Mrs. Margot Rydon

I�m writing you on behalf of Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin/ Germany. In connection with the restoration of an aircraft of our collection it would be very important for me to get into contact with family members of Margot Rydon.

The aircraft was once owned by a famous pilot. His name was Ernst Udet. In 1924 he came into contact with Margot Rydon. By that time her name was von Einsiedel and it would be very helpful to know something more about her and her relation with Ernst Udet and maybe some documents or memories have survived which can help us with our restoration project.

I think that there is a possibility for that since Ernst Udet was for movie work in Tanzania from November 1930 to March 1931.

Yours sincerely

Lars Urban

Aeronautics Departement

Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin

Dear David(?),

I noticed your web pages on Arusha, Tanzania and the issue of Margot Rydon being Captain Harold Rydon's second wife.

According to my information Margot Rydon was German by birth and a Countess of Einsiedel.

My interest in her is related to my research into women racing drivers and in particular those driving Bugatti cars. Margot Einsiedel was one of them and I know she married to a Mr. Rydon and lived in Arusha, Tanzania afterwards. More than likely we are looking at the same person here.

Just for your information, the below is a resume of her Bugatti driving career, from my file on her:

<1928 season. This 37A is entered in several events starting with the Targa Florio of 6 May 1928. In this event Countess Einsiedel finished a commendable 12th and her Bugatti had the race number "22". Shortly after this she participated in two further Italian races. In the May 1928 Coppa Etna she had to retire with bearing trouble, while in the June 10, 1928 Premio Reale race in Rome, there was a crash on lap 25. Back in Germany she entered for the German GP to be held at the Nurburgring on 15 July 1928 as a sports car race. In this event she ran her Bugatti in the 750-1500cc category, but retired with bearing trouble after some earlier tyre troubles. Because of her marriage in 1929 to an Mr. Rydon, she does not seem to have raced the T37A in the 1929 season.>>

Needless to say, that I would be much interested into any further information that you may have about her. In particular I would be interested to know how she may have met this Captain Harold Rydon, while she was still in Germany.

Best regards,

Dick Ploeg

Stan Lawrence-Brown had his office in the Safari Hotel one hundred yards up the street from his rival, Russell Douglas. The Safari Hotel was newer, and probably fancier than the New Arusha, but it did not have the trout river frontage, lovely grounds, or the Old World charm of its rival. The Safari was a four-story rectangular box built of stone and concrete, and in its time the interior was comfortably appointed with lofty rooms. Even today, while the Safari has sunk into obscurity with the advent of newer hotels, one cannot help but notice that this large hotel has all its plumbing on the exterior of the structure, a result of an oversight by the contractors, who had forgotten to include plumbing. The hotel was owned by two aristocratic English sisters, Gladys and Margot Rydon. Both women owned prosperous coffee estates. Gladys lived in a magnificent mansion overlooking a mysterious crater lake called Duluti, seven miles east of Arusha. Margot's son, David, was killed by a buffalo near Arusha in 1964.

My 70+ year old mother and I are taking a trip to Arusha where she grew up and so I've been looking up anything about Arusha. My mother noticed your piece called "Stan Lawrence-Brown had his office in the Safari Hotel" which mentioned Gladys and Margot Rydon and thought you might like to know the following:

Harold Rydon married Gladys first, they had three children, David who you mention, Pamela and another son Arther, who became a doctor.

Harold's second wife was Margot. She was step mother to David and the others.

The two women lived close to each other, but were not sisters.

I hope you don't mind me correcting you.

Best wishes.

Alison Aitken

Hello David,

Glad to have been of help. I shall pass your message on to my mother and I'm sure she would be delighted to help if she can. She is in her mid-70's and her memories are very bright and clear, so our trip should be fascinating. I have printed off quite a lot of the website for her and she knows or knew so many of the people mentioned.

We will be in Tanzania from mid-October and though we are travelling a bit we are staying for a night or two at the beginning, middle and end of our trip at Moivaro near Arusha. If it fitted into your programme and ours I'm sure we would be pleased to meet up with you.

I'll ask about the clock tower and photographs/memories, though sometimes these are better sparked by chatting about things, or asking questions which light a spark.

Best wishes.

Alison