In 1760 Col Robert Gordon, the last Commander of the Cape Hope Garrison at the Castle moved to the Flower St Villas, a rather fetching farm just below Table Mountain and enjoying splendid views out to the Cape. He was a noted artist, botanist and geographer. Now the villa is a rather lovely ultra cool boutique hotel run by Brits and home for a few days to the travelling Bubb and partner, newly arrived from the UK on vacation.
Cape Town is a wonderful place; indeed must be one of the
finest cities in the world, blessed with good weather, wonderful wine and food
and spectacular scenery. Although I have been before I had never been to the
top of Table Mountain. In 1924 my grand-dad Harry climbed it but I took the
cable car. In the intervals between the thousands of others up here you have
incredible vistas.
We were en route to the wine lands. Obviously. When the
Dutch East India Company set up a refreshment station on the Cape they sent out
a Commander, Jan Van Reibeeck and in 1655 he planted vines on the site now
occupied by Parliament. But it was the Huguenots who got things going. A party
of them arrived following the wretched behaviour of the French Catholics and knowing
a bit about making wine (as the French do!) they established a range of
wineries , including in a rather scenic mountain spot now called Franshhoek.
It was to one of the original Huguenot farms that we retired,
acting on a recommendation of the estimable Dr Kyle who knows these parts. Bo
La Motte is a working winery but with a number of small cottages for guests. A
more pleasant spot to enjoy the fruits of those brilliant Huguenots could
hardly be imagined. And obviously the tours of the many local wineries were a
must. I had been tipped of about the best by Dr Kyle, though it was fun to
sample the local small wineries. A local farmers market on Saturday had a sample,
including the farm next door. But the highlights were the Chamonix winery (award
winning Chardonnay reserve) and my favourite, Boekenhoutskloof which was an
hour's walk from our cottage. You can only buy cases there as the wines are so
popular. I managed to get a Shiraz locally which is carefully wrapped in my
luggage.
Refreshed and relaxed we were well set for the next stage
of the trip; Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls. But more of that later!
Interesting to be here while the demise and funeral of
Margaret Thatcher takes place. I remember a fateful day in 1979 when I was
working for the T+G in Transport House. It was the day after the General
Election and we were all gathered on the steps to wish Audrey and Jim Callaghan
farewell as they went off to the Palace. And a short while after I spotted a
triumphant Mrs Thatcher emerge from Tory Central Office across the square as
she sped off to kiss Hands. The rest is history.
Ironically, it was while I was reading the chapter of
Cherie Blair's book on No 10 spouses about Dennis Thatcher that I got the BBC
news about her death. And it was interesting to see reaction here. Not terribly
favourable. Indeed the Cape Town Times opined that apartheid may have ended
earlier if Thatcher and Reagan had been stronger against apartheid and in
favour of effective sanctions. The
controversy over the “State " funeral is also remarked on in puzzlement.
I'm afraid I am one of those who believe that Attlee is probably our greatest
post war PM. An understated man who would have eschewed the pomp of the
Thatcher obsequies. I think the Government
have done her a disservice by the somewhat OTT arrangements. History will determine her place in the
pantheon of great PMs.
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