Several Cathedralites check in

I am so blessed that so many of you check in regularly to give me the news.

This last week I had long and newsy emails from 56erUbi (Harminder Uberoi), 57er Tony (Ashok Jaitly), 62er Monty (Wilson), 60er Cynthia (née Abbot and Monty's wife) and of course, one of my most important correspondents, our very own Willie (Wiliam Shiri).

Willie gave me news of someone I have thought a lot about in the last 46 years , 57er Badni (Behram Badniwalla).

Dear Jacob,

If you haven't heard from me in a while it is because nothing worth mentioning has happened.here.

Just today I had an e-mail with a couple of old photos from Behram Budniwalla ( ' 57 ) who got my e-address from Gracie Hayeem. He looks about the same he did 40 + yrs. ago, and so do those thick glasses.

You would definitely remember him as the only kid in school then, on crutches.

I must ask him to get in touch with you and the Seventh Heaven. He has retired, (was a medical doctor) and now lives in Pune.

He wrote a beautiful letter recounting all he did in the intervening years.

I was able to recall many faces, and with some effort, a few names in the 1955 picture Behram sent..( It is the second attached). You might remember and may even spot a few like: Andy Gordon, Clive Ciel, Herbert Vaney among the "females" in front, and at the back, Abey Hayeem (heroine of the musical), Jangu(?) Kaka, next to him yours sincerely (whom Pushpa couldn't make out because of too much spirit gum on the twirling mustache ! ), next Tom Holter (?), (late) Mr. McKenzie (his younger brother joined the staff just after he died whom you'd remember better), Michael Colaco (mother of the heroine) and others whose names have faded from my memory. In fact I was amazed I could recall these many names !

Didn't know any one had colour-pictures those days. This one has promptly gone into my collection !

Vijay Nayar e-mailed me some weeks ago to say he was passing through Toronto. He was to land here in the morning and the connecting flight was about 10 hrs later. It was arranged that I pick him up from the airport and he was to have lunch with us. We live 15 min. from the Airport. Hasnain was going to join us for lunch but was called unfortunately away the last moment.

I was awaiting Vijay's confirmation of the plan, but there was no word from him --- -- and none since !. !

I was glad I didn't try to make Hasnain change his plans.

By the way, Jacob, if you have inf. on the whereabouts of David Eagan who was on the CBS staff in the late 50ies, I would like to know.

We've had a flood of visitors and overnight guests and have had not much time for my new love, the clarinet ! ...or for emailing.

Fond regards.

Willie

Besides Willie, we have to thank Badni and Tom for these pictures.


School heart throb of the 50's, Miss India,
Fleur Ezekiel with the luck guy who caught her, Manu Mandani


Class photo in someone's home of 57ers in 1956

Will someone please give me info about as many as possible in this photo.


The caption tells all

What wonderful news that Badni became a doctor. He was such a great guy in school and took part in everything. He was a friend of everyone. I remember him so so well. I do hope he gets in touch.

And finally, the magic moment of the Curtain Call


Curtain Call - A-Lad In & Out

And after all the identification made by Willie, there is just one more I can add. The dishy doll in the pink dress and veil sitting in the far left corner is NONE OTHER THAN ME!

News from the others who wrote in with lots and lots of news will follow in my subsequent blog entries.

Pleasantly delighted!

I was very pleasantly delighted to receive an email today from a Cathedralite I greatly admire and respect.

Here is a picture which has the correspondent. Can anyone identify him, and also "yours truly", who also happens to be in the same photograph? (Click to see larger image. Sorry no prizes for this contest!)

1958 Cathedral Senior Hockey Team

Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 12:06:02 +0530
From: HS Uberoi
Subject: Great To Renew Contact
To: Jacob

Dear Jacob,

I am amazed to have been forwarded a copy of Jacob's Blog. So far I have just had a very cursory look at the mountain of delightful detail that you have so painstakingly put together.

It really must be the only meeting point of Cathedral old students in the world. Well done indeed!

I was in the same class as your brother, Ranjit. Also Savage.

My two sisters are ex-Cathedral, and so are my two children, as also is my daughter-in-law,
Anahita. I now have one granddaughter in infant school with the hope to have the second one also in Cathedral at the end of the year.

