The Protea Hotel, Hilton is as eye-appealing by night as by day and there is a distinct air of glamour to the smart new hotel Hilton has been graced with. Ample secure parking is a plus. The lofty entrance welcomes visitors inside as though saying 'come in there is lots of room for you at this inn'.

Welcoming staff echo the initial impression as they guide guests to elegantly laid tables with warmth and efficiency. The Wine List is offered promptly and drinks appear just as you are ready to reach out for them.

The decor has been styled in a way to embrace aspects of the original hotel as well as the history of Hilton. A peek into the private dining room emphasizes this fact as its walls have been dedicated to the oldest schools in Hilton. The layout of the restaurant caters comfortably to intimate tables and also large groups.

Friday night is buffet night, which after a stressful week is absolutely wonderful. Who really wants to labour over choosing from a menu on a Friday evening? To simply walk across to a buffet laden with a tempting smorgasbord, to please vegetarians and carnivores alike, whenever your appetite decrees is hugely more relaxing than making yet another decision. This creates a truly relaxing space to ease into the weekend.

The spread will please both carnivores and vegetarians but after the incredibly succulent lamb we tasted any thoughts of giving up meat, other than on 'Meat free Monday' at least, quickly vanished. Highlights amongst our group were the homemade pickled fish, the grilled aubergine with mozzarella, a scrumptious spinach, mushroom and asparagus lasagna and of course the lamb.

A choice of desserts including creme caramel, a pleasingly light and fluffy berry cheesecake, seasonal fruit salad and heavenly caramel ice-cream would have ended our feast perfectly if we had not been lured back by the preserved figs, blue cheese, brie and mature cheddar with crackers for just a teensy final nibble.

The entire gastronomic experience is excellent value for money.

Some may feel the liquor prices are somewhat steep, as they are in line with other major centres around South Africa, perhaps instead we should applaud this policy which may encourage a measure of sobriety and keep our roads safer. The legal limit of around two drinks will not break the bank balance.

Protea Hotel Hilton's impressive new Restaurant serves up this highly commendable buffet each Friday evening and every Sunday for lunch. This already popular and highly convenient dining option for Hilton residents is set to make its mark in the area. Book now before word of our newest culinary treasure reaches Howick and Pietermaritzburg!

Congratulations are due to Hilton Gasworx who can now be found on the esteemed list of Master Builders Association Suppliers. This is a lofty achievement considering the stringent qualifying criteria they had to meet. These trials covered all aspects of their business including conduct, skill, integrity and responsibility. Hilton Gasworx has come up tops!

In the words of Ina and Mike, 'We think it's a big deal as you have to really prove yourselves as trustworthy and efficient to get this association to even look at you. It is not something you can just join, you have to be accepted, so we're pretty proud of this achievement and we hope that it will lead to consumer confidence in both us (morally and ethically) and our products.'

Clients of Hilton Gasworx can rest assured that their gas products are of a high quality and all installations are in trustworthy and capable hands. We look forward to watching this local business grow from strength to strength.

Hilton is ready for The Sharks vs Vodacom Western Province Currie Cup Final today! The action takes place at the Absa Stadium Durban which will be full to it's 52 000 capacity. Those who couldn't get to the game will be glued fast to the television at 17h30. The chief referee will be Craig Joubert assisted by Cobus Wessels and Christie du Preez.

We wish The Sharks well and are extremely proud of the support shown locally. The image taken at Hilton Pre-Primary yesterday says it all. Hilton is where the cutest shark supporters live. Go The Sharks!

The Laddsworth fathers enjoyed a well organized evening's play in the fun atmosphere created for their special time at school. A variety of activities set up around the school afforded every Dad the opportunity to interact with their child or children in the school environment. Some of the Dad's felt like kids again. What a wonderful way to unwind after a hectic day at work!

Enthusiastic Dads were overheard saying, 'This should happen every month!'

While at home many Mom's thoroughly enjoyed their quiet time. Well done to Laddsworth for bringing fathers and children together through a simple and enjoyable activity session.

