NewsofBeehiveexpupilsandtheirfamilies

Donald Aubrey

am living in Canada now, northern Canada to be precise in a place called

Fort Smith, where I work as a policy advisor for Parks Canada, the Federal

Agency that administers Canada's national parks. We have a large national

park near Ft Smith called Wood Buffalo National Park. I am also married with

two daughters; Laura aged 26 and Vanessa who is 21. Laura has three children

and lives in Ft Smith on the other side of town. Vanessa is studying for a

BA in political science at Trent University in Peterborough, north of

Toronto. My wife Christine works as a health administrator at the local

health centre. She is French and comes from Brittany in the west of France.

We were married in 1971 and immigrated to Canada in 1983. Both my parents

are no longer alive having died separately approximately ten years ago.

I went to George Watson's College in Edinburgh, Scotland as did Mary and

Kathleen went to Morrison's Academy in Crieff, Perthshire. Kathleen now

lives in Dunstable, Beds, North of London UK and Mary lives in Massachusetts

in the US, where she works as a relationship counsellor.

Thanks for this information Donald if anyone wishes to contact Donald please email me

Simon Cowling

We did live in Nanyuki from about 1955-1960 when we moved to Arusha. My sister's name was Sharon. She lives in the UK. I live in Adelaide, South Australia. My father was an accountant for the Kenya Farmers Assoc.

Please keep in contact, i get great feelings when contacting the 'lost tribe'.

anyone wishing to contact Simon please email me

thankyou for your information Simon

Matthew & William Peacock

My brother (William) and I were at the Beehive for just two years from 1959 - 61. Our father was the manager of the Gailley & Roberts branch in Nanyuki, selling machinery and hardware to the farms. In 1961, when I was 11 and ready for secondary school, we went to Northern Ireland, our father's origin, and attended school in Armagh, then University in Belfast.

My parents became friends of the Sandfords in part because my father and Major Sandford came from the same area of Northern Ireland. I used to collect milk in a can from Wrights butchers shop which was very close to our flat above G&R' s shop (next door to the Post Office). The other family we used to spend time with was the Pearsons. Captain Pearson was stationed with the army in Nanyuki and their daughters Jill and Judith also attended the Beehive.

Also, I learned to ride a horse at Miss Thring's .Oh what a free and easy life it seemed !

I became an engineer and worked with Shell in several countries, until I decided to settle, with my wife and family, in Christchurch, New Zealand. William, 3 years younger than me, became a doctor and is still in Northern Ireland.

anyone wishing to contact Mathew please email me

thankyou Matthew for this information

email from Mrs Kurutu present owner & principal of St Christopher's School

.Hi Joan,

Thank you for your email. I am sorry it has taken me this long to reply - I am involved in a lot of charity work in Nanyuki and Laikipia District and I have lately been in very many meetings. My son Victor - who helps me run the school with a Hedmistress and a team of teachers - will be communicating with you soon. He is an ex pupil and so my daughters Priscilla and Georgina.

Thank you very much for opening a website for Beehive School. Nothing much has changed with the buildings as you will see when Victor takes photos and sends them to you.

God bless you.

Helen Kurutu

Tina Shaw [Keough}

Great to see a Site set up. Well done. Have to admit though my memories of St Christophers are dim and few as was so young. Can remember Mrs Willie's caring ways. I had my second daughter at Nanyuki Cottage Hospital in 1991 and was amazed when I drove past the school at how small it now looks - it seemed huge back then!

Andrew Wright

Hi Joan,

nice to see your website,long time ago.Well done.

My second son Julian climbed Mt Kenya to point Nelion in Dec last year.He buried my fathers ashes at point lenana.I have 2 grandsons now.Thomas and samantha are Married.Julian is at Bush Academy in SA,charles is at Kingswood SA and schaniela will be going there in sept.I keep bees and have become quite keen on beevenom therapy.

Saw John last year.

Kind regards

Andrew

Rob Ryan

When Italy came into the war the school was evacuated to the Kinangop. We lived at Marmanet. My parents both went off to war, leaving my sister (6) and I (9) on the veranda at Barry's Hotel to be collected as the school went by. They were due at 10 am but it was the rains and they did not get there until 4 pm. By the time we got to the farm on the Kinangop it was very late and we were tired, hungry, and bloody miserable. My sister and I spent the whole of that year at the school as the parents were in the Army. 'Ma Lanky' (so-called because her eldest son 'Lanky' was about 6 foot 6) was the matron and saved our sanity.

