2017 - Eastbourne

The 2^nd KOI HAI REUNION LUNCH

(Formerly: The Assam Reunion Lunch)

On Tuesday 25^th April 2017 at 12.30 for 1.00 pm

At the Hydro Hotel, Mount Road, Eastbourne BN20 7HZ

Telephone: 01323 720643 

Convenor's Report 2017

Last year we held the very first Koi Hai Reunion Lunch which was a great success, fewer guests but more intimate and we were able to get to know each other more easily.  This year a few more have signed up to attend but last minute cancellations have brought the numbers down to 49 as at Saturday evening.  Family crisis and friends in need have contributed and members have reacted in the ways we would expect responsible people to act.  Supporting family and friends as necessary!

I am again happy to continue as Convenor for a further year but as we get older this location in Eastbourne becomes more problematic and I am sorry to announce that Next Year will be the last Reunion to be held in Eastbourne.  This will be about the 53^rd Reunion lunch held here but unless someone else is willing to take over that is that!  I am proposing to move the venue to the Mirimar Hotel, Bournemouth for 2019.  A nice hotel situated on the East over Cliff, near to the Bournemouth Pier and Winter gardens all of which are within walking distance of the Centre of town.  Bournemouth is on the mainliner Waterloo to Southampton to Weymouth Rail Line being about 2 hours journey time from London!  Bournemouth is very similar in feel to Eastbourne and the Mirimar Hotel is not that dissimilar to the Hydro Hotel, being of Edwardian origin architecturally.

Please have a look at my Senior Koi Hai Facebook Page and submit articles and pictures to this Page please.

Venk Shenoi has offered to produce an Email newsletter for us.  This would be dependent upon Members submitting suitable interesting articles.  What thoughts on this?  I would suggest Articles are submitted in the first instance to myself or anyone else who would be happy to first line vet what is to be circulated.  The Newsletter would just be a circulated email document at this stage so not fully in the public domain.  This will save problems with copy write where the ownership is not known!

I encourage you also to attend the Junior Koi Hai under Jimmy Robinson’s stewardship and held in Oxford each year.

I have no news as to what is going on in the tea world!  I used to belong to a Facebook Page called Quality Tea Maker & Administrator but they turned it into a pay site for tea professionals, so I no long have access to latest thoughts and moves in the Tea Industry.  Plucking standards have been a concern for a long time and no doubt this continues and will do so until field operations such as plucking and inter row cultivation are mechanised.  The thought on this one is that Tea Workers’ children are able in this modern age to get a good education and qualify with diplomas and degrees so are not willing to work in the sun and rain for a tea labourer’s wage, hence serious manning problems are arising.  However the very best Assam Tea Companies are reporting to this day that they are able to pluck to the fine leaf standards of yesteryear successfully though, unhappily, many tea companies are not able to maintain these standards.  Bought Leaf Factories are particularly prone to poor leaf standards.

Some deaths this year and I will mention a few from an external list.  ------

I apologise for the use of email and other internet facilities such as Facebook but they do make life easier.  Mass distribution can be achieved using an email Address List etc.

Thinking about the future, I would point members in the direction of a document produced by 2Degrees called ‘Forum for the Future 2030’.  Worth a look if you are interested in the future for this industry.  For easy assess type: https://www.forumforthefuture.org/sites/default/files/project/downloads/future-tea-report.pdf

Many thanks to Caroline Melling for her help to arrange the Seating Plan. She is, unfortunately, sick so cannot attend this year.  Also, thank you to Jacqueline Patel for her help and assistance on the Front Table with registration, etc.  A big thank you to both Charles Miller and Jacqueline for the slide show of Assam tea, the pictures being courtesy of Jacqueline Patel from her book with its excellent photography and Charles’ computer skills.

Once again, thank you for coming today and I hope you have enjoyed memories of bygone days and have a safe journey home.

We hope to adjourn to the Conservatory for tea.

Attendees

David Anderson
Ken Baber
Phil Bayley
Jennifer Bayley
Stephen Bayley
Tom Bayley
Jeremy Barkley
Pamela Barkley
Simon Barkley
Merle Bartlett
Peter Bartlett
Anita Batten
Celia Brown
Lali Crow
Lily Dame
Bonawy Macdonadl
Sally Fleming
Dylan Gawtry
Malcolm Geary
Marie Christine Geary
Jacqueline Graham
Paul Graves
Terita Graves
Digby Hembry
Pram Handa
Maxine Humphries
Robin Humphries
Babs Johnson
Betty Mackenzie
John Mackenzie
Charles Miller
Leslie Montgomery
Marc Montgomery
Caroline Morgan
Johnny Paisley
Sue Paisley
Jacqueline Patel
Angela Paterson
Clive Peacock
Judy Ross
Ian Ross
David Rushton
Julian Royals