 

 

 

 

BrainTrain is a Private Remedial School in Quarry road, owned by Jenni Underwood. Sharri Robb works alongside Jenni, each of these nurturing ladies share a strong love for working with children. Jenni has a natural leaning to access different learning styles, developing study skills, teaching in harmony with either left or right brain dominance and she enjoys using colour in her teaching. Sharri has a special interest in dyslexia. Brain Train has in five years grown to a morning school with 15 full time pupils, ranging from primary level to high school. These ladies also visit schools in the afternoons to facilitate supportive sessions. In an average week they tutor about 70 children.

Jenni's ideal is to provide a more comfortable option for children who may be sensitive and unable to adjust to the traditional school system. Children will encounter nature, art, music and dance on this alternate path to matriculation. They will be able to grow and achieve in a learning space which is accepting and accommodating of their varying requirements. Brain Train is a bright and yet gentle environment.

Jenni Underwood is a qualified teacher with a Post Graduate Remedial Education qualification. She has taught all ages at Government and Private Schools and at Tertiary level, with more than 20 years of experience. Jenni believes that learning can only happen once a child is content on a physical, emotional and psychological level. She therefore always works in conjunction with Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists, Doctors, Homeopaths, Schools, Parents and other alternate therapies that do work. Added to the years of traditional experience Jenni also has three grown sons who have taught her a lot about how children grow, develop and mature.

Happy children will more readily perform at their full capacity. If you would like to ensure your child is in the learning arena best matched to his or her whole being, you are welcome to book a consultation with Jenni. Click here for more details.

Pictured are Jenni Underwood (right) and Sharri Robb.

Hedgehogs and Porcupines, both found in South Africa share but one common feature, quills. Yet with these spikes covering the best part of their bodies they appear similar, until the porcupine outgrows the average hedgehog by almost 30 kilograms! Hedgehogs are small and weigh between 400 to 600 grams while the porcupine can weigh up to 30 kilograms. Hedgehogs are insectivores and porcupines are rodents. A Hedgehog's diet comprises mainly worms and insects on the ground while Porcupines are vegetarians eating plant material including leaves, bark, fruit, bulbs and roots. Porcupines also crave salt and if they find almost anything previously held in a human's sweaty hand they will destructively gnaw away in innocent bliss.

Porcupines may smack other animals in the face with their tails if they feel threatened. Their quills are designed to burrow in and a vet will have a tough time removing the barbs which naturally work their way deeper into the victim. The quills can cause a bad infection and injuries must be professionally treated. Porcupines are not aggressive unless their space is invaded. Shown respect they will tolerate being observed from a safe distance.

Hedgehogs adopt a more defensive behaviour when under attack. They simply roll up into a ball. They use a circular muscle that runs along the sides of their body and across the rump and neck which folds into a bag to encase the body, head and legs. Curled up in this manner with thousands of spikes aiming outwards, the Hedgehog can sleep peacefully.

Hedgehogs are most desirable garden inhabitants since they are skilled in controlling garden pests. A single hedgehog can keep an average garden free of pests as they gobble their way through up to 200 grams of insects nightly. In the United Kingdom environmentally conscious gardeners do their utmost to attract hedgehogs to their plots. They lay out suitable treats and cut hedgehog sized holes into their boundary fences to entice these little creatures in. Many a gardener who is challenged by the vegan appetite and tunneling habits of a Porcupine may understandably repeat the mantra 'may all of our porcupines be hedgehogs' on a daily basis.

Both Hedgehogs and Porcupines can be successfully owned as pets if you are comfortable with removing them from their natural habitat.

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_porcupine.html

http://www.ecotravel.co.za/Guides/Wildlife/Vertebrates/Mammals/Smaller/Cape_Porcupine.htm

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_hedgehog.html

http://www.ecotravel.co.za/Guides/Wildlife/Vertebrates/Mammals/Smaller/Southern_African_Hedgehog.htm

http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/hedgehog

http://petsblogs.com/2010/10/fable-of-the-porcupine

On Friday 17^th September 2010 Laddsworth teachers, pupils and parents teamed up to collect litter in the Laddsworth vicinity. First thing on the cool morning the troops were divided into supervised groups. Armed with great big bin bags and gloves the entire school forged into the immediate neighbourhood roads to clean-up.

This is a reminder that when a task seems too big for a single individual to make a difference, a team working towards a singular goal can create a big impact very efficiently and have fun while getting the job done.

