COBA

first centenary number

1860-1960

It's the " COBADS " once again :

Presenting

"THE BLIND GODDESS"

A play in three acts
by
PA TRICK HASTINGS.
Produced and Directed by :
SIDNEY HASKELL.
With
Derek Halliwell, Bomi Kapadia, Noel and Gladys Gordon, Joyce Carey,
Suzzane Mitchell, Lionel Dexter, Cyrus Kapadia, Jamie Birdi, Hugh
Green, Freddie Sopher, John Palkhiwalla and OTHERS comprising
a caste of over THIRTY.
And back stage
Walter Abraham, Sheela Contractor, Meyer Hillel, Nazir Chagla and
N oshir Jessia.
At the Cathedral Boys' School Hall.
Dates :

February 24th, 25th, 26th at 6.30 P .M. and 27th at 9.30 P.M.

Bookings with : Mrs. Jameson -

'phone 26828r (Burmah Shell).

Editor .................. ... .... ..... CYRUS R. KAPADIA.

Page

CONTENTS

THE MANAGING COMMITTEE

"EDITORIAL" -

One H undred Not Out.

MESSAGES FROM :
r.

1he President -

MR. R. B. BROWN.

2.

The Principal - MR. B. GUNNERY .

3.

LT. COL. W. H. HAMMOND.

4.

MR. L. M. S. BRUCE.

5.

MR. C.B. NIX-JAMES.

6.

The Hon. General Sec. - l\1R. S. HASKELL.

ro

7.

Secretary of U.K. Association -

II

"THE OLD ORDER CHANGETH" "I REMEMBER" -

by

MR. A. P. SOUNDY.
by C. J. Oliver.

C. B. Nix-James.

"WANTED A GOLF SECRETARY" - by R. B. Brown.

"IN SCHOOL TO-DAY" -

by "CIJAY''.

12

r8
27
29

DO YOU KNOW ?

32

"SP ARE A SMILE !"

34

"A THANK YOU" -

Editor.

35

THE MANAGING COMMITTEE :

(1959-60)

l\IR. R. B. BROWN

President.

:\IR. B. GUN ERY

Vice-President Ex-Officio.

Vice-Prcsidcn t Elected.

IR. W". ABRAHAM

Hon. Gen. Secretary.

1\IR. S. HASKELL

Hon. Treasurer.

]. GORDON

l\1R.

:\IR. M. KHAMBA TTA

Social Secretary.

l\IR. ]. K. PALKHIWALLA

Editor "Caba " -

~IR.

C.

J.

OLIVER

on leave.

General.

nIR. C. R. KAPADIA

General -

Currently Editing "Caba".

It will be much appreciated if all changes in address are notified to the

Hon. Treasurer :-

Mr. N. ]. GORDON,
M/s. Imperial Chemical Industries Ltd.,
Ballard Estate,
Bombay

I.

Tele. : 268051 (Office) and 212424 (Residence).

EDITORIAL
One Hundred Not Out !
About the same time as newspaper ncadlincs were heralding the first trip
of the "Great Eastern" - the then largest steamer afloat - a tiny grammar school
was being established in Bombay. While that Leviathan was destined to be
broken up a few years later, fate had better luck in store for the little lycee at
Rampart Row. It progressed steadiiy, but surely and grew from strength to strength
and today it is one of the best Educational In titutions in the country.
Just as the French abbe said of the strawberry : " Doubtless God Almighty
could have made a better berry than the strawberry, but doubtless he did not " ;
so to-day the Cathedralite can say, " Doubtless God Almighty could have made
a better school than Cathedral, but doubtless he did not".
The last hundred years have provided more rapid changes than any
other in history. The numerous miracles of cience that are a result of man's
mind and ingenuity, two world wars that \\"ere the re ult of man's ambition and
lust for power, and the renaissanc:! in Afro-A ian countries that is a product of
man's honour and respect for freedom , are some of the factors that have contributed
to these rapid changes. These and many more have altered all dimensions of
contemporary life.

It was possible a hundred years ago for a man to predict \\'ith a deoree
of certainty what was likely to occur a decade hence. To-da ''ith all thi talk of
hydrogen bombs and inter-continental ballastic missiles it \\'ould be ditficult for
anybody in the morning to prophecy what was likely to occur that Yery afternoon.
The Victorian gentleman had a different philosophy of life altogether from his
counterpart of the atomic age. The former spent his ) ear on this earth gen rally
at a much slower pace, he felt that for something to be done well, it had to b e
done slowly. Now the accent is all on speed. What Jul es Verne dream a
hundred years ago is more than a reality today ! In the "Words of V. . H. DaYies,
"We have no time to stand and stare".

In every sphere of life one sees a chane b tw en the man of to-day and
his ancestors who lived a hundred yr.ars a 0 o. Even on he dinner tabl the change
is noticeable. The good old bully beef and b er ha lon ince been replaced by
vitamin tablets and "predig ted" protein food . \iv e are told that men \Yerc
"made of sterner stuff" tho e days. Yet, do the outstanding standard r corded at
modern olympic games bear testimony to such tatcment ?

In every ;yaJk of life to-day, perhaps with the sole exception of c1icket,
there seems to be an urge to move faster. Consequently survival in itself through
such a period is an achievement. Y ct, the school has not merely existed, it has
progressed. It has grO\rn from a little experiment into a great institution. It has
pla ed no small part in the destinies of several hundred individuals, and has
provided the solid foundat10ns on which several careers have been built.
Can one then express surprise at the fact that so many changes have
come about in the school in the recent past? All these are taking place in an
attempt to keep pace with events that appear to be ever changing. The school
certainly deserves to be c0mplimented for showing such remarkable adaptability
m meeting the demands of a rapidly progressing world.

The various alterations that are now in progress have only to be seen to
be believed. The changes in the school building itself are remarkable. This brings
to mind an old story of the Irishman who on being asked how far it was to the
neare t town; replied : "A mile and a bit". After trudging the distance, the
questioner found that the "bit" w::i.s more than the "mile" . The same may be
said of the changes in the school building. The additions and annexes now appear
to be larger than the old pile itself! These changes present a striking contrast
between the new and the old . On the one hand are the new additions, all examples
of modem architecture and on the other, are the old stone pillars and arches,
the sole relics of bygone generations. Each of these pillars seem to say like
Tennyson's brook :
'For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever".
Now let us stop being so sentimental! The times demand these changes
and they have to be made. They are vital for the very exi ~ten ce of the school.
Many mme such changes will have to be made before we celebrate the next
centenary :
" New occasions teach new duties,
Time makes ancient ~ood uncouth,
They must upward still and onward
Who would keep abreast of truth".

MESSAGES

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

In the year 1860, our old school first opened its doors in small premis
now Rampart Rmv. Great changes have occllrred since then, and a
great many of us have been priYilcged to witness personally and participate in
these historic de\'elopments, to the extent that we can now look forward with
justifiable pride to ~ovcmbcr L1, 1059, when the school enters its Centenary Year.

in what

In order to orgauise and conduct a Programme of Celebrations and of

fund raising, a Centenary Committee was form ed and has been functioning since
March of last year. The following ladies and gentlemen have very kindly agreed
to serve on the Committee, and have freely donated their time and energy in a
most selfless manner :
Ladv

.J. J ejeebhoy

Chairman.

Mr. F. E. H. Goddard -

Vice -Chairma n.

Mr. W. Abraham.
Mr. B. Gunnery.
Miss M. Patel.
Mr. R. E. Peters.
:Mrs. V. M . White.
Mr. V. M. White.
Mrs. B. R. Billimoria .
Mrs. M. R. Boga.
Mr. R. Brown.
Mr. R. Cambatta.

Mr. S. Haskell.
Miss R. Rahimtoola -

ft. Hony. Secretary

Miss F. Talyarkhan.
Mrs. P. Wagle.
The Old Boys are represented by Wally Abraham, Sid Haskell and myself.
The Committee's programme of activities consists of two types of functions
those basically intended as Celebrations and the other specifically designed to
4

raise funds to meet the cost of the following facilitits v. hicb are so urgently needed
by the School :
r.

It is proposed to build out the Library over the existing shed, thus
not encroaching on Quad space, and build a big hall over the Library
- Library extension from the main building to the road.

2.

It is then hoped to use the old Hall for classroom space and turn the
classroom ad joining the existing laboratories mto additional Physics
and Chemist!'; labs. W e also mean to provide a Biology lab. in the
Girls' School.

3.

It is hoped to buy some 12nd outside Bombay for use as a week end
camp and playing fields
This property could perhaps later be
developed as a boardir1 g school; The target set for this is Rs. 7 lakhs.

The programme which will extend o\er the entire Centenary Year j~
still to be finalised but here a.re a few of the functions which bave been planned.

The year will be set off by a dance organi-ed by the Old Boys' Association
on Saturday December 12th, 1959

ln January a Film Prcmi<::re has been organised.

