And then there were three …
And so to work…
Last week was frustrating in many ways … I know I’ve hardly mentioned it so far with all the other excitement BUT … I am actually here to do a job too!
On Friday we let the junior member of staff go. Gladys (the projects assistant) has a lovely disposition but not one that favours working, taking the initiative or getting to work less than an hour late everyday! It’s disappointing but on a 4 day trip to visit the projects – WE’RE TALKING FREE SAFARI GUYS! – Gladys only asked 3 questions. And then didn’t turn up to work the next day. So, not much future for her in the field managing projects on her own when she has to take a day off after every trip… that was her first (and last trip) with UCF.
locust close-up one leg missing
Another frustration has been Angela ‘blood-out-of-a-stone’ the intern who we are helping with a final year degree research proposal. Every time I question her budget she looks at me as though she wants to murder me. That girl has such an attitude I want to throttle her … but then she gives us the sweetest smile …
We’ve been trying to address these issues while still chasing up (it’s all the vogue here) a number of house issues:
– Leaking shower
– Serious damp in my wardrobe – clothes still not unpacked after three weeks
– Fumigation
– Two diseased trees in the compound
Patrick, the Projects Officer, is very enthusiastic about everything but admits to hating paperwork. He’s asked me to help with his IT skills. He’s self-taught and I can see how I can easily help him work more efficiently and even start enjoying using technology. He’s very receptive to being shown anything new: I showed him how to print double sided – it was like pulling a rabbit out of a hat in his eyes!
Enid on the other hand, doesn’t seem to like change. She accepts the fact her email may take 30 seconds to send, and that when wireless doesn’t work all three of us have to use her PC. “That’s Uganda for you,”she sighs after venting spleen about the internet provider, the landlord, the owner of the property, the electrician … and I realise that as much as she is trying to enlighten me, she seems to be enjoying my frustration. When I suggest alternatives, she offers me yet another reason why so-and-so solution just won’t work “that’s Uganda for you.”
With all the other changes taking place, I’m not going to attempt to change Enid’s attitude directly. I’ll work with Patrick (who has asked me for IT support) and if he chooses to suggest to Enid she follows suit then that’ll be great. She’s an intelligent lady so I’m not going to push her. Although I had two long conversations with her about Sophie and felt we all agreed to let Sophie go, Enid may still feel threatened. Since the last volunteer left, it seems there’s been a lack of communication between the UK and Uganda, and motivation and morale are low so I think I should tread carefully now.
As we’ve been working out what to do about Gladys for the last fortnight, certain things have been left on hold. But now she’s gone we can get on building the team. I’m going to cook everyone lunch this week, we can all eat together, kick back and have a laugh and I’ll get a photo of us all.
There’ll be five of us for lunch: the house team of Eva and Simpson, and the full-time Ugandan UCF team of me, Patrick and Enid.
(The directors and trustees all work on a part-time voluntary basis and my remit is to improve communication and involvement there too).
Dealing with insects (aka Therapy with Simpson)
An insect phobia!
Am getting the upper hand over the mosquitoes. Score is 2:1 to them but I’m fighting back. Last night however, I came eye to eye with a medium sized Unmentionable at the back of my food cupboard. We had the obligatory game of Chase-Me-Charlie and the little fu**er scarpered.
Was kind of mentally prepared for An Encounter as I had found a very small dead cockroach earlier. THANK GOD I’m not alone in the house so have lots and lots of moral support! Such an encounter, when I was just coming to terms with mosquitoes, mosquito nets and candlelight would have sent me under just a day or two ago. I really can’t imagine how I’d have coped without Simpson (the gate boy and personal demi-god). If I had the money for his uni fees I would hand it over right now.
We bonded over a cockroach!
Health warning – for those who fear insects!
Talking of Simpson, this afternoon’s story is just too funny not to relate but if you feel anything like I do about roaches, skip this bit…
So, this morning I asked Eva (our house girl) and Simpson whether we could empty and fumigate the kitchen cupboard (Thomas, I really really feel for you having to clean out your mum’s cupboards back home in St Lucia!) and then I said:
“Simpson, look here’s a dead one.”
He laughed, “that’s not very big. You’re frightened of that?”
“No, the one I saw was a lot bigger.” I drew a shape about 1.5 cm and he laughed again.
“That’s nothing” he said.
