CREDITON Probus Club held its annual Ladies Lunch on December 4.

As we entered Downes Crediton Golf Club the ladies were presented with their button-holes, prepared by Brian and Mary Threlfall. Personalised place cards had been made by Peter Bryan and when grace had been said by Burford Cupper, we took our seats for a delicious lunch prepared by the Golf Club chef.

After lunch the president gave the loyal toast and Chris Maycock was asked to give the quote after which he was congratulated by Russ on the publication of his book on a road trip to India more than 50 years ago, with the title Summoned by the Hon Mrs John Betjeman.

Sue Ballard then made the draw, Helen Arscott being the successful lady and Don Nicholson the male winner.

The president then thanked the people who had “put the lunch together” – these included Mary and Brian Threllfall, Peter Bryan, Mike Davis and Richard Adams and of course the chef and kitchen staff of the golf club.

He said that our oldest member, Reg Nott had been invited with his wife Margaret but they were unable to attend because of Margaret’s ongoing health problems.

He went on to say that our speaker had stepped in when the person “booked” had been unable to make the meal and introduced Don Nicholson.

Don talked about his long sales career in Africa with Pfizer who manufacture chemicals. He and his wife Sheila had made their separate ways to the continent and had met in what was then Southern Rhodesia (now Malawi).

It was after their marriage that Don applied for and got promotion to a job in Abba, Nigeria, where Pfizer’s main factory was located. The main attraction of the posting was the long regular periods of home leave that went with the job.

Using a series of photographs, some modern, some from the 1950’s and video sequences, Don created the impression of a young, bustling and very crowded country.

In the mid-50’s the country’s population had been 40 million. It is currently 195 million and is projected to be almost 800 million by the end of the century!

In the 1950’s ground-nuts and cocoa were of prime importance in the country’s agriculture-based economy. The economy is now the largest in Africa and has a large manufacturing sector. Within this oil production and refinement is of prime importance.

Don demonstrated a Yoruba talking drum. The small hourglass-shaped instrument has been used for hundreds of years for people to “talk” to each other over a distance.

He mentioned in conclusion that he and Sheila came home to Liverpool on a ship of the Elder Demster line, one of whose crew was the father of Anthony Booth – of ‘til Death us Do Part fame!

Don was thanked by Richard Adams for his interesting and evocative talk and the meal concluded with the usual toast of ‘til the next time.

KB