Perspective on the Donkin

Taking a different view of the Donkin Memorial one the the iconic land marks in Port Elizabeth.

The Art Museum.

The Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, formerly the King George VI Art Gallery, was built on Municipal land in the 19650s. It was on a lease which has since lapsed, and control of the Gallery now falls under the Municipality.It was opened on 22 June 1956 and renamed in December 2002, and over the years, … Continue reading The Art Museum. →

A ship enters the Harbour at sunrise

To the right you can see one of the tugs, guiding her in.

Crossroads

This is the St Philips Anglican Church in Richmond Hill, with a commanding view of the sea from the brow of the hill. As you can see from the sign, it is directly opposite Richmond Park. In the early days of PE, this hill used to be a location covered with traditional M'Fengu beehive straw … Continue reading Crossroads →

PEs new hot spot

Welcome to Ginger, at the Beach Hotel. This beautiful and trendy new spot is great place for a smart meal, but there is also a more relaxed terrace, overlooking Shark Rock Pier. I was lucky enough to have a great lunch there this week, for a friend's birthday. The sea was the most amazing clear … Continue reading PEs new hot spot →

Moon + Shadow

I'm sure blogland is going to be awash with images of the latest total eclipse of the moon.... but anyway here is a sepia shot of how it looked in PE at 3.48 am on Thursday.

dirty details.

Here is a close up look at Ken Denton's shameful legacy. Yesterday we showed you the original historic documents relating to these houses. This is how they look today.And the closer you get, the worse it is. These once proud properties are mostly rented out to illegal immigrants, and the decorative woodwork is apparently being … Continue reading dirty details. →

In the beginning…….

Here are 3 fascinating pages found amongst the collection of historic documents at our main library.They are from the original fragile land books of the early 1800s in which all grants of land by the Colonial Government to the city were detailed. They are hand written in flowing copperplate, and accompanied by hand drawn maps … Continue reading In the beginning……. →

A dark cloud hangs over the Donkin

One of the iconic PE landmarks is this terrace in Donkin Hill, built in the early 1800's. This photo was taken recently. Below is one taken several years ago, so that you can compare, and see what has become of these stunning old houses.Sadly, they have become dilapidated and are deteriorating daily.This terrace is one … Continue reading A dark cloud hangs over the Donkin →

View from the Donkin Reserve

This is a different view of the Donkin reserve looking towards the Hill Presbetarian Church and the historical homes on the Donkin Terrace.We plan to do a series on what is happening to this historical area that is such an integral part of the Port Elizabeth heritage.