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EAST AFRICAN MEMORIES 1 from Janet Davis By the early sixties the four East African territories were shortly to become independent states. In Kampala the Parliament Building had been completed, as had the National Theatre. The following photographs trace a safari from Kampala to the Coast and thence onward to Aden and London in the UGANDA which, with its sister ship the KENYA, provided regular sailings between the UK and Dar-es-Salaam until the mid 1960s. Later the UGANDA was to become an educational cruise ship but the KENYA was retired and scrapped. |
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Parliament Building Kampala. The grey building just discernable in the above photograph is Radio Uganda. PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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The National Theatre, Kampala (above). Promenading on the banks of the Victoria Nile at Jinja as the sun begins to set (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Owen Falls Dam (left) looking towards Jinja. Jinja street scene (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Fort Portal and the Mountains of the Moon Hotel (above). Mweya Lodge in the Queens Elizabeth National Park (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| One of the crater lakes near Kasese (above) and an often photographed valley between Fort Portal and Bundibugyo (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Paraa Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park, North West of Uganda PHOTO the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| For days the Ruwenzoris can been sheathed in mist as seen here on the road to Bundibugyo. This car crash (right) occurred on the Eldoret Nakuru road - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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A Hindu temple in Kampala (left) contrasts with a mosque in Eldoret (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Not in sequence, but for contrast. The Uganda Equator signs on the Kampala Masaka Road and the Mbarara Kasese Road were sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing compared with the rather basic boards at the Kenya Equator on the Eldoret Nakuru Road and the Thomsons Falls Nakuru Road. Perhaps though it is a pity that the Uganda signs do not give the elevation - around 3500 feet on the Kampala Masaka Road shown here with the electricity pole in the background. Electricity reached Masaka in 1956 - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| Kaptagat Arms Hotel was well known for its beautiful gardens. Guests stayed in chalets and took meals in the dining room which was in the main block of the hotel. PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Croquet on the lawn at Kaptagat (left). Jim Dixon beside Forestry Commission rondavels at Kapinguria (right) - PHOTOs the late Hilda Dixon |
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"Happy Valley" - The Silverbeck Hotel in Nanyuki - but Mount Kenya can be covered in cloud for days and there is therefore no guarantee of seeing it - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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The Members Only Mount Kenya Safari Club - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Mount Kenya Safari Club - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Mount Kenya from the Cirimon Track - the notice warns about the danger of fire and observations towers were erected in the Aberdares to guard against it - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| Splendid line-up of DKWs at Nakuru races (above) PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Go-carts at Nakuru (left). Nakuru Nairobi Road (right) - someone didn't make it, at least, not in this car! PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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 Menegai Crater sign (left) Aberdare Royal National Park sign (above) PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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The Rift Valley with Mount Longonot just visible in the haze. Italian prisoners of war built this chapel in the Rift Valley - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Still looking very British (above) with Delamere occupying pride of place and looking towards The Hill with the New Stanley Hotel and the Thorn Tree on his left in what is now Kenyatta Avenue. The Kenya National Theatre (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Jamia Mosque, Nairobi (left) is instantly recognisable. Biashara St (right) with your back to River Rd and looking at Cianda House and the 60's high-rise at the end - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Blue blossomed jacaranda In downtown Nairobi (left); River Road bazaar with a variety of metal cabin trunks (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Originally named the Coronation Safari, by the 1960s the event had become the East African Safari and the above photographs by Jim and Hilda Dixon show the cars departing Nairobi. |
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| Nairobi Motorcylce Trials - Soldier competitor on Army motorcycle (above and left); civilian competitors - on scooter (below left) and motor cycle (below) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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| The knife sharpener calls (left) University of Nairobi (above). It's one of the men's halls of residence - thanks to Michael Mithika for identifying this building PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Kenya Police in training (left) The Salisbury Swimming Pool, Nairobi (below left) Adams Arcade Shopping Centre off the Ngong Road, Nairobi (below) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon
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River Road, Nairobi - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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In the early 1960s many new
buildings were constructed off Government Road - PHOTOs
the late Jim and Hilda
Dixon. The tall building with the sculpture mounted on the side
was originally built for the Ministry of Works and Housing. Before they
could occupy the building Mzee Jomo Kenyatta acquired it for The Office of
The President which remains the main occupant to the present. |
