This small,12 m², freestanding Garden Room, built more than 150 years ago as a storeroom and today used as a quaint guest room in the garden for friends and family – and the odd guest in need of overnight accommodation. We fitted it with a coffee station, bar fridge, microwave and laptop safe. It has WiFi. You will have to contact us to request this room.
Author: Philda Benkenstein
I write from the heart, the way I speak and, as my mother tongue is Afrikaans, my grammar is not always perfect. I am constantly intrigued by the number of guests who mentions that they read my blog posts - I would love to hear from you if you enjoyed a particular post.
Isolation -from hero to zero
The basic shopping has been done, the house has had a spring clean of note and at Fairview Homestead, we are ready for the 21-day lockdown. As we are going to be joined by two of our children and their families, one inevitably wonders about self-isolation in the case where one family member gets flu-like symptoms.
A very good article on self-isolation advice can be read here.
It is still strange to come down to my office in the morning and have no queries to answer. I have a dreadful feeling that the hospitality industry is not going to recover from this anytime soon. But we choose hope and not fear. Thank you for choosing us when you were looking for accommodation in the Garden Route in the past and please support us again once this is all over. Stay safe.
George – the home of Wonki Ware (Di Marshall Pottery)
When our daughter moved into her first flat the two of us went to the factory shop in York Street to find a few basic items in their little ‘reject’ room. She was sitting flat on the floor, sorting the Wonki Ware into little piles of four. Di Marshall happened to walk in and gave her an amused smile at which the 18 year old, not knowing she was speaking to THE Di Marshall, started telling her what amazing crockery this was – pointing out the artistic designs, beautiful colours and delicate, yet durable quality of the items.
One of their bestsellers is called the lace design. They make this plate by pressing real lace into the soft clay before the plate is fired in the oven. Then, as it is placed in the oven, the lace design burns off, leaving behind a ghostly pattern. They are manufactured from non porous clay and the glazes are non toxic and lead free ; chip proof, oven, microwave and dishwasher friendly.
Her tableware is also used by the Swedish and British Royal families. The business also have outlets in UK, Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Norway, Switzerland and Ireland . So there you are all the South Africans in London – go and look at the Wonki Ware in Harrods when you get homesick! You can also go to their website and order your items prior to coming to George. Address: 42 York St, George South, George, 6530.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 8.30 am to 5 pm.
e-mail: info@wonkiware.co.za | Tel: +27 (0)44 884 1883
10 days to Christmas…
9 people sharing, 8 people asking, 7 agents phoning, 6 guests a-parking, 5 children swimming, 4 telephones ringing, 3 drop-ins knocking, 2 couples asking, 1 call for multitasking – and no golden eggs.
Yes, it’s that time of the year again…
You have to understand – as much as I hate the start of blaring ‘Jingle Bells, jingle bells,jingle bells’ rocking in my ears while I’m shopping for our daily bread, eggs, bacon, mushrooms… IN OCTOBER! As much, do I love the advent of Christmas.
I light my 4 candles in anticipation of the last candle – one on each Sunday and the last candle we light on Christmas eve. I hang an advent wreath on our front door, I use my navy blue cloth napkins with the golden stars that my children helped me to stencil on when they were small. There is always a small Christmas tree – often one concocted with thorn tree branches. In Namibia (where we lived for 13 years) this is quite a traditional Christmas tree – the thorns are perfect to hang the tree decorations from and I also find the thorn tree symbolic of the thorn wreath that was put on Christ’s head during the crucifixion.
Our friends in the northern hemisphere probably find it incomprehensible that we can have Christmas without snow, but yes that is our reality: Christmas day temperatures average about 27 degrees Celsius. Some people do the whole hot meal with turkey and gammon, others prefer to go the more sensible route of salads and cold meat or salads accompanied by meat grilled over the coals (a braai).
This year we will be spending Christmas on the Namibian coast, leaving Fairview in the capable hands of Thereasa. We will be accompanied by our two Namibian born children and their small families. Most of the time will be spent on the coast – a week in Walvis Bay where Desmond can windsurf to his heart’s content and a week in Swakopmund where the children can play in the rock pools and the parents can laze under umbrellas.
And on that note we would like to wish all our guests (and potential new guests) a blessed Christmas season.
Continue reading “10 days to Christmas…”
Why are we so adverse to bartering?
As a Guest House, I joined an accommodation bartering site called Swop and Stay. I love their website – the swops work on a point system (you do not have to stay with the establishment that you host) The automated swop process, once you have accepted the swop request, makes the process of gaining or losing points so much easier.
Swapping accommodation with fellow accommodation providers makes so much sense. Not only do we get to stay for free, but we also get to establish network opportunities and we get to learn from each other.
