Focus on Rivonia Boulevard

A one-way once again!  On the evening of 24 March there was a meeting at Rivonia Village Hall chaired by Councillor Denis Hunt and addressed by Johannesburg Roads Agency.  It was agreed that the Boulevard between Ninth avenue and Eden Crescent (opposite ABSA) should become a one-way going North.  The eastern edge of the Boulevard outside News Cafe and Canto Latino where people currently park illegally, will become legal parking.  The corresponding (northern) half of Eden Crescent will be a one-way going south.  JRA agreed to make the change before the 2010 World Cup if possible.

A walk along the Boulevard reveals some unexpected shops.  Did you know that there is a 24-hour locksmith off the Teazers parking lot?  How about an auto-electrician?  While you are getting your lights fixed, you can also get a hairdo, a tattoo, an adult video, and a cash loan to finance them.

In contrast, just to the north we have ABSA and Standard Banks, and on the other side of tenth Avenue, the Rivonia Public Library.  Apart from the obvious books, the Library also has a selection of magazines, audio tapes and (more staid) videos.

Overheard:

The teenager carrying a shopping bag asked the fashion shop assistant, “My mother likes this outfit — may I exchange it?"

New Kids on the Block Back to top

• Curry & Spice (Shop 36A in Morning Glen Mall) – Authentic Indian spices and take-away food.
• Animal Pharm (Shop 13 in Morning Glen Mall) – Vet Shop: Veterinary-quality Pet Food: Vet's Choice, Eukanuba, Hills, Iams, etc., pet toys, dog and cat beds etc. Opened 1 March 2010 at the end of passage next to Postnet.
• Silver Pine Spur (in Morning Glen Mall) – Steak Restaurant and Fast Food – opened 9 March 2010. Children welcome – birthday parties a speciality.  See review below.
• Highstreet 99 (in Morning Glen Mall) – Hair Accessories & wigs.

Restaurant Review (*****) by Judith Back to top

Silver Pine Spur, Upper Level, Morning Glen Shops, Bowling Avenue off Kelvin Drive

Newly opened at the beginning of the month, this is a lively and spacious restaurant.  We were greeted at the door by the manager and his enthusiastic staff and shown to our table.  The layout of the tables is creative, with the central divider between two tables for four being removable to cater for a party of eight.

Our waiter was Samuel, who was attentive without being overbearing.  Drinks arrived within moments of being ordered.  The standard Spur menu offers a wide choice of dishes and we opted for a Spur burger with mushroom sauce and a half portion of fish and chips.   They both came with our preferred crispy chips!

I can recommend the house dry white wine.

Most interesting feature was seeing and hearing the manager debriefing his staff at the end of the evening.  We had arrived late and were the last table to leave.  The good atmosphere in the restaurant comes from this attention to the well-being of the staff.  It was a very enjoyable evening.

Contact Details for Silver Pine Spur.

Confucius Say

Man who see one shopping centre has seen the mall.

Holiday Programme at Yeesh! for the Easter Holidays

Yeesh! is an indoor children's play centre with giant 2-storey climbing frame, obstacle course, maze, ball ponds, slides, jumping castles and trampoline. Supervised play for children up to 12 years, and a separate toddler area for tots. Mini soccer pitch at Bryanston branch. Coffee shop for adults.

30 March: T-shirt painting - hand prints on a t-shirt, or use stencils.
31 March: Ceramic painting - paint a pottery ornament to take home.
1 April: Come and paint an Easter egg to take home.
2 - 4 April:  Easter Weekend Fun: Yeesh! is open from 9am - 5pm. Closed Monday 5 April.
6 - 8 April: Sand Art 11am - 3pm, Woodmead only 
9 - 10 April:  Mini Market 10am - 4pm (Bryanston only): Crafty stalls... artwork, jewellery, home made soaps and goodies and lots more!  Adults browse free.

Bryanston: 5 Main Road, Tel 073 230 6531. Woodmead Commercial Park, Waterval Crescent between Woodmead Value Mart and Woodmead Retail Park, Tel: 083 923 2306. e-mail, web site.

The Gone Dogs  Back to top

• treehouse in Woodmead Value Mart – Children's decor company. Child beds and bedding, etc.
• Revelation Luggage and Leather in Woodmead Value Mart – branded luggage.

At the Checkout...

I asked Hendrik, newly back at Pick 'n Pay Morning Glen, for the sense behind putting rice cakes under "Jam", the refuse bags with paper products, and the roller towels nowhere near the toilet paper.  He said that after an extensive study, all their supermarkets are gradually being reorganised into the same format.  The idea is that you will be able to walk into any Pick 'n Pay and find things in the same area.  A laudable idea!

The logic is to organise things the way you would in your house.  Thus all the kitchen consumables –foil, paper plates, roller towels, and garbage bags– are in the "kitchen area".  Toilet paper lives next to the household cleaners.  "Health foods" (including rice cakes) happen to be beside the spreads, but have their own section.  They still have to get the aisle signage right.  So now you know!

Society News Just In

At a glittering ceremony held on a pun-filled evening at the Sandton Convention Centre, Van der Merwe retired as South Africa's National Joke Character and handed over the title to his successor.

In a short but moving speech, Van der Merwe said that he and his jokes were old and tired.  He would enjoy laughing at someone else now that there was a worthy successor.  He felt that in the spirit of transformation, other race groups should have a turn, and was therefore delighted with the public's choice.

Fighting off stiff competition from President Jacob Zuma and others, Julius Malema won the position.

In his acceptance, Mr Malema satirised how disadvantaged he was, how much he has suffered and how hard he had worked for the title, before leading the audience in the popular karaoke songs, "Love my Tender" and "I didn't join the Struggle to be poor" and spraying them with Möet et Chandon.