Newsy Notes 002 - Pleasure is Jacob's

Hi Yezad, Sophie, Gracie and the other Newsy Hotes regulars,

I have below, as a special bonus to all on my Cathedralites,
the picture of Gracie Hayeem and and Willie Shiri from "Hassan",
the 1954 production (Producer, James Clarke) Yasmin at the
window is Gracie Hayeem (she alternated with Rashida for
the part). The guy beseaching her is Hassan (Willie Shiri).
Picture courtesy - none other than Willie!!)

Cathedral School Play 1954,
Hasan with Gracie Hayeem as Yasmin and
Willie Shiri as Hasan.

Yesh, I thought Benji Hayeem was your year (49er), but it seems
it is Sophie who is the 49er.

I think Yezadcan do the needful about keeping Sophie abreast
of the reunion activities of their year of 49ers. I am adding
Sophie to my email list. Her email to me is with me.

And Gracie, no problem, mistakes do happen - not age, but
concern. By the way, by mistake you signed your email as
Gracie (Hayeem) née Lerno!! Tush, Tush.

Thanks for all the concern about Annikki's mom. Annikki's mom
is physically extremely well, but as described, going to have
a difficult few years ahead, with her Alzeimhers, tunnel vision,
delusions and loss of hearing - plus the loss of her husband
(Annikki's dad) in February.

As children, we have a responsibility to help make our parents
final remaining years as comfortable as possible, rather than
pushing them off to old people's homes. After all, in the prime
of their life when we arrived helpless into this world they gave
us loving care when we most needed it.

Gracie, I will send you a plan as to how to get your year together.
Do you want to have it in Mumbai (Bombay)? If so, I can get a few
people to assist. And I am sure the bundle of energy, Sadhana,
will play a majordomo role, although I think she is physically
located in Pune (Poona).

I was planning the 59ers 2009 reunion in Finland. But impatience
has set in and the demand is that it is held in 2004!!

Yes, Mark Sopher was my classmate but stayed on for 2-3 years more
(like your brother Abe, to do his HSc). Abe Sopher is not on my
email list and I cannot quite place him.

Brother Ellis Hayeem remains incommunicado. To busy with the
energy problems of the big Apple, no doubt.

Doreen Feibusch (54er) is well and communicating very regularly.

Aditya Malkani (Tara's son) may be able to help with Steve
Episcopo's address as Tara's wife may have kept in touch with
him.

Gracie, today's picture features you in your heyday!!

Several 54ers are now active on the list as they get in touch with
each other. Rummy Kapadia sent me a copy of an email to another
54er which was titled: "Wonders will never cease!!"

How true, when which is evident when you see my email box. Other
53ers include Sen Philip, Anthony Ramsinh (54er to 56er),
Kasvy Dastur (who has now introduced his 57er brother
Phiroze who confused me with my 56er brother Ranjit) All very
complicated. The 57er crowd of Bhupinder Singh Anand, Kashinath
Dandekar, Abe Hayeem, Aubrey Ballantine, and now Phiroze Dastur,
is also rapidly growing.

I must thank Kishore (Shivdasani 62er) for a nice update about
his recent history after his years with Air India where he helped
a lot of us with our travel problems. He and his lovely wife Rekha
are off to US to be with their son and daughter who live in Boston.
If someone has an assignment in Marketing I can recommend no one
better than Kishore as he did a great job in Air India and then
in Dubai. And Kishore is looking for help in several areas with
his new assignment. Will keep you updated on this when he gets
back from his much needed vacation and briefs me on his exact
needs.

Kai Lam (61er) is back from his jaunt to the US. He has requested the
email addresses of Willie and John Billington.

Prakash Thandani (69er) has updated me about the scene in Mumbai
- and I hope you enjoy his email which I have appended below.

I think all of you have got it wrong - it is my pleasure to
communicate with so many from our school across the age
divides from present day 2001 Cathedralites right back to
Yezad and now Sophie of the 49ers!!

Thank you for allowing me to be a link.

Regards while I enjoy my midnight sunset and 2 am sunrise!!

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

1. Mail from Sophie Hayeem 49er

From: Sophie Miller (née Hayeem)
Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 02:59:14 EDT
Subject: Cathedral School alumni

Dear Jacob,

I think your name is Jacob. My sister Gracie forwarded your
e-mail to me about my brother Abe in London. My name is Sophie
and I am the eldest sister in the family. I completed Cathedral
in 1949 and left Bombay soon after, the following May, 1950,
for Israel. Do you have other students from that year on your
list? Is it possible to add my address to your subscriber list?
I live in Southern California not far from our sister Gracie
Hayeem. My name was Sophie Hayeem, but is now Sophie Carver
Miller. Hope to receive your mailings.

Thanks much.

Sophie

2. Mail from Gracie Lerno (née Hayeem) 54er

From: Gracie Hayeem
Date: Sat, 7 Jul 2001 19:52:29 EDT
Subject: Re: Latest Newsy Notes

Dear Jacob,

Just want you to know that we missed your link when you took
some time off. We were very sorry to hear of Annikki's Mum. To
lose a parent is so hard, so many Memories and to lose a mother!
We were all so close to our dear Mother.

I have not heard from Doreen in a while. Abe Sopher is on the
E. mail list or is he? I send him your E. mails, maybe this
time he will communicate withyou. I think his brother Mark Sopher
was in your class. Also I am dying to get in touch with Episcappo.
He lives in London. His best friend was Tara Malkani!

Do you know our paths crossed in Bombay. You arrived that same
year we graduated! How do we go about having a reunion of the
class of '54?

I am looking for a marvellous picture of our class in English
country dancing. There is Sadhana, Miriam Gumpert, Joan Twist,
Nargish Mody and Armighty Mody and Kamma Dharmcey. Thanks
again for you wonderful work, to keep us connected.

Love

Gracie [née Hayeem] Lerno

3. Message from Prakash Thadani:

Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2001 19:38:49 +0530
From: Prakash Thadani
To: Jacob Matthan, Rohet Tolani
Subject: News for July 2001
Status: U

Dear Jacob,

Hi there.

So much has been happening that I can't figure out where to begin.

So let's just start.

The monsoons have descended and Mumbai is wet. This brings with it dead
telephone lines and flooded streets, but this year its been better, not
much flooding.

Movie Halls are all full with the latest releases like Moulin Rouge &
two new Indian films, Gadaar & Lagaan.

A spate of new restaurants have opened up. Seems like the food business
is the only thing thats making money nowadays.

The fully renovated Gordon House Hotel behind the Regal Cinema on
Battery Streets has three new spanking restaurnats with very unusual
cuisine not seen in Mumbai before but popular in the fast east.
Karma , Belissima. Liquid are the 3 new places on Hughes Road,
formerly, Bombay Cycle showroom . Karma loud blaring music a large tv
screen trendy decor snacky food pizzas paasta and their chocoloate
desert CHOCOLATE SIN something to die for.,and a bar, over looking the
road to the chowpatty sea face.. Belissima Italian food slightly more
formal elegant on the 1st floor and Liquid the newest Bar in
Mumbai.more for the cigar loving crowd and 40 plus in age.