I recoiled (as he cradled it in his palm and looked at it).
“But it’s ALL those legs, why do they have so many?” I asked.
“So you don’t like spiders then?”
“Actually I don’t mind them. Look Simpson, put it on the ground outside and let me have a proper look at it, I need to get used to these things…”
Then he asked “you want to see where there are very very many?”
“No.”
“Look”, he said, and he lifted up the drain cover in the yard.
O MY GOD. It was like something out of a horror film.
As the light hit them, the whole lot ran, there must have been 30 or more, all colours and sizes of ‘don’t ask me what’ insects. I was too busy screaming to take it all in.
As Simpson held the drain cover open, tiny little Eva poured a tub of Doom powder down the drain and into the outlet pipe and I could see ‘things’ trying to climb out. An enormous shiny brown cockroach 2 inches long (MY WORST NIGHTMARE, give me mice, snakes, rats or ants any time!) climbed out and escaped!
And came scuttling down the alley towards me!
O god.
I ducked back into the kitchen as it was Doomed by my heroes Simpson and Eva.
Sophie came flying out of the office when she heard me screaming and we all laughed and laughed at this crazy mzungu.
Moral of the story:
I have to say this was a good team-building exercise, it has drawn everyone together laughing at me!! It’s taken me a few days to put this event behind me and relive it onscreen but it was such high drama I can see the funny side now.
*An Unmentionable is a COCKROACH.
I am fed-up
The ups and downs of life as a volunteer in Uganda
- No internet or office phone, nor promise from provider to solve it any time soon.
- Feeling fat.
- Sophie (junior) didn’t turn up to work, nor tell anyone she wasn’t coming in.
- Patrick isn’t in as his kids have all got malaria.
- Enid has been telling me about the frustrations of Uganda – inefficiency, protecting their jobs, saying sorry but not trying to address situation, refusing to give name of supervisor, not returning calls, blaming other people etc etc
- Simpson not here to cheer me up.
- The sun’s gone in!
- I have no plans (yet) for the w/end.
- Ken the painter didn’t understand me when I called to explain he needs to apply damp proof paint on all the walls inside the wardrobe (so I haven’t been able to unpack properly yet).
- It’s Friday the 13th which is cool cos maybe that explains everything?!Feel a lot better now I know why I feel pissed off!
The First Fortnight (is that all it is…?)
Random notes from the Muzungu’s Diary
- First night under a mosquito net and I thought of Holly in Johannesburg, tucking hers in around her every night. Holly and I were flatmates in London many moons ago, she did VSO too.
- Monkeys! Before breakfast! A group of them play in the trees below the canteen.
- “Muzungu! Muzungu!” two boys shout out as they see us pass in our minibus. Was totally captivated first time I was called mzungu. It refers to a white person (and strangers generally) and isn’t derogatory (unless someone already knows your name, apparently). Little kids love calling out Muzungu and waving. I join in, it’s fun.
- Nature seems so much closer. A pair of Brown Kites cartwheeled over my head, so close by and unafraid of me. One settled 20 feet away to drink from a puddle.
Learning Luganda
- Struggled to get my ‘frame of reference’ with Luganda, tho recognised a couple of imported Arabic words. Had lessons in the banda (round but open covered traditional construction) with Isla, who arrived a couple of months ago. (We get on really well, and she introduced me to two other VSOs near me so social life looking good already!)
- We sang a Luganda nursery rhyme to teach us numbers 1 – 10. Our teacher Julie is so open and adorable, it was all very natural and I felt like a schoolgirl again. None of us were confident singers but we all chimed in.
- As soon as I get confident and ask for another word, out comes a really long one, e.g. obutongulu (onions).
- Isla’s favourite phrase is Tulabagane olulala meaning ‘see you soon.’
- We thanked Julie for being such a great teacher. She replied, “no thank you for being such great students and having such a great attitude.” Isla and I plan to have more lessons with Julie but Rose (at VSO) says we need to wait eight weeks to check that Luganda is the most appropriate language for us / our work. A dozen languages are spoken here in Uganda.
- VSO induction week was brilliant, a holiday in some respects (couldn’t stay awake after 9.30pm any night), an opportunity to bond with the other new volunteers and a time to learn more about:·
Ugandan culture Do’s and Don’ts.
- Don’t expect meetings to start on time.
