ASSOCIATION OF MEN OF KENT AND KENTISH MEN Pictures of people making mealy bread, sewing, whitewashing a home, singing and playing music greeted members of Bromley and Beckenham branch of the Association of Men of Kent and Kentish Men at their May meeting.

The pictures set the scene for a fascinating illustrated talk on Lesotho, the mountain kingdom, by local author Annette Willoughby based on her book ‘Innocent in Africa’.

A former ‘special needs’ teacher at Croydon, her life changed when she lived in Lesotho, formerly the British Protectorate of Basutoland, for two years after the end of apartheid in South Africa.

Members heard that Lesotho, while being a poor southern African country, has a rich culture and that its people are friendly, industrious and hard-working.

Annette devotes much of her time in England to raising awareness of Lesotho and its people and helps raise funds for Lesotho projects. Beckenham plays an active part in these activities.