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Swartvlei, Wilderness
Sedgefield is a coastal town on the Garden Route in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated on the N2 national road, between George and Knysna. The town was proclaimed in 1929 on the farm Sedgefield, which in turn was named in 1894 after the village of the same name in the UK where the father (Henry Barrington) of the then farm owner was born. History The farm Ruigtevlei was granted to the widow Meeding by Lord Charles Somerset and upon her death in 1878, the farm was divided into 9 lots. Lots A and B were first bought by individual farmers, before eventually being purchased in 1894 by John Barrington, son of then-famous politician, farmer and industrialist Henry Barrington (referred to as ‘Henry Barrington of Portland’ in the novel ‘Circles in a forest’ by Dalene Matthee). John named the town in honour of his father's birthplace Sedgefield in the United Kingdom. Kate Maurice (née Barrington) inherited the farm Sedgefield from her brother upon his deat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe; and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini. It also completely enclaves the country Lesotho. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World, and the second-most populous country located entirely south of the equator, after Tanzania. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with unique biomes, plant and animal life. With over 60 million people, the country is the world's 24th-most populous nation and covers an area of . South Africa has three capital cities, with the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government based in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town respectively. The largest city is Johannesburg. About 80% of the population are Black South Afri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Post-office Box
A post office box (commonly abbreviated as P.O. box, or also known as a postal box) is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office. In some regions, particularly in Africa, there is no door to door delivery of mail; for example, in Kenya. Consequently, renting a PO box has traditionally been the only way to receive mail in such countries. Generally, post office boxes are rented from the post office either by individuals or by businesses on a basis ranging from monthly to annual, and the cost of rent varies depending on the box size. Central business district (CBD) PO boxes are usually more expensive than rural PO boxes. In the United States, the rental rate used to be uniform across the country. Now, however, a postal facility can be in any of seven fee groups by location; in addition, certain customers qualify for free box rental, usually because the Postal Service does not offer carrier-route delivery to their physical addresses. In the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miss Universe 2017
Miss Universe 2017 was the 66th Miss Universe pageant, held at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States on November 26, 2017. At the end of the event, Iris Mittenaere of France crowned Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa as Miss Universe 2017. It is South Africa's first victory in almost 4 decades, and the second victory of the country in the pageant's history. Contestants from 92 countries and territories competed in this year's pageant, surpassing the previous record of 89 contestants in 2011 and 2012. The pageant was hosted by Steve Harvey in his third consecutive year, and supermodel Ashley Graham. Television personality Carson Kressley and runway coach Lu Sierra provided commentary and analysis throughout the event. American singer-songwriters Fergie and Rachel Platten performed in this year's pageant. The competition also featured the return of the Phoenix Mikimoto crown, which was last used in 2007, after WME/IMG reportedly sued the Diamo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters
Demi-Leigh Tebow (née Nel-Peters; born 28 June 1995) is a South African model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2017. She was crowned Miss South Africa 2017, and is the second Miss Universe winner from South Africa, following Margaret Gardiner who was crowned Miss Universe 1978. Early life and education Nel-Peters was born on 28 June 1995 in Sedgefield, Western Cape, to Bennie Peters and Anne-Marie Steenkamp. Her half-sister, Franje, had cerebellar agenesis, and Nel-Peters said that she was the most significant motivator in her life; Franje died on 4 May 2019, which Nel-Peters confirmed on her Instagram. Nel-Peters graduated from university in March 2017, a few days before winning the Miss South Africa 2017 competition. She is fluent in both English and Afrikaans. Pageantry Miss South Africa 2017 Nel-Peters began her pageantry career representing Western Cape in the Miss South Africa 2017 competition on 26 March 2017 which she won. As Miss South Africa, she h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fynbos
Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate and rainy winters. The fynbos ecoregion is within the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. In fields related to biogeography, fynbos is known for its exceptional degree of biodiversity and endemism, consisting of about 80% (8,500 fynbos) species of the Cape floral kingdom, where nearly 6,000 of them are endemic. This land continues to face severe human-caused threats, but due to the many economic uses of the fynbos, conservation efforts are being made to help restore it. Overview and history The word fynbos is often confusingly said to mean "fine bush" in Afrikaans, as "bos" means "bush". Typical fynbos foliage is ericoid rather than fine. The term, in its pre-Afrikaans, Dutch form, ''fynbosch'', was recorded by Nob ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cittaslow
Cittaslow is an organisation founded in Italy and inspired by the slow food movement. Cittaslow's goals include improving the quality of life in towns by slowing down its overall pace, especially in a city's use of spaces and the flow of life and traffic through them. History Cittaslow was founded in Italy in October 1999, following a meeting organised by the mayor of Greve in Chianti, Tuscany. A 54-point charter was developed, encouraging high quality local food and drink, general conviviality and the opposition to cultural standardisation. In 2001, 28 Italian towns were signed up to the pledge, certified by trained operatives of Cittaslow. The first Slow City in the English-speaking world was Ludlow, England, in 2003. The movement expanded broadly beyond Italy and, by 2006, national Cittaslow networks existed in Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom. By mid-2009, fourteen countries had at least one officially accredited Cittaslow community. In July 2009, the small seaside vil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dalene Matthee
