[DSY011]

It must be great to be able to trace your old home Roger, I have tried to trace mine, but not had much luck. I was born in Bechuanaland (now Botswana in a town called Serowe (which was the capital back in 1947). My father was a policeman back then. We move to Bulawayo when I was 3 years old, back in the days of The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Dad had joined the Rhodesian Railways. I was 10 when dad was transferred to Ndola in Northern Rhodesia. A few years later, the whole of the railway township (Westgate) was demolished, the school, the shops, even the roads were removed. There is nothing left there now apart from bush. I have fond memory's of my time in Bulawayo as I was a bit of a wanderer. Spent a lot of my time watching the Bulawayo Loco shed been built, and riding on the loco's which were shunting in the Westgate yard. One of the Greek drivers, who knew my dad would allow me to ride on the footplate, and when I was a little older, drive under his supervision. They were happy days, but there is nothing left of Westgate or the school I went to.
As a foot note, our school was about 50 yards from an Asbestos Factory. No such thing as Health & Safety in those days.