This is just a brief outline of the things we have done and achieved over the last 9 days. I’m really sorry to those of you who enjoy the humour and constant banter but since we are now so far behind we can’t be bothered, so there!!!!
Wednesday 22nd
We were with HT school and first visited the orphanage. HT gave a mountain of presents and was fantastic to see such big smiles
We then called at the Bishop Crowther Nursery and finished the morning at the train museum. You have never seen anything like it. Three carriages and one engine! That is a museum, brilliant!!!
The afternoon was greeted with lunch at Seafarers, the wonderful Eunice on fire as ever with the cooking. Myself and Mark went for a meeting with the development team and Lozza took care of Holy Trinity. Nice Boy!
Thursday 23rd
While some of us worked hard taking the HT school to Schlenker, a school in the province, two of the group, Loz and Mark went on a jolly first to set up the link with Aberdeen, they are due to be joint to Wivelsfield and then off to Kent beach. It must have been really hard work. I can’t complain really, we were welcomed at Schlenker with food, then played volleyball (we got beat bad), then we watched a cultural dance show – which was fantastic and finally we ate again.
We all finished the day with the wonderful Canon Coker’s and his wife Lucy. Another fine meal and then off to bed, it had been a long day!
Friday 24th
Again we started the day with HT. Today was the foundation day at Bishop Johnson their link school. Our job was just to be present but HT teachers and students had to make a statement, they did this very well. Then it was time for us to leave them. Myself, Loz and Mark joined Bishop Julius in the trip to Bo. In classic style we stopped on route for us – in the bishops words – to loosen our throats- two beers did this nicely! We should have realize this would happen when there was a cooler the size of a coffin in the boot of the car. It was full of Star Beer for the English and Heineken for the Sierra Leonean’s. We arrived at the Hotel around 5ish. It was a newly built complex which was maybe the best hotel we have stayed in, good job since we were there for 6 nights.
Saturday 25th
Saturday was a lazy lazy day. We even started it with Uno in bed(that is when you know you haven’t achieved much). We met with a group from West Wittering for lunch (they are the group who paid for the building of a school in Bo) and we finished with an evening meal in Madame Woki’s. The meal was with the West African Bishops. It was great to see the Bishop of Liberia and Mother Hart again, and to see the others of our link dioceses of Cameroon, Gambia and Guinea. There were also 4 Bishops from Ghana including the Archbishop. An interesting experience!
Sunday 26th
Sunday was the big day for the Diocese of Bo, it was today that Canon Tucker was to be consecrated the 3rd Bishop of Bo. The service was a great success. It lasted just 5 hours (Duncan bet your sad you missed out!) and I had the pleasure of pledging £500 on behalf of the diocese of Chichester even after £500 was already pledged, I just hope we can find it. Our next move was to the Bishops House for lunch. A gathering of all the local clergy and partners of the diocese! We had a well deserved rest in the afternoon and finished our day with our final meal with the Bishops, before they headed off to their relative countries.
(Loz’s blog)
Monday 27th
After Sunday’s service the entire entourage from Freetown were in need of a relaxing day. We woke wearily after the excitement of Sunday’s service and proceeded to head into the Bo Market. We visited the claustrophobic market, weaving in between various buildings, before heading to the local seamstress, or rather, seemster, witnessing his command of the home-made loom.
From lunch onwards, we opened the Bishop’s coffin and proceeded to drink the contents. As the day of consumption continued many fell by the wayside. First Mark (in desperate need of a nap,) then Parks (once again portraying his girly drinking skills.) I, powered through the drinking pain with the bishop, thus restoring British drinking pride. The day came to a close as we all sat in deep discussion with the Bishop of Freetown, discussing topics as deep as Politics and as light as Iain’s stomach…literally.
Tuesday 28th
We spent the morning at the Diocesan Office organizing our impending visit of the schools in Bo Diocese. We came to the conclusion that we would spend time in Bo from November 12th to 23rd (take note everyone….we’ll have very average internet possibilities!)
With the work done for the day, we settled back to battle it out back at the hotel on the Uno field. 1 hour later after much fierce fighting, it appeared that I would dominate the day of Uno, but then, out of no-where, it happened! Parks hit me! First a plus 2, then a plus four, then a skip ago, then a plus two, then finally, with a wry, demonic smile, he hit me again with a final, brutal, plus four. My score 228 – a new Uno world record – for a variety of reasons, I felt sick….
Anyway, after a busy morning at the office and a terrible afternoon at the cards table, we walked into town to buy some street food for dinner. My spirits were raised, and Parksy continued to gloat about his triumph, he told me last month and I quote “I’m a bad loser, and a bad winner…” I still have NO idea what he was on about.
Wednesday 29th
We were up early to attend the grand opening of the first ever Anglican Junior Secondary school in Bo Diocese, which was greatly funded by the Village of West Wittering in Sussex. In firm mood that we are now Sierra Leonie’s we set off on a walk to the school. On arrival events began. 6 hours later, a mixture of a brief dedication, a traditional libation and an exciting cultural show saw to the fact that we had a thoroughly enjoyable day! Definite highlight was the school drama group’s own Cinderella inspired production! After a long and hot day we booked our bus return to Freetown leaving at 4am in the morning….yes you heard right, 4am! Before heading back to the hotel to get an early night!
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