This year, Melville turns 130. At 130, most things are in a museum behind a velvet rope. In Melville, they are still open on a Saturday, still pouring wine, and still very much unbothered. Welcome to Melville Untold. Winter is officially here, and it’s freezing! Hope you’re staying warm.

In this week’s newsletter:

— Aubrey Moloto

Last week, we quickly mentioned that our local glam queen had just celebrated 39 years of trading in Melville. And in the same month, her neighbour Tinsel Gallery turned 20. And the Service Station celebrated 25 not too long ago. These milestones deserve more than a footnote, and nobody has earned that recognition more than Rosemary O’Shwaire of Rosemary Reminiscene. She is, genuinely, one of the kindest, truest, and most Melville-y people I’ve met in this city.

A Route Well Travelled

Reminiscene was not always part of that tightly knit community on that side of 9th Street. It started, as so many great Joburg things did, in Yeoville. Late 80s, Rocky Street, which was at the time one of the most alive streets the city had to offer. As Yeoville shifted, Rosemary shifted with it, picking up her very particular collection of silks, furs, kaftans, and Victorian earrings and carrying them across the city. She spent time at 27 Boxes “when it was a younger version of itself”, then eventually landed where she belongs: the corner of 7th Avenue and 9th Street, at Milpark Heights, directly opposite the Bamboo Lifestyle Centre. That’s where you will find her today.

The Eye, the Stock, and the Philosophy

To call Reminiscene a second-hand clothing shop is like calling the Koppies “a hill with rocks”. What Rosemary stocks is not what you find on a normal thrift run. Her procurement eye is, by every account we have heard over the years, remarkable. She buys only what is truly collectable: 1920s silk embroidered nightwear, 1970s kaftans, heavy fringed shawls, lace gloves, luxury furs, and in the jewellery section, a rotating collection of Victorian and Edwardian pieces, marcasite brooches, crystal necklaces, and leather bags that were made to last.

Nothing in the shop participates in fast fashion. Nothing is a trend. Everything has a story, and she knows every story by heart.

She is, by both local report and by In Your Pocket’s description, an “incredible eye for vintage finds,” and the shop itself has been described as “a giant vintage wardrobe” and “a trousseau of time and texture.” Both descriptions are accurate. It’s also  actually bigger than you’d think from the outside, which is in itself part of the magic because you disappear deeper and deeper inside.

The Network

Rosemary’s longevity is not just about stock. It is about who she knows and how she knows them. She moves in circles that stretch from the art world to broadcasting to high-end Joburg society, and she moves in them with characteristic ease. She was introduced to us through another Melville legend in his own right: a mover, a shaker, a broadcasting icon and embodies exactly the kind of deeply networked, community-invested figure that Melville has quietly produced and kept. That she and people like this are close friends tells you everything you need to know about the kind of company Rosemary keeps.

The Precinct

The other thing that sustains Reminiscene, alongside the eye and the network, is where she has chosen to land. That corner, the Milpark Heights collective, is not just a block of independent retailers. It’s, in the truest sense of the word, a family.

SuperElla and Black Coffee, Oddzbin, Ballam Ink, The Trov and then Rosemary, at the top. Together, they form one of the most quietly high-functioning retail precincts in Johannesburg. The day trade at that whole corner is so strong. Their quality of offering is extremely high and they are committed to keeping that precinct vibrant and welcoming.

That relationship, between Milpark Heights and the Bamboo Lifestyle Centre, grows stronger with every Melville Art Mile. The way they coordinate and activate is something that genuinely moves us, and shows us, the organisers, what’s actually possible in our hood.

The Birthday, and the Melville Art Mile

This year’s 39th birthday celebration ran, as these things do in Rosemary’s world, into the Art Mile. Larger than life, as she put it. A glass of bubbly always in hand, always offering to pour for someone else, always classy. When we walked through on the MAM tour that evening, she was holding court in the silk and the marcasite with a warmth that made the bitter Joburg cold feel irrelevant.

The whole precinct came out that night. They put up their own festival lights across the avenue at our pilot event in December. Tables and chairs appeared on the pavement. The Trove and OKSIJEN came together in what became one of the most celebrated collaborations of the evening. At this past one, they had the lights shining in all their glory, braziers burning on the kerb and live music on the rooftop across the road. It was one of the best-activated blocks of the entire mile, competing with SIX Cocktail Bar for the warmest venue prize, and they did all of it themselves.

I Love Melville

We asked Rosemary the questions we ask everyone who has made the Ville such a special place: Why Melville? What is your most memorable moment here? What do you love about it?

