School Quad evokes many comments

After my nostalgic reminiscences of the quad and traditions in the school, I have been innundated with many comments, all of them expressing that they too thought that traditions should be passed on.

This subject became poignant, especially as it was Founders' Day, and we were immortalising the traditions of our peers, the very founding of our school 145 years ago.

The one person, whom I had singled out, H. S. Uberoi (Ubi), came back with this very interesting response:

Dear Jacob,

My query regarding the quad was genuine.

No, you did not touch a raw nerve.

But your subsequent blog entry did jog my memory back to those delightful days.

In fact, I could write a whole epistle just on the diverse activities that were conducted in the quad and how they were an integral part of our daily lives.

You are quite right in what you have written. Sadly those activities, to the best of my knowledge, cease to exist.

Actually they disappeared a long, long time ago.

Even my son, who passed out 20 years ago, does not recall any of the activities that you have recounted.

I think only the boxing finals take place there, the last I heard.

Remember the Free Booters' League conducted by C.J.Olliver?

I think post co-education in the school, a great deal changed.

There are, no doubt, great improvements, but a great deal of tradition gave way to a new way of life.

But that I suppose is life!!

I do feel the same way as you do, but after two children who have passed out of school and with a grand child in school now, perhaps my eyes are more tolerant now than they were earlier.

My warmest regards on this the 145th anniversary of the Founders' Day of the Cathedral and John Connon School!

Ubi

Thanks Ubi - especially for updating us about the situation as may have prevailed for a long time. As I said, I had little or no direct contact with the school after I left, but my memories have lived on and kept me alive and active. When I started the reunite campaign for 59ersd, I had no idea it would lead to such abroad readership that i enjoy today. As Willie Shiri, our Physics teacher resident in from Canada wrote a few weeks ago: "PS: Never miss your Blog !" Can I get a better compliment than that from a person who "educated" me?

I loved the days when we were cheering on our house colleagues who were battling in the boxing ring in the quad. I remember yelling my guts out for Ubi! We used to stand on the balcony just outside the then Standard VI, directly overlooking the ring and just above where the Boxers came out to go into the ring.

Many a bloodied face have I seen going back after the fights! But the next day all the contestants were the greatest of friends. The battles that took place in the ring never took a step out of it.

I was never a strong enough a boxer to enter the finals. Little 59er Neelam Lakhani consistently knocked me out before the finals - one savage consumed another - as they say!

And the Free Booter's League was the quad football tournament that I had referred to in my earlier post - but the name had skipped my memory. Thanks for jogging it, Ubi.

Do the Operas or School Plays still get performed these days? Is there still a school choir?

It would be wonderful if someone would let me know as to what are the traditions of today that maybe will be passed on to the next 50 years - a computer games club?

Writing this blog, which is read by Cathedralites from the 49ers to 05ers of today, is part of my desire to drive the nostalgic juices in my alma mater colleagues.

If we are lucky, we may add "Big Benjy", the second born of the eldest of the Hayeem family, Solomon Hayeem, and elder brother of Josey Hayeem, both of whom live in Canada, to our readership.

That may extend our readership to the someone from the mid 1940s!!!

And in passing, I would love to know which Hayeem instituted the Hayeem Prize for English Literature. Don't scream the answer, please. I admit that I am the ignoramus.

Take care.