The Old Boys Play

will be staged in the Boys' School Hall from Wednesday 24th to Saturday 27th
February. Sid Haskell \\ill produce and he has selected "The Blind Goddess".

It is proposed to take advantage of the presence in Bombay of several

All India Hockey Stars to stage a festival hockey match in March.
The Old Boys will organize an Easter Ball on a fairly iavish scale in April.
Plans are now being dra\\.11 up for a Fete and Exhibition to be held for
approximately one month during Octcber / November 1960, and the Centenary
Year celebration will be brought to a close by a dinner on Founders' Day, November

14, I960.
You will notice that
actively in the programme. In
driye amongst Old Boys with a
a separate appeal will be goin a

the Old Bo?s' ..\ssociation is participating very

additiOll the AS-..<:.eciation is -pcnsoring a collection
target of about Rs. rn.ooo and in this connection
out Yery -ho!tl_v.

As the succe:0::; of the nrious functions will depend to a great degree on

the measure of support rec eived fror11 all ex-Students whether l\Iembers or otherwise,
we would like to feel that we can cou nt on your whol hearted support. Can we
do that ?
(Sd.)

~.

B. RRO\VN.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAl

Best wishe to the Old Bovs Assoc 1 ation on its 4otb Birthday, as well
as the School on its Centenary.
A new comer like myself ha;, not the long memories of the School in
by-gone days which others have. When I came here, it '.\<as already a great
and prospering School \\ith full class-rooms and a crowded quadrangle. It had
a fine and well established staff and an experienced and enthusiastic Old Boys'
Society. In these six years, the busy life of the School has continued with more
boys, more masters, more building extensions and more of the final product the Old Boys. It is my greatest \vish that the generations now in the School
should contribute to it in the measure their predecessors did, and should enjoy
themselves in the process. If they do these things, I have no fear for their future
or the future of the School.

Good Luck to you all !

(Sd.) B. GUNNERY.

A MESSAGE FROM LT -COL. W. H. HAMMO D

In this Centenary Year, it gives m~ the greatest pleasure to be able to

send a greeting to the Old Boys' Association of the School to which I was appointed
H eadmaster 40 years ago. When I joined in January 1919 it 'was a small choo1
of 150 boys, but even then it had its tr<J.ditions and the Old Boys of those times several of whom are still active and rome to our gatherings in London - were
enthusiastic rvlembers of the Association which was founded in 'i\ovember , 191
and I feel very proud that I was the foL'nder of the A ociation which is re.;:;ponsiblr:
for carrying on the traditions which are the spiritual force~, hard to define, tha:
make a School something very much ;:nore than an educational in-titution.
One of the greatest pleasures that I have in my old age - but by no
means dotage ! - is the Annual Reunion of the Boys and Girls of the Cathed~
and .John Connon Schools, which is held in London and it i a joy to have the
visits vvhich Old Boys with their wives and families make to us \\hen they come
to Devon, and the letters l get from very many of them from time to time , and
the greeting cards which come from all parts of the world to us at Christmas time.
My wife and I send our very best wishes to the Schools nd all their
former pupils and may they all be blessed \Yith the spirit of friendship which ha~
meant so much to us.
( d.) W. H. HA:\DfO:\D.

A MESSAGE FROM MR. L. M. S. BRUCE

:\ly \\ife and I are very pleased to have the opporturnty of sending our
best wishes to the Old Boys' Association and to the School on the occasion of the
Centenary Year.
It seems a long time now since \Ye left Bombay and we have travelled a
lonu ,,ay and seen many countries since then. We ha,e met old students in
many places and sometimes in almost dramatic circumstances.

Since we have been living in Derbyshire \\'e have ho.d several visits to
and from Old Boys. We have al\\'ays found thes~ meetings anri the reminiscences
to \\hich they give rise, most enjoyable.
We have followed with mnch interest the rlevelopmcnts and changes in
the School, especially when they affect people who were with us. I must not
start mentioning names, or I shall not know when to stop. It makes us feel that
we are still in touch with things, when we realize that many of the people we
Jrne\\. and \VOrked with so long are still working away in the Old School.
So, to conclude, we wish all the best of good luck to the Cathedral Old
Boys Association and many more Centenaries to the School, with a hundred years
-of solid good work from one to the next.
Good Luck to y0u all.
(Sd.) L. \1. S. BRUCE.

A MESSAGE FROM MR . C. B. NIX-JAMES

My heart-felt gree tings to t he School and its Old Boy on the occasion
of this Centenary . With my gree tings is a deep gratitude for the friendships ,
happiness, and opportunities given me throughout my working life. The School
has provided these for thousands who have taught or learn t there: we celebrate
a cent ury of fu llness of life, and all of us who have shared this life have a
fellowship for all time .

I remember classes of less th3n a dozen , and a staff of abou t th e ame

size. T hat was forty years ago, and t he Sc hool was already sixty yea rs old; 1
wonder what it was like a hund red years ago. I p ictu re a dozen choir boy
under one teac her in the Cathedral vestry .
And now ? Sometimes I visit the School - and enjoy t he p ontaneouswelcome that I always rer.eive - and sometimes I pass al ong Outram Road on
my way elsewhere. N ow , I see one of the leading School of India , a School
grown up and burstin g with energy.
Maybe it has not yet reached its prime, for who can say what the future
will bring? But of this I am sure, that this contribution of gratitude for the
past, greeting for the present, and ~oo d wishes for the future is but one of many
which will , in thought and word , converge on the School to which we still belong
in some measure, a stream of sincere wishes that there may be other centuries ot
companionship , fruitful work , and happiness still to come.
(Sd .) C. B. NIX-JAMES .

A MESSAGE FROM THE HON. GENERAL SECRETARY

It is not everyone who is privileged to witness th e Centenary Celebration

,Ji ills Old School. and we who are here are fortunate in 1his resp ect. I have been
closely as.._c;ociated with the School and the Ola Boys' Association since 1922 and
haYe seen the former gro\\ from ;:i modest 200 to over 600 pupils in the Boys
School alone. .Elsewhere in the COBA you will no doubt find more accurate
rigures of the increased number of stud ents in the three Schools as well as the
physical changes in the re pective buildings .
I am sure that all the old Girls and olci Boys will join us in the hope
that the Cathedral & John Connon Schools will grow from strength to strength

always maintaining the high standard of education thev have set over the last
.century.

Our good wishes always,

(Sd.) S. HASKELL
It on. General Secretary.

10

A MESSAGE FROM MR. A. P. SOUNDY,

SECRET ARY OF U .K. ASSOCIATION
H earty Greetings from all the Old Boys and Old Girls in Great Britain.
Although we cannot be with you in person we are glacl to share with you in spirit
the celebration of the one hundret11 anniversary of the foundation of the School
which is the commo;:i bond between u.:;. For most of us in Great Britain the
probability of returning to India is rC'mote. So it is with keen interest that we
look forward each year to meeting those of you who are here on leave. vVe hold
our annual reunions at Overseas H ouse in May each year. If any Old Boy or
Girl, or member of the staff is here at that time we shall be delighted to ee them.
Our next meetin g will be the Centemry Year reunion. W e look forward to making
our spiritual celebration a personal celebration with many of you in 1960.
(Sd.) A. P. SOUNDY.

MESSAGES CONCLUDED

11

'' The Old Order Changeth ''

By C. ] . Oliver.
During the h undred vears that the school has existed, there have been
many change in it , changb in composition , changes m H ead , changes in building,
changes in outl ook, changes in site, that is as it shou ld be. But I believe that
during my fe\Y years here there have been mo re changes than ever before changes that would make any boy of fi fteen years ago seem almost as if he had
\rnlked into a new school.
When I came here to\rnrds the end of th e V/ar-to-end-all War, t here
were somethin like l\\' O hundred boys in scho ol - so large a number that for
Assembly the J uniors used to congregate in the Hall under Mr. Eric Mahar, an d
t he Seniors in the then l\fenkwa Building, no\v Siddharth College, under the
Principal, :-.Ir. L. l\I. S. Bru ce with Mr. Lincoln at the piano. On W edn t~ days
(nmv on Tuesdays) there used to be congregational practice of Hymns which
consisted ot about twenty H ymns which were sung day by day, week by wee k,
month by month. Mr. Bruce conducted these practices with a ruler, beating out
the ti me, while the staff stood at th e back of the room, and the ex hausted fans
(later removed to the Physics Lab. ) competed with the boys and t he Outram
H otel Air-conditioner for auditory Drecedence I Housed in Menkwa Buil ding were
some junior standards and the Library . For some reason the basement was not
used except by the cats.
Classes in those days were considered big if they grew over twenty, and
in fa ct , even today you will find the original lockers at the tack of the room
numbered from r to 28. Most often tl:e " hi gher" numbered lockers were used
to keep footballs, boots in - some ingenuous day scholars used to keep their ''dry"
lunches here too, but rmly once! My own class (VI B ) consisted of about
fifteen boys of whom I rememb<;r, MacKenize, Latchford , Rolfe - th e first
because of his mischievous red far e, the second because he was very ready to
assist (it was about this fon e t hat I first heard t he word "muska") and the third
because he was very hard of hearing.
Standard V was at that time a lively class and I recall a cricket match
played with proper bat and ball durmg a French period, at the back of the room.
App ropriately enough, th is part of ihe bEildin g was later taken over by the Institute
of Foreign Languages !
Across in th e School building, th ere was a Scout Museum (now the
Prefect's Room) whi ch had a great asso rtment of rariti es - a chameleon wh o was
12

