BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//The Van Plettenberg Historical Society - ECPv6.15.13.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:The Van Plettenberg Historical Society
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://pletthistory.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for The Van Plettenberg Historical Society
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20220101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251113T053000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251113T200000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20251006T100428Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251006T100428Z
UID:5851-1763011800-1763064000@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:The Modern History of the South African Great White Shark
DESCRIPTION:For our next talk we move off the land into the waters of our bay. \nOur speaker Bruce Noble will take us back to the blood-soaked and tragic events of Black December 1957. \nBetween December 1957 and April 1958 at least nine shark attacks occurred along the coast of KwaZulu- Natal. \nSix people lost their lives. \nTourists fled the Durban area causing a devastating impact on the local economy. \nWithout thorough research into the possible reason for this sudden increase in shark activity\, local authorities made desperate attempts to protect swimmers and surfers from shark attacks. Many will remember these attempts which included enclosures built from wooden poles and netting. \nA South African Navy frigate even dropped depth charges into the coastal waters causing few shark fatalities but killing huge numbers of other species. This resulted in many more sharks being attracted into the area to feast on the dead fish. \nBruce Noble will tell us how those events in 1957 and the indiscriminate killing of white sharks still affect us today – and of the impact on our own waters\, our tourism and the entire ecosystem of the ocean. \nBruce has been observing white shark behavior in the Garden Route since 2004. \n  \n 
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/the-modern-history-of-the-south-african-great-white-shark/
LOCATION:Lagoon Room\, Beacon Island Resort\, Plettenberg Bay\, Western Cape\, 6600\, South Africa
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/3.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250912T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250912T210000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20250811T121309Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250811T121309Z
UID:5832-1757698200-1757710800@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Louis Michel Thibault - THE FATHER OF SOUTH AFRICAN ARCHITECTURE
DESCRIPTION:Please join us in The Garden Room\, The Plettenberg\, Church Street\, Plettenberg Bay\, on Friday 12thSeptember 2025.\nRodney Grosskopff\, well- known Plett raconteur\, renowned architect and amateur historian\, returns to the podium to tell us about Louis Michel Thibault\, one of South Africa’s greatest architects. \nBorn 1750 in Picquigny\, France\, a small town on the River Somme\, near Amien\, little is known of his early life but he must have been affected by the architecture around him. \nHe enrolled at the Royal Academy of Architecture in Paris and proved to be a brilliant student\, winning prizes and being selected to present his design for the coat of arms of the Academy to King Louis XV. \nHe then went on to study military engineering and joined a Swiss mercenary regiment. \nThe Dutch East India Company (VOC) employed the mercenaries to guard the Cape against possible invasion by the British. \nThibault arrived in the Cape in 1783. \nAfter peace was declared he remained in the Cape and he set up a private architectural practice. \nLouis Michel Thibault was the first formally trained architect to practice in South Africa and was certainly  the premier architect of his time. \nTempered by local taste and  his use of local labour and building materials\, he did more than anyone to establish an architectural style which could be called “ South African”. \nHis collaboration with Anton Anreith\, a young sculptor and woodcarver from Freiburg\, and Hermann Schutte a young architect and builder from Bremen\, produced several prestigious projects including the Lodge de Goeie Hoop which is today part of the parliamentary complex. \nThe Drostdy in Graaff-Reinet is also a beautifully preserved example of  Thibault’s work built in 1804.  The building is still in use as a five-star hotel. \nUnfortunately many of his works were demolished. \nThibault died on 3/11/1815 from bronchopneumonia caused by exposure while surveying properties along the road from Cape Town to Simon’s Town. \nHe was buried in a self-designed plain Masonic tomb in the Somerset Street Cemetery which was later demolished to make way for lower Buitengracht. \nHis mortal remains and plaque could not be found. \n 
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/louis-michel-thibault-the-father-of-south-african-architecture/
LOCATION:The Garden Room\,  The Plettenberg\, Church Street\,  Plettenberg Bay\, Plettenberg Bay\, Western Cape\, 6600\, South Africa
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Picture1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250725T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250725T203000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20250603T110640Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250603T110640Z
UID:5816-1753464600-1753475400@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Passes\, Poorts and Switchbacks. The Bain Legacy
DESCRIPTION:We have all enjoyed the breathtaking views from the passes which enable us to travel over our spectacular mountains and into the beautiful valleys beyond . \nBut do we ever stop to think of the extraordinarily difficult journeys which faced our ancestors  before these incredible gateways were built ? \nDo we  pause to acknowledge the foresight\,  planning and engineering which went into the construction process ? \nArguably the greatest of these road builders and engineers was Thomas Bain – probably the best known of the 19th century road makers who played such a major part in opening the hinterland of the Cape Colony . \nThomas Charles John Bain  (not to be confused with artist and explorer Thomas Baines). and his father Andrew Geddes Bain  perfected the technique of constructing dry stone retaining walls – many of considerable height and length.   The roads they built are still standing and in use to this day. \nAndrew was responsible for 7 major passes and Thomas for an incredible 26. These were all completed in the days before modern equipment .
