St Anne's Diocesan College hosted the annual Invitational Doubles Tennis Tournament over the September holidays. Once again, the Hilton College / St Anne's tournament saw 16 teams participating in a series of girls, boys and mixed doubles matches, with matches being played at the joint host schools courts. The schools invited were, as they are every year, from around the country: Clifton College (KZN); St Mary's Kloof (KZN); Durban High School (KZN); Roedean School (Gaut); Somerset College (WP); Somerset College (WP); St Alban's College (Gauteng); St Mary's Pretoria (Gauteng);
Kingswood College (EP); Kingswood College (EP); St Stithians College (Gaut) St Mary's Waverley (Gaut);
Penryn College (Mpum); Penryn College (Mpum); Hilton College (KZN) and St Anne's College (KZN).

For those unfamiliar with the format, boys and girls teams are partnered and then compete in a boys doubles championships, girls doubles championships and then in a mixed doubles championship.

Although the emphasis is clearly on the tennis, this tournament affords the players an opportunity to socialise with players from all over the country as they are all accommodated at the boarding establishments at Hilton College. The tournament is characterised by great sportsmanship and camaraderie and the players all have a lot of fun. For many schools there is little other opportunity for them to play mixed doubles and so this element of competition is embraced enthusiastically in the tournament. This year's mixed doubles championship was fought over by St Stithians and St Mary's Waverley and Clifton College and St Mary's Kloof, with St Stithians and St Mary's Waverley taking the trophy. Hosts Hilton College and St Anne's College played against St Alban's and St Mary's Pretoria for second and third place, with Hilton and St Anne's proving too strong for their Gauteng opponents.

The girls doubles championship was taken by a solid St Anne's team up against a very committed, but somewhat depleted, St Mary's Pretoria squad. The outcome was concluded by a 9/0 margin, although the score did not reflect the hard-fought matches. St Stithians College defeated Clifton College to claim the boys doubles championship.

Results are as follows:

Boys' Doubles:
1st: St Stithians College
2nd: Clifton College
3rd: Hilton College
4th: Kingswood College
5th: Somerset College
6th: St Alban's College
7th: Durban High School
8th: Penryn College

Girls' Doubles:
1st: St Anne's College
2nd: St Mary's DSG (Pretoria)
3rd: St Mary's Waverley
4th: St Mary's Kloof
5th: Somerset College
6th: Roedean School
7th: Kingswood College
8th: Penryn College

Mixed Doubles:
1st: St Stithians College/St Mary's Waverley
2nd: Clifton College/St Mary's Kloof
3rd: Hilton College/St Anne's College
4th: St Alban's/St Mary's DSG (Pretoria)
5th: Somerset College
6th: Durban High School/Roedean School
7th: Kingswood College
8th: Penryn College

It is always a pleasure to host this competition with its wonderful ethos of friendliness and goodwill and the host schools look forward to welcoming the teams back for the tournament in 2014.

Pictured above are St Anne's and Hilton College team captain: Christie Bradford and J.O. de Villiers.

Pictured below is the St Anne's Tennis Team.

News and photographs supplied by St Anne's.

REVISION SCHOOL 2013 was in full swing last week. The corridors of the old teaching block at St Anne's College, Hilton were buzzing with the sound of tutors' voices, learners questions and the occassional laughter from a class enjoying their subject.

A total of 17 children from 14 different high schools in the greater Pietermaritzburg area attended – composed of six grade 11s and eleven matrics. We had 19 tutors involved during the week of academic coaching, spanning across 11 different subjects and three unique curricula – IEB, State and Cambridge.

The learners gave up twenty hours of their short holiday – four hours over five days, in order to improve on their subject knowledge and prepare for their final exams. Two boys, Thobane and Sandile were sponsored by ASP Tutoring to attend Revision School. These two young men are from Mpophomeni High School and are actively involved in a local initiative outside of Howick called Funda Nenja, roughly translated, it means 'learning with the dog'. Jayne Goetsch heard about Revision School and approached ASP Tutoring, requesting sponsorship of the boys, who have been identified as role models in their community and deserving of a chance to improve on their school marks.