To top it all the Copper Chimney Group Worli and Cream Centre Group
Chowpatty Sea Face have tied up to start 8 new restaurants all over
Mumbai, 2 of them opening in August this year.

All these places are going to give the other newly opened restaurants
stiff competition.

All the liquor companies are having bashes at the 5 star hotels to
introduce their new Brands. The latest entry being Bacardi Limon.

The importance of good affordable food has become very prominent
especially since all publications carry some article on food daily.
Everybody wants to eat out no matter if you are a vegetarian. Many are
tired of cooking and eating at home every day.

In the news is Jayalalita Current Chief Minister of Tamilnadu, who got
her enemies arrested and jailed in the most crude rough offensive manner
which was liberally shown all over tv channels as these arrest were
carried out at an unearthly hour of 1.45 am.

(Ed: Prakash - the concept of going in at this unearthly
hour was started by Indira Gandhi at the time of the 1975 Emergency
when her security chief told her that people do the most normal
things between 2 am and 5 am - usually stay in bed. So, if you
intend to catch the fish, you catch them between those hours.
Jayalalitha has just taken a leaf out of Indira's book!! - Jacob)

Ajit Dayal who runs equitymaster.com and quantum financial services
was blessed with a baby boy in Zurich a few days ago.

The Cathedral mid term exams are going to be on next week so all kids
are really studying this makes the parents also hibernate and go on
study break.

Jazz India is planning to have several interesting Jazz Conccerts
starting in September.

if you are aware of new young jazz groups, of any jazz musicians wanting
to come to India to perform or enroute to the far east and if they can
take a 2/4day break in Mumbai we would be happy to look after them and
organise a concert or two to the delight of the jazz starved citizens of
Mumbai.

Roxanne Davar Conz was in town from Ooty. Her latest passion being
welfare of animals. Please visit her web site

It's worth seeing all that she does to help the animals. They need
funding so any help of any kid will be gratefully acknowledged and
must appreciated.

(Ed: Prakash - I run a very popular web site which lists
all the books published about Animal Welfare and Cruelty to
animals. Jacob)

Another site worth going to is Jehangir Trust in Pune.
This is a site by Jehangir Jehangir who passed out of Catehdral in 1970.

Rohet Tolani finally put all the photograhs he took out on a
Class of 1969 reunion at his place on the net.

All those sixtyniners who wish to see what their classmates look like
can log on and see. Rohet's captions are very appropriate I must add.

More news when time permits a break as I am busy with my younger son
Kaviraj who leaves my beloved Cathedral School next week to join the
Kodaikanal International School in Kodaikanal.

Best wishes

(>Ed: The photographs were great, very clear and now we know
who you are andcan attach a face to all the news that you have
been sending us.)

Great.

Cheers

Prakash

Newsy Notes 001 - Jacob's back

Hi Cathedralites,

It is almost a 45 days since the last edition of Seventh Heaven. This time I
was not inundated with anxious queries as to the state of my health. Most
of you who wrote were interested to know whether my hard disk was OK!! :-)

The reason for the delay this time was not my hard disk. I had to get a
replacement hard disk, no doubt. They changed my defective 10 GB one to a
20 GB hard disk for the same price.

I have been busy with several other matters.

We have to give up our beautiful apartment in the centre of Oulu by the end
of this month. Annikki's dad died in February 2001. Her mother (81 years)
was admitted to hospital for routine checks and determined to have 50%
dementia (Alzeimhers), 20% tunnel vision and only 20% of hearing. Also she
has delusions. Hence she needs constant care. So, we have to move back to our
former residence (Annikki's family home), which however needs a massive
rennovation job to be done. Annikki has been removing the accumulated junk -
and already about 20 garbage bags of stuff have been readied to go to the Red
Cross, Salvation Army, etc. Now we have to throw out all the junk furniture
and organise moving our stuff across. I am not very enamoured of this prospect
- but we will have to shift in well before winter sets in. The entire heating
system has to be changed from wood to oil, the cellar made into living area
with underfloor heating, my office room planned to be less than a mess than at
present - as now it is my den but there it will be part of the house.

While clearing out the rubbish we found a bank passbook of Annikki's mother
dated 1942 and another one of Annikki's dated 1955 (when she was just 11 years
old). It is noted in Annikki's passbook that she was given a piggybank when
she started this account!! These passbooks have been sent off to the Bank's
headquarters to find out what those deposits are worth today!! Even at a
nominal 5% interest both of these could be today worth enough for a couple
of dinners in a fancy restaurant in Oulu!!

News has been trickling in from many of you. In summary:

Willie Shiri has been busy adding contacts to my list.
Yezad Kapadia has provided deetails of the next reunion plans for 49ers.
Anthony Ramsinh has been watching his horses win races.
Rumy Kapadia has been singing praises of yours truly to other Cathedrlaites.
Aubrey Ballantine has sent in a couple of great pictures of Cathedralites - soon to be revealed at the new site.
Doreen Feibusch got her daughter married.
Doreen also suffered an attack of "Montezuma's Revenge" when holidaying with her husband in Caucun, Mexico.
Abe Hayeem returned from his holiday, missed my daughter in London, but got his Alvar Aalto vase which I sent as his prize.
Bhupinder Singh Anand visited UK but missed his appointments with both Abe and Tony (see later about Tony Stone).
Sudhir Anand visited Helsinki and met up with Ajeet Mathur. They discussed Dead Chicken!
My son-in-law Tony visited Philly but was not able to meet up with Sexy Narayan Acharya. However, he did see a B17 display.
Percy Mistri has been completing the last rites of his mother, who passed away of May 17 aged 97. (I sent condolences on behalf of all of us.)
Adi Cooper got his son Carl married.
Anju Lakhani is keeping many of us amused wither her regular postings.
Eddie Pettersson sent me a picture of his lovely dog.
I wrongly recorded Suchita Shivdasani's maiden name as Assomul when it should have been noted as Kripalani.
Brinda Chinappa's (The Somayas) email in Bombay is bouncing (could someone tell her).

I have my 70 year old Maths Professor from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, Dr.
Anthony Stone holidaying at Oulu at present. He is noted Indologist and an
expert on Indian language scripts and fonts. I am discussing transliteration
with him!! Tony lived in Alwaye, Kerala, before teaching Maths at St.
Stephen's, Delhi. He is from Oxford University but now lives near St. Albans
near London.

If this 70 year old can make the trip to the Arctic to visit us, I see no
reason why some of you younger bucks and does cannot make it here also.
Tony chose to visit Annikki and me as he has 2 weeks off from looking after
his wife who is suffering from Parkinsons. He is picking my brains on how
to push his web sites to the top of the search engines.

We were hoping to have a reunion during Tony's visit with Ajeet Mathur, who
like me is a Cathedralite plus a Stephanian. But Ajeet was busy with his
research in Tampere in South Finland, so coould not get away to reach Oulu
during this two week period.

The Newsy Notes web site continues to be developed. The Cathedral School
Picture Library project is progressing very nicely. Hope you enjoy the
picture of Willie and Pushpa Shiri and their daughter which was
taken by Hasnain Chinwalla (which is from this picture library).

We are having a great summer with our sunsets at around half past midnight
and sunrise at just after 2 am.

