Page 28 - Intra Muros May 2024

ESTATE NEWS

A sense of belonging

This long-term resident reflects on what living in Silver Lakes means to her.

I Over the years I have contributed on- It comprises a variety of styles now,
have been reading Intra Muros from
its inception in the early years of the
ranging from the small houses of both first-
and-off to Intra Muros, collating stories
existence of Silver Lakes, back when it
was still printed and put together on Pam and information from the environmental time buyers and retirees in ‘that estate out
and aesthetic committees while I was
there’ to mansions, Tuscan interpretations
Robinson’s kitchen table and then printed environmental director. Sometimes I just and a style that typifies Silver Lakes.
at the then HOA offices at the post boxes, published the ‘nicety’ of living in Silver
where Telkom has its office now. Lakes, presenting information about its We have this variety because we do not
architecture, our nature walks, our parks, have too many rules, and definitely not too
We printed it on A3 sheets or sometimes events at the clubhouse, or stories about many to inhibit our inhabitants’ individual
A4, which we stapled together and hand people who had been living on the estate architectural preferences. In recent
delivered to every house – there were so for ages. years, we have seen many houses being
few. transformed into more modern styles,
I thought it might be nice to start writing juxtapositioned with the older homes. This
When it came to collecting content for the about Silver Lakes again – not about the creates the sense of a purely Silver Lakes
magazine, there was a lot of homeowner goings-on on the committees (those look and feel. I believe anyone with a love
participation, especially since there are details the various managers and of expressing himself or herself is a fan of
were only about 200 houses spread directors can talk about in their articles), our estate’s ethos of ‘self-expression’.
over the whole area. It was our way of but just about what I see when I walk or
communicating the events and news of the go on my bicycle around this amazing However, there is a downside to this:
estate – and it still is. estate of ours. sometimes too much variation creates
chaos. That’s why we must try to take
Where does the title Intra Muros come The other day I had to go to a good care of our sidewalks by keeping
from? It originates from the fact that we physiotherapist, and in one short ride them tidy with lots of greenery – because
were the first residential golf course built on my bicycle I could capture the street sidewalks are the unifying character of our
between walls. architecture that embodies Silver Lakes. estate.

Who lives behind these different front doors? Nothing is the same but the friendly individuality, combined with plants and carefully thought-out
paving and gates. Like owner, like home.

26 | INTRAMUROS MAY 2024