3rdKoi Hai Reunion Lunch 2018 : Seating Plan
Table 1
Robin Humphries (Convenor)
Maxine Humphries
Malcolm Geary
Marie-Christine
Don Collier, (Its Tea, Main Speaker)
Marc Montgomery
Lesley Montgomery
Table 2
Anita Batten
Jay Atal
Mike Norgrove
Bunti Norgrove
Lakli Shine
Pauline Darby
Babs Johnson
Mary Cherry
Lali Crow
Table 3
Clive Roberson
David Rushton
Ken Baber (2ndSpeaker, His Photographs, recent visit to Assam)
Rod Brown (Short presentation, his book: Tea & Me)
Janita Pointer
Colin Cavers (3rdSpeaker his on going project, The Language of Tea)
(Tina) Christina Lloyd-Jenkins
Table 4
Jacqualine Patel
Paul Graves
Tertia Graves
Caroline Morgan
Iain Ross
Judy Ross
Venk Shenoi
Anna Shenoi
Total number of attendees: 31
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May 5, 2018
Convenor’s Report 2018
The move to Bournemouth has not proved to be a great success but our own circumstances I am afraid dictated this as a necessary move if the Reunion was to continue with your Convenor in attendance.
We now need to review the whole matter of the reunion, firstly is there anyone else willing and able to take on this task? If so no problem the Reunion can carry on and it can be located anywhere that person decides! If I am to organise next year’s Reunion it will have to be within easy driving distance of my home. Other possibilities would be Winchester, Taunton or Southampton say.
I would state that I will be nearly 85 by next year’s event. So, there is a limit on how much longer I can manage the admin of this event.
Most people sent an invitation to attend sent best wishes to us all for a successful event. I do not propose to read out all the names but a few such as, David and Cynthia Air were very much looking forward to attending but a death in the family member in America has delayed their departure for the UK to later in the year.
I Have to report that my best supporter encouraging me to hold these Reunions unfortunately has died, he has rung me several times since the New Year, looking forward to today, however very Unfortunately, Maxwell his son has informed me that Digby Hembry Died last Friday. Maxwell has extended an invitation to all Digby’s Friends and Associates to attend his funeral to be held on Wednesday 9thMay 2018 at St Mary’s Martlesham at 100 hrsSuffolk. He has extended hospitality for one night at a hotel to all Digby’s Tea friends! Please put your name on the list if you would like to be included. The list is on the Registration Table. Full details will be released later so a contact email or telephone number please.
I like to make some comments on present day planting matters. So what is going on in the field?
A Researchers Report introduction:
Climate Change Poses a Brewing Problem for Tea
By Brian Kahn
A myth ties the origins of tea to an errant gust of wind that blew tea leaves into a Chinese emperor’s hot water more than 4,700 years ago.
Since that lucky first brewing, tea has become the second most popular beverage in the world (behind water, of course). The industry has grown into a $20 billion behemoth that sells everything from pedestrian PG Tips to luxurious Yunnan golden tips.
Yet that industry and the farmers that rely on it for their livelihoods could be in hot water as the climate changes. Coffee’s struggles with a changing climate are well-documented, but the impacts on tea are just coming into focus. Early research indicates that tea growing regions could decline in some parts of the world by up to 40 to 55 percent in the coming decades and the qualities, particularly for high end teas, also could change.
“Crystal-ball gazing, there certainly is the case that some countries growing tea might not be growing tea in the future or certainly growing less,” said Ann Marie Brouder, a sustainability advisor at Forum for the Future.
Planting a tea bush is a decades-long investment, one not easily moved or replaced. That means to prepare for future changes, farmers and companies need to act if not now, then soon if the tea in your mug is to be there in the future.
“Tea bushes are consistently planted for 60 years so it’s the same bush you’re plucking every year rather than, say, a crop of wheat. It’s more responsive to the climate rather than the weather,” said Ellie Biggs, a geographer at the University of Southampton studying tea in India.
So Climate Change is very much in the frontline for todays planters.
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Other matters,
Jimmy Bain wrote:
In 2011 I wrote to the editor on the subject of the Calcutta Cup to see if there were any surviving members of the CFC who played rugby in the 60's including our version land of the Calcutta Cup presented by the club in 1878, In view of the Scotland V England on Saturday I wondered if I could renew my request for any one who may be interested , The article I wrote can be viewed on our website under Correspondents.
Should I have to give up organizing the Reunion Lunch, I want members to give some thought of what to do with the small amount of surplus funds?
1) We could have a final year with these funds placing a certain amount of table wine on each table
2) The funds could be donated to a planters benevolent fund
3) Give to the Junior Koi Hai to further the general aim of our type of association
4) Give to others.
My best wishes for the rest of this year and lets hope we can meet next year!
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Now the rest of our programme:
Note on this:
1) No one volunteered to take over
2) The general consensus was they want the Reunion to go on, so my health willing I will carry on!
