Once Called Home

A collection of 181 posts

Once Called Home

Keeping Their Hats On

With all the negative rhetoric over Empire we might be well to remind ourselves that without the participation of her Empire Britain would not have prevailed against Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito and we’d all be speaking German today. Stoic, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth kept their hats on

Once Called Home

No Water-borne Sewage, but Charming

Click here to in large. No Water-borne Sewage, but Charming A number of readers have asked me where Gervas Hughes’ office and mill, and industrial site were situated, and fortuitously Peter Harris has come up with a wonderful aerial photo to give us the big picture then.  Gervas’ photos show

Once Called Home

The Depression, Que Que's Lucky Break

Solly Sloman’s Trading Store on the Gaika Mine late 1920’s The Depression, Que Que’s Lucky Break Most of Rhodesia’s pioneers came  to look for gold, hoping to find another Witwatersrand. But 10% perished in the two rebellions in the 1890’s.  Many left in poor health

Once Called Home

Different Spokes for Different Folks

Raleigh ran an advertising campaign in Southern Rhodesia the 1940’s and 1950’s with unexpected consequences Different Spokes for Different Folks Charles Rudd trekked 600 miles by mule transport to obtain the concession Rhodes wanted from the Matabele chief,  Lobengula, to occupy  what would become known as Southern Rhodesia.

Once Called Home

Down in the Dumps

Gaika House, the mine managers residence, was built before the turn of the twentieth century. Leased by Round Table for a nominal fee after the mine closed in 1976, it was later sold to Dr. Richard Edwards for £1.0.0. on condition that the exterior be preserved. He moved

Once Called Home

Fun and Games on the Gaika

A house on the Gaika Mine Fun and Games on the Gaika  Living on the Gaika Mine was almost as good a living on a farm.  There were so many places to discover.  First there was the scrap yard behind the houses with all the old mining machinery and equipment

Once Called Home

Poison or Prophylactic?

This mine dump is much bigger than the ones in Rhodesia but you get the idea.  Pic from: http://memorablemeanders. Poison or Prophylactic? Africa was full of disease of one sort or another.  My father was always busier than he wanted to be.  Malaria, hookworm, round worm and tapeworms of

Once Called Home

Spell Dictatorial!

Que Que Junior School Teachers 1968.  Back Row: Margaret McGrady; Jean Ullyett; Queenie Gilby; John Dillane; Nan Young; Barbara Sinclair; Mrs Bath; “Henry” Engelbrecht. Front row: ??; Nigel Roberts; ??; Paddy Bradley; Brian McGrady; Molly Wood;  Mrs Armstrong; Garth Watson, groundsman; Rose Grant, seceretary. Spell Dictatorial Mrs. Bradley is a teacher I

Once Called Home

To Scrap or Not to Scrap?

The Roasting Plant, Que Que, for thirty four years processed refractory ores for many of the almost three hundred small-workers in the area. To Scrap or Not to Scrap?  Que Que was mineral rich.  This had it’s down side:  often antimony, arsenic, bismuth, copper, lead or nickel were associated

Once Called Home

Founders Holiday

My husband, Jan, toasting marshmallows on the Forth of July on Siletz Bay, Oregon Founders Holiday  I love the 4th of July but I’m a spectator, like everyone else, most of the time. At Gleneden Beach, Oregon, we start off with a pancake breakfast at the community center before

Once Called Home

Pinnacles of Success

Kariba Dam, the largest dam in the world, straddling the mighty Zambezi River between Southern and Northern Rhodesia, was opened in May 1960 by the Queen Mother Pinnacles of Success I recently visited Rhodes House, Oxford to research the book and also to celebrate the Queen’s 60th Jubilee along

Once Called Home

Of cabbages—and kings—

Prince Philip and Abe Menashe having a chat at the Victory Services Club Of cabbages—and kings— “The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax— Of cabbages—and kings— And why the sea is boiling hot— And whether pigs have

