Vince Manning | Writer

Vince Manning

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25.01.2022 Army Days Part 2 My first entry through the hallowed gates of the School of Infantry came at the end of a 700m run. The RL trucks that had picked up us new cadets from the Gwelo Station had then dropped us at the turn-off on the Bulawayo road, just up from the Fairmile Hotel. ‘Form up in your squads and double to the barracks,’ shouted one of the NCOs escorting us, pointing vaguely down the narrow tarred road. ‘You have five minutes to get there or we come back and do it ag...Continue reading

24.01.2022 OUR DARKEST DAYS Today we met a Zimbabwean couple living in Brisbane who have been thrust into the same life-changing experience that Denise and I faced thirteen years ago. Most of us take our health for granted until that day when we hear those awful words.’you have cancer. This is the story of our journey through those dark days. **************** I stood in the street outside the Wesley Hospital and for the first time since we’d moved to Australia I felt alone, very alone...Continue reading

23.01.2022 MY LAST HUNT I lost something on that summer’s day in 1986, but I also gained so much more. We were visiting my parents on the game ranch that they managed near Mkuzi in north-western Natal. Dad was the resident Professional Hunter and Mom ran the Lodge where hunters, both local and international, would be put up during their safaris. The ranch boasted a wide range of plains game including kudu, impala, zebra and nyala, many of which were worthy on inclusion in the record boo...Continue reading

23.01.2022 CHANGING A FLAT TYRE I recently had engine trouble with a car that I hired in Perth. No problem, I just called the 24/7 roadside assistance company and a mechanic promptly arrived in a fully-equipped van and sorted the problem out in no time. This got me thinking about a similar experience back when I was a ten year old living in Gwanda and how much things have changed. My Dad worked for the PTC and part of his role was to repair the telephone lines in the farming communities.... His area of responsibility stretched almost down to Beit Bridge and thus necessitated long trips to the more remote ranches. During the school holidays us kids would often accompany Dad. Mostly the farmers would put us up for the night, but sometimes we camped along the way, especially if there had been lots of damage to the poles and wires from elephants and giraffe (and thieves to make snares). It was on one of these remote trips that we had a puncture and found to our dismay that the jack in the PTC Land Rover was u/s (it was one of those hydraulic ones and I guess that the seals had blown). Dad, showing typical Rhodie resourcefulness, used it as a learning opportunity for us boys. First we built a mound of stones and sand next to the flat wheel. Dad then carefully drove forward a bit so that the flat wheel was on top of the mound. Next we packed logs and big stones under the now-raised axle to secure the vehicle, while we dug out the mound that we'd first built. Dad was then able to change the wheel and gently drive off our temporary "jack". I've always remembered this lesson and have thankfully never had to use it. But, its stored there in the memory bank in case I ever get a flat while driving through the Sydney Harbour Tunnel or on the eight-lane Gold Coast Highway. Or I might just call roadside assistance Love and peace to you all. Vince Manning 2019

23.01.2022 We recently started a new Facebook page for the junior school that I attended in Gwanda. It's great see all the old photos and reading the stories from way back in the 1960s. It reminded me of a chapter that I wrote for my autobiography ("The Last Colonial Boy"). The book is still very much a work-in-progress, but I thought that I'd share some of it here and on our school page. "Dad grabs onto the patio door and pauses for a few minutes before stepping out into the bright sun...Continue reading

23.01.2022 This photo reminded me of a time back in the early 80s when I lived in a Mess in Bulawayo which had a name based on the activities depicted in the picture. Many of you may have heard of the Lions Inn or attended a function there. Here are some of my recollections from back then. The woman’s piercing scream shattered the fog swirling around in my alcohol-befuddled brain. I sat up abruptly, not trusting what I’d heard. But there it was again. This time the scream sounded muff...Continue reading

22.01.2022 I did my National Service in 1980, a year of lows and highs that helped craft the person that I am now. The war had ended and I sometimes regret that, because combat is one of the few challenges I haven’t faced. I absolutely don’t want to glorify war and the tragic consequences that it brings to so many, it’s just a personal thing for me. Instead of warfare, I was involved in peace, as most of my NS was spent in the integration of the three warring armies (Zimbabwe-Rhodesian,...Continue reading

