14th September 2007, Page 4 - Edition 198

The Midlands Herald

Page 4 — 14th September 2007

Maintenance policy required at Howick’s old Miller Street cemetery

Dining at Bellissimo Restaurant Left: Chef Kiran Polibaldi is in attendance to the Rayner family from Howick of Simon and Brenda and (at centre) his mother Gill, with children Savannah and Jordan — at this stage all getting their just desserts.

Right: Howick’s old cemetery is filling up.

A reader contacted The Herald a few weeks ago to draw attention to the state of the old cemetery in Miller Street, Howick. An inspection reveals that the cemetery is almost full. Burials over the past few years in the lower section have filled it up completely, and now empty spaces in the old, top section are being utilised. Responsibility for the care of Howick’s cemeteries falls under the manager of the uMngeni’s Technical Department, Eric Svensson. Further investigation reveals serious neglect. Trees (in many cases camphor) have been allowed to take root, and in some cases have taken over with damage to headstones.

Below: No respect . . . The once-decorativelyfenced graves of James Webster Swan (died at Fern Hill, April 8th 1921) and his wife Isabella Sanderson Swan (died at Braeside, Howick, on November 10th 1928), complete with adorning camphor tree and now completely neglected.

Below: Growth has been allowed to spring up on the graves themselves.

Below: It would not take much work to clear this self-seeded grove that covers these old graves. Also buried here are members of two generations of the Swan family that ran the Fern Hill Hotel for so many years at the beginning of last century — if you can find them . . .

Business for the new owners since 1st July of Bellissimo Restaurant just outside Howick is starting to pick up well. “We’ve had lots of positive feedback,” says Martin, who has been in the hospitality industry for 20 years, including Squire’s Loft and Southern Sun, and has run his own restaurant for seven years. Handily placed and easily accessible next to the N3, Bellissimo prides itself on serving great food with entertainment on certain evenings (at present, on Monday and Thursday) and Sunday buffet lunch. So we went one evening to find out. Bellissimo prides itself on serving “valuefor-money meals for the young-at-heart”. There is a special on every day and big menu, and Catalina (who has dined extensively in the Midlands and knows these things) immediately steered conversation in the direction of a fruity white Zandvliet chardonnay. Surrounded by pretty Venetian scenes on Tuscan walls, cottage pane win-

dows, a decorative ceiling under traditional thatch and heaters throughout, we plumped for a chicken liver peri peri for R26-00 (him) and a clam chowder starter at R27-50 (her). The portions are generous and the meat tender and succulent. The service is friendly and attentive, Martin an enthusiastic host and the atmosphere entirely relaxed. A wide and stunning choice of main courses could not pull me away from an absolutely delicious Malayan mutton curry served on rice, with sambals at R58-50, while Catalina savoured the night’s special, a 500g T-Bone and chips (R49-50) that was juicy, tasty and proved too much even for her. (The basting sauce, Martin explained attentively, took two years to get exactly right). I finished off happily with a fruit salad and ice cream dessert, and Catalina — who would have gone for the biggest slice of cake she could have chosen — was just finished. To book, telephone 033-330 7928. Russell Barnes

Are you a Lazy Lizard Book Club member yet? Below: In the Lazy Lizard bookshop. Right: Ian

Opened in May and Lesley Thomson. this year, the Lazy Lizard Book Traders is filling a snug niche for the Midlands book-lover. “Our first Lazy Lizard Book Club members’ evening in July was a great success,” Lesley Thomson reports, “as was the talk we’ve just held by the KZN marketing manager for Struik Publishers on their forthcoming new books.” In September the Club will be hosting an internationally qualified make-up artist, who will chat to each lady, giving advice on how to look younger and more glamorous. Lesley and her husband Ian, a wildlife management and environmental consultant, have travelled extensively in Africa. For the past 25 years Lesley has written and published articles on travel, pre-school education, human-interest subjects, fundraising, child abuse and other subjects in southern Africa and the U.K. For the last two years she has been reviewing books for an international website. “We’ve had a big turnover of books since starting in May, and are beginning to understand what local people want in books and we receive regular updates and reviews from local and international publishers, helping us to stay abreast of what is new and what is popular.” Lesley and Ian source and order books for people where they can, and have cata-

logues for people to look through. They will also buy books from the public if they are in good condition, and do exchange their “nearly new” books. The Lazy Lizard Book Club members receive regular newsletters of what books have arrived and a little information on them, thus assisting members to make choices when buying books. The Charity Chest is full of books that customers may take, leaving a donation that goes to the Howick Hospice and Tape Aids for the Blind. Lazy Lizard’s concept is one of buying books in a tranquil garden setting, and here at 56 Symmonds Lane, Howick, you can find a wide variety of new and nearly-new books on just about any subject. “Our hours are 10 am–6 pm, Monday to Friday, and Saturday mornings from 9 am12:30 pm and telephone 033-330 7886 or 083-777 0754,” she says in conclusion. “If we are at home we will happily open on Saturday afternoons and Sundays on request. Join us for a cup of tea and a browse!”