Gaynor Watkins

Came across your very interesting website and wondered if anyone knows or remembers any of the Palmer-Wilson family.

I believe my father Clary, a Proffessional Hunter 1930-1960ish ,was based at Arusha and my half-brothers Michael and Richard went to Arusha school. I would be most grateful for any information or snippets concerning them.

Thank you in advance and keep up the good work. Robert.

And on the 25 July 2007

Hi Gaynor, (presumable Gaynor Watkins)

I am searching for information concerning my father Clary Palmer-Wilson. My half-brothers Mike, Richard and Donald who may have gone to Arusha school at about the time you were there. I would be very most interested and grateful if you knew them or of someone who did and was willing to send me any information.

Warmest Regards

Not sure if this is the right email address but will give it a try. I went to Arusha School from 1956 - 57 and am about go back to Arusha for the first in nearly 50 years in four weeks time I saw one of the emails was from Mark Morgan who I knew well. Any chance of exchanging email addresses. My name then was Gaynor Watkins

Many thanks

Gaynor (Watkins) Hicks

Thanks so much for getting back to me David. Our paths must have crossed!

My brother Keith Watkins was 4 years older than me so was there longer. I was only 5 and think was only there 18 months before we left Arusha to go and live in Fiji. We used to live at Olmitonyi - my father was with the forestry department and buil a school out there 50 years ago It was a long way out of town and we lived across the road from a masai village.

I am going back to there to help be part of a team of volunteers with Rotary who are going to help with the building some more classrooms for St Judes School - a school built for children from extremely poor backgrounds. Expect it will be quite emotional. I started looking at the website so I could pych myself up to see the changes. I was born in Arusha Hospital in 1952 so hope there is something l left of that.

I remember the tortoise and have photos of it somewhere - amazing it is still there! I will be in Arusha for 4 weeks so hopefully the school will still be there.

I was in Mark Morgan's brother class - Brian - My parents were good friends of theirs and we did catch up when we were in England about 35 years ago - the last time I say Mark. I say his mother and father on another visit 20 years ago. My father is still alive and still keeps in contact with some of the people he knew there.

Great website. Will be great if I hear from Mark as it sounds he went there last September so will maybe will be able to give me some more info.

Will take photos and let you know how I go.

Hi I have just read the Arusha School information again and it was really great reading.

I have emailed you before, about my time at Arusha, my farther was one of the teachers. My wife and I passed through Arusha in 2004 and where able to visit the school, and indead our old home. The school has really changed but it is 50 years since we lived there.

I noticed from the web that a very great friend Gaynor Watkins was trying to contact me please give her my email address, as it is a long time since we have met and our familys where realy good friends, It was with the Watkins that I stayed while my mother was in the hospital in Arusha having my brother. We were able to have a quick tour of Arusha and glad to see that the Hospital was still there!.

I had heaps of pictures but unfortunately on my way back to Australia we stopped off in Mauritius and all my laptop, camera and video camera were stolen and I lost all my pictures. Was pretty heart broken.

I managed to find my old house up at Olmotonyi - will attach a photo of that as a friend of mine came with me that day and took a couple of pictures. I will send one to Mark as he and his family used to visit us every Sunday. Was wonderful to be back and I hope to return again. The Forestry school which my father started is now well established - he is now 83 but after my reports of the school he wants to go and see for himself so I said I would go to..

As it had been about 45 years since I had last visited Arusha I only recognised a few things - of course the clock, the school and little bits of the town.

Had a wonderful 5 days on safari too. I was able to do quite a bit of work over there and trained 90 people in suicide intervention - they were so grateful as suicide is such a taboo topic and most of the focus is on HIV and poverty. Some of the people I trained have now translated what I gave them into swahili and are going into the villages and schools - if i can get some funding would love to go back and follow it all up too.

The first three photos of are of our house - used to be surrounded with a beautiful english garden but now there were quite a few goats around.

The house although it looked shabby was still in pretty good shape with lots of the original things there such as the water heater at the back of the house with two drums on top - you can see it in the second picture = we used to have to light a fire under the water and the water would go into the bath.

The first three photos of are of our house - used to be surrounded with a beautiful english garden but now there were quite a few goats around.

The house although it looked shabby was still in pretty good shape with lots of the original things there such as the water heater at the back of the house with two drums on top - you can see it in the second picture = we used to have to light a fire under the water and the water would go into the bath.

The first three photos of are of our house - used to be surrounded with a beautiful english garden but now there were quite a few goats around.

The house although it looked shabby was still in pretty good shape with lots of the original things there such as the water heater at the back of the house with two drums on top - you can see it in the second picture = we used to have to light a fire under the water and the water would go into the bath.

The fourth picture is of the school building my father built - used to called Watkins Hall.