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/passes-poorts-and-switchbacks-the-bain-legacy/
LOCATION:Lagoon Room\, Beacon Island Resort\, Plettenberg Bay\, Western Cape\, 6600\, South Africa
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture1-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250516T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250516T213000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20250404T124252Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250404T124706Z
UID:5756-1747416600-1747431000@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:16th May 2025 “Preserving the Past\, Designing the Future: The Old Rectory's Elegant Evolution”
DESCRIPTION:We look forward to welcoming you to The Old Rectory on Friday 16th May when Dael Fairbairn\, principal of award-winning Erasmus Fairbairn Architects\, will tell us how she came to be entrusted with the restoration and transformation of The Old Rectory into a luxury boutique hotel. \nKnown for their meticulous attention to detail\, Fairbairn’s firm specializes in creating buildings that embody the genius loci (spirit of place) in every project they undertake. \nOriginally built as a barracks for the Dutch East India company (better known these days as the VOC) in the 18th century. It was referred to as “The Barracks” well into the 19th Century. \n \nIn 1869 Bishop Grey bought the house\, with 18 acres of ground along the foreshore as a residence for the successive clergymen of the parish. It was used as such until 1939 when a new Rectory was built closer to St Peter’s Church. \nThe building then became know as The Old Rectory. \nThe late Robert John Crawford Brunt began negotiations to purchase it in 1942. The house was occupied for almost 40 years by the Crawford-Brunt family             with few alterations. \nIt was sold in 1981 to Nico Opperman. \nAmazingly\, aside from the original thatched roof being replaced by Corrugated iron in 1887\, very few structural alterations had been made. \n \nThis made Plett’s Old Rectory a rare piece of architectural and cultural history – remaining virtually intact – from its construction nearly                                        250 years previously. \nSadly many historical sites and beautiful buildings are being lost to our country. Thanks to the original vision of Nico Opperman\,                                                            our Old Rectory did not meet such a fate. \nIn 1997\, sanctioned by Heritage Western Cape and after consultations with renowned architects Gabriel & Gwen Fagan\, best remembered for their outstanding restoration of the historical and heritage buildings damaged by the 1969 Tulbach earthquake\, Nico Opperman gave a presentation of the proposed development to the Van Plettenberg Historical Society. \nThis was very well received and fully supported. \nSubsequently the Old Rectory changed hands once again. \nIt’s new owners – the fondly remembered Chick Legh of Kay and Monty Vineyards – with his partner Thys van Heerden of Rare Earth Retreats\,                            never lost sight of this vision. \nThe Old Rectory project presented a unique challenge of seamlessly integrating a 250-year-old structure with modern amenities and design. \nDael’s approach blended elements from different eras\, combining careful restoration of the historic building with new construction that respects                           the site’s rich heritage. \nBy employing noble materials and a timeless aesthetic\, Dael has preserved a significant piece of architectural history whilst also providing guests with a luxurious\, contemporary experience rooted in the site’s unique character. \n“Time and again\, I find myself drawn to the spirit of the past. But its not just about preservation its about creating a dialogue between eras. My greatest joy comes from integrating historical elements with contemporary design\, thus allowing buildings to honour their heritage while embracing the future” says Dael. \nDael will tell us how her love affair with historical buildings began during her architectural studies. \nWhilst exploring Europe with a fellow student their journey took an unplanned detour when they found themselves on the sharp end of restoring a 16th-century farmhouse in France’s Dordogne region. This experience ignited a lifelong passion for integrating old and new in architecture and a deep appreciation for the stories embedded in heritage buildings. Dael’s highly successful career has been a continuation of this passion. \nShe headed up the Heritage arm of the MRA in Melville for a number of years . \n“We helped facilitate the preservation and appropriate renovation of significant Edwardian heritage buildings in Melville.” \nCurrently\, Dael is also breathing new life into a 17th century barn in a village in Spain\, marvelling at its extraordinary roof structure and beautifully                   crafted stonework. \n                                                                    \nAfter the talk we will be treated to a carefully chosen selection of delicious snacks prepared by The Old Rectory’s chefs \, accompanied by a complimentary glass of Kay & Monty wine. \nWe hope you will join us for what promises to be a most informative and enjoyable evening at The Old Rectory \n \nBOOK ON QUICKET