22.01.2022 WHITEWATER RAFTING Let go of the rope!, I screamed at Chantal. My panicked warning was drowned out by the roar of millions of litres of water as the Zambezi river surged angrily through the narrow gorge below Victoria Falls. There was no way that my teenage daughter could’ve heard me or even seen me frantically waving my arms. She was focused on her grip on the rope strapped to the side of the Zodiac, oblivious to the looming danger of the boulders onto which she was about...Continue reading

21.01.2022 I’m still immersed in our family genealogy, so I thought I’d take a break and jot down some notes on one of the characters that features in our tree. My Grandmother, Ruth Manning (nee O’Reilly) moved up to Umvuma with her mother and stepfather (George Raft) in 1930, where they opened up a trading store near the Railway Station. She married her first husband, Adam Manning and settled on Richmond Farm just out of town. Adam died in 1948, leaving Ruth with four small children to...Continue reading

20.01.2022 MEETING MUGABE Did I you know that I once met Robert Mugabe? I’m not sure why this memory stays with me, given the notoriety of his actions as the first leader of Zimbabwe. I guess that it’s a bit like keeping that old bottle of wine. Its contents are almost certainly corked and undrinkable, yet you can’t bring yourself to toss it out. It was back in 1983 and I had been chosen as the past Chairman of the Students Union to give a Vote of Thanks to the dignitaries at the inaugu...Continue reading

19.01.2022 MY FIRST DATE Here's another anecdote about dating in the good ole days. Its a bit long but reminded me of those delicious times when we first became interested in the other sex. The scene is set at Victoria Falls and the pic is of me and my siblings during that trip. Entering the dating world seems so much easier these days. You simply find some flattering photos from five years ago and post an embellished profile on a site like RSVP, Plenty of Fish or eHarmony and then si...Continue reading

19.01.2022 Another extract from my Dad’s journal, this time mentioning his two uncles, Charles and Cecil Manning who volunteered for the Second World War. Dad grew up on a farm near Umvuma and recalls visiting the nearby Internment Camp for Italians. During one visit there, his father bought a hand-made cigarette lighter (see pics) which I have inherited. The craftsmanship is amazing, considering what tools they had - a precious heirloom that I will always treasure, one of a kind and li...Continue reading

19.01.2022 MOVIE NIGHT I’m typing this at 36,000ft while on a long-haul flight from Brisbane to Singapore. The seat-back screen tells me that we are passing over Mt Isa, that the outside temperature is -50C and that we have a 18km tail wind. Although I fly a lot, I’m always amazed at the sophistication of modern aircraft like this Airbus 350. Singapore Airlines is one of my favourite airlines, not least for the quality of their service and the entertainment they offer on this eight-hour...Continue reading

18.01.2022 MY DAD’S LIFE AS A BOARDER AT CHAPLIN HIGH SCHOOL IN GWELO On my recent trip back to Zimbabwe, I drove past Chaplin High School in Gweru, where my Dad was a boarder in the mid-fifties. This reminded me of a couple of chapters that he included in his memoires, so I thought that I’d share them here. It’s quite a lengthy read, but an important memory from those years. Here’s Dad’s take on life at Chaplin. My junior school days at Umvuma were now drawing to a close and pr...Continue reading

17.01.2022 Yesterday I competed in my first Half-Marathon (21.1km) race and finished in a respectable time of 2hr 02mins. This achievement is a steppingstone towards my goal of running a full marathon in Victoria Falls in 2022, the year that I turn sixty. More importantly it was the culmination of a determined move towards health and happiness. I call it my journey from Man-Boobs to Marathons. Two years ago I was highly stressed, grossly overweight and leading a sedentary life. Many fol...Continue reading

17.01.2022 NOTES FROM MY TRIP TO ZIMBABWE I write these words from Brisbane, a few days after my departure from African soil on the long trip back to my beloved Australia. My home for the past 15 years, this vast continent-country has welcomed me, nurtured me, made me laugh and annoyed me at times. But Australia and its people have become a constant in everything that I do and has cast a security blanket around me and my family. As with all my trips, I couldn’t wait to get back to Brisb...Continue reading

16.01.2022 SURGEON VINCE They say that you sometimes have to hurt the ones you love, to show them how deep that love is. This thought flicked through my mind when I picked up the razor blade and stepped towards Denise. She anticipated the pain that was to come and shrieked loudly as she struggled against the strong hands holding her head steady. ‘Do it Vince,’ commanded Arnold, his firm voice giving me the courage to press the makeshift scalpel steady. We had broken the end off a Gille...Continue reading