The young men and ladies all benefitted from the very low tutor-to-learner ratio this week, in some cases receiving intense one-on-one sessions. The days were divided into four hour-sessions, with short breaks in between, seeing learners venture out into the sunshine to enjoy a snack before heading back into their respective classrooms.

This was a successful venture and one which ASP Tutoring will repeat. Keep an eye on this space for future Revison School dates.

A lot of changes has happened at Celtiskloof this year - the whole centre, including a large children's playground, has received a facelift under the creative hand of Basil Mauer and other people with visual insight. The restaurant is getting known for its tasty meals and friendly service, the nursery is bursting with Spring colours displayed in an interesting way and the deli offers delectable home-made breads (previously sold at Karkloof Food Market) as well as other products. This place can only get more exciting in time.

On Saturday, 5th Oct 2013, another attraction to Celtiskloof will open its doors - Art & Soul Gallery! Many people loved to visit this gallery when it was at Happy Hills, Lidgetton (2010 - 2011).There it was situated in an old cow shed full of character and once again it will be housed in an interesting space - the quaint castle-shaped building on the right as you enter the centre from the car park!

Karin Davel, the owner of Art & Soul at Happy Hills, has joined forces with Gill Dobson and they are happy to once again offer a platform to many artists, especially from Hilton, Howick, Pietermaritzburg and the Midlands, to show a carefully selected variety of work. When Karin is at the gallery, people can come and sit for quick portrait studies.

Enough said - come and experience for yourself the calm ambiance of Celtiskloof - a growing new centre to visit in the Midlands. Take the Howick/Underberg off-ramp from the N3 and once you've passed Peels Honey, Celtiskloof is just a touch further round the bend!

Pictured here is Karin Davel.

Deborah Don invites you to join a new weekly Tai Chi class or Circle Dancing session! These will take place every Wednesday, starting next week on the 2nd October 2013, at 1 Committee Lane in Hilton.

The Tai Chi is from 9.00 - 10.00 am and the Circle Dancing is from 10.00 - 11.00am.

The costs are as follows:
R35.00 per session for either
OR
R120.00 per month for either.

R55.00 per double session (for both Tai Chi and Dancing)
OR
R200.00 per month for all.

Everyone is welcome so spread the word to anyone you may know who will be interested.

For those of you who are not able to make it during the week, Deborah will still be running the Circle Dancing session from 10.30am to 12.00pm on the third Sunday of each month.

Deborah is looking forward to seeing you all there.

Cherri Forsyth is starting her next coaching group for women only. The coaching programme is very interactive, and is not only theory based. Practical and very effective tools for living a positive, proactive, happy and fulfilling life, will be covered. It will include the following topics, amongst others:
• What beliefs are paralyzing me? ..and how to get rid of them.
• What are my priorities?... and how to live according to them.
• Do I know what my values are, and am I living my life accordingly?
• Who am I?
• Which area in my life do I want to improve in?
• How communication (including projection) really works.
• How can I take full responsibility for my life?
• Am I a fully empowered woman?
• Am I setting myself up for success or failure?
• Do I use my time in the most valuable way?
• How to manage conflict.
• Am I living my life in balance?
• How I can be the " very best me" that there is!
• What is my Life purpose?

Invest in yourself....give yourself time to ponder really important issues in a structured process. Learn to live consciously and honourably every day!

Where: at 9 Vlei Rd, Hilton

When: Course starting mid-October- dates and times to be determined according to group demand. ( in working hours, or after hours if the demand is there)

Coaching will take place every 2nd week i.e. twice a month.

Cost: R 250 per person per session. (Group coaching makes this coaching very affordable. Usual cost per session is R 600)

Dates: Starting- mid- October, and every two weeks thereafter. (School holidays will be taken into account in setting the dates)

Groups will be no bigger than 10.

You will NOT be expected to share publicly (in the group)- the approach is a very gentle but inspiring one!

