Awoke several times as it was very hot overnight and there were lots of sirens going off all night long. The noisy music from the daytime continued all night too. I got up at about 6.45am, showered and breakfast of scrambled egg and sausage. This was to be the last breakfast in the old colonial sports club surroundings sitting outside and enjoying the hot, cloudless sky. I watched the ground preparations for today’s match with interest: the groundsmen began by sweeping the sunken strip and then placing large sheets of hessian along its length. Several sheets later and a canvas toppi [View Full Entry]

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Up as usual but had to get going earlier because we had to set up the RVSC field for our tournament. Andrew had planned on there being six teams arriving at 8.30am for a 9.00am start. As is normal over here, 9am came and went and there was nobody there. By 10.00am we had eight teams! We hastily rearranged the pitches. RL and SC were not feeling too great and RL soon “retired hurt” to his room. I was given three Pool A matches to umpire and organise. We had created a ‘Barbarians’ side from all the other groups and it [View Full Entry]

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Normal morning routine, save for the fact that I ordered coffee and scrambled egg. I received tea but no egg! Even as the others arrived they had cooked food, but not I! Still, no matter! We were soon outside to await Davis and the 9.30 minibus. We all clambered in (including the much recovered Chip) and made our way up to the main Nairobi road and out to Roots Academy, right next door to Greensteds School. This modern looking school for 300 pupils welcomed us and Stanley and Francis spent the morning with us too. We had a pretty good field [View Full Entry]

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Another god night’s sleep and awake by about 6.30am. I drew up the rules and scoresheets for the tournament and took them along to reception to have them copied. Sausage, scrambled eggs, toast and coffee were the order of the day for breakfast and then it was out to the front of RVSC to await the minibus…. Would we have Davis??? 9.15 came and went. 9.30 came and went and then the bus arrived with… another driver. Off to Menengai Secondary School through the bustling back streets with our progress being marked by waving hands and shouts of “Mzungo!” Mene [View Full Entry]

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A better night’s sleep, shower and then more note writing outside beneath the clear sky. Another cooked breakfast and Andy is looking much better - Chip has a bug now! The rest of us got the kit together and waited for the bus to take us to Nakuru Boys School. Davis is returning from Nairobi after taking Rich D who will, by now, be at the airport. The bus is parked at the back of the RVSC but there is no driver in sight. It is already 9.30am and we should be on our way. We eventually manage to track down [View Full Entry]

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Probably my most disturbed night’s sleep on the whole trip so far. Got up at 7.45 for a shower, breakfast and check on Andy. He was up but not really looking much better. We tried hard to encourage a visit to the hospital. RD and I set up the kit for today’s assessments and were ready for the candidates by 9.30am. The ICC Level One assessment requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of the coaching process and not that the candidates are capable of providing quality demonstrations. I am given Sydney, Francis, Frederick and David. They were very good and all [View Full Entry]

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Richard L and I had the day off. We woke at 7am and ate breakfast outside watching the fog come and go over the RVSC field. We called for a taxi and went to Nakuru Golf Club. We hit about 50 balls on the range and I tried to get used to both Rajab’s clubs and the long, thick grass. We both struggled with the small headed woods. We played 18 holes around this pretty little course which was like playing every shot out of the rough. We played better but still not up to par due to inconsistency and the [View Full Entry]

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Good sleep until about 5am and dozed until 7am. Got up to another hot shower and sat outside until 8am enjoying the pleasant warm sunshine. Shorts today for the first time; it was obviously going to be extremely hot and we were staying at RVSC all day. Matt and Chip had had a good meal last night and they went off to Hell’s Gate with their friends for the day. Simon and RD had got back at about 5am but seemed to be in reasonable states! Andy, however, was not as his fever continues and he stayed in the room all [View Full Entry]

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The relative 5 star luxury of the Rift Valley Sports Club - soft bed, two pillows, running hot & cold water, clean toilets, bath, shower and lack of foul smells all helped for a great night’s sleep. I was up at about 7am to sit outside and make notes before breakfast with Richard L - full cooked English! I went out of RVSC and found a place to buy Celtel top-ups. Davis came at about 9.15am to take us to Shiner’s Girls School. We picked up Andy and Rich D from the golf club on the way through the busy bustling [View Full Entry]

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Awake at about 6.20am and showered for the last time under the trickle of tepid water. I noted with horror that my towel was more dirty than ever before and was relieved to think back to the Rift Valley Sports Club with its laundry facilities and towels supplied. As normal I had to unpack the case fully before I could pack everything inside and the cases were then delivered to the Guest House door before the breakfast which consisted of brown, sweet porridge, a couple of mandazi and coffee with fruit. Emily was proudly wearing and displaying her Aids t-shirt and [View Full Entry]

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