https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_JtoJ5S7a7_bWNiYV90SjBZems/view?usp=sharing
This is the piece I put together which talks about my parents house in Calabar, Nigeria together with some photos to illustrate:
MEMORIES OF CALABAR
The house came with the job.
My father was Harbour Master and Pilot for the port of Calabar, on the
coast in the south-western Corner of the Colony.
It was built for the British army during the time of its
presence there during the period of the late 19th Century and the
Early 20th Century and was used as their Officers Mess. One of its most notable users in those days
was Marshall of the RAF Lord Trenchard, first Commander In Chief of the Royal
Air Force, around 1903, when he was sent to bring a bit of discipline to
officers of the South Nigerian Regiment who were accused of drinking, gambling
and sexual exploits which they apparently boasted about.
There was nothing like that when I was there!
By this time I was incarcerated in Boarding School in
England and was only there during one School Holiday a year.
The lounge room was furnished according to regulations. And
reflected the relative importance of my father’s position. The only thing out of the ordinary that he
got installed was his bar of which he was quite proud. The other thing that he
added to the house was a swimming pool which he and a friend built between
them. My brother and I spent many happy
hours cleaning it.
We had many visitors and I was drinking in anything that was
said. It was there that I had my first
taste of Beer – a locally produced brew called Star. Just behind the bar was a closed off portion
the house where we had our table tennis table. My brother’s and my bedroom was
a closed off portion of veranda.
We had monthly editions of the Daily Mirror sent to us by my
grandmother as well as some comics – The Eagle I think. The tooth fairy lived across the river and
brought us threepences in compensation for lost teeth.
But the main thing I remember was the big square record
player we had in the corner of the room where we played compilation records
which were called “Music for the Millions” and such like. Mostly the songs were 50’s style Perry Como,
Dean Martin, Les Paul and Mary Ford and some swing bands. For some reason I remember the Les Paul and Mary Ford song which was called “The
Save A Penny Suoer Store! But, somehow,
one of the records included a totally different song. It started off with a very different guitar
riff and the lyric was the story of lost love, the singer’s girlfriend had
drowned on the Beach! It was by Marty
Wilde and was the first Rock and Roll song which impacted on me. Listening to it today I can see how heavily
the singer was influenced and it is really quite ordinary, but it was my
introduction to the swinging sixties and a lifelong obsession with rock music
which is also my greatest regret – that I am unable to sing at all and have no
musical skills whatsoever.
The sad thing is that I am told the house is no longer there. I have been told that it had been destroyed during the Biafra Insurrection. I certainly can't find it on Google Earth.
My Mum, Viv with the family car in front of the house
Viv in the Pool
My brother, John and myself supposedly cleaning the pool. I am leaning on the broom!
The lounge room with the bar on display.
And the view from the bar.
The
veranda – Guess who was recovering from the mumps!!
My father, Phil, at work.
The view from the veranda. The Tooth Fairy lived on the far bank of the river. The roof of the Dockyard building can just be seen.
The
local kids – raising money – their trick or treat or Guy Fawkes night I think!
