Huberte

"Huberte always played a leading role in the receptions hosted in South Africa; the smaller, more intimate gatherings held in their home in Thibault Street as well as the bigger receptions that were mostly held in hotels. She took trouble to make foreign visitors feel at home and to introduce them to the country, its people and traditions. Her menus invariably included typically South African fare and lots of fresh vegetables, salads and fruit. Always health conscious, she did not serve rich, indigestible dishes. The best South African wines were offered. At formal dinners she took great pains over seating, trying to avoid ‘dead spots’ by not putting quiet people together. On occasion guests were provided with cards carrying information about the two people on their right and left, their names, jobs and interests. It gave her great pleasure to see a heterogeneous group of guests with widely divergent tastes and customs ‘”finding” one another and having a wonderful time together’."

"When Colonel Whitbread announced his intention to visit South Africa at the end of 1964, Rupert had a large reception arranged for him. He and Huberte went to great lengths to welcome the colonel and his wife, as was typical of the way in which they received guests. Visitors, like the Whitbreads, not only found flowers and fruit in their hotel rooms but also a book, usually about South Africa’s cultural and natural heritage."