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/16th-may-2025-preserving-the-past-designing-the-future-the-old-rectorys-elegant-evolution/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mailchimp-Images-Old-Rectory-PHOTO-07.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20250320T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20250320T210000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20250207T061700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250225T055030Z
UID:5729-1742491800-1742504400@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:20 March 2025 - Memories of Keurbooms
DESCRIPTION:Please join us at Formosa Garden Village at 18:00 on Thursday 20th March when local resident Dave Sykes will tell us about Matjesfontein 304 – and his association with the Read family of Keurbooms. Doors open at 17:30. \nDave’s first visit to Keurboomstrand was back in 1952 when he first visited the Arch Rock campsite with his family. \nThat started a life long attachment to the area. \nWhen Dave married his wife Lorna in 1978 they chose to spend their honeymoon at The Keurboomstrand Hotel and subsequently retired to Plett in 2019. \n“Uncle John” Grey Read was a close friend of his parents and Dave felt it was time to tell his story. \nIn 1862 The Read family purchased the farm Matjesfontein on the east side of the Keurbooms river from the Jerling family. They eventually owned all the land from the Keurbooms River to Arch Rock. They later extended their property interests inland towards the Crags. The farmhouse on Woodlands farm\, now called Kurland was built by the Reads in 1886. \nJohn Gray Read’s mother and her husband founded Reads Hotel in 1916. \nIt became famous for the warm personal welcome given to guests by the Reads and for its unrivalled meals of plain cooking with home grown vegetables. \nIt later became known as Hotel Frederick and then The Keurbooms Hotel. \nToday The Plettenberg Manor retirement village stands on the site. \nThe former hotel has been restored and refurbished and functions as the estates’s clubhouse. \n \nJohn Gray Read and his mother – founder of Reads Hotel. \n \nPLEASE NOTE THAT A SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING WILL NO LONGER BE TAKING PLACE PRIOR TO DAVE’S TALK. (SEE BELOW) \n \nBOOK ON QUICKET\nIN OTHER NEWS\nSPECIAL GENERAL MEETING \nAfter extensive consultations\, it has been decided that our existing constitution serves its purpose. \nThis means that we will no longer be holding a SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING prior to our talk on 20th March. \nShould our ambitious projects gain momentum\, an entirely separate entity would be formed. \nA full update and all relevant information will be presented at our Annual General Meeting on Friday 14th November 2025 \nPLEASE NOTE That our talks and meetings are open to all. Our newsletter is widely circulated to everyone on our mailing list regardless of membership status. However\, only those who have paid their annual subscription will qualify to vote on the adoption of a new constitution. \nANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FEE: R300 per person \nOur membership fee goes towards maintaining and expanding our website\, paying for our blue plaque programme\, securing our venues and covering the costs of publicity. In addition\, we charge entrance fees to events which cover venue hire and catering. \nPLEASE PAY YOUR FEES TO FNB AND SEND PROOF OF PAYMENT TO\ninfo@pletthistory.org\nBank: FNB Plettenberg Bay\nBranch code: 21 05 14\nAccount number: 624 8729 2262\nAccount name: VPHS\nRef: your name/subs\nPlease email your name and contact details with proof of payment to info@pletthistory.org\nIf anyone has a topic they would like to share please contact\nLen Swimmer: 082 452 1799\nEmail: info@pletthistory.org
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/5729/
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20241115T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20241115T180000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20241031T145948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20241115T052259Z
UID:5652-1731691800-1731693600@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:15 November 2024 - WINSTON CHURCHILL – WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE – REWARD £25
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on 15th November in The Gazebo at the Beacon Island Resort when well-known Plett raconteur Rodney Grosskopff will take us back to The Boer War and tell us the story behind this dramatic poster and the events which followed. \nClick here to Livestream the event \nBOOKINGS CLOSE ON MONDAY 11th NOVEMBER \n \nThis alarming headline was widely distributed in November 1899 after Churchill’s capture by a Boer commando and subsequent daring escape. \nRodney Grosskopff will describe how a young Winston Churchill in his days in the British Army working as a war correspondent for The Morning Post\, was captured from a derailed armoured train by a Boer commando. Both Jan Smuts and the formidable Louis Botha were present when he was taken into custody.\nAfter the Boer Wars\, Churchill went on to forge notable friendships with both men. \nWe will then learn how Churchill escaped from the State Model School in Pretoria and eventually\, from the safety of Lourenço Marques\, made his way to Durban by boat to a hero’s welcome. \nPlease join us on 15th November in The Gazebo at the Beacon Island Resort . \nEnjoy the views across the bay towards our magnificent Tsitsikamma mountains. \nTHE VAN PLETTENBERG HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS \n \nOur talk will be preceded by a brief AGM during which Chairman Len Swimmer will speak briefly about the current status of the Van Plettenberg Historical Society\, the confirmation of office bearers and the projects which lie ahead. \n \n 
