Having spent many enjoyable years on holiday in The Gambia, Following early retirement in 1997, we took the plunge and bought a large plot of land from Soulay Job, who wore a kaftan and had a shop in Banjul.

Our intention from the outset was that the house should be modest, (Bijilo is still after all primarily a village for Gambians), easy to care for and well built. We were fortunate to meet an English couple who were permanent residents and they introduced us to Kasimir, who built their house,

Kasimir is a competent Senegalese contractor who spends most of his time building schools and clinics etc for the very highly organised Swedish charity “Future In Our Hands“, (FIOH). Even so we supervised every aspect of the work, being in The Gambia for nearly six months the year the house was built.

That was the beginning of an adventure that dominated our lives in the most positive way. That is until our daughter-in-law, quite late in life and quite unexpectedly, presented us with a grand-daughter.

The adventure of being Granny and Grandad to Alice has somewhat eclipsed the desire to spend several months each year in Africa. Having found it increasingly difficult to tear ourselves away from home, our house in Bijilo has been used less and less. Therefore, reluctantly but in a positive way, we have decided to sell our home in the tropical sun.

We will miss all our friends, both Gambian and members of the international ex-pat community, but we will still visit as holiday makers.