I am testing a new mailing software with this issue of Newsy Notes - so
please do report any problems about readability, etc. to me so any
corrective action can be taken by the time of the next issue.

More in a short while - but please do keep the emails and photographs
coming in.

Very best regards from Annikki and me...

Jacob Matthan
Savage House Captain 1959
Oulu, Finland

SH-Issue 010301 - 010328

Dear 59ers and Other Cathedralites,

What a hectic month it has been. There was so much input that I was able to release a full fledged issue of Newsy Notes.

Well, I said I would give you answer about my beard.

I heard my dear one say - "Get thee behind me Satan".
So, I grew a beard so my true self would not be recognised.

I do not like to repeat myself in the Seventh Heaven, so I am trying to only bring in only fresh material here.

I have a new table which is in memoriam to all the 59ers who have left us to be with their Maker. Let us remember in our hearts the good times we shared with these wonderful friends of us and also remember their families.

Pradeep Bahkle
Jacob Eapen
Vasant Ghatge
Ajay Goel
Bala Parasuraman
Flicky Shroff


This month saw the addition of 59er Narayan Acharya as a member of our clan. It also saw a lot of input from non 59ers who have decided that this magazine is not just for 59ers but for all Cathedralites.

I am not in competition with Cat Call, but I am enjoying the great inputs being sent to me by both seniors and juniors.

I start with a report from one of our most senior alma materites, 49er Yezad Kapadia who resides in New Delhi. He sent me a report of the 50th reunion of the 49ers, which I thought would interest our global audience. Yezad was the second Indian School captain. Can anyone tell me who was the first?

THE REUNION OF THE CLASS OF 49.

Some of us in Delhi started to think of a possible reunion of our class at the beginning of the year 1999. We had a recollection that there were about twenty of us when we sat for our Senior Cambridge examination at the end of 1949. From the class photograph preserved by Aroo Moolgaoker and sent to us at the time of the reunion from London (most unfortunately he could not join us but was with us in soul and spirit as he mentioned)- we know that we were twenty-three in all. Aroo has sent us his hilarious recollections of his classmates. This is being printed separately in this issue of the Catcall.

Efforts were undertaken to locate our classmates from whatever little information we had. We knew that some of us had gone abroad for studies. But where were we all now? Some of us had kept in touch with one another over the years and decided to pool our knowledge regarding where all we were currently located. Vijay Ram coordinated the efforts in Mumbai, where most of us were still located. For me, Ratan Lalkaka of the class of 47, was a great help in getting the addresses of quite a few of our classmates who were located out of Mumbai and also the country.

Sarosh Wadia, Narottam, Bunny Khattau, Chandrasen Merchant, Vijay Ram, Naval Patel and Jumani were all in Mumbai and all turned up gladly for the reunion.

Although Raj Bhandari used to stay very close to me when I was staying in Vasant Vihar in Delhi, I did not know of his whereabouts then. It was only when we started to look for one another, that we realised how close to one another we used to stay. I still meet Jamshed Desai quite often. He too was keen to have this reunion. So it was the three of us from Delhi.

We got to know that Buster Ley had passed away.

Chottu Padamsee was located in Goa and I visited him there. He was very keen to come but could not at the last minute due to an unavoidable engagement.

Kali Cawasji was contacted in Bangalore and came gladly.

Through the courtesy of Pilloo Hakim (Cooper) and her classmate of 51, Meenakshi (Rangnekar), who now lives in Canada, we did manage to get a few messages across to Maneck Khambatta in Canada, but he too could not make it.

Soli Lam was sought to be contacted in London but we were unable to establish contact with him.

We were informed that Hassan Mirza, the star marathon runner from Palmer House, who went to the UK to study Aeronautical Engineering after the Senior Cambridge exams, was located in Pakistan. We had no means of finding out his address. Similarly, efforts to locate Benjie Hayeem in the States did not bear fruit to get him in time for our reunion. We are happy that we now have established contact with him . He is one of the few from our class listed on the Catalumni site on the web. All efforts to locate the other classmates remained unsuccessful.

Of the girls, we had very little information. Leela Suntook (Punjabi) was in Mumbai and very readily agreed to come to the reunion. Unfortunately, she was the only representative from amongst the girls. Of Betty Ballard, my counterpart as the Head Girl, we knew that she had migrated to Australia after our final exams. It is only after we received the latest issue of the Catcall that we know that she is still there. Anjali (Lahiri) had left for England shortly after we had a final party at her home on Cuffe Parade. She passed away a few years ago. Silla Dubash (Vakil) lives in Delhi and we are in touch with one another but she could not make it to our function. We understand that Dina (Forbes), who along with Leela, used to come to the Boys' School for Chemistry and Physics, is living in Delhi, but we do not know where.

So it was that eleven of the boys and one girl, along with our spouses, from the Class of 49 met in Mumbai for the reunion.. For most of us it was a meeting after fifty years. As we walked in one by one, we could hardly recognize ourselves. Time had inevitably changed us. All in all it was a very memorable evening and we agreed to remain in touch with one another. Something we have done very assiduously so far.

Judging by the response that one reads of to the activities of the Alumni Association in the Catcall and on the website, it is clear that there is something very special about our School. The response to and the fellow feeling at this reunion after a lapse of fifty years only goes to show how special the School truly is.

Yezad Kapadia.
Palmer House.
Class of 49

The class of 49 is already planning its next reunion, so get in touch with Yezad for details.

There have been several of you who were able to name the members of the 1952 Soccer Team, the photograph of which I circulated with Newsy Notes 004. The first one to send me the complete list was 57er / 59er Abe Hayeem. (Photograph courtesy Aubrey Ballantine, Canada)

1952 Soccer Team - Cathedral School
Standing: (Y. Hamid or Antony Ramsingh), Roy Raymond, R. Ahuja , M. Anees, (Rohington Tata?)
Seated: N. Calcuttawalla, Roff Soonavala, A . Choonavala, Ravi Jaitly, L. Wilkinson
Seated on the Ground: Farookh Hussain
Does anyone have any corrections to this submission? If not I will send Abe his prize

And then I had this input from 59er Hasnain Chinwalla from Canada:

From: "Hasnain Chinwalla"
To: "Jacob Matthan"
Subject: Just woke up!
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 17:21:58 -0500

Hi Jacob,

I had no idea that you were expecting me to write! (Ed: Without your inputs, this magazine would be colder than dry ice.)

Well, here I am, and I'll make you wish I had never written!

It is fantastic getting all the news of the 59ers - I can only second all the people that have praised your efforts. Just don't stop. (Ed: Only when you guys stop feeding me with ideas.)

I read all about the sports everyone excelled in during school. As for me, I remember being the undisputed, but uncrowned champion of pocket-billiards. (Come on Editor - do your job and edit the stupid remarks this asshole is making!!) (Ed: The truth never hurts!!)

I am really pleased that David Colaco got in touch with you - we have been in touch for quite a long time, and I met up with all the brothers when I visited London in 1995. This last Christmas, David sent me a scan of a photograph of all the brothers. Jacob, David is resident in the UK, but visited here a few years ago, and met up with Willie Shiri and myself. I am tempted to send the scan to you, but I shall ask him first.

