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Allan Cummings, Bill Jackson, Leslie Andrews Best Wishes on your Birthday CRAIG THE GREY-HAIRED ONE Yes, things have been really bad for Craig and he jests not when he says my internet connection has been bad since he arrived in Lusaka. We have had a power problem with ZESCO blaming it on an internal problem and Behrens, who deal with our internal electrics, blaming ZESCO. Eventually, I got both parties in the same place at the same time and it was established that it was a ZESCO problem - a general overload in the area. But before they could sort it out, and despite having UPS's and surge arrestors, something happened and it burnt out all the equipment. They are now trying to blame it on a lightning strike!! But let's look on the bright side - the telephone is still working. This was the last I saw of Craig when he could take it no longer. PHILIP We don't have Noddy badges any more because he is not PC. Instead we will give you a Kalulu badge. In the next day or two I'll put the photos that I took to the Lark with me on the board. Just have to try to straighten Alix out after her bungy jump. Heather Chalcraft (née Bender) [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Lusaka, Zambia Monday, October 27, 2003 at 09:08:33 (UTC)

ARTHUR Remind me - who was the unfriendly Zambian that you came into contact with? MEG RYBICKI Tom McKenzie, your dad's friend, left here only about 18 months ago and is now living in Jo'burg. Dennis Liwewe - a coincidence perhaps - Melvin Durai writes a column for the Lowdown every month and the November column is about Dennis. I have your name on the list for Siavonga SANDRA HOOPER Copper clocks? I think so. I shall have a look in the shops. CHRIS DRAKE The Boating Club still exists, although it is not very active as a boating club, more the local watering hole. Peter Bromwich I guess keeping the mine going to the detriment of the environment and the people of Kabwe would be called mismanagement of the economy? And to think that Roy Welensky was involved in this too!! Ag nee, man! Mark Powell Is this move to Australia wise? Have you thought about what it's going to do to your accent? PHOTOGRAPHS Last week I promised to scan some of Craig's photos and post them. Sorry, but I ran out of time so will have to wait until Craig is back from South Africa in a few weeks time. In the meantime, here are some photos taken on our trip to the Luangwa National Park We saw most of the usual animals but were also able to see Thornicroft's Giraffe which, like Mosi Lager and Broken Hill Man, is truly Zambian But the highlights of the trip were: on the first nightdrive when we managed, after a long search, to see leopard and the next day when we saw this lion having a hard time of things before he got up and sauntered across the road to start feasting on a buffalo which had died the previous day after having got stuck in the mud of one of the lagoons under the watchful eye of a vulture That evening, before the rain started, we were able to see a lioness sauntering along the road and another lion wandering off into the bush During the day (and early evening) we were able to enjoy the quiet of the bush and the Luangwa River We also saw a python but I was too slow with the camera although Craig might have a semi-suitable picture. And all the while, Bwana Craig enjoyed some Ting Ling ginger beer, which was very different to the TingLing in his foot after the scorpion got him Whilst up at Luangwa, we each bought a CD of African Bush Sounds which includes sounds such as the Ground Hornbill, Scops owl, spotted hyena, elephant's rumbling, fish eagle, Meyer's parrot, hippos and even Matabele ants. I think some of you might be interested. Heather Chalcraft (née Bender) [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Lusaka, Zambia Saturday, October 25, 2003 at 08:36:54 (UTC)

Northerners ! I made an exception - here are some photos and images that have jumped the queue. Liz and Mark Bon Voyage ! As experienced bash attenders I will expect to to stir the Ozzie GNR's into having a bash as soon as you get over there ! So sorry I could not make it over to your party Ada & Chris How about organising a Battle of Hastings ? Thanks for your e-mail - hope to see you in the not too distant future, I miss you "select" lot, the party pigs. Scarscalp I still have your phone number - It has been a dry summer and the salmon have not run yet - we need is plenty of rain in thge next few days - the salmon season closes at the end of the month - forecast looks good - wet and cold. If there's any chance to wet a line I'll give you a call. Other than that we'll just have to wet our throats, I'll call you if I'm up your way. Hugs to Debs. Mr Knotty ! I never knew you had such talents ! Doug Just got home for the weekend, if it rains I'm gone. I will post some more about Mark Bennett when the fishing's over. Bob Thanks for the contribution ! Happy Birthday Zambia ! Arthur Please consider posting these Zambian stamps, thanks Arthur. Cheers Bob Allan Melbourne The GNR's answer to the Naked Chef! Regards Bill Hunt Arthur On Saturday 18 October 2003 a small, but select, group of GNR members attended Taunton Rugby Football Club to wish Mark and Lizzie Powell and family a fond farewell as they depart these shores for Brisbane, Australia. We presented Mark with an Australian rugby shirt and Lizzie with an Australian cap Those attending were Graham and Debbie Nelson, Graham and Fiona Wall, Gary Big Man Brassington with Scott and Natasha and Chris and Ada (your photographer). A wonderful time was had by all. Wish you were there, we missed you. Love Ada and Chris Cantrell Arthur Steevens [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Stockport, United Kingdom Friday, October 24, 2003 at 22:38:16 (UTC)

Tina and Northerners ! Hah! The picture on the link you posted Tina - looks nothing like Vic Falls to me, very suspicious. Looks like it was posed on the banks of the Kitwe Stream, never trust foreigners from continental Europe. Looks like they all went to Frederick Knapp for English lessons too. If you're looking for the real thing though, here are a few from Peter Bennett Peter Bennett asked me to take back to the UK a CD rom with some of his photos to put in the post over here. He had given me the Ok to take a look and post on the GNR whatever I felt may be of interest. The Cd was sat waiting to go until this weekend when I took a look what was on the CD. I think you will all like what I chose to display. This is my candidate for the best Zambian sunset photo so far, perhaps we should all have a vote ! The Livingstone Lark This photo I liked best and is now the wallpaper on my PC. Stunning power, a stunning composition Peter. A few days ago I had an e-mail from Peter and since we dropped him off in Kapiri Mposhi, he tells me he has made his way up to Uganda and is now in the company of gorillas. By the standard of the photos so far I'm looking forward to hearing from him when he returns to the UK later this year and seeing and hearing a lot more. Safe journey Peter, and I know you are having a brilliant time. Doug Grewar, You greatly disappoint me, using photos for your computer wallpaper from a site in SA? Jislike ! Any of the Zambian photos right here on the GNR can be so used ! Most the ones on display have been reduced to a quarter or third in size of the originals and compressed as far as I dare to make them suitable for web display. If anyone would like a full size uncompressed photo to use as wallpaper for their own PC just send me an e-mail request. Yukon Pete, Curly George and Chris Tamm, Name calling ? - Well we all seemed to have picked up an unjustified name on the GNR over the years so about time Chris had his. I think maybe the Hopeless Hilo-monster. Jesting aside, I am not about to cast a stone at anyone as I have used langauge in the past which could have caused offence and had been racial, we all have done this to some extent to each other and should have known better. But things have changed here and repetition will not be acceptable on the GNR. I hope that is loud and clear. Ayub, Granted no police force is without bigots and there are some very bad apples in every barrel, but the perfect Zambian Police don't have to travel that far to start their good work, perhaps they should pay a visit over the border to Zim to do a bit of their training. As one who has seen the Zambian Police eye to eye in action recently it was very plain to me that a white person was more likely to end up fined at a speed trap and other offenders merely ticked off and walk off scott free. Same at the road blocks, car tax is only important if it has not been paid by a muzungu. Ask the locals. I would add that with one exception I found all the ordinary Zambians I came into contact with during my stay as the most friendly people on earth. Arthur Arthur Steevens [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Stockport, United Kingdom Wednesday, October 22, 2003 at 22:14:34 (UTC)

