Kenton Bar Celebrities Pre-1988 - DR S K Raj
Dr. Raj was a great Doctor and cared deeply about his patients and I am sure he is sadly missed by all that knew him on Kenton Bar Estate now that the surgery seems to be gone. He drove a TR7 for god sake - in the 70's - how damned stylish and cool was that!!! Used to be parked near the surgery behind Goldfinch wines. Always immaculately turned out in a suit and tie and really looked like a Bollywood film star - about a hundred times better looking than Amitabh Bachchan thats for sure.
He had a "doorman" in the form of an old crab that used to sit in reception - you only got to see the doctor at all if you passed muster with her - she could smell a malingerer a mile off.
Queuing in Dr. Raj's surgery was a saga. The waiting room was a bare affair with some old mags to read, a small table and chairs around the sides. Trouble is there was no discernible queuing hierarchy - a nightmare for the English I can tell you. Patients used to sit around and wait to be prompted into action by a harsh ring on an electric bell - trouble is no one knew who was first and so on so it was kind of random pot luck who got seen in what order.
Always immaculately dressed and super polite to everybody he met. My sisters used to see him regularly in the clubs and pubs of Newcastle so he was a PROPER doctor who liked a drink and a smoke. If you have not passed away Dear Dr. Raj (you must be over 70 now) then please forgive us for writing you off too soon.......
Dr. Raj is still listed as a doctor on the internet so maybe he is still alive and practicing?
Factoid about Dr. Raj:
He had a "doorman" in the form of an old crab that used to sit in reception - you only got to see the doctor at all if you passed muster with her - she could smell a malingerer a mile off.
Queuing in Dr. Raj's surgery was a saga. The waiting room was a bare affair with some old mags to read, a small table and chairs around the sides. Trouble is there was no discernible queuing hierarchy - a nightmare for the English I can tell you. Patients used to sit around and wait to be prompted into action by a harsh ring on an electric bell - trouble is no one knew who was first and so on so it was kind of random pot luck who got seen in what order.
Always immaculately dressed and super polite to everybody he met. My sisters used to see him regularly in the clubs and pubs of Newcastle so he was a PROPER doctor who liked a drink and a smoke. If you have not passed away Dear Dr. Raj (you must be over 70 now) then please forgive us for writing you off too soon.......
Dr. Raj is still listed as a doctor on the internet so maybe he is still alive and practicing?
Factoid about Dr. Raj:
- A neighbor of mine at one time was a drink and drug addled old bird by the name of Margaret - she was always at the surgery complaining of one thing or another with her hapless husband Bernie. One day I think she had claimed to be pregnant (the thought of Bernie and her 'doing it' makes me physically sick even now after 20+ years away) and Dr. Raj attempted to pay a home visit to her. For some reason she would not answer the door and Dr. Raj was very worried - he knocked on the door so hard and for so long he actually broke his finger - he ended up in our kitchen having a fag with my mum while she washed his broken finger and wrapped it up for him. Not sure what happened to Margaret and Bernie as they just sort of disappeared after a while - of course there never was any pregnancy.
I saw him in a pub in Anfield Plain near Consett with a young bit of skirt in the early 70's well he did have that triumph didn't he....
ReplyDeleteHe was the spitting double of Colonel Gaddaffi...
ReplyDeleteDr Raj was a good old fashioned doctor and he was also a very attractive and immaculately turned out man. Drove a sports car always - very dashing. For some reason it never got nicked or vandalised. He smoked like a chimney as I remember - sometimes even whilst seeing patients!
ReplyDeleteI'm related to him in a distant way (he married my Mum's cousin). I remember visiting him at the surgery, he would be sitting back in a huge chair smoking an even larger cigar! He sadly died a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame to hear about Dr. Raj passing away. I distinctly remember him smoking "Sobrane" cigarettes - those Russian coloured ones. My Mam also said he would occasionally have a glass of whisky whilst consulting.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobranie
He was a pure diamond geezer...RIP
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame to hear about Dr. Raj passing away. I distinctly remember him smoking "Sobrane" cigarettes - those Russian coloured ones. My Mam also said he would occasionally have a glass of whisky whilst consulting.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobranie