Bothners Somerset West recently relocated to a new bigger shop at The Avenues shopping centre, and to celebrate the milestone a grand opening was held at the new premises on Tuesday (25 July).
The bigger Bothners Somerset West store, located in Drama Street, caters for any aspiring or experienced musician’s needs as they have done for almost the past 20 years in the basin.
Carel van Heerden, director of Bothners Retail, thanked the Somerset West team for all their late nights to get the new shop ready in time for the reopening.
“All of their partners must have thought that they were being cheated on,” he said in his opening speech at the event, “due to all of the late nights that we had to work to get everything ready for the grand opening.”
Van Heerden welcomed Duncan Combe, a renowned music teacher in the area and he described him as being a mentor and an inspiration.
“Duncan is the reason why Somerset West is such a hub for musicians. He is one of the most amazing music teachers and I am honoured to call him my friend.”
Combe, who engaged in the ceremonial ribbon cutting at the opening, said in all his years of teaching a beginner is still his favourite person to teach.
“My favourite person is a beginner, the one who has no technique. It is beautiful to see someone play a acoustic guitar and then they try an electric guitar for the first time. It is awesome to plug it in and put it in overdrive and to let the young musicians hear and experience their first power cord. My job is to nurture their musical talents. If you do it right then you will have a child or someone who has a passion for music.”
He said music creates a place for them to come back to.
“This new store is a place where adults can walk in with money in their back pockets and they buy a guitar or another instrument and it’s a feeling that never goes away. That is why I am so proud to see that everyone who works here at Bothners Somerset West is passionate about music. Here is an amazing synergy here.”
During the opening guests were treated to refreshments and snacks, as well as live performances by local rock band Llevado comprising Justin Davie and Brian Lee.
In conclusion, Combe encouraged everyone not only to make the Helderberg basin and community a better place, but to make the world a better place.