Hi Arthur, Thanks for all the great photos. It is like having second and third helpings of a favorite meal. Here are a few that I took. Maybe some of them are worth posting on the board. Best Regards - Doug (Thanks Doug - I didn't see any Ting Ling on sale ! - Arthur) Northerners ! Thank you all for the really unexpected compliments on my posting. I just put down a very tiny bit of what I thought and saw and felt; and I nearly deleted it because it waffled on too much. Doug - I would not describe it as "the finest hour" you made me larf at that one! There is a glaring error in the posting, when I went back and actually read over what I had said, I see I have incorrectly put arriving in Kapiri Mposhi before Broken Hill when travelling north from Lusaka to the Copperbelt. Sorry for that - the photos are correct though, they are of Kabwe. We can all see from just a few quick snapshots taken along the way on my journey, how stunning the raw beauty of Zambia is. What I did not describe was the various sounds and smells along the way that also filled the senses. If you look at the photos taken at Kundilila Falls for example – try and hear the shrill high pitched and continuous undulating sound of the cicadas in the trees, loud too. Add to that many other insect noises like the Christmas beetles in the distant trees, then the calls and singing of various unseen birds, then the sound of the water as it fell and swirled over rocks to a crashing roar far below, then add the sweet smoky smell of distant bush fires, then the smell of the bundu, then the silent sound of complete isolation. Imagine. I had all this there, plus the extreme pleasure of being able to sit on the waters edge of the small river, my feet and legs immersed in the cool crystal water. Another place in Heaven. For every photo I took I could add a description of the other senses filled like this, but however long I waffled on you would not ever get the complete picture – you simply just have to be there yourself. What does please me most out of all this is that maybe some of you will consider visiting Zambia yourselves because of my posting and that makes me really happy. What I may do is to go over the narrative again, correcting my mistakes, get someone to check it over, like Heather - my English was never any good - then get it put into the “After Livingstone” section of the site. I encourage you all to go to Zambia if you possible can, you will not ever regret it. Everyone Firstly I must apologise for not answering or responding to e-mail just recently. I have a lot to catch up with here at home and my time is at a premium. Considering this I have put on hold all incoming photos and material for the site until late November/ early December so that I can concentrate solely on the stuff arriving from the Lark and the members that attended. If you have already sent me images etc already during September and October not relating to the Lark, that is why there is a delay. Chris To answer you questions, Mvuu Lodge is on the Zambian side of the Zambezi. Just as you get into Chirundu but before the border we turned left and further down this road is the crossing over the Kafue at the ferry. Over the Kafue and then continue on this road to Mvuu which is not quite opposite Mana Pools but very close by, the same fishing spots would be used I’m sure. I did not fish at the confluence, I don’t think, maybe I did, the river was so wide with islands all round I wasn’t paying that much attention as we drifted along. There is an airstrip not too far away if you can afford to come in this way on transfer and I also believe you can get transfers from the Chirundu area by boat. The use of the fishing boats with guides, canoes, and game drives etc was all included in the accommodation price. If you visit the Lower Zambezi National Park nearby there is a $20 fee each time you enter. I am supposed to do a 1000 word write up on Mvuu Lodge for Heather who can meantime give you any details on the area and people who run the lodges there, and negotiate you a good discount if you are really nice to her. Someone mentioned a 2005 Lark so get saving. This time of year is supposed to be best. I’m not sure how long Mvuu has been there, I believe there was a fire in the main lodge a year or two ago and the place was rebuilt. The accommodation in my opinion was excellent and more importantly, right on the bank. Food was good too, and Shadrack the boatman, don’t discuss Zambian fiscal and economic matters while fishing with him though. (I gave him tip – enough for the croc man) Craig’s tiger as you can see from the photo was quite big, more than enough for three people. Heather, Craig and I could only manage to eat one half of it and we were full. The manager of the Mvuu asked if the staff could eat the remaining half so I assume they, the locals, all liked tiger. There were bones and you just had to be a little careful, just as with any fish, I would not describe it as “full of bones”. The fish was cooked whole in tin foil and had been stuffed with herbs and a little garlic by the cook. It was easy to peel back the skin and flake the snow-white flesh off, and it did taste good, not earthy like I expected. The little time I had was devoted to wholly to the tiger, so no, I did not fish for any other species (maybe next time), however when down at Lake Safari Lodge near Kariba I had bream for lunch. Maurice Diamond had a bream farm there, but that is another story. Anyhow the bream went down well and I enjoyed it. Beth Lloyd I tried to e-mail you but I get my messages returned and bounced. Please e-mail me again and I will send you my postal address. Bob Allen Sorry I can’t answer your question whether or not Broken Hill Mines are still producing metal or even concentrates. There are warnings all over a spoil heap near the side of the road telling people to keep away. Maybe Heather or someone else will give us your answer. Linda Sorry I was unable to make it over to the location of your old house, I simply ran out of time – there were not enough hours in the day.. Heather may be up in Kitwe again soon and I’ll add it to the “wanted list”. Failing that… there’s always 2005 Johnny - Happy Birthday ! Arthur Steevens [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Stockport, United Kingdom Saturday, October 18, 2003 at 17:21:22 (UTC)

Homeward Bound Heading north our first stop was in Kapiri Mposhi to drop Peter Bennett off at the railway station where he would continue his long journey in the months ahead through many countries to the north eventually to reach his goal in Cairo. A very brave man and good company during his trip with us during the last few days. The price we charged Peter for taking him from Livingstone to Kapiri was that he would recount his journey from Cape Town to Cairo for us all on the GNR, when he eventually returns home. Kapiri Mposhi was undergoing some major road works and the town was in chaos, not much there, except shops traders and trucks all over the place. Continued north, heading for Broken Hill. As Heather says the main roads in BH were in good condition – but we were running late so only stopped for a few photos. Approaching the outskirts A shot of the railway crossing approaching town. Two locos on show either side of the rail and road crossing. Earlier in Livingstone I had asked Jacqui Millward for the location of the old “Boons Bar” Given Jacqui’s directions they led me to this place – anyone recognise it? A couple more views around Broken Hill - Kabwe What you see when you approach from the north. Heading further north we approached the Copperbelt, skirted around Ndola and headed up the dual carriageway to Nkana Kitwe passing the Big Tree which is a National Monument. Here along the road I saw more evidence of illegal petrol sellers than anywhere previously – every half mile or less. Fuel is apparently siphoned off by the transport drivers and sold to the roadside dealers who in turn sell it on to whoever will buy. These illegal “fuel stations” are advertised by three or four stones piled up at the side of the road or by attaching plastic containers to stakes, they are open 24/365. We approached and passed the sign for Nkana Kitwe. I was a little choked at this point and initially I was disorientated, Wusikili seemed to go on forever, almost from the Kafue Bridge, and the slag heap was