Tegwyn

Ah Zambia, I remember those tropical storms that would turn up like clockwork. I'd be racing home from school on my bike to try get home before the skies opened and boy could they open. Nothing quite like the sound of hard rain hitting those old corrugated iron roofing. Used to make such a racket yet a beautiful noise all the same. All hell broke loose with lightning and thunder for about 45 minutes to an hour and then off she goes to soak the lands elsewhere. That smell emitted after the rains was always so amazing. There was nothing more pleasurable than puddle jumping right after the rains. I never did appreciate the amount of washing I created for my mother until I myself had a family.

I recall our camping trips set up in trees near watering holes. Kids used to talk of tree houses as a place to play but I remember them as being rather necessary when watching animals streaming in for their drink of water at dusk. Cried bucket loads when seeing lions attacking a buck or zebra. Everyone was oohing and aahing watching the wild in action and all I want to do was throw stones and big sticks at those nasty animals wanting to kill another. Only bloody thirsty pleasure I ever got from an animal attack was watching an elephant send a lioness flying after attempting to attack her young. She ran away and I recall being the only one happy about that. Blood thirsty lot.
I remember watching the giraffe come in for a drink, and hooting at them having to spread their front legs to get their heads down to reach the water level. They normally looked so elegant until they did that. Sort of reminds one of a gangly youngster that is all legs and awkward.

You never really had to travel far to see wildlife. This I can attest to when going to the golf course with my uncle. (He was trying to teach me to play this frustrating game then as my poor hubby still tries to do now) I thought I heard a baby screaming and was sure someone was hurting a child. We ran out the clubhouse to see what was going on and witnessed a big cat (as I called it then) - probably a leopard running off across the course with a monkey in it's mouth. The screeching the other monkeys were making was just piercing. I recall that animal being much darker and slimmer in shape than a lioness.

We took the wildlife for granted. Driving from Muf to Kitwe or Ndola usually involved some animal sightings. Giraffe and deer typically. Used to love going to Lake Bangwelo. Loved swimming there until I saw a croc. Someone forgot to tell me that. Also had to stop because of some kids getting infected with bilharzia but that was okay by me. Rather have a bug than be lunch for a croc.

I remember the top shops and downtown. The country club where my parents played bowls whilst I went swimming at the nearby pool. I remember the school and at that time, it was a mixed race school. Still have memories of a little black girl who was my "bestest friend back then". Her name was Josephine and I used to hang out by her place and her parents teaching me to eat putu(sp) pap and cooked ants. At the time rather crunchy but no appreciation of eating something crawly. Now makes my skin crawl just thinking of the stuff I ingested without a care in the world. I do recall the astonishment of finding out the ants I had happily munched on stunk to high heaven if you stood on one. I think they were called matabele ants and those little creatures could happily crunch back.
I recall being chased by a wild pig in the sanitary lane behind our house. Someone must have caught the thing and planning to toast him but he/she got away and was peed off at the human world. Didn't blame the poor creature but did not appreciate being the target of his wrath. Sister did not believe me so she trotted down the lane to enjoy the same experience. You get a different perspective on things when it's not you being the target......

I could go on with trips to Vic Falls and all, but a lot of that is tangled with some awful events. After Kaunda came into power, things changed dramatically and what was once a friendly place became quite hostile and scary. Our family is one of those refugees that fled Zambia after many of my parent's friends were killed. So, I try not open that door any longer.

What you do appreciate about wild Africa is that it is, well - wild, but it is no longer the animals you fear.

Redlippie

Thanks mate. Where are they taken?

Daxk

The Street is/was Inharrime about 120 k's from Maputo, the House and Beach were at Tofo, Inhambane , someone else from that era with a house there was Peter Scales from Bulawayo and his family.

Redlippie

How long ago was this?

Daxk

2002, Inharrime has improved the main street ,all the rest is still the same as per my friend who was at tofo two weeks ago

Redlippie

My dh went down via Komati when the road was still a dirt road, just after the war ended. It was pretty dangerous then still.

I started going down there when they'd built a road and surfaced it. It was still very dangerous so we used to do 200 km/hr. Very few cars - and then the Moz govt put soldiers with RPG's in tents every km or so along the road. Could be a bit terrifying at first - I was stopped at a roadblock once - he just wanted to check I had a triangle - was the law and they'd make plenty of money from it.....I hollered at him in Port. and he smiled and let me go.

Maputo was being fixed up at the time - painting, new construction etc.....amazingly, I felt safe walking around at night - something I would never do on my own in S.A.

