Howick, Hilton and parts of Pietermaritzburg were hit by a severe storm late yesterday afternoon resulting in widespread damage to homes, flooding, impassable roads blocked with trees and power outages. While the authorities are stretching themselves as far as possible to manage the situation it is heart-warming to see locals in Hilton getting on with clear up operations in so far as they can.

You can find useful numbers on the HiltonVillage.co.za Notice Board and are welcome to submit any new ones you'd suggest we add or any updates.

HiltonVillage.co.za has had reports of neighbours assisting one another. If you are looking for a tree feller, look in the Landscaping & Garden section of our Directory and email them using the secure Contact form. Book yours soon as there is much work to be done.

It has also been suggested that instead of dumping the wood you chop and store, to save it for warming winter fires. This will save you money and petrol.

There have also been many requests from those running generators that anyone who has knowledge of their power being restored kindly post the name of the road they live in on Facebook so that their neighbours can switch off costly generators.

If you have any images of storm damage and good news stories email them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Pictured above is a tree blocking the road on Groenekloof Road near Leonards.

Hilton Harriers' annual 16km and 5km Ronnie Davel Race will take place through the Hilton village and surrounding Mondi Mountain Home forest on Sunday 13 January 2013 at 07h00. As usual the start and finish venue will be at Laddsworth Primary School grounds. The event, which has been held for the past 35 years, usually attracts a field of about 700 runners.

Over the years the Ronnie Davel has become firmly entrenched on the KZN road runner's annual calendar as the first race of the year and is popularly used as a "wake-up call" by prospective Comrades Marathon entrants after the Christmas/New Year layoff period.

Because of the relaxed atmosphere and beautiful environment that the Ronnie Davel offers, many runners and walkers return each year to enjoy this "value for money" race. However, the success of the race is dependent on the friendly welcome from Hilton residents.

Please come onto the streets to support our runners and walkers to finish.

Entries are open on Saturday 12 January 2013, from 14h00 - 17h00, or on race day from 05h30 -06h45 at Laddsworth Primary School.

For more information contact;

GILL BURE
082 772 9310
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

OR

NICKY HOLDSWORTH
082 789 6417
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Grace College past pupil, Carmen Watson, was inducted as a member of Golden Key International Honour Society, based on truly exceptional academic performance at the University of Stellenbosch. Carmen will be graduating next year with a BComm in Financial Management and Marketing. She was nominated to attend the 2013 International Scholar Laureate Programme Student Delegation on Business in the USA.

We at Grace College are very proud of Carmen and this well-deserved achievement and wish her all the best with her future endeavours.

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

Pictured below at the recent prize giving ceremony of Laddsworth Primary School in Hilton are (left to right): Sally Kelly, Acting Principal, the Dux for 2012, Robyn Ducasse, guest speaker Pam Sherriffs, and Harry Shaw, Chairman of the School Governing Body.

Sherriffs, a past pupil of Laddsworth, is a well-known journalist, author and environmentalist who works for the World Wildlife Fund's Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. She told pupils that the project has established eight new populations of the endangered animals on 120 ha of land. It has moved 120 rhinos and 40 calves have been born in the new populations.

This year Laddsworth had a special focus on raising funds for Rhino conservation. The Grade 5 pupils recently won R10 000 in the Liberty Midlands Mall's "re*think: Save our Rhino" school art competition. The school donated R5 000 of this prize money to Rhino conservation.

In 2013 Laddsworth will celebrate its 110th anniversary.

News and image submitted by Laddsworth Primary School.

The Karkloof Farmers' Market will be holding Carols by Candlelight on Tuesday Evening 11 December. The Market is open from 17h30-21h00 so come early to enjoy a meal from a variety of stalls and then come and sing along. The carols take place from 19h00-20h00. The evening is designed to be fun for the whole family with a sing along to some traditional carols so bring your picnic blanket and your best singing voice. The cost for the evening is R10 for adults and R5 for children, proceeds go to charity.

This year we are supporting Ndabezinhle crèche. Ndabezinhle started in 2004 at the top of the Sweetwaters Valley in the area known as Imbutshane. The surrounding community is very poverty stricken and the crèche seeks to provide early childhood development and care to some 30 + children aged 2-4, most of whose parents are still in school. We look forward to seeing you there. The Karkloof Farmers' Market is also holding Festive Christmas Markets every Saturday in December with Christmas gift stalls as well as fresh produce and festive fare.

