Juliet's Kenya Days blog

Letter from Graham to Grandma & Grandad 10 Mar 1975 –

On Saturday we had some real rain for the first time since our arrival, and yesterday there was some hail. It was the first Sunday we didn’t go for a swim in the afternoon. Because of the rain coming there is a kind of spring starting. The grass which was yellow is starting to green and many flowers are beginning to perk up.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 18 April 1975 –

The rains have started now and everything is bright emerald green – it is amazing how 2 or 3 days changes everything. Already we have lots of new flowers in the garden – 3 poinsettias, lots of deep purple irises, periwinkle, not to mention dahlias springing up everywhere. Things seem to grow inches every day. The rain comes down in buckets often accompanied by violent thunderstorms but there never seems to be that heaviness in the air you associate with storms in England – I suppose we’re too high. On the way home from Tsavo we ran through the most tremendous storm – the water was inches deep on the road and we could only travel very slowly as the visibility was down to a few yards. It was a very good method of enlivening the inevitable depression of the end of the holiday ! Fortunately none of the children are frightened of lightning and thunder as this weather goes on for several months. I am writing this while we have electricity as it has been off for most of the past 24 hours because the lightning overloads the transformers or something. However, with camping gas stoves, candles and wood fires we manage quite comfortably though poor Hannah keeps getting cut short in her efforts to finish the ironing !

Letter from Juliet to Grandma & Grandad 19 April 1975 –

These last few days we haven’t been doing anything much because it has been raining. At the moment it is not raining so it is peaceful and I can hear the birds singing, Fiona chattering to someone while she hangs the dolls clothes up and Helen humming to herself while she washes the clothes. Our cat is dozing, Mummy is writing a letter and Daddy is teaching. I must end this letter now as Catherine has come to play so goodbye !

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 16 May 1975 –

We have had a week or so of sun but now the rains are back with a vengeance – they make travelling around quite hazardous and we are thankful to have a tarmac road all the way into Nairobi, though even then it is quite easy to get stuck as mud washes across the road when it rains. This morning Graham was on the school run – delivering 9 children to assorted schools which takes about one and a quarter hours – as it was pouring again I was relieved to see him back in one piece. However, the vegetable garden is flourishing – our maize is nearly 3 foot high and seeds Hudson planted last Friday are already well up – when the sun does shine it is as hot as ever which must be ideal for germination. We have a lot of flowers and our dahlias are 5 foot or so and still growing hard !

Letter from Graham to Diane 25 May 1975 –

We have very little chance to sunbathe now because the rainy season is here. Luckily it tends to rain in showers so it’s not too inconvenient. We get muddy shoes most days and although we try to keep mud out of the house it’s not really possible. There are a number of young children around and of course we like them to feel welcome. Also there are dogs who are not welcome but come in when they get a chance. Although this is the rainy season I saw Mount Kenya early this morning – about 100 miles away.

Letter from Graham to David 26 June 1975 –

Our local weather is cooler than yours at present. This evening we have a fire to keep us warm. I buy wood from a sawmill near here. Most of it is the outsides of logs which are no use as timber. Coal is not available in Kenya at all.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 5 July 1975 –

We envy you your summer weather – we have had very little sun for some time now and it is really comparatively chilly morning and evening. However by the end of the month the ‘winter’ should be on its way out. It hasn’t yet got cold enough for me to get my raincoat out but I have certainly thought of it some mornings. We get the odd shower every other evening but no torrential rain like earlier.

Letter from Judy to Grandma & Grandad 17 July 1975 –

Our weather continues dull and cool but it does prevent the earth drying out too much – our next rain isn’t due until the end of October.

Letter from Graham to Grandma & Grandad 30 Sept 1975 – 

This afternoon we have had good rain again. It has been a good growing season in this area though about a hundred miles eastwards the people have been suffering from a shortage of food. 

Letter from Judy to Jo 30 Sept 1975 –

Helen had a school friend (Pam) staying for the weekend so we drove to Nairobi Game Park and had our usual interesting time. There were a series of storms around which were quite spectacular when viewed across the plains. Fortunately we managed to avoid the worst of them as murram roads quickly get treacherous in torrential rain. Friends of our weren’t so lucky and had their brand new Cortina Estate (4 days old) rammed in the back on their way home, suffering £200 damage !

Letter from Graham to the Aunties 8 Oct 1975 –

Just now I saw a tree bare of leaves and it reminded me of winter in England. Trees here lose their leaves at any time of year it seems, depending on their situation. For several months we have had quite cloudy skies with occasional sunny days and sometimes a shower of rain. It’s been good for the garden but hopeless for planning days out as it’s so unpredictable.

Letter from Judy to Valerie & Graham 25 Oct 1975 –

The short rains came early this year so we really had no break between the long and short rains – very good for the garden but we are looking forward to the sun and warmth – we are all still sleeping with blankets and eiderdowns and needing jerseys and trousers for mornings and evenings.