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/15-november-2024-winston-churchill-wanted-dead-or-alive-reward-25/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mailchimp-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240919T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240919T210000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20240807T034857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240807T034926Z
UID:5623-1726767000-1726779600@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:19th September - The history of the Griqua people
DESCRIPTION:Mike Kantey – local historian\, researcher\, book editor and producer of limited edition works in the Watermark Press series\, will tell us about the Griqua people. \nEmily Moon\, set on the banks of the Bitou River in Plettenberg Bay\, is a luxury hotel plus restaurant & pizzeria with a quirky attitude and a distinctly African air. \nSimon’s Bar\, located above Emily’s Restaurant\, is beautifully designed with vintage boat engines decorating the walls and in the centre a wood–fired pizza oven that produces the best artisan pizzas in the Garden Route. \nPlease join us in the adjacent James Room; a multi-purpose venue set in a tranquil garden\, as we learn more about the Griqua people and then sample a selection of Emily Moon’s legendary pizzas. \nBookings can be made online via QUICKET or in person at Barneys Kiosk\, Market Square. \nBook here\n \n  \nFor most commentators attached to the resort town of Plettenberg Bay\, the Griqua community amounts to only one particular group based in the village of Kranshoek\, just off the Airport Road to Knysna. \nThe true history of those known by that name for over 150 years\, however\, is far more complicated and — like the Scottish clans — involve different patriarchs at different times in different places. \nThe prominent clans are those of the original Adam Kok\, and the later Waterboers and Le Fleurs. The places where they found temporary refuge included Piketberg\, Hopetown\, Phillipolis\, Kokstad\, and only arriving in Kranshoek as late as the 20th century. \nThis talk will make a rough sketch of these personalities\, events\, and locations in order to give the audience a rare glimpse of how history is not confined to one man or one category of race\, class\, and religion\, but is always the result of a dynamic flow in fortunes and favours. \n \n \nThe Trek illustrated (Photo supplied) \n \nFrom a painting  by Cobus van Bosch
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/19th-september-the-history-of-the-griqua-people/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/3b0d4ffd-12f6-2b0c-bb94-315c07bfe8fe.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240726T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240726T220000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20240624T141200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240624T141440Z
UID:5567-1722015000-1722031200@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Friday 26 July -  FRANÇOIS RENIER DUMINY- A DREAM WHICH BECAME PLETTENBERG BAY
DESCRIPTION:Our next talk will be held at The Old Rectory\, opposite The Timbershed in the very heart of historical Plettenberg Bay. \nFRANÇOIS RENIER DUMINY\nA DREAM WHICH BECAME PLETTENBERG BAY \nFRIDAY 26TH JULY\, 6pm\nAT THE OLD RECTORY\, PLETTENBERG BAY \n\n\n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBookings can be made online via QUICKET or in person at Barneys Kiosk\, Market Square.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBOOK ON QUICKET BY CLICKING THIS HERE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n\n\n \nPlease join us to hear Rodney Grosskopff tell us about François Renier Duminy – French mariner\, navigator\, cartographer\, farmer\, South African pioneer – and the ancestor of the Duminy family in South Africa. \nDuminy was born in France- he first went to sea at the age of 9 with the French East India Company and spent his life sailing the seas and developing his outstanding skills as a navigator and cartographer. Later he worked for the Dutch East India Company. \nRodney will tell us of the time Duminy spent in the Cape – during which he travelled extensively and mapped the coastline. \nHe had a deep involvement in the earliest days of Plettenberg Bay and was instrumental in encouraging the very first visit by Baron Joachim van Plettenberg to the area in 1778. \nBaron van Plettenberg hoped our Bay would become a timber export port and approved the construction of the Timber Shed by Johan Jacob Jerling – which still stands across the road from The Old Rectory. \nIndeed the Old Rectory is believed to have originally housed