Melville chose Rosemary as much as Rosemary chose Melville. “There is something in the suburb, some specific, irreplaceable frequency, that keeps its truest people rooted”. She is proof of that. Thirty-nine years of silk and stories, glam and good wine, and still the first one to open the door, pour you something, and make you feel like you have come home.

Find Reminiscene at the corner of 7th Avenue & 9th Street, Milpark Heights. IG: @rosemary_reminiscene. Website: reminiscene.co.za. Phone: 083 256 0813.

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Here’s your mid-month gig guide! It’s slim, but it has taste.

The regualr events live on the calendar, which has been down for the past week or so but we’re happy to let you know it’s back ! Check it out.

For more updates as the week goes on, visit our Instagram page @snapson7th or our Melville Pulse event calendar

It was cold. It was beautiful. It was exactly what it needed to be.

The first Thursday of May, centred on the theme of storytelling in all its forms, drew more people than the month before, in the first week of proper Joburg winter. That’s what good venues, good art, and good hospitality can do.

The standout moment, behind the quality of art and hospitality, was at the Melville Artisanal Market, where a caricature artist set up and started selling five-minute portraits, and sjoe, they flew! By the end of the evening, he had sketched dozens of people, including our Ward Councillor, who had come on our private tour. People were lining up, laughs and smiles filled the Bamboo upstairs gallery, and it was such a lovely vibe.

Tinsel Gallery, celebrating 20 years, was the most packed space on the entire mile. Eric and Geraldine were flat-out, wine glasses were everywhere, people were rummaging through the jewellery drawers, and there was live music right outside the door. A brilliant, brilliant evening for that corner.

At Hotel Hope Interiors, Carmen Esterhuizen, founder of 21Folds Jewellery, ran an origami jewellery workshop that was exactly the kind of warm, beautiful activation we were proud to have on the mile. Popcorn, coffees, and teas kept people lingering.

At Dalla Dank, one of 7th Street’s newest additions, Wandile painted a live mural inside and pulled a crowd to snacks and conversation. Across the road at Xai Xai, Leigh Le Roux, a tattoo artist from Crow’s Nest, painted a mural earlier that day, and we walked by, catching some warmth at the brazier right there.

At SIX Cocktail Bar, Steve laid out a massive interactive grid of the Melville landscape and invited the crowd to fill in the blocks with art. At the Resource Gallery, a truly beautiful exhibition that included Thokozani Arthur Dlamini gave the evening serious conceptual weight.

And at every single venue, without exception: fires on the pavement, heaters running, hot drinks, soups, snacks, and warmth. The hospitality and the literal heat were, for us, the second biggest highlight of the evening. Every business on the mile understood that art is not enough to hold people in the cold. You have to hold them, too.

That is exactly why we are naming the winter editions the Cosy First Thursdays. From June 4 onwards, we are leaning into this fully. More fires (safely). More heaters. Soups, Irish coffees, and anything that keeps people warm and on the street. Tell your partners, thanks but no thanks to cuddles on the 4th, Melville's cosy. The strategy is warmth in every direction.

June 4 is the next First Thursday.

🎟 Tickets 🖼 Participate as a venue, artist, stall or performer

Last week, we said "Altar Bar" was coming to Melville. That was our mistake. The venue is called The Artisan, and we apologise for the confusion. We have since spoken to the man behind it, and the real story is better than any name mix-up!

Leeroy Gopal and partners are opening The Artisan on 7th Street where De La Créme was, and he already has a working blueprint: his Greenside branch has been running, and people leave it feeling like they have been hosting their own table all night. That is the atmosphere he is building into the new Melville location: a cocktail and hookah lounge with a lifestyle feel, where people actually interact rather than just occupy the same space. His tagline, which he delivered without a moment's hesitation, is "the best Hookah in Joburg." Leeroy is joined by business partners Anthony Davis and Brian Harmonis, and together they have a clear vision for what they want to add to the neighbourhood.

What made us sit up is the programming ambition. They are planning smoke-and-paint evenings, art exhibitions, comedy every second Sunday, and "First Thursdays," dedicated sessions for up-and-coming musicians and poets to showcase their work alongside more established names. As Leeroy put it: "We want to give people a chance to showcase what they can do. It's going to range from up-and-coming to well-established entertainers and artists."

On why Melville: "A lot of people say to us, 'Come to Melville,' so we basically just answered the people's call." A proper introduction with photos is coming once they have done their full setup. Watch this space.

De Baba Eatery launched their Plant and Seed Swap Evening last night in partnership with the Melville Garden Group. Whether you grow things on purpose or just accidentally keep something alive on your windowsill, this one sounds like an event worth your time. We'll follow up on the programming for this plant green-thumbed group so you don't miss the next one like we did!

