Wildlife, Murram & Bush

It is 1962. Imagine leaving behind all that is familiar and comfortable in Norfolk, to travel to an uncharted posting in Tanganyika, with three small children and all your worldly goods, whilst your friends and relations predict doom and disaster in the ‘Dark Continent’. This is the adventure that Brian Dawtrey and his family embarked upon, armed with a black rolled umbrella with a gold band to fight off primitive savages, and a brand new Hoover washing machine.

From the moment that they leave England’s shores, you are swept along by their enthusiasm and lust for all that may face them – from recalcitrant hippopotami, charging elephants and a life-saving leopard, to welcoming tribesfolk and the glorious unspoilt African bush. Unfazed by minor setbacks such as the lack of electricity to drive the Hoover, and confrontations with unwelcoming snakes, the Dawtrey family revel in their new surroundings and the challenges of their new life under the Nyerere regime of Uhuru (Freedom).

Witty, evocative and awe-inspiring, this charming book is a testament to the pioneering spirit of those who chose to embrace Africa at a time of great change, and to help its people to capitalise on their natural skills and resources.