Last weekend, a thunderous ka-BOOM! in the peaceful Company’s Garden set windows rattling and car alarms shrilling in central Cape Town. Flocks of doves, pigeons and seagulls took to the air in a flurry of wings, and squirrels scrambled up tree trunks, as smoky clouds of acrid smelling cordite wafted across lush green lawns carpeted…
“Do you want to see a concert by André Rieu this evening?” “Eh? Seriously?” “Yep, we have two extra tickets.” “YES! YES! YES!”
In response to my posts (here and here) about the annual fund-raising CANSA Shavathon, my blogfriend Amy from Nova Scotia told me about the Sparkles of Hope bracelet that is sold by the Newfoundland Cancer Association to raise funds for them.
“Edelweiss, Edelweiss, Every morning you greet me, Small and White, Clean and Bright, You look happy to meet me. Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow, Bloom and grow for ever Edelweiss, Edelweiss, Bless my homeland for ever.” (from The Sound of Music) We were singing this in the car, all the way home…
After a few days of umming and aahing, I had psyched myself up to join Colette, my best friend from my school days, and her mom Gisela at the Longbeach Mall in Noordhoek to participate in the 8th annual Shavathon, a fundraising and awareness creation initiative of the Cancer Association of South Africa on the…
It’s that time of year again, when you can say goodbye to bad hair days, goodbye to shampoos and conditioners, hair gels, hair colourants and hair sprays, blow-dryers, combs and brushes, and hairdressers and barbers. And you can say hello and welcome to quick showers, broad-rimmed hats on sunny days and warm snuggly beanies on…
Last Sunday, after we had completed the Big Walk, I raced back into the centre of Cape Town to witness the special Remembrance Day service and wreath-laying ceremony at the cenotaph in Adderley Street, just outside the main train station. Remembrance Day, which is also known as Armistice Day, Veterans Day or Poppy Day in…
Update: An article I wrote about this event was published on the Reserve Force Division website. Here is the PDF document. Now that I have finished uploading all the best of my photos, I thought I’d give you a summary page with all the blog links relating to the Cape Town Military Tattoo 2010. I…
As soon as the smoke had cleared after the final salvo of the 1812 Overture, it was time for the Final Muster. All the participants in the evening’s performance returned to the brightly lit-up arena one final time, filling the entire front courtyard of the Castle. They were followed by the regimental flag bearers and…
After the performance by the SA Army Band of KwaZulu Natal, it was time for the annual highlight of the Cape Town Military Tattoo: the performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture to the sound of live gunfire. This well-known piece of music is “an overture written by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1880 to commemorate…
As soon as the Celtic Dancers had retreated through the dark-green double doors of the residence, we were treated to a riveting song-and-dance performance by the SA Army Band of KwaZulu Natal.
After the massed pipe bands had withdrawn through the archway, a group of about ten dancers emerged onto the Kat balcony, where they posed for a moment, before stepping elegantly down the stairs onto the slightly elevated stage below. They were dressed in knee-length tartan skirts, either a white blouse with a velvet vest, or…
After the magnificent old Castle had been successfully defended gainst the attackers, it was time for the massed pipe bands to stride triumphantly into the arena. They appeared out of the swirling mists (courtesy of two smoke machines on either side of the Kat archway), their snare drums rattling and bass drums thumping, and with…
Mere moments after the medical orderlies and stretcher bearers of 3 Medical Battalion Group, led by the beautiful old horse-drawn ambulance wagon, had left the arena, the lights dimmed. This signalled the start of one of my favourite parts of the evening’s performance: the mock attack! This was a modern-day demonstration of the difficult and…
The main theme of this year’s tattoo is ‘Come Home to Africa’, with the sub-theme being ‘A Tribute to the Unsung Heroes’. This is an acknowledgement of all the men and women of the military support services, who provide combat support. In order to illustrate this, a team of soldiers and medics from 3 Medical…
Grains of Sand 
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