employees of the Dutch East India Company who supervised the storing of timber in the Timber Shed. \n \nThe first load of timber left the bay on board Duminy’s ship “De Meermin” in August 1788. \nThese are all names familiar to Plettenberg Bay. Peter Duminy\, a direct descendant – was treasurer and an active member of The Van Plettenberg Historical Society committee for many years. His sister and her husband still live in the area. \nThe Jerling family still live in Plettenberg Bay. We are delighted that in addition to assisting “Keep Plett Clean” with the maintenance and preservation of The Timber Shed\, direct descendant Dion Jerling is a member of our Executive Committee. \nOur thanks to David Scott and his team from “Keep Plett Clean” for their ongoing support \nThe Old Rectory is the perfect venue for this event. \nWe look forward to holding our talk there and sampling delicious snacks from Chef Ashleigh’s very popular “Harvest Table”.
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/friday-26-july-francois-renier-duminy-a-dream-which-became-plettenberg-bay/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Quicket-Images-2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240516T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240516T203000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20240409T031410Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T031410Z
UID:4384-1715880600-1715891400@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Thursday 16th May - DAVID HALL-GREEN - from acting to trawling
DESCRIPTION:We invite you to join us on Thursday 16th May\, at Formosa Garden Village to hear DAVID HALL-GREEN tell us about his experiences 60 years ago as a trawler-man working out of the English fishing port of Brixham. \n \nClick here to book tickets via Quicket here\nAs a young man in his twenties David Hall-Green found himself working as a trawler man out of Brixham Harbour on the “Leon Jeannine”. \nDavid’s illustrated talk will include some of his own photographs taken at the time. \nOur wonderful location in Plett makes the sea and all that goes on in it very dear to our hearts. There is much talk these days about fish stocks\, and seals and great white sharks\, and feeding frenzies when “bait balls” make their way through our waters pursued by fish\, dolphins and birds. We all remember watching boats on the horizon- concerned they were foreign trawlers overfishing in our waters. More recently the ever-increasing number of “chokka” boats light up our bay at night during the strictly controlled “chokka” fishing season and lead to much discussion. In days gone by our own fishing boats would land on Central Beach and attract great interest. One could buy fish straight off the boats. \nThe modern fishing trawler was developed in Brixham in the 19th Century. The Brixham Trawler was sleek with a tall gaff rig\, which gave the vessel sufficient speed to make long-distance trips out into the fishing grounds around the English coast. It was also sufficiently robust to tow large trawls in deep water. The great trawling fleet that built up in Brixham earned the village the title of “The Mother of Deep-Sea Fisheries.” The revolutionary design made large-scale trawling in the ocean possible for the first time. \nThe elegant Brixham trawler spread across the world\, influencing fishing fleets everywhere. By the end of the 19th century\, there were over 3000 fishing trawlers in Britain alone. They were sold to fishermen throughout Europe and beyond. \nDavid will describe how this method of fishing – known as bottom trawling- remained in use for 200 years. This was very damaging to marine life. Everything was scooped up indiscriminately off the ocean floor and much of the catch was simply discarded. Thankfully\, with the use of modern equipment\, and a greater awareness of environmental impacts the trawling industry has changed. \n \nDavid in his role as a fisherman – aged 25. \n \nOperating the winch on “Leon Jeannine”
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/thursday-16th-may-david-hall-green-from-acting-to-trawling/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/pic-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20240308T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20240308T220000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20240123T131426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240123T142710Z
UID:801-1709919000-1709935200@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Friday 8th March - ADRIFT ON THE OPEN VELD
