Editor's Blog

January 27, 2010

A housewife spying on the Italians in Ethiopia in 1939?

It sounds more like a Mrs Pollifax mystery novel. Katharine Fannin, a surveyor's wife from Kenya made an informal spying trip trhough Italian-held Ethiopia and was hosted by the highest government officials in Addis Ababa. Later she received commendations from the British Army for her help in providing details of roads and installations that helped make the run to Addis one of the fastest military takeovers in history.

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January 23, 2009

Old Eldoret

Sometimes we can’t fit everything onto the pages of Old Africa magazine. L S van Aardt, who was born in Eldoret in 1924, sent us a letter chronicling his memories of his youth. We produced an edited version in our February-March magazine. Here’s the complete version. Enjoy. Shel Arensen, Editor

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December 27, 2008

Herod the Hero

One tradition for our family is attending the Christmas morning play at the Africa Inland Church at Kijabe, Kenya. The first re-enactment of the Christmas story was probably started by some missionary Sunday school teacher with memories of the annual children’s Christmas Pageant back in her home country. But over the years the play has become a must-see event on the yearly calendar.

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December 11, 2008

Africa Hand Sends in Photos

Roy Davies from Cheshire sent us some photos last year which we haven’t been able to fit onto the pages of Old Africa, so I’ll share them on this blog.

In his African wanderings Roy Davies spent time in Mogadishu, Italian Somaliland (1949-50), Khartoum, Sudan (1951-53), Egypt and Jordan (1953-54), Kenya Police, 1956-59, Instructor, Kenya Regiment, Lanet, Nakuru, Kenya (1964-65). Later he drove through South Africa to an assignment in Manzini, Swaziland (supposedly Radar Technician), Basutoland (arms search) with a side trip to Mozambique (holiday) thrown in. He has also been in Gambia and Nigeria.

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December 04, 2008

Writing and Publishing Memoirs

We have published two out of three parts of a short memoir from Frank Baker about his time as a motorcycle-despatch rider based in Kilwa, German East Africa during World War I. The final instalment is scheduled to appear in the February-March 2009 issue of Old Africa magazine.

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