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Looking back over my shoulder, as Hootie and the Blowfish sang, the ghost of Christmas past is slowly fading into the mists of time and I can’t help feeling that time is flashing by even faster than it was last year. On one hand, this is not a bad thing. The recession may be over but the lingering effects will be with us for a while, so the faster we get that over with, the better. But, on the other hand, we are all rushing headlong down a highway towards the end of our “hour upon the stage” as Shakespeare tried to warn us, and I get the feeling that it’s all going by too fast. While it may could be true that the best is yet to come, I am rather fond of the way things are, so I am trying not to waste a moment.
I mentioned, before our annual break, that I had been persuaded by my friend, Gillian, of Gillian K Designs in Ballito, to appear as Father Christmas in her store shortly before Christmas. As I come from a rather long line of Father Christmases (or should that be Fathers Christmas…hmmm, maybe we’ll just call him Santa…) – my father and grandfather and quite possibly his father before him, had all entered into the spirit of things and played their part, or so my mother tells me –I was, in fact, keeping up a family tradition of sorts. However, after spending four hours swaddled heavy red jacket, trousers and hat trimmed in fluffy white fur, with Kingsley Holgate style beard in the heat of a North Coast December, it’s a tradition that I feel has run its course! Other dear friends, Jiff and Jacqui Rey, held a New Year’s Eve cocktail party at their new Fabulous Flavours outlet on Dunkirk Estate and they invited me to play some acoustic blues style music as a gentle background to the affair.
My sons, Mike and Daniel decided to join me to fill out the sound, and we had fun. But it was the first time we had played together in public and I felt like an old lion watching over his cubs on their first hunt – you want to protect them but you know that they have to carry their own weight if they are going to make it in the big wide world. They played well and I am so proud of them. But, enough of that – it’s 2010 and trend forecasters are predicting that this will be the year of miracles and wonder on the North Coast! In just four months we will have a brand new international airport ten minutes from Ballito. While I have reservations about its single runway, there is no doubt that this new airport is far superior to the old Durban Airport. Although it still doesn’t have an official name, the new airport will be three times the size of Durban International; it will accommodate 7,5 million annual passengers, presuming they decide to come here, which is more than Durban International’s current maximum of 4,7 million. The runway is 3,7km long, in comparison to Durban International’s 2,4km, which will allow the airport to service the largest aircraft in the world- the Airbus A380.
The airport-with-no-name - will have parking for 6500 vehicles, as opposed to Durban International’s 2200 bays. It will also have air bridges instead of those old fashioned wheeled staircases on the runway, separate arrivals and departures terminals on different floors, and a separate baggage area. We’ve entered a new age of travel and it’s really cool – now, how about a really cool name to match – Sbu Ndebele, Minister of Transport, would love to hear from you in this regard because they seem to be having a little difficulty! We are also now just five months away from the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the scent of money is in the air. With hotel accommodation fully booked over the period, people are looking to rent out their homes to make a proverbial killing.
I know of a house going for R35000 per day…but less luxurious accommodation is being marketed at anything from R1000 to R5000 a day and booking agents seem to be busy – here’s hoping! Oh, and there should be some fairly good soccer happening too, if you are a sports fan. All this plus the Dusi Canoe Marathon, the Mr Price Pro surfing challenge, the Ballito Prawn Festival, the Tourism Indaba, Decorex, The Sardine Run, the Comrades Marathon, the Durban Fashion Week, the Hilton Arts Festival, Elton John, Uriah Heep and a whole lot more fun and entertainment coming your way this year – watch this space! So, here’s to a really fabulous year but don’t blink, or you might just miss it.
Welcome to the first edition of Life & Style 2010.
