In the Glen ...

I guess if Hollywood (posted yesterday) is colloquially called an informal setlement, then the village of Amberglen (and the other Amber developments of Amber Valley and the original Amberfield) must be formal settlements. So just for the record here is a view from the north east looking back over Amberglen towards the town of Howick. A lot more uniform than its informal counterpart, unquestionably more comfortable, and almost (but arguably not quite) as great a setting. The Amber developments were started by Ian Taylor, then continued by his son Rob, and were one of the reasons for the recent dramatic growth in the population of Howick. Comprising of over a thousand units to date, two new phases are underway. Rob's  often controversial life ended off Table Mountain last year. The Ambers remain his memorial.

Once again I have cropped the image to a widescreen landscape aspect. Magnifique.

Hollywood ...

Perched on the edge of the Umgeni Valley, and in close proximity to Howick Falls is an informal settlement that the locals call either Hollywood or Beverly Hills. While these names are obviously intended to be as ironic as they sound and you can be certain that living conditions for the shack dwellers is far from ideal, there is a  definite sense of order about the layout of the housing when viewed across the valley. The rapid growth and development of the town of Howick has lured many employment seekers to the area, and many have been disillusioned as planned residential developments have slowed in the current economic climate - but the announcement of two new planned residential estates in the sprawling development of the area known as the Ambers just outside the town offer renewed hope that things are about to get better. Remembering that property is all about location, location, location this must be one of the more spectacularly sited shack settlements in the country.

A widescreen setting portrays the panorama of township life.