by admin | Jun 2, 2023 | St Francis
Maidstone is a reputable, family-owned, family-run, and family-oriented business that has been operating since 2017. With a strong focus on delivering exceptional craftsmanship, we specialize in creating high-quality, handmade furniture and cabinetry. Our manufacturing facility is nestled in the picturesque countryside neighborhood of Theescombe, Port Elizabeth, allowing us to serve clients across the entire Eastern Cape region.
At Maidstone Furniture and Kitchens, we take pride in using a combination of top-notch materials to ensure durability and longevity. From solid woods to natural, high-quality melamine and MDF as well engineered and natural stone, we carefully select materials that not only enhance the beauty of our creations but also guarantee their resilience.
Every piece of furniture and cabinetry we produce is meticulously handcrafted. This attention to detail guarantees that our products meet the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. Moreover, our furniture is hand painted or sprayed, making it incredibly easy to maintain. If your tastes change over time, rest assured that a color change is possible, allowing your furniture to adapt to your evolving preferences.
One of the distinguishing features of Maidstone is our commitment to functionality. We have designed some of our furniture pieces to be multi-functional, meaning they can be adjusted and used in different rooms to serve various purposes. This versatility not only maximizes the utility of our products but also provides flexibility for changing needs and living spaces.
For customers seeking a more convenient solution, we offer a modular kitchen cabinet range that can be purchased off the shelf and self-installed. However, we understand that some projects require a more tailored approach. To accommodate such needs, we provide a comprehensive turnkey service for bespoke projects. From conceptualization and design to installation and finishing touches, our team of experts ensures a seamless and personalized experience throughout the entire process.
As a family-oriented business, we prioritize building strong relationships with our clients. We strive to exceed their expectations by delivering exquisite craftsmanship, durable products, and exceptional service. With Maidstone, you can trust that your furniture and cabinetry needs are in capable hands, and we are dedicated to creating timeless pieces that bring beauty and functionality to your home.
by admin | Jun 1, 2023 | Photo Of The Day, St Francis
© Calvin Smith
by admin | Jun 1, 2023 | St Francis
Today, Friday, 2 June, has an incredible special happening at the Village Square SUPERSPAR!
SUPERSPAR Friday and Saturday Specials
SPAR Long Life Milk (six x 1 litre), Bokomo Weet-Bix 900g and SPAR Assorted Yogurt 1 kg make up the special, and the deal is limited to a maximum of three per customer while stocks last. Buy all three and get an R57 discount!
Details below:
Unbelievable Price
If that’s not enough, Saturday sees a one-day sale on Hennessy’s Very Special Cognac. At R499, this also has a limit of 3 per customer while stocks last.
Details below:
Landskroon Wine
Finally, TOPS is running a competition with Landskroon wine. Buy any Landskroon Red Wine and stand to win a Landskroon branded wooden crate to the value of R1000! details below
… And Now For Some Fruit Beers.
Internet searches can lead to fascinating discoveries: – such as the nugget of information about the song Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood. It was originally written for and recorded by Nina Simone in 1964. But then it was subsequently covered by The Animals and by disco artists Santa Esmeralda in 1977, then again in 1985 by Elvis Costello. As a result, it actually ranks at 322 of Rolling Stonemagazine’s 500 Best Hits of All Time!
What’s the point of this in a beer article? Well, it appears that fruit beers – and the use of fruit in beers – is very much misunderstood. But, craft brewers being the curious and convention-challenging folks that they are, some experimentation with fruit is taking place in this sector and producing some interesting results.
The origins of using fruit in beer could be clearer. Some historical evidence suggests that in China, a few thousand years ago, an alcoholic beverage was brewed with rice, honey, hawthorn berries and grapes. A school of thought argues that the ancient Egyptians brewed beer using pomegranates and dates. Early American settlers, many Dutch and German, brought their traditions with them. Still, in those days, they used readily available pumpkins to supply the malty, rich flavours to their brews.
The Belgians, brewing powerhouses that they are, are officially credited with introducing cherries to make kriek beer and raspberries for framboise lambic beer. That apparently happened around the 1930s. So what are lambic beers is the next logical question. According to beer literature, lambic beers are unique because they are “a slightly sour wheat beer style made in and around Brussels”. Or, as Wikipedia succinctly states it: “lambic beers, originating in the Zenne valley in Belgium, may be refermented with cherries to make kriek, or fermented with raspberries to make framboise.” It adds that Flemish old brown beers undergo a multiple stage fermentation. After the first fermentation of the wort, sugar is added, and the beer is refermented in wooden casks. “Fruit beer can be made from them using fruit instead of sugar.”
Beer enthusiasts worldwide agree that fruit beers get a bad rap simply because it’s an open-ended category.
The most popular ingredients for fruit beers are citrus fruits – orange, lime and lemon. Still, there are some brewers adding grapefruit nowadays as well. Berries are the next most obvious, with raspberries and cherries favoured and generally made in a sweeter style. Although they can be sweet, too, peaches and plums have more acidity than those berries, making the resultant fruit beers fresher than their berry counterparts.
