MIKE LOEWE
What makes our city come alive?
The Spring Swim had its best ever turnout — more than 250 people arrived at Nahoon Beach Lifesavers’ Shack — in the dark!
At first light they started streaming in, with family, significant others, and dogs, so many happy dogs.
Anyone who runs an event in Buffalo City needs a crystal ball to find out why people will prise each other from their beds at this hour and support a cause.
Sometimes it takes big sponsorship and messaging, such as the Discovery Surfers Challenge, and huge administration and infrastructure to move people.
But Monday’s Spring Swim on September 1 – officially the first day of spring — had no individual public bullhorn, no bucks at all, just a few dedicated animal lovers, some believing businesses, some towel giveaways and great free coffee.
The messaging was minimalist, mainly the local media lead by Go!, Deloris Koan from the Daily Dispatch, and a few others.
Privately, a digital poster by creative Vicky Schlimper was doing the rounds and there was a brief community-styled press release penned by the “gentle organiser”, Marie-Claire Hand.
Apparently it was most effective because there was no parking at dawn.
There was lots of laughter, and “howzits!” Plenty crazy brave souls stripping down to big baggies, and cozzies because it was grey and chilly.
Doughty and determined, they showed absolute disregard and piled into the surf, some yelping, some wading, others jogging in like the Bomb Squad taking to the field for the first time!
The bravest there, however, were mom Maryna and daughter Jenna Fratchet, who recently lost son and brother Rhodes ichthyologist and cob specialist researcher Josh, 22, in a diving blackout accident in Kowie River.
His life will be celebrated “casual, barefoot and relaxed” at Gonubie Baptist on Friday, September 5 at 2pm.
“He would have insisted we be here,” they said making a heart with their hands for a photo.
Lynn Parry was there with her “SPCA Great Dane”, Dayna. “I love animals,” she said simply.
Seated on a bench were three funsters draped in flowery garlands. Tracy Davel, Tamara Hartwanger and Tanzi de Wet said they were “loving life and having fun for the animals”.
Was it the uproar over Achi, the shipwrecked guide dog poochie rescued recently from official demise by ministerial intervention in response to a deep public frustration with bureaucracy seemingly on autopilot?
Was it admiration for Sue, the publicity shy animal rescue champion team at the starkly independent shelter, Pet Pals, who received R6,333 and more than 100kg of dog food for the staggering 300 mostly dogs and some cats there right now?
Perhaps, said the top matriarchs in the EL Open Water Swimming crew after a 1.5km swim and then haviing coffee at Beachbreak Cafe.
But trumping all these contributing factors was something most surprising.
Yes, East London loves dogs and despises maltreatment of humanity’s most faithful friend.
But it also turns out that our coast-besotted residents feel the change of seasons deep in the collective soul.
“It’s the sun on my back, or the sense that it is coming,” said Gail Wild.
Others at the table, agreed.
The first day of spring has always been celebrated informally as the moment you know the dark is giving way to the light, the muted tones, gun-metal oceans, thin blond grasses are on the back foot.
New shoots are coming out, those long-legged mosquitoes that don’t bite are flittering in. Not just yet, there will be late winter storms, but it’s the feeling that the giant gyre of seasons is turning, that summer is coming!
It’s a tradition we don’t know much about, just a feeling we cannot stop ourselves relishing. It’s a fragrance!
Don’t save the date, it’s already diarised in your social DNA. See you next year!