DESCRIPTION:We start our programme on Friday 8th March with a talk by Trevor Emslie on the life and times of Deneys Reitz as described by Deneys himself in his trilogy “Adrift on the Open Veld”.\nThe Reitz family of Plettenberg Bay are direct descendants and this talk will\, most appropriately\, be held at Ouland Royale – Wilja Reitz’s magical baroque-style barn venue.\nDATE: Friday 8th March 2024 . \nTIME: 17:30 for 18:00. \nPRICE: R250 – Including snacks. A cash bar will operate. \nTICKETS: QUICKET or Barneys Kiosk\, Market Square. \nSPEAKER: Trevor Emslie SC . VENUE: Ouland Royale\, Airport Road\, Plettenberg Bay.\n  \nBOOK VIA QUICKET HERE\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nOur beautiful venue is the brainchild of Wilja Reitz – a direct descendant of Deneys Reitz. Her dream is to keep the Reitz name flying high with her cooking\, baking and eccentric wearable art in keeping with the Reitz legacy. The family heard stories of their ancestors sleeping under their tractors reciting Shakespeare. Her brother Charles owns Ouland Nursery and Landscaping. He specialises in tree care including tree surgery and is an accomplished botanical artist. Her father\, Andre\, is a well-respected veterinarian.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nYoung Deneys Reitz takes up his rifle and fights for his country\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn 1899\, aged just seventeen Deneys Reitz\, son of the ex-President of the Orange Free State and then State Secretary of the South African Republic\, took up his rifle and joined the Boer Army to fight for his country. \nReitz describes that he had no hatred of the British people\, but “as a South African\, one had to fight for one’s country.” \nHe could ride and shoot with the best of them\, so he was quickly assigned to a Boer Commando Unit—one of the highly mobile light cavalry units that were driving the British crazy. \nToday the word “commando” conjures a picture of daring special forces raids\, but originally it was the Boer word for a mobile column of fighting men. Reitz was fortunate to be present at nearly every one of the major battles of the war. \nHis own narrative brings us a vivid\, unforgettable picture of mobile guerrilla warfare\, especially later in the war as General Smuts and men like Reitz fought on\, braving heat\, cold\, rain\, tiring horses\, and lack of food\, clothing\, and boots. \nHis descriptions of war and adventure have come to be regarded as among the best in the English language. \nHis three books\, Commando\, Trekking On and Outspan are published as a trilogy in “Adrift in the Open Veld”. This new edition has been edited and published by our speaker Trevor Emslie. \nThe most well-known of the three is “Commando”. \nThe brilliance of his storytelling is its simplicity\, directness and understatement. \n“Commando” is written with a sophisticated detachment remarkable in a 21-year-old. His love of horses\, his loyalty to his father\, his brothers and comrades\, his addiction to a life of adventure\, his passion to preserve the wild game of South Africa and his devotion to his sons with whom he shared the lore of the bushveld and fishing in False Bay are all unravelled in this fascinating story of adventure and struggle. \nJ. C. Smuts summed it up best in his preface: “Wars pass\, but the human soul endures; the interest is not so much in the war as in the human experience behind it.This book tells the simple straightforward story of what the Boer War meant to one participant in it.” \nAfter the fighting was over in 1902\, Reitz chose to live in Madagascar rather than remain in South Africa under British rule. \nBut his exile did not last. His old commander\, J C Smuts\, talked him into returning to his homeland to help build the new dominion. To this task\, he brought the courage and leadership he had learned as a commando\, eventually becoming a Member of Parliament\, Cabinet Minister\, Deputy Prime Minister\, and South African High Commissioner to London.\nDuring this time\, he also studied law and founded “Deneys Reitz” which was to become a major South African law firm. \nWhen World War 1 swept across the globe\, he fought bravely alongside the British against the Germans\, first in Africa and then on the Western Front\, rising to command a battalion. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDeneys Reitz\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTrevor Emslie SC\, Advocate\, and Member of the Cape Bar\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdvocate and senior counsel at the Cape Bar specialising in the practice of tax law\, our speaker Trevor Emslie has for the past 25 years published books broadly classified as “Africana”. \nThese include works by Herman Charles Bosman\, C Louis Leipoldt\, Olive Schreiner\, Iris Vaughan\, Sarah Raal\, Willie Steyn\, Victor Pohl\, John Buchan and Deneys Reitz. \nHe is also the managing editor of “The Taxpayer” – South Africa’s oldest journal of tax law and practice. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBOOK VIA QUICKET HERE
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/friday-8th-march-trevor-emslie-on-the-life-and-times-of-deneys-reitz/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/bmp:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/PIC-1.bmp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20231019T170000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20231019T220000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20230907T061457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230907T103417Z
UID:560-1697734800-1697752800@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Thursday 19 October - THE ZONDAGHS OF THE LANGKLOOF
