Like all teenagers, I imagined myself desperately in love with various extremely unsuitable people.
The gardener at our house in Addis Ababa. I think he was called Alemayu.
The driver in Addis Ababa — o who was already married.
David Belman at Egerton College who threatened to drive us over a cliff if I did not marry him. The boyfriend had a motorbike, which I rode on. I think he was called Jeremy. The person who allowed me to drive a train. They were all extremely unsuitable people for me to imagine that they were the love of my life.
However, I do remember them today in Hemyock about 70 years ago.
I do remember saying that I was going to enjoy myself with all the young men coming to Egerton to learn how to be farmers in tropical Africa. As one of them was called Michael and I married him and we were true lovers but also really good friends and we happily squabbled throughout our 5O years of married life. I miss him daily in 2023 and his photograph in my bedroom reminds me of him every time I look at it. What a wonderful life we had together and what a marvellous family I have today who are all part of Michael and my union together. I do hope they realise that the occasional disagreements are all part of marriage as it would be difficult to quarrel with other people who are not part of a lively family. So, love and best wishes to all my family and may you all enjoy a loving relationship with all your family members including the occasional disagreement Just remember to keep that exciting relationship a vital part of family life together and keep the loving relationship obvious to everyone. Good Luck. Philippa, Mum Granny and GG. I am about to put my legs up for I have been told to do this to stop my legs from swelling into tree trunks. I know I have to but I don’t much enjoy it. Just back at the table now. I asked Liz why I had to put my legs up and she said it was to keep my heart working properly. Perhaps I had better try and enjoy it as I have several things I still would like to do. However, perhaps my family would prefer me to slip off this mortal coil. I wonder if I could learn to drive a carriage around Hemyock. I would prefer a two-seater carriage. I remember that I tried to drive a garri in Addis Ababa. There were a lot of them around as they were the equivalent of modern-day taxis. So, I had a try but the horses I used were completely NOT used to pulling garris around town streets and went so slowly that proper garri drivers laughed at us and probably told us to get off the road to leave room to them to earn a living which they obviously needed far more than we did. So that was the end of our trying to drive a garri. We did feel rather embarrassed, so we gave up trying to drive a garri and rode our horses instead. I am wondering what would happen if I tried to drive a 2-seater carriage around Hemyock. I have a feeling that I would get into trouble, not only with my family but also with the police. So much that I think maybe I should not try or I might find myself put into a lunatic asylum. I don’t think I should enjoy that much and I would probably get told to go back home again, I am pretty sure that Hemyock residents would be sure to think I should go somewhere a long way away.. and probably think that I should be restrained as a starter. So perhaps I must behave myself. Everyone in Hemyock is so friendly and I have some great carers who help me and look after me. And Piers and Liz are very long-suffering and kind to me and Piers will tell me to stop being gaga. Also other members of my family are within reach of me and they take turns in keeping an eye on me….So we all benefit from their visits…