Juliet's Kenya Days blog

At the beginning of Standard 6 in January 1977 Helen’s teacher required her pupils to keep a diary – one for weekdays and another for weekends. In particular they were encouraged to write about their feelings. These are some little gems from her diaries which can’t easily be fitted into topics on other posts in this blog.

12 Jan 1977 –

My sister Fiona woke me up early at five past 6 because she had a tummy-ache. It was her birthday yesterday and she ate three bars of chocolate. So I’m very tired tonight.

15 Jan 1977 –

It was Fiona’s birthday party today. I helped Mum to cook the things for the party. In the afternoon I helped with the games and organised the children. It was great fun and afterwards I had the pleasure of eating all the leftovers.

19 Jan 1977 –

In bed tonight I thought how lucky we were to come to Kenya. We were ordinary girls in England but when we go back there we will have a lot to remember. In England only one or two roads have no tarmac and out here we have seen a lot of dust.

22 Jan 1977 –

Tonight we had a barbecue. When I put my fork in my mouth my tooth dropped out. I already have the opposite one in a matchbox because Mum said I was too old to put it under my pillow (for the tooth fairy) which is a pity.

23 Jan 1977 –

This morning before the stars disappeared I had a headache and was sick. You’ll know what it’s like, it’s horrible. We spent all day at Lukenya which was nice.

25 Jan 1977 –

This evening my sister was playing the recorder while I was working and I got really angry with her.

26 Jan 1977 –

At home my sister teaches me how to do some things which I am grateful for.

7 Feb 1977 –

Because of going up the mountain Mum and Dad brought a bar of chocolate and two packets of half-finished sweets which was nice.

10 Feb 1977 –

After school I made a mad invention with lego. There was a Professor Junk and his servant Garbage. Fiona’s tooth was very wobbly so we tried the old-fashioned way of tying it to a door. We tried about 6 times but the string kept slipping off her tooth. She looked funny with string coming out of her mouth. In the end Dad pulled it out. Faith and Jack came and showed us some photos of Mt Kenya. They were very nice and at 6:30pm the sky was still an amazing colour blue.

11 Feb 1977 –

I started to dress up as soon as I got up. I asked Mum for some make-up to put on and she said I could as she hardly ever wears it. I thought she was a sport. I put on eye shadow, eye liner, rouge, lipstick and powder. I was very proud of myself when I had finished and kept it on until we went swimming. We had a nice swim and Dad threw me in once. I did a width underwater for the second time which I thought was quite good. When we got home we had some freshly baked scones which were lovely. When I did my diary this evening my hand hurt from writing a lot.

12 Feb 1977 –

This morning I made a house which was completely dark. Juliet helped a lot which was nice of her. Fiona and I took our dolls in there. Mine is called Lucy-Amy, my aunt made her and she is old-fashioned. I think she is beautiful and she has four lovely dresses. Fiona’s doll is called Gingerella because her hair is ginger. At about 11 o’clock we got ready to go to a hotel at the other side of Nairobi. It was the Safari Park Hotel and we took a picnic lunch and our swimming costumes. The water was much warmer than at Alliance, though it is green. We swum non-stop and we had a lovely time. Juliet taught me how to dive which was very pleasing. Dad did some bombs off the second highest board and it made some huge tidal waves.

14 Feb 1977 –

When we were coming out of class I slipped down the stairs which wasn’t nice. I only grazed myself though. I told Mum I did it and all she said was “You shouldn’t be so clumsy” which wasn’t comforting. Sometimes when I do my diary my hand hurts from writing a lot.

15 Feb 1977 –

This morning at breakfast I asked Juliet for the milk but she took it herself and made a face at me. I was really mad and felt like throwing the sugar at her. We had a maths test but I wasn’t scared even though I hadn’t revised. It was easy anyway. I got two birthday cards from England this evening which was quite nice. Juliet kept on trying to take my chewing gum but I don’t blame her.

17 Feb 1977 –

Today I woke up unusually early at 5:40am but I didn’t mind because I could then read my book for longer.

21 Feb 1977 –

We went into town and went to the dentist which was horrible. I was glad though that I didn’t have anything wrong with them. Juliet got into a huff because she didn’t like any of the shoes but in the end she got a pair. And she refused to show me them.

24 Feb 1977 –

I didn’t take my jersey to school which was a bad mistake. We had to drive home from school another way because the Waithaka Rd had flooded over the road. It was nice to go a different way anyway. At Dagoretti Mum said that it had hailed and looked like snow on the road. This evening we went to a tea party for some people who are leaving. The food was very nice and we stuffed ourselves until we were almost sick ! We made a satisfactory windmill with the battery.