16.01.2022 Well, after many weeks, months and years, the book is finally published! I've called it the Memoirs of a Rhodie / Zimbo / Aussie, reflecting the three different societies that I've lived in. The book is a collection of 36 short stories, photos and illustrations based on my life experiences over the past 57 years - some are humorous, some are cute and some will touch your heart. A special thank you to Russell Fulton who wrote the foreword to the book (I'll post it in the comme...nts section). The book (and the children's books which I write under the pen name Rebecca Lee) are available for purchase on Lulu.com - just search for my name and it should take you straight to the book page. Books can be shipped direct to you or, if you live in Brisbane, I can drop them off for you and you save on the freight charge (just send me a PM or email to [email protected] and I'll get back to you).

16.01.2022 I wrote this story this morning, after a visit by a good friend. It's a bit long, but filled with meaning (at least for me ) MONDAY 6 AUGUST 1979 ‘On your desk is a card. Don’t turn it over yet. On the back of it is written the name of a famous place. That will be the subject of your project for the next few weeks.’...Continue reading

16.01.2022 It’s been a while since I last wrote a story, so here’s one for More Memoirs of a Rhodie/Zimbo/Aussie which I hope to publish by year’s end. The memory-jogger for this came from seeing a photograph of some guy hitchhiking, back in the days when that was still possible. ‘Definitely I would have shot you if we’d met up in the bush.’ I looked across at the grinning face, not six inches from mine, his bright white teeth contrasting starkly with his glistening black skin....Continue reading

15.01.2022 ELEPHANTS TO THE RESCUE The walkie-talkie radio lying on the dining room table suddenly blared into life, startling parents and children alike. ‘Any call-sign, any call-sign, this is (inaudible hissing noise) here. We have an emergency, I repeat an emergency. Can any anyone read me. We urgently need help.’...Continue reading

15.01.2022 TRAVELLING OVERSEAS FOR THE FIRST TIME I found the trip diaries that Denise and I kept when we backpacked around Europe - we went on separate trips, Denise in 1984 and me in 1986. That was 35 odd years ago and we've been blessed to have shared a wonderful life together since then. It's amusing to read through the diaries and laugh at the naivety of two Zimbos who were travelling out of Africa for the first time. The first entry in both diaries is about the take-off and the me...al on the plane (we both flew on an Air Zimbabwe 707). Denise writes "Well after a really nice take off at 10.04pm on 6th April, we were served with a three course dinner of some great pepper steak, veges, apple strudel, cheese and biscuits. Bottle of white wine, coke in a nifty miniature tin and a bun." I'm a bit more specific on the timing of our take-off, but less so on the meal. "Lift-off at 20.31 and 20 seconds. Graze: fillet steak, salad, noodles, bun, cheese. Free white wine and Vat 10 whisky." We both seemed obsessed with Zaire, as flying over this country was mentioned. This was in the days before seat-back TV screens and flight-tracking, so I'm guessing that it was a routine announcement from the pilot after dinner was served? I think that back in the early eighties all Air Zim flights to Europe routed via Athens, as both Denise and I landed there. I was still clock-watching (we landed at 04.23am on the 6th December 1986), but Denise was more worried about the state of the regional airport that they had landed up at. "Well it's all very different! After getting a lift from the main airport to another airport in a scrungy Greek taxi, we are sitting here on the floor, up to our ears in luggage. The Greeks are awful, so rude.' My opinion back then of our Aegean friends was no less complimentary. "Waiting for the Information Desk to open - does no-one work here??? Greeks appear scaley characters, either pissed or aggro. Women all have blonde hair and wear black stockings." More recently we celebrated Denise's 50th birthday in Athens and were very pleasantly surprised by how the city (especially the Plaka area) has been cleaned up. So Greece, all is redeemed . The rest of the diary entries are fairly standard stuff, reflecting two Africans marveling at how different the world is out there and how much we missed each other. Denise and I have been fortunate to have traveled fairly extensively since then and we now record our adventures on Facebook. However, it's nostalgic to pull out these old diaries and reminisce about our first trips overseas. I'm so glad that we recorded them for posterity. I'll end off with a couple of messages written in my diary by some of the folk who came to see me off. While I'm comforted by their concern for my welfare, I am concerned why they thought that I needed the warning! "Beware the dreaded plague - Arnold Ross" "AIDS is a killer, have fun! - Cora Ross" Love and peace to you all. Vince Manning 2019

15.01.2022 A plug for my cousin Kim McLeod who is a very talented photographer. Based in Hoedspruit, South Africa, she is a passionate supporter of wildlife projects - some of Kim's photos feature in conservationist Francoise Malby-Anthony's new book "An Elephant in my Kitchen". Kim also has a blog where you will find her stories from the bush (link below) and examples of her photographic work. Well worth a look.

