Juliet's Kenya Days blog

Letter from Graham to David 26 June 1975 – We have a serious water shortage at Alliance because of leakage from the mains supply pipe. There has been intermittent trouble for a long time and a new pipe has been partly laid. Now the trouble is worse the work has been speeded up. I have… Continue reading Water shortage.

Letter from Judy to Grandma & Grandad 16 June 1975 – The children are all growing up – Juliet changes least but I expect in a while she will suddenly shoot up and out – she spends a lot of time reading and playing with her friends out on the compound – I suppose it’s… Continue reading Children growing up.

Letter from Judy to Grandma & Grandad 16 June 1975 – Before I forget here are the children’s measurements. Juliet: underarm 18″, shoulder to lower edge22″, chest 27″. As you can see Juliet is still long and skinny. She says she’d like the colour to be a surprise, something bright and cheerful but not scarlet.… Continue reading Grandma’s knitting.

Letter from Graham to David April 1975 – The children get books from Nairobi Library. I don’t have much time to read but I do play records often. I bought ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ recently. We have neighbours who get on well with us and they have lent us several records including Santana, Beatles… Continue reading Entertainment.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 1 June 1975 – Our trip to Longonot was a great success; marvellous views over the Rift Valley and the crater itself is almost a sheer drop of many hundred feet and quite circular. We didn’t go up to the top of the cone as we didn’t have… Continue reading Climbing Mt Longonot.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 1 June 1975 – School goes on as usual although the Ministry of Education has just decided to show their power by having a headmaster shuffle at Alliance. Githaiga has only been here for 2 years and doesn’t want to move. Graham is busy as ever with various… Continue reading Politics in Kenya.

Letter from Graham to Simon & Pat 12 May 1975 – I have seen the Rift Valley from the air because a teacher at the school likes to have a passenger when she goes for her joy rides – she has a powered glider which is really very light. Although it is slow the ride… Continue reading Glider flying.

Diary entry by Juliet 24 May 1975 – I got up late this morning and then just played. I have got two mice called Shandy (she’s the mother) and Bandy (because he or she has a bandy leg). Bandy is brown, very small but not shy. Shandy is a fawny colour with pink eyes. She… Continue reading Pet mice.

Letter from Judy to Nanny & Grandad 16 May 1975 – We have got our film back of our Tsavo holiday which we find very entertaining so hope you will too when we send it on. At the moment we will keep it as Graham has some idea of adding titles using a second film.… Continue reading Making Ciné films.

Letter from Graham to Simon & Pat 12 May 1975 – Yesterday I put the cylinder head back on the van engine and the engine now runs on four cylinders. A valve had got very badly burnt. I think it was faulty for a long time but here the engine tends to boil easily so… Continue reading Minibus repairs.