2015 – a ShowMe East London reflection
2015 has been quite a year, we have to say.
As with every year that passes, many things happen… some good, some not so good, but as change is one of the few consistent things in life, we simply have to roll with it and do our best to move with the changes.
And as we look back on the year with a touch of nostalgia, we also look forward to a brand new year and new beginnings and opportunities. Join us as we take a look at 2015 and what it brought us…
January 2015
We saw the temporary closure of Nahoon Beach after a shark attack in January. Fortunately the patient was extremely lucky with his injuries but the beach was closed as a precautionary step – we know that these sharks can often hang around an attack site afterwards so we are thankful for the temporary closure!
Our very own Friesland Milk Bar came tops in a ‘Best Milkshakes in South Africa’ competition, run by the popular lifestyle TV show, Expresso. Strangely enough, we can’t say that we are that surprised….!
February 2015
Two things almost ‘broke the internet’ in February – the first being the release of the oh so eagerly-anticipated 50 Shades of Grey movie and then the great ‘is this dress blue and black or gold and white‘ debate. Well, we can fully understand how Mr Grey and Ms Steele might have affected things a little (okay, more than a little), but a dress? Hmmm, some folk have too much time on their hands it seems!
March 2015
March saw the very sad passing of much-loved local musician, Heather Jean Clark. Heather was very well known in and around East London and her passing came after a very short illness.
This month also brought the news that South Africa’s favourite comedian, Trevor Noah, was to take over from Jon Stewart as the host of The Daily Show. Trevor has since gone from strength to strength on this incredibly popular late-night American news satire show.
April 2015
Gonubian, Kelly Janse van Rensburg, had a lucky escape from not one but two Great White Sharks in April – on April 1st incidentally, resulting in few locals actually believing the story! Kelly’s too close for comfort encounter at Yellowsands brought home the fact that our wildlife, whether on land or sea, is exactly that, and that anything can happen when in their territory. Tragically, another young man was mauled by lions at the East London Zoo when he entered their enclosure in April last year. It was a shocking and extremely tragic event that left people reeling but the young man was – according to CCTV footage – reported to have ‘shown no sign of distress’ when he entered the lions den.
May 2015
It might not have quite matched the anticipation felt waiting for the 50 Shades of Grey movie, but the opening of PineCreek in May certainly came close, for locals at least! Since its opening, PineCreek has since become one of East London’s favourite family venues.
From country escapes to the boxing ring, local lady Sandra Almeida headed to Zambia in May to face the country’s own favourite, Esther Phiri, in the hope of winning a WBF and WIBA Title. Sandra was given the opportunity to fight for this world title after having successfully dethroned Dezzie Ndyambo of her SA title.
June 2015
June saw the first of the winter snowfall in the Eastern Cape and both young and old marvelled at the beautiful landscapes. People travelled inland to glimpse some snow, perhaps for the very first time, and hope that there was enough to build a snowman!
The South African Navy came to visit East London in June too, in celebration of World Hydrography Day. There were three ships open to the public during this period and it was a truly wonderful and very memorable event for our city.
July 2015
In July we decided to show off a bit and display the enormous talent that we have here in East London. Firstly with five students from Hoerskool Grens, one of the schools who entered the MySchool/Woolworths competition. The Grens students totally blew us all away with their rendition of Titanium and their video went viral later on in the month.
July also saw East London’s Camdon Dicks and Dana du Preez clean up at the World Championships of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles. Together they were placed in the top three for all their duets and individually they also brought home a number of trophies PLUS won scholarships to the Dance Millennium Complex in LA!
August 2015
East London’s Chez Francois Hair Gallery scooped awards galore in August at the EOHCB Eastern Cape Hairdressing Championships, a massive achievement that they can be incredibly proud of!
Rachael and Joshua Minter were awarded the Daily Dispatch ‘local heroes’ title and came to our attention with the absolutely amazing work that they are carrying out in the lives of the people living in the Stoney Drift community. The ways in which they have improved the lives of residents of this rubbish dump in Amalinda is astounding and as time passes, things only get better and better.
September 2015
Cape Town’s Jeremy Loops came to visit us in East London in September, and, although he didn’t stay for tea, he did put on a most spectacular show at Wiseguys Bar & Grill for a 700+ crowd! The critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter performed a wonderfully energetic set that not even the tremendous storm that occurred could dampen.
Some people who did stay, not for tea but for coffee, however, is East London’s Estie and Benji Gane who, in this month, opened the Ginger&Co Coffee Bar & Eatery. A wonderful yet rather overwhelming time of their lives, Estie and Benji opened the venue with an incredible – and very positive – response from the public.
October 2015
October was a month for disappointments it seems, firstly with the announcment that the Nahoon Point Parkrun would be coming to an end, after three years of fun, fitness and friendship. The good news, however, is that it wasn’t long before organisers arranged a brand new Parkrun, the Three Silos Parkrun, a beautiful new venue providing a beautiful environment and the opportunity for continuing friendships and fitness.
The second major disappointment for South Africans nationally and indeed, internationally was watching the Boks lose against New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup. Our boys may have narrowly missed the opportunity to play in the final match and bring home the cup, but they are still winners in our eyes!
November 2015
We don’t mean to brag but we really do have some enormous talent in East London!! This month we saw our very own Jason Gladwin showcase his beautiful music on the SABC3 Expresso Show in Cape Town! Jason performed ‘Necklace’ and ‘Let the Tide’, both original songs, and wowed the presenters of the show and the public on a national scale. Jason was accompanied by Aston Wylie on both songs, another awesome East London musician now very successful in Cape Town.
The last Friday of November saw East London join in on the American consumer tradition of cutting prices – widely known at Black Friday – and the public shopped till they dropped! Retailers prepared for the pre-Christmas shopping rush and selected stores offered absolute bargains on not only everyday items but also luxury goods. As for us, we stayed well away from all shops!!
December 2015
And we have ended off quite a year with a big bang… first up is another boast about East London’s talent and the news that local artists Can of Worms and Vuyolwethu both won opportunities to travel and take their music overseas, as part of the IMEXSA project SA Indies Music Week! Can of Worms will be introducing their music to the American market in October 2016 while Vuyolwethu will be taking her talent to Europe!
This month was also the fifth year that Dianne & Etienne Grassi and neighbours Shirley and Kevin Rutters held their annual Christmas Lights Display, all in aid of destitute Old Age Homes in East London. This marvellous display, hosted by the families in Pinewood Road, Beacon Bay, raised a whopping total of R45,000 this year, a wonderful achievement and all thanks to sponsors and you, the public.
So there we have it East London… a year filled with news that has made us smile, made us cry, but, as always, made us proud – proud to be an East Londoner. We look forward to a brand new year bringing you even more local news and we thank you all for your continued support.