Dress Designer Relocates To Aberdeen

Janet Prestwich, a dress designer from the Peack District in Matlock in the U.K., has recently become a new resident of Aberdeen. The reason for Janet being here is that Robert her husband is the South African N.G.O. for “Philisa Project” generating funds for a place of safety for Aids orphans in Kidd’s Beach in East London.
So why live here in Aberdeen and not East London? A family connection persuaded Robert to live and work from Aberdeen, which proves the wonder of computers.
Janet studied at the Art College in Derby in England and specialized in dress design, textiles and knitwear. Janet then came to South Africa to work for the Frame Group in Durban, and lectured in dress design at the Port Elizabeth Technicon in Summerstrand.
It was here in Port Elizabeth that she met Robert Prestwich who was studying architecture.
Janet and Robert then went to live in the U.K. for 30 years, where Janet had a Boutique and Designer Studio where she catered for individual requests and sizes. Here Janet made ball gowns, matric dresses, wedding gowns and occasional and everyday wear.
Janet has always had a passion for design which she demonstrated when she designed and made thirty vestment garments for the choir at Saint Giles Cathedral in England.
Janet has brought with her to Aberdeen beautiful fabrics and industrial design machines which will open up job opportunities for seamstresses who will also be taught fabric printing and knitting.
Janet plans to open a boutique very soon and this will be announced in the local press.It will be an evening event where Janet will show her clothing and fabrics. In the short time Janet has been in Aberdeen, she has demonstrated a very attractive style of dressing and her presence here and her Boutique will certainly give all the woman of Aberdeen and surrounding areas a great deal of wonderful ideas. It will be such a boost for all the matriculants of Aberdeen, Lotusville and Thembalesizwe to have their dresses made locally and of course all the future brides as well. We look forward to a woman’s society that does not live by jeans alone!

Article By: Joan Tinker

Aberdeen Artist Freda Strydom

Freda Strydom has chosen a very different and time consuming form of art in which to express her creativity. Apart from these stunning works of art in leather which she designs and makes herself, she also paints and is an avid member of the Aberdeen Garden Club.
After living in Eskort in Natal, where her husband Quint was headmaster of a school for the disabled, they retired to Aberdeen where they bought a lovely Karoo house which is now featured on the Aberdeen Brochure.
These immaculate pictures in leather which are three dimensional are “all leather” except for the wooden frames and are truly a labour of love. This art form is very specialized both in materials and techniques and especially with the tools used.
Freda has created leather pictures of the “Big Five,” giraffes, zebra and various types of bird.
The leather Freda works with has been treated in a specific process to remove the hair of the animal.
A variety of leathers are used, for example for the background of the picture Freda uses thicker leather which comes from cattle and then only sheepskin can be used for the elephant and the buffalo. Freda describes the pictures as “a leather collage”. The painting of the leather is beautifully realistic.
The hard labour is the cutting of the leather. This is done with a soldering iron which curls the edges of the leather which assists the three dimensional effect to appear together with batting. A craft knife is used to cut the leather to resemble grass. The cutting and shaping of the leather has to be skillfully done as there is a cost involved.
Freda buys the leather she uses from Pietermaritzburg in Kwa Zulu Natal and from Breyten in Mpumalanga. A fair amount of Freda’s work has been purchased by overseas tourists. Freda’s work is on display in the Camdeboo Fine Art’s Gallery in Aberdeen.

Article By: Joan Tinker

Ballroom Dancing Classes For Aberdeen

Every Monday and Friday ballroom dancing is being taught in the hall at Aberdeen Primary School by Shelagh Miller Wood and Ray Holdt. This photograph shows how the children had all dressed in their dancing outfits for this lesson hoping that a photograph might be taken. These children involved are so enthusiastic and so motivated to the extent that all these children went to Beaufort West on Saturday 23rd August, where professional dancers gave lessons, tips and demonstrations.
It is heart warming to see this type of interest shown in the young people of Aberdeen, Lotusville and Thembalesizwe by these two residents of Aberdeen. To encourage the youth in this small town to partake in after school activities could banish boredom, which automatically leads to problems. I sincerely hope the local school teachers, sports administrators and residents who have skills to offer the local children will take this encouraging example set by Shelagh and Ray.

Article By: Joan Tinker