1925. February.
Kapretwa, P.O.Kitale, Kenya Colony.
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February 13th, Friday.
It is just over three months ago since we left England. Much water has
run under the bridge since then. The reason for the above date will unfold
itself as this narrative proceeds. (Wynne had
written nothing from the end of 1924. She had concluded with a description
of their new property, which they all visited: "I was delighted
with the look of the country over there, there are more trees than here
and it is greener. Our land lies on the slopes of Elgon and there is a
most glorious view of the distant Cherangani Hills. Maj T has been more
than good to us...we are such an invasion in his bachelor household. On
New Years Eve we played mad games at first and then they danced on the
gravel by the lights of the motors to a gramophone! H and I escaped soon
after 12.0 and left them to it.")
In January they moved onto their property, using
a house lent to them by the previous owners.
The house, a little wood and grass affair, was lent us by the Leonards,
the man from whom we bought the land, and we amused ourselves by fitting
it up to the last detail of completeness, also got the garden in order
and were altogether most comfortable and fortunate. On Feb 1st the end
came. The children and the L's had gone to Elgon Club and Maj Tyack who
was spending the day with us was just having tea before his departure
when an accident happened to my little spirit lamp and alas set fire to
the thatch. In less than half an hour the whole house was burnt to the
ground. We were lucky to save a great deal but unfortunately many clothes
got burnt after being thrown from the house and many a treasure has gone
west (including Wynne's precious fountain pen
she had had since 1913, much used here. Below is a picture of the house
they then had to move into!).
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Something had to be arranged for our immediate accommodation. The Ls have lent us their rondavels where I and the two girls sleep, H and P do so in his and for 2 days we fed under the trees by which time a grass hut was erected. Matters were not improved by the kitchen going up the next day! a spark from the chimney. This time all was saved except the 'kitchen table" which was a very nice carpenters bench lately purchased and the coffee grinder which one of our boys tried to remove with a hammer to its undoing!
Another kitchen was put up in a few days, a tiny affair and there with no table or any convenience whatever our cook continues to produce food.
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Almost everyone one meets out here
has no good word to say for the native as a domestic. All I say is that
experiences so far leaves little to be desired. We have four "boys"
and a toto (child). The cook is a Christian
and a Baganda, the head houseboy a Nandi, the other two a Nandi and a
Kavaronda, and the toto a little Nandi. All through this trouble they
have been resourceful, cheerful and continue their work without let or
hindrance. I should like to see English servants under these circumstances.
Thank goodness I haven't the chance!
We are quite comfy in our little grass hut. Our table one we had made
out here, and chairs were saved, and these we use. A meat safe to hold
the crockery and a petrol box cupboard comprise our furniture not forgetting
a row of sticks upon one side for our hats! I regret the little house
awfully...we had manufactured curtains and coverings and furniture etc,
laid down matting generally making it so neat and pretty, the garden too
was sweet and now all is a blackened ruin. I am longing to get away and
I think now it wont be long before we shall be able to move on to our
land. We have now a gang of boys over there and they are to build mud
houses for us, in which we shall live until such time as our house is
built. Meanwhile the furniture from home strays about. Barnby from Cheltenham
packed it all in six large cases much too broad for the ordinary ox wagon
and we are having no end of trouble. 2 are here, 2 have got halfway and
2 are still at Eldoret. Kitale is our nearest store and P.O. and is 18
miles distant, Railhead is 60 and all heavy stuff has to come from there
by ox wagon so transport is very slow.
It is a fine country. However at present it does not look its best being
the dry season and much land is burnt nightly giving a general appearance
of ruin! but the rains are expected this month and then all will be green
again. There are evidences of flowers of all kinds, giant creepers and
flowering trees and I think there will be much to interest one as time
goes by.
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This was the next mud house they built...altogether on a grander scale. Though still fairly basic, it at least afforded them additional rooms and some privacy.
In fact Wynne was not to move into a proper stone-built house until October
1929, when their home was finally completed. On November 1st 1929 she
notes: " last night H and I slept in our new beds bought
in Nairobi - most awfully comfortable and luxurious". It
had been a long wait...and she was only able to enjoy it for a little
over a year and a half.