With municipalities under massive strain and struggling to deliver essential services, we as rate payers often moan and groan without thinking of what can be done to help. Laddsworth took the lead in giving us hope that future generations will learn a new way to handle challenging situations. By doing small daily things, such as taking responsibility for ones own waste, everyone can ease the load on municipal service. This in turn will hopefully free up resources to improve our villages, towns and cities.

Laddsworth have also teamed up with Mondi and Central Waste in a successful recycling effort. Acknowledging that environmental care is everyone's problem and we all have the power to bring about a solution.

To Laddsworth, a big round of applause from everyone in Hilton. The joyful noise which accompanied the little clusters of garage collectors as they meandered through Hilton to carry out this good deed was uplifting. The fresh air and change in routine was exhilarating for teachers and pupils. Perhaps this will become an annual event.

Meetings of interested residents have been held during the past months and a committee recently elected.  A Constitution has been tabled for comment and the way forward is becoming clearer. At this stage efforts are underway to define the area encompassed by the World's View Conservancy (WVC).  This will incorporate the area between World's View Road (including all houses within World's View suburb itself) and Celtis Road including houses on the southern side of Celtis Road and all homes on either side of Old Howick Road  and turn-offs as far as Celtis Road. A conservancy is all about loving your home and surrounds enough to join hands in actively caring for them.  It is an opportunity to get to know your neighbours and share a joint concern for your environment.

To this end a public meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 26th at 19:00 in the Girl Guide Hall, World's View Road.  Residents, community members and interested parties are invited to attend and share their views. Membership of the World's View Conservancy is R100 per person per annum.  On the following Sunday, 31^st October, residents are invited to participate in a World's View Clean-up, commencing at 10:00 at the corner of Old Howick and World's View Roads and proceeding along to the picnic area at World's View where a bring and braai will be held. Please call Chairman, Hugh Temple 033 3431286, or Secretary Howard Richardson 033 3432884.

Submitted by Ros Grieve

HiltonVillage.co.za met up with Moira, a local yoga teacher. Moira takes a weekly class for the public and also teaches Yoga for relaxation at St Annes Diocesan College.

Yoga has been a big part of Moira's life since 1983 when, although it was not popular at the time, she and her sister began a yoga class. Through the years Moira has practiced Hatha Yoga under 5 teachers.

 

Initially Moira began teaching in Howick when encouraged by her teacher, later she also taught for a while at the Quarry Health Centre. In total she has taught Yoga in Hilton for 8 years. Moira idoes not follow any of the spiritual teachings of Yoga. Her focus is on the health benefits for body, mind and spirit.  She does however enjoy Eastern Philosophy and will close each class with an uplifting reading, some drawn from the East and others not.

Moira shared that the ancient activity of Yoga first began around 5000 years ago when it was mostly followed by men, then woman began to see the benefits and found it easy to do at home. Nowadays mostly women practice Yoga. Yoga is Sanskrit for yoke, meaning the joining together of things. It brings about a connection of body, mind and spirit.

Hatha Yoga is the most physically demanding of the many arms of Yoga. Initially Moira is careful to suggest alternate positions within the capabilities of her students. As Yoga in non-competitive new students can easily slot into the class. Within 3 months you will begin to appreciate the benefits of increased strength and toned muscles. Yoga also stretches ligaments and tendons, increases suppleness of joints and improves circulation and breathing. Moira Also teaches relaxation techniques.

 

All you need to become involved is grab your yoga mat and a light blanket, pull on some really casual comfortable gear and join in at a very reasonable rate of R30.00 per session. Click here for contact details.

Hilton is home to many fine gardens and many fine gardeners, one of these being Nancy Gardiner who, although almost a year off ninety, still gardens vigorously with a little help once a week. The results of her careful attentions are truly lovely. The generous Hilton town house styled garden which Nancy took on just three years ago has flourished in her care so far and looks set to only get better as there are a few plans for it in the pipeline.

This author of thirteen books on gardening is a well respected authority on the floral kingdom. For Nancy gardening is a passion passed on by her parents from a very young age.

Having lived in Hilton since 1966, the Gardiner's spent some happy years at Monzali Estate enjoying hundreds of acres where their five sons could ride bikes and horses while getting a good dose of fresh air. Nancy recalls these family times as having been interspersed with many happy occasions and parties.