If you want to know more about Cherri please visit her website: www.lifevision.co.za

To book your place, please contact Cherri by no later than October 10th 2013.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cell: 082 801 8961

This past week was a fairly quiet one at our club. Activity has slowed down ahead of the Spring closing, and there are no club competitions in progress.

We will be playing for the Queen's Cup this Saturday. In 1958, barely two years after the club was born, two anonymous country members donated this trophy to be played for on "Boxing Day" each year. Originally it was between teams of four, but with fluctuating membership it was found that the trips format worked best. When the Christmas Cup was introduced a few years later, the Queen's Cup was moved to September.

Teams will be drawn on Thursday evening and posted on the board before 08:30 on Saturday.

Normal tabs will be payable, and lunch will cost R35 each.

Entry forms for the Nominated Mixed Pairs and the Open Singles are on the board. These competitions will be played soon after the green is re-opened in October.

Plans for our social on 11 October are developing nicely.

Duties will fall away during the closure.

News supplied by Hilton Bowling Club.

Congratulations to Richard Bestel de Lozengard (matric) who has come 2nd overall in the Life Sciences section of the National Science Olympiad SAASTA. He received a laptop for his achievement.

Pictured here is Richard Bestel de Lozengard.

News and photograph supplied by Hilton College.

Spring may be here but in Hilton and the rest of Midlands we have revelled in fireside warmth as late into Summer as on New Year's day. So we also have not packed away the kintting needles! Those scarves, throws, jerseys and beanies will still be welcome Christmas stocking fillers.

Alta at Thimbles 'n Threads has a passion for all things haberdashery and her choice of wool is great. Enjoy the images below but to really undersatnd why these yarns are so good, you simply have to visit Thimbles 'n Threads at the Lower Quarry centre. They have a a 'touchy feely' experience waiting for you!

Pop along to experience Joy, Hope, Harmony and Soul!

Every year, Hilton Pre-Primary School's Gr R classes go to see Dr Lee Pachonick at Umgeni Vet. She gives them a very informative talk about sick animals and shows them what happens when you take your animals to the vet.

As the green is closed until 14 October, there is little to report in the way of bowling at the club. Barry Collier, our green keeper and his staff are hard at work with the spring treatment. The green has been scarified twice, mowed once and fertilized since we closed last week. The weather was kind to us, and good showers of rain fell soon after the fertilization was completed.

Levelling and top dressing will begin this week.

Response to the invitation to join our off-season social was intense and the forty available places were snapped up overnight. We cannot accommodate any more for this event.

While you are idling away the hours and waiting to start playing again, you may like to test your knowledge of the game. Pull out the Laws of Bowls booklet and familiarise yourself with the measurements applicable to our game. Find answers to these questions: How far must a bowl travel to be a legal delivery? How long is a legal end, from the front edge of the mat to the mat-side of the jack? How wide must a rink be? These distances are important and it is incumbent on any serious bowler to know them.

To those members who are visiting our neighbours during the closure, good bowling.

News supplied by Hilton Bowling Club.

'If you are ever in the Hilton area and feeling a little peckish, don't miss a chance to spoil yourself at La Popote. Lesley will see to it that you leave well looked after, and with a smile on your face. Her home cooking is superb and she is becoming a legend in her lifetime!

The restaurant is delightful and intimate. It has a following of loyal locals who know what it is to be greeted and treated like long lost friends. Indeed, many who frequent La Popote do so knowing that they are bound to bump into someone they know and catch up on the Hilton grapevine. Many of the worlds problems are sorted out here over a delicious meal!

Lesley bakes like a dream and the only disappointment I ever have is when she runs out of my favourite French lemon tart and ice-cream. The menu is clever and there is always something to suit every palette.

If you think you can just arrive at the weekend for lunch without booking, don't! When in Hilton, do as the Hiltonians do. Secure a table well in advance and prepare to enjoy yourself over a frostie or a glass of wine while the kitchen set about teasing your taste buds.'

Review submitted by David Oosthuizen.

Remember too that La Popote is open late on the first Friday of each month when they host a Evening Market from 3pm until 6pm. Enjoy the scenes below from the last successful market.

