Loi Krathong or Loy Ka thong, is a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and certain parts of Laos and Burma (in the Shan State). Loosely translated is means "Floating Crown" or "Floating Decoration", and is derived from the tradition of making buoyant decorations which are then floated on a river.

Loi means float while Ka thong refers to a lotus shaped container which can float on water.

Traditionally Ka thongs are made of the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or spider lily plant. These days styrofoam or bread is usually used. The bread is most eco-friendly in river systems as within days it will be eaten by fish. The governments have banned Styrofoam in river systems as it can take many years to decompose. These Ka thongs are elaborately embellished with banana leaves, incense and a candle. As they are placed on the water a small coin is placed inside and revellers make a wish. This celebration coincides with the annual sky lantern festival.

Loi Ka thong is celebrated on the eve of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November and in Hilton, Taste of Thai is bringing us the Loy Ka thong experience on the 3rd November 2013.

Expect discounts on sushi, 10% off the table bill and entertainment by Erin Fourie! Sounds like a very festive day to enjoy. Book early on 074 180 9450 or 084 022 8679.

Staying connected and relevant to your children in this new look world of technology is a challenge for many parents. Ensure that you take conscious, positive steps to understand it. Building strong relationships with your children and setting boundaries will help you through this new era. This was some of the good advice from parenting expert, Nikki Bush, who presented "Bridging the Digital Divide" to many parents invited by Singakwenza as part of their Talking Parenting series which encourages parents to be informed, enlightened and effective (www.singakwenza.org).

Left to right: Sthembile Magwaza (Singakwenza Trainer), Julie Hay (Singakwenza Director), Nikki Bush (Creative Parenting Expert), John Huggett (Deputy Headmaster - Cordwalles) and Sarah Giles (Training Leadership Consulting)

The Hilton Bowling Club was re-opened yesterday after the annual green treatment. Due to some major work still in progress in one corner, only four rinks will be used for the next week or two. For this reason it has been necessary to cancel the Jaxx Roll for October. Our sincere apologies to all who are affected.

Six rinks will be prepared for the Queen's Cup competition to be re-played on Saturday this week. A new draw for this event will take place on Thursday evening.

The draws for the Open Singles and the Nominated Mixed Pairs will also be done on this week, with play set to commence on Sunday. Entrants should arrange their matches as quickly as possible. Please check the board for the cut-off dates for each round. A marker must be used for all the singles games.

The off-season social on Friday last week was a great success, and we all enjoyed being entertained by Vince Seale.

We even managed some dancing, believe it or not!

Thanks once again to all involved in the organisation, and those who attended.

Here is a question on the Laws of Bowls. Look at Law 52 on page 59 of the booklet. Does this mean that skips (and others) may not "give a foot" to help their team mates to aim? Send your comments to Derick at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. (No prize offered)

Duties: The roster for duties will resume next week.

News supplied by Hilton Bowling Club.

Prech is two months into owning Jewellery by Diana and while she misses her mentor Di Veness, she is finding customers increasingly ask for her and is grateful for their support.

Working alongside the helpful and supportive Janet, their focus is currently on new designs and stock for the Christmas season. In the evenings Prech also makes time to study through UNISA as she pursues her goal of achieving a diploma in Business Management. Previously Prech chose to study teaching and then had a change of heart months back when she switched to Business studies, in what later proved to be a most suitable move.

Prech says, 'With all the Christmas and year end functions coming up during the festive season, I look forward to helping accessorise little black numbers and other party outfits!'

Pictured above left is Janet and on the right is Prech, owner of Jewellery by Diana.

It has recently come to light that criminals are becoming more cunning in their plans to trick unsuspecting ATM users out of their funds. A new device has been discovered, images and discriptions below, which have been found in Shopping Centres, petrol stations and convenience stores all over JHB. Please be aware of these and do not consider this to be something that you will not be a victim of, chances are, they may already have your details without you even knowing. To view the document click here.

For a safer Hilton join up with HCPF/Hilton Bobbies Project.

Article supplied by Hilton SAPS.

