Hugh Brammer

I worked with Mr. Brammer at the Soil Research Institute, Kwadaso, Ghana in 1959, as a young executive officer in the Ghana Civil Service. He was a real gentleman and devoted professional. Sad to learn of his passing.

Bram was in Ghana (Gold Coast) with my parents, Margaret & Ron PHILP in the early 1950’s. He has been part of my life since then. I was SO sad to hear of his death so many months afterwards. I last visited him in Cambridge in 2014 just after my Dad died. I gave him all Dad’s work from their time in Kumasi. I asked him how old he was and he said “88 not out”! He was an extraordinary person & I will think of him often.

Brammer’s name is synonymous with soil reconnaissance in Bangladesh. For years he crisscrossed Bangladesh serving as an Agricultural Development Advisor. Hugh Brammer was an extraordinary scientist who cared about the soil and making a contribution to the development of the resource. He supported study on arsenic contamination of soils. His contribution to the soil resources development will be remembered for years to come.

Hug Brammer will be missed. He was in a class apart. He was a nice person, an independent advisor, rooted in reality on the ground in Bangladesh but also in top-notch science. His legacy will continue through his books and articles and through those who learned from him, by working in his shadow. .

Hugh's passing is sad news indeed. What a character and unique professional with a wry sense of humour. And what an academic record! I first met Hugh in 1974 when he was already a fund of knowledge on Bangladesh's soils, land use, crops, flooding and climate. He was a scientist that really got into the field and worked closely with his local counterparts. Always approachable and generous with his time and experience, he went out of his way to help all and sundry. He helped me enormously by thoroughly reviewing portions and making suggestions to the text of a book on deepwater rice, and later recommended me to his publisher in Dhaka for another book on rice pests. My family remember how Hugh once met us at the railway station and spent the whole day walking us around Cambridge - pointing out the university's historical sights and the plethora of famous names. Yes, I have lost a special colleague and true friend in Hugh Brammer.

Sadly, I never got to know Hugh well but I remember his courteous and calm manner, when others were driven to distraction by the difficulties of working in Bangladesh, and his unfailing willingness to share his immense knowledge with others. His death is a great loss to us all. I spent four years in Bangladesh in the 1970s as the OXFAM representative. Our brief was to work in development. Like so many others I was ill-prepared for the task and it took time - which we didn’t have - and much guidance to help us make a professional, relevant contribution to a country of such complexity. Hugh was one of the first people to whom we could turn. He was unfailingly wise, he had a deep mine of information drawn from his own research and experience, and was widely respected, even by the Bangladesh government which was suspicious of foreigners. Further, he remained faithful to the country working in it for many years, so unusual for most of us were on short contracts.

I did not know Hugh well, I only met him twice as a geography student at Downing when Hugh attended the annual Brammer Geographical Society Dinner. But, even in my short meetings with him I was amazed by his passion for his discipline, his kindness and his respect of everyone's contributions, even if we were mere undergrads! He made each of us feel valued and listened to. He was still researching well into his 80s and he still had that same drive to learn and find out more. He was an inspiration to us as students and will be remembered fondly.

Hugh was a force of nature and is greatly missed. At college, whenever we had lunch I was always impressed by his liveliness, wit, and hopefulness. Hugh was a very committed geographer, restlessly at work and sincerely concerned with future generations. His generosity and example has already been transformative for many young geographers at Downing Collge and will continue to inspire and enable many others. I am deeply saddened by Hugh's passing and to know I won't enjoy his company again. And yet, somewhere I feel some hope that his love of and for life will long remain among us. Rest in peace, Hugh.