He sells seashells on the seashore…

There is so much to do in Cape Town that choosing where to go on a sunny day can be daunting. We have just had one of those beautiful weekends and so many options lay before me that I only started moving by late afternoon. Perhaps the name “Slaapstad” (Sleep City) is a bit unfair since Capetonians cannot really be blamed for taking forever to do anything - we are simply spoiled for choice!

I could have hung out with friends in their backyard for a party and the obligatory braai. I could have been seen chilling at one of the cafe’s on the Atlantic seaside. I could even have strolled down Long Street and St George’s Mall just soaking up the excitement of the city, but in the end, I chose to take a train ride to Kalk Bay.

After losing myself for hours  in the second hand stores and other treasure troves housing exquisite finds from jewellery, clothing, to fine art, I made my way over to my usual haunt, The Brass Bell, for a meal and a cider before catching the train back home.

I was delighted to meet the most interesting artist, James Southey, as I emerged from the subway leading to the restaurant. He collects detritus and other rubbish washed up along the shore and turns them into functional pieces of art.  According to James, he is a descendant of the wizard Merlin and this fact inspired him to craft the ‘Magician’s Bench’ out of an old railway sleeper. I have to admit, I fell in love with the piece and couldn’t resist buying it! (It’s still in Kalk Bay since I couldn’t carry it by myself on the train!) I did leave with shell pendants, crystals, an owl shaped candle holder made of wood and sea shells, and a praying mantis figurine made of sand and broken glass.

Besides creating these other-worldly pieces from what would otherwise just pollute our seashore, James also trains some young unemployed youths from a nearby township to create art that they could sell for a much needed income.

Here is a man that really sells seashells on the seashore…