hermon domino toernooi

Albie Louw of Hermon

ALBIE LOUW, LONG TERM RESIDENT OF HERMON
Born 5 November 1919

Albie was born in Brooklyn in the Western Cape, and despite his longevity, has a wonderful sparkle of life in his eyes, and amazing power of recall, down to small detail.

One of his most vivid recollections is that of active service in World War II. In December 1940 he volunteered, and was transported to Kimberley for initial training. It only lasted from 11-29 December at the Du Toits Kloof Mine before they were mobilised.

The route for Coloured troops was by road (for the Whites by sea) and traversed a route through the British Colonies to Kenya, then north again. It was the rainy season so the journey was tortuous, with many stops necessary to dig out vehicles. The overnight camps consisted of about 250 men and they subsisted mainly on a monotonous biscuit and beef diet.

Eventually they arrived in Mogadishu, Somalia, where they boarded ships that sailed via the Suez Canal to Port Said for disembarkation. Next stop was Cairo to prepare for battle and the South Africans eventually joined the 8th Army under General Montgomery, for the assault against German troops led by Rommel.

Albie remembers specific times, dates and places, and can describe in detail events and scenes from battles. He has carried these images for a long time. His pride today is the medals he received for the campaigns.

After the war he returned to the Cape and worked for what was then South African Railways. In 1956 he was transferred to Hermon, and has lived in the same house since, in what would have been the only street for much of the time. He retired in 1979.

He refers to the village as a single street where everyone knew of all the goings on. If not employed as he was the others worked on local wheat or sheep farms. A simple life, unchanging, until now.

Albie is seated left in the picture, next to his old friend

Hermon - a lost village

A heritage practitioner not too long ago described Hermon as a 'village lost in the 19th century'. When compiling the proposal to VANSA for the 2010 small town project this was uppermost in our minds, this small, lost village.

There had, however, been some additions to the townscape just prior to our involvement, that of the addition of low cost housing replete with solar panels. Also, tarred roads: the sand versions of my first impressions rapidly vanished. This was a marked alteration to the 19th century view, but housing must be considered a prerequisite of our expanding population. It did not alter our intention to try and work with Hermon.

We christened our scheme the 'domino effect' and I think we all know what this entails: ultimately a knock-on scenario.

Most of the old mission structures (reckoned to be of about 1870 vintage) were in a parlous state, and worst of all had no internal running water, nor toilets or washing facilities. Elderly people were often seen being assisted to collect this essential commodity from a standpipe in the street. This was about to change, and before our eyes the local municipality (who own most of the buildings) arrived to start renovation work.

Only recently a sports field was constructed alongside the village, and I discovered a rugby sevens competition was to be held, amongst teams from local towns and villages. The first ever! Scheduled to start at 19.30 I waiting patiently until 20.45, when the games began, ultimately finishing at 01.15 the next morning. Another domino had fallen.

Hermon is still separated on classic apartheid lines, here emphasized by a major trunk road. Over on the 'other' side it still remains ominously quiet. Walk through the two aspects of the village in an evening and one half is vibrant, active, social, the other quiet, graveyard like.

Ironically the 'other' half was once the centre of economic activity. Being the rail head for the collection of crops, local farmers poured in en masse - one retired farmer described wagons led by oxen lined up back over the bridge that crosses the Berg River. Another described the main street with a bakery, tailor, post office, police station (plus cells) and a car showroom. With the extension of the rail further north it negated the journeys and visits . . . the town died on its feet.

But with the domino tournament coming it is starting to feel that we are not the instigators of a domino effect, but the ultimate stone falling. It is no bad thing for this amazing community. Our little forgotten village even had Christmas lights last year!

Hermon - Domino Effect - more workshops

The Domino Dancers are coming along - the numbers have dropped, which means the dedicated are here to stay.

Donald has been working on 'domino moves' a kind of toppling of children.

Here Bernie demonstrates 'domino toppling' to the children.

And they topple.........

Then, later a workshop with Leone and her church youth group, should have been about 15 members, but 6 arrived - was a pleasure to be more calm and peaceful. Seems like teenagers are not so interested in a domino tournament or being involved in a dance. So, a re-think of the tournamnet structure. Instead of 3 age groups, we will now have 2 - a younsgters and an adult section.

We started designs for banners and later for t-shirts.

Local slang word for dominos is 'dumpies'.

And here is Doons, who we have been missing. He was our first contact, the man who introduced us to dominos in Hermon. He now has work with Roger (I posted a pic of him last year), packing fruit and travelling around the country. Great for Doons, but another re-think for us - he was the main tournament structure designer. He knows all the farms, the workers, the game inside-out. I partnered him in a game of dominos and certainly did not meet his standard! The secret communication between partners is very specific.

All these changes effect the viability of the tournament happening again next year.

Hermon - Domino Effect Saturday 15th January 2011.

