The skinder imperative

o newcomers to small towns experience the feeling that the locals know too much about them? Definitely, says Julienne du Toit. “Especially when you first move to your new platteland dorp, you are immediately – the most valuable commodity. It always amuses me when a TV programme or book has a character fleeing to escape attention and heading to some remote settlement. That’s the one place you are guaranteed to attract attention. If you really need to escape, disappear into a city.”