The new Conservancy at World's View continues to make good progress. Since the Christmas break, when members took a well-earned break, 2 meetings have been held, the latest of which was attended by local Councillor Ron Glaister who has shown his interest and concern regarding environmental matters.

The World's View Conservancy >logo is the rare, threatened Hilton Daisy which occurs locally in the mist-belt grassland. Plans to arrange walks in the forest to locate this and other treasures are planned for the relevant seasons this year. Meanwhile registration with KZN Conservancy Association has been confirmed verbally and hopes are that this process will soon be official. The 2 clean-ups held last year had a positive effect around the World's View area, particularly along the forest trails which were shockingly filthy with dumped garbage and builder's rubble. Unfortunately this practice of dumping in the forest continues and residents and other meanderers of the forests are asked to report such dumping as it is an illegal offense. Signage will be erected soon around accesses to the conservation area, at the View Site and in the plantations in the hope that litterbugs will be dissuaded from this habit which, apart from being a filthy eyesore, has a profoundly negative effect on our environment.

Several donations in cash and kind have been received including day-glo bibs carrying the conservancy name donated by Maypers B&B to embers of WVC which is ever-grateful for any interest or donation. However more members are needed to get involved as much work lies ahead including clearing alien vegetation and water-courses, re-beautifying the Heritage Site at World's View and on-going awareness campaigns. An e-letter will be sent to interested persons; please see contact details below if you would like to be on the emailing list.

Date to diarise:

Saturday 26^th February 2011 ' Clean-Up commencing at 07h00. Meet at corner World's View Rd/Old Howick Rd. Please bring rubber gloves.

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Laddsworth Primary School's Open cricket team recently participated in the Sunfoil Cricket competition . It was by invitation only and Laddsworth came second overall to Merchiston, who narrowly beat Laddsworth by 8 runs. It was a great day!

Enjoy the images shared below...

Laddsworth Primary School held a civvies day on the 14th of February for Valentines Day and all the funds collected went to the Hope Trust, an organisation working with families in the Sweetwaters area of Hilton.

The brave group of boys below wore pink on Valentine's Day. Well done boys!

Left to right: Front row Troy Marshall-Goodridge, Scott Butler, Samkelo Mlaba , Menzi Dhlodhlo and back row Ross Clelland, Michael Makris, Brogan Tedder, Josh Murray and Eric Hyde.

Hilton boys waited for the 14th February with anticipation and they were not disappointed.  A number of gifts and roses were delivered to the school for our Romeo's and the Heads of Houses went deliver roses and gifts to the various girls' schools in Pietermaritzburg.

Pictured below from left are Terence Mpulo, Marc Train, Jason Shield,Mark Burman, Ilyaas Mayet and Thomas Hattingh.

The Hilton & Howick Rotary Club will present a performance of the Milton Academy Jazz Band at the Hilton College Theatre on 14th March.

The Academy has a large following and performs all over the world. They visit South Africa annually to perform for charities but on this occasion, at the special request of the Hilton and Howick Rotary Club, they will play in Hilton for the first time.

They have performed at the White House for the President of the United States which gives an indication of the standard we can expect to enjoy.

More information on the background and achievements of this talented group can be obtained from their website - www.miltonacademy.net

The venue for this once off performance is The Hilton Colege Theatre at 7pm on Monday 14th March. Ticket price is R60 Adults and R30 for Scholars.  Ticket bookings can be made on 033 383 0127.

This is a charity concert with all proceeds to local projects.

Alex and Ashleigh Robertson will be making a splash in this year's Midmar Mile to raise funds and create awareness of Cystic Fibrosis. Joining them is Grant Desmond, aged 31, a cystic fibrosis survivor. This is a first mile swim for all three. To date they have raised R13520.00 in this Back-A-Buddy drive.

Ashleigh shared the following about Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited genetic disorder that affects a number of organs in the body (especially the lungs and pancreas) by clogging them with thick, sticky mucus.  The excessive mucus in the lungs blocks the smaller airways in the lungs, allowing bacteria to collect and multiply resulting in repeated infection.  Similarly, mucus blocks the tiny ducts of the pancreas which supply enzymes required for digestion, and consequently food is not properly digested and nutritional value is lost.  The sweat glands are also affected and the body may lose an excessive amount of salt during exercise or hot weather.

At present there is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, but the faulty gene has been identified and doctors and scientists are working hard to find ways of repairing or replacing it, the average life span of a person with Cystic Fibrosis is  approximately 30 years of age, however if proper care is not given then this can be shorter.

Every month suffers of Cystic Fibrosis attend clinic at Addington Hospital, as the state do not cover Cystic Fibrosis, treatment is provided by doctors on a voluntary basis and all medical equipment is purchased with fundraising initiatives or through generous sponsors such as the public. The money that is donated is put towards medication and equipment for use in our Cystic Fibrosis Clinic's at Addington Hospital.