On Wednesday 28th November 2012 our Business Networking group met at Hydrangea House, in a lovely lapa set in their expansive garden with views across the Winterskloof Valley. The food was generous and tasty, the unexpected extra touches Karin added were noticed and guests also commented on the ambience of a natural setting. We will definitely be back, thanks and applause to Karin and Bill.

To maximise your business's reach online and participate in this effective network get online with HitlonVillage.co.za. In October we had 3660 unique browsers looking to see what Hilton can offer.

Pictured on the left are Brian and Christine Barker (our Argilla Pottery representative) with a beautiful picture frame and gift card from indigo Prints and Frames, these frames are hand crafted in Hilton by Marlene Viero.

Below are some snapshots of the venue, our business networkers and prize winners. Thank all 38 of our clients for attending and making it a memorable evening, the next meeting will be held in February at Nicolson's Country Café, Garlington.

Fourteen grade 9 pupils and two staff members supported the 'Habitat for Humanity' building project near Scottburgh in October. The pupils provided the labour for the building of a 64 square meter house. They mixed the 'daka' and built the walls, both internally and externally. They finally assisted in the constructions of the roof. The team worked tirelessly to complete the job and were outstanding ambassadors of themselves, their families and Grace College. To provide a safe home environment for a family, who up to that point had lived in a dilapidated shack, was a big privilege and they were very proud to have been able to make a difference of this magnitude.

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

On Monday 5th of November Brain Train left with great excitement for Roselands Outdoor Adventure Centre. Upon arrival they were greeted by Hazel and her wonderful team.

The children first gathered in the hall for introductions and team building activities. From there, they went down to the dam where they picnicked, foofie slid, canoed, tubed and swam.

The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The highlight of the afternoon was the muddy obstacle course. Many children really pushed themselves to overcome fears and all of them are commended for the support and encouragement that they showed to their peers. Following a full day of activities, everyone settled down to an early night's rest.

The next morning after a delicious breakfast, the children milked cows and then set off on a truck ride to the edge of Roselands property to explore the forest. On return the children went to find the blue swallows and were also shown the rare Hilton daisy. Before they left the children took part in one final activity, go-carting.

Roselands was a perfect opportunity for the children to learn more about themselves and build strong bonds with their peers and teachers. Brain Train hope to make use of their wonderful facilities regularly in the future!

News and image supplied by BrainTrain, Hilton KZN.

Singakwenza, a local Non Profit, Public Benefit Organisation, hosted a very successful Business Breakfast recently to launch their 2nd Primary Health Care Mobile Clinic. The event was well supported by the business community, and included Dr May Mkhize, members of the Department of Health (DoH), and Con Roux, guest speaker from the N3 Toll Concession. Farmers considering having the Mobile Clinic visit their sites in the Umgungundlovu district were also present, and the time slots available are now almost at capacity. The focus of the event was to highlight how the business, government and Non Profit sectors need to work together to bring about sustainable change in our communities and in our country, a process that Singakwenza is fully committed to. Visit www.singakwenza.org for more details.

Seen at the launch of Singakwenza's second Primary Health Care Mobile Clinic were:

Left to right: Nondumiso Nzimande (Singakwenza Director), Julie Hay (Singakwenza Director), Londa Langa (DoH) , Mark Green (DoH), Chris Edmonds (Donovale) Debbie McCarthy (Singakwenza Director), Neli Khumalo (Mobile Clinic Nurse), Ismail Subhan (DoH)

Photograph by Em Gatland Photography.

Shereen Da Costa is Maritzburg born, bred and schooled. Equipped with a secretarial diploma Shereen entered the corporate environment as a PA. While working full time she successfully completed her BA degree in Psychology and Sociology through UNISA.

More recently Shereen worked in the HR department of a Law Firm and discovered herself facilitating staff relationships as well as assisting with things such as conflict management and personality typing. She also has experience as a Life Line crisis team member, where she was a course facilitator and she attended a number of personal growth and counselling courses. Looking back, these experiences appear to have been well placed stepping stones for a Life Coach.

Shereen says, 'My aim through my coaching is to walk with others while they juggle their busy lives. To assist with as well as experience the joy of achieving new and exciting goals and improved ways of doing things in a journey towards self-discovery.'

Reading the reviews from Shereen's clients we sense strong affirmations that this local lady is on the course that she was purpose built to follow. Congratulations on your new Living Balance website going live, Shereen, HiltonVillage.co.za wishes you much success!

Shereen is pictured here with the family's newest pet, Jasper a Boston Terrier.