DESCRIPTION:Join us on Thursday\, October 19th\, at the Formosa Garden Village for the final event for the year which will include a brief Annual General Meeting.\n\nOur guest speaker will be Jimmy Zondagh\, a member of the Zondagh family\, who have been deeply rooted in Avontuur for nine generations.\n\nDoors open at 5:30 pm\, for a prompt start at 6 pm.\n\nDiscover the hidden gem of the Langkloof Valley which lies beyond our mountains and the foothills of Formosa Peak.\nIn spring the pear and apple orchards are in full blossom\, and the hillsides are covered in bright coloured vygies.\nThe valley extends along the R62 between Avontuur and Kareedouw.\nThere are small towns and farms along the way .\nThe old narrow-gauge railway and packing houses await the annual harvest of  handpicked fruit which finds its way from the foothills of Formosa to market stalls as far away as Vietnam .\n\n\nThe Zondagh family’s enduring legacy spans nine generations in this region\, making Jimmy Zondagh’s presence as our speaker on Thursday\, October 19th\, a momentous occasion.\n\nJimmy will regale us with tales of the area’s history\, shedding light on how his family established their roots in Avontuur and the remarkable growth of the fruit industry. Additionally\, he will share intriguing insights about the Belle-Vue Museum and the area’s rich history\, including its association with figures like Kommandant Scheepers and the British Boer War forts.\n\nEvent Details:\n– Date: Thursday\, October 19th\, 2023\n– Time: 17:30 for 18:00\n– Admission: R200 per person\, inclusive of the talk and refreshments\n– Speaker: Jimmy Zondagh\n– Venue: Formosa Garden Village\, Ferdinand Street\, Plettenberg Bay\n\nBookings can be made online through QUICKET or in person at Barneys Kiosk in Market Square.\n\nBOOK ON QUICKET HERE https://www.quicket.co.za/events/232493-the-zondaghs-of-the-langkloof\n\nFor any additional information or inquiries\, please contact us via email at info@pletthistory.org or contact Len Swimmer at 082 452 1799.\n \n \n1961 – Zondagh and Hops family beside the wooden bridge which provided access from the old Beacon Island Hotel to Central Beach
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/thursday-19-october-the-zondaghs-of-the-langkloof/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Artboard-7-100.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230807T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230807T220000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20230626T050524Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230626T051856Z
UID:550-1691429400-1691445600@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Thursday 17th August - THE JAMESON RAID
DESCRIPTION:Please join us on THURSDAY 17th August at Formosa Garden Village where Rodney Grosskopff will be telling us about the ill-judged and ill-fated Jameson Raid which took place in Krugersdorp on the 29th December 1895. \nThis event remains one of the great mysteries and controversies of British imperial history. \nIt certainly raised tensions between Cecil John Rhodes and Paul Kruger and was undoubtedly a contributory cause of the Anglo-Boer War. \nSet against the discovery of gold in Paul Kruger’s Transvaal Republic 1884 and the influx of foreigners set on making their fortunes from the untold riches which lay under the ground\, the objective of the raid was for the “Uitlanders” to stage a coup-d-etat\, throw Kruger out and make some changes to the existing legislation which heavily penalised the “ Uitlanders” and denied them the vote.\nIn fact Jameson had not actually been authorised to stage this attack and the Boers were lying in wait. \nThe consequences of this ill-judged raid were far reaching and undoubtedly changed the course of South Africa’s history and affected many lives. \nDate: Thursday 17th August 2023\nTime: 17:30 for 18:00\nPrice: R150 per head including talk and refreshments.\nSpeaker: Rodney Grosskopff\nVenue: Formosa Garden Village\, Ferdinand Street\, Plettenberg Bay \nBookings can be made online via QUICKET\, or in person at Barneys Kiosk in Market Square. For further information please email info@pletthistory.org\nor ring Len – 082 452 1799 \nBOOK ON QUICKET HERE\n \n  \nRodney Grosskopff is a well-known figure in Plett. Many of us have been entertained by the memorable characters he has played in Plett’s Bitou Amateur Theatrical Society ( BATS) productions under the direction of David Hall-Green.\nHe is a keen historian and has written a number of books\, papers\, plays\, training manuals and travel articles amongst other things.\nHe also enjoys painting\, drawing and sculpting. \nRodney and his wife have lived in Plett for 17 years following a very successful career in Johannesburg as an architect where he became senior partner to Manfred Hermer. \nMost South Africans will be familiar with Ponte\, the iconic circular building which has been a striking urban landmark on the Johannesburg skyline since 1975. Rodney was a leading member of the team which designed this building- and it was his decision to make it cylindrical in order to allow light into every room.\nThe neon sign on the top of Ponte is the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. \nAfter a dark period during which this extraordinary building fell into the wrong hands\, we are pleased to report that it is now once again fully functioning and fully occupied largely by young professionals who can enjoy its innovative design\, convenient location and panoramic views.\nRodney is in fact at the moment assisting an architectural student with his Master’s dissertation on Ponte.