About Deepak Kaikini, we usually communicate at Christmas time, and I have no idea if he is 'connected'. However, I got off my ass and wrote him a letter today - I am enclosing a scan of that as evidence!!! (Ed: And I vouch that Hasnain's handwriting is still as silky as the day he was born.)

I used to be in touch with Venkie Kurma, but lost track when he moved to Pune. Still in touch with Shabir Ahmedbhoy - who was a visitor last year. Spent 3 years with Armeane Choksi at the University of Edinburgh, but lost contact. Now we have the opportunity to get in touch again.

From your list, there are so many that I would just love to meet again - hopefully, that will happen. Other names that spring to mind: Virat Gidwani and his sister, Gizi; Farokh Kanga; Trevor Newnes (in New Zealand, the last I heard); Krupa Swamy (now Krupa Srinivas) (Ed: You have me foxed - who is Krupa; I thought I was the only Mallu in the class.) Statira Guzder (Ed: Was Stat really in our class?) etc.

In 1991, on a trip to Bombay, I got permission to roam the corridors of our school, videotaping anything I wanted. Permission was granted - and it was great. The desks were the same ones we used - the holes for the ink-wells, and all the intricate hand carving - I think my crib sheets could still be read.

What I did get from this trip is the names of all the School Captains, and here are some of them:

1955: S. Episcopo
1956: T. Malkani
1957: T. Holter
1958: H. Uberoi
1959: Jaffer Hussain / B. Anand
1960: K. Andres
1961: T. Newnes
1962: M. Sopher
1963: Ashok Advani
1964: Neville Mody

Quite a list!!

(Ed: I am very confused by this list. I thought that 59er Vijay Nayar was School Captain for some time, and that 59er Trevor Newnes and 59er Mark Sopher were our classmates as 59ers. Also, I was under the impression that Trevor left for New Zealand before 59 end. Can anyone help out with the correct data. No doubt Hasnain's data is right, but could somebody put it in some perspective.)

In January, I went over to Willie and Pushpa Shiri's place for a fantastic dinner - we should do it again soon, Willie! - and the information I got about the teachers was overwhelming.

Mr. O. A. Gregory is in Montreal, and Mr. John Billington had visited here, but was either back in the UK or in Tibet - a place with which he had fallen in love. We did talk about the others - Thomson, Timmins, Pande, Dexter etc.

Somehow, I am surprised that nobody has mentioned Pharoah's bacon-slicer! Any memories about this? (Ed: This is going to be interesting - can anyone who was sliced tell us about it.)

I guess I have gone on too long, but I don't expect you to publish any of this. I am attaching

i) my letter to Deepak, and
ii) a scan from a photo that Willie gave me - Wilson House circa 1953. Yes, there are some Colacos, Naubir, Vijay Shivi, Deepak Kaikini, Virat and a few others!!

I have another one of Wilson House 1955, but that can wait till the next time.

I apologize for not writing earlier, but frostbite had gotten to my brain!

Bye for now, all the best to you and your family, and to all the Cathedralites out there, and take care.

Chini

And here is the Wilson House photograph from 1953 courtesy Hasnain and Willie.

Champion House 1953 - WILSON

And here is our regular correspondent chatty 54er Sadhana (and she is such a dear):

Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 23:26:47 -0800 (PST)
From: sadhana madhusudan
Subject: vive les Mallus
To: jmatthan@gmail.com

Dear Jacob,

It was wonderful to hear from you, your wizrdry at making troubles disappear with just a few clicks from the computer is admirable. Thanks a ton for the catalumni address and for inducting Anthony into your seventh heaven.

I feel kinda good knowing I resurrected him for you. He was such a good sportsman.I only remember him in his sporty days wearing the school colours in his shorts. In fact if the chap was fully dressed I may not recognise him (heh heh)!

Seriously, him, 56er the late Tara Malkani and 54er Roff Sonawala were our class heroes. Sonawala was Wilson house, Captain and 54er Ravi Jaitly was the Vice Capt. Sonawalla was also Headboy.

During our Cambridge exams, Roff's seat was on my starboard beam (figure that out you landlubber) (Ed: I have my ex-Commander of the Vikrant to help me out on this!!) and it was very unnerving to watch him from the corner of my eyes, as he sat very still and stared dreamily into the vacant space....oblivious of all the frantic scratching and scribbling around him..

Then there was the dashing 53er M. Anees, who like my Mallu is also a Merchant Navy man. There was Rohington Tata, Prem Prakash Gupta (Palmer Capt) and Dante' Modi, Chagla, Nerurkar, Ramesh Sareen the brother of legendary film star Bina Rai, Vispee (surname?), Rahul Bajaj (who was awarded the Nation's prestigious Padma Bhushan just yesterday and Jhangoo Mama (who was a boxer and whose Mum brought fruit juice when he practised..,,) All this is part of memorabilia of those lovely days.

It is sizzling out here already, mid 30's during the day.

Well, how's that for an "getting to know me mail?"

Keep in touch, bye for now, love to all 3 generations...from all of us here in Pune.

Sadhana.

Now 59ers, can any of you match an input like that? What do you say we adopt her? She told me that she is so tiny, so we can put her in our pocket and carry her around as our mascot.

Keep those emails and photographs coming. See you in a month.
.

Regards

Jacob Matthan
Honorary Editor
Seventh Heaven (Web Version)
Cathedralite 1954 - 1959
School Hockey Goalkeeper - 1958; 1959
School Prefect - 1958; 1959
Savage House Captain - 1959

SH-Issue 010202 - 010228

Dear 59ers and Other Cathedralites,

What a hectic month.

Sadly, Annikki's father passed away on 9th February, so we were busy making all the arrangements for the funeral and memorial service. I lost a substitute father who was a wonderful man. You can read about this unusual individual in our main ezine.

I had a letter from Staff Member Willie Shri who complained that he could not see the face behind the beard in our photograph which went up with the last issue. So I am putting up what may be one of the last photographs taken of me without a beard.

Portrait of me by Annikki (beardless)

Jacob without a beard!!
(Ed: I was accused of cradle snatching when we got married! Got way with a great sentence of life imprisonment to the baby.)

Annikki and Jacob 1967, Shrewsbury, England

Willie has also sent me a nice picture of himself with his lovely wife, Pushpa and equally lovely his daughter, taken by a 59er, Hasnain Chinwalla.

Willie, Pushpa and one of their daughters (Kiron?, Nina?)

Here is the content of Willie's latest letter which corrects me about our Geography teacher's name. Now it flashes back - Zavala!! How could I forget that name. Only a Zavala with Peruvian Indian fury could charge me full pelt waving his hockey stick in the air in the staff vs school hockey matches?

From: "William & Pushpa Shiri"
Subject: varied
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 23:21:55 -0500

Dear Jacob,

I feel guilty that I haven't responded to you after all the messages we have been receiving. I really don't know how you manage keeping in touch with so many all the time ! What a magnificent job you do, holding all of us together!

When I read all the familiar names of my past students, I have a great urge to get in touch with them, I try spotting them in a couple of old photographs I have. I perhaps could, if it is o k with you, send a message to all in your Seventh Heaven. (Ed: The feeling is one which should be curbed. With a motley collection of photographs of some goblydook guys and gals haunting your house - you will be having nightmares every morning.)