a lways being invited to challge 1 olour, an opium smoker~ outfit which once
clisappearecl for ~'. OlllC rJays, CCJi!iCJding \Vith a certain persc,n's absence from
school, b irds nesb, eggs, etc. de. etc. Next to it on the ground floor was the
Geog raphy l\.oom-cwn-SLagc f n<m 1he stage) \\hich took in the first three doort-.
0 the stage and \\a::. parutioncd -,;f frurn the re:,t of the H ali. 1 h(; t'wo pillars
that now stand in 1he H all fron t were the tormentor walls of the tage. T he
stage was shortened and side staircases built by :\Ir. Bailey at t he time 1\Ir. ] ames
" acting" . The H all was then paved \\ith red t iles a::. arc the vera ndahs . The
n ext part of the H all had a slidiug partition which ran in a grove in the floor,
and whi ch cxtrnJecl up to a "glass" wall over-head. T his paved-in partition
later moved up to the first floo r between t he Principal's office (at first Principal'
sitting room) and th e Board Secretary's room. Since then it has been fu rther
elevated forming n ow part of the wall between the taff Common Room and
the new third floor . The last class ro om on thi . .,ide of t he grou nd floor was
behind the " arch" and woo den partition now used bet\yeen the h rn class rooms
on the third fl oor, its place being taken by a " concertina" partilion which is folded
up for assembly every morning. ~l .his back part of the Hail is an excellent " silence
zone" where nothing is heard that is spoken from the sta15e. F ortunately it is
no longer used during concerts.
Concerts in those days \.\UP, very homely affairs and were trictly " Parents
not allowed" affairs. The stage had a " batten" of fi ve ordinary haded lamps
over-head, and fo otlights erected by J ohn the carpenter, ometimes cau ing the
''curtain'' to smoulder ! The sets consisted of black curtains fluttering in the
breezs (these curtams now cut do\n1 are used for biack-out arrange 11ents in the
Science lecture room). The "concerts" \\"Cre held from z p.m. to 4 p .m. and
consisted of a se11es of "acts" usu ally collected together that morning. w e ha,e
travelled far since then! Incidentally, the present curtain and "front", designed
by Lt. Col. Boret, \\UC presented by the Old Boys' A ociation at a cost of
Rs. r,ooo / -.
The footli ghts \\"ere presented by the " Cronicill" the weekly
school rag that "published anything" - and alas no lon er activ ! The other
lights were paid for by the Old Bo,s anJ built by " Ollri ., under \\hich nom-deplume Messrs. H.ispin and Olli' er use J to work. The lighting and \Yitchboard
is also the work of this s8mc team.
The front staircase - a Poisy \\'Ooclcn enc - was pla -tered owr by a
reel composition which was supposed to improve appearance and reduce it "sounding-board" propcrtic>s. Thi:: staircase ha DO\\" been panelled all the \my up. The
photographs were rcmovccl , partly by an arti tic burglar. and their destination is
unknown. It is believed that they arc to appear in a special album.
Further changes on thL' ground floor, apart from the remoYal of the
Drumstick tree outside the Chemi try Lab. and its replacement by a Royal Gul-

13

~ tohor.

haw been the using of the quad for hrn badminton courts, sheltered

from the wind and separated by a large blue curtain that tretches from the
school building to the shed. The "Sir Acid Lemondrop Cnckct League" and
"The Free Boaters League" started in 1949 arc still as popular as ever as
lunch-break activities. The cricket has unfortunately not been held for two years
becau e of builders' .'caffolding. In the Gymnastic Shed, apparatus consisting
of horizontal bar, Roman rings, trapeze, horse, chair, etc. are now in very much
greater demand than e\er before.
In fact the variety of exercises done has
cau ed the Juniors alone to occupy the time formerly used for the whole competition. These competitions arc now judged by P. T Instructors of the Armed
Forces and Police.
\ hile we are here, let us go up the stairs to the nld Boarders Dining
room, now School Library, \\'here the "fold-up " tables are still to be seen. The
kitchen next door has suffered a ch:rnge "into something rich and strange", for a
time the Staff Common Room and now the H .S.C . Class. I his incidentally has
become a regular feature of the school :rnd at pkscnt is sendin g up six candidates
(five boys and one girl) for the examination of this year, and has a "Junior"
section of ten boys and t\.\ o girls. The head-boy is mvariablv a member of the
H.S.C. (Senior ) class. The subjects offered are Mathematics, Further Mathematics,
H istory of a puzzling variety, Gtography, French, Latin, English, Chemistry
and Art.
The fir t floor has had the greatest "shifts". From housing the Principal
and his office, it has gradually changed its composition to: class room, Head 's
office, Board room, Sta.ff oua.rters (two ) and then to: Class room, Head's office,
Boa.rd room, Class room, Staff quarters (one ) and now is: Class room, Class
room, Class room, Class room, Board room and Head 's office.
The Head boy has his own room in what used to he a bath room and
the Vice-Principal sits where a bath tub used to be in the end room. The verandah
- with central pillar removed - now forms the Principal's ~ecretaries' Roo m.
~fr. Linc0ln still function s in his old office , the ship's bell no longer
hangs here but now rings over the quad and is the exclusive "baby" of the lab .
Hamal (still the same old chap!). This character has now learnt quite a deal
of Physics and can bring you a flask without your having to draw a diagram of
it or going in to a "d umb charade". His orbit too has been decreased as there
is a special Chemi stry lab. assistant.
There is therefore little fear of :findin g
Sulp huric Acid in the Ammonium Hydroxide bottle! This has of course taken
away much of the old adventure ')f doing Practical Chemistry !

14

Above the .school lavatory has arisen a cience Lecmre Room With
"stepped" floor and connected by a balcony to the hr t "arch" outside the
Physics Lab. The Movie Projector used quite often for visual education, sound
films, the Strip P rojector. and the Epidaiscope an all here ready at a moment '
n otice.
The Second floor has also seen many change . The old Staff quartercum-Common Room have been re-designed to form the Princ1pal's quarters. The
"attic" still houses two members of staff, the old staff dining room being the
common sitting room. The roof no longer leak as it used to do - I remember
l\I. Guambuiterc's classic complaint to ~Ir. James during the mon oons: '' ir,
The rain she is raining in every place!" - Dr. Ribi too - is he still at Tokyo
University? - will be glad to know 1hat the white ants no 1onger build "bridge
from wall to cupboard" to ge t at \-aJuable books.
What stories tbesr rooms could tell: of the "d 11cl" \Vith rapiers between
the late Mr. Burton and the late :\1. Grcmaux: the " H ockey Goalie" coaching
during ~mall break; the boxing ma.tch refereed by Mr. Lunn who a\\'arded " free
kicks" for fouls committed; the \nestling matches, catch-a -catch-can !
The Observatory remains a mysterious little ' box '' unobserved by most
people. The Senior Boarders' Dormitory now houses a small "Scout room" and
the staircase ieading to the Art room above the Principal's sittir!g room and the
"attic". It was here that Austin's complete kit was tolen by the thief who first
had a bath in the boarders bath room, then changed and 1::-ft his own clothes
behind. Some of th~ boarders were, Seniors: Griffin, liller, Au tin, Lalkaka, and
Bayes, some Juniors were : Robby ! ones, Upshon, Gwillians . Torpy , the Woollard
broth ers and Jacob .
Juniors u::ied to bathe in "the wash rooms" which are now respectively
a godown, a map room, the sick room, kitchen and pantry. The Dormitory and
Matron's room changed at first to a Geography room, Class room and Staff
quarters, and now to a Geography, from Clas. room and my own quarters which
are in part of Mr.J ames' rooms.
The Prefect 's room is now the .\uditor 's office, though the cupboard still
b ears "marks" of previous inhabitants. The ladder and trap door are now no
longer used as the pigeons han been al iow ed free usage of the "belfrey". I have
not been up there for many years but I suppose the carved names are still there,
the cigarette buts have probably rotted, or bee!l <'fl.ten by some enterprising pigeon
by now.