15.01.2022 Part Two of my journey from Man-Boobs to Marathons Monday 12 November 2018 ‘Oops sorry I forgot. No carbs after lunch,’ apologised Denise as she shovelled the mashed potato back into the serving dish. I picked up my small side plate and added a few more spoons of steamed vegetables. I subconsciously clenched my fist to gauge the size of my food that I’d dished up. All good, there was still room for some more of the fresh tomato that I’d cut up....Continue reading

14.01.2022 https://www.instagram.com/flocoughlan/?hl=en My very talented sister, Flo Coughlan, is an accomplished photographer and artist who specializes in African wildlife. Well worth following her on Instagram for regular photos and descriptions of her subject.

13.01.2022 We're off to Carnarvon Gorge in Central Queensland for a week on Saturday so I'll fast-track the rest of these Lifestyle Change posts. Here's number four (only another four to go after this - yawn) Thursday 8 November 2018 I stepped off the bathroom scale and wrote down my weight on the sheet of paper next to the basin. 123kg. I glanced back at the digital scale, then scribbled out the numbers on the page, replaced them with 122.7kg and convinced myself that that looked be...tter than 123kgs. UPDATE: Denise had printed out a chart with space for us to both record our weight first thing every morning (well most mornings - we usually don’t bother on weekends). Our philosophy is based on that old management adage that what gets monitored, gets done. Small decreases are celebrated, and any unexpected increases are quickly jumped on to get the trend back on track. Soon we were weighing ourselves at night as well - there is a psychological benefit in this, as you tend to lose up to half a kg overnight through normal metabolic functions. So then when you weigh yourself in the morning, you feel pleased with yourself even though all you’ve done is sleep (unless it’s Valentine’s Day, your birthday or Christmas ). I cheat as well by not going straight to the bathroom when I get up. Instead I walk around a bit before taking my morning pee and that allows gravity to work on the bladder - it drains better and thus the numbers on the scale drop by a few decimal points. It seems trivial, but small things like this are surprisingly motivational. I know that we all have fat days, be it from hormones, bingeing or even constipation! And of course, that affects your weight, but don’t use it as an excuse for falling off the wagon. Write the number down and set yourself a target for tomorrow or the next day. I don’t agree with only weighing yourself once a week, as that’s too long a time before you can react to a blow-out. Denise and I have become quite competitive about our numbers, even now that we’ve both got down to our targeted weight bands (between 89 and 91kg in my case). We spare no punches and say it as it is - instead we value the fact that someone else is concerned about our health! Monday’s weigh-in after a big weekend now automatically initiates a dietary/exercise response to get the numbers back in the black before Friday’s new indulgences. We are not obsessed with our weight - we use it as a barometer of our health. Closely monitoring what we weigh was Lifestyle Change Number Three.

13.01.2022 MY FIRST CAR I acquired my first car when I was in Form 4 at Thornhill High School in Gwelo. It was a small white Morris 1100 (come to think of it, it may have been an Austin?) which I stripped down and was slowly refurbishing. At that time I was one of the few guys my age with his own wheels, an attribute which was not lost on the girls in my dating catchment area. They looked past the other attributes which had hitherto denied me their attention and I now had girls actually...Continue reading

13.01.2022 Got to love the ingenuity of Zimbabweans. Can't get a washer for the bathroom tap, no problem, just use a tube repair patch!