- Do take time to stop and greet everyone every morning and ask after them and their families.
- VSO Uganda’s strategic objectives (addressing Education, Disability, Participation and Governance)
- Luganda language (a few hours of lessons)
- Child protection issues (abuse, negligence, denial of education, forced early marriage, even sacrifice). This was really shocking.
- There are so many interesting people on the induction, I wish I had more time to know everyone, e.g. Dutch couple Jan and Freddie are in their 60s and have done VSO (2 years a throw) in Namibia, Botswana and Kenya. Stephen is ex World Wildlife Fund and living in mud house with corrugated iron roof and rats running across his mozzie net at night! He lives near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (where the gorillas are).
- Stormy weather! We took a real battering last night, storm with v heavy rain went on for hours but very cosy under net. It does give a real sense of security. Could not sleep on several occasions pre-departure (“the lists! the lists”), great to be able to sleep again. Chill.
Final day of induction and due to meet our employers (in my case Patrick from the Uganda Conservation Foundation). Employers are due to arrive from 9.10 am.
9.50 a.m. Patrick’s not here yet
11.10 a.m. Patrick finally walks in!
Week 2 in Nam’ – My new home
Life in Namuwongo is just what I wanted.
I’m on a secure ‘compound’ (walled garden), five minutes walk from Nam’ (a suburb of Kampala approx 15-30 minutes away, depending on traffic). In Nam’ I can get public transport, use the internet (well, in theory at least!) and do all my food shopping (more about that another day, what an experience that is too!) There’s a shanty town over the wall, just 100m away, so there’s a constant buzz of human activity (not to mention drumming!)
First day in my new job, shame I couldn’t iron my clothes! It was all very relaxed and am learning to go with the flow. Spent the morning listening to Patrick and Enid understanding more about UCF’s immediate needs.
Hoping to meet two of the Directors this week and 4×4 driving lessons are planned once I get my Ugandan driving licence (though this is just a formality and not a prerequisite to driving!!) With all the other changes going on, almost forgot I am starting a new job as well, almost seems incidental. Meeting the Trustees in London and spending some time with Mike (the founder, who lived here for ten years) means I knew quite a lot about my new role. Still can’t believe my luck, this is such a great placement.
rewiring Namuwongo house
Electricity, we have some! Not all fixed yet but landlord arrived at 7.30 this morning. Most of house has been rewired now. Feels strange to have light and power! Once my bathroom has been rewired I will even have hot water! (But a power shower it ain’t).
There is a cluster of volunteers my side of town who I met up with yesterday so support network is building nicely too.
Michele has been asking about the men, well some really gorgeous young men on our first night out, playing the drums and doing the traditional African dancing. I just need to find out where the “h- edu(ma)cated” men hang out (and get a bit of a suntan first!) Still, plenty of time for all that – mpola mpola as they say here.
Avocadoes are ripe and dropping off tree into our garden compound but the paw paw aren’t ripe yet. It stinks out there tho, Simpson thinks there’s a dead rat over the other side of the hedge.
First days in Nam’ – a lesson in Luganda
Talk about “Deepest Darkest Africa!”
No electricity (or hot water or internet) for first three nights in Namuwongo, Kampala.
Cooked and showered by candlelight (it’s dark here by 7 pm) and no chance to unpack first night, so wandered around in the dark, not knowing what was where, mosquitoes screeching in my ears.
No credit on Ugandan mobile phone and UK phone one not working.
It’s probably good that I can’t see what I’m eating (some tomato and egg combination).
Battle against insects
So much for conservation: anything with more than 4 legs must die.
My Luganda phrase book is coming in more useful than thought: its dead mosquito-scarred cover is testament to a few long evenings with nothing else to do!
I have enjoyed giving the mozzies a Lesson in Luganda – THWACK!
Drums and singing took my mind off mozzies for a moment. The sound was captivating. The village is a hundred yards or so away and with all the windows open sound was coming from every direction, it was like being in a dream.
Africa!
“The people they are welcoming you. Did you hear them?”
Simpson asked me.
Tried writing some of my diary by candlelight too but was getting dive bombed by a mosquito every two minutes.
It’s bloody relentless. Retired to sanctuary of mozzie net for the night …
Introducing Johnny and Julie… my four-legged mosquito-munching house guests.
