We are happy to share the following feedback from Howard Richardson on behalf of the Hilton Ratepayers Association. While there is still some way to go before the goals we all desire in terms of electricity supply are achieved this response has some extremely positive content, we applaud the HRA (Hilton Ratepayers Association) for their efforts in maintaining communications with the municipality on behalf of all Hilton residents. The following is their most recent update;

A meeting was held between the Msunduzi Electricity Department and representatives of the HRA on 10/10/12.

At the meeting the Electricity Dept. gave a report on progress of the 33Kv line upgrade to Hilton, which in brief is:
• The contractor is on site and well established
• 70% of the new steel poles have been delivered
• 40% of excavation for planting of poles is complete
• Weather permitting, the planting of poles is to commence by 12th October,
• Some short unannounced outages may occur during the planting of new poles due to the proximity of the old lines and the line may be switched off leaving only one line live, but this is not expected to exceed 2 to 4 hours. Every effort will be made to advise HRA if there is any serious shortage.
• Expected completion of Line A is end November 2012
• Completion of the whole contract is end February 2013

As the new sections are strung with cable, cross connections will be made between the new and old lines to enhance the integrity of supply to Hilton. Some mitigation of load has taken place with Worlds View now being supplied from elsewhere, which explains why Worlds View has no outages whilst Hilton/Winterskloof may have no power.

An assurance was given that notice would be passed on to the HRA of any planned outages well in advance.
Further meetings will take place monthly, shortly after the regular monthly progress meeting with the contractor.
The source of the articles that appeared in The Witness recently is unknown as the information contained therein was inaccurate and misleading.

News from Howard Richardson for Hilton Ratepayers Association.

Grace College administrative and support staff completed an excel computer course, which formed part of a computer skills programme, presented by the Headmaster's secretary, Mrs. Tarryn Bishop. They passed with flying colours and were proud recipients of their certificates of achievement. These staff members also completed the Microsoft Word course earlier this year. Grace College wishes to congratulate them on this wonderful achievement.

Pictured from left to right: Mrs. Tarryn Bishop (course coordinator), Anna Ngcobo, Thandeka Mvelase, Agnes Gule and Precious Dlungwane.

News and image supplied by Grace College in Hilton, KZN.

The cottage garden at 10 Longwood Mews, Acutt Road in Hilton is the creation of husband and wife team, Liz and Neville Dennison, it presents an extensive variety of species blending together in colourful harmony. A particularly bountiful red azalea, a bright acer and a long-enduring coral coloured perennial phlox added dazzle while a 'freaky foxglove' contributed an unexpected dimension to the viewing experience.

Upcoming open gardens in Hilton are detailed in our Events calendar.

The annual open garden season launched in Hilton with bright blue sky and sunshine, long may this last!

Conditions for visiting Hilton's first Witness Open Garden this past weekend were ideal. With loads of opportunities still to come we suggest you visit our Events calendar and plan your viewing so you do not miss an inch of our beautiful open gardens in Hilton, KZN.

On the left and below you can enjoy snaps taken at the Ridgewood garden, 326 Old Howick Road. My camera could not do justice to the views this garden offers across Pietermaritzburg, so make sure you find the time to soak in all this beauty when they open the garden again on the coming weekend. It is absolutely sumptuous!

On Wednesday 26th September Hilton College held their annual Speech Day. The Guest Speaker was Karabo Mokoape who is an entrepreneur, former journalist and businessman. Karabo is also a former Head of School (2001) of Hilton College.

Pic: Karabo Mokoape and Michael Salgado (Head of school 2013)

Pic ( Front L-R) : Karabo Mokoape (Guest Speaker), Chris de Beer (Head of School 2012), Michael Salgado ( Head of School 2013), Gavin Thomson (Headmaster), Simon Purdon (Deputy Head of school 2013), Tim Fainsinger (Deputy Head of school 2012), Yann LeClezio (Chairman of the Board)

News and images supplied by Hilton College, KwaZulu-Natal.

