The Sunday News
On a cold January night in 1899, a group of 36 white farmers belonging to the Bulawayo chapter of the Rhodesia Farmers Association, converged on the then Caledonian Hotel which was situated at a building on the corner of present day 9th Avenue and JMN Nkomo Street in Bulawayo.
The purpose of this meeting was to form the Bulawayo Agricultural Society for the purpose of showcasing and selling their agricultural produce and cattle.
The Caledonian Hotel was a favourite hangout for white farmers from the nearby farms in Essexvale (Esigodini), Figtree, Marula and Matopo.
Incidentally, the Caledonian Hotel housed the Empire Bar, which today is known as the Extreme Bar, which is popular for selling ice cold beers and draught beer at a very affordable price!
The Bulawayo Agricultural Society was formally opened in May of 1899. It became a successful annual show which was well attended by white farmers from all over the country.
Over the years, as the industrial hub of Bulawayo and other cities in the country began to expand, so did the Bulawayo Agricultural Show and this eventually led to the formation of the Central African Trade Fair, which was now not solely a show for farmers, but it became a show case for industrialists as well, from within and without the borders of Southern Rhodesia.
The first ever Trade Fair was opened on 11 May 1960, by Queen Elizabeth of England. Today this Fair is known as the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.
While the Trade Fair is primarily intended for business persons, industrialists, farmers, arts exhibitors, and many others, it is also an entertainment area for both the young and old people, and indeed whole families.
Queen Elizabeth (Photo Credit: News Week)
I recall the Trade Fair of the 1970s up to early 1980s. It was a time which we as young kids eagerly awaited for to come every year. We always looked forward to the end of the first school term in April, which was the month for the Trade Fair.
Our parents would give us money to spend at the Trade Fair, which was usually about one shilling each or “isheleni”, or two bob, or “two bhobho”, the rough equivalent of ten cents and twenty cents respectively.
The more fortunate ones would get one crown, or “ikoroni”, which was 25 cents. That was very good spending money. We always went there as a group of friends, usually in large numbers of about 15 or so people. The entry fee at the gate was one penny only.
It was exciting moving from stand to stand picking every business magazine, pamphlets and fliers which we packed into paper bags.
We never read or understood anything in those magazines, but however, we were just being driven by a childish excitement to have something to be proud of showing off that one had actually been to the Trade Fair! At other stands we would be given items such as caps, pens or even T-shirts.
The exhibition stands which remain very vivid in my mind up to this day are the stands for Bulawayo Bottlers (now Delta Beverages) and Cold Storage Commission and Colcom.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
At the Bulawayo Bottlers stand we would go there to enjoy the free drinks that were being offered to us in plastic cups. After that we went to the Colcom stand to receive pork pies and Vienna sausages.
The next exhibition that we never failed to visit was the Cold Storage Commission stand. Here a full cow would be on a slow rotating rotisserie, and the meat would be nice and golden brown. We were each served with a huge chunk of the beef. Those were very good times indeed.
Having visited nearly all the stands we would then go to sit down and relax on the lawn outside the Trade Fair Information Centre which was housed in a round office whose roof was conically shaped and had a very tall spire.
There we would enjoy ice cream, sugar candy, a very delicious Dairibord chocolate and milk drink that was known as Pink Panther and the pork pies and Vienna sausages that we had been given at the Colcom stand.
The next place would be the Luna Park, which was an amusement centre which had all sorts of games such as the roller coaster, mini boats, rolling horses, mini train, etc., for only a penny or half a penny!
There was a lot of merriment in the air, and the place was so full of life, laughter and shrill screams of excitement as everyone would be enjoying the games.
As the years went by, we were growing up, and so did our routine at the Trade Fair. Most of us were now drinking alcohol, and we had lost interest in collecting magazines and visiting all the stands at the Fair.
We would just visit one or two stands then proceed straight to the Jairos Jiri Gora Bar. The Ingwebu Beer that was being sold there was just out of this world. It was creamy- like and had a froth, “igwebu” that further enhanced the taste.
The place would be swarming with patrons from all over the country who had come for the Fair, but more specifically for the Ingwebu Beer.
Some people from neighbouring cities would even pour the beer in containers to take home and give some friends who had never tasted Ingwebu Beer.
Indeed those were the good old Trade Fair days. How I miss those days. Till we meet again next Sunday, enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Feedback:Clifford Kalibo/ Email: [email protected]/WhatsApp: 0779146957/ Phone:0783856228/0719856228
