Smithfield News

Smiffie Dames

Smiffie Dames

ART CENTRE CONGRATS!

Once again, congratulations to all who organised and ran the Bibber/Chill Festival. It was a wonderful success.

As this is the Dames page I would like to pay a special tribute to Mary Webber (and family) and Susan Jewell, for turning the Red Barn into a lively, exciting Art Centre that welcomed and displayed work from Smithfield artists as well as from the surrounding districts. Also among the exhibitors was Edward Speirs, the well-known South African artist who has become a friend and a favourite in Smithfield. To lend even more interest, we went as far afield as Philippolis, receiving five paintings by Adolfo McQue and Chris Ruthven kindly loaned by Richard Proctor-Simms from his current exhibition there.

Susan tells me that the artists of Smithfield are planning similar exhibitions, workshops and cultural events at the Red Barn in the future, hopefully incorporating our quilters and woollen crafters. Contact Susan on 051 683 1138 if you would like more information.

It was good to have some of the Festival events in town, which, apart from the Museum and the horse event, were mainly the art and food. The B&W Gallery had Elmarie’s delicious cheeses; Biba’s had Kitty’s tasty tastes on the stoep and the old Deli had Lizette Prinsloo demonstrating some of her delightful food. We hope these various interesting activities will be repeated next year.

BACK IN FASHION:

There is no doubt that interiors are getting a new sparkle. Everyone is waking up to the allure of colour, space and glamour. Try these ideas:

Candles - The accent isn’t on designer candles, more on placing them. Place small candles everywhere for your dinner parties; rows of them, or circles surrounding flowers; grouped anywhere to create an atmosphere and gentle glow. For impact take plain cream candles of different heights and shapes and put them on one table or mantelpiece.

Cushions - Put aside throws for this summer; instead use plenty of brightly coloured smallish scatter cushions in any shape or colour, particularly on your earth-coloured couches. To be adventurous try a combination of black, gold and silver for dinner parties and revert to the coloured ones by day. They cost very little. (We’ve seen them for R30 each). If your couches and chairs are in floral fabrics, pick up on the background shades and make a statement with cheap (throw away) plain coloured cushions in mock taffeta and silk to give glitz and boldness to the country look. (If that makes you nervous, use them only at night!)

Vases - You might have noticed in all the ads and home magazines these past few months that vases have all become cheap and cheerful. Three or four or five empty wine bottles or unwanted glasses on the dinner table with a single perfect bloom in each is more stunning than an elaborate arrangement.

Running Rails - Such fun for your clothes. Colour-code or season-code them. There they are, completely visible for easy choice every day.

THE NEW HOUSE!

I MUST tell you about it. We’re building a house in Smithfield. One of the first largish houses to be built in the past 30-40 years, we’re told. And we have a very strict budget.

We’ve lived here for a decade, in one of the most beautiful and gracious houses of the 19^th Century to be built in the town. Now, in our 70’s, we’ve decided this is our Home Town and we’re surprising even ourselves by going modern. The new house, designed by me (except for the guest loo), advised by John, and being built by Julian (with artistic eccentricities offered), is going to be in a very different mood from anything else we’ve ever owned. A bit daring, even controversial maybe. You’ll either love it or hate it and when it’s up and running, you’re all welcome to visit it. You certainly won’t be able to ignore it even though it won’t be conspicuous behind the Smiffie office.

We’re going from brightly coloured interiors to brick, light and art, of which we have plenty, each with a story or a memory. We will have touches of colour everywhere but not all over.

The most difficult room for me to decide on is the kitchen! I have complained for 50 years that kitchens are mostly designed by men who never use them. What a challenge.

Watch this space for further developments….including the future garden.

LAMSKENKELS MET KNOFFEL EN ROOSMARYN

4 lamskenkels ( 400g elk)

4-6 huisies knoffel, geskil en gesny

‘n paar takkies roosmaryn

50 ml sojasous

varsgemaalde swart peper

1 suurlemoen

Was die skenkels en verwyder oortollige vet. Sny 6-8 gleufies in elke skenkel en stop met knoffel en roosmaryn. Plaas in ‘n oondbak en sprinkel met peper en sojasous’ Sny die suurlemoen in skyfies en pak op en rondom die skenkels. Bedek en bak in ‘n voorvehitte oond teen 180 C vir 1 uur. Verlaag die temperatuur tot 160 C en bak vir nog 2 uur. Verwyder deksel na 1 ½ uur. Bedien met bottergort of koeskoes.

STADIGE MUSIEK, STADIGE HART

‘n Studie deur navorsers aan Oxford het bewys stadige musiek help onteenseglik om jou rustiger te maak en stres te verlig. Die studie het getoon dat mense wat na stadige musiek luister, haal stadiger asem en hul hartspoed neem ook af. Hulle word ook rustiger. Vinnige musiek lei tot vinniger asemhaling en hartklop. Indiese klassieke musiek is van die doeltreffendste maniere om asemhaling stadiger en rustiger te maak.

SMITHFIELD SE EIE REISAGENT

Brendan Poitier, een van ons nuwe inwoners, is die plaaslike agent vir Thompsons Leisure Travel. Wat ‘n luukse om ons eie reisagent hier in ons dorp te kan hê! Brendan kan vlugte, motorhuur, akkommodasie, toere - plaaslik en oorsee - en enige ander reëlings wat ‘n reisiger mag benodig, tref.
Smiffie verneem dat die blomme in Namaqualand vanjaar pragtig is. Wil u dit graag gaan besigtig? Brendan kan dit reël. As u dalk ‘n bietjie verder wil reis kan u sy wye verskeidenheid brosjures gebruik om u reis te beplan. Hy sal ook die Internet gebruik om die beste pryse en mees geskikte vlugte vir u te soek en, as voorkeuragent, sal hy vinniger antwoorde op sy navrae kry.

Brendan is vyf jaar al betrokke by die reisbedryf. Hy het eers vir twee jaar lank by Flight Centre in Durban gewerk. Daarna het hy vir Thompsons Leisure Travel gewerk. Baie van sy kliënte van Durban gebruik hom nog om hulle reëlings te tref en hulle verwys ook nuwe kliënte na hom toe.

Volgende keer as u iewers heen wil gaan, vra gerus vir Brendan om u te help met die beplanning daarvan.

Ons los u met die gedagte: 39 is ‘n wonderlike ouderdom vir ‘n man om te wees - en vir ‘n vrou om te bly.

The Alternative Smithfield News.