Serendipity with Bev Young
A CAJOLING article this week, rather than informative.
In 2020, a mere three years from now, South Africa will celebrate 200 years since the 1820 Settlers landed in Port Elizabeth, from England. Almost 4 000 people, delegated to “our” region, Grahamstown and Port Alfred, to till land allocated, build businesses, homes, churches, and roads.
The history is enticing, the tales of success, limited, yet here we all are. Wars ensued, cities were created and despite the hardships, and abject poverty, in most cases, almost 90% thrived.
We are currently collating all that we can in terms of missing families, while begging anyone who is of settler descent to come forward with information, photographs, gossip and assisting us to complete our major application for funding to highlight the anniversary if the event.
We anticipate a physical celebration, and can tell that one family in particular have already booked their wagons, clothes, and right-of-way through farms, as they are going to travel with all of this, from Port Elizabeth to Grahamstown.
This family numbers in excess of 60 people, and I who have been invited to accompany them. It will, they estimate, take two weeks to complete the journey. Finally, as an additional entity, 12 of us are collaborating on a once-off book of the history.