Weekends rule.

As a kid we would have lunch outside. It was either a Saturday or a Sunday. But there was a table outside, and we'd have take the dining room chairs, set up and we would sit under the tree, there were always two roast chickens, roast potatoes, roast veg, and Auntie May and Aunt Ellen would be fetched.

The most important thing that happened was, the radio was brought out, and... the Goons show was playing on the radio. We had to be seated by 1 o' clock on the dot. It was British radio comedy programme. Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers. All through lunch, half of us didn't know what was going on, but the adults, they would laugh their way through. There was usually wine or some alcohol and definitely always Malva pudding. Afterwards everybody got involved with the cleanup and dishes. This is how the weekend was.

Nowadays, you wake up, and you have a cup of coffee, things are a bit slower. You get dressed in your Sunday best and off you go to church, pleasantries with the community and back home for Sunday lunch, it doesn't matter what it is. But there's a little bit more care given, and there's a few more people around the table. There's this special feeling about it. It's just that it's an occasion.

I think if you've been brought up with one of the weekend days being an occasion, an event, it follows you through life. In South Africa for as long as I can remember there was a television programme on Sunday evening called Carte Blanche and after that at 8 o' clock there was the Sunday movie. You knew you had school the next day, or work. But hearing the Carte Blanche theme tune - it was the great, last awesome free moment of your weekend. It created a feeling that still resonates.

If you go church every Sunday. It's family day. There's a nice meal and it's calm, friendly, happy and relaxed and I think it brings me to that feeling we have on a weekend. Here's a day... where it's just a little different. It's a little special, and we bring up our kids like that. There's something that happens, that follows through. So, whether it's church or a visit to family, you get dressed up, you make an effort, and off you go, there's joy, and think that's it's an inherent thing that gets taken with us through our youth and into adulthood. We go and we hunt for these things if it's not there, we make our own, culture or tradition. It continues that wonderful feeling on your Sunday. It's a day of relax, a day of laughter. A day of commonality across cultures and languages and countries ... I sure hope it is. I think there is something about committing a day a week, to something other than yourself. Or, you know, even Saturday mornings, cleaning the yard, sweeping the yard, clearing up... It's a tradition. It's a culture. It a feeling. That's what's supposed to happen. I have been fortunate to work in so many places and even if it was on a diamond mine in the middle of Africa, Sundays may have been a work day , it was also relegated to a day of maintenance and department or self commitment. We're social creatures. So, friends and family, it's a tribute to, to them, to tribute to yourself. That feeling of peace and of being true to ourselves.... right. On your weekend, with your people, people comfortable to be yourself around. And uninhibited, and warm, and friendly, and it's important and may it always just be so.