Fire in the Lions Head Pub

On Saturday I reported that a fire had destroyed our local pub here in Panorama.

In one of the local newspapers today it appears that the firefighters who were called out are now under the cosh for the manner in which they fought the fire.

The fire started upstairs in the kitchen of the pub and after being called out firefighters are accused of arriving with the incorrect equipment to fight the blaze.

Owners of the pub and the hair salon were highly critical that there was no attempt to save the pub or the salon.

According to reports the last vehicle to arrive on the scene was the fire engine with the long ladder which could reach the upstairs fire.

Firefighters were apparently not ready for action on arrival and took their time putting on their jackets and helmets while the building burnt down.

Having visited the pub on a number of occasions over the years I have always wondered what would happen should a fire break out.

All of the tables, nooks and crannies in the restaurant and bar were built of painted plywood.

Good for the creating of an ambiance but a fire hazard should a fire occur.

In the light of the above what could the firefighters have saved had they immediately pumped water onto the fire.

A wood fire burns quickly and once underway you might as well let it burn itself out as all the wood would eventually have to be replaced if the pub were to be rebuilt.

That appears to have been the attitude of the firefighters as well.

There plan was to protect surrounding buildings and once the fire was contained to put the fire out and this they carried through.

I suppose, being the owner of the pub or the hair salon, one has the right to panic and pass comment when things don't pan out the way you want them to.

In any event, a fire started in the pub and the owner must take responsibility for what happened.

What do you think?

Geoff Fairman
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Cape Town Happenings.

The remains of the Lions Head Pub

Today will be a sad day for patrons of the Lion's Head Pub in Panorama.

This quaint pub with its British character, dark wooden bar counters and nooks and crannies normally filled with happy clients is no longer there.

At around 9.00 am this morning we heard sirens screaming through our streets and as this is quite a normal occurrence no one took too much notice.

A chance drive up Hendrik Verwoerd Drive brought me face to face with the reason for the sirens.

This quaint little pub which I frequent from time to time with my retired workmates had burnt down.

Nobody is sure what happened or where the fire started but the damage is plain to see.

The pub and a hairdressing salon next door are no more.

Our three hour lunches with half a dozen bottles of van Loveren red wine will long be remembered.

The food produced in this pub was excellent.

Portuguese steaks with two sunny side up eggs on top were to die for, as were the “Eisbeins”.

While photographing the fire scene another strange occurrence was taking place above me.




The aircraft that caused my anxiety

We live on the final approach to Cape Town International airport so most planes landing there pass over or close to our home.


This green and white aircraft came flying past in completely the wrong direction normally taken by planes going into land.

It had its flaps partially down and its wheels partially out.

"Was this plane in distress?" were my immediate thoughts.

To the naked eye everything looked normal except the direction it was travelling in.

I kept a close lookout for the plane and about ten minutes later it passed overhead once more on its way to the airport.

A while later it was overhead again and going in to land again.

Strange behaviour especially for an aircraft that I had not seen pass overhead before.

Then it dawned on me that Kalula.com had introduced some new planes and flights into Cape Town and that they were most probably doing some practice landings at the airport before taking on passengers.

Whew! another possible disaster averted.


Geoff Fairman
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What's happening in Cape Town

Friday saw the opening of Parliament for the new year.

Cabinet ministers and their wives arrived in their fancy outfits for the opening and to listen to President Mbeki give his opening address.

It looks as if service to the public is going to be one of his main aims for the new year.

A number of Municipalities have over the past few weeks had visits from the president in an effort to improve their service.

Improved service is not all that we need here.

Cape Town is getting deeper and deeper into the drought with even stricter water restrictions being applied.

Everybody blames the lack of water on weather conditions and El Nino and while they may have some effect they are not the main cause.

The Cape Peninsula has always had enough water due to the fact that we have always had many trees.

They have all but disappeared as projects to rid the country of alien plants have included forests of pine trees on the slopes of Table Mountain and elsewhere.

Trees take in carbon dioxide at night and so lesson the effect of global warming.

Over the past 20 years or so we have had a major influx of people from the Eastern Cape.

Cape Town appears to be a beacon of hope for many as the people think that they will find jobs here.

There is however another reason for the influx.