Dalene Matthee (13 October 1938 – 20 February 2005) was a South African author best known for her four "Forest Novels", written in and around the Knysna Forest. Her books have been translated into fourteen languages, including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew and Icelandic, and over a million copies have been sold worldwide. Biography She was born Dalena Scott in Riversdale in the then Cape Province in 1938. After graduating from the local high school in 1957, she studied music at a conservatory in Oudtshoorn as well as at the Holy Cross Covent in Graaff-Reinet. Her first book was a children's story, ''Die Twaalfuurstokkie'' (The Twelve-o'-clock Stick), published in 1970. In 1982 a collection of short stories called ''Die Judasbok'' (The Judas Goat) was also published. Before gaining fame and wide acclaim for her first "forest novel", she also wrote stories for magazines as well as two popular novels – n Huis vir Nadia'' (A House for Nadia) (1982) a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry Barrington
Henry Frederick Francis Adair Barrington (28 July 1808 Beckett Hall at Shrivenham in Berkshire - 25 March 1882 Knysna), was a South African lawyer, farmer and member of Parliament. Returning to England in 1848 he married Mary Georgiana Knox, and they landed at Plettenberg Bay, their cargo including wedding gifts, family heirlooms and furniture, and farming equipment. The building of 'Portland Manor' lasted 16 years, and included eight bedrooms, a library, and a large dining room. He also constructed one of the earliest sawmills for cutting Black Stinkwood, experimented with silkworms and bees, and grew apples with a view to producing cider. His interest in silk production and mulberry trees as food plants led to his being featured in South African writer Dalene Matthee’s novel, "Moerbeibos" ('Mulberry Forest'). The great forest fire of February 1869, in which large parts of the forest between Swellendam and Humansdorp were completely destroyed, also gutted 'Portland Manor'. The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lord Charles Somerset
Lord Charles Henry Somerset PC (12 December 1767 – 18 February 1831), born in Badminton, England, was a British soldier, politician and colonial administrator.Charles Mosley, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 221 – 223. He was governor of the Cape Colony, South Africa, from 1814 to 1826. Background Somerset was the second son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort, and Elizabeth, daughter of Admiral the Hon. Edward Boscawen. He was the brother of Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, General Lord Robert Somerset, Lord Arthur Somerset and Field Marshal FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan. Political career Somerset sat as member of parliament for Scarborough between 1796 and 1802 and for Monmouth Boroughs between 1802 and 1813. He served as Comptroller of the Household between 1797 and 1804 and as Joint Paymaster of the Forces between 1804 and 1806 and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sedgefield
Sedgefield is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England. It had a population of 5,211 as at the 2011 census. It has the only operating racecourse in County Durham. History Roman A Roman 'ladder settlement' was discovered by Channel Four's ''Time Team'' programme in 2003, in fields just to the west of Sedgefield. It consisted of rows of parallel crofts and workshops on either side of a north–south trackway, creating a ladder-like layout, which could be securely dated by the many finds of Roman coins. Hunting During the 1800s, it was a hunting centre, dubbed 'the Melton of the North'. Hunter Ralph Lambton had his headquarters at Sedgefield: the humorous writer, Robert Smith Surtees, who lived at Hamsterley Hall, was a friend of his. On 23 February 1815, Lord Darlington wrote: 'Mr Ralph Lambton was out with some gentlemen from Sedgefield, and a most immense field.' Winterton The town was known in the area because of Winterton Hospital. This was an isolatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Knysna
Knysna () is a town with 76,150 inhabitants (2019 mid-year estimates) in the Western Cape province of South Africa. and is one of the destinations on the loosely defined Garden Route tourist route. It lies at 34° 2' 6.3168'' S and 23° 2' 47.2884'' E., and is situated 60 kilometres east of the city of George on the N2 highway, and 33 kilometres west of the Plettenberg Bay on the same road. History Early history Forty fossilised hominid footprints, dating to about 90,000 years ago, along with various other archaeological discoveries suggest that humans have lived in Knysna for well over 300,000 years. The first of these were various San Hunter-gatherer peoples who inhabited most of Southern Africa in paleolithic. The San were gradually displaced and absorbed by south migrating Khoekhoe peoples. Houtunqua (Outeniqua) Khoe The indigenous inhabitants of the Knysna area are a southern Khoekhoe people called the Houtunqua or Outeniqua. Their name means "The People Who Bear Honey" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
George, Western Cape
George is the second largest city in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre, as well as the administrative and commercial hub and the seat of the Garden Route District Municipality. It is named after the British Monarch George III. The city is situated roughly halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth on the Garden Route. It is situated on a 10-kilometre plateau between the Outeniqua Mountains to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. The former township of Pacaltsdorp, now a fully incorporated suburb, lies to the south. History Early history Prior to European settlement in the late 1700s the area was inhabited by the Khoekhoen tribes: the Gouriquas, Attequas and Outeniquas. Many places in the area, such as the surrounding Outeniqua Mountains, come from Khoekhoen names for these locations. 18th and 19th century The settlement that was to become George was established as a result of the growing demand for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
