Last week I was a tourist in my own town, while I took my sister and her family around Newcastle, KZN, South Africa. Since I am good friends with the museum curator he took us on a personal tour of Fort Amiel Museum, and even though I have done the tour a couple of times, I still enjoy it, as there are always new things to notice. This is part of a series of 6 focusing on different areas of the Fort. Scroll to the bottom of this article for a brief history of the Fort.
The Cook House
These photos are pretty self-explanatory. This was the kitchen that catered to the troops. Inside is a treasure trove of vintage kitchenalia, some of it a little more modern than the period the Fort was operational. Many of the items were found in and around Newcastle, especially the glass bottles. The slits in the walls behind the bottles was for rifles, reminding us of the purpose of this Fort!
I love the original mud brick floor! I think the glass windows are original too.
An old noticeboard with some of the original papers from the Fort. I have to add that the Cook House is the most haunted building on the Fort premises. Maybe it is the spirit of the cook who had to cook those meals in our sweltering heat! When my daughter held her yoga classes at the fort, we really didn't enjoy driving past it on our way out in the dark!!! My one son said it made him feel nauseous to be in the building and I felt a pressure in my head, like I was holding my breath under water.
Fort Amiel History
Fort Amiel was built in 1876 by the British as a military stronghold and a signalling station. It played a significant role in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, as well as the First Anglo-Boer War of 1881. It usually housed about 200 troops, but swelled to as many as 1500 troops in 1881. By 1882, all the outlying buildings, vehicles and supplies were auctioned off, including a large selection of liquor! Today only the centre part of the Fort remains, and was restored in the 1990's to house a cultural history museum. When the Second Anglo-Boer War broke out in 1899 the British decided to abandon Newcastle altogether, as it being the northernmost town of the Natal Colony, it was deemed to be too close to the Boer Republics. Newcastle was shortly thereafter invaded by the Boer forces, and the Fort was occupied by the Hollander Commando. Newcastle was briefly renamed Viljoensdorp during this period. Newcastle was retaken by the British seven months later, with much pomp and ceremony! Fort Amiel is a popular stopover on South Africa's famed Battlefields Route.
When I was a child I had a friend who lived near to the Fort and it had not yet been restored. It was one of our favourite places to play! Just last year, the museum curator kindly allowed my daughter to hold her yoga classes in the canteen (which has not yet been fully restored) until she outgrew the place. On a quiet day, looking out to the surrounding hills, the history seems almost tangible!
@onetree
Hey @onetree please make use of the steemiteducation tag if you write educational posts. It makes it easier for us to find these posts. Please tell your dad too. :)
Thank you for reminding me!!!!
I have a lot of disgust for the British imperialism of the 19th century, but old forts and towns are always fun to explore anyway!
Yup, me too. They didn't fare so well in SA though ;)
Can you imagine cooking for a horde of hungry men using this kitchen?
And in the blazing heat???!!!
My thoughts exactly! Not a chance!
Very interesting to see old cooking utensils and lots of glass bottles!
They should have some sort of ceremony to release all the trapped spirits so that they could go toward rebirth!
We don't have much of a culture that does this. I am going to ask my staff members what they think, but most of their ceremonies involve animal sacrifice, and I can't imagine that being allowed on the museum grounds.
Some time when a person dies in a car accident in a remote area, his families would invite a Buddhist monk to go to the spot of the accident. He would perform a little ceremony and pray for the soul so that he would be led to rebirth.
Some time people got lost in the jungle and died, their souls would come into their families’ dreams to ask for help. They felt lost and couldn’t get out of the jungle!
There are lots of stories like this. Some dreams even pinpointed the spot where the plane went down in the mountains or where their bodies were hidden by murderers.
I believe in this, but I'm in the minority. My daughter and I were thrust into a situation of dire evil 2 years ago and my daughter has been badly tormented afterwards. (I will see if I can find the link to my blog about it.)
I am slowly coming to realise there is a good side of this other realm.
https://steemit.com/life/@onetree/a-dark-encounter-a-personal-tale
Thank you very much for sending me this link.
What you and your daughter went through was horrible! That's all real!
Thank God you had your fairy God-mother looking after you!
Keep nice pieces of crystals, some strong protective ones with you most of the time.
Amazing to hear that a small town is full of tainted people. Keep your distance.
It may not be your duty to help those spirits at the Fort.
I don't always interfere or get involved in this sort of cases, unless the High above told me to.
Take care.
Unfortunately our town is not merely tainted, it is a known hub of Satanism in our country. Thank you for your advice and support, it means a lot to me.
Where do you hide an Army of 1000 Men? Definitely not in Fort Amiel!
BTW just voted on your Daughters Post, You would definitely need a Guard Dog! Your Daughter would be of no use scaring Criminals Away!
...we just got a puppy!!! Thank you for the vote!
That's so funny that you got to play there as a kid before it was restored. Any pictures from those days?
I love the statue of the cook - and the fact that's he's actually sweating!
That was the eighties...and our parents never knew all the stuff we got up to. Which is why I am paranoid about letting my kids out of my sight.
Hah! And do you think you know everything your kids get up to?
I think I do and please don't burst my bubble!!! 😉
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