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/thursday-17th-august-the-jameson-raid/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/6c13f6bf-f9ef-9b3b-b81c-a804d558d11e.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230609T180000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230609T210000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20230620T124957Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230620T125130Z
UID:486-1686333600-1686344400@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Friday 9 June 2023 - The defence of Rorke's Drift
DESCRIPTION:Please join us for dinner on Friday 9th June at The Plettenberg Bay Country Club to hear Andrew Rattray talk about this extraordinary event. \n \n \n 
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/friday-9-june-2023-the-defence-of-rorkes-drift/
LOCATION:Plettenberg Bay Country Club
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230216T173000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230216T183000
DTSTAMP:20260916T204853
CREATED:20230614T091026Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230614T091026Z
UID:369-1676568600-1676572200@pletthistory.org
SUMMARY:Thursday 16 February 2023 – Tragic fate of the São Gonçalo.
DESCRIPTION:Our first talk will be held on Thursday\, 16th February\, at Formosa Garden Village\, Ferdinand Street\, Plettenberg Bay Well known Plett thespian\, raconteur and committee member of The Van Plettenberg Historical Society\, David Hall-Green\, will tell us about the ill-fated Portuguese ship\, known to us as the “San Gonzales”\, which ran into serious trouble in our bay. \nThursday 16 February 2023 \nTime: 17:30 for 18:00 \nPrice:  R150 per head including talk and refreshments. \nSpeaker: David Hall-Green. \nWell-known Plett thespian\, raconteur and committee member of The Van Plettenberg  Historical Society\, David Hall-Green\, will tell us about the ill-fated Portuguese ship\, known to us as the “San Gonzales”\,  which ran into serious trouble in our bay. \nTickets will go on sale in January and will once again be available via QUICKET\, or from Barneys Kiosk in Market Square. Seats are limited at Formosa Garden Village so please book promptly. \nBook via Quicket \n1630: Padrão of the São Gonçalo \nIt seems that a group of about 100 sailors off the Portuguese trading ship\, São Gonçalo\, were the first Europeans who spent any significant amount of time in the area we now call Plettenberg Bay. They were en route back from India to Portugal in 1630\, carrying a cargo of pepper. They had actually stopped in the bay to make some repairs to the ship when a huge storm hit the bay and claimed the ship as well as 150 of their crewmen. The 100 survivors managed to swim ashore and made the Piesang Valley their home for about 8 months\, befriending the Khoisan as they did so and building a church. They spent their time here building 2 boats from the remains of the São Gonçalo and the timber supplied by the surrounding forest. Just before they left the Bay\, they erected a stone marker (padrão) on the shore. This was the first ‘Plett beacon’. The padrão was re-discovered in 1980. It bore the inscription (in Portuguese) “Here was lost the ship São Gonçalo in the year 1630.” Sadly\, the story of the São Gonçalo ended in even further tragedy: although the sailors were eventually picked up by other ships of the Portuguese fleet who brought them back to Portugal\, one of those ships sank just as it entered the Lisbon harbour\, with the loss of everyone on board – including some of the survivors of the São Gonçalo. \n 
URL:https://pletthistory.org/event/thursday-16-february-2023-tragic-fate-of-the-sao-goncalo/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://pletthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Picture13.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR