A Big Happy Birthday to Hayley!

Smile Camp

Today we took the children along to smile camp which was being held at Bakau Upper Basic School which is close to the stadium. The smile group run a variety of activities for children in the local area. On arrival we registered the children they were put into teams Abigail butterflies and Bradley ants both of which were drawn on their arms. We then joined a group who were playing catch with a group of locals. The idea was if you dropped the ball then you lost the use of a limb, i.e. arm, leg. If you then caught the ball you regained them. This game was then followed by duck, duck, goose which was where someone goes a round the ring tapping each person saying duck when they say goose that person has to chase them and try to catch them before they get back to their place. We then split up into two groups of older and younger children to play a game of British bulldog. The children really enjoyed this running around making sure they crossed the line without getting caught. I new it wouldn’t last as Bradley took a nasty fall grazing his knee and arm. Songs were next sung and then we went into one of the classrooms where we listened to a story which was acted out by the smile group. Abigail was pleased when pictures were handed out for her to colour. When one of the smile group suddenly produced a tray of chocolate spread tapalapa’s she was mobbed by the children. After much pushing the tray was removed and Paul had to step in as bouncer whilst the tapalapa was handed out. Then we were given mangoes with much of the same performance until they had run out. We have now resorted to eating the mangoes as the Gambians do peeling the skin back like a banana. They are so juicy and delicious, you do get in a bit of a mess though. We returned back outside to play bucket ball, basket ball with buckets, read stories or play football. Finally the day came to a close at 1 o’clock, we headed for home helping to carry some of the equipment back to the smile compound.

Smile Leaving Party

This evening we have been invited to the leaving party of the group called smile. They are a Christian organisation from the UK who every year send out a group to work in local schools for five months. Paul became friendly with a couple of the boys through his Sunday rugby games. From this he also got them involved playing with the Gambian rugby team which he coaches on a Tuesday and Saturday. They live in a compound behind the war cemetery so not far to walk for us. When we arrived all of the Gambian rugby team were there, after introductions we were presented with a plate of chicken yassa. After eating Abigail made her self at home with some of the girls, whilst Bradley was busy playing with one of the lads from the team throwing a rugby ball about. We ended up staying for a couple of hours before leaving to put Abigail and Bradley to bed.

Gambian Rugby Team

Chris

Tim

Butchers Shop Restaurant

Today we met up with Cathy, James, Felix, Sam, Emily and Rob for a meal at the Butchers Shop restaurant. On a Sunday from 10 o’clock until 4 o’clock they do a buffet breakfast and lunch eat as much as you like. We arrived just after 10.30am to find Cathy, James, Felix and Sam already there and tucking into their second plate of food. We ate a variety of dishes not necessarily in the correct order, bacon sandwiches, chicken, beef, quiche, Spanish omelette, pasta, stuffed peppers, coleslaw, potato salad, cake and pancakes covered with a lovely rich chocolate sauce yum yum. We needed a break between courses, so out came the games we had brought to play uno, pass the pigs and Nintendo to keep the children amused and ourselves. The restaurant was very busy probably due to later finding out that it was mother’s day for the Gambians. We left just before 3 o’clock feeling very full and tired having over indulged we won’t need to eat for the rest of the day.

Much Loved Brother In Law & Uncle

It’s been a very sad week this week as my brother in law Peter passed away on Tuesday after a year long battle against cancer. One consolation is that he died peacefully and he was at home with Lynne and the girls as he had wished. I know Abigail and Bradley’s will remember him as he was before we left the UK, having not seen him when he was poorly. I think they are still too young to understand but I’m sure they will miss his playful antics. Only last week Abigail made me laugh when she asked how does Uncle Peter make money come out of our ears. They did enjoy the games he used to play with them. I remember the way he would get them screaming which annoyed me and Lynne because we couldn’t hear ourselves talk. And just before I was due to leave for home he would wind them up so they were all excited for the rest of the evening. We had some laughs especially when he had to change Bradley’s nappy as Lynne was out he ended up with pooh up his arms. Peter and pooh just didn’t go together and he would be balking at the smell.

He was a great brother in law and such a big help to me running the kids to and from school it made my work life so much easier. I remember his sense of humour especially when he would be winding one of us up, which was so easy when it was mum. I know if dad had still been here he would be very sad as they got on so well other than the time when they fell out for a week. I know it drove dad crackers as he enjoyed his chats with Peter so they soon made up.

I only hope he enjoyed the many photos we posted of the children and our adventures here in the Gambia, especially those of birds as he was a keen bird lover even resorting to building an aviary in his garden. I think my sister just had to accept his unusual animal phases, lizards, snakes, owls, to name just a few. He loved his garden and would spend many hours potting seeds in his greenhouse ready to re plant. Usually overdoing it so the hanging baskets would be bursting with colour and we would all end up getting a share of what was left over. The garden seemed to attract the wildlife, frogs in the pond which would spawn every year so Paul would call with bucket in hand for a supply. Blue tits nesting in the trees and at one point a pigeon even adopted Peter and as much as he tried it just wouldn’t go away. I know he will be sadly missed by family, friends and especially by Lynne.