Zambia World Wide

I spent sometime with a rather big installation at the Wusikili Hospital. There for the first time I saw professional criers. It was amazing as one minute they were crying and at the same time scratching in the sand with their bare hands. The next instant they were laughing and chatting with a passer by that they had recognized.

During this time I would regularly visit the market, which was close by, and purchase boiled peanuts. The peanuts here were much bigger than the peanuts we had in South Africa and I preferred the peanuts boiled.

Early 1957 three Post Office employers Carl Bremner, John White and Dennis Proudfoot resigned and also started doing contract work for the mines. With the competition we now had and I intended getting married in June and would be in need of accommodation I again approached Stan Stollard. By this time I had two years service after completing my apprenticeship and what’s more the South African Post Office sent me a certificate, which changed my status from a Telephone and Telegraph Electrician to a Telephone and Telegraph Technician. This meant they could offer me a better salary although at first they were only prepared to offer me 640 pounds/annum as they were not fully aware of the work done while with Sammy Sampson. Once this was sorted out my starting salary was increased to 900pounds/annum plus housing and medical aid. With this salary I could still afford to buy a new Thames panel van from Duly Motors. I left Sammy at the end of May 1957.

My wedding and Honeymoon.

Once I was a permanent resident in Northern Rhodesia I was invited to join the Youth Club. Here I met Bob Ludlow the Youth Club Chairman and Joe Grant-Grierson. Joe often entertained us with his hypnosis shows. He also gave Judo lessons at the youth club on the front lawn of Bob’s house in 6^th Avenue. When he learnt that I had done Judo for over a year he asked if I could attend the ladies classes, as he needed someone on whom he could demonstrate the throws and also someone on whom the ladies could practice. Steve Arneil joined me, as he had become a Judo fanatic. He went to Durban to further his training and around 1957 he left for Japan. He later became the personal Judo trainer to the children of King Hussein of Jordan. Those who were in Southern Rhodesia around 1970 might remember his visit to Salisbury. With this visit he was prepared to take on six black belt holders simultaneously. It was during the Judo sessions with the ladies that I met Pauline Whitfield. She was then also the Youth Club Secretary and in April 1956 the Citizen published a photo of her when she was chosen as the “Girl of the North.” On meeting her she was employed with the Chamber of Mines Kitwe as a Fingerprint Clerk. On the 29^th June 1957 we were married in the Anglican Church Kitwe with Joe as our Best man. Joe on his return to South Africa opened a Survival and Combat Academy in Germiston.

Our first honeymoon night was spent in a small room at the Kapiri Mposhi Hotel. All amenities were outside. From here we made our way to the Victoria Falls Hotel where we spent just on a week. Although everything was marked S.A.R.&H (South African Railways & Harbours) it was of the best. The view of the gardens from the your room and the atmosphere in the Dining Room (Livingstone Room) with its high ceilings and fans not to mention the service will always bring back good memories. Of course there was the boat trip to Kandahar Island, a ride in the trolley from the Hotel to the Falls, a visit to the Big Tree and the flight over the falls. From here we made our way to the Wankie (Hwange) Game Reserve. We spent a week there staying at both Robin’s and the Main Camp. At Robin’s Camp we shared Champaign with the game wardens. I was shocked to see the condition of Hwange Game Reserve and the secondary road from the A8 to Robins Camp in 1994. It took us two and a half hours to cover the 54km.