MyPE

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

warwick owen

Our river teems with bird life

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Dear Alan My grandmother had a home - just a holiday shack really - in Amsterdamhoek on the east bank of the Swartkops in the late 20s. My wife Lyn and I have lived in this valley for over 40 years now. From 1972 to 1991. At first in the village of Swartkops on the west bank in a wonderful wood & iron home – circa, 1900. Was an old hunting lodge. Then we moved to Bluewater Bay on the east bank. On our way home from church this Sunday morning we saw this flock of flamingos. Not as pink … [Read more...] about Our river teems with bird life

Leucistic Oystercatcher sighted at Amsterdamhoek?

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Hi Alan The regular Bluewater Bay and Amsterdam Hoek beach walkers are all atwitter about a strange and wonderful bird feeding on the mussel beds at the mouth of the Swartkops river at low tide. As we all know, the usual African Black Oystercatcher sports jet black plumage, long red beak, long thin red legs but our "weird" Oystercatcher has the same characteristics except its plumage is a kind of grey mottled colour. This strange sight stopped many a beach walker right in their … [Read more...] about Leucistic Oystercatcher sighted at Amsterdamhoek?

HMS Hecla and Herbert McWilliams – 70 years ago today

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I have been corresponding with two gentleman, Bill Foster and Warwick Owen about the life and time of one of Port Elizabeth's great benefactors, Herbert McWilliams. Specifically about the sinking of the ship HMS Hecla 70 years ago today (one authority states that the ship actually sank on 12 November, though) and McWilliams famous sailing dinghy design, the Sprog. I find myself wondering what McWilliams would say today if he were able to contemplate the 70th anniversary of the sinking of the … [Read more...] about HMS Hecla and Herbert McWilliams – 70 years ago today

The Flooded Swartkops

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This image was taken from Bluewater Bay looking across to Port Elizabeth over Amsterdamhoek. The extent of the water flowing down and out of the mouth of the Swartkops River, past Amsterdamhoek can be discerned in that no sandbanks are visible at all. Uploaded by: Warwick Owen Warwick's Website: FITS - by Warwick Owen See more user submitted images here | Upload your Iconic Port Elizabeth image HERE. … [Read more...] about The Flooded Swartkops

Take a Bow Sanral

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Dear Editor I asked some time back for the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) to place Wind Warning Signs on the causeway over the Swartkops River estuary. This they did – two on either side of the west bound lane (Port Elizabeth / Cape Town) - just before Settlers Bridge and two on the east bound lane (Bluewater Bay / East London) as you come onto the bridge. I thought these 'East' signs were miss-placed and asked that they be moved West, to just after the John … [Read more...] about Take a Bow Sanral

FITS – How an E-mail Conversation Led to the Writing of Local Book

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Pour yourself a long cool drink and read on about how a love of rum, camaraderie, life and our city culminated in a fun book. One of the Algoa Bay Yacht Club 'Teak Deck' and Rum Club stalwarts, Warwick 'Dog' Owen, has just published a book of 22 short stories, FITS. FITS is edited by fellow old Muirite, Neville Ross and with witty cartoons by another old Muir boy, Derrick Nesbit. And, if three Old Muir boys in the same room and publication were not enough, Warwick added layout expert (and old … [Read more...] about FITS – How an E-mail Conversation Led to the Writing of Local Book