Redlippie

The thing I miss most about Zims is driving down any road, anywhere and seeing wild animals walking around freely.

cocopops

I grew up in Middelburg TVL and have very happy memories of the freedom we had although at the time I didnt understand the implications of the locations and 9 o clock buzzers etc need I say more we just accepted this was the norm.We (I have 1 sister 3 brothers one of whom was born in SA) used to have garden sales vil jou koop??? probs spelt wrong long time since I spoke afrikaans and got to know some of the local people from the location.We still as children used to dig out underground shelters incase the terrorists came, god it sounds really pathetic now.I was 11 when I left and I still think of my time there selling the Middleburg Observer at age 7 they were 5c each going to the bioscope watching the night of the living dead at about 8 and having gifts handed out at xmas whilst watching charlie and the chocolate factory.We were rooinecks at the local primary school but I have no bad memories sports days were great real events then singing songs etc going to bloemfontein for sports events.Going to sudwala caves and loskop dam for trips out and seeing the cheetahs Im sure they were at a sanctuary near the dam.

Dago

Beira is brilliant!! The old buildings around the dock are wonderful.

They used to have loads of steam tractors there for some reason

The mozzies in Beira are just awesome - quantity and quality....

Was Beira not a big resort town for Rhodies?

Daxk

Just posted some pice of the grande Hotel Beira 1975 and pool, Then and now.In the Photo gallery
For the squeemish, do NOT look at the croc pics, I once chased a German Fly fisherman out of the water at Lake Sibaya, he was peeved until I gave him the Binocs, they were'nt logs.

Redlippie

HAU!!! I saw it.

Used to happen at least once a month where we lived........awful.

We all grew up knowing how dangerous stepping anywhere near a riverbank was....

Daxk

Yeah, There was an ornithologist group from Wits who set up a project to help the Vultures/Lammergeiers who were dying out.
Established a feeding program in the Hills that run along the Escarpment from Maraisburg thru Florida out past Krugersdorp/Ruimsig, Set up feeding Tables
Nice growth, good breeding cycle, the birds started recovering nicely from all the years of eating Poisoned Jakkals and the odd Rabbit
Squatter camp established itself between the Rhino Farm and the Hills.
Started losing toddlers, not many , just the odd one here and there, especially down by the stream while Mommy was washing and the kids wandered into the open veld.
Took a while for the penny to drop.
Tell that to my neighbours, they'll think it's a long one, tell that to any sheep farmer who's seen a lammergeier in action after the lambs have dropped and he will know exactly.

Redlippie

Tegwyn

I think back to my wily youth waterskiing, boating and swimming on the Vaal River. Best memories are the anything floats darby that were run for charity fundraising events. Forgotten the name of that resort in Sasolburg where these things started. (I'm getting old) The days of wearing the watermelon helmets comes to mind. Made excellent hats even if rather squishy. Can't imagine much of that happening there now with this going on. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx...ews__national/ Yuck!

TigerOC

Memories of Rhodesia 1955 - 1965

My home was on the most Easterly suburb in Bulawayo. My Dad was a Chief Pharmacist of Rhodesia Railways and that meant all sorts of special travel which I will mention later.

Some of my special childhood memories were;

The very wide streets of Bulawayo. The cars parked facing the pavement along both sides and in the centre as well and then two lanes of traffic on each side of the central parking and people still double parking outside the shops.

Memories of going shopping with my mother. She would always make sure she and I were properly dressed. She would always go into Haddon & Sly. I always headed for the toy department in the basement which was always full of great delights which I was unlikely ever to get but great fun to look at and dream of. She would grocery shop in their supermarket and they would deliver on Thursdays. The other shop that always fascinated me was OK Bazaar. They had the only air-conditioning that I knew of and the shop always had a smell like vanilla ice-cream. Then there was Townsend & Butcher the sports shop that I used to go into and admire the cricket bats.

The very special events that happened a couple of times a year was to go out to my godfather's farm at Nyamandlovu. Uncle Jack Charlesley (as I knew him) had played cricket for Rhodesia and was my idol. At every visit I always listened very intently to his wise advice on cricket. He had a son, Peter, a few years older than me who used to take me shooting birds and lizards on the farm and then for a dip in the concrete reserviour. I remember Jack spent years building the farm up. When we first used to visit in the mid '50's he built a house, room by room in a line with a covered stoop along the outside in the colonial style. He carried one like this until they had a complete house. Later in the '60's he built a beautiful home from granite and the old house was converted into a chicken slaughter house.

My Dad used to work in a medical complex just behind the shunting yard at the end of the Railway Station. Whenever I had to go into town after school and wait for him to finish work I used to go through a hole in the fence and sit by the railway lines watching those big Garrat Steam engines in the shunting yard assembling the trains to go out. I always wished the driver would offer me a ride but they never did.

