Val is a tiny place with a big history. It has a permanent population of eight. The Easter weekend was chosen for the 2024 Boer and Brit Day festivities. This annual cultural festival of all things Boer and British circa 1900 is the brainchild of Rita Britz who owns the Val Hotel and most other old properties in the small town.
Parallel experiences and narratives in the histories of South Africa and of Ireland, and the ways in which the stories of pain and of hope are shared by storytellers who guide visitors in museums and heritage sites in each context, make for an important and timely comparison. The authors reflect, in the closing pages of this book, on the relevance of museums in the twenty-first century.
Designed in 1935 by Emley and Williamson for Norman Anstey, founder of the elegant department store of the same name, which occupied the first four floors. Two apartment wings soar another twelve storeys with magnificent views of the city. Cecil Williams, actor, playwright and member of Umkhonto we Sizwe lived here. Nelson Mandela was disguised as his driver when captured on 5 August 1962.