With the buzz around iTunes coming to South Africa, great news is that both Mario Ogle's albums, 'Can't stop loving you' and 'Superman', as well as his brand new Christmas track 'Song for you', have just become available on iTunes both in South Africa and internationally.

'Song for you' is an original Christmas song, written and recorded by Mario with heartfelt lyrics coming from an honest and vulnerable place. He had this to say about it.

"Song for you is possibly my most honest piece of work to date. I sat in the studio knowing I wanted to write a Christmas single, but not knowing what direction I'd take. I guess my honesty revealed the direction itself. Last year this time I went through my first major breakup. I now know what it is to be honest and vulnerable. I hope everyone can relate to this song."

Catch Mario at our local Hilton shopping centre, The Quarry Centre on Monday 24th December 2012 from 11h00. Mario Ogle will visit us for an hour so be there on time to get to the front of the crowd.

A cheerful update from Tanya Nicolson, who owns Nicolson's Country Cafe with her husband and renowned chef Jonty, 'I CANNOT believe I'm sending out an email entitled... "New Year's Eve" – it seems absurd that this year has literally flown by and I feel a little saddened at how "time" seems to be going faster every year. Trusting you are well and hopefully starting to feel a little of the magic of Christmas coming up.....

Please see below our New Year's Eve plan for this year!

Much love & merry cheer for the festive season.'

This sounds like a fabulous celebration and welcome party for 2013, Tanya, your exuberence is your trademark, we need to find out how you retain that festive verve all year through, thank you for sharing.

Grace College held their annual Final Prize Giving on Monday, 3 December 2012. The Heads of the School for 2013 were announced and we congratulate the following pupils on their election: Nicholas Merton (head boy), Dylan Molyneux (deputy head boy), Courtney Sharp (deputy head girl) and Chiara Ilett (head girl). " We trust that your year of serving our School will be a great one."

Pictured below from left to right: Mr. Sean Moore (Headmaster), Nicholas Merton (head boy), Dylan Molyneux (deputy head boy), Courtney Sharp (deputy head girl) and Chiara Ilett (head girl).

News and image supplied by Grace College, Hilton.

Letter from Yann LeClezio, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Hilton College.

It is with regret that I announce, on behalf of the Board of Governors, that Gavin Thomson has tendered his resignation as Headmaster of Hilton College, with effect from 1st December 2012.

Gavin was appointed as the 15th Headmaster of Hilton College in April 2010, after serving as Acting Head for six months. He took over at an unsettled time for the school and accepted the challenge of seeing the school through a period of transition.

Gavin used his strengths to improve greatly communications and relationships with parents, Old Boys, prospective parents and their sons. His relationship with the Hilton boys has always been marked by mutual respect. Hilton College and its stakeholders can be enormously grateful for the commitment, effort and many personal sacrifices that Gavin and Wendy have made in serving Hilton and its community.

While leading Hilton College towards its strategic goals, Gavin has created the vision of "a scholastic residential centre of excellence" and has re-structured the organisation to best achieve these goals. As a result, Hilton College is on a path of strategic progress that has been carefully considered and we firmly believe that the goals and strategies being developed, in full consultation with the staff, remain appropriate and will be pursued with purpose. The Board fully supports and is part of this process.

Gavin, Wendy and their family have made this important decision, knowing that they have been guided by their strong faith and family values.

On behalf of the Hilton family, we take this opportunity to say that we respect their decision, and we sincerely thank them for the generous and selfless service they have given Hilton College over the past three years in this leadership position, and for the many years prior to that in successful teaching, coaching, house-mastering and managerial positions. Furthermore, we extend our very best wishes for their future.

In order to ensure continuity, The Board has appointed the Second Master, Peter Ducasse, as Headmaster.

News supplied by Hilton College. Mr Gavin Thomson is pictured above on the left.

Liv'iN Hilton turned one on the 25th of November 2012! Our sincere thanks to all of our customers for the wonderful support we have had over the past year. As a token of our appreciation we are currently having a less 25% red dot sale, just in time for Christmas shopping

We are extremely proud to have been awarded the Carrol Boyes stockist for the Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas.

Carrol Boyes is a wholesale manufacturer of upmarket homeware and tabletop items. It is a woman owned-business and a multi-cultural organization that supports gender empowerment both within and out of its infrastructure.

Our aim at LiV'iN is to provide an extensive range of quality brands in kitchenware and tableware catering for all of our customer's needs. We welcome our latest brands, Bodum, Joseph Joseph, Chef'n and Palador .