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The Anglican Cathedral of the Highlands (All Saints), Nairobi (left) and the Roman Catholic Cathedrals (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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St Andrews Presbyterian Church
overlooking Princess Elizabeth Highway was completed in the late 1950s and
what had formerly been the Kirk - the old corrugated iron roofed original St
Andrews - became the Dutch Reformed Church. In the late 1950s the charismatic and popular Mr Keltie became the minister and after the Sunday morning service tea and coffee was served in the foyer - (left and right above) Mr Keltie (left) chats with members of the congregation after one such service. Once a term he would preach at Duke of York School where he was well liked and would generally inject a degree of humour to his sermon. He had an assistant minister who took services when he was away on his regular visits to Entebbe and Kampala as well as to other parts of East Africa. PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon
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Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi PHOTO the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| Kenya Arts Festival in pre-Independence days, but where is it being held? PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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| In the Aberdares (left) and between Limuru and Kiningop (right) - dry season and drought, contrasting with floods below - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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| In 1961 floods occurred in November-December which were extensive throughout Kenya. Two boys (left) wade across a swollen river in suburban Nairobi. The boy on the left is wearing an army poncho (groundsheet) which was a popular buy from Osmin Yakob's Government Surplus store in Nairobi. Also note the British style road signs which were used throughout colonial Kenya, unlike in Uganda which always used international road signs. The road in the Rift Valley, near Naivasha (above) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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| The scene at Athi River where the bridge was washed away (above) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Silversands at Mombasa was used by the British Army for rest and recreation. Christmas Day and Santa Clause arrives by boat. Another holiday shot (above): East African Airways C47B Dakota 4, VP-KJT, Joseph Thomson seen on the apron at Zanzibar. This aircraft was mysteriously destroyed by fire at Francistown, Botswana, on 29 August 1963 - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| An East African Railways porter with a typical barrow at Mombasa (above). Fort Jesus (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Mombasa: the Old Harbour (left) contrasts with a busy scene at Kilindini (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Oceanic Hotel, Mombasa PHOTO the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Departing Mombasa in the SS UGANDA (left); sunbathing by the ship's pool en route to Aden (above) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Children's Fancy Dress Party in UGANDA's lounge (left); UGANDA at Aden off Steamer Point (above) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| Steamer Point, Aden. Ships anchored off and the passengers were taken ashore by lighter or in the ship's lifeboats - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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| Bumboats used to come out to the ship and the hawkers would offer all sorts of goods at bargain prices (left). Other shipping viewed while going ashore by lighter (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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A camel hauls a cart in an uncharacteristically green area of Aden (left above) where, once ashore everyone headed for Crater and trawled the shops were for duty free bargains (above and left).
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| After calling at Aden the next call was at Port Suez where ships mustered for passage through the Suez Canal. Gulf of Suez (above) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Cairo: while the ship made its way through the Suez Canal passengers were able to take a trip to Cairo where they would visit the Pyramids (left) and the Egyptian Museum to see Tutankhamun's death mask (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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| The next stop was at the Mohamed Ali Mosque (left) from which there is a good view of Cairo (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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| Afternoon tea was taken in the Cairo Hilton (left) which overlooks Kiaser Ayeh Bridge on the Nile (right) - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon | |||
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Typical Cairo street scenes in 1962 - the car is a Peugeot 203 - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Port of Marseilles - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Vintage tug and floating dock at Marseilles (above) and UGANDA, distinguishable from the KENYA by its 12 foot taller funnel (right) berthed alongside at the French port - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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The replica Santa Maria at Barcelona - PHOTO the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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The last port of call en route to London was
Gibraltar and in the 1950s and '60s the British naval base was much in
evidence, The sheer legs (top left) have now gone and the dockyard
dry docks
(top right) have been
privatised. The UGANDA can be seen anchored off and a tanker is alongside the mole. PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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Hilda Dixon with the
children after UGANDA had berthed in King George VI Docks PHOTO the late Jim Dixon |
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Journey's end - the now unrecognisable Port of London - the site of London City Airport - PHOTOs the late Jim and Hilda Dixon |
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