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Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Skateboarding around Port Elizabeth – Featured Blog

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Today’s posts from our featured Port Elizabeth Blogger:

Skateboarding around Port Elizabeth by Port Elizabeth Daily Photo:

I’m not a skateboarder.  Fell way too hard off my skateboard trying it out as a kid.  Drama Princess loves to Jboard though.  But that’s beyond the point.  Anyhow, I was looking for a video to post for this week’s Video Friday post and found this one on the King’s Beach Skateboarding YouTube channel.  Although it’s one of their older videos it shows the guys leaving the skate-park behind and hitting the streets a bit, showing off some of Port Elizabeth’s landmarks in the background as they go.

Read more here: Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

Then and Now – Trinder Square by Port Elizabeth Daily Photo:

Back in the early days of Port Elizabeth there used to be a vlei area where Trinder Square in Central is located today.  The “Vlei” was a natural drainage point and in the early and mid 1800’s it was used to provide water for animals with a lot of farmers coming to do business at the market square bringing their animals here to drink.  The Garrison Company’s gardens was also laid out on the western side of the vlei.  The vlei also was made deeper over time as the clay was used to built roads in the vicinity.  

In February of 1883 the vlei was drained and in June of the same year a wall with iron railings was built around the area.  I got most of the info from Margaret Harradine’s Port Elizabeth, but the book doesn’t give the reason the vlei was filled in.  My guess is that the rich folk who moved into and built mansions in the area didn’t quite like the animals being watered here.  In particular perhaps the bad smell. 

Today Trinder Square is a popular spot where youngsters from the surrounding flats come to play soccer.  The park has recently seen an upgrade making it part of Route 67.  Mosaic covered benches has been built to represent the exposed roots of the old Wild Fig trees that grow around the park while play equipment has been installed in the south-east corner of the park.

Read more here: Port Elizabeth Daily Photo

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Port Elizabethan

This author is a 'catch-all' for occasional articles and letters written to MyPE. The Author of each article can be found in the signature at the bottom of each individual article.