12.01.2022 NEW PARENTS The past few weeks have been a time of worry and fear for many people living in Zimbabwe and for those Rhodies who now live abroad. Our family falls into the latter group and even though we are exiled from our broader kinfolk in Africa, Denise and I are lucky enough to have our two daughters living near us in Brisbane. At times like this, we take comfort in those around us and it got me thinking back to when Kimberley and Chantal first entered our lives. ‘She is a...Continue reading

12.01.2022 CHANTAL’S TRIBUTE I can count on both hands the number of times that I’ve cried as an adult. It’s not a claim of strength or stoicism - in fact it’s the opposite and I often wish that I could show my emotions more visibly. I typically don’t break down at funerals, but rather grieve in private away from others. I can remember sobbing as the Vet euthanised my dog Sagit but remaining dry-eyed as we buried my Gran. But it is what it is and in a perverse sense, it makes those few ...Continue reading

11.01.2022 Sunday 11 November 2018 ‘Come on dogs, let’s go for a run’. Major and LT rushed to the gate, eager to get out on the road and use up all that energy that Border Collies have. I clipped on their leads and led them out of the gate....Continue reading

11.01.2022 AN AUSSIE AT LARGE IN ZIM (February 2019) An update on my first week back in Harare. My impressions (and I stress that they are only from being in the northern suburbs) are that nothing and everything has changed since I was last here in January 2018. I can't really comment on the political situation and what's happening behind the scenes, as I struggle to separate truth from rumour. I have no doubt that bad things are happening, but I’ll leave that for others to comment on. ...Continue reading

11.01.2022 A MILLION MINUTES IN AUSTRALIA Some of you may be reading the Newsletter extracts about our family's migration to Australia. I wrote the story in 2006, soon after we received our citizenship. Around about then, our eldest daughter Kimberley (aged 14) had a school project to interview someone on an aspect of their life. Kim interviewed me about a number of things and I forgot about it. Years later I found a copy of what she had submitted. It made me so proud to be her parent -...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Denise and I are blessed to have two wonderful daughters, who share our love of family, our patriotism towards our country Australia and of our heritage from Africa. Both girls also share my love of writing and these words from Chantal bring a lump to a very proud father's throat. "It only takes a moment in time for one to have a sudden moment of realisation. An epiphany, if you will. One of my moments in time was witnessing my grandmother become an Australian citizen...Continue reading

10.01.2022 Army Life Part 3 In this third chapter, Delta Squad of Inf 26/167 is nearing the end of their initial training and looking forward to their first weekend pass away from the confines of the School of Infantry. It was a surreal time as the peace treaty signed in December 1979 seemed to be holding, but there had been no letup in our training. For six weeks we had been run from one end of the base to the other, been drilled into shape and even sat exams. I paused as I re-read the...Continue reading

09.01.2022 SORRY SIR, YOU ARE DEAD! There is a groundswell of support for the introduction of a national identity card in Australia. This would supposedly help in deterring terrorism and fraud. I’m not that convinced myself, but I would support it nonetheless as ID cards were a part of life in Zimbabwe. And as it turned out for me, also a part of death. Here’s an amusing extract from a book I wrote about our migration to Australia in 2003. I stared at the dilapidated counter in the Cen...Continue reading

09.01.2022 RIDING SHOTGUN My eyes strained as I squinted through the dust haze lit up in the vehicle headlights. I wedged my body tighter against the roll bar of the open-backed Land Rover. The butt of the FN rifle banged painfully into my shoulder every time the vehicle hit a bump and, at the speed that we were going, there were lots of those. I glanced across at my brother Nigel standing next to me, his Browning automatic shotgun pointing menacingly ahead. Swivelling my head back, I r...Continue reading

08.01.2022 WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS, YOUNG MAN? We have been going through some of Denise’s old family photos, many of which are memories of their boating days on Lake Kyle. The Austins had a caravan permanently parked at the Kyle Boat Club and the family would spend most weekends there, fishing and sailing on their yacht. As the new boyfriend I joined them in these excursions, one of which led to a rather uncomfortable interaction with Denise’s Dad Ralph. It’s safe to say that my en...Continue reading

08.01.2022 STONE AGE TOOLS I've always been interested in archaeology and paleontology. This pic is of some of the stone tools I collected from a site I found while walking in the bush on Larry Cumming's farm near Victoria Falls. The area appears to have been a stone age "factory" as there are heaps of stone chips and broken axe and spear/arrow heads (the good ones would've been taken away for use). Unfortunately that farm was taken over by war vets, but I still have plans to return the...Continue reading

08.01.2022 I’ve had the privilege of living my 56 years in three unique societies, each of which contributed unique experiences and lessons in shaping the person that I am today. I was born a Rhodesian, I matured as a Zimbabwean and now I’m growing old as an Australian. My story may be of interest to many others who have followed a similar journey, as theirs would be to me. The notes and anecdotes on this page are purposely haphazard as that’s how I’ve lived my life so far. Always unconventional, nothing too structured, but ever ready for the next adventure. Once I get my A into G, I will publish these works - until then, I’ll keep adding to this literary warehouse. Note: my writings use the place names that were current at the time.