much larger than I expected, almost encroaching onto the main road. (Apparently they have now stopped pouring slag) At once I knew where we were and asked Heather to turn right, into Central Street and down to Nkana East, Centre of the Universe. Everything had changed, I passed one by one the places I knew as a child forty plus years before, hardly recognising some of the houses, but at the same time I knew exactly where we were. Passing my old school, Prince Charles, this was instantly recognisable and outwardly it seemed it hadn’t changed at all, except for the high wall which now surrounded it. Further down Central Street the neat intersections of open spaces were now occupied by shanty town shops and bars and looking down the side streets showed the road surfaces had deteriorated into pot holed tracks, back lanes behind the mine houses were blocked completely by rubbish. At the end of Central Street just before the Kitwe stream bridge we turned around, my old house was still there, but I hardly recognised it. Briefly we visited Riverside where my last home in NR was in Avon Close and then we drove round to Kitwe Boys High to have a very quick look outside with the intention of returning the next day. I am using all the old street names as I had taken a copy of a 1961 map just in case I lost my way round, I didn’t really need it. The next day, with Heather’s assistance, we visited most of the residential areas and I snagged as many of the photo requests I could. Nearly every current resident of those homes, where they were in at home, welcomed us in with smiling faces to freely take photos, others we could not get to because of high walls, fences or the house was no longer standing. (To all those who made requests I have e-mailed your photos out a few days ago, to those that have had no response, I am afraid for various reasons I was unable to take the photos for you) Unfortunately I did not make it to visit the town centre or make the trip underground at Mindola. The previous day I’d had a bit of the delhi-belly and was a little under the weather. I did however manage to make visits to all my old homes and was lucky enough to have met and have all the current occupiers welcome me and show me round. My special thanks to Brian Rowlands for arranging my visit to my old home in Avon Close, where he lives right next door. I also would like to thank Heather and Kevin Shone for all their assistance in obtaining the photos requested by the members – without you both I would not have got half the photos I had taken. From this point I will not narrate the rest of the time I spent in Nkana-Kitwe, most are my private memories and reflections, only to say I regret that did not cover all the ground I should have done. Here a few photos I can share with you all. We said our goodbyes to the remnants of the Lark and left Nkana-Kitwe after the dinner at the Mona Lisa in Parklands and headed for Ndola in the late evening. Thank you yet again Kevin for your hospitality and putting us up overnight in Ndola. You are a star of the first order. The Great North Road to Shiwa N’gandu and Kapishya Springs. Fantastic scenery, blue skies*, water and bush. * The skies were never as blue as they can be whilst I was in Zambia, combined with the smoke from bushfires, burning and dust the sky was rarely clear. I should imagine after the long awaited rains the azure skies will return. It had not rained since April. An awesome drive, the Great North Road straight as an arrow in long sections as far as they eye could see, and very little traffic, in the hours that passed by we probably only saw 80 vehicles on the road all that day. The further we headed north the more the bush returned closer to the road. A few photos along the way We didn’t stay over at the “Decent” guesthouse, but we did stop to buy fuel for the car on the opposite side of the road. Serenje. We made a detour off the GNR to visit the Kundalila Falls. We didn’t have the four hours to spare to climb down the escarpment to get a proper view of the falls but the scenery and isolation was just perfect from the top. By evening we had made it up to Shiwa, not far from Mpika, 40ks or so. We drove through the Shiwa estate and, via a 20k or so dirt track, for another hour went onto Kapishya Springs where we were to stay for the next two nights. On the Shiwa to Kapishya Springs road. At Kapishya Springs Next morning we drove out to the Chusa falls 10k or so further down the road. It was here that I started to regret not having taken a fly rod along, the pools and runs looked perfect places to explore with the fly. If I ever return it will be one of the first things I’d pack in my luggage. Later that day we drove back to Shiwa N’gandu to have a look around the house itself, just as we arrived Charlie Harvey (Sir Stuart Gore-Brown’s grandson) was about to take a short game drive around the estate near Shiwa Lake and we were kindly invited along. We spied various animals in the distance but more entertainment was provided in the foot well of the open Landrover by one of Charlie’s dogs, an oversexed Jack Russell and its laid back and sleeping intended mate, an old black Labrador about 20 times its size. The Jack was quite satisfied with the back leg of the lab, which was totally unaware of the frenzy. Three or four other dogs were also on board and the best two were these hounds. On our return to Shiwa house we were given free run to explore the whole house and were also given permission to visit the private sections upstairs, the library was magnificent and stocked with thousands of books about Africa and Rhodesian history, alas we did not have time to read anything but we were given time and access to the personal photo diaries of Stewart Gore-Brown and other very interesting personal items. Craig and I had to be eventually dragged out of the house; we could have spent months there. Again three days had passed too quickly and we were back on the GNR again and heading west, it was here that Craig was ejected from the drivers’ seat by Heather for driving too slow and only averaging 120kph. Once Heather got back behind the wheel the speedo needle was wedged up to 145 again and Craig was back clinging with both hands to the overhead grip above the passenger door. We made it all the way back to Lusaka as darkness began to fall and later that night met up with the remnants of the Lark at the restaurant in the Lusaka Club grounds. Kevin your recommendation to try the peppered steak was well appreciated and cooked to perfection hope your daughter is feeling better after her bought of malaria. Doug Grewar, it was great to meet your family who live in Lusaka and joined us at the table. Thank you all for your brilliant company. The Lower Zambezi Famous last words from Heather before the journey began, “today we haven’t got far to go today - perhaps only 150k or so”. Along the road to Chirundu we slowly dropped down the escarpment, meeting a few jack-knifed and broken down trucks on the way, the drivers using large stones as makeshift brakes on the now still hulks - nothing had changed since the days I travelled this road 40 years previously. Wrecks littered the steep embankments below. The heat became intense (for me) the further we dropped down towards the Zambezi. What Heather forgot to mention is that on this journey, once we left the main road at Chirundu, the road becomes first gear most of the way. Bridges over the ravines did not exist or had been swept away, so slowly we made our way, almost sliding down the steep sides and climbing up the seeming vertical road the other side. Heather’s car did not have the luxury of 4x4 drive, but at the wheel, she skilfully manoeuvred her way, quite used to driving in these conditions. Massive holes, deep ruts, deep sand and large stones impeded our way, just about passable now in the dry season, and impassable in the wet, the short 70ks from Chirundu to our fishing camp at Mvuu Lodge would take nearly all the rest of the day to negotiate. Very hot and dust invading everywhere, it was an experience I would never have missed, by the time we got to the camp many hours later we knew why they call it “remote”. The welcoming camp of Mvuu Lodge was like an oasis, the mighty Zambezi, deep blue, laid out and slowly moving before us. Here was a paradise. The accommodation was exceptional for somewhere so far out in the bush, this consisted of small thatched and wooden buildings with a tented interior with your own shower, toilet and hot running water which were a welcome luxury as I washed the dust of the day away under a cold shower. A nice touch was the tray beside the bed, a cup of tea would be most welcome when I woke early the next morning. That evening we downed a few ice cold drinks at the bar as the African night closed in and enjoyed a tasty dinner by lantern light overlooking the Zambezi River. Much later and very tired and with hippos bellowing within what seemed yards away, I fell asleep. First light I was awake and down on the bank to meet our boatman, breakfast could wait. Craig and I set off across the gold water of the rising sun, Shadrack turned the boat to head upriver. He grinned at the collection of spoons, lures and paraphernalia I had carried half way across the world and spent a small fortune on, however we were going to fish his way and I was not going to argue with his experience. 