Memories are few and disjointed: running and jumping into enormous cabbages on the farm; a bushbaby that used to drop onto ones in bed and one night explored my nostrils with its fingers; eating tree tomatoes in the garden picked from the trees; fighting with kai apples stuck on the end of long whippy sticks, why nobody lost an eye I don't know. Can't remember anything about the teaching side or the teachers.

from Rob Ryan early pupil

Glyn Griffiths

Came to the Beehive from Nairobi Primary and went to the Duke of York after. We lived in Isiolo at that time, then moved back to Nairobi. Left Kenya in 1967 and now living in Perth Western Australia. My brother Clifford was also at Nairobi Primary then Beehive and Duke of York, he also lives here in WA but does not have an email address

From: Perth, Western Australia

Years at Beehive/ST Christophers approx 1959 to1961

Nazir Osman Allu

I guess our lot came a bit later than the majority of names on the attendees list on the main web page - however - some traditions probably never change - e.g - rounders , brown bread and jam orange juice, Onwards Christian Soldiers , biltong bartering , Latin , Arithmatic , un - deux - trois ...., Mrs D's jersey bull and the famous stile in the paddock, and the higlight of the term - the cinema show at the Nanyuki Sports Club - very very front row - at Mrs Willies feet on the floor- yup grand days. Anybody know where the Bekkers went ? Thank you for bringing back cherished memories. Nazir O Allu

From: Nanyuki , Malindi , Birmingham

Years at Beehive/ST Christophers 1969 - 1974 or thereabout

Penelope Gordon-Finlayson

My half brother, David Kennard forwarded your email to me. Fascinated by your site and by the old photos - thank you - it all brings back such great memories. I do remember your mother 'Willie' and of course the delaforces. My step sister Penelope Kennard and Martin Kennard were also at the Beehive and my half brother David Kennard. The Delaforces used to stay with us when they came to Nairobi and were close friends of our parents. I came to London 8 years ago after 28 years living in Sydney Australia - I have one daughter, Zoe Hoare now 33 years old. I have had an antique business for the last 25 years. Zoe and I now run this in London - see my website if you are interested! I don't know if PK has email but I will try to contact her and let her know about your site - she also lives in London. My nick name has been Appley for all my life and the business is called Appley Hoare Antiques and is at 22 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8LJ. Good luck tracing the old students - if I can remember anyone else I will let you know. Where do you live in Australia??

From: Beehive - now living in UK

Web Site: www.appleyhoare.com

Mary Palin

My father was stationed in Nanyuki from about 1958 - 1961. My sister Christina and I were day pupils at Beehive School and the only memories I have are of being rescued from the toilets because the bees had swarmed, always suffering from nose bleeds and of course my wonderful teacher Miss Willie. My mother ofter talks about the elegant Eileen Delaforce and her prediction that I would be 'brilliant'. I don't don't think I fall into that category but I haven't done too badly.

From: Nottingham, England

Years at Beehive/ST Christophers 1960 ish

Brian Galton-Fenzi

Joan, Good to see you active in this area. Well done. Mother-Daphne still in Kenya, Brother-Julian in Uganda. Self-Brian London degree, via overland to PNG,postgrad Sydney, before much travelling in Australia and Africa as an Occupational Health & Safety Consultant.

From: perth western australia

Email: bga71975@bigpond.net.ua

Years at Beehive/ST Christophers 1954-1959

SAIKA ALLU

HOW NICE TO SEE MY OLD SCHOOL PIC-WAS BORN ON A FARM IN NANYUKI,(ALLU'S FARM) LIVED THERE TILL TILL 1992 THEN MOVED TO MALINDI=-GOT MARRIED TO A FRENCH MAN AND MOVED TO THE SOUTH OF FRANCE-NOW DIVORCED AND LIVING IN UK WITH MY SON,GO BACK TO KENYA EVERY YEAR.......

Susan Bainbridge (Roberts)

Hi Joan,

What fun to see the Beehive website.

In the group photo I am the girl on the front left as you look at the photo - Sue Bainbridge.

I clearly remember arriving at the Beehive with my sister Jane shortly before my 5th birthday, and loving it. We were the "busy bees" and being so small I was thoroughly spoilt. I loved the riding with Miss Thring and clearly remmber the fun we had Scottish dancing in the hall, Guy Fawkes night when we cooked doe balls on sticks on the fire, the shrieking tree hyrax at night, "Cuss clockey" ringing the bell and so many other strong memories.

Jane married Ian Craig and formed the Lewa Conservancy and I live with my husband William Roberts on land that we bought nearby and is now part of the Conservancy. We each have a son and a daughter and I am a granny three times over, though don't feel like one! We run a small lodge