Barrydale Online

The Tradouwspas Half Marathon drew a record entry of 170 participants this year. Event organiser Ian Nienaber commented that the 21km run is now back on the Roadrunning calendar and is set to become a yearly event. The run was hosted by the Langeberg Atletiekklub and took place on the 24th October, starting from Barrydale Cellars.

The full results are attached in .xls format.

Click here: Half Marathon results

Click here to view YouTube video from Swellendam TV: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/swellendamtelevision#p/a

It is three years since the inception of the Smitsville women's vegetable project and after many hurdles the four women involved are proudly selling their organic produce in and around Barrydale. The project has the support of the Land Forum, the Department of Agriculture, Social Development and the local Municipality. Funds are provided through Social Development. Training in organic farming is provided by the Department of Agriculture. The project won " Tenant Farmer Award 2009 - Top producer for household consumption communal gardner".

Gloudina Crous, Co-ordinator of the Victims Empowerment Programme says:

"I started a 5c project in Barrydale. My aim for it is to be a continuous project. I use this money to buy school necessities for those who cannot afford it. The number one reason for children leaving school is because they cannot afford the basic things like pencils, pens, sharpeners ect. By providing them with the necessities they can go to school without feeling embarrassed and thereby continue their education.
With the 5c pieces I received from family and friends, I was able to buy a child a pair of school shoes. Negosiegat donated the stationary for this child.
Those interested in donating to this project can drop it of at Pep Stores in Barrydale or at the police station. Your 5c would really make a difference".

Gloudina Crous instructing children at the Weltevrede farmschool on the dangers of drug abuse. The VEP has an ongoing education programme - helping women and children and instructing them on empowering themselves against violence, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, crime etcetera. For more information contact Gloudina Crous  on 0722538833. All help is most welcome.

October is “Feed me” time for the many village birds that have young out of the nest. These newly fledged offspring have insatiable appetites and many follow their parents around, begging raucously.  Some species, as befits their habit, are not loudmouths.  The Cape Robin-chat juveniles are silent; it is rather their parents that make the noise, uttering their wurdudur alarm calls whenever a cat ventures into view.

The Cape and Masked Weavers’ youngsters are pretty vocal, following their mothers around with shivering wings and harsh begging calls.  The adult Fiscal Shrike (aka Jackie Hangman)...

I have spent the past month in Finland and haven't been able to update very much local news so I have taken some photos and added a picture gallery of Finland for something different (we are currently at our "summer cottage" on the Gulf of Finland) . This photo is of Finnish Icebreakers in Helsinki Harbour. For more pictures click on the Link.

September is the real spring month in Barrydale, with many balmy, windless days on which it is neither too cool nor too warm to venture out and admire all that Nature has to offer in this part of the world.  Frontal weather may still bring some cold winds and even rain, but this acts as a stimulus for birdsong in the fine days that follow. Among the leading songsters are the canaries, of which Barrydale can boast up to six species. Cape Canaries sing in choirs from treetops, and pairs of Streaky-headed Canaries trill their characteristic refrains to each other.  White-throated and Brimstone Canaries occur in the area throughout the year, and Yellow Canaries may frequently be seen. There is also the chance of encountering the handsome Black-headed Canary, which is not resident here, but occasionally turns up and lingers awhile in September...

A brandy from Barrydale was recently voted the best in the world at the 2009 International Wine and Spirit Competition in London.

The Award went to the Joseph Barry Potstill 10-Year- Old brandy.

This is not the first time a South African brandy has beaten all comers in this important competition.From the same cellar, the Barry and Nephew Muscat Potstill Brandy was voted best in its class and the Joseph Barry Potstill Five-Year-Old won a silver medal.

( See article by David Biggs in Tonight entertainment guide):  tonight.co.za

Our Puppetiers Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler of Handspring Puppets are still in the news with their wonderful puppet creations for "War Horse". Click on this link to read the article which appeared on the front page of the Theatre section in the New York Times:

New York Times

Basil says " We’re on our way to perform Il Ritorno d’Ulisse at the Edinburgh International Festival the end of next week.

In the middle of Barrydale is a group of enthusiastic people weaving rugs and fabrics on wooden hand looms the good old fashioned way.

The project started with one trained weaver, Tivane Mavuma, who arrived in Barrydale with his loom, itching to teach his craft to others. Tivane started as a weaver when, in 1985 in Swaziland  he  was working in the fields of a Princess  who was the sister of the reigning monarch...