There will always be an England

A 16th century suit of armor stands on the verandah of Richard’s Camp in the Masai Mara, Kenya. This is the heart of big-game country where hunters once gathered over sundowners to discuss the day’s trophies.  Today it is the long lens hunters comparing  notes on images of the big five. Silently watchful the suit of armor has witnessed it all and so much more.

What medieval craftsman created this suit?  For which war?  Did it protect its owner from a lance-weilding French horsemen? Was the suit used in the War of the Roses?

The owner was clearly diminutive and it was made to measure, no doubt. The craftsman must have painstakingly hammered the pieces into shape on a wood-fired anvil, knowing that the owner’s life depended on his work.

And what fine craftsmanship. In 2012 the suit still stands ready for action, shipped out from England, along with the ancestral coat of arms. It is a shadowy presence at dusk when a roaring campfire throws off welcome heat for the cluster of sundowner sipping guests. This is when bullfrogs croak, crickets rhythmically clack and hyena’s who-hoop.  Masai escorts with spear and red shawls escort guests to tents through the latern-lit trees. 

This treasured, quintessential piece of family history clearly could not be left behind in England gathering dust or sadly placed, forgotten, in a museum glass case. Here among the lion, elephant, and hippo, which neatly munch and crop the lawn during the night, the suit is right at home, again part of the action. Along with afternoon tea on the verandah, egg and bacon breakfasts, Marmite, and claw foot bath tub in the trees the proper and expected status quo is maintained. To a Brit it is very comforting, however incongruous. Qintessential Keep Calm and Carry On.

TTFN