Pupils of Laddsworth Primary School in Hilton did their bit for the Duct (Duzi-Umgeni Conservation Trust clean-up recently. Pupils divided into groups of senior primary pupils supervising junior primary pupils. They were given plastic gloves to pick up rubbish and garbage bags in which to collect it. In total, the learners collected about 250 bags of rubbish.

Pictured here are, from left to right: Carl Brann, Sibonisiwe Radebe, Ngazo Jali, Isabelle Joubert, Tamryn Edwards and Anna Hobden.

News submitted by Laddsworth Primary School.

Three pupils from Laddsworth Primary School in Hilton took part in the recent SA National Cross Country championships in Durban after being selected to represent KwaZulu-Natal. They were, from left to right: James Bilbrough, second in KZN in U12 boys; Leah Kriel, sixth in KZN U11 girls; and Lauren Knobel who came first in the KZN girls' U12 age group.

News and images submitted by Laddsworth Primary School in Hilton, KZN.

The first of four Spring Hampers up for grabs from now until the 5th October has been won by Kimberly Aldworth. You can enter by giving our official Facebook page a LIKE. Subscribe to our newsletter to double your chance of winning!

Hilton College is proud to announce that the following boys have been selected to represent KwaZulu-Natal at soccer in the various age groups. They will participate in the various interprovincial tournaments in the forthcoming holiday.

Pictured here (L-R): David Burgess (u14), Cameron Badenhorst (u14), Ross Spriestersbach (u15) and Vongani Mukansi (u15).

News and image supplied by Hilton College in Hilton, KZN.

Meet Deborah Don, previously a specialised travel guide and newly settled in Hilton, this Self-Esteem Counsellor has four years of training on which her course is based. Deborah's teacher, Celia Coburn's interest in self-esteem was piqued when she worked with Lifeline in Pretoria and identified that the undeniable common thread shared by all the victims who approached Lifeline for help was a low self-esteem. Deborah says, 'Acquiring the tools that help you to build your self-esteem is a fantastic investment, once you are become skilled at using these powerful tools to feel better about yourself you will be free to fly higher in all that you choose to do.'

Equally passionate about body work, Deborah offers various therapies including Swedish massage, aromatherapy massage, head and foot massage, salt scrubs and Jin Shin Do which is a gentle shiatsu involving finger-tip touch along energy meridians. These treatments work well in supporting self-esteem training.

Deborah Don has enjoyed setting up an ambient space in which to work with her clients and would like to invite you to visit and share any questions you may have, call first so you do not arrive when she is busy with a therapy or training session.

Grace College held their first Inter-house art competition this year, with very creative pieces being produced by our pupils. Kelly Wishart won first place with her portrait of John Lennon, James McFadzean's portrait of Jimi Hendrix earned him second place and Megan Tychsen came third with her painting of Mini Mouse. Well done to the winners. We look forward to seeing amazing works be produced in future.

Pictured: Kelly Wishart with her winning portrait of John Lennon.

News and image supplied by Grace College in Hilton, KZN.

Today is the official launch day for a new business in Hilton whose name says it all "One call that's all". You call and they deliver from a selection of food venues that will satisfy everyone's hunger pangs and keep your feet up on the sofa where they belong after a hard day's work.

"One call that's all" is owned by, Lauren, together with her father in law, Carlos, of Dom Carlos Restaurant in Hilton Village. Lauren has been in the sales industry for most of her working career and I am sure you do not need any introduction to Carlos, who has enjoyed an infamous career in the restaurant business. Together they came up with the idea of this food delivery business in Hilton.

'We saw an opportunity within the Hilton/Merrivale/Merrivale Heights area to launch a service to all locals that provides an efficient, quality delivery system that puts our customers first. ', said Lauren. "One call that's all" is very excited to welcome on board Steers, Taste of Thai, Dom Carlos and, as from 8th October, Dom Carlos Pizza's. For added convenience they have included a little shop from which you can order cold drinks, chips and chocolates. Deliveries will also be done for Hilton Village Pharmacy.