Incidentally, here are some names that will fill in the blanks re Staff photo:

The Peruvian geography teacher: Alberto Zavala
Some first names: Rider Salmon, John Billington, Arthur Morecroft.

Pushpa was a Class 2 teacher in the Junior School 1955-62. Became a peripatetic music teacher in England, visiting three different schools. Remained so in Montreal for a few years, then switched to class-room teaching.

I was curious to know what you looked like. In that picture of two days ago, behind that thick white beard and moustache, I can faintly recognize the old familiar face. Have you grown a pigtail of sorts? (Ed: I called a line at pigtails - I am not quite Charlesian but more Darwinian.) Annikki (did I spell it right?) is nice looking, like I had imagined (Ed: There cannot be a more beautiful person in this universe).

I met Nusly Pocha (' 60) when he visited me here last year. Do you know, it was only when I spotted him in an old Wilson House picture just the other day that I really remembered him! Nusly sent me a ' 60 reunion photo taken last year and the only one I could spot was a Hirjikaka (who, strangely, hadn't changed a bit). and some faintly, after checking their names. Most I did not.

Fond regards to you both.

Willie

It has been such a hectic month. I established contact with two more 59ers.

From: Peter Miovic
Subject: Re: Fw: Wish to contact Peter
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 08:57:34 -0500

Hi Jacob,

I am alive even if my dellnet.com address is dead. I enjoyed looking at your web-site and am impressed by the energy you are putting into the "search for cathedralites" effort. I hope to get around soon to updating you on what I've been up to this past (almost) half century.

I don't think I ever knew John Beddow, although I had heard of him. Maybe he was gone by late 1958, early 1959 which is roughly when I began to feel comfortable enough in English to reach out and meet people. I knew Bobby and Billy Anderson (mainly through Patty), but they too had gone off to boarding schools by 1958/59, so I only met them a couple of times when they were back in Bombay for vacations. I believe that Bill, who was several years older than we were, attended Miami University of Ohio, so you might get hold of him through their Alumni network. I have no idea what Bob ended up doing.

More later and thanks for your persistence. I appreciated "being found". I guess I now know that I exist.

Best,

Peter

and

From: John Beddow
Subject: RE: 59ers: Is it really you?
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 16:37:09 +1100

Namaste baboo jee! you have indeed found John Beddow in Australia. Great to hear some of those old names from the distant passed. Visited Bombay (Mumbai) two years ago and the old parts of the city have not changed. Met some of the old pani wallas from breach candy and had a great time. John Vasica has Patty Andersons web number but we have not heard from either Billy or Bobby Anderson. I will send you a brief 100 pages on my life in due course,, meantime...chai biddy chai!!

John

Thanks to a Cathedralite a few years junior to us, Ranko Ivancevic, also from Yugoslavia, like Peter. He got the information from Peter's sister, and although the first mail bounced, with his perseverance, I finally got through.

Thanks to Vinay Dabholkar I got the email addresses of Bashir Currimjee and Wabhir Zayani.

From: "Vinay Dabholkar"
Subject: E mail addresses
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 08:04:07 +0000 (GMT)

Dear Jacob,

Re your message about missing e mail addresses of some of the class of 59. We are sending two that we have which are on your missing list. Hope they'll be in the fold soon.

We love reading your mails. Just great to be connected.

Sorry to hear about Annikki's father. Hope the temperatures get warmer soon. (Ed: The day before the funeral was the coldest -35 C with a strong wind taking the temperature down to around -45 C. Now it is a mere -20 C.)

Don't think we can even imagine cold like that from here in Mumbai, which is really pleasant this year.

All the best to all of you !

Vinay and Sulabha Dabholkar

I thought I was lucky and I had managed to trace Bobby Anderson. But the lead I was so thrilled about was not so hot. I had a nice reply from the Pat Anderson - but it was not sister Patty. I still have the lead given me by John, so I am not giving up. Anyone know how to contact John Vasica?

Just this afternoon I had a very touching letter from 54er Sadhana Madhusadan. So you can see that I am giving you stuff hot of my iMac black ivories.

I wonder whether Sadhana knew she was writing to a Mallu. That is what we call ourselves in the wild euronorth!

For all you 54ers - I have a lovely relaxed picture of Aubrey and Pam sent to me by Aubrey.

This weeks picture of Cathedral School boxers has been provided by Aubrey to rack what remains of your brain cells.


Cathedral School Boxers 1953

No winners for our last picture identification competition. The prize of the Art Glass piece designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto is being carried forward to anyone who can identify all the boxers shown below and also date the year of the picture. Only Aubrey is not permitted to enter.

From: "Sadhana Madhusudan"
To:
Subject: Setting the record straight?
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 19:36:29 +0530

Dear Jacob,

Hi, after a long gap. There were a series of losses in our compound in Pune and in our family in B'lore so I was unable to keep in touch.

Pam's sudden appearance through your page and then equally unexpected exit from our midst was very unsettling. How fleeting this life is and yet we do not really feel the urgency to do things that this slight stay on earth warrants.

At least you aren't included in this bizarre laid back world of mine. You seem to be going great guns. (Ed: My work ethic is to reply my emails within 48 hours as with 300 emails a day I would be in a total mess within a week.) Maybe the land of Aurora Borealis has touched you with magic....I am truly a great procrastinator and lazy too..

I am married to a Malayali from Trivandrum Kerala. This was a very great news for my class mate Nalini Nair (Savage house, great hurdles expert) class '54. I would always refer to her casually as a 'Madraasi" (Ed: Does this ring a bell with one 59er, Mr. Viney Sethi?) Much to her chagrin. When she said she would be going to Cochin for her hols, to me it was always to "Madras". So, imagine her glee when she saw me married to a Malayali, with my "thaali" around my neck....

It's funny how things catch up

I am a Gujuyali now....(Ed: I was thinking of reserving the domain name Finnyali - but opted for Findians instead!!)

I want to add that my brother Indrajit Shah (Palmer House) was in your class. In fact he still remembers the picnic-at-Vasind incident where you almost drowned. (Ed: Not almost - I drowned!! Hi 59ers - one more to the fold. Lanky and thin Indrajit. A slightly higher pitched voice if my memory serves me right. Very friendly boy.)

And, he rues it to this day that everyone including him panicked and instead of holding on to you, swam away as you pulled at them...(Ed: I don't. I would have pulled anyone else down with me. And, I may have also been denied the most wonderful experience of my life which taught me that approaching death can be a beautiful experience if one gives oneself to his Lord and Master!)

I just read your account of what had happened.

I must inform him to log on to your page and see it for himself.

We lost my dearest Papa in 1955 and he was packed off to Ahmedabad with a younger brother Jagdeep Shah (also Palmer) So, he lost touch. There he joined St Xavier's. Later on graduated from Elphinstone College, carrying away the English Literature prize. Worked with Dunlop's India and retd (Ed: Retired at 58? Prime of ones life.) from Hyderabad a few years ago, Lives in Pune now, does some writing. Has submitted a letter to the school rag.

