When we conceived of this blog in the Midlands Meander Association office – we wanted to bring the Midlands Meander to life for you as more than just a beautiful picture postcard destination but to make you familar with the types of characters you will find in our neck of the woods. People who settle in the Midlands of KwaZulu Natal are a mixed bag of nuts – literally and figuratively. Some have come to the area decades ago and have long roots in the area stretching deep into the soil – they are figuratively the local royalty.
Those who have lived in the area long enough know the surnames and whisper them with a little reverence. Others have meandered into the district drawn by the sheer beauty of the area and the rich fertile soil .
They have given up the riches of those Jozi roads paved with gold and come to earn a living by toiling with the soil or making a way of life where they can escape the daily stress of the city.
It may be the fresh air or the slow pace of life but people here can be creative and they have time to do things the old fashioned way – making jams, preserves, quilting, embroidery, hobbies and crafts are all time consuming and here people have time to make and create.
Those running hospitality venues add those extra touches that make them homely and unique. Others are elegant and luxurious and offer stunning views that soothe the soul.
We found one of these creative types at one of our member socials – Chris Moon is a cartoonist and local craft beer brewer who runs The Mole pub at Millgate. He is a muso and lover of old music and vinyl and you can catch him playing his music at weekends. We persuaded him to draw us a selection of cartoon characters that can be commonly found in these parts and he did a splendid job.
Our Zulu mama, dope smoking hippie and tough macho farmer are just a few of the obvious characters you will find round these parts and each of them has a colourful story to tell about why they love the Midlands!