If you would like to show your support, visit the KZN Cystic Fibrosis Association to learn more and contact Ashleigh.

Love is most certainly in the air despite Valentine's Day 2011 falling on a Monday. With many restaurants already booked to the hilt, the biggest them all still has some place but you'd better call right away to secure a table for the spectacular dinner being served up at Protea Hotel, Hilton.

Expect a lovely ambience with gifts for each couple on arrival, champagne and live music. All this in a well turned out venue will make your Valentine's heart beat faster.

If you prefer to set out in the daylight you should book a table with Sharyn at Cafe Sal, her Valentines menu will put a sparkle in anyone's eye. Starting from R69.00 for two courses with a filter coffee or cappuccino this is a tempting lunchtime rendezvous.

 Add a little extra oomph to the card or flowers with a Valentines gift from Jewellery by Diana. There is currently a great sale going on with almost 90% of the stock reduced by twenty-five percent. This is a winning choice and certain to impress your girlfriend or wife. Go shopping.

Whatever you decide to do and whoever you wish to impress, don't be shy just go on and do it from your heart. It has been said that  the worst mistakes in life may be those that are never made. So even if Cupids arrow has not found a mark for you yet, get some practice by doing do something out of the ordinary for somebody you know who needs to be shown some love.

HiltonVillage.co.za wishes all our clients and browsers a Happy Valentine's Day.

The New Year is well underway and by now you should have firmed up some projects for your garden, if not then haul out some old gardening magazines, pour a cup of tea, grab a pencil, some coloured crayons and paper on which you can draw up a rough plan of your garden. Rainy days like we are having aplenty are a godsend for planning sessions. Page through those glossies to see what you like. Fill your garden's gaps with inspiring finds. Then you can go forth and take on these projects yourself or if you are just too busy or overwhelmed get some expert assistance.

Also bear in mind that up until April your Hilton garden will have you on the run just keeping up with lawn care, trimming and weeding so do save the hardware projects for winter.  You'll have your hands full mowing regularly to keep the grass at about 5cm.

The arums have been lovely and it is time to divide and replant overcrowded arum lilies which are beginning to die down. To do this carefully lift entire clumps as any piece of root left in the soil will develop into a new plant. Divide on a sheet of plastic and replant. If you find any plantlets on the old flower stalks of day lilies and Dietes plant them out. Feed Liliums and cut off faded flower heads but leave as much leaf growth as possible to produce food for next year's bulbs.

Roses will be grateful for a feed of anything high in potassium like Vigarosa, 8:1:5 or 5:1:5, to encourage the next flush of flowers. With all the rain those who spray will need to keep up a regular spray routine. If you do not spray, do feed well and dead head furiously to minimize disease in this rainy season. Well fed, tidy bushes will be more resistant to fungi.

If you are going to plant a container grown Christmas tree in the garden, first place it in the shade so that it may acclimatize to the outdoors before subjecting the tree to full sunlight. This reduces the risk of burning. Loosen the soil in the container, mulch and feed with a slow release fertilizer before watering.

With the global revolution to living a more environmentally friendly life there is a strong move to home composting. Add lime or a compost activator to speed up the composting process. Turn regularly and keep moist to encourage earthworm activity and the breakdown of material. Add your organic kitchen waste such as fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, teabags etc. Lime also helps to keep flies away.

In line with more economical global trends, seeds go a lot further and you can always split a packet with your gardener or domestic worker to spread the joy of gardening and encourage the community to become a little more self-sufficient. The following flower seeds can still be sown ageratum, alyssum, aquilegia, balsam, begonia,  coleus, cosmos, dahlia (bedding),   gypsophila, hollyhocks, impatiens, lavatera, lobelia, marigold, nasturtium, petunia, portulaca, salvia and sunflower. Feed your family home grown food in autumn by planting bean, beet, carrot, celery, cucumber, corn, eggplant, lettuce, pumpkin, radish, spinach, squash and tomato seeds now.

January is also the month for Tanglewood's Crazy Sale, it happens this weekend so visit Tony and Carlene and treat you garden to some gorgeous bargain buys. Mike at Ronnoco also has a sale on groundcovers, roses and pavers. Get there early to avoid disappointment. Happy gardening!

Hilton's has many excellent schools which cater for children from 4 months old, thanks to the newest project taken on by Zelda of Cool Winds Lodge where a Play Centre has been successfully opened.

These fine institutions are open again, making for livelier traffic intersections in the mornings. Let's keep the seat belts buckled and eyes on the road. It is easy to forget these safety devices when many of our Mom's taxi commutes last for under 5 minutes. Please remember accidents happen in just a second, so each five minute trip provides 300 opportunities for a mishap! Let's pledge, to keep Hilton roads off the lips of the well-loved ECR traffic guy, Johann von Bargen!