My other brother Randhir Shah (Ed: My elder brother's classmate. I remember Randhir very well - although did not realise he was Indrajit's brother.) graduated with best All Rounder student prize in 56. He was in Fulmala Maniar and Reema Savara's (Ed: Vickram Savara is a 59er now in USA and younger brother of Reema) class. He scored highest marks in Cambridge, went on to becoming an Engineer with Greaves Crompton. Passed away suddenly in Pune in 1989.

Some names in your student list have been mis-spelt. Gracie, will bear with me. It is Armaity Mody, Zarin Lam, Georgina Fannagan, Tutu Lahiri, Nilina Pillai... (Ed: Thanks for the corrections - I got some of the names from Catcall!!)

Incidentally, Mr Kuruvilla Jacob (Ed: My landlord of a veritable mansion) in Madras was the Headmaster of my husband's school in Madras-Christian College School.

My hubby joined the TS Dufferin as a cadet and qualified as Master Mariner with a British certificate...we used to bump into those guys at the Golwalla swimming pool at Backbay. And, we would run pell mell shouting "The Dufferin boys are here, hurry up put on your uniforms". (Ed: Wasn't it the Dufferin guys who were supposed to be wearing those uniforms. Naughty, naughty. :-)) You remember, those lockers had no doors. (Ed: Why did no one share this secret wiith me before? )

Those were the days...

All for now, stay well, love to Annikki.


Sadhana'54

ps could you send me Pam's message asking for my e-mail? Sounds senti but I,d like to see it? Thanx. (Ed: With pleasure - will be forwarded forthwith.)

What a warm letter - which makes the putting up of this rag such a worthwhile pleasure.

I was equally thrilled to get this feedback from Armeane:

From: "Armeane M. Choksi"
Subject: RE: 59ers: Is it really you?
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 13:24:19 -0500

Dear Jacob

At long last I managed to find some time to explore the 7th heaven web page. What a fantastic job you have done. It's terrific!! All of us owe you a debt of tremendous gratitude for hooking us up to each other. While I have seen some of our friends on the distribution list in the past couple of years, I am using this simple facility that you have set up to say hullo (I'm still around!!) to those whom I have not. I live in Washington, DC.

If any of you is passing through please send me an email or call me and let me know. I would love to see you in person. Hopefully we would be able to recognize each other after so many decades!!

Again thanks Jacob for the wonderful service you have provided. What's with the beard??

Best Wishes

Armeane

And I do also have a message from a 49er.

49, 54, 59, ... - Does some pattern seem to be emerging? Before, I thought before it was the 7-year itch - hence Seventh Heaven.

From: "Yezad Sam Kapadia"
To: "Jacob Matthan"
Subject: Thanks
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 07:48:41 +0530

Dear Jacob,

Thanks for your Special Edition of Seventh Heaven. It is good to know that you are still keen on tracking down old class mates.

The class of 49 is attempting yet another Reunion around Founder's Day this year. We are targeting those who could not make it in 1999. We are making a concerted effort.


Take care.

Yesh

Many of those of you who enjoyed my occasional Seventh Heaven Newsy Notes have asked me to make it a regular feature. I am resisting that call because of the bounced mail from those who do not update their email addresses to me.

Please register at the International Alumni. This is in addition to the Catcall alumni. This international one is the one which is usually found by the search engines. You can keep your privacy without a problem. It hardly takes a few minutes. DO IT NOW!!

Keep those emails and photographs coming. Armeane says that you all owe me a debt. I would like to say it is the other way, as I have had such fun doing this, that it makes life as the Dead Chicken worth living. I cannot put up these issues without your active co-operation. See you in a month when I will answer those queries about my beard.

Regards

Jacob Matthan
Honorary Editor
Seventh Heaven (Web Version)
Cathedralite 1954 - 1959
School Hockey Goalkeeper - 1958; 1959
School Prefect - 1958; 1959
Savage House Captain - 1959

SH-Issue 010101 - 010128

Dear 59ers and Other Cathedralites,

The relaunch of Seventh Heaven should have been a very joyous event.

But it is tinged with a great deal of sadness as I have the onerous task of reporting the demise of our former Girls' School Captain, personality exceptional, 54er Head Girl Pamela BALLANTINE.

The late Cathedralite 54er Pamela Ballantine
receives the MBE from Queen Elizabeth II

Pamela was School Captain the year I joined school. I remember her performance at the School Athletics. Then I remember her from the Cathedral Church where the whole BALLANTINE family was always well represented. I sang by the side of her brother, Aubrey, who was the one who broke the sad news to me from his abode in Canada. I also remember their sister, Judy, who was considerably younger than us (maybe 2 years), if I recollect correctly.

I give below a couple of the personal messages I received from close school friends of Pamela.

But first I publish an Obituary Notice about Pamela. The details are what Pamela herself gave me by email for Seventh Heaven, just a few weeks before her passing away.

I pay tribute to her by publishing the words of our School Hymn after the notice, as Pamela embodied the words of our School Song.

OBITUARY - PAMELA BALLANTINE

SCHOOL CAPTAIN 1954

Pamela BALLANTINE died of a heart attack on Tue, 9 Jan 2001 at her home in England during the night.

Pamela was School Captain in 1954. She returned to take the Cambridge Higher School Certificate 1955-56. She won a State Scholarship in 1954 but deferred this to go to Bristol University in 1957 to read for an Honours degree in Economics & Government. She also did the Certificate in Education Bristol & Diploma in Social Administration LSE. Pamela worked as Teacher in Charge of Teachers in Social Services Day Centres, London Borough of Newham until retirement and was still working as Senior Child Psychotherapist Redbridge Healthcare Trust. Pamela did voluntary work with Asian Women's Association, she was the Honorary Vice President League of British Muslims, Chair of the Racial Equality Council, Chair of the Police/Community Con Group, Chair of the Racist Incidents Panel, Chair of the Voluntary Sector Network. Pamela was awarded the MBE for services to race equality, London Borough of Redbridge in October 2000.

And may I honour our dear Pamela by recalling the words of our school hymn:

Land of our birth we pledge to Thee
Our love and toil in the years to be;
When we are grown and take our place
As men and women with our race.
Father in Heaven who lovest all,
O help Thy Children when they call;
That they may build from age to age
An undefiled heritage
Teach us the strength that cannot seek
By deed or thought, to hurt the weak;
That, under Thee, we may possess
Men's strength to succour man's distress.
Teach us delight in simple things,
And mirth that has no bitter springs,
Forgiveness free of evil done,
And love to all men 'neath the sun.

I received this message from Pamela's friend from childhood and her classmate right through the years in School, Gracie Hayeem, of the illustrious Hayeem family:

Dear Jacob,

I am in shock to hear the very sad news of our dear Cathedralite whom I was so close to. She was in my class from Kindergarten till we graduated the Senior Cambridge together. She diligently helped me to get through my Senior Cambridge. We worked every day after school together. Many times with Homa Shirazi. I can say if it was not for her help in helping me to cram I may never have made it and passed 2nd grade. All were surprised. Even Mr. Pharaoh tutored me in Math and gave up!

I had just written her for New Year and later in January. about my mum passing away.

She was a dear friend of the Hayeem Family. And was one of the lucky friends I had that she could come over to our house in Bombay any time! My father Mr. Hayeem, may his soul rest in peace, was very strict. But he would have wonderful conversations with her.

