56er H.S. Uberoi has not been far behind 69er Prakash Thadani on feeding me on the happenings in Mumbai of last week. I am greatly flattered for the compliments (which I hardly deserve). But thanks, anyway.
Dear Jacob,
It was a year and something when I first wrote to you planning for the 50th anniversary of the class of 56. I can’t believe that I am writing to you today to give you details of the class reunion we had between 7th and 14th November 2006.
I would like to begin by saying that the reunion would never have been possible without the great efforts of those who took the trouble to be in Bombay. Especially those who came from out of Bombay and abroad at great expense and effort.
Our thanks to them.
The anniversary celebrations got under way on the 7th of November 2006 over dinner at the “Cabbage Patch”, Willingdon Club. The event was hosted by Muku Hamied, Iqbal Chaiwala, Dina Daver, Khadija Sarela and Rima Kashyap.
Muku had, a few days earlier, a serious fall, when he fractured several bones in his right arm apart from several other injuries. Poor Muku had to undergo surgery to set his fractures right and had to be hospitalized.
As the classmates of 56 began to gather for this inaugural dinner of their 50th anniversary, an ambulance drove up near the venue and out came Muku, on a hospital geurney!
A very dramatic entrance by a gracious host, who despite his serious injuries made it to the class reunion.
How’s that for commitment to the old school spirit that you wrote about recently!
The ambience of the Willingdon Club lawns, soft music in the background, fairy lights in the trees, set the tone for a perfect opener for the reunion!
The class of 56 set about renewing friendships, some after 50 years!
The wine and excellent cuisine,and the excitement of classmates trying to recognize faces of their youth!
The next morning the girls set off on their own to Poona to renew and review old relationships.
On the 9th night the boys met, while the girls were away in Poona, at dinner at the elegant home of Iqbal Chaiwala and his charming wife Almas. They graciously hosted the dinner with some excellent Muglai fare. The boys, with some of the spouses present, let their hair down and had a great evening. The surprise of the evening was the appearance of Michael Tahseen. He had kept a studied silence for long time and decide finally to join in!
Well done Michael!
The girls returned from their trip to Poona on the 10th of November.
11th November, we were hosted to a high tea by Chitra and Ashok Kumar in their lovely garden. It was a delightful evening, with all the classmates of 56 now in full swing of things, exchanging old tales. It was evident that all awkward silences had given way to animated revelry. Even the spouses had shed there inhibitions and were a part of the meeting of old friends.
Early on Sunday, 12th November, we gathered at the private boat jetty opposite the Taj Mahal hotel, where our hostess Rajni Anand and her charming daughter Kaajal were waiting to board us onto waiting speedboats to take us for the day to Alibag.The class of 56 was treated to an absolutely wonderful day in the palatial home of friends of Rajni.
Her hospitality was indeed superb and gracious. The food and drink were exquisite. The boys and girls of 56 relaxed and caught up with 50 years and more friendship as the music of the 50s set the mood.
We returned from Alibag early evening after a wonderful day. Ranjit Mathan, his wife Thangam (who could not be with us), Sohrab Kapadia, his wife Mahroukh, my wife Bubbles (NOT Dimple, as erroneously mentioned by Prakash Thadani. Dimple is my sister) and I hosted the dinner on 13th November, at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club.
The Yacht Club has an old word charm about it, being an old heritage building. Ranjit, Sohrab and I decided to recreate the “school social” type of an ambience for the evening.
We therefore had special balloons made (courtesy Ranjit) in the four House colours and the School colours, with the school crest printed on two side and with the inscription “Class Of 56”.
At least two thousand of these balloons decorated the halls and floor of the venue.
We had a DJ, who had instructions not to play any other music except my collection CDs of 50s music! We had a separate room for dancing and the buffet/sit down dinner was in a separate room.
The “school social” theme was a great hit and the floor was on fire with jive and rock and roll!
Well and truly was the class of 56 immersed in the nostalgia of the 50s.
As much as it was such a great joy to renew old friendships, there was sadness too, of not having with us some our classmates who were no longer with us.
Tara Malkani,our Head Boy, sadly passed away in May 1994. He was represented by his wife, Baby, and his son Aditya. Kirti Doongersee, we lost on the last day of school 1957 (after SSC) in a tragic accident.He was represented by his sister Pushpa. Fulmala Sagar, who I know was looking forward to this anniversary,was snatched from us in May 2005. Representing her were her children, Kunal, Manisha, Malika and Rahul. We also remembered with sadness, Roshan Khurody, Nalini Shah, Arjun Daryanani and Jeffrey Downey. Ashok Chawla is one more who has passed on.
14th November, Founders’ Day,took us to the St.Thomas’ Cathedral for the Founders Day service. Thanks to the kind courtesy of the Principal, Mrs Meera Isaac, we were allotted the front pews. The class of 56 looked resplendent !
