I spent the summer holidays of 1954 and 1955 at the house in Cliff Avenue. I saw some friends from my days at MEPS but going to school in England had separated me from them. My mother took us to the Chini Club and across to the Swimming Club, and she organised picnics at the beaches to the north and south of Mombasa, but I remember being very content with my own company.
My parents had friends called the Dingles who ran a chicken farm to the south of Mombasa. Once a week, Mr Dingle came in to town in a dark green Morris Minor van to delivered eggs. Each holiday we drove out to visit them. Their farm was on the coast, with a fine white-sand beach, and they lived in palm-thatched 'bandas' in what seemed very primitive conditions - but I loved it there, and one holiday I stayed with them. The picture shows my father with Richard and I sitting on the side of an open, concrete water tank. There seemed to be thousands of chickens in the runs beyond the house, and I helped to feed them and collect the eggs.
The Dingles gave us a chicken. She had a large tuft on her head and was christened Clario. According to my mother, "She shared Tinker's food and laid an egg every day except Sunday. The boys would fight as to who should have the egg; to solve the problem Clario invited another hen to join her in egg laying so that we had two."
The Ansteys were also good friends of my parents. They had a house at Tudor, where this picture was taken. Mr Anstey was manager of the East African Breweries. Richard and I are in the Anstey's garden in typical daily wear: tee shirts, shorts, 'tackies' - plimsolls - and we always wore a small sheath knife - Richard's is visible in the picture.
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