10 minutes later he slid the boat close to the bank and gently beached it into the reeds within 100 yards of a family of hippos. Flicking a line out with a small worm he searched the shallow water, nothing. Taking the boat across to a small jutting bank on the opposite side he dropped his line in again, success as three small chessa were landed in quick succession in the boat, the final and fourth fish came in, a large bite mark across it’s flank could be seen as it flapped on the deck -Tiger! Shadrack set our rods up with a very small lead weight and a slice from the flank of a chessa was skilfully woven onto the hook. We motored upstream and the engine was cut, Craig and I cast our lines on the water and we silently drifted with the pace of the Zambezi. The water was continually changing colour as we drifted over the undulating sandbanks below the water, I was aware of a sudden change of depth as a shallow light blue turned to deep azure, I was sure this would be a taking place. Suddenly my rod buckled over and my finger stung by the line, the reel strained and gave out line as a heavy and powerful fish below made its run. A second later the line went slack and I retrieved a bare hook. My heart was racing. A few more drifts and the same thing happened to Craig and I, savage takes and hooks thrown, but eventually Craig was the first to connect, the fish making an almost unstoppable first run, turning it around Craig was in for a dogged battle as the fish sounded below, suddenly it surfaced and leapt clear of the water, three times at least, a tiger, striped and with a mouth full of teeth to make shark proud, tiring, it eventually came to the waiting net. Craig had broken free of his tiddler ways and was now a fully paid up fisherman. This one was very special and going to be eaten and was dispatched to the fish box. Next it was my turn and I had attained my dream. A tiger, and from the Zambezi. Throughout the day we found the tiger to be a savage, hard fighting opponent, the fish were hard to hook and acrobatic tendencies as they leapt clear of the water time after time threw the hook more often than not, often right at the side of the boat. I noted the Tiger had an adipose fin, a trademark of the salmon family, but tigers are related to the piranha, nevertheless the fighting style was very similar to the salmon but without all the teeth. One particular take I can only put down to have been a vundu, the line just peeled off the reel against the clutch and it was an unstoppable run, the line broke free and Shadrack confirmed by feeling the frayed line that a vundu had indeed taken the bait. The next day Craig had decided to join Heather and her daughter Luanne on a canoe trip on the river, so I had the fishing boat to myself. With a packed lunch and a cold-box full of drinking liquids we set off at 6.00am for the whole day. A similar scenario to the previous days fishing entailed, Shadrack skilfully keeping the drift of the boat parallel to the tall reed banks on the shore, we connected with the tiger on the sand bank drop offs in the water below. All landed fish were returned to fight another day, Shadrack gently reviving the fish before they swam away “for next year’s fishing” he grinned. My solitude on the river filled my day, we drifted past herds of elephant, hippo and lone fishermen on the banks of the Zambezi. I was in heaven. Conversation with Shadrack was eye opening in the way in which he saw the world from where he lived in a small village about an hour and a half’s walk away from our camp. He laughed and smiled as he told me about his family and his own personal struggles. We discussed many things. He could not comprehend why we did not have buffalo to eat in England. Then he told me about how I could easily get rid of any of my enemies. For a mere 60,000 kwacha paid over to the “crocodile man” will guarantee that your named enemy will be taken by a croc within 12 months. Twelve people in his surrounding villages had met such a fate within the last year. I got him to make a stopover on the bank and paid over 120k to the crocodile man, giving him two names :-) I fished and soaked up the day, which passed so quickly but is now forever etched into my heart, mind and soul. It was truly a fantastic and lasting experience. Returning to camp that evening Craig’s tiger fish was served up, cooked to perfection we greedily ate the revered and respected quarry. It tasted wonderful. Thinking on this and the earlier encounter Craig had had that day with the scorpion, maybe we should have had that cooked and served up too. Unfortunately Heather had trodden it flat when she was searching for it. That night we were all watching very carefully when we went to bed, just in case it had a few friends wanting revenge. The next day we were to leave about 9.00am so while the others were still asleep I grabbed the chance of another couple of hours on the river and landed four more tigers. Shadrack was fully concentrated on the last fish coming in when a hippo surfaced within 1 yard of the boat and cleared its breath, I have never seen anybody move so quickly and fire up an outboard motor. At a safer distance we completed the fight. Sadly the few precious hours I had, went by quickly and we returned to the bank – it was time to say farewell to Shadrack and the Zambezi and make our way back to Chirundu. Kariba, Siavonga and goodbye to Zambia. We carefully retraced our steps and made our way back to the ferry to go over the Kafue and head for Chirundu. Chirundu is a trucker’s nightmare, lorries parked up for maybe weeks while they are cleared to enter or leave Zambia. We made a stop for fuel and headed for the turn off to Kariba. We stopped along the way and made a short visit to the fossilised forest, another National Monument. Heading up the road towards Kariba I remembered how different my journey was so many years before, a single dirt road and tsetse fly huts where the cars and the trapped occupants were sprayed, probably with DDT. None of that is in existence now, a long straight and perfect road was now before us, and no huts. At Kariba we made our way to Maurice Diamond’s Lake Safari Lodge (his dad, Sid used to own Standard Trading in Kitwe – unfortunately he had died just a few years ago). On arriving all the Zambian the staff were immediately on edge, Heather had returned and they had obviously not forgotten the previous experience of her last visit. Immediately the music they were enjoying was turned down, then off, the air conditioning was turned on full and orders taken for lunch and drinks. Then they had to explain why the swimming pool was empty. Nervously they kept an eye on her throughout our visit there, but kept smiling broadly, happy to please our requests. That evening we had a short trip on the houseboat on the lake - sat like lords on the top deck and waited upon. We gently motored past some hysterical disasters of past and present politicians and officials, each vying to out-build the last des-res on the lakeside. One particular disaster was a palatial home built on a split-level into the banks of the Kariba Lake. Unfortunately building work had proceeded without thought to the falling and rising level of the lake, building was completed when the lake was particularly low, and the lake had later risen to claim the lounge, garages and the best part of half the house. That night we viewed the Kapenta boats distinguished by their shining lights out in the blackness of the night. Next morning we set off for a view of the Kariba dam wall – and I sneaked into Zimbabwe for a few minutes. The dam wall is never as impressive as when seen in real life. Unfortunately our stay again was limited and we did not have the time to visit the power plants below ground or to go fishing on the lake. We set off for home via a short stop at Siavonga, where Heather has a plot of land. Here we found a chewing gum tree with a few remaining pods. We returned to Lusaka and I prepared to pack up ready for my flight home the next day. As I had supper that night with Heather and Craig I realised my journey in Zambia was at an end. On the plane the next morning I looked out at the ground far below, the air was thick with smoke and dust. All the way up to Ndola and Kitwe and beyond the deforestation and burning was clearly apparent, sadly this did not change until we were well north over the Katanga province, when dense green forest and the clear air came back into view. A week later I am just beginning to reflect on the lifetime experience I went through during the few days I was there and I will no doubt continue to do so throughout the rest of my life. Twatasha sana Zambia. Arthur Steevens [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Stockport, United Kingdom Thursday, October 16, 2003 at 23:30:45 (UTC)

