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PICKFORD Beryl (Flemmer)

Pickford Beryl (Flemmer) BERYL MILDRED8 FLEMMER (LUDVIG 'GEORGE' CHRISTIAN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG) was born 18 March 1935 in Makumu Mission Hospital Kakamega Kenya. She married STERNDALE 'DALE' TODD MATTHEW PICKFORD 22 February 1958. He was born 22 May 1933 in Kericho Kenya.

b. 18th March 1935 Kakamega Kenya. Married on 22nd February 1958 in Kakamega Kenya to Sterndale (Dale) Todd Matthew Pickford. Born in Kericho, Kenya.

We have three Children. Sarah Yvonne. b Nairobi Kenya 1960. Educated in NZ. Trained as an accountant. Married 1998 to Geoffry Taylor a chartered accountant. They now own a cosmetic manufacturing company in partnership with Geoffry's brother and his wife. They have three girls and a boy.

Second born William Andrew Sterndale Pickford. b Nairobi Kenya 1962. Married 1992. Has one son James Todd. Always wanted to be a pilot. Worked at anything in order to earn sufficient money to pay for his training. Jobs included loading helicopters for agricultural spraying to acting as spotter in search and rescue aircraft. Once he had a license he flew the air ambulance when required. Now is a Captain with Cathy Pacific based in Hong Kong.

Third Murray Christian Pickford. b Pukekohe NZ 1965. Married Jennifer Houston 1993. They have two children. Lara Jayne b. 1994 Tauranga NZ and Seth Alexander b 1996 Brisbane Australia. Murray qualified as an industrial Chemist and worked in that industry for a few years. Decided he preferred the outdoor life so started in the building trade and now has his gold card which entitles him to build on his own behalf. Mostly contract work. Jenny is a qualified nurse and works part time. They have lived in Australia since 1993.

I went to three different schools. Two primary where I started at the age of five and a half. All my school life was at boarding school, as were the majority of children in Kenya, European school being few and far between. For the most part I enjoyed my School life. Top priority for me was always games, athletics and gymnastics. Panic usually set in when it came to test or exam time. After High School I attended a Secretarial Collage, learning the art of being a good Secretary! I worked in the Police as secretary to various senior Officers.

I maintained my interest in Sport in the form of Hockey and represented Nairobi and was chosen in a squad to tour Rhodesia but didn't go in the end because of health problems.

In December 1963 we moved to New Zealand a real culture shock. I had to learn to cook in a hurry and organise myself to do both house work and gardening. I learned quickly and became quite efficient. Having been through the Mau Mau Rebellion we decided it was safer to bring our children up elsewhere. We started life here working on a farm. This was so that we could learn the ways of that industry here. Later we bought our own herd or cows and share milked for five years. That was hard with just the two of us running the farm. Dale's main job was to milk the cows and mine to feed the calves. All other farm jobs we shared. Our extra hand was a dog. Very clever he was too. We sold our cows and bought 18 acres on which we carried dry stock.

Dale went to work for a big Refrigeration company ending up as a supervisor. In order to rid ourselves of any mortgage we sold the 18 acres and purchased a 10 acre block. Here we lived for the next twenty years. I enjoyed involvement with the schools our children attended and was usually roped in to help transport various sports teams to different games. I also became involved in charity work which I really enjoyed. One of the most rewarding was helping slow learners in the junior school to read. To see their faces light up when they had managed a page without a mistake was wonderful. I am a member of the NZ Returned Services Association Women's Section. We enjoy each other's company and raise funds for the Soldiers Benevolent Fund.

Last Year Dale and I made a pilgrimage back to Kenya to see his sister and to attend the Kenya Regiment Association re union. It was wonderful to see so many people from the past gathering in one place. As always the time passed all too quickly. It was sad to see the extent to which things had deteriorated. The ordinary Africans were pleased to see us and delighted when we could speak to them in their own language.
We live happily in retirement here in Katikati, Bay of Plenty. Always busy and sometimes wonder where we found time to work.

Not a very exciting life but quite satisfying. Pleased to have settled our children into useful careers but sorry two had to go off shore to follow their dreams.

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