Welcome to Lynda de la Hey, the new owner of Healthy Times, the health shop at The Quarry Centre in Hilton KZN. This Howick born and bred mother of two grown sons is a breast cancer survivor whose interest in alternative health product stretches back to when she founded JOZI Organic. Searching for a safer unisex deodorant option resulted in her partnering with a friend in launching this naturally based brand. Lynda's experience hugely increased her awareness of the benefit of natural and organic products.

Lynda has been a representative for various health ranges during the last four years and has chosen to give up travelling around KZN and instead focus on her new shop.

Shana who is a certified Solgar nutritional adviser and who has been fully trained on all the products at Healthy Times will assist Lynda in the health shop. She has 6 years' experience and is the 'go to' lady for all your health product questions. Shana is a firm believer that lifestyle disease and premature aging can be avoided when you make healthier, natural and organic choices.

Coming soon to Healthy Times is a juice bar which will provide you with more flavour combinations.

We wish Lynda much success with her new venture.

Pictured here on the left is Shana with Lynda on the right.

The Jaxx Roll on Wednesday was won by Allan and Colleen Daikers and Lorna Allen. The winners of the losers were Heather Hancock, Ian Fyvie and Tim Bigg. Well done to all the winners, and special thanks to Jaxx and Lindsay's for their wonderful support for our club.

The weather was against us on Saturday morning when we had intended playing for the Queen's Cup.

After a shower of 20mm overnight, and an icy wind, we decided to delay the competition to 19 October when we re-open the green. There is a new entry list on the notice board, but members can also enter by sending an e-mail to George or Derick.

We went ahead with the lunch provided by Quarry SuperSpar, to whom our sincere thanks. The generous hampers supplied by the Spar will be held over.

Vince Seale will run our social on 11 October. He has promised lots of good music, singing (and dancing?!) and clean fun. Unfortunately we will have to restrict attendance to the first forty people who put their names on the list. If you can't get to the club, give John Pluke (033 343 1612) a call to book your place. There is an outside chance that we will be able to run a similar event later in the year.

Talking of later in the year, we have had to move the "Special Christmas Event" aka "Bill's Christmas Bash" to 30 November. Bill is not available on 7 December.

News supplied by Hilton Bowling Club.

On Friday, 20 September, Speech Day was held at Hilton College celebrating the success of their pupils for 2013. The Guest Speaker was Alistair Franklin, a Hilton Old Boy, who is Senior Counsel at the Johannesburg Bar. Alistair gave a wonderful address and reflected on his time at Hilton and what he thought was the Hilton ethos. It was a tremendous speech which was humorous as well as delivering a good message.

He commented on the qualities of courage, loyalty, determination, persistence and a "never give up" attitude were important in this day and that inspiration as opposed to being famous was important. "People will remember those who inspired them but necessarily those who were famous." He also made reference to attitude and that the correct attitude was important. Alistair said that old virtues were crucial and that the Hilton ethos remains as relevant today as ever. It was well received and once again Speech Day was special day in our calendar!

At Speech Day the Ross Osborn (Head of School) and Paul Harrison (Deputy Head of School) Scholarships were announced for 2014. Head of School 2014 – Tom Webber and Deputy Head of School 2014 – Jono Smithers

Pictured on th eleft is Alistair Franklin and below are Simon Purdon (Dep head school 2013) Mike Salgado (head of school 2013) Tom Webber (head of school 2014) Jono Smithers (Dep head of school 2014).

News and photographs supplied by Hilton College, KZN, South Africa.

Congratulations to Jay Park (Grade 11) who was recently awarded a certificate of Congressional Recognition by the United States House of Representatives for his outstanding performance, in both the Mathematics and Science competitions, in the 2013 Orange County Free Clinic in the United States. Jay is an outstanding pupil and this is a wonderful accolade for him.

Pictured here is Jay Park.

News and photograph supplied by Hilton College, KZN, South Africa.

