Last Saturday we needed to be in Kimberley for a Diocesan Council and decided to travel the 3 hour journey the day before rather than leave at 6am for a long day. This gave us a chance to have a good look at the Big Hole museum, newly finished as a modern tourist venue. The hole itself was dug mainly in the 1880s, by hand, by those desperate enough for the chance of finding a diamond and the wealth it might give them to withstand the fierce heat and the terrible conditions. The resulting hole is half a km wide and 800m deep! A platform allows one to stand more or less over it and wonder at how thousands of men could have risked their lives to achieve this. Water fills much of it and shines a deep blue. It was hand dug up to a depth of 240m and then shafts were used to dig to a depth of 800m. It was closed by De Beer in 1914 though some resifting has gone on in recent year to obtain further finds.
In the early years individuals came from around the world, as to the various gold rushes, but the later workforce largely consisted of local tribespeople desperate for money to take home, who were kept in appalling living conditions and subjected to great ignominy to avoid diamonds being smuggled out.
A lift takes one underground, as if for a great depth to see the shaft where explosives were used to loosen the rock. And excellent display boards and a film give historical and geological information. Surrounding buildings evoke the Victorian streets with their offices and shops.
Driving through Kimberley and visiting the shopping malls made us realise just how limited De Aar is in size and in choice. But the only things we bought that we haven't found here is houmous and some couscous! We stayed overnight with Sue and Richard Booys who were in a rented garage annexe, eating a lovely supper out in the garden. We realise how we miss a private garden and furniture that can be left out – we make do with two folding deck chairs that have to be brought in, to have the occasional evening drink outside but our evenings tend to revolve around trying to cook on our very frustrating electric cooker, watch an english language SAfrican news at 7pm and eating at our table. Mosquitoes are a current problem with all the rainfall providing pools of stagnant water. But Alastair is a dab hand at cooking on a braai and so we sometimes build a low BBQ on bricks, using an old metal grid. A couple of concrete blocks provide a space for a tray. With the sisters about to arrive we must develop something a bit more civilised!
My veg plot is providing good pickings of beans, courgettes and rocket and the kids have largely forgotten about the grapes now they are hard to find or reach.
Alastair has made good progress with the project to compile a history of the parish, visitng people to find out their memories and being taken to the archives in town such as they are – mainly architectural plans including our church. He now has a timeline which he hopes to use to prompt people's memories.
Progress too has been made in cleaning out the little empty house next to ours which the Sunday School want to use. The bathroom defied belief but now is at least clean, has a new toilet seat which hopefully won't be broken or stolen, as have many of the old tiles on the walls. There is an old black bath and stained basin but vinegar and bleach have both plyed a part in improving them. The electric wires and plugs have gone since the days when it was home to assistant priests, and so have all the carpets so we need donations of carpet from churchmembers if possible. We have found curtains and benches so it is just usable as a space.
Last year a free playgroup was using the house, for free in return for doing up the building. Some walls were painted but little else done and the tenancy was finished in November just before we arrived. The Sunday School teachers kept finding the rooms dirty and messy. A delightful young woman came to retrieve the cooking equipment, bedding, carpets and some toys belonging to social services and she told us that 3 adults looked after anything up to 55 children from 3 months to 5 years from 8am to midday. In winter the children were kept warm using the blankets.They now have a more suitable property which they are doing up ready to reopen. The need is great. Needless to say we were appalled by the conditions they had been glad to use.
Tom writes: Gradually from the inertia of the holiday period, parish life is beginning to pick up. People here are great at making plans but not so good at executing them. So there continues to be that frustration that comes from being culturally a western european and expecting everything to be highly efficient. However things are happening and church life is starting to pick up with Sunday school and church groups re-starting after the break and I have begun to take a Bible Study on a Tuesday evening (5.30p.m. - 6.30p.m.). This does not involve many people but it seems worthwhile. For a theme we have been using a phrase that the Bishop has on his letter-heading 'Proudly Anglican'. I have been trying to ask what that means with reference to some passages from the Acts of the Apostles and some thoughts of my own on why it is a good thing to be 'Proudly Anglican' in this country.
Sadly the times of the Bible Study have clashed with the times of meetings of the local Rotary Club. I have being trying to get to one of their meetings but like so many othe things they have not met over the long holiday period. Emma went to their meeting this week and found a small group of mainly women who were very welcoming. They are all white but have a great concern for all the people of De Aar and are involved in many projects to help the under-privileged. I hope I can re-adjust my Bible Study so that I can get to their meetings. I am sure my friends at Thatcham Rotary will be pleased to hear that we have at least made contact with the club here (some will be sad though that I have yet to make it onto the local golf course!).
Some intriguing news is that the Bishop is coming to De Aar on Saturday morning for a meeting with the church council. I m not sure what the agenda is but my guess is that the council are putting pressure on the Bishop for some positive news about what will happen in May when we leave here. De Aar has been dealt a rough hand over the last few years with no priest staying for any length of time so they do deserve some more committed and experienced leadership in this parish. The problem for the Bishop is that there seems to be a shortage of priests per se and especially those willing to come and stay in De Aar. The attractions of life in other bigger towns like Kimberley, Upington and Mahikeng make it hard for people to come to De Aar. It will be an interesting meeting especially as Bishop Ossie was born and bred in this parish and many of his extended family still live and worship here – there are one or two on the church council!
So today we await the arrival of three of Emma's sisters (Sarah, Nicola and Sophie) and it will be lovely to have them with us. We will be able to celebrate Emma' birthday on February 9th together which will be very special. We have been missing family and friends a great deal and if it does one thing this adventure will remind us of how precious our family and friends are to us. You are certainly not to be taken for granted!
We had hoped to add another photo of a wonderful sunset but the process is often difficult - last time I could add no photos. This time at least I have one!