For some brewers, no holds are barred – notably in America, where mad brewers have used banana, watermelon, strawberry and even prickly pear.
While many of these are quirky, small-volume products, it doesn’t mean the category should be overlooked – or misunderstood.
Full Story HERE
by admin | May 29, 2023 | St Francis, Surfing
The Wave Pool Vibe
The feelings and emotions towards the Kelly Slater Wave Pool in Lemoore, California, are hard to quantify. For one undoubted, the wave is undoubtedly incredible. For the second solid fact, the wave is incredibly dull to watch.
Some of us managed to watch a few heats. But, at the same time, other people, die-hard fans of professional surfing, chose either the FOSTER Jol or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers jol instead of watching the contest.
Surfing and F1
I managed a few heats, but watching the men getting into a tiny, wrapped-up crouching yoga position on their surfboards and remaining in that one position for as long as they could, became beyond mundane. I had to turn off the tv. It is not in any way a viewer-friendly event. Maybe if you’re there in person, it would be pretty exciting, but remember that the wave is very long, so for a spectator parking off at one spot, it would be a bit like watching F1. You get to watch the cars for one split second every lap as they whizz past you.
Drive To Survive
At least in F1, you have several vehicles. With the wave pool, one person is riding at one time, and if you’re sitting on the left when they go over to the right-handers, you may as well be sitting on the toilet. Unless the toilets have an elevated view and have a window facing the pool. Then the toilest would be better than the grandstands.
The crowd during the Final at the Surf Ranch Pro. photo by Aaron Hughes/World Surf League)
So it’s quirky, but the contest does find winners, and these winners might or might not use the victory points to make a slot in the coveted top 5 as the competitive year starts to wind down.
Make Or Break
What the contest, as well as the surfers, do need, though, is consistency from the judges, and according to Gabriel Medina, this wasn’t happening at all, and this is exactly what led to the Wave Pool Blow Out With Gabriel Medina situation. See below
The three-time world champ Gabriel Medina posted an open letter to the WSL complaining of kak judging following his shock loss to Ethan Ewing in the quarter-finals of the Surf Ranch Pro.
—
Dear WSL,
Please understand the importance of this discussion.
Surfing has been my life and my love for this sport is unconditional. I have put all my heart into and and want to leave a beautiful legacy one day when I look back at it.
However the surfing community, especially in Brazil, is mesmerized with the poor clarity and inconsistence of judging for many years now, but lately it has been even more shocking.
It is quite clear that judging is now rewarding very simple surfing, seamless transitions and have taken critical turns in critical sections off the criteria. This is very frustrating and is stagnating the sport.
Fans and sponsor will not accept this to continue and will in a near future be draw away once all they want is equal and fair judging to the sport.
Also, important to note that many coaches and managers have had the opportunity to speak to WSL after heats/events to ask about PROGRESSION and VARIETY in the criteria and the lack of reward for this space. The response given by them is always quite defensive by giving poor examples to illustrate THEIR point.
WSL needs urgently to clarify judging and apply equal and fair judging to save the progression of the sport.
Thanks,
Gabriel Medina and Brasil
Wave Pool Blow Out With Gabriel Medina. Photo by Aaron Hughes/World Surf League)
To see what Stab Mag thinks, check this out here – STAB And The Thing With Medina
by admin | May 29, 2023 | FOSTER, St Francis
Finally, the time for the second FOSTER Jol since COVID arrived on Saturday 27 May, and what a Jol it was. Chris Costanza, Sasha and the rest of the band brought the house down with their incredible music showcasing our amazing local talent. The Cape St Francis Resort hosted the event for FOSTER and provided the Mexican-themed potjies eagerly devoured by the happy crowd taking a much-needed break from “jolling” or refuge from the somewhat cool evening. Zeppi’s photo booth again proved to be a hit and thanks to Flavi and Terri from Flavi’s and Seals Home for sponsoring some prizes.
Thank you to all the Jollers who came out and supported this now-annual important fundraiser for FOSTER who continue to maintain the 3 Reserves in the Cape St Francis area as well as the Cape St Francis Reserve which borders Santereme/St Francis Bay.
The reserves are in pristine condition and the Alien Removal Project has done wonders in restoring the natural biodiversity of our reserves. FOSTER’s vision is to conserve, maintain, protect, and provide access to the biodiversity of the FOSTER-managed Reserves, whilst promoting active stewardship of the environment through educational and collaborative activities of our members, tourists, the public and our stakeholders.
FOSTER’s primary role is to nurture (foster) and preserve the biodiversity in the Irma Booysen, Seal Point, Seal Bay and Cape St Francis Nature Reserves. Its secondary role is to ensure that the reserves can be enjoyed by the greater community and visitors through the maintenance of the walking trails and cycle paths that do not damage the sensitive dunes and vegetation found in the reserves. Should you wish to support FOSTER please join up or donate via the website at foster.org.za.
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