Seating Plan

 Table 1                                 

 Ken Baber                 WM
Maxine Humphries  JW
Robin Humphries     JW
Phil Bayley                WM (Doom Dooma)
Jennifer Bayley        WM (Doom Dooma)
Stephen Bayley        WM (Doom Dooma)
Tom Bayley               WM (Doom Dooma)

 Table 2
Digby Hembry           GW
Judy Ross                 WM
Iain Ross                   WM
Clive Roberson         Jardines
Celia Brown              WM
David Rushton         Jardenes
Lesley Montgomery Assam Oil
Marc Montgomery    Assam Oil

 Table 3
Lily Dame                  Gillanders
Bonawy McDonald  Gillanders
Dylan Gawtry            Singlo/Gillanders
Pran Handa              Singlo/Gillanders
Merle Bartlett            JW
Peter Bartlett             JW
Malcom Geary          JW
Marie Christine Geary         JW

 Table 4
Anita Batten              Romai TE
Jacqueline Graham McNeil Barry
Sally Fleming            Octavius Steel
Jacqueline Patel      WM
Angela Paterson      Tezpur/Gogra
Julian Royals            JW

 Table 5 taken out due last minute cancelations and seating rearrangements

 Table 6
David Anderson       James Findlay
Babs Johnson          JW
Charles Miller           Chalsa, Dooars
Clive Peacock           Walter Duncan & Goodricke
Betty Mackenzie      Walter Duncan & Goodricke
John MacKenzie      Goodricke
Lali Crow                   Balmer Lawrie

 Table 7
Jeremy Barkley        ABITA
Pamela Barkley        ABITA
Simon Barkley          ABITA
Johnny Paisley
Sue Paisley              
Paul Graves              Octavius Steel
Tertia Graves            Octavius Steel
Caroline Morgan      Octavius Steel

Pictures from Koi Hai Reunion Luncheon from Peter Bartlett and Robin Humphries

Dear Friends,

KOI HAI ASSAM LUNCH 2017

After a most successful Koi Hai Reunion Lunch held this year (2016) on 19th April at the Hydro Hotel, I have great pleasure in inviting you to the 2017 Lunch to beheld on Tuesday 25th April 2017, 12.30 for 1.00 pm at the same venue.

Declining Membership

As stated this year the membership list again gets smaller and these lunches cannot carry on forever with those who actually served in Assam in the 1940s, 50s, 60s or later.  However, when I have gone around asking, there is a definite number of members who would like this lunch and get-together to continue and this is now well supported by the children of past members. I am willing to organise this Lunch again for 2017 but I am dependent upon your support.  For those who cannot travel to Eastbourne for whatever reason, they will be able to attend the other very popular Planters Lunch event in Stratford on Avon held every other year (next one due 2017).

Hotel Arrangements

The Hydro Hotel Management has indicated that they are keen for the event to continue under the same terms and conditions as previously, but they are asking me to sign a rather onerous contract which I cannot do until I get sufficient support from you the members.

The Need to Book up Now

I am requesting you to book this lunch now and pay for it in full asap. Please do not leave this to a last minute decision as a booking needs to be made now and I need the assurance that there is a definite requirement for the Koi Hai Reunion Assam Lunch to go ahead again this year!

Koi Hai Website

David Air has offered to assist us and a notice will be put on the KOI HAI Website in due course advising of the Koi Hai Reunion Lunches with dates and other necessary details.

Menu and Hotel Reservations

The Hotel has offered a three course lunch and coffee/tea for £24.00 each which includes an element for tips for the staff:

The Menu Selection is:

KOI HAI REUNION LUNCH

On Tuesday 25^th April 2017 at 12.30 for 1.00 pm

 Starter

Sliced Smoked Salmon with Pickled Cucumber and Light Mustard Sauce

Vegetarian option: Fanned Honeydew Melon with a Peach and Raisin Chutney

 Main Course

Char Grilled Supreme of Chicken with Pesto and Tomato, Garlic and Basil Sauce

Vegetarian option: Roast Marinated Vegetables with a Walnut Crumble and Paprika Oil

Dessert

Wild Berry Cheesecake with a Fruits of the Forest Coulis

NB Please advise me of any allergies and dietary requirements. 

Accommodation is offered at: “£55.00 per person per night for up to 2 nights; dinner will be charged as taken and if required”.  (Please review this Hotel’s cancellation policy).  Please mention Koi Hai Reunion Lunch at the time of booking.

Please rely to my special email address for this event:

[email protected]

 Robin