All the menus and services are in the "One call that's all" brochure that you have received in your post boxes, so stick them up on your fridge! All it takes is a phone call and you can order from any and all of the above mentioned restaurants and services for a very reasonable delivery fee.

Everyone leads extremely busy lives and this business aims to provide a quality convenience service that can help take some of the 'load off'! Start calling!!!

BrainTrain entered the Garden Show (Food Garden) and received a Silver for the stand.

The following was the brief that accompanied our stand:

This year's theme of sustainability influenced us to explore different ways of maintaining a food garden with little impact on the environment.

We looked at recycling water by collecting rainwater to irrigate the garden by using a guttering system. We explored different ways of protecting plants using natural methods. Hay was used to retain moisture and warmth for the plants. Children learnt how to develop "green fingers".

The 'Out of My Paint Box' allowed us to learn about the artists Jackson Pollock and Jim Dine and we created a Pollock/Dine painting of our own.

We made paintbrushes and tubes of paint which spilled out onto the pathways splashing colour onto the plants around them and thus allowing the children to become aware of the natural colours and beauty that we find in nature around us.

BrainTrain had a wonderful time participating in the Witness Garden Show and we would like to thank all the organisers for this wonderful opportunity.

News and image shared by BrainTrain an alternative private education venue in Hilton, KZN.

Ntombi, a student at Brain Train in Hilton, recently completed a 2 month course in modelling, grooming and Self Confidence with Irene's Modelling School in Pietermaritzburg. Her Graduation was on Sunday 16 September at the City Royal Hotel.

"Ntombi was a absolute pleasure to work with. She was enthusiastic from day one." Irene from Irene's Modelling School.

Martin Brandow from Softlight Media took her photos and he was very impressed with her: The introduction photographic course can be a daunting experience for many aspiring models and Ntombi was no exception. The aim of this introduction photo-shoot is for the models to gain confidence about themselves, put on their best poses and be in the limelight for the half hour where they are the main focus of attention. Ntombi was nervous at first but as we progressed into her shoot she became more relaxed and more confident giving me a whole range of fabulous poses. Ntombi did really well for her first photo-shoot and her photos show that she gained confidence, relaxed and really enjoyed herself.

We are so very proud of you Ntombi (pictured below) and we look forward to following you around the catwalks of the world!

News supplied by Brain Train.

TWO enterprising businesswomen have launched a comprehensive new directory of information about Hilton.

"Hilton Covered is a glossy, coffee table directory of everything anyone ever wanted to know about Hilton," said the brains behind the publication, Desirée Hickinbotham, director of the on-line business, HiltonVillage.co.za. Graphic designer Doreen Philip assisted her by handling the magazine's design and production.

Both Hickinbotham and Philip live in Hilton; Hickinbotham is Hilton-born and bred, while Philip grew up in Howick.

"Business in Hilton is growing with all the commercial, retail and residential development going on," Hickinbotham said. "People are also recognising the value of on-line advertising and the importance of moving into this medium. Because of this, I felt the time was right for a publication like this."

Her intuition has been borne out by the response to the publication so far. "We've had tons of positive e-mail feedback, including one advertiser who made a sale within a day or two," Hickinbotham reported.

The document contains comprehensive information on Hilton retailers, schools, churches and restaurants, plus a range of services like estate agents, vets, gyms, clubs and medical practitioners. There is also a brief history of Hilton. An on-line version of the directory is also available.

For copies of Hilton Covered contact Desirée Hickinbotham at 0726549779 or HiltonVillage.co.za.

The women behind Hilton Covered, the new print and on-line directory on Hilton, Doreen Philip (left) and Desirée Hickinbotham are pictured above with copies of the publication at the Hilton Quarry where the cover photo was taken.

Article written by Julia Denny-Dimitriou.