Patrick O'Connell, Lesley Clapp Best Wishes on your Birthday Northerners When Craig lived in the Land of the Bamba Zonkes, Nyaminyami and the other gods conspired and he left the country without having visited the Victoria Falls. Fortunately, during the Lark, he was able to see them from the best side (read the northern side) first and on Sunday morning after the Lark, I was privileged to be able to take him across the border so that he could see them from 'his side'. Here are a few photos. I also had the privilege of taking Craig and Arthur round the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park at Livingstone. One of the giraffes we saw came up to the car and had a good look at the two of them ... ... then walked away in disgust Catching Up Rubbish on Zambia's streets. Yes, money is the problem, but there are other reasons, the most important one I would say is education and in this case, basic education on hygiene, But it is a never ending cycle- without education, you don't have the money and if the money is not there, the education is not available. The other problem is that of 'chaboma' (derived from the word BOMA) - everything is Government's responsibility, which includes collecting and disposing of rubbish, keeping the general surroundings clean and many other things. Part of this I think started in the days of KK and UNIP, the 'first and second republics', where they tried to keep control of everything, where initiative was not recognised. Unfortunately the attitude still exists today - we have an entire generation who have grown up believing that everything is government's responsibility. Does the Mwanawasa government have a plan? From where I sit, I can't see it. In fact, this week there is supposed to be an 'indaba' which will bring together all parties to talk about the problems facing us today. I take a very cynical view of this 'indaba' and the question we are asking is 'ini ndaba indaba?' And what worries me even more is that they are going to come up with 'a roadmap' at the end of it!! No mosquito bites? This is possible with the use of insect repellents, the best one being citronella oil - ask Craig, nothing, let alone a mozzie would come near you. Tsetse flies? These are a bit more difficult as repellents don't work on them. The only way to avoid them is to avoid the tsetse areas, which are really only where there is wild game around (or keep the windows of your car closed if you are in a tsetse area) On the question of the church. That was the Anglican church in Chipata (Fort Jameson), built somewhere round the beginning of last century and still in use today. Tina Magee You ask what individuals can do? Plenty, but I would guess that the best thing that can be done is education. I know that many people already sponsor individual children although I am not sure what the child 'sees' of this sponsorship, and what benefit the child is getting. One assumes that somewhere, somehow, some of the money goes towards school fees for the child. This is great except for one thing - our non-private education system is now so deplorable that the child would probably be better off without any education at all. During the KK era, our schools aimed to produce students who were employable rather than teaching them skills that would enable them to start their own businesses. This is what we need - people with skills that can produce something - carpenters, plumbers, electricians, metal workers, auto-mechanics, etc rather than people with important sounding academic qualifications but who can do very little practical. What Peter Bromwich says about aid is also 100 percent correct. And my opinion of foreign consultants is even lower than that of 'just plain consultants'. Much of the money we receive comes in as loans rather than grants; and loans have to be repaid. I recently had lunch with the IMF representative here. One of the questions I asked him was 'when was the IMF going to stop giving us loans which are keeping us in perpetual poverty and which our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are still going to be paying back.' He didn't like my question, neither did he like the fact that I had asked it and neither did he manage to give me an answer which satisfied me, which only reinforced my opinion that all the aid and loans etc are given to developing countries to keep them in the poverty spiral. I can give you hundreds of examples of projects set up by donor agencies which are total and unmitigated disasters. One which comes immediately to mind was one which I visited about two years ago - I shall not name the donor country, but they spent in excess of US$ 6 million setting up an irrigation system on one of our smaller rivers in a drought-prone area. Their first action was to build a dam on a silt-carrying river. Within two years the dam had silted up. Following this they built a huge 'pyramid' contraption across the river on which they placed an enormous pump and sunk a shaft into the river. By the end of the first wet season, the casing of the shaft had been snapped in half by the water. They then proceeded to set up solar panels and pumps to pump water directly out of the river and some boreholes. The result was a solar panel city, 24 of them in total I think and something like 20 hectares of land under irrigation, keeping 20 villagers in business. Now compare this with a project which a friend of mine started - he gave one of the villagers a total of US$ 2,500 and this man now has a business going where villagers bring in honey to him, he cleans it, bottles it and resells it. It gives him a living and 50 or 60 villagers too. On the issue of agricultural subsidies - again Peter is correct. And it is not only beef, cotton and maize. My father was one of the earlier wheat producers and having grown up in a wheat growing area in South Africa, he knew his stuff and obtained phenomenal yields, to the extent that one day, another farmer arrived at the farm with all the equipment to measure the sizes of my dad's fields because he did not believe the yields. He then checked all the delivery notes to the milling companies and only after that did he believe him. But for many years, in October, just as the Zambian wheat crop was being reaped and delivered, consignments of 'aid' wheat would arrive from Germany and Canada, pushing down the price of locally produced wheat. We also had a very interesting wheat project funded by the Canadians that was trying to grow rain-fed wheat. Their yields were so poor that they measured them in buckets per acre!! Another damaging example of aid - in August when I was in the Western Province, I had lunch in Senanga with someone from the Ministry of Agriculture. He has been in Senanga for 8 or 9 years working as an extension officer, teaching the villagers there how to grow maize and other crops and was starting to see a lot of success with many of the villages having excess grain to sell in the towns. Last year, Oxfam arrived to give them free food because of the drought. This year the farmers have refused to plant crops because they are expecting handouts from Oxfam and the like again. Another example - salaula. Or what you would call second-hand clothes. All the clothes that you give to Oxfam etc are brought to Zambia and sold very cheaply. This is great because our people can now dress in the latest European fashions and I can buy a pair of jeans here for about US$ 6. But as salaula came in through the font door, our textile and clothing factories left by the back door. Lets also talk about Zambia's refusal to accept genetically modified maize last year. I know government's stated reasons were because they were concerned about the long term effects of GM food on the health of the population. Our concern was this: Every villager keeps back some of their maize to plant the following year. So the WFP et al go around the country delivering GM