We are both famous in Kenya now ( well I am more famous!) as we both have been on TV. The conference opened on Monday with a flag parade and I was due to carry the UK flag – but as Chair of the International association had to sit on the top table-so I delegated it to my assistant – Linda. She did a good job, saluted at the right moment.
The centre was even painting lines in the dark so people could see where to park!
The opening ceremony followed this and it was attended by the Interior Minister (Home office), the Commissioner and heads of departments.
I gave a short speech during the ceremony, which was well received. The TV report that evening missed my speech but did have pictures of Linda carrying the flag (and why they chose her over the other 16 I don’t know).
The next day I appeared on breakfast TV and was interviewed for 10 minutes around the conference, the good thing with live TV is they can’t edit out the gospel message. It was a difference experience and challenging as well.
The conference has been hard work, we have both been working behind the scenes in the office, sometimes I think it would be better not to know how to use computers! We had to be there at 0730 as people wanted information and we didn’t finish most days till midnight. I managed to get to 5 sessions – of which 4 I was speaking or leading – Linda was the same. Friday was the first day that I actually got to the restaurant area to eat a dinner – normally it was brought to the office and I ate off a tray.
People are so demanding and wanted things done now – even if we eating our dinner – it didn’t stop them asking. I have developed my excel skills – learning macros and mail merge. Linda is now an expert on printing out badges and certificates – we asked them to check their names before we printed them out – and they did – and then a few complained that their name was spelt wrong =- till I pointed out it was their spelling I had copied.
In all about 209 delegates ( I never got the exact numbers) attended from 16 countries, namely: Botswana, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Spain, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America and Zambia.
Wednesday afternoon was free time and Linda went out to visit the Fleet arm section and the wildlife orphanage ( I did ask for a takeway!) but I was so tired that I slept – well I did until Linda rang me to tell me she was having a good time and what was i doing – ‘sleeping until you interrupted it’ I replied.
The conference has been good, everyone has enjoyed it and given positive remarks about the organisation. Linda has been talking to everyone and making friends, she told me she had been entertaining a pastor in her room – I did not ask for any more details. She has given away a camera to a driver, jumpers and books to an organisation that helps girls stay in school, hymn books and bibles for distribution in Nyeri – and we have renewed acquaintances and made new friends.
I have been so busy – no time to update the blog” Due to the nature of the conference I do not want to publish many details on the internet so I will circulate a separate report with a full update in the next couple of weeks.
There is a theory that if a butterfly flaps its wings in China it affects the weather in New York – which is why when the French go on strike it means I get to sit on the runway at Heathrow for an hour – the cause and affect theory!
There were also traffic jams on the M25 but I am not sure I can blame the French for that – although it was probably a French lorry driver involved – well it would have been if they weren’t all on strike and if they are not on strike they can’t go anywhere because they have no fuel."
We left home at 5am – and Linda was on time. Although our flight was not till 1020 (or even later due to the French) It is the wrong time of the morning to travel so I wanted to leave plenty of time.
It was a good thing we did as we got to junction 28 on M25 and a traffic jam, overrunning road works, accident, the French – I don’t know. So I ended up going through Collier Row, Loughton to join the M25 – and then there were no more hold ups.
With all the items we had collected we had a bag each of our clothes and then 3 bags of things to give away – we had been busy packing for the last 2 days – and checking the bags weight to make sure it was under 23kg. I had to pay extra for one bag but it was cheaper to do it online before we flew. We have pens, pencils, Bibles, books, jumpers, cameras etc. I dropped Linda off at the Terminal about 0645am so we had made good time and then went to the long stay car park to deposit the car. I didn’t want the hassle of lugging the bags on to the bus and off again.
I was back at T5 by 07.15 so plenty of time. I don’t know why BA call it a fast bag drop – its wasn’t fast and plenty of queues, even if you have checked in on line – probably the computer system is French and on the go slow!
We then queued at the security by finally go through and had a walk around. Now I have an IPAD I don’t buy books I download them so no need to spend hours in WH Smiths, there was a queue for Starbucks, so I have to go downmarket and have a coffee and sandwich at Pret Manger – not as good as Starbucks.
We got on the plane on time and then sat on the runway – all because of the French!" The flight was ok, a bit bumpy in places but with my IPAD I could read the papers, watch videos, write my blog – so I was kept busy. The food wasn’t that great. We arrived in Nairobi and we met by Kibinge and Mike at the airport, the bags were along time, must have gone via France! We then got to the Stanley Hotel and booked in. As this is a Police conference the transport is a Kenyan Police minibus – so they either thought we were someone important or criminals.
On Thursday we were involved in preparing for the conference, African style. It is a bit disorganised - although for Africa it is organised! We are still not sure who is arriving, when they are arriving, how they are arriving – its a bit like the second coming – we know its going to happen – just do not know when, but we have to look for the signs.
We went out to the conference centre and had a look around and then there was a rehearsal for the opening ceremony. We found the canteen by the swimming pool and sat there and did some work whilst drinking tea. We got back to the Hotel in the evening and then went to the Java coffee shop for coffee. I was working till 1am on various spreadsheets for the conference. Linda had gone to sleep a long time ago.
On Friday Linda was having a day out - visiting the elephant sanctuary, shopping and the bead centre whilst I was stuck in the office at Provisional Police HQ. Kibinge was called away for a meeting so I am working in the office alone – had some dinner with Mike in the Police canteen – a varied menu of rice or rice. It rained in the evening and I mean rained - there were floods in the streets, people were building arks - no-one wanted to go out - well apart from us as I needed some shopping. We got wet! We had dinner at the hotel - out last meal - only rice to look forward to now!
We are both famous in Kenya now ( well I am more famous!) as we both have been on TV. The conference opened on Monday with a flag parade and I was due to carry the UK flag – but as Chair of the International association had to sit on the top table-so I delegated it to my assistant – Linda. She did a good job, saluted at the right moment. 