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NEWSLETTER NO. 90 Hello!
Hello! How are you? My warmest greetings to you all. Before anything else, I would just like to wish my wonderful Dad a very happy birthday 88 years! What an achievement! I know you will join me in wishing him many more birthdays and love and prayers for his good health. Well done Dad! I do hope you were able to read all about July and August in the reports we sent out from the Tour whilst we were in the U.K. You can download them from our website www.miltonmargaischool.org And what a wonderful Tour it was, and a resounding success! The Choir did so well and I know from the comments people made, that having the choreography (dancing & sketches), drumming and narration accompanying the actual singing, made a great impression on everyone. I must acknowledge here out grateful and heartfelt thanks to Kitty Fadlu-Deen (my 'room-mate' on the Tour) who arranged the choreography and trained the Choir before and during the Tour. Some people said they could hardly believe that the Choir members were blind because they moved around the stage so confidently. I must also record our deepest thanks to all of you who came to the concerts and helped in other diverse ways to ensure the Tour was a success. Well, after seeing Sandy, Hawa, Kitty and the Choir off at Gatwick on the Monday, I went back to Dorton House to say goodbye and collect my things and made my way to Crawley. I stayed with my friend Linda who helps to run the George Hotel there. It is a lovely former coaching inn built in 1615 and, although it is right in the centre of the town, it is very peaceful. I caught up with friends and generally relaxed. At the weekend, I made my way up to Newcastle to spend a week there with my Mum and Dad and to see my brothers and their families. It was great to see them all and catch up with all their news. We went to Whitley Bay and Tynemouth and had a bracing walk along the front. We also went to the Yorkshire Dales and visited the Museum and Creamery and Rope Makers. It was very interesting and an added bonus was that the weather was warm and sunny. I also visited the Discovery Museum in the centre of Newcastle which I hadn't been to before. I really enjoyed the exhibitions and 're-living' the history. I also went to my church, St Francis, and met up with my good friends there. The Vicar (Christopher Clinch) and his Assistant (Jonathan Haggar), whom I was meeting for the fist time, made me very welcome and even said they would love to have the Choir do a concert in the Church whenever we next went to the U.K. The following week I went back to Crawley. I went to see my sister and brother-in-law in Reigate and was fortunate to see one of my nieces who was there for the weekend. Unfortunately, my other sister and brother-in-law couldn't come but we had seen each other and talked at the Canterbury Concert. However, we had a lovely day catching up on all the news. I also went to Brighton to see my very good friend Norma (whom I have known for nearly twenty years). We spent a lovely day at the beach, walking around the shops and the pavilion, going around the very interesting museum and of course catching up on all our news. Unfortunately, I didn't get to all the places and see all the people I wanted to (like everyone at St. Andrew's Church and in Scotland and Wales) as there just wasn't enough time. And so it was time to go back to Sierra Leone. The flight was on time with no stops and an easy helicopter flight from the airport to Freetown. It was great to see everyone, although the pupils were still with their parents/guardians, as schools had not re-opened due to the elections and their 'run-offs'. We also had a problem in that, whilst we were away, the roof in the dormitories had collapsed due to the heavy rains. The UK Trust came to our rescue and said they would send funds to repair this for which we are very grateful. This and other repairs and maintenance are on-going but we expect the School to be open during the third week of October. (The other schools opened at the beginning of October). The pupils did well in their exams and all Class 6 were promoted to be integrated into secondary schools Esther and Ramatu to Murray Town Municipal School; Tenneh Satie to Methodist Girls High School; Salieu Conteh and Alpha Koroma to St. Edward's School; Emmanuel Kargbo to Collegiate School; and Abu Bockarie Kargbo to Guadalupe School. We took a small section of the Choir (those living close to the school) to St. Anthony's Hall to which we had been invited to participate with other musical groups at a musical concert held by the American Embassy and organized by an American musician called Susan Quindag who was visiting Sierra Leone as part of a study she is doing on world music. It was a lively and interesting evening. Sandy and I had a lovely lunch with Alan and Chris (ex.Com.Pol./JSDP) as it was their last trip to Salone, their contracts having finished. We will sorely miss them but send them and their families all our love and prayers, and I'm sure they will come back for a visit some time in the future. The Matron (Aunty Rose) and I went to the Men's League Thanksgiving and to the Birthday Thanksgiving Services both held at Vine Memorial Church. I also attended St. George's Cathedral for their Pentecost and Thanksgiving Services. Of course no visits to the beach as we are still having some heavy rains and the roads are far from good. I think maybe my beach visits will be less anyway because the people (and their vehicles) I used to go with have all now left. I continue to ask for your prayers that Sierra Leone will remain peaceful and that, now we have a new 'regime', we will have new and positive development and progress in the country. Well, I think that is all for now and, as always, I send my best wishes to those celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and any other happy event. I also send goodwill messages and solicitations/condolences to those who are not well or have a bereavement or have received any sad news. From all the children and staff at the school and myself, I send all our love and prayers to you and your families and friends. Take care and may God richly bless you. Barbara.
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