A card and a letter from Lourenco Marques

The post card from the 13 year Fred to his parents in Bulawayo.

Like my mother, I too have a box of letters, old photos, post cards and other bits and pieces, tucked away in a bottom drawer.

I was tiding up the drawer yesterday and found this delightful card and letter written by a thirteen year old Fred from Lourenco Marques, to his parents in Bulawayo.

It is early in January 1964, (got to love the 1963 made into 1964, I remember getting dates wrong in January too) and he is at the Jamboree International in Mozambique.

He shares the detail of his two days, from a cathedral in the shape of a space rocket, to visiting the iconic L.M. Radio Station which is a fond memory for South African's too, seeing hippos and ends with seeing the movie Zorro at the bioscope, I think that must have made an impression on him.

So typical of the Fred that I know, he writes of going to the market on his free afternoon, 'I saw something nice which I wanted to buy for Dad but I left my money in camp...' so he was thoughtful and forgetful even then.

....do you think everyone wrote back Fred?

The Kersten family in 1963 for Paul's christening.
Back row: Eli, Fred's Mom holding Paul, Fred's Dad, Fred
Front row: Henk, Louise, Michael and Hans.