She came to visit me in California in the 90's. We spent 2 weeks together. She loved it. When she left I garlanded her with a very special Green hand made "lay". She was so proud of it she wore it for her trip back to London.

She was so dedicated to help humanity any time any where. So brilliant in her mind and ever so humble. A sense of humour enormous. I have many pictures of our class together with Pam. And one was like a Movie Star.

Thank you for the beautiful Memorial for her as it definitely depicts her Bravery. I would like to put our arms around our dear class mate and say "Farewell Pam. We loved and respected you all the way."

There was Zareen Lamb, Jeroo Karanjia, Tooto Lahirri, Karma Dharamsey, Naju Vakeel, Sadhana Shah, Mayer Cursetji. Miriam Gumpert. Mary Balsara, Diana Steggles, Joan Twist, Georgiana Fanngon, Almighty Mody, Nargish Mody, Diana Guzder. Rattan Ramchandani, Arnavaz Guzder, Nalini Pillai, Vijaya Hattiangadi. I cannot remember any more the names. But Sadhana, you perhaps can complete the list. Of course, Doreen Heimlich (nee Feibusch) was also in our class.

The boys in our class were Stephano Episcapo and, of course, Tara Malkani, Anthony Ramsinh, may his soul rest in peace.

Perhaps someone can compile a list of the boys of 54 with Mr Gunnery our head master of the Boys school at that time.

I do hope we can have a class reunion. We spoke many times of it with Pam. So let us do it in her honour. Our deepest sympathy to her family, To her classmates who cared a great deal about her, and to all the many Cathedralites she knew and touched their hearts.

Our deepest sympathy from
Abe, Ellis, Vilma, Sophie and Benjie.

Farewell my friend.

Gracie [Hayeem ] Lerno.

Just a few days before she died, Pamela had sent me an email asking for the email address of her old friend, Sadhana Madhusudan (nee Shah). It was someone she was unable to contact because of her untimely death. I have given below the message sent by Sadhana to Aubrey and Judy (copy Seventh Heaven) after she heard of Pamela's passing away. The contents reflect the character of the person who was rightfully awarded the MBE for a task which, I know from my own personal experience, is thankless and usually the cause of much misery for the person carrying out the job of harmonising life among different ethnic groups.

Date: Sun, 14 Jan 2001 03:30:03 -0800 (PST)

From: sadhana madhusudan
Subject: Pamela Forever and ever...
To: aubrey.ballantyne@sympatico.ca
Cc: Bentlerno@aol.com

Dear Aubrey, Judy,

News of Pam's passing on left me numbed and quite overcome, to say the least. It was just a week back that I heard from Seventh Heaven, courtesy kind soul Jacob, that Pam was asking for my e-mail address. I felt honoured and excited that at last I would be in touch finally with my Captain and Muse, my old pal and classmate. But fate snatched away that opportunity alas. Or, until I catch up with her again..

We were together from 6th onwards, both Blue House kids, ever ready to go on crusades to help our classmates in every way could, including hilarious entertainment. And we ended up as Capt. and Vice Capt. of Blue House in '54. I was the Vice Capt, but Pam had two very unfortunate happenings, if memory serves me right, when her loving Dad passed away and when she had to have her appendix out. That left me alone to fend for our House on several fronts.

However, knowing that she would be back soon anyway and that we were guys who never gave up, I went ahead practicing with our teams for various competitions etc..

Wilson House, or Blue, was known for coming last in the annual list, but that year, '54, we turned the corner and came out 3rd . beating Orange I think. That was our victory and Pam felt so gratified, we hugged each other with tears streaming down our cheeks...

Later on, we met again when Pam was Suptd. of a Remand Home at Byculla. I visited her office and was overwhelmed to see the great responsibility thrust upon her. She had chosen to focus on very vital human and sociological issues. I felt humbled in her presence, happy that she was striking out on her own in this direction rather than opting for the 9-5 routine jobs that most of us were doing. Then, we lost touch as I left the country.

It was through Nalini Pillai that I first heard of Pam after 30 odd years, then Gracie, Ratan and Miriam. But, we never did meet.

I was looking for her via Seventh Heaven, and she must have come to know of it.

As Keats says...

"Heaven gives it's glimpses to those who have no time to look too close".

Pam's fav song back then was

"Forever and ever, my heart will be true, sweetheart forever, I'll wait for you."

Which, she promptly translated into Hindi

"Hamesha hamesha, hum tumharay vaastay kharra rahaingaa"...

My kids and grandkids were all told Pam's version of Hey diddle diddle. The legacy will go on..And her memory will go on and on..."hamesha".

God rest her superb soul...and remind us what we could do to show our love and respect for Pamela..

Amen..

Sadhana (Shah) Madhusudan
Blue House,
In grief, class of '54.

These were only two of the many messages of grief that I got, but it serves as a lesson to all of us - do not delay getting in touch with your friends of yesteryear. Do not delay putting out your hand of friendship. Live your old memories together. These are the golden memories that the life we have lived makes our life worth remembering. Through our old friendships we show the modern world some of the glimpses of the past and teach some of the values of our life.

Poor Sadhana was just hours away from talking to her old friend when fate saw that not to be. May Pam's soul rest in peace. I have extended sympathies that I received to all of Pam's family through Aubrey.

I have the pleasant task of informing you that the third reunion of the Finnish Cathedralites/ Stephanians alumni was held over Christmas at my residence in Oulu. As usual, we had 100% attendance, with all two of us present.

Ajeet (Prof. Ajeet Mathur) came to Oulu, not just to be with his fellow Cathedralite / Stephanian, but his ulterior motive was to try to get to see the Northern Lights which often are visible in all its swirling blue, red and golden glory at this high latitude.

When, on the third evening, because of heavily overcast snowy skies, we were unable to see the stars, we were both a bit surprised when my better half said, very confidently, that Ajeet would see the Northern Lights the next evening. I have never heard such a forthright and dramatic statement from her in all my life. I was quite taken aback.

Next day, as we watched the skies eagerly, looking to see if there was any break of clouds to see the stars above, we were not very hopeful. But Annikki was merrily keeping her composure and said again that without fail Ajeet would see the Northern Lights.

Come evening, we sat down to dinner. After a nice meal, Ajeet was planning a walk around the frozen town to see whether Annikki's prediction would come true, when, out of the kitchen walked this cake designer with a recreation of the Northern Lights transfixed in a glass cake bowl. The ground made of chocolate butter covered cake, with a beautiful blue gel topping about six inches (150 cm) deep. Annikki had managed to create the entire Northern Lights effect in the jelly above the cake - quivering dark blue with stars and moon included.

Ajeet and I were dumb struck.

Annikki is famous for her unique cake designs. Much of her work is soon to be published in a photographic book form (and maybe also on the internet) but none of us expected her to fulfill a promise using her cake designs.

Ajeet left back for his southerly abode quite satisfied at having seen something infinitely more unique and beautiful than the Northern Lights!!

(You can read about Ajeet's latest research writings about Finnish -India Trade in the current issue of Findians Briefings which has also been released today (28th January 2001.)

And we all had a great laugh!!