Continue reading “Why are we so adverse to bartering?”Pickling Peppadews
The peppadews growing at Fairview self-seeds and we find ourselves in a constant supply of these deliciously piquant little peppers. The green shaped ones will all turn red at some stage – I quite like the look of a combination of green and red in one jar. I use it in omelets, pasta dishes, in salad and stuffed with cream cheese it makes a lovely snack served with an ice-cold beer. When we lived in Shoal Lake in Canada, I had a Ukranian neighbour (Baba Stech) who taught me a thing or two about pickling, but a word of special thanks have to go to David Elston who got the plants from us, but took the pickling process to the next level. I gladly share my recipe with you:
Continue reading “Pickling Peppadews”
The Fairview Homestead Garden
In July 2018, three days before my 60th birthday the green-fingered doctor became a patient. As I sat next to his bed in the intensive care unit, watching him fight for every breath, I knew that I had to do something about his garden.
I phoned a landscape designer, whom I knew he trusted, to come to Fairview and prune the roses, prune the trees, do whatever he thought necessary to ensure that the garden would be in shape for whenever Desmond would be discharged. Ten days in intensive care was followed by a six week recuperation period during which time he sat on the back porch, looking at his beloved garden and “gardening” by giving orders!
More than six cubic meters compost got worked into the soil, a new vegetable garden was planned, the raised beds built and the vegetables planted. Gradually he regained his strength and started physically gardening again. This summer I can honestly say that our garden has never looked as good – and let’s face it, it has been pretty awesome all along.
Copyright © Philda Benkenstein All Rights Reserved
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Copyright © Philda Benkenstein All Rights Reserved
The make-over of Shanty 21
When our children were still in school they formed a band and, as you know, a band needs to practice. When you grow up in a house that is your home as well as a guest house that proves to be a problem. Our children’s solution was to claim a small storeroom below the swimming pool as their little music den. They called it Shanty 21. I asked Alex: ‘why 21?’ and he answered: ‘ every abode needs a number…’ I suppose when you are 16 years old 21 sounds like a grand number to be. Shanty was kitted out with seating – discarded rickety chairs, logs covered with old carpets, lots of candles and cobwebs for ambiance – the perfect music den. The words ‘herein lie the sound of music’ were added next to the crude signage of ‘Shanty 21’.
Living in a listed building
We bought Fairview in 1994 and took up the challenge to restore this historic George landmark. People often express their surprise that we had the property listed immediately after we bought it. There is a general misconception that when you buy a heritage property you will not be allowed to alter your home or to add modern conveniences. Heritage properties adapted to modern-day function will ensure that they are preserved for future generations. Tips for living in a listed building:
Golf in the Garden Route
George is renowned as the Western Cape’s Golf Capitol, with over 9 different golf courses within a 60 km radius of George.
- GEORGE GOLF CLUB
Tell: 044 873 6116 info@georgegolfclub.co.za
The George Golf course is a beautifully manicured, 72 pars, 18-hole course, with bent greens
- KINGSWOOD GOLF ESTATE
Tell: 086 172 7170
The Kingswood Golf Course consists of 18 holes over rolling fairways with undulating green
- MONTAGU AT FANCOURT
Tel: 044 804 0030 golf@fancourt.co.za
Originally designed by Gary Player, Fancourt’s Montagu course has developed into one of the finest 18-hole parkland layouts
- OUTENIQUA AT FANCOURT
Tel: 044 804 0030 golf@fancourt.co.za
Designed by Gary Player and named after the mountain range that forms its breath-taking backdrop, the course is pristinely conditioned to accommodate a large volume of players
- THE LINKS AT FANCOURT
Tel: 0448040844 thelinks@fancourt.co.za
Private membership to the Links Club affords the course and its facilities with a sense of exclusivity that befits a world-class golfing destination
- GLENWOOD SHORT GOLF COURSE Tel: 044 871 3656
Distances – 90m to 292m. Driving range
- OUBAAI GOLF COURSE
Tel: 044 851 1234
Ernie Ells course designed 18-hole championship golf course and driving range.
VARIOUS GOLF COURSES BETWEEN 60 & 90 MINUTES’ DRIVE FROM GEORGE
- MOSSELBAY GOLF COURSE
Tel: 044 691 2379
Designed by Bob Grimsdell that was built over a period of two years.
Mosselbay is an 18-hole, par 72, links-style golf course with a 71 rating. Length: 5940m
- PINNACLE POINTTel: 044 606 5300 enquiries@pinnaclepointestate.co.za
Designed by Peter Matkovich and 2011 Open Champion, Darren Clarke. In 2016, Pinnacle Point was named South Africa’s Best Golf Course at the 3rd Annual World Golf Awards and just received it’s 2017 nomination in the same category.
- KNYSNA GOLF CLUB TEL: 044 384 1150
- PEZULA CHAMPION GOLF COURSE TEL: 044 302 5307 18-hole golf course, designed by David Dale and Ronald Fream of GolfPlan USA
- SIMOLA GOLF ESTATE
TEL: 044 302 9600 Simola’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, 18 holes
- GOOSE VALLEY GOLF CLUB
TEL: 044 533 5082 Gary Player designed 72 pars, 18-holes
Copyright © Philda Benkenstein All Rights Reserved