During the Queen Mother’s visit to Kenya in the late 1950s they flew the Royal Standard from the flagpole at the entrance to Government House. One day the person in charge of raising the flag made the mistake of putting two ends of the rope through the grommets on the Royal Standard instead of a joined loop. That evening when they lowered the flag the entire rope came off! I received a call after dark asking if I could repair the damage. I drove to Government House, where I often worked on the electricity and lighting, with an African worker from the Ministry of Works.  He shinnied up the flagpole and threaded the rope through the pulley. The Royal Standard flew the next morning! 

Dick Whittingham, Langata