Author: Kathryn Cleary

Compiled by NANGAMSO MYOLI Handmade Coffees This coffee shop is located at the Old Goal, opposite the Albany Museum on Somerset St. On the last weekend of the National Arts Festival they are offering freshly made soup, quiches, handmade toast with different toppings, toasted croissants, chocolate croissants, toasted bagels and breakfast smoothies. All this can be enjoyed with free WIFI next to a fireplace. The shop will be open from 08:00 – 17:00 on 5 – 7 July 2019. Haricots Deli and Bistro This French inspired restaurant on upper New St is offering the famous Harvest Table which consists of…

Photos and text by NANGAMSO MYOLI Nelson Mandela University students (left) Robyn Bacon, Victoria Flowers, Shakeera Kafaar and Nicole Jordan Bailey enjoyed the pulled pork tacos from the Dos Chida food truck. They also recommend buying the Sunshine juice to go along with the meal. (Left) Abbey-Gail Bolton, Jessica Bolton and Tracey Bolton recommend that people try the nutella waffles from Waffel Bak food truck accompanied by coffee from Dos Chida. (Right) Thulani Maziko and Pamela Dyantyi say they enjoyed the beef stew and rooster brood dish from Mama Africa’s Best Stew tent.…

It’s the final weekend of this year’s National Arts Festival (NAF) and there are still plenty of family-friendly activities to do! Last week Grocott’s Mail brought our readers our own festival guide, jam-packed with family fun and FREE things to do over Festival. With only a few days left, make sure your family’s weekend is filled with excitement and wonder. We’ve picked some highlights and recommendations that we think our readers (and their kids) would enjoy! Remember, prior booking for tickets is necessary, and tipping of the street performers and buskers is encouraged!  The Standard Bank Village Green The extensive…

What do you get when Santa’s workshop meets the NASA control room? Simple, ROCCO! ROCCO stands for Radio Operation Control Centre Operator, and is the technical ‘bread’ to the ‘butter’ of performances and exhibitions at National Arts Festival (NAF).  Preparing for NAF each year is much more than what the average resident or tourist could imagine, far beyond the re-painting of streets and construction of stages. The technical geniuses behind the Festival are the true magicians bringing the art to life and to the audience. Grocott’s Mail visited the quirky ROCCO room for this exclusive feature story, and learned just…

By LOUISE PAGE Convinced you can’t REALLY draw but feel compelled to try anyway? No matter: you’re gently guided onwards from the stick figures of that first lesson, learning to hush the overbearing logical left brain – dictating that drawing a house means producing a square topped by a triangle as roof – and coax the creative right brain into “drawing what you actually see, not what you think you see”, words that resonate during many more drawing classes to come. Twenty years ago Sally Scott arrived in what was then Grahamstown and set up her artist studio in Sunnyside.…

For this year’s National Arts Festival, Grocott’s Mail is bringing our readers a family-friendly activity guide; jam-packed with show suggestions, free performances and exhibitions as well as helpful tips for keeping the family safe and happy. It’s hard to pack all remaining 9 days into one newspaper, so we’ve picked some highlights and recommendations that we think our readers (and their kids) would enjoy! Remember, prior booking for tickets is necessary, and tipping of the street performers and buskers is encouraged!  Did somebody say FREE?  There’s lots of entertainment at Fest that requires no ticket to enter! Check out these…

It’s day 2 of National Arts Festival 2019 and with the kids still out of school, there’s lots to do for the whole family! From exclusive shows to free art exhibitions and the unforgettable entertainment of the Village Green, Grocott’s Mail has brought you your 28 June itinerary for a day well-spent.  The weather is shaping up to be a beautiful day in Makhanda (Grahamstown), with sunny conditions and a high of 22 and a low of 4. If you aren’t from Makhanda, be sure to pack a light sweater for the mornings and late afternoons, and a heavy coat…

It’s day 1 of National Arts Festival 2019 and with the kids still out of school, there’s lots to do for the whole family! From exclusive shows to free art exhibitions and the unforgettable entertainment of the Village Green, Grocott’s Mail has brought you your 27 June itinerary for a day well-spent.  The weather is shaping up to be a beautiful day in Makhanda (Grahamstown), with sunny conditions and a high of 24 and a low of 11. If you aren’t from Makhanda, be sure to pack a light sweater for the mornings and late afternoons, and a heavier coat…

Last week Grocott’s Mail reported extensively on Makana’s challenges with managing the smouldering municipal landfill site. Following two-weeks of burning and toxic smoke sinking deep into the community, the Grahamstown Residents Association (GRA) has submitted an urgent inquiry to the Department of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT) Compliance and Enforcement division calling for immediate action. The GRA reminded DEDEAT of the compliance notice issued to Makana in February of 2015, as well as a High Court case in September later that year, ordering Makana to comply with the conditions of their landfill permit. Last week Makana’s Director…

With the National Arts Festival (NAF) less than a week away, Makhanda (Grahamstown) is buzzing with excitement and busy with preparations for the largest arts festival on the continent. For the past two weeks you might have noticed the re-painting and cleaning of some of the streets, NAF posters on the street lights and a few more ‘changes’. “What we’re seeing – once again – is a massive community effort from residents and the business community to prepare the City for our visitors.”, said NAF CEO Tony Lankester. “Makana Revive have done a lot of clearing of verges and filling…