15

Finally there is the " new" third fl oor which i:- corn1cctccl to the front
tairca-0 by means 0 a narrow concrL'tc stainvay, consi,ts of two long Cl ass rooms
separated by a \\ Ooden parti tion, re movable m time of cxa111i11ations, and with a
" passage" at the side . This p assag~ leads on to a large Staff Common Room and
three " bachelor 's cubicles" \Yith b ith ro om ;i tt ac hcd . .l n~t ov er my head!
All the-c are physical chancses . lntelkctually too the school has changed.
I believe that the st:mdard of scholarship is now vastl y better than it was when l
came here. This 1s probably because boys now have to compet_. intellectually with
others for jobs, whereas then one g-o t OH with a word in the right car. T here are
also a great variety and choice of subjects taught. There is a; definite improvement
in Science and Adclit1onal Mathem::i.tics and a greater proportion of boys take
these "Specialist" subjects. Similarlv \\ith Art. There is no compa1ison with
what used to be produced in this line and what is prnclnced today. I bel ieve
that the general quality of teaching is better than it was. There are fewer
"characters" on t he staff than th<:re were and because perhaps the demands
made upon them are more they "give" more. Teachers tod ay arc not the "isolated"
and feared beings they were, at ~east tha t is my opinion.
In sport too, I think, a.chicvements are better tuday.
When I came
here, the teams were largely composed of "boardeis" and when you consider
how few these were, you will get <;ome: idea of the "choice" the school had. 1
remember how "useful" the boarclers were, often rroviding the necessary kit
for day-scholars who had "forgotten", and so often providing the su bstitutes.
It is therefore a pity that this department of the school was allowed to close
down. Somehow it received very little public.ity so that it eventu ally dwindled
to just fourteen boys! As soon as it was closed down there were a number of
people who said that they would have liked their sons to be Boarders! Strictly
speaking these Boarders were weekly Boarders who went hom e every week-end.
There were few that came from outside Bombay City. I am sure this is an
excellent idea, having sons Jiving, working, playing an organised life, and being
given "off" on non-school days. With the departure of the Boarders, I believe
the school lost something of its "character". The Boarders formed a strong solid
nucleus of school spirit and tradition. I think the school today does not mean
as much to many boys as it should. This to my mind, is the worst change that
this school has suffered .

Another change which has probably contributed to thjs decline is change

of staff. Probably with time, when the additions to the fast expanding staff (I
mean in "number") have themselves become part ot the .,;chool, the staff will
bring back the spirit of tradition that I feel the school may be in, <langer of losing.
Be this as it may, the staff of the school has grown to about three times what it
16

was, in keeping with the school which has grown in nnm ber in like manner . Yo u
can quite easily group the staff into small " p ccies" - the specialists in English ,
History, Geography, P hysics, Chemistry, Ma thematics. Art, and Languages. As
a consequence boys arc taught by specialists almost throughout their school ca1eers,
and there are not many teachers who, like myself when l first came here are
switched from year to year and term to term, fo r Elementary Mathematics,
History, Geography, to English, Physics, Chemi try or Engli. h and Hindi. This
J think is a good change leading to stability and experience.
This has become q ui te an article. T do not apologise for its length for
I believe that you who read this, p;irticularly those who have not had the chance
to visit the school since leaving it , will be interested to know in part the answer
to a question peculiar to Old Boys - " How is the old place getting on? " At
the same time, I am conscious of having left out many thin gs. So here are a
few in a nut-sheel : The installations of A.C . in phce of D .C ., the fluore cent
lighting, extra fans in class rooms, ;\Ir Pfr1raoh 's cubby -hole on the second
fl oor, the various staff bath rooms, something a bo ut the school servants, office
staff, sliding black-boards, Tu ck shop , Cubs . Sco uts, handicrafts , boxing, back
gate and wall, .. ... ............. but it would be presuming too much on the good
temper of the Editor' A 11 this m?y form the basis for the next article in thi
series in 2059!

17

I REMEi\1BER

I ..,,as a boy in La l\[arli11ilre C<ilkc;c, Luckrn'". ll'htn I f1r,;t became

aware of the Cathedral High School. In thr),;c day-.. 'nigger' was one of my
interest~ and \VP hearrl tha1 rnggcr had been rntroducccl there by Bill Hammond,
who had left tht ~Iartinicre to assume Hcad:hip of lhc C<Hhedral School. Thal
wa in rqr8 when Bill h3.cl been teaching me English, Scripture. and with indifferent
succes , (though he was always a fine teacher), Hi);tory. ln early August I920
I. a country bumpkin who had never seen the sea or teen to a larger city than
Lucknow, arrived in Bombay to join thP School staff. Bill F11ght met me at V.T.
We had been schoolfellows and it v.as a kindly thou ght '' hich proinptecl him to
meet me at the station. In my tum I have met se\eral recruits lo the staff,
often people whom I did not know. I remember being much exercised o\er the
problem of how to face strangers and ask them "Please excuse me, arc you
Pharoah?". All I knew of Stan was that he was "a fat chap", for he seems never
to have been one of Pharoah's lean kine: th<lnks to Pro,icknce, his shadow has
never grown less. It worked ou t all righ t thOJ.t time , for I was able to get him
first shot - not that he was the oP.ly fat chap on the tra in - but his name was
marked on his 1L1ggage.
But, to return to 1920, when I was not quite r9 years old, I found myse lf
in full charge of a laboratory. It was not much of a lab in those days and it
must have suffered from my early ministrati ons. for, howewr well-meaning I was,
I was very very raw . There were four large benches with all the top-hamper of
the old-fashioned chemistry lab, fill ing the front hal f of what is now the Chemistry
Laboratory (the other half was a scout-room-cum-gymnasi um ), and th e equipment
was almost medie\ al with its array of retorts and mysterious pieces of long clefunct
apparatus such as so often accumulate in school labs to the confusion of new
science masters. I was the heir to the sufferings of J\.lr. Oscar Brown and then
Harry Abraham who had, in their time, been the victims of this "jadu-ghar"
before me. We all know Mr. Brown with his long association with the School
Governors and COBA , but Harry Abraham left us long ago to teach elsewhere m
India and then go to the U .K. I met him often after he had left our staff, and
it was indeed a privilege to know this d eli ~htful aP.d kindh earted man . Like
so many endearing characters, Harry had his eccentricities. H e was an impulsive
person, fond of boys but greatly exasperated by them at times. H e would work
himself up to a towering rage and administer stern corporal punishment, then ,
after going into meditation for a while, he would be filled with remorse, feed his
late victim with cakes from Mon gini's, and protest to him "Now look what you've
made me do ! Never do it again ! Why will yon fellows make me lose my
18

tcinJkr likl ~hi!:' ? '

fhLr, v, oql .J be a p'Jlogie:::., e;.xplanation::., and more cak es.

I am told that !'>nme p achycknnatous boy::; considered it a good bargain to have
a lil' king fi om Harry. But though the iab was som ewhat primit ive, a goofl beginninb had been made, and my prcclecessors had laid a sound fou ndation . ln spite
o f my \\c ll-rnca11ing ignofd.nce of lab management, the lab r rew a nd develop ed .
1 t hin k p roviclcncc i-, usnally kind tCJ the well-meaning, and I have often o bserved
hcJ\\ \\e ll bov~ tu m on t in <;p itc of thei r teachers. The time ca.me \\hen t he cience
ckptirtmcnt grc\\ beyond the p roper control of a single man - already it had
gobbl ed up the scout room nex t doo r and then st olen the choir room which aLo
ddjoi ncc1 - and I plead0c1 fo r somebody to take over the chemist ry from me .

T he result of <h is \\ as th at , as I \\'orked in the lab on e week -end , :.\Ir.

H am mond brou ght a new a rri Yal from Engla nd in to the place. I n eed m ention
only that his fiamin g ginger head immedi a tely ill um inated the room , fo r mo~ t of
y uu to kn ow t hat lhe name was L. ~I. S . Bru ce. \ Ve sea1 ed our a_sociation with
beer dru nk from hydrometer jars : it \ \"aS one of th e longest and happiest a ssociations of my life. You always k new just wh ere y ou \H' re with L.~I. S.B., though
his agg ressive co lo uration and penet rating gaze gave manv the impres ion of a
.severity which b etter acquain tance soon disproved. H is basilisk glare could melt the
resistance of the hard est youn g tough , b ut you need only talk to th ose wh o 'Sere
in a certain stand ard VIII , of whi ch he was clas ma ter to realise that a \ery h uman
person lived b ehind these fierce eyes. That standard III has provided us with
so me of our most loyal Old Boys; \Yhat better p roof can there b e of L:.lSB 's
sigrlificance in t he history of the school ? By th e tim e he joined us, I had been
five yea rs on the staff, Arthur H.obson , Sinclair. \V.Z .P . White (believe it or not,
t hose were his initials; t his was rt ot " \i\ illo\y" White), Luxa, \\' heele r, .:..Irs .
Wheeler , an d several ot hers had, I think, left But E ric Mah ar, Bill Flight and
others were still with us. l a m not sure abon t " .;\Iu m " R ogers . " :.Inm Rogers"
- another name which conjures up a pict ure of a so und, st rict d i cip linarian like
Bruce; and, like Bruce, on e who stood (and still stan ds ) high in the regard of
those whom she ta ught . When I joined th e school :.Ir. H ammon d \Ya a way on
leave , and 11r. \\'heeler was t emporarily in charge . My recollection of him is
of a man with an unusu ally c11y humour, on e who said or did the mo t extraordinary things while looking sternly and with great dignity at yo u t hrouoh riml ess
"''pince-nez". I remember his be ing the desp eration of the nurses in t. George' s
Hospital when we were fellow patii>nts th ere. B ombay was v ery m alarious those
<lays and I have known the school close d own for a few days because th e wh ole
teaching staff but one, and many boys, were down with the disease .
I never met .;\Jr. , ava gc , but hi memory was very green \\'hen I came .
From all that I heard of him it was obvious that he was a truly great H eadmaster,
and a man who had won the esteem and affection of staff and bo .: ;. I think Mr. Luxa
filkd the gap between l\fr. Savage ' s death and Mr. Hammond 's arri\al a short time