Over the years the Cape was always a National Party stronghold and with the advent of the new government in 1994 it remained a stronghold.

In fact it was the only province in South Africa that was not controlled by the ANC.

The best way to win an election is to garner votes and what better way than to ship in your people to increase the odds.

I don't know what promises were made to the people but over the past 10 years, millions have moved to Cape Town.

Most of them are poor and have taken up residence in the Cape Flats.

This area was once farmland and was covered with trees and bush.

Today where once was bush are squatter camps and with the loss of the trees the area has turned into a desert.

Many trees that grew on the Cape Flats have been cut down and either used as firewood or to build shacks.

Most of the wetland areas that were there have long since disappeared and those which have happened to survive are so badly polluted that the water is unfit for human consumption.

The main problem however is that the government since taking control of the country have not sought to ensure proper water supplies for Cape Town.

There is one project in the pipeline where a new dam will be built on the Berg River but by the time it is complete we will need more dams to ensure a steady supply of water for Cape Town.

A number of ideas and proposals have been put forward including desalination of sea water, piping water from the Orange river to Cape Town, and even using sea water in swimming pools.
Who knows if they can even be implemented.

In my opinion we need to reintroduce trees into Cape Town.

As many of them as soon as possible.

It will not only beautify the Cape but will cool it down making it more conducive to rain.

With rain the dams will fill up and we might be able to beat the water problems given time.

Geoff Fairman
ps

Turtle Essays is an ezine about Cape Town and its surrounding areas.

To find out more about this beautiful part of the world get your copy of the ezine emailed to you weekly.



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South Africa's Cricket Circus.

The English cricket team has been touring South Africa for more than two months now.

Watching the team on TV, first in the test matches, and now in the one day games I am wondering just how this team will do against the Australians in the Ashes series in a few months time.

It always seems strange to me that when visiting teams arrive in South Africa they either get so badly beaten by the Proteas that it is embarrassing to watch or the local side gets a hiding from the overseas visitors making locals turn off their TV's in disgust.

This tour by the British has been different.

The test matches were exciting affairs with both teams getting the upper hand at times in the games.

South Africa eventually losing the Test series by 2-1 to the English.

The One Day series has also been quite exciting with some contentious selections by both teams.

The English fast bowler Harmison is one of the leading wicket takers of 2004 but here in South Africa he has not been able to get the ball in the right places and to add to is woes has injured himself as well.

Harmison however keeps his place in the side while some of their other bowlers have been far more effective when given games.

South Africa have done the same thing causing much comment by the media with their selections.

The Proteas test opening batsman A B de Villiers was dropped after scoring nearly 200 runs in the fifth test.

It appears that in both teams if you are a newby and are selected and do well in a game you will not play in the next game.

The old stalwarts in the team can go out for ducks for five games in a row and keep their places.

Herschel Gibbs is one of those players.

He normally scores a big 100 once in a series and then is good enough to keep his place for the rest of the series.

With the start of the one day series he has been dropped down the order from the opening role and has scored runs in all four games he has played.

Herschel is NOT an opening batsman anymore and plays better against the older ball.

Keep him there!

Today the circus arrived in Cape Town for the 4th game of the series.

The Proteas lost the first game in the series, and then proceeded to chase a large total batting second in the second game to end in a tie.

Going into the 3rd game 1-0 down in the series they finally got their act together and won the game.

Today at Newlands on a brillaint batting wicket the English captain Vaughn lost his marbles and put South Africa into bat.

De Villiers opened the way for the SA batsmen by hitting a six off the second ball of the day.

Suffice to say that the English chased leather for the rest of the S A innings and ended up having to chase 291 runs to win.

Their batting on the day was dismal and they ended up losing by 108 runs.

S A has done this to them on many occasions during the tour and yet somehow the Englsih managed to fight their way back and win the test series.

After today they are 2-1 down in the one day series with three games to go.

If the truth be known SA's best batsmen will be dropped for the next game and Pollock will be left out to be replaced by someone who cannot bowl.

Why do our selectors always have to make changes that are not necesary, and when we eventually get into a winning mode some politician will force a change to weaken the team.

As an avid supporter of the SA team for the last 40 odd years I think I have seen it all.

Yet with the selectors we have these days I am not so sure anymore.

Geoff Fairman