In those days of Federation (late '50's) all the Railway lines from Ndola in N. Rhodesia down to Mafeking in Bechuanaland were controlled from Bulawayo. The Railways had clinics at all the major stations. These were staffed by Nursing Sisters. They had a special Medical Coach that was a fully equipped Doctor's surgery. At least once a year we used to travel in this coach or an ordinary Service coach (comprising from end to end; Lounge/dining room, 2 double bedrooms, bathroom with bath, galley and cook's quarters) up to Ndola. They would hook us up as the lead coach next to the engine on a goods train on Friday afternoon. The train would be heading up north and they would then drop us off at the Marshalling yard at Dett. Dett had a small Railway village and clinic but it was also near main camp at Wankie Game reserve. My Dad would spend most of Saturday working at the clinic and then borrow a Railway car and we would spend Sunday in the Game Reserve. On Sunday night they would hook us up with another goods train and take us up to Victoria Falls where we would be left in the marshalling yard for 2 days. Dad did his work in the clinic there and in Livingstone. The Victoria Falls Hotel was owned by the Railways then. We would then head off for Lusaka and Ndola stopping at various points. These were always great trips and lasted 2 weeks.

Politics was never a great issue until the late '50's. Following the "Winds of Change" speech in 1958 things became more complicated. I am not sure of the actual dates but remember that the trains used to stoned whilst passing through the townships on their way up to Salisbury. I remember my parents becoming more restrictive about roaming and camping in the veld. I was in my early teens and life was good. Not being able to go camping and fishing with my friends in the veld was bad. I remember my folks and other people getting pretty agro about what was going on up North.

The first big shock came when I saw a movie about a family in Kenya that was murdered in their home. That left a huge impression on me. The next thing to happen was when the white folk from the Belgian Congo started flooding through Bulawayo with nothing but what they stood in. I think that was the very first time that I realised what a dangerous place Africa was and what my folks were getting excited about. I think all of us of my age group suddenly realised that the politics that was going on around us had a much greater meaning for us. Previously it was something for adults. Suddenly this affected us children and this was not nice. Most of our fathers had served in the last War (WW2) . War games we part of our heritage. Suddenly our lives became more serious and the army and national service became more serious. I remember the RLI being formed around this time and then the SAS. At the Bulawayo Trade Fair about this time I remember the RLI staging a spectacular mock battle and then marching in their ceremonial uniforms. We were so proud. I remember the adverts on TV showing the SAS and asking if you would "dare". About this time one of the boys who had just left school joined up and about a year later came to school wearing the coveted SAS beret. Wow, were we impressed.

Then UDI came. I remember the day very distinctly for more than one reason. A message was conveyed to all schools at about 10:00hrs on the 11/11/1965, that everyone was to be sent home for an important announcement. This we greeted with a mixture of apprehension (not knowing what was coming) and jubilation (we got off school early). We knew we had to be home by 13:00hrs. There were no buses because they only ran when school came out at 14:00hrs. A few of us lived in the same area so we proceeded to walk the 5 miles home. Not really that nice in November with the temperature at 30+C and carrying a suitcase with all our books. But the walk went quickly as we discussed what the announcement would be. To be honest I listened but none of the speech by Ian Smith made a lot of sense to me and Mum had to explain it. I know in our house there was some fierce debate. Mum was British born and fiercely colonial. Dad was South African born, of British parents but not overly patriotic at this stage. Having volunteered to spend 6 years in WW2 fighting to protect the mother country he wasn't overly impressed with the way he was being treated now.

There were similar debates amongst the boys at school. Those of British birth or direct ancestry tended not to be too happy about UDI and those of Southern African extraction were very happy.

I remember there were serious concerns about Britain deploying Javelin(?) fighters into Zambia at this time. My first cousin was in the RAF and was based in Kenya at the time and had been involved in moving logistics down to support these fighters and surface-to-air defence systems. He wrote to my mother (his aunt) about this time and assured her that there was nothing to worry about. His assurance was that they would never attack us and that they were there purely to defend Zambia and Zambian air space. Apparently many of the air crews had trained and knew many of the pilots in the RRAF at the time and had told their CO that they would refuse any command to engage RRAF aircraft or territory. At the time Salisbury controlled the radar and air space above Zambia and the air crews of the RAF were in constant contact with the Control Centres in Salisbury.

My other fond memory of the period was going on fishing trip with friends to Lake Kyle for 2 weeks in December '65. Because sanctions had already been imposed there was an over-supply of export grade beef and we had some of the best rump steak I have ever had in my life. There was a bonus. Didn't know at that stage that we wouldn't see any chocolate again for years.