BODUM® has been producing visionary innovation for more than 60 years, "Good design doesn't have to be expensive" – Peter Bodum.

BODUM® is a family owned company, was founded in 1944 in Copenhagen, Denmark by Peter Bodum. The founder succeeded in positioning BODUM® internationally already in the 1960's owing to his unique concept: development of products, which consistently pay tribute to functionality, quality and affordability.

Twin brothers Richard and Antony Joseph founded Joseph Joseph in 2003, combining their respective experience in product design and business Specialising in contemporary kitchenware, Joseph Joseph is now internationally recognised for producing some of the most stylish and technically innovative products available.

Palador specialises in a wide range of exclusive designed tableware. Our 100% Linen tablecloths range from unique prints to plain colours.

Chef'n is a growing Seattle-based company with more than 250 product patents worldwide and a single mission, they want to make better tools so you can make better food. It's what drives their in-house design team to reinvent the utensils and gadgets that most of us take for granted while we're cooking and cleaning

Suggested stocking fillers pictured below include the BODUM 3 cup coffee maker at R285.00, a Joseph Joseph Garlic Rocker for R135.00, a Carol Boyes Bottle Stopper for R165.00, a Palador Newspaper Print Runner at R 350.00 and the Chef'n magnetic salt and pepper set for R195.00.

LiV'iN look forward to welcoming you into our Hilton store, Manager, Kyle Blakeway will be in attendance.

The Wildlands Young Artist of the Year prizegiving was held at the Mandela Capture Site in the Midlands on Tuesday 20 November.

Congratulations to Marlowe Brett and Christopher Ellis who were named as two of the ten finalists in The Wildlands Young Artist of the Year. This competition was available to all schools in KwaZulu-Natal. At the prize giving the two boys received framed certificates for their achievement. Well done to Christopher Ellis who was awarded 3rd prize in this prestigious competition.

Debbie Veenstra also received a certificate acknowledging her role as the art teacher of the boys. Christopher Ellis who was awarded 3rd prize for his sculpture of a crane won R2000 for his effort. These awards were presented by Dr Andrew Venter, Director of the Wildlands Trust.

Pictured on the left is Chris Ellis with his sculpture of a crane.

Pictured below left is Marlow Brett with his portraits of Zuma, Mandela, Biko and Malema and below right is Chris Ellis, Marlowe Brett and Debbie Veenstra.

News and images supplied by Hilton College, Hilton KZN.

A Grade 6 class at Laddsworth Primary School in Hilton has taken its classroom learning outdoors and applied it for the benefit of the environment and the school community.

After learning about soil erosion and animal life in the soil in Natural Science, pupils identified problem areas on the school property and then brainstormed solutions.

"As a way to make their learning practical and take ownership of it, they decided to rehabilitate a badly eroded bank outside a Grade 7 classroom," explained the class teacher, Nikki Stokes. "Because it is next to the classrooms they will occupy in 2013, I am hoping they will continue to maintain and protect it next year too."

To rehabilitate the bank, pupils contributed materials brought from home: Soil, compost, grass runners and plants: succulents, Hen and chicks, and Day lilies. On a chosen day they set to work with garden tools brought from home to dig, move wheelbarrow loads of soil and then plant a new flower bed. For top soil, they used soil they reclaimed from stormwater gutters that were blocked with material washed off the eroded bank.

"The class did it all themselves, including carting wheelbarrows of soil and I am so proud of them," Stokes said. "They were keen to make a difference, worked hard, got dirty and had a lot of fun. They even saved and put back into the soil every single earthworm they found, because they had learned about how they are good for the soil," Stokes said.

Pictured above Grade 6 pupils at Laddsworth get stuck into rehabilitating a badly eroded bank outside some classrooms. Carl Hoffman and Callum Kleinhans work with a wheelbarrow, while in the background are St John Meadows, Megan McFall, Phume Mkhize, David Hyslop, and Sibonga Dubazane.

Pictured on the left is the area before and pictured below  is the bank after. The badly eroded soil bank pictured before and after Grade 6 pupils at Laddsworth rehabilitated it by applying what they had learned in Natural Science.

News and images supplied by Laddsworth Primary School.

This light-hearted poem was published in Hilton Veterinary Hospital's latest newsletter. It proclaims the character of a domestic dog and also reminds us as the year winds down and the silly season approaches that humour can relieve stress. Oh and also, give your dog more love for Christmas, that is what he/she really wants!

Thank you to Hilton Veterinary Hospital for sharing.

Inner Peace

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles.
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without alcohol,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
You are probably the family dog!