For about three years, I spent my summer and winter breaks from university with my father in Lagos, Nigeria. We lived in the port city of Apapa, rather than Victoria Island where most other ex-pats made their home. Unlike the swanky VI, Apapa is busy, dirty and loud and getting from place to place often takes much much longer than you planned due to the level of traffic and gridlock. 

However, as the office and port are both in Apapa, the commute is much easier than trying to cross the bridges from VI into Apapa each morning. Scattered through Apapa are the lingering remains of the British Empire, certain large manor style houses, the Apapa Boat Club where wealthily people spent their Fridays drinking and their Saturdays sailing boats and ferrying themselves to small islands on a speedboat for a BBQ and relaxation.

Elder Dempster Building

The offices of the Elder Dempster Building are in a prime place for a Shipping Agency, facing the entrance to the port. This made it simple for everyone to go back and forward, but also meant when the ships were unloading it may be impossible to get your car out of the office parking and head somewhere else. Repainted in the Hull Blyth colours, the building retained its commanding presence facing the port.

Apapa Sailing Club

Regular races were run around Lagos harbour, avoiding the huge container ship and oil slicks in the water. The boat slowly got lighter as the crate of beer in the hold was finished off by the crew.

Apapa Boat Club

Offering storage and launching for motorboats rather than sail boats, the ABC was a pretty common friday spot for drinking.

Elder Dempster Beach House

Out on an island in the harbour, the Elder Dempster Beach house was a common spot for office events, and the site of the Millenium party.