The comfortable cool summer temperatures have been a blessing, just perfect for learners to adjust to the new school year and focus on new teachers and timetables. The routine has begun and many parents are thrilled to have their children safely occupied once more after the longest holiday of each year.

We wish all the children learning in Hilton many happy hours in the classrooms, on the playgrounds and sports fields. We look forward to sharing news of all your achievements both big and small!

Pictured to the left below are Cowan House Grade RR boys and girls enjoying their first day at school.

Top South African Squash player Stephen Coppinger who matriculated from Hilton College in 2001 won the Savcor Finnish Squash Open Championship by beating Joey Barrington, in Mikkeli, Finland

It was after dismissing Egypt's No2 seed Omar Abdel Aziz in straight games in the semi-finals that Coppinger, the third seed, reached the 11th Tour final of his career - where he faced Joey Barrington. In the other semi, the English favourite had recovered from two games down to overcome unseeded Bradley Hindle, from Malta, to reach his 17th final.

Barrington made a good start to the game, leading 5-0 and 7-3 before finally surviving 15-13.

But the 26-year-old from Cape Town fought back to take the second game and was level at six-all in the third when it became clear that Barrington was suffering some problems with the back of his thigh.

Coppinger took the game and, with the Englishman barely able to compete in the fourth, went on to clinch his 13-15, 11-5, 11-8, 11-5 victory after 67 minutes. Of course I'm happy with the title, but it's never nice to win when your opponent is injured, said the Finnish Open's first ever South African champion after collecting the sixth PSA Tour title of his career.

 

 

 

Laddsworth Primary School are proud to have 11 children chosen for the Midlands swimming team. They will all be going through for KZN trials this weekend. HiltonVillage.co.za wishes them loads of success.

They are from Left to right, Bottom to top: Lauren Knoble, Leah Kriel, James Bilbrough, Declan Mc Donald, Ross Clelland, Julia Jarvel, Kay Bilbrough, Michael Terblanche, Lyle Jarvel, Emma Parsons (Girls Swim Team Captain) and Jared Kriel (Boys Swim Team Captain).

This February Little Poland is ten years old. Mira and Zbyszek Staszowski clearly remember the day they signed the documents to secure the property in the heart of Hilton village, where their restaurant stands today. Serving a range of traditional Polish dishes interspersed with popular meals their patrons have requested over the years, Little Poland is in a class of its own as the only authentic Polish restaurant in South Africa. A lot of the ingredients Mira enjoys cooking with come direct from Poland.

As a family of four with varying food preferences we find Little Poland ideal for our carnivorous males and for the ladies the pan fried mushrooms taste like they really were just picked from the forest! The Porcini, Boletos, Stainpilze, Seps or Borowiki mushrooms that Mira serves are hard to source but clearly worth the effort finding. Mira's fish and calamari dishes are the ideal alternative to the more meaty options. Generous portions make a meal a Little Poland good value.

To celebrate the tenth anniversary Mira prepared a special lunch for local bed and breakfast owners who have supported Little Poland through the years. The afternoon was a success washed down with tasty wine supplied by Nicola Schroeder of Vinimark wine company.

This Monday at Hilton Pre-Primary School everyone wore red, white or pink to celebrate Valentines Day. Don't they look gorgeous!

Cool Winds Beauty and Wellness Centre are extremely proud of their Head Therapist, Melanie-Rose Thompson who was one of the top retailers of the Lilian Terry product range in South Africa.  Her overall position was second in the country, which is a brilliant feat for this relatively new salon.

It is great to see a beauty salon from our little Hilton, KZN, competing against all those upmarket Gauteng Salons and proving we are a force to be reckoned with!

Cool Winds Beauty and Wellness Centre are offering four specials at R220.00 for February and March. Choose one of the following;

Aromatherapy Full Body Massage
Half Leg Wax and a Creative Pedicure
French/Colour Gel on Toes and a Foot Massage
Express Facial and a Brow and Wax Tint.

Mothers of babies or toddlers will be pleased to note that Cool Winds Play Centre will care for your little one while you have a treatment. The fee for childcare is R25.00 per hour.

 

Marriage Meander Wedding Workshop

The Marriage Mazesare interactive workshops to assist you in many aspects of your wedding planning. A variety of topics are discussed and you have the opportunity to mingle with reliable suppliers in a relaxed and intimate environment whilst the Meander hosts guide you through an informative workshop style event.  Our next workshop will be at Calderwood Hall in the Midlands on the 27th November 2010 from 12pm - 3:30pm.

