The Blockhouses of the Anglo-Boer War

31/05/2026

….. and we’re still waiting for the next meeting on how to actually do something to save the building.

31/05/2026

He’s another deep historical heritage reason we ended up with blockhouses from the British - a long history of fortifications…. Perhaps why swinging British towns didn’t work either!!?

CASTLES!! See the front cover of my first book here:
Www.blockhouses.co.za

https://x.com/historyvidos/status/2060723156302942664?s=46&t=VYhrWlRHDweW9WLW0T0QCw

29/05/2026

I got over 100 reactions on one of my posts last week! Thanks everyone for your support! 🎉

26/05/2026

What an amazing idea - Active tourism - or heritage with a purpose!!! Well done Cape Town!! We could do this for very many sites!

Special Invitation To Join The Hunt Special Invitation… A Real Treasure Is Hidden Somewhere In Cape Town… Hundreds of hunters are already solving the clues. Only ONE will find it first. Will it be you? How It Works Read short stories → solve clues Earn Treasure Hunter Cards Use the cards to so...

24/05/2026

Great presentation last night to about 30 members of the yacht club on the shores of the Vaal Dam in Deneysville! Great time with LOTS of questions and sold the LAST COPY of the edition 1 limited edition Field Guide!
Deneysville named after the famous commando, politician and lawyer Deneysville Reitz it was also the home of South Africa’s first international airport! Flying boats landed on the dam and flew to UK via Cairo and many other stops in 4 ½ days!!

23/05/2026

Wow wow and wow - go check out this really incredible museum and see how we in RSA could be doing war tourism. The Story of Emily in Cornwall looks fantastic, using modern technology to tell the story of Emily Hobhouse!
The Story of Emily page looks amazing too - we could surely have something similar here…

https://thestoryofemily.com/?fbclid=IwVERDUAR-OfBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeY3SuWmQMKgBaBSb4toH1h4uJoFtRqUtDYVg87K3d3cHDYD7dkcXg48wfWbM_aem_KFZIOBmYrGplnh3nZLsxgg

Emily Hobhouse was an extraordinary Cornish woman, who challenged the social norms of her time, to advocate for the welfare of others. Step back in time to 1875 and explore the Victorian world of the Hobhouse family.

19/05/2026

Illegal activity also took place at the Witkop blockhouse in Gauteng on the R59 south of Johannesburg. This activity was in the form of metal theft of the heritage artefact doors and loopholes, metal theft of the supporting banding, illegal undermining of the interior wall, failure by the owner to maintain it and failure by PHRAG to enforce compulsory repair orders….. still no action - next meeting 28 May…..

17/05/2026

The Witkop Blockhouse !!!!😡😡😡😡😡

Despite the issue of a Compulsory Repair Order on the owners from PHRA(G) and 1: years of effort by Roxy Du Toit and her band of followers no work has been done in this time to save it. The supporting metal bands were removed years ago and ‘somone’ with no clear motive has dug a 2m hole inside one of the supporting walls. The crack on the north facing wall gets wider everything time I visit it…. The steel doors and loopholes were robbed out too over the years.

As a reminder this is a provincial heritage monument protected by the NRA No25 of 1999. The law provides for this buildings protection and saving. But nothing is the only thing happening!!!
We have a second meeting with PRA(G)s Build Environment Committee on the 28th May….. let’s see what transpires…. South African Heritage Resources Agency

16/05/2026

Big thanks to

Colin Ross, Steve Bibby

for all of your support! Congrats for being top fans on a streak 🔥!