We bought two lamps in about 2004 from someone in the Rhodesian Ladies group. A simple yet interesting design, just two sections of concentric agricultural pipes. The outer pipe has artistic cut-outs in the shape of lion, elephant, giraffe etc, which are highlighted when the central light is switched on. We have one in the B&B lounge.
Our guest Tom stopped dead as he saw it exclaiming ‘That’s my lamp!’. We meet very interesting people, and Tom is high on the list. Breakfast is the time to share stories about travel, history, and the strange world we are in now. Tom was here with his son and wife, all ex-Rhodesians, so we had a lot to share till they had to leave. Our ‘kids’ later asked for a photo but we failed to take that, so i asked Tom to visit us for it at some point.
Two weeks later he was in town again, as he lives near Mandurah, bringing two smaller lamps, and photos of his factory. His story:
He had farmed for many years in Rhodesia, through the time of terrorism, and the beginning destructive regime of Mugabe. Like so many, his farm was taken away, leaving him and his staff with no income, till his eye passed over the ag pipes. That was the start of a large factory producing his designs for export around the world. Some were bought locally, then exported by those leaving the country.