After months of 'meetings/workshops' with key people that we met while wandering around, we now have a core group. We have had much brainstorming and development of ideas. There are more or less 11 'key players'.
What is interesting now is that their roles are organically changing with their own interests and as the seasons change as well. When the ground level workshops with the different age groups began, so individual roles began to change. For example, Leone America.

Leone is on the right, her mother in the middle and sister on the left.

She was originally our contact on the tournament entry form, but is now working in the fields for the next 3 months. She will only be able to concentrate on her youth group.

Bernie - our MC (Master of Ceremonies) has now become very involved with the children's workshops and helping build up energy for the 'event' - it is now becoming an 'event'.

Another exciting development is that Coca Cola is on board. They will supply much needed unbrellas/gazeebo, hampers (more prizes), banners and what we are holding thumbs about is their truck. This opens up as a stage, with sound and some lighting.

Connie from The Hermon Hotel has organised from her son-in-law, who is regional manager of Checkers, huge hamper food prizes - from a workshop with the community, this is what they wanted. We will also have some trophies.

So, energy is growing in Hermon, visually and emotionally the tournament is coming together. Here are the young children during a workshop with Donald Lameyer, a professional dancer from the township in Riebeek Kasteel. He has his own crew called 'MJ Kings' and they came 4th in the last National Championships - not bad for a small town. Most of the children know him and he is well respected.

And, the Golden Voices from Hermon (2 members missing). They sing gospel - very beautiful and are becoming more open to creating/designing a domino themed song.

Hermon - domino effect Thursday 13th January 2011.

Our 'MC' Master of ceremonies, Bernie and family, who have helped with the real fun that has begun - the workshops, the role of games reflecting on the fabric of the community.

There will be 3 age groups of domino teams - these are the 'younsgters' - (we will work on a name) and will begin later today on dance workshops with the professional, Donald from Riebeek Kasteel township.This is the first get together.

Waka Waka does the magic...

Rodney's spaza shop where much happens....

Rodney is another key player in the tournament event.

Some folks from 'below the road' in Hermon.
Abie Louw born in 1919, survived the second world war....

Anna darries born in 1913 and still going strong.

Folks from 'above the road'.....

Roger who is starting up a friut packing businness..

Connie and Willem who have owned the Hermon hotel for 40 years

Hermon above the road...
Roger who is starting a fruit packing business.

Connie and Willem who have owned the Hermon Hotel for the last 40 years.

Some residents from the 'other side' of the road'.

Anna Darries, born in 1913 and still going strong at 97 years old.

Abie Louw born 1919, and is 91 years old. He was in the second world war and has 7 children.

It works - an experiment with pallettes to create a toppling effect - the domino effect. There will be about 300 of them, about 300m of noise and dust.

Welcome to Hermon

the domino effect

In simplified terms the domino project entails two main elements:

• the fanwalk, and

• the domino tournament.

November commenced with a meeting with our initial contact in Hermon regarding the tournament, Doons. He subsequently discussed the concept within the community.

This enabled us to have follow-up leads to respective people who will be able to perform some of the key tasks, such as preparation of the fanwalk (manpower, materials, siting, displays); selection of the site for the tournament (the community are influencing this), its format and organisation; youth co-ordination; making of large 3-D dominoes; entertainment; catering; etc

A local Councillor who lives in the village, Geoffrey Ford, stated that the project was welcomed, and gave tips regarding keeping the municipality up to speed. He also has an industrial saw that we may use in the making of the large display dominoes for the tournament.

We have sourced materials for the construction of the fanwalk, such as poles, cement, sand, etc, as well deciding on the best strata and support for the visual elements. These need to be sturdy, UV and rain resistant and to the best of our ability not a target for theft or vandalism. Treated wood is not pleasant to burn and vinyl for the images has no further purpose.

Similarly we have sourced a wood laminate that will be used in creating the 3-D dominoes. It is envisaged that the 'dots' for each piece will be burned into the strata using a metal disc heated in a kiln. The wood is very hard and durable, and once they have finished as a visual function of the tournament, it is planned to utilise them as part of a playground for children.

Along with the fanwalk this will create a legacy of the project for the community.

A Friday night was spent in the village for us to gather our thoughts in situ, as well as to garner information and feedback from the white community. The owner of the hotel, Connie, was particularly helpful with background information (historical and contemporary) and made some suggestions that should assist us.

We are also starting to gather and take further photographs for the displays, which we''ll compile at a later stage. Because of our different approaches we'll undertake this part of the project separately.

Saturday 27 Nov was a community workshop with the key players, to finalise their respective roles regarding 'responsibilities', timings, etc. The meeting was very positive, and the people (the team) present were committed and enthusiastic. Things we discussed (in no particular order):

- Finances. We mentioned the basic costs of materials and labour for the project.

- We spoke about the two main aspects of the domino effect, the fanwalk and the tournament itself (and elaborated on where we drew our inspiration from - the Football World Cup, naturally).

- We finalised the venue (sports field) and date 26 Feb 2011 (because of the impact of payday).

