We had a period of food shortage and a lorry had to be sent out into the surrounding counties to collect the matoke for the boys' meals. A school lorry rather than a hired one was needed. The Education Department in Kampala told us one was ready for collection. Murray went in his car to do this. He was told he would have to wait a week or so for the arrival by sea of a new member of staff from the U.K. who would be traveling via Mombassa and coming up by train. Murray said he could not wait. The headmaster had instructed him to bring the lorry back at once as it was desperately needed to collect the food and that he must do so. The official in the Department (very senior) was thus overruled and I fear we got a black mark. Our official popularity was agian undermined when, in seeking to have a laboratory built, we engaged the help of a Member of Parliament in the U.K. who asked a question about it in the House of Commons. Why the delay? The Secretary of State for the Colonies asked the Chief Secretary of Uganda, who asked the Director of Education, who asked what did I think I was doing? After suitable apologies to the Chief Secretary, our laboratory was sanctioned and built.
Our hydro-electric scheme was one of Commander Calwell's masterpieces. A deep trench allowed water from the river to flow on to a wooden wheel with corrugated iron "cups" which, when it was rotating, ran the generator. One night, slowly but surely, electric lights dimmed and finally went out. Prep. was over. On going to investigate, I took a Tilley lamp. The wheel was stationary. A hippo had fallen into the trench and stopped the flow of water. It was decided not to disturb him.
Later, to our great joy and even greater surprise, a generator was shipped out from England for us. Tony Irvine, our Maths Master, was a man of many parts. He at once set about unpacking the machine, housing it and attaching it to the school's somewhat antiquated wiring. In a few days we had light, by alas, only for a week. Again the lamps went slowly dimmer and dimmer and then out. The generator had stopped. The main bearing had burnt out. The instruction had stated "Under no circumstances grease the bearing: this had been done in the factory and the part sealed." It hadn't in fact been done, and so the disaster. No light: back to oil lamps and candles. Tony was angry but not defeated. he went to the metal workshop, ruled by Mr. Bujenja, where, amongst a host of this and that, were the Commander's old tool boxes. Rummaging in one of these Tony came across a main bearing, ex-Royal Navy. Could it fit? it looks as if it might. It did; and imagine our joy when the lights cam on again. In the meantime, however, I had informed our local Public Works Department man came, beaming, and said, "Now you'll be able to use the generator again." I had to explain we had been doing so for some weeks. The air grew blew, but I consoled him by saying it would be splendid to have a spare generator in stock. He was not amused.
As remembered and written by Mr. E.C. Cooper, M.A., Headmaster, Between 1948 - 1954. Stay tuned for more Anecdotes of Life at Nyakasura!!
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