[Bill Knott moved to Canada and became a professor of Psychology]

The train!  I loved travelling on the old coal burning trains when we occasionally went south to Johies. Thru Mhalapya, Palapye, Bulawyo and changes, up thru Whange and over the bridge at the Falls and the all the small towns up to Lusaka and the Copperbelt. Train smuts in the eye, the rocking to send you to sleep, the clanging of the doors of the man coming around in the early morning with coffee, the chance to stand at the end of the carriages’ open area and look at the bush as it slowly came up and retreated behind you.

I would give a lot top redo that in the same carriages…….. one day soon!

Other things…

Sand and looking for ant lions so that I could gently tip something in and see it flip sand out again.  Looking for blues-kops when I had my catty…. never really getting one, in my memory though, I’m sure I did.

Occasional gang fights between the Anglos and Afrikaners….. along water ditches with catapults and stones that skip along the road and fly high so that the other guys could easily see them and duck.

Being in a Form 4 class of 13 and only years later realising that I was not the bee’s knees at the top of the class of just 13.

Never learning how to learn.

Failing at Uni and going underground then, after 3 years, deciding that this eldest son was going to break the (actual and researched) tradition of the eldest son of the eldest of the eldest son for 5 generations, in mining.

Off back to WITS. Did psychology and left Africa directly after finishing successfully. Never been to a grad ceremony for myself…. only when, as a Prof at a Uni, did I go to see others.

Offspring of a peripatetic miner culture, have never really settled down anywhere. I carry a branch around and call it my roots!  Really! My base is with my wife……………could be anywhere in the world.

I love Canada because of the distinct weather changes with seasons. Can whine all year about it.

NR/Zambia had only two…wet or dry. Loved it but it is boring.