Thora Ulyate

Thank you so much for you email. It warms my heart to hear of people talking about Arusha, Moshi and of course Sanya Juu I wish I had been with you on your visit to Africa.

I will ramble a bit just writing what comes into my mind.

Ray Ulyate had six children four boys and two girls - My mother was Thora and Marjorie Borissow is the daughter of my mother's sister Vivian so we are cousins. I sent the URL of your Site to several of my cousins and may be that is how Marjorie found the Site. Ray's eldest son's (Jack) wife is still alive she lives in New Zealand and although she is either 90 or just off it she is very interesting and I am sure will be able to tell us why Ray built the hotel.

Did you see the clock just beside the hotel, it is in the "round about". Well Ray calculated that this was exactly half way between the Cape and Cairo and the center of East Africa (as it was then). I have in my possession writing paper from the New Arusha Hotel from the time when my parents owned it. I do know that my parents had to buy the hotel from Ray and found paying for it quite difficult. Dad went to the war and Mum had to run the hotel on her own. Why and how Ray built the Lion Cub Hotel in Moshi is a mystery. I think it was the nicer hotel of the two it had so much character. I remember the hotel totally every detail practically.

I have always wanted to collect information on the family and write a book, I think it is all so interesting. There is so much written about Kenya but there was a different side.

I will find out more for you but I sort of think that Ray built the hotel for one of his American White Hunting clients and when it was ready the person decided not to take it so Ray had to keep it.

I don't know about Kenyon but probably some relation and one of my uncles was called Kenyon I will be able to find out.

Out of curiosity, how did you get into al this?

For the moment.

Kind regards

Marion

PS Where do you live?

Received an email from Marjorie Borrisow (my cousin) about your web site.

The site is very interesting, I had actually seen extracts before somewhere along the line. The information on my Grandfather Ray Ulyate is of great interest seeing that he passed away when I was approx. 2 yrs old & so never knew him, but as a child I had the privilege of seeing many of the movies that he shot in the Serengeti etc & some of the comments brought back good memories.

The articles on the New Arusha Hotel are of great interest also, as like Marj. I also went to school at Arusha, and then worked there for 2 years after leaving school. During this time I had the great privilege of working in the Serengeti for 2 months.

In my collection of photo's I came across this old - very old one and think you may be interested in using it. It is of the New Arusha Hotel & judging by the billboard the date in the right hand top corner is May 3. The year must be 1935 as that was the year of King George V's Silver Jubilee. My brother Bryan worked as assistant manager in the 60's at the Hotel & was probably the last Ulyate to do so, as shortly thereafter my Aunt - Thora Barrat (Marion Langham's mother) sold the Hotel.

One of my fondest memories of the old hotel was an enormous painting on one wall in the main dining room. It was of Africa from Arusha to the Cape. There were others of animals these were all done by an artist who paid his board by doing so. I left Tanzania in 1967 & have not returned since.

My parents farmed at Sanya Juu not to far from where "Hatari" was filmed.

Enough said at the moment as time is of essence.

Regards

Dave Ulyate.

Hi David

Many thanks for your very interesting email.

To answer a couple of your questions yes I am related to Marion Langham. She is my first cousin. Do pass on my email to her if you are in contact.

Our grandparents were Raymond and Marjorie Ulyate (nee Rooken-Smith). Their families were part of the original settlers that landed in South Africa in 1820. My grandfather and his family then went on and became some of the first pioneers around Kajabe in Kenya.

Grandpa started taking people out on safari in the early 1900's. He worked for Newlands & Tarlton He even gets a mention in Theodore Roosevelts Book �frican Game Trails" That was on the safari in 1910 .

Grandpa bought Meru Estate near Lake Duluti after the first world war. When enemy property farms were being sold (German). They had that until a Mr K V Painter - an American persuaded him to sell the farm and take over the New Arusha Hotel (It was built opposite "'old man Blooms Arusha hotel" )

Reading from some of Mums notes she remembers that they had The Prince of Wales (first name in the visitors book) attended the opening ball in 1928. So I guess it was around this time the hotel opened.

See the article I am sending. I have heaps of other bit and pieces.

Following are a couple of photos of the hotel and an original postcard with the sign that my Grandpa wrote. I even have a Coloured letterhead of the hotel written to my mother 26 July 1930 .

Raymond and Marjorie had six children.

Jack,

Vivian (my mother who married Boris Borissow)

Thora (Marions Mother who married Oswald Barratt)

Ken,

Malham &

Ted (William)

I think Malham & Ted went to the school and most of the offspring went to Arusha School at some stage.(About 32 of us)

Ted's Wife - Kay Ulyate ran the Sanitorium for a long time. Many a day was spent there with measles, chicken pox or whatever.

Grandpa sold the New Arusha Hotel to their daughter Thora Barratt and also sold their other hotel the Lion Cub at Moshi to my mother Vivian Borissow.

I am sure Marion knows heaps more of the history than I do. I was one of the babies in the family!

Sorry the photos of the school are not too good. Colour has faded. Bryn Jones is the man sitting down, on mount Meru also in the fancy dress photo. Remember those! The 2 sitting at the top were one of the teachers. I wil try and track down my autograph book and then I will be able to tell you some of the names of the teachers at that time. Mrs Bennett was the art teacher I think.

I am glad to hear all your news about the school. What on earth took you back to Arusha and remind me again where you presently live.

I have just spent an hour hunting around. So time has got away.

Take care and please keep in touch and I dont mind you passing on my email to anyone who may remember me.

Marjorie Borissow

PS I caught up with a video made from old cine film taken of one of grandpas safaris. Rare footage.