19

later. I came to know Lu:-..a very well i11 later years. He had musing talcs to te ll of
another 'chool in which he \rnrked later. By all accounts he had an uphi ll fight to .
bring that place up to -crarch, and he told me of his ha\'ing persuaded one ofi our
Iwpectf)r:> of Schools to Yisit there. Luxa took him round, made a fuss of him,
gaH him a good lunch, and did all the things \\'hich a rc reckoned to put an
Inspector in a goo<l hum our. Sitting back co mfortably after lunch, Luxa Yentured
to ask, " \\'ell, there you arc L. ..... , don't you think t here's an impro\'cment?
l\lr. L. ..... \\'as a kind ly man: he cleared his throat and hum'd and ha' cl. "Go.
ahead, L ..... ", encouracred Luxa , "Tell me ,,hat you candidly think : tell me
,,hat you think I shoulcl clo. ' "Er, \\ell Luxa cand idly 1 t hink yo u should blow
the damned place up ! '
I \\'as tidying-up \\hen l \\ as leaving the School, a nd l assure you a
thirty-senn year ::,tay in one plac0 results in a need for much tidying, and I
raked up an ancient mark book . Such names as Mc l.aughlin, Edwards, Soundy,
Leontzini, Sutton, Simon, Stevenson , Hudson , White, Abdul Rehman , among
others of that Yintage appeared on its brittl e pages . The ink was faded , the handwriting - thou gh it was my O\rn - looked strcinge to me at first. Later on I found
Abraham , Haskell r and 2, Ardeshir, many Beales and Bulls, Rings r, 2, and 3,
- - In some classes there were as many as ten or twt>lvc names. Now-adays mark books are big, \\ith closely ruled lines so that the names of a whole
class might appear on a page, and this in spite of the division of classes into A's
and B 's. P erhaps we were more h:i.phazard in those days, but the smaller classes
ensured a personal relation between teachers and taught which is hard to achieve
now. (But Stan Pharoah seems to manage it even now. His knowledge of boys,_
their background, relations, characteristi cs, and activities is one which always.
makes me marvel. )
Needless to say, those lists called up a wealth of me mories. Mc Laugglin,
a lanky cheerful son! who discovered that I was yonnger than some of the boys
I had to teach and who did not hesitate to exploit his discovery to my di scomfiture
and the lightening of the day for :ny pupils (and seniors!) Soundy was one of
the first class which had t0 suffer from my callow efforts; and I mustn't tell tales.
out of School about him, for is ':le not one of the shining lights of the U .K.
Branch of COBA? Nicho Leontzini taught in the School for some time before
he joined the Times and rose to the position of Sports Editor. Nicho was always
a tenacious soul who gave himself utterly to his undertakmgs, whether rugger,
scouting, cadets, or teasing "Sammy" Simon.
Nicho and Sammy were close
fri ends, but the uninitiated would not believe it when they heard th e st ream of
insulting invective which flowed two-way when they were together, which was
often. In his earlie;1 days with us Sammy was inaccurate with his vowels; I remem ber Nicho's pouncing with delight on Sammy's remark " Mr. Hammond is far
away on the bellows." If I remember correctly, Sammy's rdurn indicalccl that

20

he did .N OT de light in the :,hapt of ~ icho' ;:;. lcg:o,; \\ hjch remind~ me of Bruce
ratt ling his cane imp a tiently b et ween the legs of a recruit who would not bring
his heels togeth cr wit h the click pr escribed in ' Infantry T rainin g, Vol. r. "
It
was one of the few occasic,ns on which Brnce lost on the exchange. ; a p rotesting
' m all voice from t he recru it in question info1med him " Please sir, I can' t ; I'm
kn ock -kneed ." I remember feelin g an a\\ful fo ol once - and \',it h better reason
- the ve ry first ni ght l was on duty in the Boarding establi hment. 5 minutes'
sil ence for praye rs was laid down ; I was very new and very z alou_. Under my
offi cious eye rows of boarc1.e rs kn elt by their beds in the ro om which is n ow t he
Geography Room . Bnt th ere was ONE who r1id not confonn.
adka was under
his m osquito net , kneeling up in bed W ITH H IS SOLA TOPEE 0
I was
scan dalised; my n ewly-in\'csted au thority was being flouted . I clouted Sadka hard
and sent his sola top ee flying. I t took ~ o me time to con vi nce me t hat adka 's
indjgnation an d the deli ght of the rest were fully justified , and that my ignoran ce
{)f t he J ewish custom of covering t he head while praying had betrayed me into a
faux p as of the first magn itu de.

It was a bout this time that a series of burglarie occurred. The building
was very v ulnerabl e then , indeed it was p-0ssible fo r any body to wal k right in and go
w here he wished at night . W ooden railings were fixed in the ground floor arches like
those on the upper fl oors an d there were wro ught iron gates fix ed to the red p illars of
the entrar.ces (t he pillars with Shahbad stone carvings of squirrels and owls on
their capitals), but the gates were not locked. At the back , bounding the quad
there were only low railings made of piping. These were replaced by the wrought
iron gates from the front, and they stayed there for years, till we began to find the
.outside spectators at our boxing too much of a nuisance . It is trying to remain silent
<luring rounds while the chokras of the neighbourhood are shouting " Shabash,
maro - wah, wah!" There was no night wa tchman ; eYerythin g was wide open.
It was an invitation to prowlers . SOI it was no t surprising that on e of the boarders
(I forget whether it was Sammy Simon or a large and st rong Armenian bov named
Rais) woke during the night to see a thief with his back to him fe elling under
the pillow of the next boy for anything to steal . Now he had a penknife under
his own pillow, and it was easy to open it quietly and stick it into the thief's back .
I understand that the thief moved fast, taking the knief with him in his back.
Another night the boarders chased a thief downstairs and cornered rum on the
bottom landing. It was a husky tough and he swung a length of water piping to
keep his attackers off, but they wrested it from him and gave him such a drubbing
that when the police were called they srud it would be as well to drag him outside
and leave rum to recover rather than hand him over.
There were no m ore
burglaries for some years: if any of our OB's are thinking of adopting burglary
as a profession I \\'ould like to suggest that it is only a very silly burglar. or a
very hardpressed one who visits a boys' boarding School.

21

Old photo6raphs of the building sho\\ that Uw front looked wry difierl'nt
in 1920. Thert' \Ya no hedge and only a. strip of dusty ground and a rail in~ made
of pipes, which you will still find inside th0 hedge I think, separated lhe verandah
from Outram Road. Fi' e tall toddy palms leaned out nwr the pavement and, if I
remember correctly. they had leaned on the railing lwre ancl there and bent 01
brokL'l1 it. Tlw leaf\- bead" of the tree-:; were lcYel \\ith the top verandah and Wt'
used to watch the t<~ody tappers visiting their collectin Q pots. 1 he sle nder decoratiYe palm in the micldh' ()f the strip of compound in front ''a~ little higher than
an athletic pl'rson could clear in a jump. There ' ' as no front porch (I\ir. Bruce
and hi- carpentry class made that. and they madl it, as you \\ill sec if you
examine it, so that it conld be p ut up fo r the monsoon only and ta ken down.
folded up, and stored for the rest of tbc year. A large almond tree grew at tlitUoyds Bank corner. then a drumsLick tree, then thl' fiw palms. next was a Jack
fruit tree and then some hybiscus a;id papiya trees iri the corr~er near the pre,;ent
Siddhart College. 0 course there were eo cricket nets o r cement paving. 1hc11.,
were more papiya trees and some miscellane,)us growth , which included a 1argt
fig tree (much lo\ ed by flying-foxes) in the corner near F orbes building. Tht
shed \\as open-sided and was unft oored , and there \\as no building where the
present seffants' quarters, carpentus' shop , library, etc. now sland . Instead ,
a rambling kitchen and serv;ints' riuarters filled the riuad lt ''as Bill H ammond
\Yho had this part cleared up and paved, anri he had the present la \'a to ry wing
built also. The inside of the building \\"as colour-washed \;:: rt: am at one time.
green at anothC'r) The choir had a room near the present Chemistry lab, and here
the forrnidablf' Dr . Faulkner presic1ed. We used to cal l him Daddy FCt.ulkner
{when he was not within hearing) and I, like the rest of us , ''as rather afraid of
him . He wa-.. a big imposing man an cl a fin e musician.
Only a large
wooden screen and the class cupboards divided the hall into two classrooms. I
1hin k :\.Iiss L ester and J e.ssie l\'Iiles looked after those classes, and there was no stage .
\\'h1:rc the stage nO'.\ is, was a separate classromn, walleo off from the hall. Behind
that, ''here the Prefects' room came later, ,,as a very n ep-leded School library .
Later on that part was converted to staff quarters fmt occupied by i\Ir. W. N. Haig,
who was !\Ir. \Vheeler':::i successor as First Assi-;tan t. The whol e of the wing over
the hall \Ya::> the Principal's flat. A loyal old fri end of the School stayed with
the H a mmonds for -;o mc years . Mr. F. V. Jakob, who undertook the Honorary
Treasurership of the School for a long time, first came to take an interest in ou1
doings through our cadets. H e had been an officer in the 1914-1918 v. ar and so,
fresh from active sPrvice, he was of the grcate:::t value to the Cackt Company .
At our fir::;t Cadet Camp (I thin k it was in 1921) I \\'a3 put in charge of tht.
commissariat. I \\'as young and innocent; the contractor's cooks were old in
iniquity. I do not think I hav~ e\li.:'r had a job which I disliked more or at which
I failed more dismally. I resolved then that I would never concern myself with

