Grahamstown Settler Tour -- March 2018

Grahamstown Settler Tour of March 2018

Today I do the Grahamstown Settler and Historical tour as a One Day outing but this can also be done as a Two or Three day tour

Peter Giddy Guided Tours
peter.giddy@gmail.com

• Addo Elephant Park; 
• City, historical and cultural Tours; 
• Township Tours; 
• Adventure Tours; -- Canoe trails; Walking and Hiking; Horse Riding; Sandboarding; Quad biking; Surfing; Zip Lines; 
• Garden Route Tours.  Monkey Land; Birds of Eden; Big Cats; Ocean Safari; Beach Walks. 
• Kragga Kamma Wildlife Reserve
• Wildlife Reserves
• Transfers -- Airport; Wildlife and Hotel 

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Contact me on peter.giddy@gmail.com
Or +27 82 550 3174 (Whatsup)

I have Maureen as my guest today.  Maureen is here from Australia and is following the Cricket team for all four tests.  Last week it was Durban where Australia beat the Proteas convincingly.

On the way to Grahamstown we stop to view the Carel Landman Monument which celebrates the Voortrekker movement of the 1800's

Fort Selwyn.  Planned during 1836/36 as part of the Cape Colony Military defences and was built under the supervision of Major Selwyn.

Canon overlooking Grahamstown below.

The 1820 Settler monument.  Built as a tribute to the influence that the 1820 British settlers had on Grahamstown and the Albany District.  Now known as the Makana district.  Makana was a Xhosa chief who fought the British in a battle in 1819.  He was captured and sent to Robbin Island.  Here he, on Christmas day 1819, attempted escape and drowned. He is remembered by the community as this district is now called Makana.

Astronomical Stones ... From the centre of the circle standing tones can be seen which mark:
The four points of the compass. Sunrise and Sunset at the winter and summer equinoxes.
The appearance of the xxxxxxx or XXXXX a dawn of the marking of the new year of Africa
Unfortunately I cannot make out the lettering in this pic.
I will have to revisit to copy the exact text.

Summer Solstice;  North and Winter Solstice.

Rising of the Pleiades or Izilimela.   East - Impumulanga.

North -- Emntia

Canopus or Canzibe.   South.  Umzantsi.

Rising of the Pleiades or Izilimela. Before Dawn in June marking the new year in Africa slightly to the north of winter Solstice sunrise 21 June.

East Impumalanga  -- Autumn equinox.  Sunrise March 21.  Spring equinox. Sunrise September 22

West. Intshonalanga.   Spring equinox.  Sunset September 22.  Autumn equinox.  Sunset March 21
Orions Belt or Amakroza sets early June at dusk.

Settler Family situated at the entrance to the 1820 Settler Monument.

The Cathedral Entrance.  Today there is a funeral service on the go.

The Cathedral is in the Center of Grahamstown.  Cathedral of St Michael and St George.

To the rear of the Cathedral is the monument to remember the people who lost their lives in WW2 1914 to 1919.  The foundation stone was laid by Mrs LL Giddy.  MBE and founder of the War Suffers Society in 1919

The Cenotaph at the back of the Cathedral.

One of the people remembered is Giddy N.

The Town Hall .  The Clock tower was first built and then the two wings were built later to create a town hall.

The Observatory museum was undergoing renovations so we could not go into it.

The commemoration church. A Methodist Church.

Inside the church.  This man tells us that attendance is poor.  I am standing on the lecturn from where the pastor can survey the congregation below.

Inside the church there are a number of stain glass windows.

The Shaw hall is looking run down and is being used as a childrens school. or Creche.  It was here that the parliament met when the Eastern Cape wanted to divorce itself from the West.

The Provost Tower from where the guard can see the prison cells below.

Inside the Provost is the Coffee Shop.  Worth a stop -- Coffee smells amazing.  Unfortunately -- right now, I am on a Water only diet for lent. So no coffee for me.

A Military Prison is now in the University campus and a coffee shop is housed in the prison.

The oldest postbox in South Africa.  It is possible to post a letter in this box which is in Somerset Road next to Armstrong House at St Andrews high school.

We left Port Elizabeth at 8am. Our first stop was the Carel Landman Monument.  We continued on to Grahamstown where we stop at the 1820 Settler Monument.  Today is the first day of the Science Festival and the building is full of school children. We see Fort Selwyn and the Settler family as well as the stones marking the points of the compass.
We park in town and from here we walk around the center of the city visiting the Cathedral; The War Memorial; The City Hall; The Observatory Museum; The commemoration Church; The Shaw Hall.
We drive to the Provost in the University, The Albany museum is a real treat. We then visit the two schools -- St Andrews where we see the oldest postbox in SA and end our tour in Kingswood college where I meet Jason -- Ally's school day hockey coach and Tim Marshall who is the pastor here and was a pastor at Walmer Methodist.

A full day of walking and exploring with a great deal of interesting places to visit and stories of history.
Something that we noticed -- The roads of Grahamstown are in shocking condition.  This city has an abundance of business and schools and should be proud of its infrastructure.  The roads are a poor reflection of the ability of the city management.