Salvation! Geckos in the house!
Just hope they’re hungry – for mosquitoes…
I’m just going to have to get used to the sound of mosquitoes. Thought I was clever bringing earplugs with me but I can still hear the ba**ards with them in! Must’ve killed ten mosquitoes tonight…
Welcome to Namuwongo
Can’t believe I have only been here in Namuwongo one week!
Rain is now coming down hard, outside the internet cafe in Namuwongo, essentially a large village outside the city of Kampala. It’s like the West Indies 20+ years ago, poor, very dusty and ramshackle, banana palms and colourful shacks. I feel very welcome and not a hint of trouble (I’m the only muzungu it seems).
Tried calling home but mobile won’t work at the moment and no elec (and therefore internet or hot water) in new home since Friday. Can send and receive texts but will keep them short / few as not sure how much they cost yet.
Mozzies have been annoying but I’m living with it and no ‘You Know Whats’** in the house tho a big one did fly onto my plate as I ate out one night! I am being very grown up about it tho.
It’s been great to have Simpson (the gate boy) around this w/end. He’s between school and uni, just saving up for his fees. What a lovely young man he is, very tall and dark with fine elegant features and beautiful manners, so charming and helpful. He has kept me sane actually in my battle with the mozzies. They have been relentless! Luckily I also have Johnny and Julie (house lizards) on my side.
Settling in well tho I know Patrick (UCF Project Officer) has been getting v stressed about the (lack of) electricity situation. Simpson seems to think it’ll be back on Monday for the week. I didn’t expect anything to be fixed over the w/end so am taking it ‘mpola mpola’ (slowly) and slowing down my expectations.
I recognised Patrick as soon as I saw him.
Our Luganda lessons had taught us the importance of formality so I was taken aback when he gave me a big bear hug!!
I used my few words of Luganda to great effect when we arrived at the house / office; I held out my hand and said ‘osiibye otya’ (good afternoon) and Enid and Sophie went crazy, screaming for a good five minutes. I thought Enid was going to expire! It was so funny and a tremendous welcome.
Eva (the house girl) made my room look very pretty and welcoming and I know everyone has been putting a lot of effort into sorting out the office and making me feel welcome too.
**cockroach
Touchdown in Africa – a letter home
Am writing from a really grubby internet cafe on the main road outside Kampala. We took a half hour walk thru the village to get here, all the kids shouting ‘Mzungu mzungu, bye!’ and waving at us. It was great fun.
Poverty is everywhere though: stalls just selling 4 tomatoes and a bunch of plantain, four people on a motorbike, enormous potholes and rubbish everywhere. My old colleagues at Laing Roads and the Waste team would have a field day here!
Had my first power cut last night – disappointingly short!! (The novelty will wear off I know).
This week we 12 new VSO volunteers are staying in relative luxury in Lweza outside Kampala in a religious conference centre. The reception area displays a calendar showing faces of all the Ugandan bishops (a must-have item for 2010 I think).
Today I had my first Luganda lesson, it was so much fun. Everything here is done with a smile on your face. Isla and I sat under the banda (like a bandstand) next to the ten feet high bamboo, watching the monkeys go by! We are learning to take life mpola mpola (slowly by slowly)…
Ugandans are so friendly and welcoming, so not the stereotype you see on TV of Africans (ignore typos, keyboard is heavy with red dust!)
I love Uganda already.
Induction very interesting. I’m bonding with some great volunteers. VSO are very good at getting us to connect and set up our own support network over here. About 30 VSO volunteers in Kampala, so life should be fun. Met British Consul yesterday so am already networking too 🙂
Food is pretty crap but no big bug scares yet.
First night went to African drum and dance show at the Ndere Cultural Centre. It was superb. I had to pinch myself – “I’m in Africa! At last!”
Even when I was on the plane I was obsessed with ramming my bags into the smallest cubby hole possible, trying to economise with every bit of available space. I kept saying to myself: “I can’t believe the months of packing (my flat / my possessions that are in storage / the stuff to bring to Uganda) are finally over!”
Gym and running have been non-existent this past month and the Ugandan diet threatens to turn me into a Big Mama very quickly (choice of 4 carbs for lunch!) Or was I supposed to eat all 4 of them? That said, maybe I’ll take up African dancing (‘the men aren’t bad looking’ as Michele will say!)
