T H E C O V E N A N T E R
dresses for various friends children, and the engine started right away. Failing that,
numerous day sun dresses for myself and you have to keep sounding your horn and
Marion. It kept me busy because on the the keeper comes to your rescue. Another
whole it was not a lively posting. outing was to a close by open air cinema,
The Bn went away on schemes up country not far from the Taikka Road House (a sort
past the escarpment to Gil Gil and beyond of up market pub). The children had their
and sometimes to the Border with Somalia. baths, and sat in the back seat of the car
This was a bit nerve-wracking for me with pillows and a blanket. You drove in
with two children to think off, you began and parked in rows on a slight incline. On a
to wonder what you would do if remnants post next to the car was a receiver to put in
of the Mau Mau decided to attack these five the car. This relayed the sound of the film
isolated bungalows from the back door it on a huge screen in front of the cars. Next
was about 150 yards dash to the back fence you pressed a button and a waiter came for
of the camp, but the gate would be locked your supper order - the kids thought this
and a roving army piquet could be anywhere was great.
in the Camp. The other alternative was to More often than not they were asleep
hoist the children up into the water tank, before the film finished and we just had to
but of course if they set fire to the place we pop them into bed on return to the house.
would have cooked nicely. The wives had very little to do, and a
The land looked very dry and I couldn’t wives club did not exist, so from that point
believe the change after the rains came. The of view it was a boring posting.
grass, flowers and bushes seemed to come John by this time was a Company Sgt
from nowhere. The Kikyu women worked Major so our wages had improved, but
the fields to keep the grass short; you’d see every time we had a raise over the next
their sickles fly up in the air chopping a five years, the Army raised the house rents
snake in half. etc. It was only from 1965 to 1969 that we
There were quite a few in the area, one had really good raises. This helped John’s
morning we found one squashed in the pension prospects quite a bit.
hinge part of the door, it must have tried to
slither in when John came in the evening KENYA 1960
before.
We always had a baby sitter when we Once the New Year had passed we all
went to the Mess, usually an 18 year old were looking forward to returning to the
(homesick). I’d leave a supper etc and UK and wondering where our next posting
sometimes it would be someone studying would be.
for exams when his national service was One incident I forgot to recall was when
finished. It meant we could go out without the Bn (that came out on our ship). They
having to worry. were sent up past Gil Gil to barracks, but
On New Year’s Eve the sitter hadn’t about a month after that, one company was
arrived so my next door neighbour said given leave to come to Nairobi, and as our
she would take the keys and look in. After Bn had been in the town a few months, they
midnight John popped home to check and did not take too kindly to the Coldstreams,
found the sitter fast asleep on top of the (or the Woodentops as the Cameronians
packing cases on the Veranda. The door called them) on their territory! Needless to
being locked he did not want to leave them. say once the drink was flowing, the fighting
It was a good thing he didn’t know it was commenced, John was on duty that night,
a favourite place for the wild cats to chase and it took the full night of both Bns
around! Regimental Police to bring them to order.
Weekends were special, we went to The John said afterwards it was a sight to
Nairobi Game Park on several occasions. behold, on the bus station square the
One visit was a bit hair raising, the car had Guards drunk, as they mostly were, stood
a habit of stopping because a small spring in lines ramrod stiff. The Cameronians
jumped off, this happened about 4pm one however were all over the place, John
afternoon on a steep dip in thicket country couldn’t throw them in the trucks quick
- and a lion area. enough, but next day after they’d all been
John said to me he had to get out, so charged and sentenced. John saw the funny
we all looked out of the windows on each side of it. Rather like a Fred Karno film, but
side and back, John jumped out quick and of course he had to be very stern instead.
flicked it back on again. We held our breath, The Guards needless to say did not come

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