maize to all the villages. They mill most of it but keep back some for planting during the forthcoming season. A friend of mine got some GM maize and planted it as an experiment. At the end of the growing season, there were beautiful, enormous cobs on the plants. But open the cobs up and there was not a single pip inside. Imagine the starvation if this were to happen throughout the country? And imagine the scenario where the GM maize contaminates our local maize varieties which it would undoubtedly do. We would then, forever, be dependent on some foreign company which produces GM maize seed and who can then name their price. If you really want to do something, pressurise your politicians to stop giving aid to developing countries and to stop subsidizing your farmers. And pressurise your friends to stop giving away their old clothes to Oxfam. Yes, it is going to be very hard for us to start off with because we are now completely depdendant on aid, but after a few years, we will get ourselves sorted out. And if your governments want to give loans, let them give them to private sector operators on a commercial basis and where people have good track records. And don't channel it through the commercial banks here where they put on their own commissions bringing the annual interest rate up to between 12 and 18 percent on the Dollar. And if you want to do something on a one on one basis like sponsoring a child, look into it very carefully and see how much goes on administration costs and how much actually benefits the child. And if necessary, ask me to investigate from this end. And encourage all your friends to take their annual holidays in Zambia - there is much to see and much to do because it really is the Real Africa. Fiona Gayther Ag sies man!! What are you doing looking at all those horrible creatures when we have our own GNR men to look at and ours beat them hands down every time. I guess we could make Siavonga 2005 during the rainy season - for me it is no problem but if you are intending to visit any place way off the beaten track, you will probably find it unaccessible or else it would have to be early in the rainy season before things get too wet. The rainy season is also not the best time because of the prevalence of malaria during that time, unless, again, it is early on. The advantage during the rainy season is that everything will be clean and green. Yunnus Badat Some photos of Ndola as requested: Arthur If you keep making comments about my driving, I won't be your friend anymore. And just imagine ... all this time I thought you had enjoyed me rubbing your chest as I slammed on brakes, to keep your head from making another crack in my already cracked windscreen. CJ It is Dave Gray you should be thanking for the bottle of Mosi - it was his idea and he who did all the hard work of carrying it to you. Thank you Dave. If you've got another big function you are organising in February, then we can give the CTC a miss until later - it will be enough for me if I can only meet you. Roll on February. Jacqui As you know, Craig has another bungee jump to do, so we are thinking of going back down to Livingstone next month and will probably do the microlight flight at the same time. In fact, I've more or less promised that I'll do it. Am I crazy or what? Heather Chalcraft (née Bender) [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Lusaka, Zambia Tuesday, October 14, 2003 at 06:06:11 (UTC)

Brasso Please give Cookie my best wishes for a speedy recovery. And belated birthday wishes to you for your 50th, count every day as a bonus from now on you old git. Ada, cut back on the Drambue and you will see all the pics I posted. CJ Hope you're also feeling better ole mate. Stand by for my next posting - I had to pass through New Kabul on the way to Nkana Kitwe - BH seems to have disappeared. Arthur Hi Arthur Attached are a couple of the photos of my microlight trip - to post on the message board! I am sorry they are so huge - I got one of the girls here at work to scan them for me and I don't know how to reduce them!! Hope it won't be a problem for you! I can't wait to hear your stories of your trip up north (and the fishing too - of course!) I hope the copperbelt trip was not too traumatic for you. Take care my friend - you are very special. Jacqui Arthur, here are a few photos for the GNR if you are interested. I wasn't sure how to put them in order and have narrative attached to each one so I hope the captions are sufficient. Fiona Jacqui You are special too, it was good have have seen you again. Looking at the pics I now wish I'd taken the microlite flight as well now! Maybe next time though nothing would convince me to to the bungee jump. Ever. Fiona Brilliant pics - wihich one is Des in the strongest man photo? And why was Kevin angry? Nice sunset - yawn. Arthur Arthur Steevens [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Stockport, United Kingdom Monday, October 13, 2003 at 19:16:14 (UTC)

Northerners ! As there are a great pile of photos to be posted I will try and do them in manageable batches over the next few days and weeks rather than post everything in one go. A note especially for the Larkers, some I know have quite a few photos of their own they would like posting on the board and I would ask that if at all possible you send them to me on a CD – If I get large batches of photos in my e-mail I will begin to sink under a great weight of megabytes. If you can burn you pics onto CD’s then please drop me a line and I will send you my postal address. If you cannot burn CD’s then please try your best to reduce the size of your pics below 100kb each. Thanks for you consideration. I will post the photos I took myself in day order starting with the Livingstone Lark, but before I do this I would like to say a few words myself about Heather. It seems forever ago since I conscripted Heather to help out with running the monster we all know as the GNR and in the two short years she has been here we all know what a huge contribution Heather has made to this website, she is so invaluable in helping many people obtain documents from Zambia, finding countless lost friends and relatives through her grapevine of contacts, getting those photos that many of us have requested of old places we all knew so well, and providing beautiful photographs of places we didn’t. In a nutshell she has been selfless in her dedication to the GNR and also her country, Zambia, which she both defends and loves to the last. When I first asked Heather if she minded helping out with obtaining a few photos for the site, I did so for the benefit of the GNR, never realising what a good personal friend Heather would become to me and the rest of the politburo and also to so many of the members, back then it never crossed my mind that Heather would be the catalyst that would eventually lead to returning home myself one day. Now Heather has helped make that dream come true and the last few days and weeks have been a journey of nostalgia, pain and happiness, the Livingstone Lark was only a small part of the experience for me. Parts of my journey I can share with you all, some I cannot, my journey starts here. Thank you Heather, my incredible and dedicated friend. Arthur The Livingstone Lark Arrived early morning Thursday 25th September at Lusaka Airport and the first thing that hits this Northerner used to living in a cool world is the heat and bone dryness of the air, and it feels good. Officialdom rules and there are plenty of officials waiting to delay my eagerness to get through immigration to the arrivals lounge, plenty of pointless forms to fill in and produce to seemingly pointless people, and everyone seems to own a personal rubber stamp. Eventually they let me through, outside Heather was waiting to whisk Craig and I to her home, which I found would be on the other side of Lusaka. Driving us fast (more of that later) out of the airport the first thing I noticed was the flowering bougainvillea and women carrying heavy loads on their heads, I knew instantly I was back in Zambia. In the next white knuckle hour my senses were filled with familiar sounds, smells and sights I remembered so well as a child, but also there were other not so familiar sights, I realised quickly other things had changed drastically, much more than I expected – I had been away 40 years or more. As we make our way traffic builds to the rush hour in downtown Lusaka, blue minibus taxis are everywhere, packed with more passengers than I could believe possible. Traffic lights are ignored, non-existent or partially working but everyone seems to know what to do, just keep moving. Office workers, schoolchildren and hundreds of people all heading