Meet my new colleagues at the Uganda Conservation Foundation on friday when we all move to our long-term accommodation. Hope to catch up with everyone more then. Don’t forget to drop me a line, one and all!
To read more about why I first came to Uganda, read The Story so Far
Are you planning to volunteer in Uganda? Are you a VSO?
Do you have any other Uganda travel tips you’d like to share?
Please leave a comment here or contact me directly if you have any questions. I’d love to hear from you!
Yikes!
God I’m sick of packing
Just when I thought I was getting my head round it late last night, remembered that I have 1 week induction so need to keep that stuff separate from everything else. The packing is easy enough, it’s the imagining what I may or may not need, what goes with what / fits right, is within weight allowance AGHHHH! It is total brain damage.
Couldn’t lift another thing last night, felt weird after taking first anti-malarial too, then couldn’t sleep either so got up again, cleaned the bathroom and collapsed into the mattress at 1.30am – and then I hear my neighbours above me! Somehow drifted off and – would you believe it? – had another dream about sodding packing … Despite little sleep, the piles look smaller this morning and it all seems do-able.
And then I remember why I’m putting myself thru this hell – off to Kampala tomorrow! People were asking me yesterday whether I’m excited and kind of had to be reminded why I’m doing all of this!
Am so looking fwd to being on that plane. Listen out for the ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ over Heathrow tomorrow evening.
Four days to go … leaving home for Uganda
The lists, the goodbyes, the packing!
Feeling groggy today, the running around + farewell drinks + no time for the gym have finally caught up with me .. that or being surrounded by everyone with the lurgy!!
Last morning at mum and dad’s house – or Cotswold Strategic Command Centre for Removal of Daughter to Uganda as Ma calls it – for a long time; the cat has been sick (missing me already of course) and there’s a dead mouse in one of the mouse traps. Put all my stuff (clothes, books etc) from London in roof above kitchen only to hear there are mice up there! O well too late to worry about it now. What’s the betting I don’t miss most of what’s in there anyway. Down in the kitchen late the other night and heard a ruckus in the cereal cupboard (and found mice poo in the Rice Krispies next day!) My life seems to be heading in a certain direction now and it’s closely related to the back end of wild animals!
Random update since my last blog:
- Packed up all possessions in London flat. Dad hired a van and helped me load it. How I thought I could slip out of the flats unnoticed was just pure fantasy!
- Left flat in god almighty state returning later today for spring clean and er…. actual packing of stuff for Uganda.
- Had really been enjoying downsizing. Out of date supplies have surpassed all previous records. Found at the back of the cupboard: best before December 1996 that’s a record for out of date supplies. Ha ha.
- In January the monsters Sue (Alpha) and Nick (Trailer Park Trash) came to town. When they headed Back Up North, I loaded them up with plants, and carrier bags full of (Nick later tells me) out-of-date herbs and spices. Ahem!
- My kitchen clock (covered in fruit stickers) is off to France chez le pere de Pattie. Had many hours of fun putting that together. I’m pleased to have found a nice new home for it 😉
- Spent an hour with Tom and Betty in the village. They’re very involved with Habitat for Humanity, twinned this village with one in Sri Lanka and fundraised and helped rebuild homes for 35 people after the tsunami. Their daughter Buffy lives in Namibia and Tom asked me “will you be coming back from the Dark Continent? People seem to go there he said and not want to return …” They’re both very excited for me, I feel very flattered.
- Ma bought me a ‘Silverback’ umbrella. Had to laugh as that’s a type of gorilla I may see in Uganda. Actually it’s a solar umbrella (modern parasol) but I may have just as much rain as sun in Uganda, it’s quite lush. Idea was thanks to Kate, a gadget freak like my sister!! X x
- Met Brian and Bob who showed me the Content Management System for the UCF web site. “Just tell me it isn’t RedDot!” I said [apologies, in-joke for Laing Techies!] Actually it was dead easy to use. UCF Founder and contacts seem to be ex-Forces. I’m going to meet quite an eclectic bunch of people in Uganda, I can’t wait!
