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From: "Marielle Ford" <>
Subject: Re: [ZA-EC]Newspaper cuttings from the Eastern Cape - Sir Andries STOCKENSTRÖM - Part I
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:50:44 +0200
References: <000c01c88ecd$8b950c20$7b9eef9b@TelkomSA2156>


"Maasström" is one of the venues for the Bedford Garden festival held
annually and Charlotte VAN DER WATT's magnificent garden is a delight to all
who visit - the main house is not open at that time, but I have had the
pleasure of seeing inside it once before.

Regards
Marielle

----- Original Message -----
From: "Becky Horne" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 12:51 AM
Subject: [ZA-EC] Newspaper cuttings from the Eastern Cape - Sir Andries
STOCKENSTRÖM - Part I


Weekend Post, 3 February 2007
Home is where the history is for Mulder
by Ivor Markman

When artist Frans MULDER decided it was time to get out of jail and make a
break for it, careful planning was necessary for alternative accommodation.
He found Sir Andries STOCKENSTRÖM's run-down old home on the nearby farm
called "Maasström". But before you get the wrong idea, it must be explained
that MULDER wasn't serving time for breaking the law. He'd bought the old
Bedford jail and converted it into a rather unusual residence-cum-studio,
but the time came to move along and sell the jail.

When MULDER moved from Smithfield in the Free State to Bedford
two-and-a-half years ago, he brought his horses with him and leased a piece
of land on "Maasström" from owner George VAN DER WATT. A short distance
away, in a poor state, was STOCKENSTRÖM's original farmhouse, described by
the 19th century editor of the Grahamstown Journal and political adversary,
Robert GODLONTON, as the "gem of the desert".

MULDER had often admired the small house located about 500 metres outside
Bedford, and had often visualised fixing it up."It was in a shocking state.
The basic structure was there but there were no windows or doors. "Luckily
the plank floors and the ceilings remained," he said. "The roof was okay.
VAN DER WATT had maintained the roof because he realised the house
would have been ruined if it was exposed to the elements.

"It was a huge project to renovate. When I sold the jail I decided I would
like to stay on the smallholding near my horses and obtain the actual rights
to the house. "I have a 20-year lease on the house because a major amount of
money had to be spent to renovate the place. The only way I could recoup my
costs was to have a long lease. "The sale is equally as interesting as the
story of the farm. GODLONTON was bitterly opposed to STOCKENSTRÖM's
ideas and it's believed he was responsible for writing anonymous letters to
his own newspaper stirring up hatred for STOCKENSTRÖM.

More to follow.

Best wishes
Becky

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