in the same direction into town, others wait at road junctions to tout their wares to the standing traffic. Cars, trucks and minibuses abound which would normally be scrap in the UK, every vehicle seems to have a broken or cracked windscreen, these though are minor issues in Zambia. We pass by houses surrounded by high walls topped with broken glass or razor wire, gates manned by security, this I would find later to be the norm in the “better” areas of many towns. I see palacial houses contrasted by absolute grinding poverty on the boulevards, where people have made their homes and live in the open amongst piles of garbage and in squalor. Third World, but nearly everyone has a smile on his or her face. Later that afternoon we returned to meet David Gray (a real gentleman) at the airport and we finally set off on the first leg of our long journey to Livingstone. Heading south to pass Chilanga, then over the Kafue Bridge where I glimpsed the river I knew so well as a boy. Next a police roadblock, Heather’s chatty politeness is returned by a quick wave through and shortly after we turned right at the next junction, taking the line of the original Great North Road and heading towards Livingstone. Along the seemingly endless and first class road we pass through Mazabuka, Monze and Pemba, small towns, busy and dirty, thronging with aimless people. The bush as far as the eye can see has all gone, charcoal sellers are every half mile or less. This is not the country I knew and remembered. The drive would take us longer than expected and we were still on the main road as darkness quickly fell. On this section of the Great North Road huge speed humps appear suddenly and without warning wherever there are little roadside villages, Heather manages to hit one particularly large speed hump in the darkness at about 90kph as she slams on the brakes at the last moment, too late, with a sickening crack, the suspension and sump take the impact, we stop and inspect the car. Seems OK. A few miles later another whiplashing emergency stop, a herd of cattle decide to cross in the pitch-blackness. A few inches to spare. Half an hour later we make a turn off to break our journey overnight near Choma where we were all booked in at Masuku Lodge in the Nkanga River Conservation Area. The road is a wide, sandy, heavily rutted, corrugated dirt track. Eventually we start to see more bush and trees in the headlights, we are heading away from populated areas. Arriving at our destination and on getting out the car I hear the sounds of the African night, I look up at the sky, I see a black sky twinkling with billions of stars, just as I remembered. A warm welcome from Bill and Sue Somerset and a couple of cold beers await. I am too tired to eat and the unaccustomed heat begins to bite, I retire early to bed. Next morning we spend some time looking around the grounds of Masuku Lodge, zebra can be seen in the far distance, a little later we get a fleeting glimpse of three or four sable antelope, not common in this area. A Fish Eagle alights on a tree. We set off to complete our journey to Livingstone, from Simba the perfect road surface gives way to a rough but reasonable road surface, with the odd large pothole thrown in to surprise the unwary driver. From Simba the air seems to be getting even warmer as we make a slow decent towards the Zambezi. Roadside populations decrease and the bush becomes gradually more dense and thicker. I am surprised that miles and miles from any seeming habitation there are the occasional and very young children walking along the hot and dry road totally alone to a very distant school, dressed in immaculate clean uniforms with satchels on their backs, some children appeared no older than four or five years old. Eventually arrived in Livingstone, I didn’t recognise a thing, although the main street through town still seemed to be in reasonable condition and many of the old buildings were still there. Further on towards the Falls the rondavels where we used to stay when I was young seemed to have all disappeared. Arrived and booked into the Nyala Lodge outside Livingstone where we met up with Jacqui Millward, the Eldridge girls - Viv and Heather and Grant Knowles, fantastic people. Chilled out until later that evening preparing out livers for the African Queen sunset cruise and dinner. I cannot add much to what has already been said about the cruise on the African Queen; only to say it was a fabulous “do” and the music and food were every bit as good as described. Met the rest of the Larkers and we all had the time of our lives on board. (All the names of the attendees are shown on Heather's previous posting) Next day we took the helicopter trip around the Falls, well worth the money and a fantastic way of viewing the area. I took a good few photos, but since Heather and more recently Hartley Heaton have had their brilliant aerial photos of the Falls published on the GNR I will not bore you all with more. Earlier that morning Craig, Heather and I went for a drive around the local game park for an hour or so, saw the ubiquitous giraffe, antelope, zebra, buffalo etc. but also found a rhino, one of only four or five remaining in Zambia, the reason this one was still alive I suppose is down to the armed “minder” the rhino had tailing him in the distance. Later Craig and I headed off to the Victoria Falls Bridge, once I had looked over the edge I didn’t need convincing of what I always suspected of Craig, totally off his trolley, but it was something he wanted to do and I wasn’t going to even try and talk him out of it, I was going to watch though. I never told him, but that bungee rope looked a little frayed in places, but they profusely assured him that there had never been an accident and they also made sure he signed their book waiving any responsibility and indemnity on their part if anything snapped and also made sure he paid the fee up front first. Clutching Ali to his heart he jumped over the edge, a few milliseconds later I heard a sort of scream sound, I looked over the edge, he was alive. He refused the spare pair of underpants we brought along so I swapped them for some curios with the hawkers on the bridge. Went for a walk around the Falls on the Zambian side, as Mr Mugabe wanted $50 to let me in on a short day visa to the Zim side I let it go and decided to spend it on something better, so I headed off to the old Railway Museum in Livingstone. I was impressed with the young guy that was looking after the place, considering the funding he was receiving - barely anything at all it was a miracle anything was available or surviving in one piece. there were a few gems among the sad and rusting relics of the glorious past. I will make no further comment, a picture tells a thousand words, so here are a few. Heather was very busy for the rest of the day preparing the food for the Lark with her helpers, Craig had gone off for a ride on an elephant for six hours, we warned him of the fact the elephant has rough skin and the insides of his legs may get seriously chapped, but as usual he knew better and we so didn’t argue. Later that day i noticed neither he or Jilly Aplin were walking with banded chapped legs, I assume therefore they must be used to such things. That evening the Lark itself was underway at last, first stop ice-cold beer and the croc tail, cooked to perfection by the army of braai tenders and fire pokers. We raised a glass to absent friends and continued to chat, drink and eat the night away on a cooling African breeze. The food was fantastic, I knew the amount of time Heather and her helpers had put into making it so. Thank you all so much. I did not take many photos here as I was enjoying the braai too much, there were many photos taken so undoubtedly a lot more will follow. Early next morning we crossed over the main railway line and had a quick visit up to the big old Baobab tree and then later headed for Livingstone picking up Peter Bennet to accompany us to Lusaka. Just one thing though, on turning out of Nyala Lodge so early in the morning these blokes were 100 yards away having some breakfast. We tried to sneak the car past very quietly but this one had different ideas. Once he had let us know who was the boss, he grudgingly let us pass by. We headed back onto the old Great North Road towards Lusaka but not before encountering evidence of a previous Lark The next day we were going to be heading north and the possible excitement at comparing the standard of the petrol pump at Kipiri Mposhi with the one at Broken Hill, but to me the most important part of my visit was coming up, home to Nkana Kitwe, which I will recount on my next posting and let those who requested photos know how I went on. Arthur Arthur Steevens [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Stockport, United Kingdom Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 00:13:39 (UTC)

