Raymond Harry Arnold (1928 - 2017) was a Civil Engineer based in Staffordshire who subsequently served as Deputy Director of Public Works in the British Crown Colony of The Gambia from 1958 to 1961. This posting obviously necessitated the upheaval of normal family life and therefore on 4th September 1958 Ray, his wife Audrey, and their three daughters (the youngest being only three months old), boarded Elder Dempster Lines M.V. Apapa from Liverpool bound for Bathurst (modern day Banjul), the capital of The Gambia.
This personal website has been created in order to preserve the many memories captured by Ray during his time, not only in Bathurst, but also upriver to the many small villages, to Freetown in Sierra Leone and also to Dakar in Senegal. These memories are in the form of written accounts, black & white photographs, colour slides and 8mm cine film which have recently been discovered following safekeeping for over 60 years. The digital conversion of this archive footage was immensely satisfying and it is very pleasing to know that this material can now be in the public domain for the enjoyment of all those interested in The Gambia and its colourful history.
Paul Arnold (son)
April 2025
Helping The Gambia In Its Progress Towards Independence
Stafford Family in West Africa. (Stafford Newsletter Transcription)
A former member of the staff of the County Surveyor's Department in Stafford, who is now Deputy Director of Public Works in the Gambia, West Africa, has recently been acting as Secretary to the new Minister of Works and Services there and tells us: "It is pleasing to be able to help this country on the way to self-government and to eventual independence."
Mr. R.H. Arnold was born at Tamworth and started his career with Tamworth Rural District Council. He moved to Stafford in 1950 at the age of 20 and it was here that he met his future wife, Miss Audrey Young, of Lynmere, Eccleshall Road. After leaving Stafford he worked at Cannock and Romford and, at the age of 29, he and his wife and three young daughters plucked up their roots and set sail for the Gambia, which is part of the reputed "white man's grave" in West Africa.
"One of the first things we learned," he writes, "was that this part of the world does not hold the terrors of yesteryear for the white races as medicine, anti-mosquito measures and the provision of essential services has done much to assist the health and well-being of both the African and the European races. The modern first floor flat in which we live at Bathurst overlooks the estuary of the river and is fitted with electric fans, cooker, refrigerator and water heater. There are thermo-plastic tiles on the floor and built-in kitchen units."
"The town of Bathurst is the capital of the Gambia and possesses a fairly extensive shopping centre consisting mainly of medium sized French and English shops, but with a considerable number of small shops owned either by Gambians or by Lebanese or Syrians. These latter shops are usually one-roomed premises and deal predominantly in material particularly for ladies' dresses which are made up by local traders sitting at treadle sewing machines outside the shops. Also sitting in the street one finds the 'bag men,' who collect the locally made souvenirs from up the river and sell them in Bathurst. These men also peddle their wares from door to door and will sit with all their goods displayed on the floor while spending a happy hour bargaining on the price of one article."
MAIN PORT. "Bathurst is also the main port of the Gambia and ocean going vessels, including the regular passenger liner tie up at Government Wharf to bring in all the imports and to take out part of the export crop of groundnuts. This crop provides the Gambia with its main source of revenue and the remainder of the crop is loaded at the up-river ports of Kaur and Kuntaur."
"Having given its name to the country, the river continues to dominate it and one is always conscious of the great expanse of water flowing slowly to the sea. It traverses the whole length of the country and regular use is made of the 20 ferries which cross the river or its various tributaries."
"Our children enjoy life in Bathurst and in particular they relish the sunshine and the bathing from the many beautiful beaches. The eldest two are being educated at the Convent School, which has connections with the Convent in Stafford. They also have a pet dog called Anna of whom they are very fond and are trying to teach their two parrots to talk, but so far without success. "
Mr. and Mrs Arnold have recently added a son, John Robert, to their family. Mrs Arnold had her baby in the Victoria Hospital, Bathurst, where she received excellent attention in the modern building, which is staffed by European and Gambian doctors and sisters and Gambian nurses.
In an article on his work published in "Corona", the journal of H.M. Overseas Service, recently, Mr. Arnold wrote: Intro