I hear this type of comment so often as I go through the financial planning process with my clients. But most of these clients are already over the age of 50 and my response to them is, even if they had, they probably would have waited another 20 or more years before taking any steps to follow my advice.

The unfortunate reality is that, in this material world full of bright shiny things which are continuously and aggressively marketed via so many sources, it is almost impossible for a 20 something year old to visualise a life in retirement. They join the consumer world and spend what they earn and very often spend more than they earn and so they start the downward slide into the "debt trap". After all can one really compare the feeling of "personal success" when discussing one's new vehicle purchase, i-phone or plans for a trip abroad with that of discussing your financial plan over dinner with friends?

Statistics show that few people are adequately prepared for retirement. Even if you belong to a company sponsored pension fund it is unlikely that there will be enough in the fund for you to survive once you have retired. It is vitally important to take ownership and control of your retirement plan and start saving towards a stress free, happy and secure retirement from the day you start earning an income.

How do you start saving for retirement?

A perfect starting point is to join a retirement annuity fund or RA as they are more commonly referred. Anyone, whether they are employed, self-employed or a member of a pension or provident fund, can join an RA and make contributions to it.

How does an RA work?

The "new age" R.As are extremely flexible and allow you to make monthly or annual contributions and even suspend contributions should you lose your job or having financial difficulties and then start up again, all the while offering a wide range of investment funds for you to select to be invested in.

What about tax?

Your contributions to an RA are tax-deductible up to the greater of

• 15% of non-retirement funding income (income other than your monthly salary), or
• R3 500 less any current contributions to a pension fund, or
• R1 750

The above limits will increase substantially in 2015 and I will explain this in detail in an article closer to this date.

What benefits are payable by a RA?

• You cannot access your RA savings until you reach the age of 55 years: Unless the total value of your RA savings is values at less than R7 000 or you have emigrated and the SA Reserve Bank recognizes your emigration, you cannot access your RA savings until you have reached the age of 55 years.
• Disability benefit: If you become permanently disabled before age 55, you can receive a disability benefit. The options available regarding your disability benefit are the same as for the retirement benefit - see below.
• Retirement benefit: This can be taken at any time after you reach age 55 and you don't need to link it to your retirement from your employer. You can take a cash portion of up to 1/3rd of your RA savings, but the balance must be used to purchase a pension. However, if your total RA savings amount is less than R75 000, you can take the total in cash.
• Death benefit: If you die before your retire, your savings in the fund are paid as a death benefit to your dependants and/or nominees. They can either use the benefit to purchase a pension or take all or a portion of the amount in cash.
• Tax consequences: It is vital to remember that there are tax consequences whenever you take cash out of an RA Make sure you completely understand the tax consequences prior to completing your retirement forms or you may be in for a nasty shock.

What are the advantages of an RA?

• Subject to specified limits, your contributions are tax-deductible so effectively you are getting SARS to help you save!
• You can add life assurance and disability cover to your RA policy – but in my experience this can be an expensive way of having insurance so make sure your financial adviser has done a proper cost comparison.
• You can increase or decrease the amount you contribute, making them very flexible.
• Your savings amount in the RA is not seen as part of your estate. If you go bankrupt, your RA will be safe from creditors and the value of your RA is not subject to estate duty on your death so it can often be effectively used in estate planning.
• Another major benefit is that the investment growth in an RA is not taxed so you, the investor, get the benefit of compounding your gross investment returns over the entire life of the RA Initially, on smaller amounts, this benefit may not seem like much. Over time, however, it is a huge advantage if you compare this to other investments i.e.: unit trusts wherein returns will be taxed at your own rate of tax, which could be anything from 18 percent up to 40 percent. That's quite a large slice off the top of your savings!

Which RA should you join?