A gift from Hilton College, made in recognition of Cordwalles Preparatory School's Centenary, was unveiled and blessed at a special assembly at Cordwalles on Monday 17 September. A badge which hangs in their main quad, acknowledging the special relationship between the two schools, was blessed by Fr Nick Denny-Dimitriou, and Gareth Morgan, a Cordwalles Old Boy, spoke about the first Cordwalles boy called Lund who came on to Hilton in 1917.

Pictured here below (Front L-R):

Simon Weaver (Headmaster Cordwalles), Sam Bradford, Richard Ellis, Brett Morgan, Stuart Hagger, Ryan Trataris, Xilombe Tlkakula, Paul Guthrie (Dir of Marketing, Hilton College).

(Back L-R):

David de Gruchy, Gareth Morgan, Rory Kvalsvig, Nic Ikin, Tim Elsworth, Michael Dunton, Gavin Thomson (Headmaster Hilton College).

News and images supplied by Hilton College in Hilton, KZN.

Grace College girls, Marisa Lagrange (Grade 11) and Ki-An Kambaran (Grade 9) represented the inter-district girls' soccer team at the KZN trials recently. Both girls made the KZN team in their respective age groups. Grace College is very proud of their dedication on the sports field and congratulates them on this well-deserved achievement.

Pictured here are Ki-An Kambaran (U15 KZN girls' soccer team) and Marisa Lagrange (U19 KZN girls' soccer team).

News and image supplied by Grace College in Hilton. KZN.

Baobab Antiquity Trading – Hilton's best kept secret!

The ethos at Baobab Antiquity Trading can best be defined by the British craftsman and designer William Morris - "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful".

Baobab's trademark style is faded grandeur and the beauty of imperfection and each item is sourced with love and passion. The shop, which recently celebrated its 1st birthday, is located at The Quarry Centre in the village of Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal and is owned by sisters Michelle Haldane and Brigette Johnson. Brigette is an artist and exhibition designer at a local museum, and is responsible for the running of the shop. Michelle is responsible for the sourcing of the stock, and lives in England with her husband Bryan who has been in the antique restoration trade for over 15 years. They bring together their creative talents and love for antiques and all things vintage.

This will be their first time exhibiting at the Sunday Tribune Garden & Leisure Show. Michelle and Brigette were born in bread in Pietermaritzburg, and the garden show is somewhere they were taken to, and enjoyed year after year, as children. Exhibiting at the show seemed only natural, and something they really wanted to be a part of. Baobab has gone from strength to strength at The Hilton Quarry, and they wanted to use the Sunday Tribune Garden & Leisure Show to start spreading their wings, and getting themselves known to the wider KwaZulu-Natal audience.

Although Baobab stocks a variety of furniture, they mainly focus on furniture from France and Belgium. Some examples of the typical pieces they sell are; French armoires, parquetry dining tables with matching chairs, grand French sideboards/servers (perfect for the South African farm house!), beautiful vitrines (display cabinets), commodes of all shapes and sizes, beds and bedside tables, bookcases and trunks - painted and unpainted. They also stock vintage watering cans, chandeliers and wholesome décor items and gifts.

The Baobab team is on the constant look out for pieces that need a little TLC, and love nothing more than giving something forgotten and un-loved a new lease on life. They scour markets, auctions, fairs and charity shops throughout the UK, France & Belgium on a weekly basis to ensure that their shop is always full of new and exciting treasures. New stock arrives via ship every 1 to 2 months and they have already developed a solid base of repeat customers who pop in regularly to see what new and exciting treasures have been introduced to the shop.

Do yourself a favour and visit Baobab Antiquity Trading at the Sunday Tribune Garden & Leisure Show (alongside Hall 2, in the garage space 8) to see some of their finds. Some favourites (that they admittedly have found hard to part with), some rare and remarkable, some recycled, some rescued and some restored. You are guaranteed to leave with something ..... even if it's just a smile on your face. Life is certainly beautiful at Baobab Antiquity Trading!