We have a fabulous afternoon planned. See what beautiful Calderwood Hall has to offer and enjoy a 3 course lunch by CHC catering. Get tips and ideas for your wedding d??cor and flowers; explore what style of dress will best suit you; enjoy a hair and make-up demo by Sole; find out how best to express your love for each other; get valuable information about your wedding photos and video; sample the latest in wedding cakes; hear about music and the best DJ's' and more!

R150 pp all inclusive. Booking is essential, on a first come first serve basis.

Call Nikki 083 369 4748 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Going down extremely well at present is the Summer Special of a Spinach, Butternut and Feta quiche which is served with Salad, absolutely delicious at R41.50. If you have earned the luxury of an indulgence, follow the quiche with a slice of Caf?? Sal's new chocolate mousse tart, yummy! At R19.50 per slice this treat will not hurt your wallet and you can always work on the waistline at Lifestyle Fitness Gym.

Natural Choice grade Honey, produced locally in Howick and well as scrumptious Butter biscuits in various package sizes are sold in store.

Other items worth holding that appetite in check for will be the Bombay Chicken Salad and a new lemon and poppy seed, coming soon. The health conscious, which in January is usually everybody, should watch out for a new Health Shake. The launch date of this is still to be confirmed. Keep an eye on the Cafe Sal page for updates and information.

If you are in the mood for some comfort at the end of a tough week, Sharyn is offering a Coffee and Cake special every weekend from Friday 1pm until Saturday noon, this will be available for a limited period of time. Order Coffee and Cake or a scone or muffin at Cafe Sal and you will get a 10% discount. See you at Cafe Sal.

We received the letter below by email and consider it to be of interest to all residents of Hilton.

'After a long, hard day in the office, there is nothing better than getting home, popping on your running shoes, and with the dogs on the back of the bakkie heading out to one of the village greens and open spaces of Hilton for long walk or evening jog!

Well, this was not to be on Thursday evening 10th February 2011 as my husband and I were walking our dogs in the open areas opposite the Hilton Hotel.  We watched in disgust as a white Toyota Hilux single cab pulled up onto the dirt track and an individual on the back threw one enormous bag of domestic waste after another into the veld.

We approached the individuals but before we could confront them, they very quickly covered up their number plate and sped off, obviously well aware of their illegal undertakings!

We were not to be deterred and followed them in our vehicle along the back-tracks of Hilton, determined to at least get their registration number - which we could just make out!

We hope that in catching them red-handed and following them for some distance, they will be dissuaded in the future, and we encourage the local community to be aware of and report any illegal dumping activities by phoning the 24-hour environmental crimes and incidents hotline (0800 205 005) so these matters can be followed up, and Hilton remains a beautiful place that all residents can be proud of!

February is the month of love and romance. Gardens tended with love make ideal venues to share romantic picnics or sun downers. Caring for your flowers this month will include watering indigenous bulbs such as Sparaxis, babianas and ixias which may be showing signs of life. Give them a general fertilizer. Deadhead daisy bushes regularly for continued flowering. If they look straggly, cut back some of the stems to young wood. Hydrangeas may be in need of pruning. Cut off spent flowers, take out any useless spindly growth and give them mulch and plenty of water. Disbud dahlias if you want big blooms for autumn.

Cut back pelargoniums to about a third. Check for mosquitoes in the little dams of water found among the leaves of cannas, strelitzias and other large-leaved plants; a drop of oil or paraffin will keep them at bay. Keep feeding, spraying and watering your roses well. Thin out straggling stems. Stake chrysanthemums as they develop or train to fill in gaps by laying them on their sides so flowers develop along the stems. Remove some buds if you want larger blooms.

Fruit growers will need to clean up any fruit lying under trees to discourage fruit fly and other insect pests. Protect bunches of grapes from birds by slipping them into pieces of old pantyhose or try scaring them away with strips of foil or colourful plastic tied to the vines.

In the potager cut finished beans to the ground rather than taking them out. Leave the roots in the ground with their nitrogen-making nodules. Plant new vegetable crops between the bean rows. Remove the seed pods of rue and fennel to prevent the garden being swamped the following year.

Maintain a lush lawn in hot, dry weather by lifting the mower blades. Apply 2:3:2 only if there is enough water available to give it a generous soaking.

Ensure flowers continue to grace your garden by sowing calendulas, cineraria, foxgloves, delphiniums, Iceland poppies, pansies, primulas, stocks and violas as well as alyssum, antirrhinum, aquilegia, Bellis perennis, candytuft, Canterbury bells, carnations, cornflowers, gaillardia, hollyhocks, larkspurs, linaria, lobelia, lupins, nemesias, pyrethrum, schizanthus and wallflowers.

In frosty areas, of which Hilton has some pockets, this is the last opportunity to sow beans. You can also sow beet, brinjals, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, gems, lettuce, leeks, marrows, parsnip, pumpkin, radish, swiss chard, spring onions and tomatoes.