Stock Car Racing in East London

In December 2010 I finally got to the East London stock car racing track.  I had not been to the oval racing stock car track in over 20 years!  I remembered a great atmosphere, watching stock car racing as a kid, and I wanted to take my boys to the track before they got too old.  In December they were just turned 13, and almost 12. Tony enjoyed visiting the East London stock car racing track too.

As a kid I would mostly play beneath the grandstands, while my parents sat above me, cheering for my brother who used to do a bit of stock car racing.  Basil Bosch.  I remember once that my brother crashed his little yellow datsun no.36 stock car right in front of the grandstands, and my mother freaked out, but he was fine.

I also remember the tinny music playing from the loudspeakers.  It's you it's you it's you was one song I often heard and remembered.  As well as Islands in the Stream, Hey Micky, and Barbara's Daughter.

I did not feel like a kid again when we watched the stock cars racing around the track, but I still enjoyed myself, and I get a feeling my boys did too, including Tony.  I think we'll be going back a few more times.

I cannot remember who took the stock car photo below.  Obviously it was either me,
or Tony
or Basti
or Zooty

© copyright Teresa Schultz

Jumping for joy on sand dunes at Igoda near East London

These two photos show Basti and Zooty jumping off (down?) sand dunes at Igoda beach, yesterday 23 June 2010. When their homemade sandboard didn't work, the boys took to running down sand dunes and jumping down sand dunes instead.  Even mom (me) and Tony had a turn.

Basti's Igoda story and photos

Zooty's Igoda story and photos

Basti flies up in the air down a sand dune at Igoda, near East London

Zooty flies up in the air down a sand dune at Igoda, near East London

Igoda beach near East London

Tony, the boys and I took a drive out to Igoda beach yesterday afternoon, just for fun. It was quite late in the afternoon already and we could not stay long, but we took our cameras, romped around on the sand dunes a bit, tried out a homemade sandboard that didn't work, and generally just had a "winter outing to the beach." I haven't been to Igoda in years, but used to go to Igoda with my parents often when I was a kid. My parents used to like fishing there, and I would run around on the sand dunes, or try catch a few fish in the rock pools - further along the beach, as the first bit of beach is just beautiful sand and ocean. My mother used to put red ribbons in my hair in case I wandered off a little too far, she would be able to spot me easily (and reel me back in) :)

The route seems to have changed somewhat, from what I remember. Obviously it's still leave East London and travel past the East London airport, but now it's straight down into Winterstrand, then turn right at the bottom, drive along the coast through the little Winterstrand residential village, then as you start to head away from the ocean again, turn left onto a little dirt road, that ends in a small parking area at Igoda beach.

Basti's Igoda story and photos

Zooty's Igoda story and photos

Igoda beach, near East London, and not far from Winterstrand

As you walk down onto the sand at Igoda beach,

this little village and lagoon is off to the right, a bit magical, like Brigadoon.

Zooty (11) and Basti (12) stand on rocks at Igoda Beach.  The beach itself is long and beautiful,

without any  rocks unless you walk pretty far along the beach, but these rocks (and ideal fishing area)

are immediately off to the left as one walks down from the little Igoda beach parking area.

East London's beautful Nahoon River

This short little video (about 13 seconds) of the Nahoon River in East London, was taken a little upstream from the Nahoon River mouth.

A little further upstream, one finds tranquil little picnic spots - pretty much in the middle of East London (if incorporating Gonubie too.)

Litter in East London, near the Nahoon River

We took this short little video sometime back already, near a beautiful view of the Nahoon River in East London.  It really was not a lot of litter we found there, but what we particularly didn't find appropriate was that the litter was right next to a sign reminding people to please not litter.

Related Article about litter on Tony's blog

Photos of sunrise and a train in Cambridge East London

Tony and I haven't really been rambling lately, so when we popped in at OK Foods in Cambridge on the way back from dropping the boys at school this morning, we decided to pop over the road and see if we could take some photos of the railway line - we didn't have much time, so doubted we'd be lucky enough to have a train come along, but we thought wrong. We had hardly gotten there, next to the railway line, when a train came trundling along the tracks.

Here are the photo efforts of this morning's mini East London ramble:

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2010

Broken concrete gutter and wet road from a burst water pipe

We didn't have to ramble far in East London for these photos - these photos of the wet road and the broken concrete gutter were taken in Garcia Street, Cambridge, East London, not far from where we live.

The water pipe burst on Saturday morning 29 May 2010, and the road, driveways, and gutter were flooded.  Cars wheels whoosed through the water, causing water to spray up everywhere.

The East London municipality did not take long to arrive and repair the damaged water pipe, and luckily water supply to the nearby houses in Garcia Street was soon flowing once more.

More on the Garcia Street water pipe burst:

Daily Dispatch DispatchNow blog - Well done BCM!

Car wheels splashing in water from a burst water pipe in East London

I wanted dad to let go of my leash

Tranquil picnic spot along the Nahoon River in the middle of East London

This tranquil and beautiful Nahoon River picnic spot is quite a hidden little gem in East London, near the bridge separating the suburbs of Nahoon and Beacon Bay.  Bonnie Doon, Vincent, Abortsford, Nahoon Valley, and Stirling are not too far away either.

What an ideal little riverside spot to take a break at in the middle of the day from shopping, or to relax at with the family on weekends, or late weekday afternoons.