- Had an hour to kill on way back from meeting Brian and Bob before meeting with Mike Keigwin (new boss and Founder of UCF). Thought about stopping in Kings X for one last hour before heading to Baron’s Court. Dave grew up round Kings X and his dad worked on the station. Mike lives in Baron’s Court. Time to move on – “we’re only going forward” as Michele would say so I trotted off to Baron’s Court and had half a Guinness in the local pub while waiting. Ran through the contract Uncle Tony has done for me to sublet my flat, now all done and dusted. Couldn’t hear much in the pub. Thanks for your patience Tony and for all your support.
Plan for next few days includes:
- A few more goodbyes (I’m in Victoria on thursday to see a couple of the Laing guys)
- Do inventory of flat
- Last injection (number 11 I think! Or is that 14?)
- Introduce Michele to Rob and give him my front door key.
- Hair cut – ok trim then, don’t panic! lol
- Spend god knows how much on toiletries, basic first aid kit etc
- Fit the whole damn lot into 3 x 23 kg, a massive amount of baggage compared to VSO minimum (just 1 bag) so shouldn’t be too difficult (she says….)
- Give Michele, mum, dad and Sarah the BIGGEST of hugs
- Not cry too much at the airport
Leaving London – bye bye old life
Last week at work in London and lots of goodbyes. All v exciting getting so much attention – am going to miss all these hugs and easy contact … it’s just so easy to pick up the phone and talk to friends and family whenever I want to, am really going to be relying on this blog to keep in contact with you all! And please email me, I want to know how you all are as well.
Lots of fun in meeting room 11 (aka the Stage Door pub) followed by obligatory trip to the Stag (late night gay bar in Victoria!) – it all went a bit hazy after that … but I did find a pastie wrapper in my handbag the next morning so I guess I did have dinner after all!
Woke up late (with my skirt on!) Friday morning. God I haven’t felt that chronic for years. Could not face the Tube. So last day at work, decided to take a minicab – only for driver to choose route over all the speed bumps … ! Nearly left my stomach behind more than once…
Really enjoyed my leaving presentation – mine, Anja’s and Peter’s. Had been dreading mine for months, until VSO training last week when I just had to get on with it and talk in front of groups of people a few times. “It’s now or never” and I decided it was stupid to worry about everyone gathering round my desk and staring at me (!), it was my moment after all.
Forgot to tell everyone about my first project in Uganda – collecting elephant dung – no shit! Really, UCF are collecting it, running a DNA analysis and mapping it on a database. Then when ivory is confiscated in China for ex, its origin can be traced and poachers tracked down. Cool eh? But talk about getting your hands dirty from the off!
I was really touched by Anja’s words. I really enjoyed working with her, Sam, Steve and Ana, I learned so much and we had lots of fun. I was with the Bid Proposals Team for exactly one year and absolutely loved the bubble wrap fanfare!!! They’ve designed me a fab card and my very own ‘dooberyflip’ too (explanation to follow …!)
I treasure this photo. Julie got our old team – Laing Roads – together for this surprise photo
Peter (Couldery) didn’t embarrass me nearly as much as he could have done! I hear Monika supplied him with plenty of ammunition tho!! It was a bit of a This is Your Life moment but I enjoyed remembering all the projects I’ve been involved in and I felt quite humbled by what he said about my involvement in CSR and ‘living my values.’ When I look back on it, I’ve learned so much at Laing and had some great opportunities (travelling to Norway and Finland, all the CSR projects, my Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification, running my first 5 km!) I like Peter, he interviewed me five years ago and I’ve worked closely with him, hence I asked him to do my presentation. Thanks Peter!
Haven’t had a chance to read all the messages in my leaving card yet, want to take a quiet moment to do that this w/end.
Three weeks to go!
The last four days training with Voluntary Service Overseas have been fantastic, so involving. We’ve all learned so much. Have met some interesting and useful contacts, that include:
- Alex who worked in Kenya with Kenya Wildlife Service.
- His partner Lucy who works in Natural Resource Management.
- Celia who is going to Namibia. Her ex was in Kenya and is doing a Phd in elephant behaviour.
All 18 of us + the tutors have got on great, such a supportive atmosphere and no-one’s afraid to speak their mind. Everyone has an interesting story (or three!) to tell, I’ve loved every minute of this week.
Sleeping in a single bed has been OK! Seemed far too small when I got in but actually very cosy.
Realise this morning that we have been living in a bubble (no TV, no radio) – headlines in paper talk of wildcat strikes all round Britain and I was totally unaware.
