Gordon Bufton - worked at Safari

Gordon Bufton (Carpenter site maintenance)

 

To prove that I was there in 71 - 73

Safari village Asilah Morocco

My story starts in Borehamwood, not Brighton - the UK base of Safari village at that time.

Five young men decided to go to Morocco with no real plan except my brother Paul who had been to the site a year or two before for a short holiday under canvas.

On board my 1960 Mk 2 Ford Zodiac was myself, my brother Paul, Graham ("Bun"), Eric and Brian, very disorganised having to pick up Graham’s passport in London on the way to the ferry.
In France a small detour to Paris to see the tower, without stopping then south to Spain. taking it in turn to drive.
We did the ferry crossing from Algeciras to Ceuta. Ceuta, a small piece of Spain in North Africa.

At this point we went to the Moroccan border post and were all refused entry, were told by a nice guy the reason was we all had long hair and therefore were hippies and hippies cannot support themselves.

So, we went back into Ceuta and all had hair cuts so now we all had less money than before but were allowed to cross into Morocco.

Our first few days we stayed in an old farmhouse next to Safari village.
This is about two weeks before Safari village is going to open for the 72 season.
I went for a wonder round the village and found the restaurant kitchen
which at that time was just a room full of un fitted parts. 

I started to put bits together and was spoken to by someone, I cannot remember who, but was asked if I could fix the kitchen my reply was yes but I would need some help, that was me and Brian employed.
We continued the conversation and I was asked who I was with. I told him I had an electrician with me but he would need a mate (that’s Bun and Eric employed. According to the man, all the electrical wiring was crap. Last but not least was Paul. He was a commercial artist and was employed to make signs for the bar, restaurant and reception and also numbered all the huts.
If I remember correctly Paul, Bun and Eric stayed for 6-8 weeks and got a cheep flight home on a Safari flight.

After the kitchen I was employed to do maintenance on the site and eventually to look after the 2 generators that provided power for the bars, restaurant, disco and the swimming pool.
Brian eventually got a job restocking the bars with drinks from the store room, and left much later in the season to go to University.
Pay was £15.00 a week + half price food in the restaurant, a hut to sleep in and all the cold showers you can stand, not bad considering the locals were payed about £5.00 a week.

Our reception from the rest of the staff was very cool at first because of our short hair. I was told later that some assumed we were x military out of Gibraltar but this soon changed after hearing our story.

The day to day life on the camp was never boring. The staff had two groups of huts, one at the top of the site near the office block and reception for the office staff, and one at the bottom of the site for the workers.
The swimming pool was still under construction at the start of the 72 season and I became very interested in the construction and workings of the filter plant and was instructed by Sal Deluca, the builder of all the buildings on the site, the basics of looking after the swimming pool.
I was told later that Sal never got all he was owed. The main electrical contractor was Beteny. I understand he was owed a large sum of money as well, hence his reluctance to do maintenance on site.

The first part of the season was cool and wet so a lot of the holiday makers went home with better suntans than the staff, but as you can see from the pictures we did get good tans in the end.

The nurses' boyfriend was the life guard at the beach and would encourage guests in no uncertain terms to get off his beach if they don’t cover up as he didn’t want his girlfriend being called in the middle of the night to administer after sun but he had no problem walking up and down the site in the night playing the bagpipes if he felt like it!

As you know, if you stayed on the site, it was cold showers or cold showers, that is, if we had water! Sometimes this was cut off from the town, and at times like that water was taken from a well in the middle of the site and pumped up to the restaurant and showers (don’t tell the guests) no bottled water back in the day.

Other members of staff I remember were Alastair Campbell Colquhoun Dj ,
Piers Hammond entertainment manager, Paul More Director , Vince
General manager, Brian security, Celia, Water Sky instructor, Angela, I understand, came to work with the horses we did not have so ended up driving the bus, probably the only woman bus driver in Morocco at the time.
Mark Hobbs - Mechanic, John, a driver, Sherif, BBQ Chef famed for his herbs and spices if you know what I mean!
I also remember some of the guests, a group of police women playing games with members of staff and guests alike. If they had been in the Uk they would probably have been arrested. Mark may remember them - a group of athletes who had a race from the town, Asilah, back to the camp at midday, - just mad!

Gordon Bufton (Carpenter site maintenance)

Angela (standing) was the bus 🚌 driver. Celia Water ski instructor 1972

Mark Hobbs on the right Gordon Bufton on the left holding the ball value made by Mark and Mohammed Zadek head gardener ( Chef de Flowers)

Morton (driver) and friend

Holiday maker 1972 after returning home

Mark ,Celia ,Angela and more staff

Mark, Celia and Angela in Rabat

Mark, with the replacement mechanic,

Not all fun at the start of the 72 season