Seymour Ferreira, Viviane Turner, Ken Fernie Best Wishes on your Birthday NORTHERNERS Not the best photos I'm afraid, but here are some taken at the Lark. More (and better ones) will be posted when Arthur catches up with himself. The names of the Larkers are in the filename, so hover your mouse over the fisheagle to see who is who. The names ofthe Larkers were: from Canada: our beloved Craig Steve and Margaret de Lange and their son and daughter-in-law, Art and Kathie from UK our Sarky Arthur Fiona Gayther Hartley and Sue Heaton Des Kenny Jacqui Milward Peter Bennett from Australia John Steers Peter and Paddy Greenhalgh from behind the boerewors curtain Doug and Francois Grewar Dave Gray Jill (nee Aplin) and Otto Masterton Beth Lloyd Vivienne Buitendag and her daughter and son-in-law, Laurie and Andrew Ackerman Grant and Heather Knowles Brian Townsend Dave and Judy Stephens Irene le Roux Louise de Wet and not forgetting, Kevin Shone, all the way from Ndola. At the leftovers dinner in Kitwe were Grant and Heather Knowles Viv Buitendag Des Kenny Dave Gray Fiona Gayther Brian and Lillian Rowlands Chris and Lorraine Cotton and Arthur and Craig who it seems had over-indulged in Livingstone and were unable to sup some delectably cold Mosi with Brian Rowlands Only two of my photos at the the Lusaka dinner were semi-decent: Doug and Elizabeth and Doug with his son in law, Anthony and this one of Des Kenny being rude to me ... again: And for those who have been waiting for the fishing photos: Arthur getting down to some serious business and Shadreck, the boat man, doing a fish dance to entice the fish onto Arthur and Craig's hooks and Arthur telling stories about the ones that got away Heather Chalcraft (née Bender) [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Lusaka, Zambia Friday, October 10, 2003 at 13:20:08 (UTC)

Alison Butcher, Ron Clibborn-Dyer, Paul Fitzpatrick Best Wishes on your Birthday NORTHERNERS I am feeling very sad as earlier this morning, I delivered Arthur safe and sound to Lusaka International Airport for his flight back to Manchester. But all is not lost - I still have Craig here, on and off, for the next few weeks! Shame, poor Craig!! I certainly enjoyed our travels over the last two weeks, but am going to leave Craig and Arthur to tell you about them (and Arthur will undoubtedly be posting many photographs) I do however have to admit to being very lazy - with both Arthur and Craig clicking away with their cameras, I took only a few photos. I do have some taken at the Lark, which I will try to post later today or early tomorrow (my internet connection is down but should be back up and running later today) THE LARK Of course there are many thank yous which have to be said for this, and here they are in no particular order: Kevin Shone, without whom I could not have done it. Back in May, when I was starting to organise transport for people needing lifts to and from Livingstone, I phoned Kev and asked him when he was going down to Livingstone. His reply was 'You tell me when and that is when I will go' and as the time went on, his work load got heavier and heavier - collecting the meat from Chisamba on his way down, organising trips into CPC for photos, collecting crates, buying drinks and finally, making sure that all the drinks were on ice in good time. The only thing he forgot was to look after Jacqui!! Kev, thanks very much. (oops and nearly forgot - sorting out the dinner bookings last Friday when I was late AGAIN) Gill Staden, in Livingstone, who kindly offered me use of her freezers for the meat, the use of her crates for the braai and the use of her kitchen for the melkterts and the sosatie sauce. I am not the neatest of people when it comes to cooking, so a very big thank you to Gill. Brian Nel for the use of your freezer and verandah for storing the ice. The various hotels especially Maramba River Lodge for allowing us to use their premises and the African Queen for the arrangements for the dinner and the band. Brian Rowlands for sorting out the dinner bookings in Kitwe last Tuesday. It was good to see you and Lilian again. The Thirty Three Larkers who travelled from outside of Zambia. It was for you that this was arranged and thank you all as I know it is not cheap getting here and neither is it cheap whilst you are here. I am sure it has also been a very difficult time emotionally for those who left here many years ago. But as Doug said - there have been improvements over the last few years. If we can only keep taking those steps forward..... And it was wonderful to meet those of you who I had not met before. And even more wonderful to meet those lurkers (John Steers, Peter and Paddy Greenhalgh, Peter Bennett, Brian Townsend - you no longer have a excuse not to post messages on this board) Arthur and Craig - special thanks to both of you for making the trip. And thank you for letting me show you around the country afterwards. I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as I did. Dave Cooper, not only for your vision in starting this web site, but also for your encouragement to get this Lark organised. I'm just sorry that you could not also be with us. And now to catch up with the goings on on the message board over the last two weeks ... CJ What do you know that I don't know? But if whatever it is doesn't work out, whilst I was away, I received an email from Ron Sayer who will be celebrating his 60th birthday in Cape Town on 14 February next year, so if I don't make it down to Cape Town before then (read that as 'if Charlie doesn't organise his Cape Town Caper before then'), I shall certainly see you then (or perhaps I should say that those are my plans for now). I did think that perhaps we should organise the 'CTC' at the same time, on the evening before, but that might be too much partying for some people. JOHN COSTOPOLOUS Thank you so much for the Mufulira Magazines which are now in my aunt's custody. I don't know when I shall get down to Durban again or when I will be able to get them up here and then, when I will get them scanned , but I am working on this and hopefully in the not too distant future, we will have some very happy Mufulirans. I hope your house move went well and that you are now settled in your new home. GEORGE MAXWELL Usually, opportunity only knocks once but this time it might just knock more than once. How does a Siavonga Soiree in 2005 sound? If you and 50 others promise to make it, I will arrange it. ATHAL JONES Please keep in touch if you do make it here next year. BRASSO Sorry I missed your birthday. I did remember it, but never got around to posting a message - just a little busy at the time. BRIAN GEYSER Thank you very much for the CD's sent out with Hartley. We have not had a chance to listen to them yet, but now that we are back in Lusaka will surely get around to it in the next day or two (need to catch up on some sleep first) DAVE GRAY Delighted you found the farm without too many problems. I will reply in length to your email later. And thank you also for the bottle of Amarula which will be enjoyed over the next few weeks. HILRY WILSON Was reading your comments about Nkana Polo Club and them still functioning as stables. Amongst the polo fraternity, Nkana Polo Club is known as the Bamba Zonke of the North because of all the polo trophies which they refused to hand over when polo collapsed up there. WIM BUKER Is this the Anglican church to which you refer? KRIS MASSIE You are probably already on your way to Australia. I hope the painting travels well. DAVID RUSSELL I'm not sure whether Arthur took any photos of KBH, but if not, I have some which were taken nearly two years ago which I will post. Or perhaps one of the other Larkers took some photos. DOUG GREWAR There you go you see - blowing my image!! Glad you made it back safely and I hope Francois enjoyed the disco on Friday night. FIONA GAYTHER I found, this morning, two bottles of Baileys in my house and somewhere in the back of my mind I recall you giving them to me on the morning you arrived. Remembering that I was a bit short of sleep that day plus way behind with the things I had to do, I am not sure whether I thanked you properly or not. Thank you very much. But why two bottles? DAWIE Will post more tomorrow about tryps (sleeping sickness) and also about Lusaka's garbage collection. But for now I have a photograph specially for you: Enjoy your trip. Heather Chalcraft (née Bender) [ Profile ] [ Contact ] Lusaka, Zambia Thursday, October 09, 2003 at 14:51:57 (UTC)