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…
[1] A bad shortcut down the Muse Escarpment!
Well, this short cut includes the Muse Escarpment; descending 2000 feet in a mile and a half. Four years earlier, I made the trip as a passenger in the middle seat of a Land Rover, so I knew what was coming. Fortunately for Mohammed, he didn’t know…
[5] A Gift of Marbles
The beaming proprietor began counting cool objects into my sweaty outstretched palms. No – NOT CHANGE! Seven clicks as each kissed its neighbour, eight little spheres of gleaming glass with whorls of white on blue, green, red or amber, two of each hue. One per gallon MARBLES…
[6] Wallowing Hippopotamus, Sable and Roan Antelopes
What chance against a lion? A Sable Antelope in Southern Rhodesia Game Reserve. A shy Roan Antelope and wallowing Hippopotamus…
[7] A 1960’s Safari Guide and the Victoria Falls
1962 Luangwa Valley Game Reserve with my African Safari Guide. Inspired by the book ‘Wildlife in an African Territory’ also saw the Victoria Falls.
[8] Tanganyikan safari: Fire in the night
An hour or so later on this Tanganyikan safari: Awake! … Smoke! … Fire? ‘Get back to sleep; it’s the crew and their camp fire, still rejoicing.’ Another hour. Awake again, more smoke, but no fire and the crew silent now. Sleep again. And again! Choking this time and definitely not from wood smoke!…
[9] The Donkey’s Revenge – Egyptian safari
Easter, mid-1960s found me working in Cairo on my Egyptian safari, in a traffic jam, fortunately not driving. Two huge characters perched on a dray headed our queue, drawn by a very small off-white donkey. He waited for the whistle, the whip cracked. ‘Enough’ thinks the donkey, as he spreads out four legs, and sags…
[10] African safari – The valley of the Shadow of Death
Lightning now frequent and close – hardly need the headlights! Down into THE valley – Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, a lightning trap on this African safari. Just once, my passenger reached towards the crash bar. The vertical rock face is a reassuring milestone, but then a direct hit floodlights the scene.
[18] 1961 to 1970 field found by Providence
To continue my real life story 1961, in February, my Father, who had been very ill with a duodenal ulcer, had survived an experimental operation to by-pass part of his duodenum, sadly died less than a year later, aged 65 years. Peter grew up on the small-holding, and became friends with Paul Austin, whose parents…
[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…
[12] Earith parades 1936 to 1960
George V Jubilee Day 1936 at Earith. Recreation Field, Earith circa 1938-1939 Conservative Parade circa 1950-60
[16] On a Wing and a Prayer
The planes engine’s song keys down, her nose dips, and the little township rises centre stage. A touch to starboard and there’s the runway ahead, but something is wrong. On a Wing and a Prayer…
[19] A sting in the tail – deadly scorpion
Our first survival rule read NEVER PUT YOUR HAND INTO A HOLE. I forgot it, and knew what hit me before I saw it. A deadly scorpion! Burns, stings and high voltage shocks a-plenty; but nothing had equalled this, stunning rather than electrifying…
[20] Sundowners on African safaris
Even ‘On Safari’ you found a place to pull in off the ‘road’, brew up, eat and rest during that glorious hour, the ‘Sundowner’. Eyes free of blinding light and the dust settled; refreshed, you could press on in the cooler night air. This stop was essential to those of us who spent long hours…
[21] A Dog’s Life in a hotel bar on an African safari
A Dog’s Life, HE arrived with a whimper. Hungry? – A sausage roll made the tail wag. Thirsty? -a bowl of water raised a cocked head of doggy amazement, and no wag. Then someone gave him a half of India Pale Ale. Instant wagging and immediate consumption…
[22] Processionary caterpillars on African Safari
Five thousand feet up English roses grow as well as Paw Paw fruits, but t’was the huge wooden pillar, remains of some giant pergola, that caught my attention. What’s that dark line on it? Old creeper stem? No, it’s moving! Too thin for a snake – and snakes are not hairy anyway…