22

catering - a, resolution which , had the cadets been aware of it, would, I am sure,
have greatly rel ieved the boys - and I never have : I am barely conscious of
the diffe rence between beef and mu tton. But how many camps I have enjoyed
since then . Salselle country is vaned and delightful, and it \Vas much less builtover in those clays. Volumes could be written on the camps at Ghatkopar. T hey
were strenuous, but , I think, enjoyable; I remember that there were many
protests from boys when they ceased . Guard Duty meant a restless night, but
what opport unities it offered for night stalking of sentries. Cross country runs
every mornin g were anythin g but easy, but they too were eventful. W as it not
when returnin g fr om a cross-country run that certain ' \ \i se guys" decided to take
a short cut which precipitated three of them unto the trench which was being
used for the disposal of some of the less pleasant by-products of the camp. I
saw those three boys (from a distance, I am glad to say) gleaming \Yetly in the
early morning sunshine. T hey had to be excused parade to allo\V t hem the very
thorough clean-up they so urgently needed. It was many many days before
they could wal k about the camp without being met \.Vith pinched nostrils and
unkind remarks on the sort of place they seemed to sel ect for \;allovvi ng. Appetites
were enorn1ous. The Sergeants 'Mes9 one year, was much impres ed by L.
Sullen's prowess at the table, and they resolved to try some research into the
qu estion of his capacity . Even those hardened old soldiers, the Staff ergeants,
were astounded by their fi ndings. I t h.ink he . tarted off with half a dozen or so
large bowls of porridge, follo wed this with somethiP-g like double that number
of fri ed eggs and sausages, a large loaf cut into slices and thickly buttered, I do
not know how many cups of tea, and then a sizeable bunch of bananas. I wa
later told by the admiring Staff Sergeants t h a~ Sullen consumed all thi \Yith the
greatest nonchalance and no apparent effort . certainly no discomfort ; indeed, I
believe he had a substantial lunch after the next parade . lt was nece ary to
watch cadets on the rifle 1ange with an eagl::; eye. I think the mo t hair-raisin a
incident was one in which Mr. Bruce and hi_ Le1vi Gun Section p erformed .
The Fore Radiator Casing worked loose, dropped over the muzzle and was shot
off . It went flyin g down the range to t he accC'mpanyment of shouts of " STOP".
When the gunner could be restrained - fo r cadet are enthusia tic \Yith fire-anm
- Mr. Bruce went forw ard to retrieve the !iddled part . But as h e tooped to
pick it up there was a burst of fire from the eun. I was not there at the time,
but I am told that Mr . Bruce dived faster fo r coyer than any homina rabbit .
I th.ink that section had on its roll several of those bright member of the old
standard eight I have alre:tdy mentioned . Were not Robottom , Dicky H ay, W ally
Abra ham, Sid H askell , John Marshall and others of that ilk there ? And I think
the same people were in the carpentry class which made the boxing ring we still
see every year erected in the quad. What ervi ce it has gi\ n and what encounters
it has witnessed. Was it not Simor. - and l\1 Locgkin vvho, \\hacked completely
after several extra rounds (for that was allowable those days), ended their bout

23

:finally but indcci'in'lr on the stroke of the gong by landing, each on the other,
a d pairing blow which floored both contestants simultaneously. Before 1.hc
rin wa' made, the dormitory used to be cleared ancl 1.be ropes slung from hooks
let in o the door frames. It \\"aS lF're that I first saw Terrence Ring, as a very
small boy about to join the School. The next year he and another boy almost
as min ute as he were al!O\\ed to attend camp. They, with a small ki d, were
a -cepted as the three camp mascot>. After he left, the next time I saw Terrence
Ring wa, when a large man dropped in to sec me for a few minutes when his
ship called at Bombay. I \\'onder if the three Rings (Aubrey, Cutty, an d Terrence)
are still in Au tralia. D uring the last \\'ar an equally 12.rgc, or i;ven larger R. A .F .
officer called, it was Fatty Giles. I remembered Fatty Giles well , but I could n ot sec
the F atty I knew in my visitor till be happened to let his face on his hands while
leaning over the railing to look out on to the quad. Suddenly my eyes were
opened and I sa\\" a magnified Fatty Giles looking at me. It is n ot easy to
recognise the p lump smooth youngster in 1.he hefty man he becomes years aft er,
an d the op enin g gambit fo r many a conversation in which I have become in vo lved
in shop or cinema, at bus or railway station , on the maidan s or H omby R oad has
often been something like this :
MR. X.

" I bet you don' t know who I am."

MR. N-J.

" H ow long ago did I teach you?"

MR. X.

" O, er, -

well, let' s see . About 30 years I should think."

MR. N-J.

'I\ ow , how the dickens do yo u think I'm to remember

every little s~inker I ever ta ught , p articularly wh en I
see his fac e from below instead of on top as I used to?' '

Someti mes I have dropper! a resounchng brick. One snch occasion started
mu ch as I have described, and went on by my e11 q uirics how he was gettin g on,
whether he was settled in Bombay, married or single , any children . Yes, he had
two boys. Then why did he not, I asked with so me asp erity , supp ort home
industries, why were they not in the C . H. S . The answer was th at they both
were, and had been for a year or two . I was relieved that the bus was not
long in arriving .
People have said that thcv co uld not face school mastering because we
schoolmasters lead such a " sheltered" life; we meet no one! W ell , well! Boys
by the thousand ? Staff and paren ts by the h undrcrl ? And let so me of these
unsheltered talkers be at the tend er mercies of raving voun o- lunatics three

b
'
dozen _a t a time, the whole . clay and every clay, and p erhap s they would think
otherwise . But I must admit that however th e young lunatics may rave, they
are a good-hearted lot, and quite harmless as a rule. Indeed, they are good fun !

24

One of the compensations of schoolmastering is that one has good long

holidays (not that one clcies not Tleed them). I suppose some of the happiest
holidays I have had have been those which I have shared with colleagues. T ht
winter in the Himalayan foothills near Dehra Dun along \Vith Bruce, Church,
Eagles, Rex Savvyer and J ohn P earson is one which I , for one, will never forget.
Those day-long tramps in exhilarati ng weather in a coun1.ry which would be
hard to beat anyw here , th use cold <?venings when we lazed, an d talked and read by
a ro arin g wood fire while we sipf-C:d a gratefully hot whisky-p unch, those excursions with Rex Sawyer and a cheerful Gurkha shikari, ranging the hills fo r barking
deer, wild pig, or black p:u tridge, how good it b to look back on t hem ! i\Jany
years later I was the guest of Artie Lunn and his family in t heir lovely house some
miles to the south of Dehra Dun , and once again I roamed the Doon and the edge
of the Terai jungles with a shot-gun in the company oi my ho pitable host . Other
Himalayan trips come to mind - To the Pindari Glacier in the K umaon Hill with
Artie and Derek Warner, Kashmir with "Charlie" H unt (I remember his reply
when I suggested, while we were ont walking amids stupendous scenery, that we
go on a little furt her to see what was round the shoulder of the next mountain.
"O, what's the use, " he said wearily, " there'll only be more blooming cenery !"
Then I did a walking tour in Sikkim with P adre Parr. H e was a born artist and I
::;hall never forge t one effort of his - a small ma terpi ece of economic sketching.
We came suddenly upon two bantams having a fi ght, and A.C.P. who '.Yas an ardent
bird-watcher and carried a sketching block ready to hand, dashed off a few
apparen ti y rand on lines anri sq uigglcs \\hich expres ed the Yery essence of a dusty
cock fight with scrawny young bantams leaping and striking.
I went after big game with Rex Sawyer several times, and I have one
outstanding memory. In the C.P. '"he shooting of bi_on was not allowed unless
they charged and one must fire in self defence. r O \\~ the rule had been in fore for
years, and t he bison, knowing the~; were safe, \Yere almo t a tame a domestic
cattle. But Rex decided to try to rrovoke a charge, while I co\-ered him, being
ready to fire if necessary. I did not like the job at all fo r a charging bison is like
a steam engine. But the bison looked enquiringly, and slightly superciliou ly a
Rex as he pranced, postured, shoutC'c1 . and Hnng stones at them, and e\'enrna lly,
tired of watching what they seemed to think a . illy demonstration , lumbered off.
I was at the School play again th is year ; I do not remember our e\'er
having put on so good a show. I think everybody \\'ill agree that H ayeem made
a superb Mrs. H ardcastle. ~lr. H C?.mmond wa _ ahYays very keen on dramatics,
and I remember a seri es of Shakespeare shows - I think Derek Warner's Pro pero
was one of the high lights - and r.thC'r plays. Irs. H ammond was a fine actress
too, and the Hammonds took an active part in Bombay Amateur Dramatics. Ir.
Jakob (J as he was called by everybody) was another enthusiast. The school
stage was seldom unused for long in ~Ir. Hammond 's time. Then came Mr. J enkins'

