Overseas travel of
Malcolm Archbald SMITH
[Ref. S.1]
| Overseas |  |
Construction | |
Plantation | |
Relaxation | |
Local life |
Malcolm was to go to the Ivory Coast to act as Technical Advisor for the erection of some of Lessers Supaskid flatpack buildings. The fact that he had little knowledge of them did not seem to trouble anyone. Additionally, as he was never briefed, it was a trip into the unknown. The buildings were for an advance camp for Redpath Sugars of Canada on a project to grow and refine sugar. In preparation, he purchased some suitable clothing from the generous allowance.
On Wednesday 23 February 1977 Malcolm flew from Heathrow to Geneva to change planes. As he had some time to spare, he decided to leave the airport to stand on Swiss soil. He had just passed through Customs when he realised that he was in another time zone and had little time left to catch the next flight, thus arousing the curiosity of the customs officer when he turned round and went straight back in. The plane from Geneva took Malcolm to Abidjan where he was met and taken to the company villa. Malcolm was taken aback by the unexpected heat and humidity when the plane door was opened, the temperature at 10pm being still over 80º.
The next morning Malcolm and other staff took a local flight to Korhogo where the project personnel were based. He was billeted in the Hotel du Mont Korhogo where everything was paid for. He was in room 11 which had airconditioning and a shower. As the Ivory Coast was a former French colony, the cuisine was still French and really very good. Yes, frogs legs were available and tasty, but the Steak Mâitre d'Hôtel was the best. There were a number of other expats from around the UK staying in the same hotel. The hotel undertook personal laundry one per week but Malcolm stopped using this service when his favourite shirt went missing and later he saw someone wearing it in town.
Redpath Sugars was a French Canadian company and their regular employees communicated in French which was also the national language of the Ivory Coast. However, many Britons were employed for this contract who spoke no French. Malcolm retained much of the French that he had learned at school which, as it happened suited, as the Ivorian French was somewhat old fashioned. As it happened, many of the native population spoke English and/or French and also their own African dialect.
The site was about an hours drive away so Malcolm and the others were taken by car or minibus to and fro. The roads outside town were not made-up and, although they had been graded, soon developed a characteristic corrugated effect which were best driven over at a constant 40mph. On top of that, every vehicle threw up plumes of dust which made visibility difficult. The minibus suffered from the vibration more than other vehicles and parts gradually came loose and fell off. Accidents were not uncommon to the point that the senior manager issued a decree that anyone crashing their vehicle would immediately be sent home. As it was, just a couple of weeks later, his car came off the road into a river - he did not go home and the matter was quietly overlooked.
Work took place on site every weekday and on Saturday mornings; the remainder of the time was free. However, on the first Saturday that Malcolm was there, a ceremony was held for the planting of the sugar cane, and everyone was expected to attend. The ground hed been cleared by the Slash and Burn method then ploughed. The cane was cut into short lengths, immersed in a fungicide then placed into the ground. Afterwards local people played on traditional instruments.
After breakfast there was an hours journey to site. Malcolm's work comprised advisory supervision of the assembly of the Supaskid buildings and that was pretty straightforward. Some of the buildings had already been assembled before Malcolm arrived and, by and large, had been put together well enough. The erection crews were proficient and handled their tasks well. Malcolm asked one of the foremen his opinion about building air-conditioned houses for others when he lived in a hut with no services. His profound answer was that he felt no hostility as these were the conditions others were used to therefore should expect here.
After arrival back at the hotel there was dinner. Afterwards the expats would usually migrate to La Volta bar and drink beer. The place was basic and the beer was chilled in a small ice-filled container. As the consumption of beer was rather rapid, only the first few bottles were cool as subsequent bottles were not in the container for long. Evenings here were usually jolly affairs with the expats coming from far and wide around the UK entertaining one another. One Saturday, a rugby match between France and Ireland was on television so the expats all supported Ireland. There was scrummaging and three-quarter movements all afternoon. Malcolm also used to go to a quite primitive bar on the opposite side of the road where the attraction was the African Soukous music to which he took a liking.
There was a sad occasion when one of the expats was knocked down and killed by a car in the streets of Korhogo. His body was escorted back to England by a company representative, and as it was the same 'plane in which Malcolm came home, he accompanied the escort.
On the last Sunday that Malcolm was in Korhogo, Sam, one of the French Canadian staff took him to explore the surrounding area. They stopped once or twice to talk to local villagers and enquire about their way of life.
The following day, Monday 4 April 1977, Malcolm was due to leave but was called in to the senior managers office who instructed his assistant to "make Malcolm an offer that he could not refuse". This was an offer of a job to remain on site as a supervisor at a salary three times his current earnings. Additionally his family would be brought out, given accommodation, medical care, the children educated and two months holiday back in England. Malcolm had no hesitation in declining as there would have been too much to lose for him and the family by being away from England so much.
Malcolm flew back to Abidjan that day and was touched by the small party of friends that he had made seeing him off from the airstrip. In Abidjan, he looked around the shops and bought some LP records of Ivorian music. That night he stayed in the Hotel Gulf before catching the 'plane the next morning. The 'plane made a stop in neighbouring Liberia before continuing to Heathrow airport in London..
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