Heritage Market – Hillcrest, gold amongst the tumbleweed

I have put off writing this post because our recent visit to Heritage Market in Hillcrest pained me.  I have wonderful memories of watching children play on the beautiful lawns while the musician Leonard played live music under the gazebo.  There were wonderful shops selling unusual and special items from antique jewellery to wooden furniture and so much in between.  The coffee shops were a hive of activity.  I could spend hours just drifting from shop to shop.

Now most of the shops have closed, there’s a horrible empty feeling and I could imagine tumbleweed rolling around where once there was colour and life in abundance.

Despite this we found 2 very special places open in the lower area (furthest from the road).  It was around lunch time and we needed a bite to eat.  After considering leaving to look elsewhere we were invited into Stretta Cucina tempted by the lunch time special an unbelievable R34 each for a medium pizza with a drink (we chose a glass of wine).  It was fantastic!  Cliff is still talking about the best pizza he’s had in years, and insists that next time we are in Durban we must go back there.

Before we left I found another gem.  My current sewing craze is making quilted place mats.  ‘Sew Many Things’ is quilting heaven.  I have never seen such a range of beautiful printed fabrics.  I must have spent well over an hour in the shop and could have spent longer.  The ladies in the shop were so helpful.  If I lived in the area I would love to go to the quilting classes which they offer.

I so wish that the Heritage market could be restored to it’s former glory, it is a great loss to the Highway community, unless it’s just me and everyone else loves malls with the crowds and same old, same old, chain stores.  If that is the case I’m still sad that things have moved so far from quality and beauty.