08.01.2022 I've been going through a bit of a stressful patch lately, so what better therapy than to write about love. I recently came across some letters that I had written to Denise in 1984 while she was overseas. We’d only been going out for a few months when Denise and her cousin Debbie left on a three-month backpacking holiday around Europe. This trip had been long-planned, but was still difficult for me, especially as the girls were travelling with two other guys. Anyway, judging ...Continue reading

08.01.2022 My book, Memoirs of a Rhodie/Zimbo/Aussie is full of photos relating to the stories, plus some really good cartoons and caricatures drawn by a very talented Brisbane artist. I'm hopeless at drawing so it was great having Jo create the illustrations that bring my stories to life. If you're starting to think of early Christmas pressies, my publisher Lulu, is offering a 15% discount on all book sales - just log onto lulu.com, search for my name and use the coupon code "onefive" to claim your discount.

07.01.2022 One of my earlier forays into writing was a trilogy of pre-teen books, written under the pen-name Rebecca Lee (the middle names of my girls). The books are set in Zimbabwe and centre around a young girl (Sarah Fox) who can communicate with mythical creatures and people (eg. the Nyaminyami monster that is said to live in Lake Kariba). Each of the books has Sarah and her friends involved in suspense and adventure, while grappling with age-appropriate moral issues. While writt...en for fun, the books have become a small reminder of our days in Zimbabwe with a young family. Available on lulu.com, just search for Rebecca Lee. https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep

07.01.2022 LEAVING ZIMBABWE - THE PARENTS On my recent trip to Zimbabwe, my sister and I went down to Gweru, the city where we spent our teen years. We drove past our old house in Gilbert Street, Athlone and took a few obligatory photos. The trip brought back good memories, but it also reminded me of that sad day in 1983 when my parents left home to go start a new life in South Africa. They were still relatively young (early forties) and with their four kids all grown up and working, ...Continue reading

07.01.2022 Below is an extract from my Dad’s journal about how his parents Adam Manning (1910 1948) and Ruth O’Reilly (1912 1985) met, with some description of early life in Umvuma. My Mom was born in Krugersdorp in South Africa while her Mother was on holiday, so moved to Rhodesia when just a few weeks old. Her Father died a few years later leaving her Mom with four children to raise. Grandma married again, this time to a man who didn’t get on with his step-children, so they were ...Continue reading

07.01.2022 AN APPRENTICE’S WEEKEND Part 2 A quick recap of Part 1, which finds the three protagonists, Antonia, Salario and Selanio, settled in for an evening of meaded wine and gentlemen’s company in the Tavern on the Rialto Bridge. But Antonia seems troubled; he turns to the others and utters in a faltering tone, ‘In sooth, I know not why I am so sad. ...Continue reading

06.01.2022 FALLING FROM THE SKY I love living in Australia, but sometimes the rules and regs do your head in. It’s why I enjoy my trips back to Africa where one can be a lot freer and less strangled by Big Brother. Safety is a big thing here and while it all makes sense, sometimes you have to test your boundaries and challenge your fears. One such occasion occurred in Harare back in 2001 and like so many of these things, it had its origin in a pub full of drunk guys. I’d just finished m...Continue reading

06.01.2022 PROPOSING TO DENISE I nervously paced between the aisles of groceries in Balmain Stores as I waited for the manager to appear. His office had been empty when I came in and a helpful assistant had volunteered to go find him for me. I cleared my throat for the umpteenth time and wordlessly mouthed what I would say when he appeared. Its typically very hot in January in Masvingo and this Saturday morning in 1987 was no different. I surreptitiously sniffed towards my armpit and re...Continue reading

06.01.2022 Our daughter Kimberley is getting married next month and for once in my life I’m lost for words and am struggling to think of what to say in my Father of the Bride speech. This past week I have been interviewing candidates for a position in our company and that gave me some inspiration for the content of my speech and for this blog post. I’m not sure that it came out like I wanted, so would appreciate your feedback. I shook hands with the smartly dressed young woman and usher...Continue reading

