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| 2019-09-09T22:14:07.000Z | 0 | 2016-01-14T17:46:00.000Z | hengar.jpg | 17 | 46 | content/family-transition-1969-1975-kenya-uk | 1969 to 1975 finally leaving Kenya and arriving in Cornwall | article | 9a1ca03d-01b6-4b58-9cc9-1869c9867634 |
Early in 1969 things were changing in Kenya, Stan was starting to feel very insecure in his job. Although he had been awarded the MBE for Services to Education in Kenya and was now a college principal, he was now the last white person left in such a senior post in the Kenya Education Service; it seemed a position he could not maintain for much longer. Whilst on leave in the UK in the summer of 1969 Mike and Kathy were enrolled at schools in England; Jan had already finished at Kenya High School in December 1968 and had been offered a place at university in the UK starting in September 1969.
In parallel with the above, Gordon and Irene Smithe (Muriel's sister and her husband), had decided to move their family out of London and had bought a chalet and caravan park in the grounds of a run down 'stately home' known as Hengar Manor, near Bodmin in Cornwall, and they were looking for some further investment. Summer of '69 saw the Stokoes and Smithes together at Hengar cooking up a plan. Once again we became an extended family with the Smithes and our cousins Paula and Martin, and after doubtless much discussion and argument, the plan was implemented:
September – October 1969
- Stan made his investment in Hengar to secure a home for his family and eventually returned to his job in Kericho in October.
- Muriel decided not to return to Kenya with Stan preferring to stay in England with her children, particularly as Kathy was only 11. Kathy and Muriel moved into one of the converted flats within Hengar Manor.
- Kathy started as a pupil at Sir James Smith School in Camelford, about 6 miles from Hengar, where her cousins Paula and Martin were also pupils. She remained there until she was 16.
- Mike age 15, was enrolled at Barnard Castle School, a minor public school in County Durham. He had to be a boarder but the school was quite close to Stan's family so his brother, Don, was to be 'in loco parentis'.
- Janet (19) went off the Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, as planned.
What happened next - 1970
- Janet left university after just one term and moved into the flat at Hengar with her Mum and sister where in January 1970 her son Nicholas was born. She continued to live there until 1975.
- Mike left Barnard Castle school early in 1970 as he was very unhappy; he was not doing well academically and he hated being a boarder. As a result he also moved into the flat at Hengar and became a pupil at Sir James Smiths School in Camelford.
Despite these moves, the Stokoes, including baby Nicholas, were regularly reunited with Stan back in Kenya. Some or all of the family went over on holiday every year between 1970 and 1976 - mostly to Kericho and Diani Beach but also in Machakos.
Cornwall 1970 to 1975
We – ie Mum, Kathy, Mike on and off, my baby son Nick, and I lived in Cornwall between 1969 and 1975. To begin with we lived in a flat in Hengar House, a granite built Jacobean / Tudor mansion belonging to the Onslow family which, although dating back to the 1700 had mostly been re built after a fire early 1900s. Although it was a huge building most of it was taken up with the staircase and hallway – very beautiful but not very practical in a house that was no longer used as a family home. The Smithes lived on the first floor and we lived in one of two converted flats on the second floor. Our living room had huge bay windows looking out over the Cornish countryside. Later we moved up to a larger flat created on the top floor, in what used to be the servants quarters.
The manor house was surrounded by about 35 acres which included a private garden, a field containing chalets and caravans, a tumble-down barn, two walled gardens, woodland and a long tree lined driveway leading to the main road, about half a mile from the village of St Tudy. Kathy, Mike, Paula and Martin had to walk to the end of the drive, a good half mile, to get the school bus every morning. I regularly walked down to St Tudy village with Nick in his pram and later took him to a playgroup in the Village Hall. We also had a car - first a mini and then a Ford Escort - which was handy for shopping: in fact more so then than now, you could barely survive in Cornwall without a car. Mike and I both passed our driving test in Bodmin - he passed first time and I passed on my 4th attempt (I blame the bad habits I acquired drivng round Kericho with the College driver!!)
We had to drive ... shopping in Camelford, nearest town, but also in Bodmin, Wadebridge and Truro. We loved the beaches at Trebarwith and Rock and enjoyed visiting Boscastle and Tintagel. Mike had a holiday job at a chippy in Tintagel while he and Martin went to discos at the Cobweb in Boscastle. Kathy went riding in St Breward. We had to go all the way to Port Isaac to see the Doctor although one day a week he had a surgery in St Tudy. Nick was born in Truro and later had his tonsils out at St Michaels Hospital in Hayle. Kathy's boyfriend lived on a farm near Wadebridge and Mike's first wife came from near Penzance. I met my husband Colin at Hengar and he lived in Lanivet, a village near Bodmin.
Apart from being a bit isolated, Hengar was a lovely place to live but as a business proposition it struggled. It needed a lot of money spending on it to upgrade the chalets, convert the barn into more flats, revive and develop the walled gardens, and improve guest facilities and so on, but we didn't have that money. The lack of money created tension between the two families, evidenced mainly by constant arguments between my Mum and my Uncle. Eventually in about 1973/4 Dad bought a house and the Stokoes moved into St Tudy Village – to Cavalier Cottage. This was a two storey stone built cottage, with garden, in a end of terrace cul de sac, next door but one to the village shop. It was easier to make friends being in the village and I enjoyed living there.
Nick went to play school in the village hall and at 4 ½ he became a pupil at the village school.
The Smithes also sold up and left Hengar in the early 70s and moved to Liskeard. After a few iterations the business is now “Hengar Manor Holiday Park - part of Hoseasons Holidays. https://www.hengarmanor.co.uk/
In 1975 we moved to Brighton (before coming back to Cornwall) ............... another story