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Action shots of Sardine Run Hout Bay

Thanks to Merle Piner for these brilliant shots of the sardine run seen from the beach!

Hout Bay's famous Soap Girls

Was such a pleasure to bump into the Soap Girls,  this week.  They were naturally very excited to show me their new CD, Xperience which is now available in all Musica stores.

Most of us from Hout Bay remember the Soap Girls from the years they spent selling soap at the harbour. I got to know them quite well and have always enjoyed their enthusiasm and dedication.  I vividly recall them telling me, probably at the age of 12 and 13, that one day they would become popstars.

Even though they were at the Hout Bay harbour selling their wares to tourists every day, come rain or shine, they still managed exemplary school careers. A large portion of their sales went to charity, including the Red Cross Children's hospital.

Fast-forward eight years later and the girls Camille and Noemie have been signed by Universal and have a hit CD that is performing well on the charts.

The sound is sassy and fun- pure pop.  Their first single "Sour" is on Now 59, and available locally at the local CNA. My advice is to pop into the nearest Musica for the full CD- Xperience.

The girls have their critics, but also have a growing fan base- particularly from the teenage market.

Whatever the "haters" have to say- I see two young ladies with a talent for survival and chasing their dreams. How many 18/19 year olds have achieved so much?

Hout Bay salutes you Mie and Mille- never stop chasing your dreams!

Visit their website www.soapgirls.co.za 

 

 

 

 

 

Coldplay Connection to Hout Bay Paradise

 

Thanks to Jonathan from 790TV for spotting the Hout Bay and Llandudno reference! Have to say Coldplay was one of my favourite concerts of all time and judging by how full the park and ride busses were- there were a lot of Houtbayers that agreed with me. Hout Bay Paradise?- you betcha!

 

Have property prices in Hout Bay been affected by the squatter camp?

If we get asked one question more than others- its probably this one. Perhaps it is a question people either gloss over on the one extreme and over-exaggerate on the other.

Hout Bay Leopard needs a name

I hear several different names being bandied about for Hout Bay's Leopard: The Sentinel; Ivan, Charlie; Gus; and Piet. Perhaps we need a naming competition! Do you have a pet name for him?

Send your entries via twitter, facebook or below- we will run a poll for the best four.....

 

What's Happening in Hout Bay this Weekend?

Saturday: Heritage Day- celebrated in usual style by the Heritage Trust with the 11th Annual Cannon Race (listen out for the Cannons from East Fort!)

Crime Stats Hout Bay

 The South African Police have released the updated crime statistics for Hout Bay 2003-2011- which you can download at the bottom of this page or directly from the SAPS site www.saps.gov.za 

The stats make for a sobering read.  

To put the stats into perspective we need to remember that Hout Bay is larger than we often realise- formal households about 12 000 and a conservative population of 35 000 (I have heard not so conservative estimates of 45 000 people- thanks goodness the Census is around the corner!)

When looking at the stats remember to factor that a larger percentage of the crime occurs in the poorer areas, particularly the violent crimes such as murder.

The murder rate is unacceptably high- and I am sure in most cases linked to the substance abuse issues prevalent in the poorer areas.  There are two incidents, of which I am aware, of murders that have occured outside of these areas.

Some good news is that the number of residential burglaries has dropped 15% from last year to 538. 

Arrest for driving under the influence has hit a new high 162 - which will likely see more roadblocks and demand for taxi services.

Armed robbery has also dropped from last year, and I suspect will drop further due to the arrests of gangs responsible for most of the incidents.

 

Comparing Hout Bay with other areas is quite interesting in that most stats are quite similar- even though Hout Bay tends to get more publicity for crime.

The stats reiterate the point that we should all be responsible for our own security first. We need to make sure we are not soft targets, and support private security companies as well as organisations like Hout Bay Neighbourhood Watch.

We need to lobby our local politicians to be more effective at closing down illegal shebeens and more particularly drug dens.

Download Crime stats

Pure Restaurant- Decadence!

Even more new Squatters in Hout Bay

So the last time we reported on New Squatters in Hout Bay  we had hundreds of views.

We were quite concerned that the parents in waiting were going to survive the storms we have had over the past week. 

When we went to visit our friends, we thought our worst fears were to be confirmed with evidence of broken shells on the balcony. Pics taken with Iphone

 

 

New Squatters in Hout Bay

We recently sold an apartment at Panorama Hills- imagine my surprise to discover we had squatters on the balcony!