-Robin Humphries (Convenor)
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March 21, 2018
Final Call
This is this is the final call for anyone who may wish to attend this reunion to be held on 17th April at the Cumberland Hotel, Bournemouth, registration opens at 1100 hrs with lunch being served at 1300 hrs and closing at 1700hrs. We have about 40 guests at this time. The lunch will feature an after lunch speaker talking about Artisan teas, Puer teas and some later developments in the industry. The Talk last about 15 to 20 minutes. The menu will be compatible for all and vegetarian will be available if requested.
Guest are invited to bring any tea photos they may have from our times in tea. I will bring the Tea Growing District of Assam map (the very long map you may remember) and other books on tea I hold, Colin Cavers will say few words about his work and book: ASSAM THE LANGUAGE OF TEA.
Please contact Robin Humphries, Reunion Convenor on Koihaireunionlunch@gmail.com for further details.
THIRD KOI HAI REUNION LUNCH
To be held on
Tuesday 17th April 2018 at the Cumberland Hotel, East Overcliff, BournemouthBH1 3AF
Their website www.oceanahotels.co.uk for more details
You are invited to the 3rd Koi Hai Reunion Lunch, successor to the 50th and final Assam Reunion Lunch held in 2015 at the Hydro Hotel, Eastbourne. I am pleased to announce an exciting new location. This is a 4 star Art Deco hotel located in Bournemouth. A really fine hotel set on the East Overcliff with fine views of Poole Bay, with Durlston Head and Ballard Down headlands to the West being within the World Heritage Jurassic Coast and Hengistbury Head, Hurst Castle and the famous Needles and lighthouse to the East.
The Cumberland is one mile from the town centre and the fine Victorian Pier and the Lower Winter Gardens are a little closer. Bournemouth has good connections to London via Waterloo Rail Station; also National Express Coaches run from Victoria Coach Station. The road connection from the M1, M25 is via the M3 and M27, distance about 100 miles from London (Hyde Park Corner as measured by the original Turn Pike Road mile posts which are all around the outer rural areas. There is an hourly bus service (No 33) into town from just outside the hotel, I am told.
Car parking in the hotel is by registration at the Reception Desk. If the Cumberland car park is full, you may park at the Group’s other hotels, two of which are adjacent to the Cumberland, and one behind it. (The Suncliff, Ocean Beach and the Hotel Royale), otherwise there is metered parking on the sea front road.
I have moved the event location. As we get older the far location in Eastbourne becomes more problematic. Also Bournemouth, hopefully, will be more attractive to those living in the West Country and will open up the event to others and particularly the younger members.
Bournemouth is situated on the south coast of England, 105 miles southwest of London, sitting just east of the 95 mile Jurassic coastline. Bournemouth can easily be reached due to its very accessible infrastructure by road, rail, or air.
Once in Bournemouth, there are plenty of transport options available to help you explore the resort and the beautiful surrounding areas.
By Coach – Bournemouth coach station is next to the train station in the centre of Bournemouth and offers services from a range of companies including National Express and Megabus to London Victoria, Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
National Express coaches provide frequent services to London Victoria Coach Station and direct services to the West Country, Sussex coast (Brighton and Eastbourne), Bristol, Birmingham and the Midlands, the North West, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland.
The Central Station is about 0.5 miles from the hotel and a taxi fare is about £6.00; multiple occupancy attracts an extra cost of £0.20 pence per person, a taxi driver tells me. Cheaper train fares are available but require pre-booking on line.
The Lunch will be 12.30 for 1.00 pm on Tuesday 17th April 2018 at the Cumberland Hotel, East Overcliff Drive, Bournemouth BH1 3AG, Telephone No: 01202 298350, www.oceanahotels.co.uk, but the room with a pay bar should be open from 11.00 am for registration and socialisation!
The cost of the lunch will be £30.00 including gratuities. Please let me know about any food allergies and I will bring these to the attention of the chef. However, you will have to ensure yourself on the day that you are served according to your own requirements.
B&B Terms are available to stay if required at £69.50 per person per night for a standard room, both double and single occupancy. Dinner for residents is priced at £21.95. Please mention Koi Hai Reunion Lunch when booking your room.
For your delegates to claim the rate I have quoted they will need to call our central reservation line on 01202 298350 quoting KOI HAI REUNION LUNCH and will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit of £15.00 per person please.
This is a new location so more details nearer the lunch date, including the menu selection, will become available. Please book now as an indication of attendance, but please make payment in full by January 2018. As a service to our members, I will take bookings from late attendees up to about 2 weeks before the event, depending upon Hotel policy.
I look forward to receiving your bookings and welcoming you to the Lunch. Let us make this a great success!
Yours sincerely
Robin Humphries
Email: koihaireunionlunch@gmail.com |