RA's have historically left much to be desired regarding transparency of costs. However, the RA's of today, like all other financial products are required to be transparent in their cost structures. Be sure you understand the costs of your RA and do not feel awkward about asking your financial planner to explain how the cost structure works and what fees she is earning. The fees you are charged can have a major impact on the long term net investment return on your savings and you owe it to yourself to not only understand the fees but be satisfied that they are competitive for the product and services you are receiving. The market out there is competitive, so your best option is to consult an independent, qualified and experienced financial planner who will help you to identify, clarify and document your goals and objectives and then determine which RA product will be most likely to give you a realistic prospect of achieving them.

When should I start?

If you are serious then you need to start now! i.e. today, not tomorrow.

Submitted by Janine Player CFP®
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TO celebrate its 110th anniversary this year, Laddsworth Primary School in Hilton has held a commemorative event of some kind each term. To mark the start of Spring and celebrate the anniversary, the school recently planted 11 indigenous trees along the boundary of the sports field, once for each decade of the school's history.

Pictured on the left are Grade 5 teachers Jenny Raubenheimer (left) and Di Smythe and Grade 5 pupils help to plant a Broom cluster fig, one of the 11 indigenous trees planted along the boundary of the sports field.

Grade 1 pupils help to put soil onto a White stinkwood, one of the 11 indigenous trees planted along the boundary of the sports field in the photograph below on the left and Grade 6 boys scatter soil onto a Waterberry/Umdoni, one of the 11 indigenous trees planted along the boundary of the sports field in the photograph below on the right.

The Finals of the 2013 ACT | DALRO | Nedbank Performing Arts Scholarships were held at the University of Johannesburg Arts Centre on 30 September, where R315 000 was awarded to three deserving winners, to fund their tertiary studies in the performing arts.

After a gruelling week of rehearsals and a tough final round in front of a live audience, Naledi Majola of St Anne's Diocesan College, Arlin Bantam and Kamogelo Nche were chosen as recipients of the ACT | DALRO | Nedbank Performing Arts Scholarships for 2013. Having convinced the judges of their proficiency in singing, dancing and acting, Naledi, Arlin and Kamogelo will be supported in their tertiary studies, beginning in 2014.

Naledi Majola is currently completing Grade 12 at St Anne's Diocesan College in Hilton in KwaZulu-Natal. This passionate musician plays the piano, is a member of the School Choir, the Chamber Choir as well as the Jazz Band. She performed in the School's productions of "Chicago" and "Lysistrata" as well as a musical revue. Naledi is passionate about acting for theatre and film and is planning to further her acting skills for these mediums in 2014.

Maseda Ratshikuni, Head of Cause Marketing at Nedbank says, "We remain committed to enabling the dreams and goals of young people. Our support of the arts and cultural heritage stems from the bank's aspirations of leading transformation and creating a community of leaders who are as highly involved in the communities as we are. We hope that the winners of the scholarships will make artistic and cultural contributions to our country."

Six finalists were chosen through a country-wide audition process, and then coached by a dedicated team of professionals, before putting their best foot forward before an illustrious panel of judges, and - possibly the biggest critics of all - a live audience.

With support from the Arts & Culture Trust; the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO) and Nedbank Arts Affinity, the three winners will be supported to study a performing arts course of their choice at a South African tertiary institution. They will also receive practical support beyond their studies, including representation by SA's top talent agency Talent Etc.

The event was hosted by aspiring MC Altovise Lawrence. Like the six finalists, she was also chosen from a strong pool of national contenders, and the sparkling Wits Drama Graduate also used the platform to showcase her best professional self; in a production crafted by industry professionals Jacques Bessenger (Artistic Director) and Dawid Boverhoff (Musical Director).

Managing Director of DALRO, Advocate Nathi Gaisa says: "A competition that is a tough as this one has proven to be has served to highlight the outstanding talent we have in South Africa today. The Arts play a critical role in the fabric of society and these young, aspiring artists represent the very best of that. DALRO is extremely proud to be supporting these artists and offers them congratulations and all the very best for their next step on the road to success."

CEO of the Arts and Culture Trust, Pieter Jacobs thanked the judges for lending their expert opinions to the programme, explaining that: "To sustain a career in the performing arts, it is vital that hopefuls have not only a strong foundation and diverse skills set, but also that 'special something' that allows them to stand out, in what we know is a tough industry".