05.01.2022 BEATEN BECAUSE OF A BUCKET! A recent visit to my old school and a chat with a classmate from those days reminded me of a rather painful visit to the Deputy Headmaster’s office back in the early years of High School. ******************...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Another great pic and interesting write-up from my sister. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram for more like this

04.01.2022 BROWN-EYE TO GWERU A while ago I posted a cutting from a newspaper about the infamous Gweru Rugby team that was arrested for "mooning". Here's a bit more detail about what happened, taken from my memoirs. Not our finest hour, but amusing to look back on and rue the time when one's derriere could fit through a bus window. I have always wanted to shoot a white man, the soldier smirked darkly as he pointed his bayonet-tipped AK47 assault rifle at me. Sweat glistened off his...Continue reading

03.01.2022 A WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITION The events in this story take place long after the country became Zimbabwe, but the humanity encased in them was born of that great Rhodie spirit of compassion and caring for those less fortunate. My parents, Jack and Marie Manning, lived a normal life in Gwelo until they migrated to South Africa soon after independence. Much of their time was spent bringing up four kids in an environment of sanctions and war. However, they still made time to do ...Continue reading

03.01.2022 I love writing and especially free writing, where I choose a broad topic and then just type whatever comes to mind, without knowing where the story is going to end. It’s much like meandering through a museum you know what section you’re in, but you are continually surprised by the next exhibit. I am using this form of writing to record my memoires, as I find it more human and more personal than compiling a journal. There is less focus on structure and punctuation and more o...Continue reading

03.01.2022 MIDNIGHT ATTACK AT MANA POOLS All I could think about was our safari guide’s warning as I lay deathly still on my stretcher and waited for the predator to rip through the thin fabric that was all that separated us. ‘If we’re going to be hassled by anything, this is where it’ll happen,’ the Guide had said as we’d pulled our canoes into the bank at Nyamepi campsite. He’d been careful to not overly alarm the group of tourists under his care as he’d shown us to our sleeping posit...Continue reading

03.01.2022 MY TRIP ACROSS THE IRON CURTAIN Sadly, Zimbabwe seems to be headed back into an era of rampant inflation with shortages, long queues and empty shelves. We are going back to where we were a decade ago, but I fear that this time the social response will be far greater. Too many people with too little to lose makes fertile ground for change and I can taste change in the air, even from over here in Brisbane. It’s not something tangible, just a feeling in my gut that that the whee...Continue reading

03.01.2022 TECHNOLOGY, LOVE IT OR HATE IT It is truly amazing how far technology in society has progressed over the past twenty years. Mobile computing devices (laptops, smartphones, e-readers etc) are now so ubiquitous that a person without one in their hands tends to stand out in a crowd. Real-life conversation has been replaced by online messaging, social media updates and mobile phone calls (although even these are now on a downward trend). I was recently in Zimbabwe and that countr...Continue reading

01.01.2022 It has been a while since I last wrote anything, so I embarked on a bit of "free-writing" this evening. Free-writing is when you just write whatever is in your head and see where it takes you. So for this one, I started with the idea of looking back on the Covid-19 pandemic in a few decades time..............(with suitable apologies to Wilbur Smith for plagiarising the name of one of his fictional characters ). Can I hold it please Gramps?’ I nodded and passed over the heavy...Continue reading

01.01.2022 HONEYMOON (DIS)HARMONY I’ve just realised that, exactly 31 years ago, Denise and I were on honeymoon at Caribbea Bay resort on Lake Kariba. Right now she’s in Australia and I’m in Zimbabwe, so there’s not much chance for any re-enactment of the occasion. However, there is one part of that honeymoon that neither of us is likely to forget, as it nearly ended our marriage before it had really begun. ‘I’m telling you this is the right path,’ I gasped out irritably at the repeated...Continue reading

01.01.2022 POLITICAL CORRECTNESS Today’s post is about male bonding, humour and political correctness and how the latter seems to be driving a wedge between them. We can all remember an occasion where we’ve been overcome with unbridled laughter, tears streaming down our cheeks. It might be when watching a comedian ply his trade, a misfortune (the old slipping on a banana skin type gag) or a hilarious quip in a conversation. It’s never good to laugh at someone’s expense, but if they lau...Continue reading