Qel

My daughter Venetia Mayhew has discovered her great grandmother on the internet and we are all intrigued. I should love to get in touch with Alison Aitken and David.

I am the daughter of Gladys Rydon's daughter Pamela. She married my father Roddy Sword in Arusha Church in 1938. He was in Arusha with the 6 KAR. I spent the years 1956 - early 1958 out in that part of the world when I left school and spent a lot of time with my grandmother, living with her at lake Duluti and we travelled to South Africa together and a few years later back to Australia.

Her son Arthur Rydon is still alive living in Sussex. Fur would have flown if Gladys and Margot had known they were being described as sisters! I have some photos including one of the buffalo that killed David Rydon (in 1968 I think) - certainly not in 64. he was killed on his property near Ngurdoto Crater. it wasn't a national park I don't think then.

My grandmother's friend from Mars spelt his name Qel and he was from the 72nd Golden Planet Saturn flotilla. This came out in an interview she did when we were in South Africa. We travelled by sea on the Lloyd Trestino line and on reaching Durban on the return journey, some friends boarded with a newspaper like the Evening Standard and

the headlines were "SPACESHIPS FROM 600 PLANETS PATROLLING EARTH TO AVERT NEW WAR. Tanganyika woman claims dealings with Commander from Saturn ......"

I have no memories of my mother Pamela who disappeared out of my life when I was about two years old but knew David of course and Arthur well. Arthur has a son Godfrey and grand children and great children. Harold Rydon built

and owned the Safari House Hotel. His property was Ngare Sera at Usa River which is now a game lodge owned by Mike Leach. My husband and I stayed there on a recent visit in 2001 and visited Duluti also, the first time I had been back since my grandmother's death in 1964, exactly 40 years ago.

I hope to hear from you.

Sonia Mayhew (nee Sword)