The 2013 panel of judges comprised: Kgomotso Christopher, perhaps best-known as Katlego Sibeko on SABC3's Isidingo; television and radio personality, Rozanne McKenzie; Manager of Talent Etc, Jennis Williamson; creative entrepreneur, David April; Musical Theatre Performer and Teacher, Nacia Kruger; and Producer, Director and ACT Trustee, Themi Venturas.

The Scholarships Programme was hosted by UJ Arts & Culture at the University of Johannesburg with additional support from ClassicFEEL Magazine and Pink Room Productions. For more information on the Scholarships programme, please visit www.act.org.za

News and photograph supplied by St Anne's.

This year, the annual St Anne's Water Polo tournament saw an increase from 10 to 12 teams. New additions were Collegiate Girls' High from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape as well as Durban Girls' High School from KZN.

The other teams, from various parts of the country, who attended this year, remained the same as in previous years:

Clarendon Girls' High School
Danville
Durban Girls' College
DSG Grahamstown
Kingsmead
Pietermaritzburg Girls' High
St Dominic's
St Mary's Kloof
Westville

The spirit of the St Anne's Tournament is special in the way that all teams stay within the boarding houses of the school and spend much time together making friends from all over the country. Despite the less than desirable weather experienced in the first few days, the girls braved the conditions and there was some great water polo played. The tournament runs with two pool sections, each containing 6 teams. The teams are awarded 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 for a loss. The top two teams in each pool battle it out in a cross pool play-off and the winner of these two games determines the final.

The tournament got underway with a convincing win from St Anne's over the reigning champions from St Mary's Kloof, St Anne's showing great promise and was a clearly determined side. There was also an exciting draw between the Durban derby of Durban Girls' College and Durban Girls' High School. Impressive performances were noted from Clarendon Girls' High School and Collegiate, both from the Eastern Cape, proving to be tough competition. The weather cleared up and, with two days left, the spectators returned and the stands filled.

Durban Girls' College remained impressive with no losses. However, it was St Anne's College, the home team that was the team on all participants' and spectators' lips, from an end position of 8th the previous year; they made it through to the semi-finals with a clean sheet of no losses to face Clarendon. In the other semi-final Durban Girls' College would battle it out against DSG from Grahamstown. The final was an intense game between St Anne's and Durban Girls' College, the end result a 4-3 victory to DGC. The tournament was a great success, a weekend of tough water polo and good camaraderie.

St Anne's girls who represent KZN u16 Water Polo are pictured here: Emma Lunde, Reserve (left) and Camilla McCormack (right).

News and photograph supplied by St Anne's Diocesan College, a private girls school in Hilton, KZN.

It is with pleasure that Mendola announces it is open to Office functions, private gatherings, exclusive parties and Christmas Luncheons for 20 people or more, for the month of November and December. Lunches start from Monday to Thursday, 12 noon to 2 pm (or as arranged). The price of meals is from R165 per person, including venue hire, Christmas Crackers and Christmas Decor.

We are offering mouth-watering cuisine, excellent in-house wines and champers, friendly service and a wonderful atmosphere listening to muted tones of gentle music.

It is no secret that there are few venues that can compete with Mendola with the exquisite elegant decor and ambience that it provides.

Mendola welcomes you and your party of friends, to a piece of heaven in the Midlands, and to show how it is done the Mendola way.

Bookings are essential to save disappointment. Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
or Phone +27 79 287 1619. Linda, Claire or Gill to assist you with your enquiries.

Grace College Matric pupils, Rory Mackenzie (L) and Marisa Lagrange (R) received national recognition for their respective essays. Rory participated in the National Bilingual Taalbond Exam under the auspices of Stellenbosch University where his English Essay was rated amongst the top in the country. Marisa entered the Afrikaans EKSPO competition with her essay "Anders, maar eenders" and was awarded a National Gold Certificate; the only gold in this category out of twenty participants who qualified on provincial level. We are immensely proud of their achievements and wish them well for the final exams and future studies.

News supplied by Grace College.

