Yesterday’s post was about a sick child. Possibly the smallest teeny weeniest most miniscule unit of life that one can write about – just a mother and her child story, inside a home. A small picture.
Today I am going to write about a bigger picture. I’m going to write about Africa and my imminent visit to a land that I can barely remember. I am travelling with my father. It was meant to be a big family trip – my mother, two brothers, WAGs, my kids – it was all set up two years ago and then my father got ill and we had to cancel our plans. Now life has got in the way, my mother is not well enough to travel because of her back, my brothers have other commitments, my son is on a rugby tour and the other two children will be with their father … and so it’s just the two of us. We are going to Cape Town first to see my son play rugby for a few days (my father is SO not interested in the rugby games, so I’ve left him in charge of booking lovely restaurants) and then he and I will fly to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia.
My father left Lusaka in 1957 and apart from a brief visit in the early 1960’s will now be returning for the first time. His father is buried there and we are on a bit of a voyage of discovery. From there we fly to the Luangwa Valley in Zambia to do a four day safari trip because my father has memories of his time there many years ago.
“The Valley” contains two of the finest national parks on the continent, richly populated with lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant. This success is largely thanks to one man: Norman Carr, a conservationist and pioneer who is widely regarded as the “father of Zambian conservation”. He was the first person to start the now well-trodden Wilderness trails, where visitors walk through the African bush in much the same way as David Livinstone did, single file. Carr would be at the head of the column, with a game scout armed with a rifle bringing up the rear:-
The Luangwa Valley is part of the Great African Rift Valley and most of the game-viewing is centred in the nearby savannah scrub between the river and the Muchinga Escarpment. We are going to be staying in the South Luangwa Valley at Kapani Lodge, situated on the banks of one of the Luangwa River’s many oxbow lagoons.
My father met Norman Carr on a number of occasions through the 50’s and his most vivid memory is of the time when he came to visit my family when on leave in the UK. His sister Cecily was a very close friend of my Grandmother’s and she was staying with them at the time. On this occasion Norman was enthusiastically setting about the marketing of cine footage of the rearing of the two lion cubs, “Big Boy” and “Little Boy” and my family were treated to a preview:-
Norman died about 10 years ago and his son, Adrian now runs the safaris.
So. Are you still with me? It starts to get interesting now….
Norman Carr’s grandchildren are blogging friends of mine. There are two sisters. We found each other through the airwaves. No prior knowledge whatsoever of a family connection, no introduction through family friends. No nothing. Just a thread through the millions and millions of blogs out there that somehow linked us together. Just a tiny spot in London finding other tiny spots in Tanzania, South Africa and Central Africa. An unexplained connection. A bond. I love the way they both write. It’s powerful and passionate. Janelle, another blog friend is very close to both of them. I’ve also met Tanvir through cyberworld who has put me in touch with an old family friend who is now helping my father unravel our story – about my Grandfather being shot in the head – about whether it was murder or suicide. We are now meeting up with Tanvir’s father in Lusaka and with her friend who works in the archives and with Janelle’s best friend who will be in the Valley and with Pam, the mother of Norman’s grandchildren and also I am hoping to meet Mud, another blog friend who will be in Cape Town at the same time as me (even though we both live in London)….un-bloody-believable. No real explanation. Destiny. Fate. Luck. Serendipity. Call it what you will. I think it’s bloody amazing.
I really hope you won’t mind reading about our trip and about what we find out because you never know – maybe, just maybe we are at the start of a big story – even if we’re not and there are no sinister explanations or conspiracy theories to be found, it will be a way of laying to past to rest. It’s something my father needs to do – I’m just delighted that I can be part of it.
Expat mum
July 17, 2009Ooh I can't wait. There are so many places I want to visit, which I won't have time to do. I'll do this one vicariously through you.
Fat, frumpy and fifty...
July 17, 2009that's very interesting and exciting to read and for you it will be lovely for you both…
I will look forward to that and have a holiday vicariously through all my blogmates…
sounds like something ….out of africa…
he even looks a touch of the Denys'
mumplustwo
July 18, 2009Hi Lu. Am so envious that you are soon to be in CT. Don't know how much time you'll have to spare or where you're staying, so this might be impractical/impossible but ….if your Dad hasn't already filled your days with restaurant bookings: 'The Polana' is a fab little restaurant right on the rocks next to Kalk Bay Harbour with stunning views (from the bar area) across the sea to distant mountains and an enormous glass window that waves occasionally crash up against at high tide …. and and AND a proper, log-burning fire. Magical spot to spend a few hours in wet windy CT winter. Tasty food, too. X
Chimera
July 19, 2009Can't wait to read how it goes! So glad we have been able to be of help and I really hope you enjoy your time with my pa! (Will be MOST interested to know what you make of his partner D..!!)
In haste and with much love
T
and luck to your son with the rugby!
Mud in the City
July 21, 2009Serendipity no doubt! Fingers crossed….
Shiny
July 25, 2009And I know the sister's too, and now you, and it's all just fabulous. Hope you have a wonderful trip! Shout if there's any insider info you want xx
Jon
December 4, 2022Hi Shiny
By any chance would you know the names of Norman Carr’s parents? Would it be Norman William Carr and Emily Carr?
Family Affairs
December 6, 2022I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that question! You might be able to find it on Google/Wikipedia?
Sandra de Smidt
July 21, 2022Found story of Norman Carr. He and his sister Cecily were friends of my father in Lusaka. Norman came to my wedding in 1959 and told us all about Big boy and little boy. I was enthralled by his tales and amused by the fact that he didn’t wear socks. Unusual with dress shoes back in those days . I didn’t realise what a pioneer and far seeing conservationist he was.
Wonderful to be able to read all about him now. I was 18 back then, now I am 81. !!
Family Affairs
July 25, 2022Hi Sandra, thanks so much for leaving me a reply! How amazing that you remember him too and I wonder if your path ever crossed with my Grandmother back in the day! Lx