Visitors' Book

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From: Lucy Edwards 
Sent: Monday, January 15, 2018 9:40 AM
Subject: New Stories - BEER: The Elephant and Catchpole

YES!  I remember this beer-drinking contest with the elephant.  It took place in the 1950s a little before we returned to Ndola in 1956.   My first sight of Len Catchpole was of a man in khaki shorts and a grubby vest, sitting in one of those 4ft deep storm drains at the side of the road, supervising  some building project.  One of my colleagues who was giving me a lift home after work, pointed, and said “Our Mayor!”   I knew then, that I was back in NR.

There is one mistake in the text.  Len Catchpole was not the hang-man.  That job was done by his brother  - another character  -  and Len’s sister-in-law was the local Midwife.    As was said “the Catchpoles get their clients coming and going”.  Len owned a local hotel called “The Elephant and Castle”. I don’t know if it had any connection to the place of that name in London.  More likely referring to the drinking contest!  He was also caught smuggling whisky, concealed in coffins,  to the Swedish UN troops in the Belgian Congo, during the independence troubles. At least so I heard, but knowing him I don’t think the story is apochraphal!

Thank you, Lucy for "that little extra something"

From: Buz Trevor
Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2014 9:43 PM

I enjoyed reading "Journey to School". I traveled from Lusaka to Johannesburg many times in the 1960's and share similar memories - particularly sardines and condensed milk. My brothers in the late 1940's used to travel by bus from Abercorn to Mbeya in Tanganyika - they too have amazing memories.
 
My dad, Bim< was vet in Mongu from 1958 to 1960.  He was responsible for the government horses. Mongu, of all the places I lived in NR, is a jewel in my memory.
 
Regards
Buz (Mark) Trevor

Thank you, Buz.

Now - how about some of your OWN stories?

From: Buz Trevor

Sent: 3 December 2013

I was born in Abercorn and grew up with the NR journal. My brother in Scotland has the family copies. It is wonderful to be able to access them online.

Thanks, Buz !

So far only the first 5 of 6 Volumes are available on-line,

Images only can be found at 

http://www.nrzam.org.uk/NRJ/V1N2/V1N2.html

For text, this is the place to look

but it's going to take a while to complete

From: Miles Mader

Sent: 26 November 2013

This will be an invaluable document. Thank you for your painstaking effort to compile the information.

Thanks, Miles.

From: David Whitehead
Sent: November 07, 2013 5:33 PM

Well done - keep up the good work.

Thank you, David

From: Diana Polisensky

Date: November 07, 2013 4:34 PM

Congrats on getting the NR Journal launched.  With your own wealth of stories, diaries and fabulous photo archive to begin with it will be off to a great start, and with contributions from others it should prove to be a treasure trove reflecting life in the Colony.  I look forward to following it.

Thank you, Diana

From: Ian Manning

Date: November 06, 2013 11:53 PM

Tremendous news that you have set this website up and are making the journal so accessible.

This is very good news indeed. I do hope the members of the NR Society will respond with 'new' material.

Thank you, Ian.

From: Jill Heatlie
Date: November 07, 2013 9:13 AM

This seems to be the most interesting Journal and will take me ages to read through all you have posted to date.  ... It is a brilliant idea and congratulations.

Thank you, Jill