It was a lovely service and I dare say quite emotional for us, who had left school 50 years earlier!
I am told that the girls went through several handkerchiefs each!
I would be lying if I said the boys were unaffected. There were quite few wet eyes! I know that whilst singing the school song that there was a catch in my throat when we reached “Pens will be driven by new boys in classrooms…..”!
Quite amazing that the parents of a girl of 56 were married in the St.Thomas’ Cathedral, she was baptized and confirmed there!
The Head Girl of 56, Amarjit Kulwant Singh (née Anand) read the lesson.
From the Cathedral we moved on to the middle school for tea and a class photograph.(Jacob, I pause here to tell you that I shall send to you the photographs that were taken during the week, in the next couple of days.)
After the photographs,the group was taken on a conducted tour of the schools.
This must have been very interesting especially with each one recalling who did what in which nook and cranny!
We then proceeded for the contributory lunch at the Bombay Gymkhana.
Till that morning we had 11 takers. By the time it got to about 1330 hrs. We were 23!!Obviosly the reunion had kicked in! (Suguna Ramanathan flew in that morning from Ahmedabad and flew right back after lunch.)
The final dinner was hosted by the gracious Patsy and Pallon Mistry at their beautiful home.The class of 56 was bit somber and mellow that evening at the thought that it would soon be over!
The music and gracious hospitality lightened moods as everyone broke into impromptu song and dance!
After a magnificent dinner the gathering talked about how the week had gone and how marvelous it was for everyone to have met after so many years.
As some of the class had in fact to catch flights that very night, we bade goodbye to each other with heavy hearts, but with a promise to meet again soon in the future!
The reunion was over!
What next? Talking to Mrs.Meera Isaac,the Principal, she suggested that as the the school was planning a big celebration in 2010, the school’s 150th anniversary, we should plan our next reunion then. This was discussed with the classmates and it was agreed that we meet next in 2010, if not earlier.
Meena, please get started again!!
We produced a yearbook of all the class fellows of 56 we could possibly think of , with their photos “then” and “now”, with brief biographical statements on each person. We also produced commemorative T shirts with the school crest and the inscription “Class Of 56”. Both these items were very popular.
Jacob, thank you very much for all your help. If it was not for you we would not have had so many of our classmates here.
I am sending to you by courier a copy of the yearbook and two XL T shirts for you.
I give below the names those who attended the reunion of the Class Of 56:
- Amar Kulwant Singh (née Anand)
- Amin Jaffer
- Chitra Ashok Kumar(née Bhogilal)
- Dina Daver (nee Billimoria)
- Doreen Heimlich (nee Feibusch)
- Ernest Haskell
- Iqbal Chaiwala
- Jane Bigg (nee Simon)
- Joan Densham (nee Meyers)
- Khadija Sarela (nee Haveliwala)
- Koshu Jain(nee Israni)
- Meena Bhat (nee Lele)
- Michael Tahseen
- Muku Hamied
- Navroz Badhniwala
- Patsy Mistry (nee Dubash)
- Paulette Harte (nee Glover)
- Pradeep Anand
- Primla Madhok (nee Kapur)
- Rajni Anand (nee Shivdasani)
- Ramesh Gupta
- Ranjit Mathan
- Rima Kashyap (nee Savara)
- Razia Grover (nee Quamarain)
- Rishad Talyarkhan
- Sherna Kotwal (nee Tarapore)
- Shyam Chainani
- Silloo Captain (nee Mistry)
- Sohrab Kapadia
- Suguna Ramanathan (nee Iyer)
- Thrity Saraf (nee Vazifdar)
- Waseem Brelvi, and
- H.S. Uberoi
Regards,
Ubi
It is my turn to say THANK YOU to Ubi who has become my regular and highly informed correspondent out of Mumbai. He has helped correct me on facts and figures, which, sitting 7000 km away, is much appreciated.
Ubi, along with 49ers Naval Patel (Mysore) and Yezad Kapadia (Delhi), 54ers Suhas Phadke (Mumbai), Sadhana Madhusadan (née Shah) (Pune) and Gracie Bent Lerno (née Hayeem) (California), 57er Behram Badniwalla (Budni) (Pune), 59ers Vijay Shivdasani (Mumbai) and Hasnain Chinwalla (Toronto) and 63er Mithoo Malani (Florida), 69er Prakash Thadani, plus our indomitable Physics Teacher Willie Shiri and his wife Pushpa (Toronto), and a few others from around the world whom you see posted in regular postings (Abe, Barbara, Ranko, Shoba, Shyla, etc.), form a cadre of on-the-spot reporters which has kept this blog so vibrant.
You do not have to wait till the next Founders Day to be in touch. Send me what you want to express, and I will ensure that you get the exposure.
Of course, I would be greatly honoured if our School Headmistress would grace these pages with a short speel - on any topic of her choice.
Anyone willing to work on this project?
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