Tag: donkin

The lady with the chair

Have you ever sat down to have a chat with the lady holding the chair on the Donkin Reserve?  Asked her about the lives of all women who have lived on the shore of Algoa Bay over the years?  About what she sees daily? 
This Untitled piece of the lady was done by well-known artist Anton Momberg.  The piece has been left untitled with the features and clothing on the female figure deliberately neutral, as the work is meant as a conversation piece rather than a conceptually specific entity.

Donkin Reserve seen from the Campanile

And with that 2017 is gone and 2018 have arrived.  I have seen a lot of people say that they are glad 2017 is over and done with and I took a little time to contemplate my own 2017.  I came to the conclusion that it actually wasn’t a bad year for me at all.  It was very busy though both from a personal as well as a work point of view and right now I can’t see 2018 being any different.  I will just have to work smarter and not necessarily harder.  One of the things I really need to do is find some more time for both my blogs.  PE Daily Photo took a slight break in 2017 and I’m not pressuring myself to post something every day anymore.  Unfortunately I totally neglected Firefly the Travel Guy though and I really need to focus on it a bit more than I did last year.  But all in all here’s to 2018.  May it be a great year full of all things nice. Health, wealth, family, friendship and all kinds of blessings. 
I’m kicking 2018 off with a picture featuring one of Port Elizabeth’s most iconic sites, the Donkin Reserve.  This time seen from the top of another iconic site, the Campanile.

10 years of Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

Today is the 10th birthday of Port Elizabeth Daily Photo.  Yes, exactly 10 years ago to the day PE Daily Photo was started by SAM (Sue and Max Hoppe) with a post featuring some generic facts about Nelson Mandela Bay.  Two days later they were off and running, doing 500 posts before passing the baton on to me.  I did my first post on the 15th of March 2009 which means I have been at it for about 8 1/2 years now and this is the blog’s 3555th post.  Although I don’t post every day anymore due to time restraints, I do try to post as often as possible and it’s still a great pleasure sharing this beautiful city I live, work and play in and it’s surroundings with you all on a regular basis, busting the myth that there is nothing to see or do in Port Elizabeth.  Happy birthday PEDP! 
There was also a post on the worldwide City Daily Photo blog last week about PEDP turning 10, if you are interested in having a look. 

Campanile view – Looking west towards Central

Yesterday I posted a picture of the view looking north from the Campanile observation floor.  It means I have three more directions and what’s the use of showing you only one?  So here is the view to the west.  The Settlers Freeway is at the bottom and slightly to the left of the centre of the picture is Market Square and the historic Public Library in the city centre.  Above on the hill is the Donkin Reserve, lighthouse and pyramid with the Great Flag (65m high pole and 15m x 10m flag) next to it.  

The King Edward Hotel by the Donkin Reserve

My fondest memory of the Edward Hotel was having our matric farewell dance in the back hall.  And eating there a couple of times.  The hotel has been closed for a number of years now and have undergone a revamp and upgrade with plans to reopen later this year.  Since the announcement the management group has pulled out again and we’re yet to hear what will happen next.  But regardless of what is going on behind the scenes, the majestic old gent still stands overlooking the Donkin Reserve.
The King Edward’s Mansions was built in 1903 by Rochelle & Smith and was owned by Palace Buildings, Ltd. in the early days.  There were 120 bedrooms and sitting rooms and while the ground floor contained suites for doctors and dentists as well as restaurant.  The hotel was first called the King Edward’s Mansions, later the King Edward Hotel and Edward Hotel.  Now i’s back to King Edward Hotel.  

Indian memorial at the Donkin Reserve

I was taking a couple of pictures on the Donkin Reserve the other day and noticed this plaque on the stone wall by the Great Flag.  I don’t know if it is a recent addition or if I’ve just never noticed it.  Weird, but anyways.  The plaque marks the 150th anniversary (as on 16 November 2010) of the arrival of the first group of Indians to South Africa as indentured labourers.  Although the arrival was in Natal and not Port Elizabeth, the plaque was probably put up by the Port Elizabeth Indian community.  Worth a bit further investigation me thinks…