If you had to drive about four hours east from Cape Town, navigating your way through the Klein Karoo, just off the N1 you would come across Prince Albert. Known for its wide open spaces, homely coffee shops and authentic historical self-catering houses, the town was named Prince Albert in honour of Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg back in 1845.
But upon some real exploration of the little town, a new attraction was discovered: Striking Metal.
Yes, a real Blacksmith in the heart of the Great Karoo. Kashief Booley is a Capetonian by birth, hailing from the Bo-Kaap and proud of his roots. An oceanographer by profession, Kashief, his wife Sophie and their kids moved to Prince Albert to find a more peaceful life, and a consequent lifting of Booley’s creativity and inspiration to create wonderful pieces by hand from metal.
Sounds like the life, hey? Well, the shop is open on Saturday’s only, when visitors can browse through the many pieces that come out of Kashief’s factory.
Kashief has his workshop there adjacent to an old Church which serves as his studio, along with a wild flower garden. Everything is done the ‘old way’ – the fire is lit every morning and stoked throughout the day and visitors can hear the pinging of hammer against metal from down the road.
Upon visiting the Blacksmith, a challenge was set: to create a bakoond. Was Kashief able to live up to his word three weeks later and create a traditional baking oven? Check out the full story on Kashief Booley and his workshop here.
[source: livingstylishlywell]