In 1971 the family moved to land bordering Hilton College where they lived very simply while building their dream home. It is from this home of 37 years that Nancy reluctantly moved after the death of her dear husband.

Nancy recently embraced technology by purchasing a digital camera which she has mastered and uses to photograph the many gardens that she loves, using techniques taught by her late husband Ian many years ago. Ian had trained in photography while in the Air Force and shared his knowledge with his adored wife.

Hilton is proud to be home to this doyenne of the garden realm who declares that there is no better place to live.

Cool Winds are hosting a fabulous workshop for women, there is limited seating available and the tickets sell extremely fast. The first workshop has already sold out and there is a still some availability for the second one to be held on 4th December 2010. The excitement is that the consultant has been trained by Hannon Bothma (Glam Guru), the popular fellow who hosts his own Make-over show on Kyknet. Cool Winds are hosting this Make-Over Workshop in a four hour session, teaching ladies on how to apply make-up, what make-up colours to use with your specific complexion and what hair styles will suit your type of hair etc.  The consultant will be choosing people from the audience to be used as models to do the make-overs, so kindly leave your inhibitions at home and arrive ready to be one of the lucky ones!

Cool Winds also incorporate a Christmas market in conjunction with this event, which creates a wonderful opportunity to stock up on gifts for Christmas.

Tickets for this fun and enlightening morning will set you back just R50.00 plus of course what you choose to spend on other little irresistible purchases. If you are keen do not delay, call Cool Winds today!

Microsoft Partners in Learning has announced the winners of the 2010 Worldwide Innovative Teacher Awards at the sixth annual Worldwide Innovative Education Forum. These awards are the global culmination of local and regional events held around the world throughout the year, where teachers present ideas on how technology can further educational transformation to help improve the way students learn. 13 projects placed in this year's competition, selected from more than 125 projects presented at the forum last week in Cape Town, and from 200,000 participants over the course of the year.

Participating teachers were judged by an international panel of education experts on a number of criteria. Through virtual classroom tours and interviews on site by judges, these teachers demonstrated a profound dedication to helping their students learn by leveraging effective and engaging technology resources for teaching critical 21st century skills, such as collaboration, critical thinking and social responsibility.

The judging community includes education experts from all over the world. At the event, 47 judges representing more than 35 countries spend nearly 20 hours talking to the teachers and learning about their projects; then in a private room, they discuss, debate and share with one another until the winners are finally selected.

Peter de Lisle from Hilton College was judged Second Runner-Up for his project, "Biodiversity: Creatures and Contexts". This project involved using thinking and research tools to find out about biomes and involved the creation of a collaborative spreadsheet tool to evaluate the best biome to live in. Learners then used creativity tools to create a biome as a context for a computer game and to design a suitably adapted creature to live in it. Finally, they narrated an adventure in their biome. The project drew on different intelligences and learning styles, and aimed at encouraging academic rigour and thinking in all the activities.

Pictured are from left, Linda Zecher, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector, Peter de Lisle (Hilton College) and Lauren Woodman, Microsoft General Manager, Worldwide Education and Government Programs.

On Thursday 21 October at Hilton College it was Speech Day.  The Guest Speaker was Old Hiltonian Bob Skinstad, former Springbok rugby captain, and now an accomplished businessman.  He gave a wonderful address talking about the foundations laid for him at Hilton as well as providing sound advice for our matric boys as they enter the outside world.  His talk was both amusing and thought provoking which was well received.

Pictured below are Michael Tack (Deputy Head of School 2010), Marc Train (Deputy Head of School 2011), Gavin Thomson (Headmaster), Bob Skinstad, Mark Burman (Head of School 2011), Dawid Swart (Head of School 2010)

Article and photograph supplied.

This past weekend from Sunday evening 9pm until Monday evening 9pm eight Hilton boys were involved in a relay with their sole purpose being to raise funds for Hlanganani Ngothando Organization, which is an NGO serving a wide variety of people groups including men, women, children, the elderly, sick, prisoners, school children, and mentally and physically disabled children, in and around KwaZulu-Natal.

