To attempt a discussion of ‘sources for African history in the Public Record Office’ immediately raises the question, ‘are there such sources?’. Or are there only sources for the history of the British encounter with Africa, or, indeed, as some would claim, the English encounter with Africa?

The editor and compilers of the 1971 Guide to manuscripts and documents in the British Isles relating to Africa may have such questions in mind when they chose to use the title ‘documents relating to Africa’ rather than perhaps, ‘sources for the history of Africa’. In this volume you will find, in the section devoted to the Public Record Office, twenty-two closely printed pages listing in the region of one thousand record classes.

There was a young man called Purves
Who joined the Colonial Service.
After a month in the bush
He was given the push
- Africans made him feel nervous.
An elegant candidate nurse
Appeared before Major Ralph Furse.
When offered a post
In Fiji or Gold Coast,
She said ‘I can't think of anywhere worse’.

I have been invited to talk about a Colonial Service (CS) retrieval project undertaken with the anointment of John Pinfold at Rhodes House Library and the blessing of Terry Barringer of the Royal Commonwealth Society Library (despite her emigration lock, stock and barrel to Cambridge). I launched it in October 1996 in the pages of the Overseas pensioner (giving me immediate access to some 5,000 readers). The collection closed in March 1998.

The Uganda Society was founded in 1923 as the Uganda Literary and Scientific Society and gained its current name in 1933. In its early days, the Society was made up of some seventy members, almost entirely confined to Entebbe. During the first five years of its existence, the Society presented over forty lectures of scientific, historical, economic, or religious interest. Unfortunately, the organizers dispersed or became busy with other activities, and the Society had almost collapsed by 1928. One of the original founders, E.J. Wayland, managed to arrange an odd lecture from a distinguished visitor and to conserve the Society's assets, allowing the Society to be revived in the future.

I was invited by ZIMISIS, the Zimbabwe CDS/ISIS User Group, to conduct a 3-day advanced workshop at Harare Polytechnic.

The workshop was partly funded by UNESCO Harare Office, and partly funded by course fees. UNESCO Paris Office had been approached for support but were unable to help. After I had made arrangements I was also able to teach a 2-day beginners’ course at the National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo (NUST).

There were over 20 participants on both courses with a PC each, but no PC provided for the instructor. This meant I was teaching ‘blind’, trying to remember what appeared on the screen or else having to overlook one of the participants On both courses the computers had been set up somewhat differently, which meant that things which worked on some didn't always work on others.