Well, as you may imagine, there’s not a lot happening today.I’m catching up with the diary, Jim and Shirl are settling in and not sure what his lordship’s up to, probably involves a pint and a good book. 23rd August
There’s a rugby practise session this morning so make myself scarce and catch up with the ASSETS people at Mwamba.Have a chat with Caro about a big event happening tomorrow.The ASSETS students are coming to the field study centre, probably for their first ever holiday.Really looking forward to meeting them and the programme sounds most entertaining. Quiz night at Ocean Sports.It’s great fun, wonderful atmosphere and has attracted many people.We finish quite a respectable fourth and before you ask, there were more than four teams.
24th August
ASSETS student holiday camp starts today.Shirl and I are here to meet and greet.Can’t wait to meet these guys.We start the morning with a “get to know you” session.The students are quite shy and nervous when they arrive as this is their first experience of this kind.They start to relax a bit as Tsofa cracks a few jokes and teases them to break the ice.
Now our guiding friend Jonathan Baya is taking us for a beach walk.Although all of the students are local, some of them seldom have the opportunity to visit the sea.Following lunch we’re treated to an inspiring talk about education by retired education officer, Julius Katana.This man really drives home how essential education is and how without it, there is very little hope for the future for these youngsters.
Jonathan is now taking us through the nature trail at the field study centre where the students have an opportunity to plant indigenous trees.They all come from ArabukoSokokeForest and Mida Creek and the importance of conserving their habitat is impressed upon them.
We’ll leave them to it now as they’re off for a game of volley ball.It’s been a lovely day and we’ll be back tomorrow afternoon to join them for a talk by Turtle Watch.
25th August
It’s hotting up here in more ways than one.Rugby practice is full on now, only a few days to go.Paradise here (it’s raining rugbymen, oh boy) watching those guys in action.Come on Agy (sorry Richard), let’s show them what Turtle Bay’s made of.Let’s find out how the ASSETS students are getting along.They went snorkelling this morning and for many of them it was their first time to swim so hope they had a good time.We’re all piling into Jayne’s matatu to go to Watamu Turtle Watch centre.
We’re treated to a very interesting talk on the dwindling turtle population and how important it is for the local community to preserve them.I really like their policy as when a turtle or its nest is sponsored, the money is used to pay local people to protect turtles, it’s a win-win situation. The students are spellbound. Teachers enjoy it too.That’s the serious part over with, time for fun, fun, fun on the beach and what a difference in these guys to the shy, retiring souls of yesterday morning. Caro’s giving a talk on careers this evening.Hope she’s going to be ok, she’s suffering with her throat a bit.
Wow, wish I’d have been given a speech like that when I was at school.She’s telling the students how important it is to choose their subjects wisely and for the right reasons, for instance, not because that’s what all your mates are doing and you don’t want to be separated from them in class (rings a few distant bells).She’s also opening their eyes to career choices, i.e. think beyond being a doctor, engineer etc and more about what you’re good at and the possibilities this can lead to.She goes around the room asking career choices and a surprise for me is that one of the students wants to be a pilot.Not so out of the ordinary, you may think, but this is a girl who’s talking, most unusual here.
go on jason,training session
i hope he can catch the ball better than his cap
26th August
Rugby time again and I’ve finally plucked up the courage to have a go.It’s hard.This is the longest 10 minutes of my life, feels more like an hour.I’m exhausted and trying to remember all the rules.It’s like learning to drive but running around at the same time.Half time?Thank goodness for that, will slope off for my camera I think.In the mean time a couple of girls come along who want to play - please, please take my place, I beg you.
From one extreme to another, TurtleBay is hosting a flower show this afternoon, much more genteel and just the balm needed after all that physical action this morning.
almost there for the watamu touch rugby competition
ok who wants it
tbbc flower show
magic of tbbc's entry
27th August
Let’s chill out today – it’s been non-stop lately, don’t you think?We’ll drive over to Ocean this afternoon for a pre-match briefing as the fun and games commence on Tuesday.Enjoying the gentle pastime of “spot the rugbyman (STR)”, a delightful new pursuit.
At Ocean Sports and looks like the briefing will be tomorrow now, still a good excuse for a pint.However, I swear to you that Shirley, Jill and myself are indulging in nothing stronger than a good cup of Kenya tea. Back to Turtle Bay, I’ve been good for long enough so treat myself to a G and T, followed by a couple of glasses of vino over dinner whilst playing another round of STR.There are twenty-five of them here apparently, life is good.
28th August
Practice session in anticipation of tomorrow’s big game. I’m safely behind the camera and that’s how I hope it will stay. Our Turtle Bay boys will need to be in shape as at STR today more heavies were in evidence.I’m dying to name drop but will restrain myself for now.
Let’s take a couple of hours off from the “R” word and drive to Malindi.First stop?Bank.Next stop?Our shop.Buy some more bits and pieces.Shirley’s picked up a beautiful beaded belt, very pretty.Ocean Sports time for the briefing.Man it’s paradise.Wall-to-wall rugbymen. Jill and I are having a laugh as she’s just nominated herself sponge girl for tomorrow’s game.Wish I’d have thought of that first.
Time for the first name drop.Helen’s asked Victor Obogu to have his photo taken with us.
mr cuddles,victor ubogu
andy nichol and rory underwood
phil deglanville
agy going for it
craig chalmers and jeremy guscott
the legendary phil bennet
chris and magic
phil bennet with a fellow welshman
for the boys,is she fit or what !
jill the sponge lady
29th August
I’m handing over the reins to Agy for the next couple of days for rugby commentary.
As you are aware by now I sort of gate crashed a rugby tournament, after all the training the day has finally arrived. We agree to meet by the pool but we have a breakdown in communication and most of the squad will arrive in the afternoon. Problem, yes, but we manage to get some of the guests to join in, we have two games this morning and four in the afternoon. The first game we lose, playing against Victor Obogu (cuddles from Jayne and Jill didn’t sway it though), Ollie Briar and kids of other great players.
Second game goes as bad and we lose to Phil Bennett’s team which include Scott Quinnell and ex-pat players from Bahrain. The standard of rugby is quite high, as you can imagine, but we have a few hours to regroup.
Geoff Probyn’s lot give us a gruelling too.Our team is made up of retirees, my last game in college in 1983 and Phil more than 10 years ago, some girls who have never played, the funbase who have had 3 practice games, Chris Magero who played in college and some of Turtle Bay guests who have played before, a great team I must say.We have only 4 more games to play, but 10 mins before the next game our secret weapons arrive, some more of the funbase. We lose the next 2 games by a close margin, game 5 we play Ade Adedayo and Jason Leonard’s team where we show them what touch is all about.
Karani, our winger, leaves them standing while the pros’ jaws just drop at his speed, I say to Ade that Karani is for sale and he just growls, I now know we have them and we win our first game.
Game 6 goes much the same way against Rory Underwood and Peter Butler’s team.
At the end of the tournament I’m surprised to hear we came a respectable 11th out of 14, can’t be bad for retirees, non-players and a few amateurs.The international rugby world should watch out next year for the Watamu team, previously called the Sacrificial Lambs RFC. Ok you guessed right, a few Tuskers to celebrate.Not too many as we have the fishing comp tomorrow.
Oh, by the way Walshini’s, our team on Simba is Agy, Phil (Smudger), Scott Quinnell and Will Greenwood.
