'We had to make our own recreation in those days and tennis in particular was an all day affair at weekends. Esmé, my elder sister, played with the adults. In the evenings we would all congregate in Ark Frost's garage, on his coffee estate, where he kept an organ, for a singsong (mostly hymns!) and a sundowner. His son Maurice is still living in Kenya.

The Barnleys were our neighbours and within walking distance. A huge python which  had swallowed a buck was found on their tennis court. We could see the shape of the buck within the python, which stayed there until it had digested its meal. Stores were obtained from Shah Vershi Devshi, Thika, and one day I fell out of the car as it turned the corner going up the hill opposite the Blue Posts Hotel. I had been sitting on a four gallon paraffin tin which was the same height as the door. I got up and started to run up the hill after the car, hurt to the quick that I had not been missed. Only when the car had gone some distance did Esmé tell my parents, I had fallen out!!

Max, my brother, as a little chap fell into the farm reservoir and was only saved by the quick action of our Ayah in fetching my father. Fridays was always farmer's day in Nairobi, and everyone met for lunch at the New Stanley Hotel where a full lunch was only 6/-. Sometimes we would accompany our parents, but I was not allowed into the dining room because all I wanted was a glass of water, and if I sat at the table, it would cost my parents another 6/-!

For a short while my father also managed the Blue Posts Hotel, and many was the time when, the Hotel was full due to the Chania River being in full spate and the farmers were unable to cross the river. For a holiday our family and another family would take a "hut" on the Hooks' land at Nanyuki for a fortnight. We would picnic at the river, where the cattle came down to water. Amongst the cattle was buffalo which always stood and stared at us and frightened us children. Apparently, the buffalo was given as a calf to Raymond Hook and grew up with the herd. Raymond Hook was an artist ..... '