Congratulations to the following players from St Anne's Diocesan College who have been chosen to represent KwaZulu Natal Water Polo at the 2013 SA Schools Water Polo Championships Tournament to be held in East London during December.

Pictured from left: Naomi Forrester-Smith (U15), Dom Riley (U19B), Camilla McCormack (U16), Sally Fowler (U19A), Emma Lunde (U16), Brady Wiseman and Megan Rebstein-Dovey (U14)

News supplied by St Anne's Diocesan College in Hilton, KZN.

Cruise into 2014 knowing your stationery requirements and those of your school children are paid for and sorted!

Belinda at Cartridge Smart right here in Hilton has compiled a comprehensive list that includes quality back to school stationery items for all grades, so you can order all your stationery on a single form or use one per child and Belinda will pack it up for you accordingly.

Stationery orders must be in by Friday 22nd November 2013 and proof of payment is acceptable by fax or email as indicated on the order form which you can view or print here.

Congratulations to the following Hilton boys who have been selected for the various KwaZulu-Natal Water Polo teams to represent the province at the inter-provincial tournaments in December.
• U18A: Dale Russell, Niall Wheeler, Chris Saunders
• U17A: Oliver Rees
• U16A: Brynn Enslin, Charles Thornton-Dibb
• U14A: Ryan Griessel

We wish them well and it is a fine achievement and honour to represent the province.

Pictured above are Ryan Griessel, Brynn Enslin, Niall Wheeler, Charles Thornton-Dibb, Oliver Rees, Chris Saunders, Dale Russell

Photograph by Matt Dahl.

News supplied by Hilton College.

'Angel Mums support group was started in September 2003, so we marked the occasion of 10 years of serving women who had lost children on Wed 11th September 2013 at our monthly meeting at the Protea Hotel, Hilton. They hotel generously host us free of charge for which we are so grateful. We have about 50 members on our books (sadly).

The candles we lit in memory of our children we lost, and also to show the strong circle of light we can bring to mums in their grief. It also symbolises the very close bonds our "circle" of grieving mums have formed.' Said Cherri Forsyth one of the founding members of this support group.

On reading this email received from Cherri Forsyth, the local Hilton Covered team of Desiree Hickinbotham and Doreen Philip of DP Design decided that Angel Mums should have a Logo so that they will be able to print the business cards they have been wanting. They plan to have cards available at hospitals for mothers who have experienced a loss so that they know there is someone who has been through a similar loss that they can reach out to.

The Logo above was decided on and group members had the following to say about their new identity;

'The logo looks amazing. It fits what we are about.'

'I think it is great. What a good idea.'

'This is so beautiful, our Angels in our hands. What a great way to honour them. I love it.'

'This looks perfect and is certainly a generous gift.'

'What a fantastic gift. It generated the feeling of gentleness and protection to me.

Wonderful, what a special gift – I love it!'

'What a wonderful gift! I think the logo is super.'

We are pleased to have been able to offer this small gift to mark the tenth year of Angel Mums and the group will also have a complimentary listing page at HiltonVillage.co.za going forward so they can easily be contacted and kept in mind.

Hilton resident Linda Shrives expresses her gratitude for assitance generously offered by neighbours during a recent veld fire along the Hilton College Road.

'I would like to say a very big thank you to everyone who helped us fight the fire which ran through our property last week.

If it was not for your help and support I do believe that the out come would have been drastic.

Support arrived from all corners, it is such a great feeling to know that we are surrounded by such unselfish and committed people.

Many many hugs,

Linda Shrives'

The Hilton Garden Club has been participating in the annual Garden Show for many years. Last year we won a gold medal and this year we won silver. The theme for 2013 was "Be Yourself" and our interpretation was a woodland scene with a path leading through it to a place where you can truly "Be Yourself".

The judges complimented us on our interpretation and also on the quality and choice of plant material. It was hard work building the stand but the members involved thoroughly enjoyed the experience. There was great camaraderie and encouragement among the garden clubs building stands and we all hope that more clubs will participate at future garden shows.