More dangers of felling trees
DANGER is a full-time job as brave men put everything on the line every day to retrieve timber, in television’s Ax Men, which returns for a ninth season to DS tv’s History (channel 186) at 7.40pm today.
For more than 100 years, larger-than-life characters, many of whom are members of logging families who go back to the time when the US West was being settled, have spent their days among towering trees and powerful machines, and their nights in outposts far from the comforts of civilisation. Snapped cables, runaway logs and razor-sharp chainsaws are just some of the dangers that threaten their lives, and which are showcased in this series.
“Even with new technology that should make the job easier, it all boils down to the toughness and perseverance of the logging crews. Anything and everything can and often does go wrong,” says a DS tv spokesman.
Also of note this week is tomorrow’s episode of Top Billing, on SABC3 at 8pm, which will have a repeat at 12.30pm on Sunday.
August being Women’s Month, the programme will celebrate two remarkable South African women – emerging creative Maria Uys and social entrepreneur Bianca Hansen, the powerhouse behind the handmade, felt, wearable art brand known as Afrigarde.
Not only is their distinct Ndebele style turning heads and making headlines, but at the heart of their burgeoning business is an ethos of social empowerment that teaches women from the local community to produce highend jewellery.
Tomorrow’s Top Billing will also turn a spotlight on Top Chef South Africa judges Lorna Maseko, Neill Anthony and Lesego Semenya, to see what they can cook up.
“The Top Chef team heads for Jozi hotspot Urbanology to experience and review their cuisine, and each has a go at creating an equally splendid dish,” says a spokesman for the channel.
Also on the Top Billing bill is Nico Panagio setting out to explore his softer side with Alwijn Burger, aka Blomboy, the creator of The Gentleman’s Flower Arranging Club.
“The guys head into a garden, pick their stock for the day and then join forces to create a floral arrangement for that special someone.
“While they explore the growing popularity for men to venture into this formerly unchartered territory, Alwijn shares his personal journey and teaches Nico a thing or two.
“Forget the stereotypes – the time has come to embrace your individuality and creativity,” adds the SABC3 spokesman.
“We get inside the heart and mind of adventurer and extreme athlete Jamie Marais as he explains what drives him to complete his series of world record-breaking challenges and the secrets to his success.”
The episode is also scheduled to share in special moments from the wedding of globe-trotting, round-the-world yacht racer Michael Pammenter and his Durban bride, Misha Walker.
In addition, the show is granted a moment out of the busy schedules of Olympic sailing duo Asenathi Jim and Roger Hudson, to look at the team’s final preparations prior to heading for Rio.
Interior designer Leighton Clapton then reveals the dramatic design solutions he has used to turn an inner-city apartment into a luxurious living space to meet the highend design specifications required for his own home.