This inspired group of Hilton College pupils split into pairs to swim, run and cycle on the Hilton College grounds. Included in this group of caring boys were the Heads of Houses and the Head Boy of the school.  By 9pm on Monday evening they were suitably exhausted and had accomplished their worthy goal of helping a needy cause.  HiltonVillage.co.za salutes their effort, well done boys!

Pictured here are Tiaan Slabbert, RossMcPhail, Michael Tack, Cameron Crawford, Garth Harding, Andrew McFarlane, Dawid Swart (Head of School) and Luke Purdon.

Laddsworth Primary School's Hall was filled last week with the beautiful products of the pupils creative activities. Each child had a piece of art proudly displayed. Parents were invited to view these  works of art and were delighted at colourful results the they found on show. You can enjoy a taste of the art below.

Hilton is a gorgeous haven where we are blessed with some of the most beautiful gardens in South Africa. With a fair number of the Open Gardens right on our doorsteps we hope you have all been out to support, enjoy and find inspiration.

This unusually dry October is a time to remove young weeds before they have time to flower and set seed, mulch around and in between shrubs wherever possible as this creates a cushion from hard rain and will keep moisture in if the expected rains do not arrive. Until the heavens bless us with more rain you may wish to water fuschias three times a week. Also keep soil around hydrangeas moist as they start to come into flower and perhaps mulch with pine needles. For beautiful lawns raise the height of the blades on your lawnmower to avoid exposing roots to hot sun. A periodic change the direction in which you mow the lawn prevents ridges and uneven growth.

Winters hectic pruning is over but the following may require thinning out after flowering, the Rosa 'Albertine' and 'Dorothy Perkins', Banksia roses, Viburnum (snowball bush), Ornamental fruit trees e.g. apples, cherries, peach and Spirea (Cape May).

With around 8 weeks till Christmas you may want to plant up some red flowering petunias, strawberries or even chillies. These add festive colour and can make super gifts for friends. A bunch of herbs for stuffing the festive bird are another grand idea for planting now to give away in December to your favourite cook.

With hot summer months to look forward to you may want to set up a pond or water feature now, these can be relaxing and give the illusion of cool even if temperatures soar. Water, even in a still pond will add a new dimension to your private sanctuary.

You're in time to sow ageratum, alyssum, aster, Canterbury bells, cleome, cornflower, cosmos, dahlia (bedding), dianthus, gypsophila, impatiens, lavatera, lobelia, marigold, nasturtium, nigella, petunia, portulaca, salvia, sunflower, verbena, and zinnia flower seeds. For a great veggie patch plant bean, beet, cabbage, carrot, celery, corn, cucumber, eggplant, leek, lettuce, onion, peppers, pumpkin, radish, spinach, squash, tomato and turnip seeds.

Hilton College a leading private boys' school in South Africa is famous for many reasons including excellent education, the annual arts festival, gorgeous grounds and unforgettably beautiful buildings. This year Hilton College has earned another fine accolade for their trophy case, the prestigious NCT Tree Farmer of the Year Award for 2010.

This award is presented to acknowledge excellence in sustainable forestry practice. Three hundred and forty five hectares of the 1762 hectare estate is planted with wattle. Other usage computes to 150 ha for annual cropping, 30 ha to kikuyu, 620 ha for natural grazing with occasional indigenous bush, 550 ha for conservation and 67 ha for other infrastructure including the school.

The wattle was originally planted on the school grounds to supply the school with fuel for heating but since the arrival of electricity the focus has changed. The forestry operation is managed by Sax Solomon, a Hilton Old Boy and Cedara Agricultural College graduate. The entire estate is owned by The Hiltonian Society, a Section 21 company, not for gain.

The estate is home to a wildlife centre and nature reserve run by a dedicated conservation team and boosted by pupil involvement. The school ensures pupils are afforded many opportunities to spend time outdoors involved in activities which support conservation.

The forestry operation attributes success to good planning, a simple system, environmental consideration, the great team headed by Senzo Mwelase, the participation of the Estate General manager Rowan Welsford, the Conservation team's efforts and the priceless input from NCT advisors. The activities which have been recognized by this presentation of the NCT Tree Farmer of the Year Award echo Hilton College's hallmark focus on teamwork.

Resource: SA Forestry August 2010