Braamfontein Yeoville Newtown Citichat 2 July 1999

CITICHAT 20/99 -2 JULY 1999


Braamfontein - Yeoville

Part of my 'job' is trying to raise people's sights, change perceptions keep them updated with the 'good news' and to infect people with the confidence that I have, and which I don't believe is misplaced, in the city. Not always that easy to keep oneself positive in the face of overwhelming prejudice! But just when your batteries are getting a bit low a couple of things happen, sometimes very small even insignificant to the unbeliever, and you're ready to conquer the world again. Here are two.

Last night was the opening of "the Devonshire Keller" - a restaurant cellar pub in the Devonshire Hotel in Braamfontein. Sure its not in the heart of the CBD, but it's in the Inner City and it is OPENING not CLOSING! Frans Gmeiner has set about cleaning up the Devonshire and his latest offering is this restaurant cellar pub which offers Westphalian Ham with pumpernickel bread, Geschnetzeltes Shiraz, Eisbein and many more goodies whilst sipping beer, wine or schnapps. Chatting to Les Weil at the opening I learnt that this was the site of a favourite varsity watering hole some decades ago. Good luck to Frans and may it again become a centre of good food and drink and fun.

On the 22 June, only 10 days ago, I received an e-mail from Maurice Smithers who has taken on the job of revitalising Yeoville. Maurice came up with this hair-brained scheme that if he could find enough people who want to see the area turned around, then there was an opportunity to make an impact by them clubbing together and buying a building that had been sold on auction the previous day at a give away price. Under the rules of the game someone else can put in a higher offer; the person who had made the previous highest bid at the auction then has the right to match the new offer, if he can it's his, if he can't he loses to the new high bidder. Aptly named the Bizarre Centre the property is on Rockey Street and is potentially very exciting particularly if it offers a retail mix which complements the community. What makes it even more interesting is that the property on the opposite side of the road has also recently been sold and the new owners are equally determined to clean the area up. Then there is the proposed new market which effectively will take all informal traders off the street and give them an opportunity to upgrade their businesses and income. Over all of this is a proposal to establish a City Improvement District to provide the urban management that has been so clearly lacking.

At least twelve motivational e-mails later Maurice had raised the money through thirty contributors and the Bizarre Centre now has a new owner (owners!) driven by urban upgrade principles rather than trying to make a quick buck Well done Maurice, I think this could well be the catalyst to getting Yeoville back to where it was and should be.

Spotlight on Newtown which is the venue for an all day FREE PARTY on Saturday 10 July. Free dance classes by Moving into Dance, West African dance, Jazz and Afro fusion; conference on the French Revolution by Mister Roland Dubertrand, first councillor at the French embassy;;Victorian paper craft workshop for children; the Fordsburg Artists Studio will be open; a special screening of La Petite Vendeuse de Soleil by Djibril Diop Mambety will be given at the SAB Centenary Centre preceded by short films from the Newtown Film and Television school; roof garden jam session at Kippies 13h00 to midnight, a performance by the Moving Into Dance company at the Dance factory, magic show at the Flea Market, the Michel Macias Quartet a French band of "world musette'; The Fantastique Guys at Mega Music; exhibition of Newtown photography; screening of French movies and Concerts at the Horror Café.by Sayaka

There also are all day events or exhibitions at Museum Africa, the Horror Café, Mega Music, the French Institute, Flea Market, Cool Factory, Rembrandt van Rijn Factory, Market Photography Workshop and the Artist Proof Studio.

For detailed information contact the French Institute telephone 836.0561/62/63 or fax 836. 5850.

Bien a vous.