and are entertained by singing groups whilst the train turns around. On arrival back at Creighton passengers can have lunch at the Creighton Country Club and enjoy the bustling craft market. When everyone is ready, the Safari Travel Shop will take you back to Howick.

Alternatively the Safari Travel Shop will book train tickets for you if you wish to drive yourselves. Available dates are 27 & 28 June, 04 & 05 July, 11 & 12 July, 18 & 19 July.

This is a truly lovely excursion to be enjoyed by the whole family. It is a scenic drive to Creighton with the train ride being a great experience – and it also a lovely way of meeting people, having fun and taking pleasure in being out and about.

Ring Lesley on 033 330 2269, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.