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Derek Caister
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Derek Caister
| House: |
Clive |
| Year: |
1952 - April 1957 |
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Staff remembered:
Percy Fletcher (Flaky), Headmaster
Ken Fyfe, Housemaster
Dougal Gammie - "the happy drinker"
J.Cave
Mr. Outram
Johnny Riddell - PT Instructor
Memories:
Night raids along the main block rooftops to "decorate" the bell tower!
Breaking bounds on Saturday evenings to see a movie in Nairobi and getting caught.
Press ganged by "Flaky" on a wet weekend to go and watch the Triangular Sports being held
at the African Alliance High School that year. Upon arrival it poured down and we had no
umbrellas so we told PF that we would come out when it eased off, he went off with his umbrella
and we decided a smoke in the Headmasters car would be "cool", needless to say we were caught
by him unexpectantly returning & our backsides were not quite so cool after the Monday assembly!
Mr Fletcher, however, had a brilliant memory for faces and names, c.1960 Brian (Pluto) Stacey
and myself were working in the E.A. Customs & Excise, attending a passenger ship at the Mombasa
Kilindini docks when we spotted "Flaky" heading towards the ship, we greeted him at the
gangplank, both of us in uniform, Stacey with a full beard and myself with a moustache, after
studying us for a few moments he said " Caister - Clive House, Stacey - Nicholson" (?) or
whichever house he had been in!! We had pre-sailing drinks onboard with him and that was the
last time I saw that truly amazing and dedicated man.
I did my Compulsory Military Training Course in the Kenya Regiment (Aug - Dec 1958).
I joined E.A. Customs & Excise from School and spent the first few years in Mombasa and
then was transferred to Tanganyika 6 months prior to their attaining Independence.
In 1963 I left Customs and joined a Swiss Cargo Inspection company and worked the docks
in Mtwara & Dar-es-Salaam until 1972 when they transferred me to Nigeria. In 1980 I switched
from them to an Inchcape subsidiary, still on the docks, until 1988 when we migrated to Canada.
I also wore the Lloyds Agent cap in Lagos, Nigeria for the last 6 years of my sojourn there.
After arrival in Canada both my wife and I had our own small businesses.
My wife was a Mombasa lady and we married in 1965 and have one son and two grandchildren, the latter
three live in N.Alberta, Canada.
My wife sadly passed away very suddenly in 2001.
I am presently (October 2003) in England for a spell looking at options as to how I
intend to spend my twilight years as Canada does not hold the attraction for me that it used to.
(Registered - 27th Oct 2003)
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If anyone wishes to contact Derek, please e-mail webmaster@oldcambrians.com
to obtain his contact details
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