25

production of The Pirates of Penzance 'Yith l\fr. Hunt in charge of the music. The
girl
har d the show with us. I ~hould think there has seldom been a more
c.harmincr l\Iabel than .'.\label Mosly, or a more luxuriantly mustachioed and utterly
ab~urd poli e sergeant than N. Rahim. (By the way, I was the guest of Nazi~
and Leah in their charming house in \.Vilmslow while I was on leave, and a happier
and more enjoyable visit \':ould be impossible.) "Th'.'.C Pirates" was an ambi tious
effort, and one of our bigger successes. i\Ir. Coxhead did some wonderful scenery;
I think photographs are still somewhere about in the school. We were all sorry
when the show was over; it had bei:n a happy team - Mr. J enkins as the Ma jor
General, his bevy of daughters, th"' policemen who found their lot to be "not a
happy one", Artie Lunn and his pirate crew with their "cat-like tread", Kilbourne
as the Pirate King, Ken Cuckow as Frederick and l\lrs. Cuckow as Ruth . Since
then there has been a row of operettas, for which we must thank Mr. Olliver
("CJ " to you, and me). The amount of work he did was prodigious - producer,
musical director, stage manager and carpc::nter, props m:m, electrician - everything
was CJ. (If I may be allowed one little bit of carping, I think CJ did not get all
the help he should have had). Then came Mr Clarke's prodt:ction of Hassan another success - and novv She Stoops to Conquer. If the ::,chool can maintain
the standard it has D O\\. reached in dramatics, we may look forward to some
shows worth seeing. CJ has also had a big part in the "COBAD " efforts in the
past, and now, so I hear, Sid is cooking up something new.
I suppose all of us who have been part of the school cannot help but
feel part of it still. I ha<l more than 37 years of the CH S life. It is a difficult
place to get out of your bones. I know I never shall.
The foll owing note accompanied the above article :
" H ere with vapourings -- I'm afraid much condensation, editing Md rejecting is needed. One cann ot
fit 37 years into 2. magazine article'' .
(No such condensa tion , editing or rejecting was
found necessary - EDITOR).

26

WANTED-A GOLF SECRETARY

By R . B. Brown.
A few days ago I was chatting with a very keen anci regular golfer in the

changing rooms at " Willingdon". Jn the course of our chat he said he felt that
the Old Boys could raise a team !"trong enough to give Willingdon "A" a good
game . I was most interested in this comment as - firstly, I had no idea that he
was an Old Boy and secondly felt that his interest sugge ti;d that here, indeed,
was a means of getting a section 0f the Old Boys together.
I took an early opportunity of running through the lU of 1Iembers
and jotting down th e names of those who I knew to be golfers.
Since then I have had ;:i.n opportunity of discussing with ome of the
keen golfers on the list a suggestion of forming a Golf Section. Their reactions
have been very encouraging and a!'ising out of thec;e discusswn , here are a few
suggestions.

MEMBERS COMPETITIONS.
I have already had the offer of t\\ o trophi es. W e havP. sufficient member
of Willingdon and Chembur amongst us and timin gs should pro,e no problem.

GOLF LADDER.
This would tend to keep th e interest alive - pdrticularly over the
~fonsoon period . It would also give the " beginners" a chance to play a little
competitive golf. We would easily rearrange our handicap " ith a limit of 24
so as to encourage beginners.

INTER-CLUB COMPETITIONS.
T his could follmY a t a later srage ga uge our strength.

after

''"e

haYe bad a chance to

GOLF LIBRARY.
Several offers of the loan of books of instruction nave been made. I
have several myself and the Golf Section is welcome to them all. I shall be
happy to get rid of them as I fi nd tha t every time I read a book designed to
make golf easier - it has a disast:ous effect on my scores - no ! upwards of
course ! I

27

LOAN OF CLUBS.
I would like to encourage non -playing members to take up the game
and feel ' Ure that we can arrange for the loan of a set of Clubs and for some
of the older hands to take the begiPners around.
WANTED -

A SECRETARY.

I think you will agree that there is a great deal of scope here. All we
need now is an enthusiastic member to offer his servicrs as Secretary oil the Section
and to get the Section started. I rlo not think 1t will take much time or effort
particularly as a lot of help will be forthcoming from several playing members.
Are there any volunteers ? If anyone would like to take on the job, please drop
me a line or gin me a ring.
It occurred to me that perhaps the best way to launch the project would
be to arrange a social get-together, when we can gauge the response and interest
and discuss plans for the future. You will be hearing more alxmt this in due course.

28

IN SCHOOL TODAY.
By "Cijay".
Since last writing under this heading, I have much to report. The chool
Play - Goldsmith's "She Stoops to Conquer" was a huge success in every way.
Some of you probably saw it and will perhaps agree with me m my opinion that
itJ is perhaps the bc::>t that the School has so far Jone. Great credit goes to Mr.
Lionel Dexter, the producer and :\Ir. David Egan the :>tage-manager for their
efforts. Mr. Ranji - the carpentry expert also gave rnuch unostentatious help in
making the "props".
Football House matches were somewhat handicapped by exces ive rain
and slushy conditions uncler foot, hut produced a keen and manly tandard of
football. Wilson House, with nine "first class" players were expected to carry
all before them but failed to live up to expectations . In Cricket, all matches were
keenly contested and there were few teams that scored Jess than mo runs in an
innings. The Senior Barham vs. Savage match was a real marathon, tarting at
2-30 p .m. and continuing until night fall made more play impo ible. This wa
the only drawn game. The Juniors produced, a usual, some strange result :
but Wilson prevailed having the greatest number of ~gantic " under-r4's". Incidentally, it is remarkable how many really tall and reall:v thin chaps there are :in
School today.
One cannot accou:it for this "palm-tree" lPndency except by
blaming it on the Atom Romb! While writing this note, I hear sound of great
merriment and shouts of victory from " downstairs ' which indicates lhat the
Table Tennis (previously r.alled "pmg pong") is m foll wing and aLo hat there
is a keen match going on in the quad in the current " Freebooters" League. The
trophy for this rests on th E' cupboard behind me - it consi. ts of an old football
boot mounted on a plinth which ha:. on it : " FREE-BOOTER' LEAGl'E " .
1949 -

Old boys

1952 -

Std . XI.

IQ:)) -

td . X.

1950 -

Std. XI

195.) -

Std. X

1956 -

Std. X

r95r -

Std. VIII

H).54 -

Std XI

1057 -

Std. XI-A

Some of our Boys have taken part in the C.C.I. Swimming Gala, just
concluded and "walked" off with quite a few trophies.
The Aarjay Scholarship Examination is on . This is an open examination
.
wh1~h has handsome scholarships awarded on its results . to bo~ in or \\ishing to
be m Std. IX. We usually have some competitor from other schools trving for

them. These scholarships arc tenabl e at the CathearaJ School only.

29

The staff ha\e 'tarted practising for the annual " b over's Cup" match
again 't the School in cricket. I hear that this year the match is lo be piayecl
" erionsly" - by whom l do not knmY.
I am, at present busy collcc~ing material for the Borderer and have
taken a little time off to scribble this article. There is quite' a deal of good stufi
coming m and ' hould you be fortunate enough to ge t hold of a copy by virtu e of
parent-hood. I am sure you will ha\e an afternoon's intcreslmg reading ! What
a pity the Old Boys stopped first writing for the Old Boys' Section in the Borderer,
and then taking the Borderer itself.
The games against Bishop 's were held al the beginning of October and
produced the usual keen friendly nYalr; we have comi:- to ex_i-;cct from them. The
cricket wa a "\\ash out" because of the rain but there are moves afoot to play
this match after the Cambridge Examinations. In football, Bishop's were unfortunate
to be caught on a really "Sticky" field and the match \\as plaved in a shower of
rain. I ha\'e "CE''J. league matches at the Cor:lperage ;:i.bandoned in less wet condi tion . 'trangcly enough tbPre was some good football particularly by our chaps
who seemed better able to adapt themselves to the condition of the ground. ThC'
J uniors went to Poona am~ returned after an en joyable time. The results of the
g:ame- are unimportant - I thin k we had rather b etter of the exchanges .

