A remarkable collection from the past

Sandy Grant | Wednesday June 22, 2016 15:29

 

And then a rather longer one. 

It quickly became clear to me that the collection was, in fact, a quite remarkable time capsule.  The items were mostly routine and unexceptional but were, nevertheless, the sort of bits and pieces that would be kept by an expatriate couple who knew that they would be here for only a shortish period of time. Thus the collection comprised photos, letters, cuttings mostly from the Daily News, menus and formal invitations.  It is the latter, the extraordinary number and variety of formal invitations which indicate that the collector was not just another expatriate on a short-term contract. The couple were in fact, Derek and Vera Haldane, he being twice, the Manager of the President Hotel.   Go back to the immediate post Independence years when the only two hotels in Gaborone were the grotty old Gaborone Hotel at the station and the President and it will be realised that a young,  popular couple running the latter were likely to be  welcome society figures.  It is hard to see the first manager of the President in that role, a gent  called Massey Hicks or indeed to imagine that the manager of the President today or even any manager of today’s hotels would be automatically invited to whatever was going on, as were the Haldanes.  But then none of today’s managers is likely to get a Xmas with the handwritten note, ‘And if you do go, do please remember to come back, again. We do need you and Vera and we need you badly, (signed) Quett and Gladys’. 

There are invitations from the President and Lady Khama, from all the High Commissions and Embassies at the time, from the Mayor of Gaborone, from the organiser of the 10th anniversary celebrations and even, believe it or not, from the Chairman and Board members of the National Museum.  But how times have changed - there is also an invitation from Alec and Judy Campbell for the Haldanes to join them ‘at their residence’ in Gaborone to say goodbye to the Tennants.  Also included are numerous cuttings involving Seretse and Ruth as well as those reporting on the marriage of Johann ter Haar and Jackie. 

Photos suggest that Derek must have been ter Harr’s best man. As might be expected of a hotel manager, the collection includes numerous menus and from today’s perspective the prices are staggering.

Try the President Hotel’s sumptuous dinner for Xmas 1970 at R3.50 and its wine list per bottle, all at R2.00 bar Late Harvest at R2.00. 

Doubtless there were those at the time who complained that the prices were exorbitant. But now my problem is to know what to do with this collection? It is much too valuable to throw away. Bright ideas?