Ika Family Stories

The intent is, to make this a page where we can share stories of the "good old days"

It has been so long for me, that it's almost like meeting new friends!

Email me with your memories, and I'll add them here.

(Newest first except for responses to other posts)

You can scroll down thru them, or select from the list on the left.

I'm always looking for new ideas...

                                                        -=john=-

Hunting Mishap - 2 Aug 2012

Reading about the Benue River reminded me of the time we went for an overnight on a sand bar with Cliftons, Grosses and maybe Applegates. Esther was playing with .22 and it went off. She didn't feel anything, but a minute later we asked her why she was bleeding! She had shot a pellet into her cheek. Uncle Louis calmly got his pocket knife out and pulled the pellet out and bandaged her cheek and life continued as usual!!

Sue Crowe (nee Dibble)

 

Yeah, I had cocked it before I handed it to her! She went to cock it and it slipped!
I think it was in her chin, because I remember that for weeks we tried to get her to laugh!

Ain't we stinkers?!

John Dibble

PS. Maybe this will stir some of Esther's memories, and she can add her revenge!

Planning our trip to Ika in November, kept remembering all the fantastic times we hand up on the Benue River, hunting and swimming... Oh for the good old days! 

 

I remember riding down the river with Uncle Paul when another canoe, riding upriver asked him to go down river and shoot a hippo that was attacking canoes!

 

Of course we didn't go, but the thrill...

 

John Dibble

Preparing my Word of Encouragement (woe) for today, I was reminded of Uncle Michael's valiant efforts to get me to sing.  Stephen A and I did sing "Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne" for a Christmas program(?).

 

Well, Steve sang, I followed along!

John Dibble

Bonfires and Uncle Charlie - 3 June, 2012

Lois' memories reminded me of all us kids around a (seemingly) massive fire on bonfire nights, listening to my Dad telling us of the adventures of his Uncle Charlie. I wish I could remember those stories! Never mind the cookies; what about your Mums' cinnamon toast? And what I wouldn't give for some akala.. I've got the crushed chilies...

Stephen Applegate

Construction Career - 28 May, 2012

I remember when John, Richard and I were going to dig out an underground house. It was between their place and ours. We got quite a few feet down before the Health and Safety executive (grown-ups) stopped us, telling us that it would be very dangerous. I seem to remember that we had planned to support the roof with wooden trusses. I never went any further with a career in construction!

Stephen Applegate

Art Lessons - 18 April 2012

I remember Uncle Hugh painstakingly trying to teach us to draw from the 'bird's view' and a 'worm's view'.  Fun times, for we kids anyways!!

Lois Wheeler (nee Dibble)

 

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THAT'S where I learned to draw!   -=john=-

 

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That is where I learned big words like "perspective" and how to draw palm trees!

Sue Crowe (nee Dibble)

Black & Blue - 18 April 2012

I remember the time ______ came over to the school and showed us her black and blue bottom where she had been spanked for misbehaviour! I went home, painted one of my doll's bottoms black and blue and renamed her "______"!

Anonymous

Barefoot - 2 April 2012

We remember you well from our few years at Ika - we specially remember you walking around without sandals, just like many of our Igala friends!

Don Mason

Swimming - 30 March 2012

I can still remember Spen swimming in the storage pool in Annette and Irene's place to rescue their kitten. To think they still used the water for drinking, too! Though if I could swim I'd have done the same, but I'm only good at swimming to the bottom!

Eustace Applegate

So many memories - 30 March 2012

The children so excited seeing a cow slaughtered and thinking that sausages were being removed, the wonderful times at Christmas when we all got together.

Joan Applegate

School days - 27 March 2012

I remember when our mothers used to get us out of their hair Christmas afternoon and hand us over to Uncle Eustace and he would sing 'Hold him down the Swazi warrior' , 'Ten green bottles and do 'George and Liza' with us. He was sure a great sport. I'm sure we were a handful.

I also remember 'Cookie' bringing our cookies for break at school every day, How about running around the veranda playing 'Bobbie police'. Man, Aunt Shirley had a lot of patience!!

Lois Wheeler (nee Dibble

Brolly - 25 March 2012

By the way, (John) somewhere I still have that little blue covered book with your sketches you did of me with brolly etc!! Do you remember it?

Uncle Michael

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I remember the brolly but not the sketches!   -=john=-

Guilty - 20 March 2012    

"I remember when Stephen Kirk bit me on the arm and I went crying to his mother to show her. Before I got up their stairs, the mark had faded so I bit my arm very hard, so I would have something to show!

 

Auntie Kath was not happy, and to my shock, she bit Stephen on his arm to show him how it felt...I have felt guilty ever since!"

Sue Crowe (nee Dibble)

Injustice - 21 March 2012

"I also remember it well! And I wonder if Sue's feelings of guilt will outlast my sense of injustice."

Stephen Kirk

Paid for - 22 March 2012

Well I do think I more than "paid" for that crime when Stephen and I wrote our names down the inside of the spine of "Auntie" Shirley's huge Oxford dictionary.

 

I don't know why she would check down the spine of a dictionary, but unfortunately she saw my name and I got a huge lecture on destroying other people's property. (I may have got my hand whacked too, but it is the lecture I remember.)

 

Stephen had been smart and written his name way down the spine. I remember feeling so proud for not turning him in too!!

Sue Crowe (nee Dibble)