Departure

As the time for our departure approached, David and Bibi moved to Umtali, in the east of the country, so we visited them there, on one occasion staying at Brown's Hotel in the town. On our last visit we drove north, back to Inyanga National Park, stopping at the Pungwe Falls. The view may have been spectacular but Gill felt terrible, so we hurried back to Marandellas and took her to the doctor, who announced that she was pregnant. For the next few weeks she was almost incapacitated by morning sickness, to the extent that I had to administer a daily injection. In tutoring me in how to do this, our lovely doctor said, "Imagine her bottom's a dart board...."

Finding a job back in the UK from Rhodesia might have been difficult so, since I was determined to continue teaching, we decided that I should apply for a teaching qualification, accepting a place at the Bristol School of Education, part of Bristol University, to do a Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

We began the miserable process of getting rid of the things which couldn't travel back with us. The two cats went to Bibi and David while we found Marx a home with a neighbouring farmer, who renamed him Mark. Sadly, Marx died of canine distemper soon after moving to the farm. The picture shows us with Marx very shortly before he left us.

We had gone to Rhodesia with all our possessions with the intention of settling permanently in this beautiful country amongst the warm, generous people we had come to love. When we decided to leave it was like a defeat. I remember weeping bitterly as we drove away from the college.

That we left was, in retrospect, a wise decision. After years of agony as the civil war drew out, Rhodesia became Zimbabwe with the prospect of developing into one of the richest and most advanced countries in Africa, a hope which was ruined under Robert Mugabe.

We left on 21st September 1970. We flew Air Rhodesia to Blantyre, Malawi, where we picked up our BOAC VC-10 flight to London - pictured. Although we remained in contact with some until 1975, steadily, sadly, we lost touch with all the dear friends we had made, and the memories of our attempt to settle in Africa faded.