Zambia World Wide

I feel the loss of Ron quite deeply even though I never met him personally. He was a very intelligent person, an officer, a scholar and a gentleman. He represented the best of that fine type of dedicated, honest and decent Briton that brought civilized standards to most of the world wherever the Union Jack was planted.

What made him outstanding, in my humble opinion, was his eccentricity and his courage to follow his dream and become the guardian of the Temple in the wild mountains above Hong Kong. 

Without knowing Ron and reading his postings on the GNR who would have imagined that such a peaceful Shangri-la could have existed in one of the most densely populated areas of the world. 

The snakes in Ron's Garden of Eden were the giant pythons that were always trying to eat his goats. Most people would have just shot them and sold them to the Chinese to make chop suey, but Ron being a compassionate man used to catch them with the help of his workers and release them far away.

When a member of the GNR died Ron would plant a tree in the temple gardens in his / her memory. I have just planted a new monkey thorn tree (the SA tree of the year) in my garden and I hereby dedicate it to Ron's memory. When we stand beneath its shady mimosa umbrella branches in years to come we will recall Ron. As long as a person lives in someones memory they are not dead.

Hamba Gashle UmFundisi! Go well Teacher / Holy Man.