Summer 1961

The summer of 1961 was the last school holiday we spent in Mombasa. My father's company, The African Mercantile, had been taken over by a big Australian firm called Dalgety who, while they wished to retain my father, were adamant that he had to move to a senior position in Nairobi. None of us liked Nairobi, it would have meant my father losing touch with his ships, and the uncertainties of Kenya's independence was nearing, so he opted to retire.

Dalgety's were very good to him, giving him a pension - which the African Mercantile had never offered. Picture shows the African Mercantile offices in Kilindini Road which were built while my father was manager.

By 1961 our circle of friends had widened further. We went out with the 'gang' every day. I was sixteen, girls were of considerable interest though I was too timid to do anything about it. We went to parties, various parents organised trips along the coast to some of the superb beaches which are now major tourist destinations - picture shows Richard and I at the Two Fishes on one of those outings - we went to the drive-in cinema and to....

....the Tsavo game parks where masses of elephants and buffalo still roamed - though, from the grainy photos which our Kodak 127 took, one might not believe it.

As the date of our return to England and to school approached our friends began to disappear back to school. In the last few days everyone had gone except for Christine, seen on the right here with my old friend Tony Chetham before he went back to school. Christine - sadly, I cannot remember her surname - was also shortly to return to school in England and we had a great deal in common, so we could help bury the misery of approaching departure in each other's company. I recall sitting on the front veranda of our house on the last morning feeling very low when Christine arrived and helped me through the last few hours before....

....Richard and I had to say a last goodbye to the 'boys' and to....

....the house which we had so come to love. This view from the upstairs balcony is from a painting given to my parents a few months later on their departure by Commander John Hall who, with his wife Kitty, were great friends of theirs.

This photo was taken by my mother as we left the house. I'm not sure why Gabriel, the company driver, is in the picture but we went to the station to catch the sleeper train to Nairobi. I remember the train crossing Makupa causeway as it left Mombasa island, with the sun setting behind the escarpment in the west, and swearing that I would never forget that moment - which, obviously I haven't.