our farewell
This is the last issue of Village Life. We have kept it going for almost seven years, sometimes optimistically, sometimes dejected, but stubborn throughout. The financial reality of accumulated losses has unfortunately caught up with us.
Annalize and I do not regard Village Life as a failure; it was only the business side that didn’t work out. We are quite proud of what we have achieved, especially given our limited resources. Someone who phoned from England the other day was adamant that the United Kingdom had no magazine of similar quality.
We had help from friends, especially some excellent scientists and other experts whom we attracted as contributors, some of whom worked without payment.
New things await us. We have to sell our house to pay the printer, but are confident of a meaningful future. We thank you for your support.
• Subscribers who require a refund on outstanding portions of their subscriptions, must please contact Ronél Vosloo with their banking details before the end of July. We shall do our utmost to arrange payments as soon as funds become available. You may also request back issues in exchange for outstanding monies.
CONTACT DETAILS (until end of July)
Tel 028 514 3300 or 082 822 1192
E-mail: subs@villagelife.co.za
P O Box 242, Swellendam 6740
cover splash
From June each year whales arrive from the cold waters of Antarctica to breed along the Cape coast. They have also become a very popular tourist attraction, with visitors arriving from all over the world to get a closer look at these mammoths of the deep – page 6. Photo: Kees van de Coolwijk
contents
2 At the office
Letters and other important matters
Devastation!
Nico Myburgh called yesterday to give me the sad news that Village Life will be no longer. I know you have been having a number of problems, but the demise of VL will leave a huge vacuum in the field of good journalism and photography. It really showed up other publications for their shallow content.
I’m sure you will move on to something less invasive of your time, but in the meanwhile may I join all those to whom you conveyed immense pleasure over the years and say how much we enjoyed your outstanding publication.
– Peter Steyn, ornithologist
4 The muted bells
The bells of the imposing DR church at Uniondale sound rather modest – for a reason
6 The face of South Africa
Whales are back along our coast for their annual breeding season
8 The goat ladies of Napier
Two women who left city life behind now live in harmony with their goats (and a variety of other animals)
12 Lonely church on the lagoon
Churchhaven at Langebaan once served a community of whalers and fishermen – by Peter Hollard
16 Insects: masters of deception
Dr Geoff Tribe looks at the many ways in which insects disguise themselves from prey and predators
24 Meerlust: ever better with age
Annalize Mouton concludes her history of this famous farm on the Eerste River
30 The legacy of the cigarette card albums
The illustrated cards packed with cigarettes 70 years ago had some foremost experts producing the text for the albums – by Elwyn Jenkins
36 Fetching water
This story from Mpumalanga is the story of millions of women the world over – by Constance Rahlani
38 Pella: refuge in the desert
The mission station in the far north-western Cape has a cathedral built by priests and helpers with only an encyclopaedia as a guide – by Steve Moseley
44 Birds from paradise
Veteran birding photographer Nico Myburgh looks at the lovely Paradise Flycatcher
46 Recipes are for sharing
Annalize bakes pears into a cake for her Country Table
48 Tail piece
Fielie the cat decides it is time to take a break