On 17 April, Gino Hart, who runs The New Titanic Museum SA right here in Melville at the Joburg Artist Market, attended the 114th Anniversary Commemoration Dinner at Northwards House in Parkview, hosted jointly with the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation. The evening put South Africa's mostly forgotten connections to the tragedy front and centre: the Brown family of Cape Town, second-class passengers whose survival gives the story a distinctly local thread, were among the stories shared. The highlight of the evening was a world premiere: the 1:37 scale Grand Staircase model by JOOHOUR, lit from within and crowned with a miniature dome and chandelier, was unveiled to an audience in full 1912 dress. The New Titanic Museum SA became the first institution in the world to display it. Not bad for a venue in our little nook of Jozi. Well done, Gino!

A few weeks ago, CREASS Community Services did a round of road work on Rustenburg Road, and the Melville community took notice in the group chats, which, if you know the group chats, is about as close to a standing ovation as road maintenance gets around here. They are coming back this week to complete the other side. If you drive that stretch, it is worth knowing: the work is on into next week for the final stretch. Thank you, CREASS.

The Melville Security Initiative's Safe Streets initiative has moved into its next phase. After a community day where newly appointed community captains were briefed on their responsibilities and portfolios, the focus now shifts to deepening that training and making sure everyone understands their roles at the ground level. The four portfolios under which the captains operate are Finance and Governance, Experience and Aesthetics, Communications, and Security and Infrastructure. Danny Nunes and the MSI team are managing this next phase closely. In the meantime, look for the street captain communications in your groups and calls to collaborate or take action. More updates coming as the programme develops.

Yes, yes, we know. You have probably been wondering what's taking so long. Is the Pet Swag Contest finally open? The one where the most swag, best dressed, and most fashionable pet icons in Melville are crowned for the season?

It is open. Almost. Bear with us one more week, because we switched it up, and that is exactly why it took a little longer to land.

This year, we are pivoting. We have partnered with a brand new sponsor, Raw Pet Food Deli in Parkhurst, and when we approached them about coming on board, their response shook us in the best way. Because they did not just say yes to pet swag. They said: What if we made it matter a little more?

It's winter. Everyone is cold. Not just the humans, but our furry family members, too. So instead of a straight-up best-dressed competition, this season we are running a PET BLANKET DRIVE. Same gorgeous pets. Same community love. But this time, we are doing it blankie style, and the cause behind it hits a lot closer to home.

We are celebrating our local pets AND helping the ones out there who do not have a warm corner to curl up in. Any pet is welcome, but let's be honest, dogs are the ones who truly understand the blankie assignment.

Here is all you need to know for now: send us a photo of your pet with their cutest, cosiest blankie. The most adorable animal and their blanket wins. First prizes are up to R2,500 in value, courtesy of Raw Pet Food Deli, and the full prize breakdown will be announced officially next week.

Today is just the beginning. Warm your pets. Dig out the blankies. We will see you next week.

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Elsje, Sarah and the Weed Warriors continue to mount a formidable defence against the siege of invasive species at our urban oasis. Join the task force and help us win some ground in time for spring. Sunday sessions are from 08:00 to 10:00. Contact Sarah on 082 448 9929 if you would like to join. The conservation front lines WANT YOU!

Also join us with David, Tony, Tam and me for the Walk With Dogs, Koppies West dog hike tomorrow morning! If you haven't been to Melville Koppies West, this is the best chance to do so safely. It's bigger, higher and a good amount of challenge, only an hour and a bit, see you there? 7:50 am at the top of Arundel Road, Westdene.

Melville was officially proclaimed on 5 October 1896. That means October 2026 marks 130 continuous years of this particular, peculiar, irreplaceable hood. To put that in perspective: it is older than the Union of South Africa. Older than the Springboks. Older than just about everything the country considers foundational.

The plan, as Darryl put it, is for something "vibrant, thoughtful, creative, inclusive and full of character." His words. The proposed timeline launches alongside the Melville Art Mile on Thursday, 1 October 2026, with activations running through to Sunday, 4 October. Six working groups are forming across creative programming, heritage and storytelling, business and partnerships, logistics, marketing and communications, and community and volunteer coordination.

"This is not 'my' event," Darryl said. "This is Melville's event."

A first in-person planning session is being proposed for the near future. If you live in or love the Ville and want to be part of the team that makes the 130th year something nobody forgets, reach out to the MRA or to Darryl directly. We will share the WhatsApp group link as soon as we have it confirmed.

We are on the committee. It is going to be something, so join us.

ssue 81, crazy! More like isjoe 81! We are staring 100 issues square in the face and excited to knock it the eff out! Enjoyed the read? Buy your favourite local newsroom a cheeky Irish coffee.

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Til' next week Melville,

Stay cunning, stay creative, stay cute.

Jajoecha peve. ✌️