| April 3 2012 We care grateful to Dave Lamont for giving us this background information about the photographs from Denis Sharp's Album of the 60's shown below Dennis lives in Braemar and his photos show some of the old Koi-hais who were around in his day-like Henry Crabb, Jock Hay and Joe Matthews, who only recently passed away in Norfolk. Dennis married Fay (Fairlie) Brown and Walter Johnson married Marion (Marie) Brown. They were the daughters of the Queen's Piper, Bob Brown, who judged many Pipe Bands all over the world-and piped Her Majesty, Prince Phillip and the Royal family to dinner while at Balmoral. He was an acknowledged expert on the Pibroch (classical playing of the bagpipes) all over the world. Bob was my teacher when I took up the chanter in my early teens. More than just a mention must be made on Dr Robin Bannerjee, a good friend of Dennis, who was the Medical Officer of the Finlays Group at Bokakhat. A great film could be made about this wonderful man who travelled the world length and breadth studying wildlife and making documentaries. He had his medical training at the prestigious Calcutta Medical College, Liverpool and Edinburgh and joined the Royal Navy in 1937. He fell in love with a nurse who was from New Zealand and he was heartbroken when she died a few months before the cessation of hostilities. His remorse was such that he remained a bachelor for the remainder of his life. In 1952 he was the Chief Medical Officer based at Chabua T.E, and later the CMO at Dhunseri but after a visit to Kaziranga National Park he fell in love with the Wildlife and decided to settle in Golaghat based on Hathikuli TE which was contiguous to the Park. He has made over 32 documentaries and was the recipient of 14 International Awards including India's ‘Padmasree' He has travelled the length and breadth of the globe and when he left the medical profession built a house at Golaghat which is now a tourist spot for Wildlife lovers. It contains large numbers of photographs and paintings and natural history items and toys from across the world. It is called "Uncle Robin's Museum" Robin Bannerjee told everyone: "Think twice before you kill an animal. Think twice before you catch a butterfly. Think, before you cut a tree because it may be the last species in the world"
Again we have to thank Dave Lamont for this information and names of those seen on the photos below--Thanks Dave A short Bio of the folks shown in the photos from Dennis Sharp, who was on Rungajaun in the 60's. In alphabetical order Loudon Barras: Bukhial T.E Dr Robin Bannerjee: Medical doctor-Movie Maker-Environmentalist-Philanthropist- recipient of many awards including the Padmasree.
Henry Crabb: Koomtai T.E. Suptd Badlipar Tea Co
Walter Johnson:Bukhial T.E
David Kennedy Keyhung T E
Joe Matthews:Rungajaun T.E Dacre Mogg:Numaligarh T.E.
J.W. (Bill) Mutch:Methoni Tea Co- Bokakhat.
Dip Phukan:Rungajaun T.E Charlie Reid:Manager - Rungajaun T.E.
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