- The sports field is managed by a committee (Sports Forum), and the chairman is on our team. They require a letter of intent so they can plan access, lighting, etc.

- We discussed seating for the tournament participants. Initially the idea of plastic chairs and tables was mooted, but a suggestion that bluegum trunks emanating from the removal of these trees locally would be a better solution, because of their lessened physical impact on the pitch. Also this would have the aspect of recycling a discarded product.

- The 3-D dominoes for the event: they team were happy that the shutter ply we had sourced was appropriate, already cut to size. A solution for the rounded edges would be found within the community (either the saw offered by the local councillor, or that belonging to the tree fellers). We said that the apparent solution for making the 'dots' was a suggestion by local metal artist, Lisa Perold, to burn the imprints into the wood with a kiln heated metal disc, which could happen on her premises in Riebeek Kasteel. Some members of the Hermon community will be present to witness and assist.

- We spoke of the legacy of these large dominoes, as a playground for children on a vacant space within the village. The team appreciated that these would have a practical value after the event.

- It was decided that members of the team present would deal with digging of holes and erecting of the poles for the fanwalk. The initial date for this is Sat 4 Dec, from about 7am. Prior to this we will mark out the appropriate 20 spots for the displays.

- The original prices for the poles, cement, sand and stones (fanwalk) was obtained from Agrimark in Riebeek West. A suggestion was made that we approach the local branch of Kaap Agri (same organisation) for a more competitive cost. We met the the assistant manager on Monday afternoon (29th). They came to the party with good prices and offer of delivery, as well as access to water for the installation.

- A loose sequence for the day of the domino tournament evolved: the introduction by the master of ceremonies, followed by the entertainment (young dancers, steel band performance, guitar session by two residents, choir performance by The Golden Voices - all locals). After a break the young competitors (approx ages 6-10, then 11- 17/18) will partake. Finally the main adult competition. The initial stage will be the shortened, quick version of the game. Once down to the teams for the quarter finals and on, a short break will happen. Then the main event, with a slightly longer version of the game, to the final. Then presentation of prizes.

- It was seen as important that the games are controlled by referees (preferably neutral, not from the village) as there is a tendency for subtle 'cheating' by language and visual indications. These guys must also be able to control the timing.

- Prizes were decided as being shopping vouchers from Shoprite in Wellington, as this is where most of the community make their larger purchases and it would be the most appreciated. Token small cups would be appropriate as longer term memories. An added incentive was suggested in that the individual team with the most enthusiasm during the run-up could also be recognised

- Identification of the teams was seen as important. Caps were discussed, but considered too expensive. Colour co-ordination (as in t-shirts) was seen as a good solution. Even at Nirox this was mentioned; we must give this some thought.

- Publicity was seen as an important aspect, even now. A suggestion was that the first part must be an awareness 'campaign' for locals and especially farmworkers in the vicinity. This could be done via leaflets in post boxes (it will have the benefit of making the farmers aware of the tournament) and posters in local shops. Early in 2011 local print media will be informed (Paarl Post, Swartland Monitor) as well as Die Burger and Cape Times. The latter two might serve as interest only as we should be conscious of too many people attending. Michelle Constant does a fantastic job at promoting this sort of initiative on her programme on SAFM on Saturday mornings.

- The councillor representing Hermon is attending a meeting there at 19.15 on Thursday 2 Dec and we asked the sports chairman, Willie Marima, to request that we could chat to him first in order to give the established details of our project. Subsequent to this will be a formal presentation to Drakenstein Municipality based on the councillor's comments.

- The team was made aware of their 'larger' involvement, as in the other recipients of grants from VANSA for projects nationwide. We believe that one of the fanwalk posters should deal with this so the community can relate that this is a part of a project on a national level.

- Catering for the final. One of the team, local shopowner, Rodney, said some of the locals would probably be prepared to do stalls. He could co-ordinate just outside the sports field, then these people will also benefit. Because of his outlet he has dealings with the Coke representative. Whilst we are both not totally comfortable with this product we must appreciate the level of awareness of this brand within the community and I'm sure Coke would appreciate the opportunity for the exposure. And we could certainly benefit from their publicity and aspects like umbrellas.

Chris and Tracey

New location for the domino tournament

The Domino Effect - Hermon, Western Cape

Tracey Derrick and Chris Murphy

Working with the separated past of the village of Hermon - which continues to manifest in the present – Tracey Derrick and Chris Murphy plan to establish the Hermon Domino Tournament in partnership with the local community. The project will also involve the erection of large-scale domino sculptures in the tournament play area, as well as public photographic displays in commemoration of the event and history of the village.

Tracey Derrick has been a full-time portrait and documentary photographer since 1991. Her projects are primarily concerned with social and community issues. Last year she completed her Postgraduate Diploma of Art at the Michaelis School of Fine Art. Chris Murphy has extensive experience as a graphic designer in London and Cape Town, and studied at both Ruth Prowse School of Art in Cape Town and Ealing College in London.