59er Golden Reunion Directory

59er Golden Reunion Directory
59er Golden Reunion Directory

Sunday, April 16, 2006

"Nothing Like A Saturday Morning Mystery!"

Cricket nets

Our school cricket nets
that helped produce Johnny, photograph from the
59er Hasnain Chinwala / Chhaya Purwar collection


Stairway to Heaven
Stairway to Heaven, photograph from the
59er Hasnain Chinwala / Chhaya Purwar collection


Happy Easter to all your Cathedralites out there.

A very apt photograph for this Easter morn!

Although this is a repeat here from an earlier post, I should have added this picture to the earlier set about the roof renovation.

I wonder where this stairway leads too? I never thought about it when I was at school. Any idea who lived up there in our time? Not Olly, Gunnery or Ribi, as I know where their apartments were.

I received this email from 56er HS Uberoi yesterday, which bore the title of this blog entry.

Dear Jacob,

I have just returned from the Junior school after attending a singing concert of the school children, including my grand daughter Anisa, and have seen your debate with Budni.

Incidentally I have caught up with his elder brother Naval after 50 years!

Johnny Jameson would have been a 57er had he completed school in Cathedral. His father, the late Jimmy Jameson was in the Bombay Police.

Sadly, shortly after retirement he passed away in what was then Bombay.

I remember spending quality time with the Jamesons, the Newlands (Peter was in class with me) at the Police Gymkhana - Azad Maidan Police Station.

Johnny's father, Aubrey Balantine's father and Peter Newlands' father were all in the Bombay Police, as was Maurice Hewson, whose daughter, June, was in class with me. June married Des Whelan and the last I heard are settled in the USA.

If anyone has their contact info, please do let me know, for our 50th anniversary Reunion.

Ernest, Nalin and I did our HSC in 1958, not 1959. Ernest was the cricket captain in 58. He came to us from Campion in 56.

That is why he needed a great deal of straightening out!! (Ed: Any quick googly comment, Ernest?)

Nalin came to Cathedral in 57 from St.Peter's, Panchgani, with a very low slung belt and slicked back hair a la Presley!! He and Jimmy Tata made a crazy pair. (Ed: I remember Nalin was the heart throb of many a Cathedralite girls of many age groups!)

Jacob, in a day or so I shall also forward to you the latest on our Reunion.

Love,

Ubi


(Ubi, maybe it would be nice if you added some recent photographs to your email whenever you go to such functions, as the masala here will become more appealing to the younger generation. They may not like all this absolute frightful nostalgia that I pump out!)

Anyway, Ubi's input has helped resolve the Johnny (Budni has hit base with Johnny) and Ernest matter - only leaving the Andy subject on the table. I certainly remember both Johnny and his dad, who sometimes took the trouble to come and referee some of our games.

In one particular house football match in 1955, I remember Johnny being the driving force to victory after a goalless first half at the Oval. He called my brother and me and had a pep talk with us and planned the next half's strategy. Then, he took charge of the game, playing with such fervour, while the two of us defended from the half line. Our Savage team won by a healthy margin, as Johnny shot a few in! he was an amazing sportsman.

And we enjoyed those brightly coloured germ-laden crushed ice sherbet sticks afterwards! :-)

My apologies for claiming that the picture of the cricket team was the 1959 one - it was the 1958 one as 59er Vijay Nayar was the Captain of the 59 team.

Was it too late in the year for the 59 photography session?

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