Sisters - Harmohina and Dimple
Children - Samir and Yasna; Daughter-in-law Anahita
Grand daughters - Anisa and Aliya
My wife Bubbles, although not an ex Cathedralite, was closely connected with the school as an active PTA member especially when the school celebrated its 125th anniversary.

Harmohina was Head Girl in her time. Dimple and my daughter, Yasna, were House Captains in their respective years. Samir and Anahita were classmates in school and Head Boy and Head Girl respectively. I was Head Boy in my last year.

Just a few line to re-establish old links and I do look forward to exchanging a great deal of information with you in the future.

My warmest regards,

Ubi (H.S.Uberoi)

56er /58er Ubi was an extraordinary character as he was "friendly" with everyone. We all felt we knew him personally, and he loved all of us as much as we loved him.

Sister, 59er Harmhina, was not only Head Girl, but also Green House Captain, so we danced the opening dances at all the school socials that year. Also we used to have great parties at Ubi's place - they were fun. Nobody ever wanted to go home from those parties and we literally had to be thrown out of their 'A' or 'B' Road flat in Churchgate.

There are three Cathedralites who stand out during the pre-1959 era - Ubi, Nalin Dharia and Earnest Haskell.

It is wonderful that Ubi is now able to see this Seventh Heaven Blog, and hopefully update us about a lot that has happened during the last 47 years.

(Why do I say pre-1959? 1959 was the most extraordinary year as we had almost everyone of that year classes have been supermen, in sports, in studies and in their performance after school - no kidding! I'll do a story on that one day- promise.)

Ubi has been in Air India. I quietly followed his career to the top as long as he was there. However, like me, he has probably now retired, so is now off my radar.

Welcome to my blog, UBI and family.

60 Today - Monty

Wishing Monty Wilson a very very happy 60th birthday, today.

Here is a lovely family photograph at the Kentucky Derby (2002).

(Click to see enlarged images)

Eldest son Shane and his wife Sandy, Monty's wife Cynthia,
younger son Dale and Monty

Here are a very handsome formal looking Monty with his beautiful better half, Cynthia.


Monty with his wife Cynthia

And here is a picture of Monty relaxing at the Niagara falls.


Monty at the Niagara Falls

There is a rainbow in this picture. Let us wish that on this 60th birthday, Monty is reinvigorated onwards, like that beautiful colourful rainbow, to a new, healthy and happy long long productive life.

A very sincere happy 60th birthday, Monty!

Birthday greetings to my better half

Close to 15 years ago, when we were visiting Susanna in the UK when she was studying at Exeter University, as we walked down the High Street, Annikki felt like having a cup of coffee. We walked into a rather nice coffee parlour which also sold fresh ground coffee.

She smelt a delicious aroma and ordered a cup of coffee, which, to me, seemed to be priced at an astronomical figure.

One sip and Annikki was in heaven. She exclaimed loudly that this was the finest coffee she had ever tasted. I could not know as I had given up coffee drinking about 8 years earlier.

So I asked her to buy a kilo or two to take back to Finland.

Annikki asked the price and I was dumbstruck by the figure quoted. It was priced almost as much as a pot of GOLD!!

It was a coffee called as the "Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee".

The shopkeeper explained that they managed to get only a few kgs in a year as the Japanese usually buy up the entire crop.

A couple of days ago, when I had a friend from India visiting us, I took him to the main market and found a shop which sold tea and fresh ground coffee. I asked whether they had Blue Mountain Coffee . They had - just 150 gms and at THE price.

I went out early this morning to buy Annikki all that was available in Oulu as her birthday present!

Our grandchildren left for England yesterday, but they dropped by to say goodbye to their grandmother and me. Here are a couple of shots of Annikki with Daniel and Samuel in the Kampitie garden yesterday.

Annikki with Daniel and Samuel


Annikki with Daniel

Happy birthday to my love of the last 42 years.

Red Letter Day?

A feed from 54er Suhas Phadke. Thanks

Red Letter Day? 27er Mrs. Lam & 54er Gracie Hayeem & Suhas Phadke

I thought this may interest you.

Barham house captains a generation apart and meeting two generations later.

At the lunch at CCI during our reunion in Nov. 2004, are the red house captains
Mrs Lam (1927), Gracie and Pratap (1954).

54er Zarrin has just sent me this picture and I thought you all would like to see it again.

Cheers,

Suhas Phadke