Also see The bridge over the Nahoon River in East London

The bridge over the Nahoon River in East London

This Nahoon River bridge seperates Nahoon from Beacon Bay in East London.  The Nahoon River runs into the ocean at the mouth, at Nahoon Beach.  One of the longer swims that Amakhosi Masters Swimming Club had when they hosted the South African Masters National Swimming Championships in East London in 2009, was held near this spot.  There are another three bridges that cross the Nahoon River further up the river too.  See the video below:

The East London beachfront in 1994

This photo of the East London beachfront, and looking towards the dunes of Eastern Beach, was taken from an 8th floor apartment above the Kennaway Hotel where I was living at the time.  This was in 1994, 16 years ago, now, when I was 25 (I'm now 41.)  Numbers nightclub and disco was just across the way from the East London aquarium that you can see in the photo (the aquarium has a pale blue wall).  (Numbers was next to where Virgin Active Gym is now.)

(post by Terry)

Looking at yachts on the Buffalo River in East London

Tony's hair was still short!  If you have an old nickname like Yottie, and you used to do sailing on dinghies and catamarans, and also had an interest in 1m radio controlled model racing yachts, then you'll also want to pop down to the East London harbour, to be reminded of what you love and miss, and, who knows, perhaps be motivated to make a plan about getting back into it, and onto the water again.

The sun rises and slips behind clouds

These two photos were taken in the East Coast Resorts area of East London early one morning.  As the sun rose, it slipped behind some clouds, but the edges of the clouds were still lit up.  I love the cooler colours of the sky and clouds in the top of the photos, then the warm glow near the bottom, coming all the way down to the bottom, now, to the dark foreground of silhouetted thorn trees to offset it all.  This  is a sunrise that is typical in the countryside of South Africa - but this one was in East London, my lovely little hometown, and so it's extra special.

Hugging a log at Sunrise on Sea near East London

Zooty was 3 or 4 in this photo taken at Sunrise on Sea beach, East Coast Resorts, near East London, about 7 years ago.  Zooty is now naturally bigger, the log is the same size, and the beach is still there.  Only thing really different now is that the log is missing Zooty's hugs.

Bridge over the Buffalo River in East London

This bridge over the Buffalo River in East London separates the east and west banks of East London.  One would drive across this bridge, entering the city centre, if coming from Port Elizabeth, or from the East London airport.

Messing ice-cream at the Spur restaurant and steak house in East London

What a mess!  If kids don't make a bit of a mess though, at a Spur restaurant, they aren't having fun are they?  The Spur is an ideal place to take kids - of just about any age, and we do have a few Spur restaurants here in East London.  Love their texan chillie sauce for burgers, or on a steak, their cheddar melt sauce (creamy cheese and mushroom), their steaks, and of course, their ribs, YUM!  Oh, and of course Spur waffles (with BOTH cream and ice-cream) aren't bad at all either.  In this photo Basti has fun messing and enjoying his ice-cream and marshmallow - photo taken early January 2009.

Charming wood furnishings at Bramlyn b&b in Nahoon, East London

Light and airy furnishings and neutral, natural tones of the furnishings and linen at Bramlyn bed and breakfast in Nahoon, East London, is welcoming indeed.  Sunlight streams through the window of this room at Bramlyn, leaving delighful streaks of light across the wooden floor, highlighting part of the wooden desk and chair, and the welcoming bed.  Whether you're needing to be active at the nearby shops in Nahoon, or want to pop down to Nahoon River, or go swimming or surfing at Nahoon beach or reef, or, are just needing to relax, Bramlyn b&b offers you the perfect, relaxing East London accommodation solution.

Tennis court at Lord Selborne Guest House in Selborne

Lord Selborne Guest House is ideally situated in Selborne, East London - behind Selborne Primary School, close to shops in the Vincent Park shopping area, the Joan Harrison public swimming pool, and of course not forgetting Boykies Biltong Bar.  Even though it may sound like Lord Selborne Guest House is in a busy area, this East London accommodation establishment is behind high walls and is quiet once you're on the large premises.  It has a lovely spacious garden, a bar, a small glass-encased gym, and a tennis court for social tennis players to keep fit on.  We enjoyed designing a website for Lord Selborne, and taking photos of their upmarket accommodation establishment, which includes conference facilities.  

Radio controlled racing cars in East London

It's almost a sin that the boys were 10 and 11 (about a year ago) before we took them to see some radio controlled cars in East London.  Watching these little radio controlled model racing cars racing around the track near Buffs Club in East London was not only enjoyed by the boys, but by Tony and I too.  The paint jobs on the model cars enhanced their looks, and the boys found these attractive little cars really interesting.  Being female, I guess, the word I would use to describe the colours of the model cars, is "pretty."  There was even a pink one. We would like to take the boys to another race at the Buffs club model car racing grounds sometime, after all, they did quickly forget about wanting to make racing radio controlled model cars their new hobby quickly enough last time.  We don't have enough extra money to support a hobby like this right now. There were other women that day at the racing event in East London, who were actually watching the cars race, so it's obvious to me that radio controlled model car racing is not just a hobby for men and boys, but for women too!

East London police on horses bigger than the cars they're watching

East London police sit on their horses behind the fence at the East London radio controlled cars track near Buffs Club.  The horses actually looked a little interested in the small radio controlled cars too.  These policemen must have been having a bit of break, and probably thought "Why not go show our horses what else we enjoy?"  Little cars or big cars, cars will always be fascinating to boys of all ages - we didn't check, but maybe all those horses were boys too?

Self-catering interior decor in Kwelera, East London

Interior decor is certainly not just for city-dwellers or accommodation places within the city.  Get creative and liven up your countryside self-catering interior decor like Petra and Spuds Self Catering have.  Wooden antique looks are just so quaint and it makes more sense when this kind of interior decor is found in the countryside, blending, somewhat, with the area.  This photo was taken just inside the entrance to Petra and Spuds Self-Catering in Kwelera Village, East London - in the East Coast Resorts area.