Tag: southern Suburbs

Just a quickie, Southern Suburbs people.

Posted on

I had cause to phone for an ambulance for one of the residents in our neighbourhood yesterday. It was a serious situation. Literally life and death stuff.

The first number I tried was Netcare911. They are arguably the best known private ambulance company in SA, and theirs is the number that you have etched onto the front of your brain at times like these.

I don’t want to go too deeply into this, but while they repeatedly promised that they were sending a vehicle – nothing ever turned up. And calling them back became something of a farce as they asked repeatedly for the medical aid details (company, number, dependents etc etc) of the patient, when the patient was very, very much not in a condition to tell them.

Then as we called again, (because there was still no sign of an ambulance), using the reference number they had given us, they thought that we were in Gqeberha. That’s a city about 1000km east of here (there’s actually very little 1000km west of here).

That’s when we gave up on them and called ER24 on 084 124. Fifteen minutes later, the medical team arrived, stabilised the patient and headed off to hospital.

We’ve chatted about this to a few people since and there have been a lot of remarks that Cape Town, and Southern Suburbs especially, are now rather poorly covered by Netcare. So, what I’m saying here is to put the number 084 124 into your phone now, in case you ever need medical help in a hurry.

Not an ad. Just a heads up that just because you know the company name, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to turn up and do the job. And while sometimes that can be annoying, sometimes it could literally be fatal.

Much like the Wilderness Search And Rescue number, this is one to put into your phone NOW.

And – of course – hope that you never have to use it.

Southern Suburbs Store Music Watch

Posted on

Popped into a few shops on a whirlwind tour of a local mall this morning.
Here’s what I was serenaded with while I was there.
(Just in case you want to make a playlist of limp, middle-of-the-road, inoffensive, nothing songs.)
(Please don’t.)

Clicks
Something Got Me Started – Simply Red
[advert for adult nappies]
Letters – Watershed

PicknPay
The Living Years – Mike & The Mechanics
No Regrets – Robbie Williams
End Of The Road – Boyz II Men
[all merchandisers to the manager’s desk, please]
Speed Of Sound – Coldplay

Woolies
She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5
The Shape Of You – Ed Sheeran
Mama – Spice Girls

An absolute maximum of 1/9 for me there (ok, 2/10 if you include the nappy ad), and only that because Neils Hannon and Tennant sang backing vocals for Robbie Williams.
I presume that each song is aimed specifically at the likely demographic visiting any given store (this doesn’t make me feel great about myself). And obviously they’ll be vetted for content and tempo.
I mean, I would love if they popped a bit of Slipknot on occasionally, but obviously it’s not going to end well for the tannies in the bakery queue when the whole bread aisle turns into a trolley-filled mosh pit.

Still: headphones next time.

Little Orchard Nursery

Posted on

or: Hidden Gems of the Southern Suburbs (No. 1 in a series of n).
And: another post in the 6000 Recommends category.

Another gardening-related post? Two in week? What’s going on?

But yes. Let’s not beat around the bush (no pun intended) here. You want plants or garden stuff and you’re in the Southern Suburbs, you go to the yellow and green S place. But if you’re going to do that, you’re also going to get ripped off. So why not rather support a small, family business which gives great service and charges fair prices?

No, this isn’t a sponsored post.

I heard about the Little Orchard Nursery via the grapevine (no pun intended) and today, needing some garden stuff, I gave it a go. Diagonally opposite Bridge Cycles off De Waal Road in Diep River (map), it’s tucked away just where the railway bridge starts to rise and you could be excused for missing it as you fly by (at 59kph). But you shouldn’t do that.

Pop in and find a small cafe, a kids’ play area, and plenty of healthy looking plants. I didn’t need much, but I got everything I wanted, it cost me much less than it would have done at you know where, and I was served with a smile and a chat.

So, next time you’re about to do a bit of gardening, rather head to the Little Orchard instead of you know where.

Message ends.

Southern Suburbs water problems today

Posted on

Thursday, 10th May 2018

As you will read below, if you live in that long, thin sliver twixt the M3 and railway line: we’re talking Wynberg, Meadowridge, Diep River, Bergvliet, Tokai, Kirstenhof, Lakeside and all the way down to Clovelly etc, you might notice some issues with your water supply for the rest of the day. This is why:

Oops.

Feel free to spread the wealth.

Societometer

Posted on

I’m at Uncle Paul’s, that bastion of Southern Suburbs privilege, for the last time this evening. (Not for the last time this evening, although actually that as well, but I mean that it’s our final Uncle Paul’s.)
We are officially veterans. And I’ve noticed a couple of things over the years.

The standard of behaviour has steadily declined. Kids and adults. They may as well not bother with rules. And the level of parental responsibility seems to have gone the same way too. Now, those two may be directly linked – I’d guess that the latter directly exacerbates the former.

I would also suggest that it’s a perfect measure of the way our society is headed.

And that’s not ideal. 🙁