Meet Monica and George Thompson (above), she from Chingola, Zambia and he originally from Leeds and now from South London, UK. The couple were married in Zambia in September and whilst on their honeymoon staying at Chanters, were our charming and entertaining Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild. The Experience is our weekly Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station, on which we play latest international and Zambian music, chat to our Guests and give away a prize of a dinner for two at the lodge – if a lucky listener can text us quickly telling us who’s the artist on our ‘oldie of the week’. Mutinta won the prize on this show telling us that ‘Lonely’ was recorded by Akon! We also give pertinent social media updates and international  chart news on the show.

George and Monica told listeners that they had met about two years ago on a dating site on the internet and had corresponded regularly throughout the intervening period. George had promised Monica that when he came to Zambia, if everything was well between them, they would get married and so it had come to pass! Monica is a nurse at the Nchanga School of Nursing on the Copperbelt though she revealed that she had recently resigned her appointment after 18 years of service. George is semi-retired though he still follows his passion of restoring classic British motor cycles of which he now has as many as fourteen in his personal possession. He revealed that his sons buy him old motor bikes for about 15,000 pounds which sell for as much as 35,000 pounds when restored. Before retirement George had been in the armed forces and then involved with heavy plant shifting for Britain’s sea defences.

The music on the show was nice with latest tracks from Storm Queen, Taylor Swift, Draf-X, Slap D, Miley Cyrus and Chris Brown. My regular ‘pick of the week’ was Future’s ‘Real and True’ featuring Miley Cyrus and Mr Hudson. We closed with Britney Spears’ ‘Perfume’.

We wondered whether George had paid ‘lobola’ to be able to marry Monica and she confirmed that he had – ‘under protest’ – but the amount was not revealed! We also asked whether he had been served the traditional food by Monica’s family that he could expect to eat once they were wed, together with the traditional washing of his hands and feet, and it was confirmed. We laughed when George declared that he could only eat nsima, Zambia’s staple food, when it was ‘treated’ with salt and tomato sauce! Heresy to those Zambians present in the studio! George told listeners he had two sons by previous relationships and Monica two boys and a girl. While they had been in Livingstone they had visited the crocodile park and had taken a game drive in the Mosi-o-Tunya NP as well as going to see the Falls. Monica had been excited to see a giraffe for the first time!

George revealed that his son takes him to watch Arsenal when he’s in London, but as he originated from the north of England he also cares about Leeds United and Manchester United results. He was queried by Milli Jam for such disloyalty to Arsenal! He told listeners that his favourite music is 60’s and that he had recently enjoyed a Rolling Stones concert in Hyde Park, London. Monica said she had no interest in football and when it came to music her taste was gospel music with ‘praise and worship’.

This lovely couple revealed that in ten years’ time George hoped to still be married to Monica, riding motor bikes and eating nsima, Monica that after some years working in UK that they would be happily settled together back in Zambia. We wished them the best of luck!