Real-life stories: wartime children and African safaris
Christine Reason, a wartime child of WW2, twice evacuated, then on to romance, marriage and self-employment. 1930 to 2019. Working for the British Government on African Safaris in the 1950s and 1960s.Fires in caravans, crawling caterpillars in a line, a dog in a bar likes a tipple, marbles as gifts, no brakes on a cliff…
[2] African 1950s Safari introduction
Joe′s Journal of 1950’s safari′s, work contracts and expeditions to far away places. The 1950′s saw a steady stream of well trained technicians available to industry, having completed National Service. I opted for travel and adventure overseas, well paid work with low taxation…
[4] 1950’s Mosal – Kurdish delight but very dangerous
The tarmac soon gave way to dust in 1950’s Mosal, but it was halfway through the day, about 70 miles on before foothills replaced the plains. Further on and well into the mountains my driver seemed happier, now in his own country, so I raised the subject of the bullet hole that starred my half…
[13] 1949 to 1951 boyfriends
In my real life story 1949, Stanley kept coming into the Library while I was working, and I used to be filling the shelves up with returned books, and he used to pop his head round the corner of the bookcases! Eventually, this wore me down so I agreed to go out with him…
[14] 1951 to 1953 romantic manure
In my real life story 1951 after Roy fetched the Chrysanths, he said to me “I am soon going home to jam sandwiches and Beethoven”. So I realised that, like me, he loved classical music, and it was definitely love at first sight! It was very difficult for us to meet on our own…
[15] 1951 to 1955 wedding day
Continuing my real life story 1951 … of course we were on our own when Roy saw me home after the meal at their cottage, but in the two years we were courting, we only went out to a cinema three times, as the only bus from Terling into Chelmsford…
[11] Souvenirs from East Africa: figures 1 to 3
Souvenirs from East Africa, these wooden figures were collected mainly from Tanganyika – now Tanzania, during the early 1950’s. Most were bought at stations on the Central Railway Line…
[16] 1955 to 1956 baby boy
Real life story 1955, our first home at Terling was a new Council House, but we left after seven months, as the market garden could not support another family, as by this time I was pregnant, and Roy got the job as Manager at Harry Church’s Nursery at Witham, just a few miles away…
[12] East African Colonialism out in the bush
East African Colonialism; In Africa their simple tiny churches were much better attended than ours and, despite poverty and hardships, had a touching faith, humility and inner confidence. Mission training was its basis. Throughout East Africa, every known Christian denomination had a station somewhere. Priests and lay brothers – always known as ‘White Fathers’ – tore…
[17] 1957 to 1960 I’m not rearing pigs!
Continuing my real life story 1957, Roy had always wanted to be self-employed, so he applied to the L.S.A. (Land Settlement Association) for a smallholding at Lawford, near Manningtree, Essex, and we moved there in November 1957. We had a financial struggle at first, as we had to put down a deposit and then pay…
[13] A good read while on safari
There was always a risk on arriving unbooked, to find ‘No Room At The Inn’ on my Tanganyikan safari. Unfortunately the reasons for my travels rarely gave enough notice to make reservations. Unlike the big city palaces, the bush hotel would usually fit you in somewhere…
[14] Souvenirs from Tanganyika: figures 4 to 6
This group of carved 3 figures, souvenirs from Tanganyika, is also made from a lightweight softwood, initially ‘Tea Rose’ coloured – darkening with age…
[12] Earith parades 1936 to 1960
George V Jubilee Day 1936 at Earith. Recreation Field, Earith circa 1938-1939 Conservative Parade circa 1950-60
[17] Souvenirs from Kenya: figures 7 to 8
These wooden figures were collected in East Africa, mainly from Tanganyika – now Tanzania, during the early 1950’s…
[23] African Souvenirs: figures 9 to 11
The first of my African Souvenirs are two sets of figures, made from an ebony like wood, probably finished with boot polish…
