There are three generations of Handleys in the photo above – patriarch Len on the right, daughter Jenna next left, and grandson Jobe on his mum’s left. Completing the picture, replete in his Springbok shirt, is family friend Greg Mortimer. The shot was taken in the studios of Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, when the guys appeared on the latest edition of our weekly Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience. The show was hosted by George da Soulchild Kaufela on this occasion, due to Milli Jam’s absence on business. Great job Kaufela did too, at short notice.
The Handleys hail from Bendigo in Australia and were visiting Zambia and Livingstone for the first time. Len told listeners that he was a semi-retired solicitor, but that he still does occasional work for government funded legal aid. Jenna explained that she was working for a local council in facilities for the aged and disabled. Lively Jobe – the star of the show – said he was 11 years old, in grade 6 and that that very afternoon he had been riding elephants out at Mukuni Big 5 Conservation Park! Had he been scared? Not a bit of it! Had he ridden the same beast as his mum? Not at all – they had each had their own jumbo! Greg told us that he is a South African who had been living in Australia but was now domiciled back in South Africa. He works in a business consulting company dealing in patents and trademarks.
The music on the show was good. We opened with Maroon 5’s latest ‘Wipe Your Eyes’ just as their smash ‘Payphone’ featuring Wiz Khalifa, debuted at number one on the UK singles chart – the group’s first UK number one. We coupled that back to back with Eric Church’s US number one country track ‘Springsteen’. Local selections were from Ruff Kid and Slap Dee. Our oldie of the week was a local track ‘Dyress’ from Amayenge. We give a prize of a dinner for two at Chanters Lodge on every show to the first person to text us telling us who’s singing the oldie of the week, and this time the prize was quickly snapped up. Other tracks were from Paloma Faith and Train.
The group told listeners that they had enjoyed seeing Victoria Falls and were excited about seeing the Falls from the air the next day when they were scheduled for helicopter and microlight flights. They had loved the sunset cruise on the Zambezi and were looking forward to a one day safari to Chobe National Park in Botswana during their holiday. While Jobe and Jenna had been riding elephants, Greg and the rest of the group, including Len’s daughter Tatum and grandson Caleb, had ridden the white water rapids on the Zambezi from rapid 10-25 that very afternoon. “Did you spill?” We wondered and they told us theirs was the only boat on the river which did not! Had they enjoyed the experience? You bet they had! Were they tired and sore? Errr…..yes!
Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time Len said he hoped to still be playing lawn bowls and travelling, Greg that he hoped he would still be travelling but with his children who would then be old enough to enjoy it, and Jenna hoped also still to be seeing the world. Jobe gave the impression that he would like to be married by then! We laughed!
Great show with lovely people!
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