Cowan House are hosting a Zumbathon® to raise money for breast cancer research. The charity event is hosted by thousands of Zumba® Instructors during the month of October every year all around the world and huge amounts of money have been raised.

Cowan House is sponsoring the use of their indoor centre and all money raised will go directly to Zumba® and into the research programs they are sponsoring.

The event is open to EVERYONE of any fitness level (men included). Children and husbands are welcome and the participants may do as little or as much of the 3 hour event as they would like.

In addition to Kerry Heinrick from Hilton and Nicci Smith from Howick, there will be a host of instructors travelling in from Durban and the South Coast to add to the fun.

Hilton's herbologist, Diane Aldworth will be hosting a course in herbology at her home in Hilton, KZN from January 2014. The complete course comprises 6 full day modules which include lunch. Di draws on her extensive experience to teach how to grow herbs, layout a herb garden, dry herbs, store herbs and how to use these in cooking and making simple remedies. The course is outlined in more detail below...

HERBOLOSIST @ HOME

Do you want to learn more about herbs and their uses? Come join this interesting course and have fun at the same time.

PART ONE
Getting Started
Where did it begin - Short History of Herbs Growing herbs - Starting a Garden - Designing an Herb garden -What to Plant - Companion planting - Maintenance - Propagation - Harvesting, drying and storing herbs

PART TWO
Herbal Plants
Introduction - Identification and Plant Anatomy - The Herb plants

PART THREE
Body Systems and Ailments
Introduction to Body Systems Life stages of Man - Identifying ailments and remedies

PART FOUR
Formulating Recipes and Making Products
Introduction to Formulae - Basic Herbal remedies Herbal remedies for pets

PART FIVE
Cooking with Herbs
Introduction - Basic Dietary Requirements - Nutrition - Vitamins and Minerals - Herbs in Cooking General Food Guidelines

This course is given as a once a month lesson

Including lunch in Hilton, Pietermaritzburg, KZN.

The course is also available as a CD for distance learning.

Contact Diane Aldworth on 082 808 1519 or Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click here for more information about The Green Herb Co.

The first ME! Morning in Hilton was a success! This is what some of the participants said about the morning;

"I will attend more to help me with self esteem and confidence" -Toni le Roux

"It stimulated thinking" - Sue Fly

"I'm finding my strengths" - Stephanie Sheik

"I've learnt about myself and how to help myself" – Leeann

"I've seen I'm not alone in self-discovery" - Shivani Chetty

"I want to research and understand more" - Hazel Lake

"Very well run; great food" - Yvonne Cordner

"I'm feeling, inspired, motivated and directed!" - Shereen Duncan

"It's given me a great sense of shared purpose and courageous struggle through change" - Debbie

"To hear positive things.... makes me feel I can take on the world!" – Yolandi

"Networking with inspired people" – Margi

The 'MEs' responsible for this event are Deborah Don, Desrae Coventry and Desiray Viney.

Deborah Don is practising alternative healing therapies and self-esteem conselling at the Crossways Health Centre in Hilton. With more than 25 year's experience, Deborah brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her work. She teaches the mindful application of self-empowerment, how to connect mind and body through the movements of tai chi and brings the joy of circle dancing to life.

Desrae Coventry is inspired and motivated by personal growth and success stories. Regardless of their personal status and achievements she loves seeing individuals, groups or businesses making progress and growing. Desrae has worked with a wide range of people from the frail and old in rural areas to corporate executives in board rooms. Irrespective of who they are, Desrae says "The common thread is the need for love,encouragement, acknowledgement and affirmation".

Desiray Viney has retired from academics and now runs REAL Communication Consulting. Her desire to connect with people trying to connect with their real selves has driven her to move into the business of connecting, sharing and implementing REAL ideas, hence the notion of a Morning for ME!

The consensus is that these are indeed hugely repeatable events. Desiray Viney said, "It was such a happy, relaxed morning. The speakers were really interesting and thought-provoking, the participants were so responsive, and the Thai Chi was a huge hit!

A diary date for you to note will be the 19th October 2013 when another ME! Morning will take place at The Barn in Hilton.