Many CHV volunteers went on to great things but one group from the first camps put their energy and imagination to a project in Nepal which deserves to be brought into daylight again. 

During the 2020 lockdown John Grundy was rooting around in his loft and found an old copy (1960’s) of Men Only, not his usual reading matter. Puzzled, he skimmed the pages and found an extraordinary article about Tibetan refugees in Nepal. (Click here or on the image to read the article.) Roger Catchpole takes up the story:

‘Early on in our two years with the Tibetan nomad refugees in Pokhara, Nepal, a journalist wandered into the camp and asked if he could get down our story so far with the aim of looking for someone to publish it when he got back home.

‘I heard no more until my father wrote to me from home (a good three week turnaround for blue air letters) and told me that he had been told our story was in Men Only. One lunchtime, he wrote, he  had left his office at County Hall in Lewes (he was at the time the well respected County Architect) when a colleague of his came up to him (up to this point he had been innocently raising his trilby to all of the ladies on the pavement) and informed him rather hesitantly: “Your son features in this month’s Men Only.”

‘My father immediately went to a newsagents and bought a copy (he never did tell me just how he managed this manoeuvre), put pen to air letter and asked for an explanation. I told him the story above.

‘When I got home eighteen months later I saw it for the first time. Hard to understand how the story as told, with its innocent photos of the project, could be seen to have particular appeal to that magazine’s readership. It is now a treasured part of my files on the project. The digital photos are good to see. Memories of those two years are still strong. The community, Tashi Ling, has thrived through all of the past year’s ups and downs.’