|
The very first time that Ivy and I, as a married couple, were to meet one of the 'upper
crust' was when we were living in Mwanza, a provincial town in Tanganyika on
the shores of Lake Victoria. A notice had been issued by the most senior administrative
officer in the Lake Province that all Colonial Service officers in Mwanza were to be
at the Railway Station before 7.00 am on 30 July 1948. His Excellency the Governor
was arriving and wanted to meet his officers immediately after leaving the train. This
caused great excitement as the Governor was of the traditional British Empire vintage
of vice-royalty that were proud of their position and demanded respect as the Crown's
representative in a Colony.
To give the Governor his name and full title, it was His Excellency Sir Edward
Twining, GCMG, MBE. He was regarded as one of the nobility with an illustrious lineage
on his mother's side and because of his father's relationship, albeit a distant one, to the
famous Twining tea family. The Governor was a big and distinctive man in every way:
regal, flamboyant with a wicked sense of humour, shrewd, and with a remarkable talent
for extracting service, enthusiasm and devotion from other people. He loved the pomp
and ceremony associated with his position although in casual conversation everybody
just referred to Twining as H.E. We were not disappointed when he appeared outside
Mwanza railway station in his full ceremonial outfit, appropriately dressed with sash,
medals, ostrich feather-plumed helmet and a sword at his side. A large crowd of locals
had gathered to have a glimpse of the Governor who was their biggest and most powerful
'chief'. We who were to be introduced to him lined up on the pavement and were called
by name for a handshake, after which we just moved on and dispersed among others who
were watching the ceremony. We saw no more of him on this occasion.
But presumably he discussed government business with senior administrative officers
before returning to his headquarters in Dar es Salaam. Nowadays ceremonies of this
nature are regarded as unnecessarily pompous but in Twining's time as Governor they
were an important feature of Colonial administration, approved by the majority of the
country's inhabitants - that is, except for aspiring indigenous politicians planning for self-government
and independence from British rule. Let it be said, however, about Twining,
that despite his love of ceremony and pageantry he was respected for the zest he applied
to improving the living conditions for the poverty-stricken people in the colonies he
administered.
Seven years passed before we met the Governor again but this time it was under
completely different circumstances. I received a letter from my boss, Robert Sangster,
Chief Conservator of Forests, saying that the Governor had read the Department's annual
report for 1955 with interest.! He had made some especially complimentary comments
on the Olmotonyi Forest Training School, of which I was the Principal at the time, and
had expressed a desire to visit it. Arrangements were made accordingly for him to come
in May 1956, but in the meantime it did cause me some apprehension. He would not
be staying at the School long, but tea - Twining's of course - and some biscuits were
to be served. The students set about cleaning the grounds and Ivy made sandwiches of
cucumber, avocado, ham and tomato for refreshments. Chocolate and plain biscuits were
on hand and Ivy made the effort to prepare small muffins in paper cups; it made us smile
when a few of the students started to eat the cups as well as the muffins! A quiet word in
their ears saved any embarrassment and I doubt if H.E. noticed anything untoward.
I had prepared a welcome speech for H.E. on his arrival at the school and was
apprehensive on what I should say. After all, here was His Excellency the Governor
making a special visit to our small thirty-student school located in a relatively remote
outstation; an honour indeed. But I shouldn't have worried, because when his car drove
up to the classroom and his aide-de-camp opened the door for him, he shook hands with
Ivy and me and then, without any further ado, marched into the classroom with the rest of
us following behind him: there was no time for a welcome speech. All the students were
standing to attention and he announced in his booming, very English voice "You know
who I am, don't you?". I can't remember much more of his visit but what is indelibly
printed in my mind is his own introduction to the students. The muffin-eating episode still
brings a smile to my face, but few of the students would have attended functions where
such fare was served. On graduation days it was local delicacies and Indian dainties that
were favoured; alcoholic drinks were never a problem and soft drinks were an excellent
substitute, and in the eight years spent at the school, I cannot recall a single case of
drunkenness among the students.
Twining retired as Governor of Tanganyika in 1958 and, shortly after his arrival back in
England, he was created Lord Twining of Godalming and Tanganyika with the distinction
of being among the first of the Life Peers to sit in the House of Lords. After his retirement.
Twining became absorbed in completing his passionate study of jewels, precious stones
and regalia, a hobby which extended over many years and which culminated in the
publication of his A History of the Crown Jewels in Europe. It had over 700 pages of text
and nearly a thousand plates and photographs. It received favourable reviews overall, with
one reviewer saying it would become a standard work on the subject and was unlikely to
be superseded for a very long time. It must be obvious that my old Tanganyika Governor
intrigued me and, despite his somewhat eccentric and pompous nature, I had, and still
have, a great admiration and respect for him and am glad that I was given the chance to
have served under his administration.
|