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The Real McCoy

Bulawayo City Hall The Real McCoy As Mayor of Bulawayo, Abe Menashe visited all the factories in turn to give them publicity.  He visited a school every week to speak to the school assembly and a different church every week to create interest, and get a lot of publicity for

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Abe's Still Looking for Manuello

MPLA The Road to Liberation Abe’s Still Looking for Manuello There was no high school in Que Que in the 1930’s.  Abe went to Prince Edward School for Boys in Salisbury.  One of  Abe Menashe’s  class mates was Frederico Alberto Monteiro da Silva from Portugese East Africa

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Gillette, Wilkinson and Schick

Unbeatable Gillette Razor Blades Gillette, Wilkinson and Schick Right after Abe Menashe decided to devote himself to business, he met Phil Gordon, an American industrialist who had married an ex-girlfirend of Abe’s.  He’d  photographed her as a Meikles (department store) model. Phil said “Let’s do something together.

Once Called Home

An Independent Rhodesian

Ian Smith An Independent Rhodesian   Abraham Menashe served on the council in Bulawayo for twelve years.  He was mayor when Prime Minister Ian Smith made his disastrous unilateral declaration of independence (known as UDI) in November 1965.  When Abe’s two year mayoral office was ending, one of Bulawayo’s

Once Called Home

"Don't Let Me Die Before the G & P"

The Globe and Phoenix Club, 2010.  The exterior essentially unchanged fifty five years on. “Don’t Let Me Die Before the G & P” Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor at the Cape of Good Hope established the first brewery at the Castle in 1658.  Castle Breweries sprung up in

Once Called Home

Tennis Everyone

The Globe and Phoenix Club, 2010.  The exterior essentially unchanged fifty five years on. Tennis for Everyone The Globe and Phoenix Mine had three club tennis courts, one of which closed temporarily in 1945, reportedly because of a shortage of balls due to the war! Tennis for Everyone But once

Once Called Home

Fixing a Handicap

Dr. Ward, Dr. Hirsch and Dr. Adlington outside Que Que Hospital cirra 1948 Fixing a Handicap My Dad never wanted to be a doctor.  He wanted to be an atomic physicist.  The 1930’s was the golden age of atomic physics.  He had never mastered Shakespeare but he seized Benjamin

Once Called Home

Clinching the Deal

May 1946.  My brother Brian got well as soon as Dad took the job at the G & P Mine and we moved to the big house and garden at #1 Silver Oaks Road. Brian watering the larkspurs and lupines along the path to the garden gate opposite the G

Once Called Home

A Pictured Memory

An accident on Main Street Que Que, Rhodesia, 1972 A Pictured Memory The extraordinary reach of the web, the devotion to truth of a true artist and the tenacity of memory combined to give me a lovely surprise. Providentially, on my one hundredth blog, the charm of this picture has

Once Called Home

A Duck on the First Googly

My brother, David,  playing backyard cricket. A Duck on the First Googly Basil Prior joined the Globe and Phoenix Mine in 1945 to work underground. At 2 pm everyday, Ethne, his wife, would send the garden boy over to the shaft-head to leave a  change of clothes and her bicycle.

Once Called Home

Two Ducks in a Row

Chris Duckworth, Que Que’s Springbok Cricketer in action. Two Ducks in a Row Que Que born Chris Duckworth became Rhodesia’s second Springbok Cricketer.  He played in two Tests against the 1956-57 English cricket team as a batsman. Both Tests were won by South Africa. In the thirty three

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A Good Sport

Springbok Chris Duckworth gets a Smile and a Handshake from the Queen A Good Sport  The British introduced cricket to India in 1721, where it slowly but steadily gained universal popularity, in contrast to southern Africa, where it remained the preserve of English-speaking South Africans for well over a century.

Once Called Home

A War Time Wedding

Basil Prior and and Ethne Laurie on their  Wedding Day, April 1 1945 A War Time Wedding Long distance courting was tiring. Basil Prior, of the Globe and Phoenix Mine, asked  Ethne Laurie, of the Cam and Motor Mine, for her hand in marriage. A War Time Wedding The wedding