'We had one French pilot whom we christened 'Kermit''

'We had one French pilot whom we christened 'Kermit''

Mike Mahon remembers his colleagues and some of the social encounters during his time as a pilot in Nigeria.

Mike Mahon

Trinity College Dublin

1965

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Mike Mahon

Work and Employment

Life Story

Nigeria

1960s

We used nicknames a lot between ourselves to avoid being politically incorrect. The locals we refered to as ' men from Mullingar', and the hookers who infested the hotel bar we called 'nightfighters. ' One of our engineers was 'bungallow' as we reckoned he had nothing upstairs. We had one French pilot whom we christened 'Kermit. '. 'Why do you keep calling me Kermit,' he indignently enquired. 'Because you're a frog,' we told himOne night in Kano we were meeting up in the bar to go for dinner. I was down early, the bar was crowed and I was immediatly accosted by a ' night fighter. ' I was persuaded to buy her a drink. 'Ah, she gasped, 'de Guinness , it gives you much strength'When I asked her what she workd at , she replied, ' I am an expert at erection and demolition . Do you want to come with me. ' When I told her I was meeting some friends for dinner, she replied, Ah , I will do group reduction and you can be de fust. '

Irish Research Council for Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (IRCHSS)

Dr Kathleen McTiernan (Trinity College Dublin)

Dr Deirdre O'Donnell (Trinity College Dublin)