1 he Inter House competition is in a very interesting stage - any one

of Barham , Palmer or Savage may ma ke it. Swimming and Gymnastics arP- yet
to be held.
At the time of writing the Cambridge Examinations are almost upon us.
The H. S.C. start" on Wednesday 18th November - we a re presenting 6 candidates. The S.C. begins on the 23rd. and we are enterin g the record n umber of
62 - about 40 "Science and Maths. Specialists and 22 " blokes" . In this connection it may be of interest to rnme of you to know what this H.S.C.-S.C .
business is all about. I am often asked how they compare with G.C.E. Well ,
Initials first: H.S .C. stands for Higher School Certificate (equivalent to Intermediate Arts or Science). S.C. Etands for School Certificate (generally called
Senior Cambridge) . G.C.E. stands for General Certificate of Education. This
last can only be done in England where it has replaced H.S .C. and S.C. by being
done at different " levels". There ci. re some countries out East where the G .C.E.
can now be done. The S.C. now goes by the imposing titl e of The School Certificate and General Certificate of Education Examination. The G.C.E. requires
a candidate to "pass" in three subjects and candidates are aliowed (in Eng1and)
to take "papers" in stages. The S.C. requires candidates to "pass" in at least
five subjects, all at the same attempt. The G .C.E. " pass" is equivalent to S.C.
"pass with credit''.

30

Now the question nf "lc~vt:b". There are three in G.C.E. "O" (Ordinary,,
'A'' (Advanced) , "S" (Scholarship). The "O'' level is equivalent to S.C.
"pass with credit". "A" level is equivalent to H .S.C. and the " " level is a
sort of super-H.S.C. taken by thosr brainy people who are competing for Scholarships at Universities.
Incide;ntally, as from next year all lbo::A; of Indian Kat10nality, taking
S.C. in India, will have to offer an Indian Language as a sub]cct for examination
and they will have to pass it, in arldition to satisfying certain other conditions to
gain a First or Second Division . lt 13 worth noting that a carnE<late getting distinctions in all other subjects but failing in his Indian Language wilt be clas ed as being
in the Third Division! Take this as a timely warning and get either "foreign"
nationality recognition Of< iet your l herub take S.C. outside India OI~ _tart twistin
little Rusi's tail right now. H indi ic:. not a_ difficult language and any boy who i
prepared to give it a fair chance ::an do \\'ell in it. Believe me, I knmv what
I am talking about. The main trouble is ihat many people con ir1er things Indian
as inferior to things foreign. This may be true sometimes but very often it is
just a pose. This pose is carried one step further in the mmds of childr n and
this is the real reason why children find Hindi. tlarathi or Gujarati "0 difficult.
Before I dose, I must give you a really good motto 1 came aero_ ::.ome
time ago, one that I shall have printed in large capitals owr my office the Yerv
day I become a Head master!

A PAT ON THE BACK DEVELOPS CHARACTER IF ADMI NISTERED

YOUNG ENOUGH. OFTEN ENOUGH, AND LOW ENOL'GH!

Finally, I have before me a. list of Old Boys who are 'behind" with t heir
subscriptions. It is always an embarrassrr:ent to one like myseli to see my "friends"
names on such a list. Whv not either write and resign f;om the Asso~iation or if
your backwardness is due to forgetfulness, why not become a life member. Th e
formula i s :
-

L = (75 -

D) + D

where L stands for Life Membership and D for your dues.

by simplification can see what this really amounts to.

You mat hematicians,

There were so many of you. very prominent at the last Old Boys' Dance
who were either not merr.bers or were defaulting members. This ma..,; be crood
business - I don 't know, for thank God I am not a businessman. I .had i::tter
..end here for this is beginnmg to sound like "Straight from the Shonlcler".

31

DO YOU KNOW?
VARIANCE IN WEIGi-ff !
The body is found to Wt!igh less than normal when travelling downwards in a lift, and more when travelling upwards. When looping the loop (not
hoopin cr the hula) and in certain other aerial acrobatics, the passengeI'3 bodies
increa..c;e enormously in weight, so that at f rne9 it require~ an dfort to lift the limbs _
1

POSTURE.
A study of postural defects in more than a thousand Heidelberg duldren.
shmved that r87 had general poor posture and 202 had curvature of the spine.

DIET FOR E XPECTANT FATHE RS.

If you are an expect:.nt dad you should follow le ~ame diet as yom
wife, according to Dr. Genevieve Stearns of the College of Medicine. State
UniveI'3ity of Iowa. This is because when a young pregnant mother is asked to
follow a special diet, she often complains that her husband requires a different
meal. This results in two separate diets being eaten in the same family, a situation that discourages her from follovring the prenatal programme that is so essential
for both mother and unborn child. If the father agrees to eat the sa.me meal
this difficulty is solved. Dr. Stearns advises the young father to r-emember that it
is not only his wife's baby bnt his too !

ATOMIC HEAT TO DIST ILL SEA WATER .

The United States is planning to use atomic heat to distill sea water in
a new plant designed to convert one million gallons of sea water into fresh water,
every day. In the distillation process sea water is heated p ogressively and piped
through multi-stage pressure chamber, the resulting vapour being condensed by
the plant. However several technical considerations still rem?_in to be res.olved,
but the results of such experiments are reported to hold good promi:;e for future
large :;Cl.le distillations.
ACCURATE SPOTTING OF BR AIN TUMOURS.
In this test, ra.di.o-active arsenic is injected into tlw pd.tient's vein in
amounts too small to prove toxic and for an hour scintillation counters are
moved back and forth across bis head. This machine makes an outline of the
areas where the brain tumour is located. Dr. Gordon L. Brownell, Physicist,
and Dr. William H. Sweat , brain surgeon, performed the akvc test on 400 cac.;c&
and localized 80 per cent of the brain tumours.
32

MILK KEPT FRESH FOR 18 MONTHS.

1 his is the outcome of an entirely new process, invented at the .Natlona.t
for Research in Dairying, England. Normally pasteurized milk is first
treated for about five minutes with ultra onic vibrations.
exl, it is poured into
hygienic containers which arc immediately heat-scaled and gradually frozen for
.about an hour. It is now ready for shipping. Every step in this process is carefully
controlled. The frozen milk retains the qualities of its liquid pasteurized equ1va1eut
for upto r8 months, in any climate provided it is kept frozen at 10F or below.
The properties and tastr cf frozt-n milk are the same as for ordinary milk, once
it has been thawed out.
ln~titnte

33

SPARE A

SMILE~

"The turtle Ii ves 'tv. i. t plated Jee~

Vhich pra tically conceal its sex.
I think it clever of the turtle
In such a fix to be so fertile" .

OGDEN NASH .

"The Reverend Henry \.\' ard Beecher

Called a hen a most elegant creature.
The hen, pleased with that,
Laid an egg in his hat,
And thus did the hen reward Beecher ! ''
- OLIVER WENDE.LL HOLMES

A bivalve (an oyster to you)

Declared he was feeling quite blue .
" For", he said, " I am told
When the weather turns cnld,
I am likely to get in a stew".

The preacher came along and wrote upon

the signboard: "I pray for all".
The la\\yer \\Tote underneath : "I plead for all".
The doctor added : "I prescribe for all".
The plain citizen wrote: "I pay for all".

St. Peter - How did you get here ?

New Arrival - "Flu"

A Scotchman, an Irishman, a Frenchman and an American wer having

dinner to gether. When the meal was finished, and the waiter came with the bill.
the Scotchman promptly said he would take it.

The next day an American Ventriloquist was found murdered.

34

Father Ryan -

Houlihan -

" And when you were so near Death's door, did you feel afraid
to meet yo ur maker ?

"No, your reverence . It was the other gentlcm;i_n I was afraid of:'

A notice in the window of a tailoring establishment read Maker. Entrance round back".

"W

Trouser

A cinema poster read :"Th ursday 31st August, 3 days.

H ere Comes The Groom (U)
With interestin g shorts".

Friend -

" Say, there is a bunch of people outside waiting to see you.

them is a bishop who says he married you.

Film Actress -

Among

"Gee! I am piactically certain I never married a bi hop" .

A THANK YOU.
While thanking all those who have contributed to \Yard the publication
of this number, we should like in particular to express our gratitude to ;.Jr. A.
P. Pudumjee of Messrs. P udumjet P aper Mills P rivate Ltd. , Bombay and Me ~ ~ .
R. B. Brown and C. ]. Olliver fo r all their advice and assi tance to a orely
beset editor.
- Editor.

35