fred hatman

Pardon me if your Afrikaans is not up to deciphering the above headline (mine isn’t) but there’s something about to happen in my home village that brings out the klein bietjie boereseun (little bit of farmer boy) in me. Stand back Hatmense, I’m about to announce South Africa’s Barn Dance of the Year! Jami and [...]

If I loved Stanford before this weekend, I don’t have the words to describe how I feel about it now. I had never been down the river. I’ve sat and stared at the reflections in it. I’ve swam in it. I’ve thrown the ball into it for the Scrapster and Doodlebug, my two delinquent Jack [...]

As you may well know, there are myriad top-notch brands that are just gagging to be associated with the fredhatman.co.za success story. Every morning I wake up to an inbox chock-a-block with offers of free suites at premier hotels, free dinners at top-rated restaurants, free round-the-world cruises, free clothing, free wine, free i-Pads, free tickets [...]

The Scottish town of Inverness and environs has done very well out of a monster that may or may not exist. Well, have you seen the Loch Ness Monster? No, I didn’t think so. It may just all be a rather shrewd marketing ploy by those canny Scots. In Stanford, where we have our own [...]

I know I’m a bit early for Women’s Day (August 8th) but I want to share something I just read in our local community newspaper, the Stanford River Talk, edited by Michelle Hardie. Two things. Two quotes. “It is a wonderful advantage to a man, in every pursuit or avocation, to secure an advisor in [...]

What do Hollywood, USA, and Stanford, SA, have in common? No, hills is not the right answer. Stanford has mountains. And, no, not good-looking people and money, either. We’re far better-looking. The correct answer is, cue much-missed paaarps of a small orchestra of vuvuzelas, celebrities. Yes, celebs. Don’t act surprised. You knew this. But, should [...]

I’ve given you three blogposts already today and I’m knackered. But I’d like to leave you with this thought to take to bed with you… “The bontebocks, above all appeared in flocks of two thousand at least. I am persuaded that this day, buffaloes, antelopes of all kinds, zebras and ostriches, I had before my [...]

So you think that living in the country is easy? That all we do is plough a few furrows before parking the Massey Ferguson under a tree, haul out the old Blackberry and get on to Facebook to sow our oats in Farmville? Well, yes, that’s exactly what most of us do. That’s how we [...]

I never thought anything said by Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts would talk to my soul. But I was wrong. This does… “The bushveld is a place where the human element indeed shrinks into utter insignificance, and grips you and subdues you and makes you one with yourself.” – J. C. Smuts, South African Prime [...]

Before today’s icy morning gave way to the winter sun, I was out feeding our birds. Our birds? Yes, these birds which afford me the privilege of visiting my garden at Hatman Mansions to eat my seed are yours too. I know that you will take good care of them. A bird that can take [...]