The Salutation of the Dawn

No, this is not a recently discovered painting by Turner! It is a photo taken by our friend, artist Professor Estelle Marais. The picture is of sunrise over the harbour in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on 7 June 2020.

Silhouetted against the rising sun is a harbour crane, affectionately described by Estelle as “The Harbour Giraffe walking into the sun this morning”.

Estelle always finds the welcoming dawn encouraging and inspiring.

This wonderful photograph is a powerful reminder of Kalidasa’s greatly loved poem “Look to this Day”:

Scroll down below the picture to read the famous poem:

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Picture Estelle Marais

Look To This Day

Look to this day:
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence.
The bliss of growth,
The glory of action,
The splendour of achievement
Are but experiences of time.

For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision;
And today well-lived, makes
Yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well therefore to this day;
Such is the salutation to the ever-new dawn!

Thank you Kalidasa and Estelle

Please do this now

Howie Gardiner – Fond Memories

Howie Gardiner, the Zimbabwean First Class cricketer died on 19 June 2018. We both went to Christian Brothers College (CBC) in Bulawayo and played together in the first cricket team. We were very good friends. I last saw him in London a few years ago.


One memory about Howie I remember will remain with me for the rest of my life.

It was 1962. Our last school year. We were playing against Gifford Tech. It was the last ball of the day. Gifford Tech were 9 down. Howie was fielding close to the batsman at silly mid off or silly mid on. The bowler ran in and bowled.. The ball hit the batsman on the pads. He was plumb lbw. Up went the appeal. The umpire was CBC’s Brother Thackaberry. His decision was immediate: “Out”.


But we did not win. The decision was reversed. Why?

Because Howie turned round immediately and told us “He snicked it”. Only Howie heard the snick. The batsman was given “not out”. And so the match ended in a draw.


Such was the measure of the man, Howie Gardiner.

Rest In Peace Howie.


“All shall be well, all manner of thing shall be well.”

From your friend

More about Howie