The changing world (16) Sep to Dec 1970

Our flight to Nigeria was first time in the air for both of us. Days before the fist big Palestinians hijacking occurred with IIRC three planes hjacked to Jordan. One terrorist, a female Leila Khalid, was detained in Ealing.
   We changed Sabena planes in Brussels, touched down in Madrid and had a ten and a half hour journey. Kano was dark, hot and humid. Formalities were straightforward and we lodged at The Central Hotel. The next day we flew a Nigerian Airways twin propeller to Jos. We lucked with Francis Williams' family. He has established the Christian Central Pharmacy supplying missions all over Nigeria. Nurse Mary Sainsbury took us to Vom where we saw our new house and dined with the Daintys. Peter is another missionary nurse. Next day Peter showed us the old compound dating from 1922 including the dispensary. We had a medical day breakfasting with John and Gay Lang, medical superintendent, lunch with Bob and Jean Balfour, obs and gynae and dinner with Monica Jones a third medic.  Katy kept me awake frightened of noises in the night.
   Next day Francis briefed me on the pharmacy and the staff. Zwambun is an elderly senior nurse, a church elder, Dabwandg is a local man as is Bashi. We breakfasted with matron Margaret Howells, lunch with Marie Willings senior lab technician and dinner with nurse Mary Sainsbury. Finding Vom quite cool. The plateau is over 4000' above sea level. Saturday breakfast at Dainty's, lunch Betty Major midwifery tutor, tea with Nancy Fiend a CRC nurse from USA, and dinner with the Triggs. Tony is maintenance man so the most important member of staff. The hospital has over 300 beds, the oldest and largest in the north. Nurse, midwifes and lab assistants are trained to national standard. All students have to be professing Christians.
   Sunday Bob Balfour drove the transit van the five miles of ridged laterite unsurfaced road to church in Kaduna Vom. People did not seem very friendly. Hausa service at the hospitals totally unintelligible. English evening service was addressed by a Nigeria. The seats are concrete benches. The singing, Golden Bells.
   Work office 7-9, 4-7, dispensary 10-1 doing drugs for the wards. Inpatients bring a relative to cook for them and also to give blood if needed. The hospital has a Robin Hood charging policy. Lowest fees are for locals and the poor. Then there is standard rate for all except those salaried of cattle herding Fulani nomads. Finally, much more expensive and mainly expats, the private wards where there is catering, where Katy helped with catering and our three eldest were born. A new compound is part constructed next to the old leprosarium which now houses patients' relatives. Two more nurses share our compound. Coral Citrine is from Liverpool and Phyllis Shorter from Australia.
   Tuesday Katy went to our Jos headquarters. It is about 25 miles, most of it surfaced but some of that a single strip of tar where might is right and you move aside if the oncoming vehicle is bigger than yours. Thursday was a day off pharmacy and I gave a talk on animism to students of Government Technical Training College, Bukuru.The boys were attentive.
   Second Sunday morning preached at Kaduna Vom. October 1st public holiday for 10th Independence Day. Letter took three to twelve days from UK. No email not any phone calls. One could make the latter but we never called home in twelve years.
   Nov 19th 9:15 pm Jonathan Michael Weeks arrived, breech delivery. Next day into Jos for local birth registration, which certificate goes to the British High Commission for a UK one. Katy and baby not home until 27th. Learnt how to operate the mission shortwave radio our one instant communication. In mid December Peter and Elizabeth Clark and Brian Boddy arrived after a 4500 mil drive across the Sahara. Christmas day staff turkey dinner at the Langs. 29th our sea loads arrived safely to great rejoicing.  One of our major pharmacy jobs was IV fluids, dextrose and saline also citrate for blood taking. We has an automatic still running on electricity.
  29 Dec our visitors' book arrived and was unpacked. First entry, Anna from Switzerland.