28 Feb 1977 –

When I woke up I couldn’t really believe I was ten and it was my birthday although I knew it really was. I was disappointed because there was no presents on the end of my bed but Mum told me I would have them this afternoon with the cake. I was longing for it to be home time so I could open my presents. I got lots of lovely ones and altogether I was very pleased with my birthday.

In 1979, back in the UK, Helen was given a piece of homework to do, describing a party she would like to have or had had. Here is what she wrote:

Diary entry by Helen 3 Mar 1977 –

Today I got to school late but Mrs Vandervelde came late because she had (I think) a crash. She was very shattered and I thought she looked it too. I was half glad because she didn’t give us our history test.

11 Mar 1977 –

After school me and Fiona stayed to play with Carole at her house. Fiona wanted to go home but I said she couldn’t on her own. We lost her and we went all over the place to try and find her. I was very worried by that time and finally I got a lift home with a lady. Fiona was at home and I was so relieved that I started crying. I had a bath which was nice but every time Juliet passed by she turned off the light and I got annoyed with her.

19 Mar 1977 –

Me and Fiona cleared and changed our room around and finished doing it which was surprising as we normally don’t finish it. I thought it looked lovely afterwards and I was pleased with it. Our friends came and brought 4 children with them and I was kept busy as Juliet had gone out with her friends. I didn’t mind because I like playing with little children but our room got messy which is horrid.

21 Mar 1977 –

Today Mum and Dad went in a cave at Suswa and our friends Jackie and Heather came which was nice. We played Monopoly until dinner time which was boring, anyway I was soon bankrupt. We ate our picnic lunch at the school farm sat in a pigsty which had no pig in yet, but it was nice to think it will have pigs in there. After swimming at the pool we went back up to the farm and pushed or sat on a trolley in turns. It was nice to sit on but tiring to push.

26 Mar 1977 –

Dad called me to go and pick some loquats so Mum could make some jam, so I went and got quite a lot. I enjoyed myself as it involved tree climbing. I went down to the school shop for Mum and also bought some sweets. I was bored because the man had not opened it yet when I got there so I had to wait, but I was glad when I got the sweets because I hadn’t had any for a really long time.

24 Apr 1977 –

Today we went to Lukenya with Heather and Jackie which was good fun. We played on ‘The Big Rock’ (as we call it). This evening Heather and Jackie came to stay with us for two days and I laughed when I saw all the teddies Heather brought.

14 May 1977 –

I am staying at Pamela’s house for the whole weekend. After lunch we made a house in one of Pamela’s cupboards which was really nice. We had a bath this evening and played with a teddy bear in it. It went blue so we tried to wash it but it didn’t work. We had lots of fun.

20 May 1977 –

At lunchtime at school Pamela and I were playing with a ball, kicking it, and it went over to a senior girl who kicked it. It went into a girl’s eye. It was quite a shocking experience.

11 June 1977 (staying at Pamela’s for the weekend)–

We went shopping and the car rolled forwards when it was parked – it was quite scary and me and Pamela got a funny tummy.

14 June 1977 –

This morning I thought I had the beginning of a cold which wasn’t very nice to think about. I was quite happy to see my family again when I got home. Mum had finished making a new nightie out of lemon yellow flannelette. I was very pleased with it.

15 June 1977 –

Today I went to school with Jan Moody and came late because she got a puncture. I didn’t mind much because Mum said I had permission from Sister Joanna because I come on school runs. I enjoyed art quite much but was annoyed when Pamela didn’t lend me her hammer.

21 June 1977 –

This morning I was only just ready for the school lift because they came early today. I didn’t have a drink because Mum didn’t have time to get one, which was a pity.

28 June 1977 –

In Maths me and Pamela were talking a lot so Pamela got moved. It was a pity but it was our own fault.

30 June 1977 –

Today I didn’t go to school as Mum wanted me to get rid of my cough. I didn’t mind at all. I stayed in bed most of the day making a work-book for Fiona which was fun. I got up a few times to help Mum do some packing which wasn’t very nice and I would rather have stayed in bed.

1 July 1977 –

This morning it was Fiona who turned over the calendar – I could have stopped her but as she hadn’t done it before I let her. She pinch, punched me too which is a great pity. (We always played ‘pinch, punch first of the month’).

5 July 1977 –

Today Pamela didn’t come to school I think because she went to the airport because her brother was coming out from England. I was sorry she didn’t come and there was no-one to smile to across the room. This evening I put lots of records on – ‘Hey, Hey, Helen’, ‘Fernando’, ‘Indian Lady’ etc) and really enjoyed them especially the ones I mentioned.