Here are the snippets from his alumni reunion report:

* Rauha Annikki, wife of Sushil (Jacob Matthan to some), contributed a special Northern Lights Cake which she designed and made herself and which was a great hit..not a crumb was left as it was polished off by Stephanians/Cathedralites with much appreciation.

* The cake idea arose to make up for the non-appearance of the Aurora Borealis! The year 2000-2001 was forecast to be a spectacular auroral year with spectacular lights around New Moon Day (24-25 Dec) but you know weather forecasters....

* Ajeet Mathur and Jacob Matthan went a-walking through the snow and ice around Oulu past midnight in - 26 C remembering....

I want to draw attention to a book published by an ex-Cathedralite, 64er Brinda Somaya (nee Chinnappa), who has found mention on these pages several times. Shows how active she is with regard to things happening with the school.

With another Cathedralite she has released a book called "Women in Architecture".

Brinda is a fine architect. She has been the architect responsible for remodelling the school. Her son, Vikram, is also a Cathedralite (94er). He was one of the very first to discover my Seventh Heaven magazine online about 5 years ago when I started to put it on the web. He works in the US. Brinda's elder sister, Ranjini Chinappa, also a Cathedralite (62er), lives in The Netherlands.

This month's picture has been submitted by our former Physics teacher, William (Willie) Shiri, who now lives in Canada. Willie is married to also an ex-teacher from the Girls' School, Pushpa.


Cathedral Boys School Saff 1960

My competition is open all students and ex-students of the school but not to staff members of the years 1955 to 1965. The first person who sends me a complete list of the staff members in this photograph (in the correct order identifying them) by email will get a lovely Alvar Aalto Art Glass piece from Finland.

I also want to know which year you think this photograph was taken.

It is interesting because the late Mr. R. G. Salmon is not there but Mr. John Billington is, but yet our Peruvian Geography teacher (Mr. Zavala is still around! It is definitely past 1959!! Is it 1959, 1960 or 1961?

Can any of you spot the late Mr. A. G. Morecroft who saved my life at Vasind in 1955? For that story and how I got my nickname, you should read the first issue of Seventh Heaven!!

So long for now. See you in a month.

Regards

Jacob Matthan
Honorary Editor
Seventh Heaven (Web Version)
Cathedralite 1954 - 1959
School Hockey Goalkeeper - 1958; 1959
School Prefect - 1958; 1959
Savage House Captain - 1959

SHV02-Issue 6: 961215

Au Revoir Web-surfing Stephanians and Cathedralites,

The time has come to say au revoir to all of you wonderful web-surfing Stephanians and Cathedralites.

Many of you are probably too young to know how Indira Gandhi effectively introduced censorship of the critical news media during the mid seventies. Besides imprisoning the political leaders and her sharpest media critics, her most effective weapon was to restrict the quota of newsprint to the critical press and also the amount of Government business directed to the outspoken media - very effective ways of shutting them up.

Here, in this western democracy called Finland, the establishment has a very effective method in this tightly run society. All your contracts vanish, making it impossible to survive if you are in conflict with the establishment. Hence Findians Oy had no option but to seek outside assistance to prop it up while they tried to restructure their actvities to be able to withstand the tirade. They attempted to raise sufficient funds to save their three popular webletters. This was not successful. They reached only part of the initially targeted amount.

Hence, the new owners of Findians Oy (Annikki, my better half, and I had to sell out our interests in the company for technical reasons) have informed me that they are returning all the cheques, money orders and cash received from many of you wonderful people out there. This will be done over the next two weeks so as to avoid any loss during the present Christmas postal rush. They will be returning the documents registered post acknowledgement due.

If you do not receive the contribution, you so generously made, by the 7th of January 1997, please send me a message.

I have succeeded in getting myself a private email address outside the clutches of the authorities and outside of Finland.

I am glad that KOOLER TALK (WEB VERSION) and SEVENTH HEAVEN lasted 18 issues.

I can honestly say I had a lot of fun putting up these pages every fortnight. During these last 9 months I made many wonderful friends from all around the world from different school and college generations, older and considerably younger to me.

Surprisingly, I did not get a single bad vibe during that entire time, which, as a professional editor, was quite a feat - no, not even a single staff member complained about my abraisive style and content!

I am taking the optimistic view that the alma mater webletters are temporarily suspended till I can raise enough funds to put them up without any assistance from Findians Oy. It may mean setting up my own web server equipment, my own computer with sufficient storage space, etc. which, unfortunately is rather an expensive process and outside of my present financial (and probably technical) capabilities. After all, as you all know I am not one of the present youthful generation and in my younger days we were lucky if we learnt how to operate a calculator which weighed as much as my present portable Mac on which I hammer out my books. My next one, Handbook For Survival in India, which is a sequel to our last local best-seller Handbook For Survival in Finland, is about halfway through at this stage.

Hopefully I can leave the archives on line for some time. If I manage to locate a permanent home for these archives, katy1.html, katy2.html and the one one which will go up next week katy3.html for Stephanians and sevven1.html, sevven2.html and sevven3.html for Cathedralites, I shall move them there and post the location in the World Alumini Register. I will leave the entire index archive as a single entity as koolertalk.html and seventhheaven.html till such time I can restart them.

What pleased me the most and made me particularly happy was that many of you thought me to be of just your generation, although, in some cases, I was at least 30 to 35 years ahead of you at the alma mater. Thank you for all the compliments which flowed like water from all of you.

In a way I am sad that it had to come to an end in this way, for no fault of any of us. Unfortunately, Annikki and I are people who believe in freedonm of expression, and we accept criticism as much as we give it. My grandfather, the late K. C. Mammen Mappillai (KCMM), stood for this principle, which saw him suffer many ignoble things, but the foundation he laid has resulted in the Malayala Manorama becoming the largest circulating newspaper in India.

It may be too much to hope, but one of these three webletters may hold a similar position on the web well after my time - and that thought itself spurs me to be ready to hand it over to capable hands that may come forward. Consider that the Malayala Manorama had to stop publication for almost a decade when KCMM was imprisoned and it was restarted only after India attained independence.

Your Stephanian/Cathedralite colleague

Jacob Matthan
Oulu, Finland

SHV02-Issue 5: 961201

Hi Cathedralites,

It is nice to get 93er Vivek Sikri's occasional newsletters with a couple of interesting letters. Also, he has taken the trouble to maintain the directory but has asked someone to relieve him off this responsibility.

I still think that the World Alumini Register is the best bet and all Cathedralites should register there. It only takes a couple of minutes. They have a useful monthly reminder service in which any entries to the Bulletin Board which is maintained on the site is also informed to all those whose names are registered there, besides informing the names of new additions. I get four reminders from them, and therefore, am fairly up-to-date with all my alma maters.

Many of you have been intrigued by the Tin and Bottle Competition that I mentioned in an earlier issue. It was for the badminton competition which we used to have at school, the entry fee being either a tin or a bottle of something. In our childhood days most tins and bottles were great delicacies - there were not many Kissans and other brands around, so the collection of tins and bottles was quite an attractive package to play for.

The Nestles Milk Maid condensed milk tin was my favourite. I could finish an entire tin by myself in one sitting, and I probably still could, if my wife were not so strict in keeping my triglycerides down.

I wonder why Bombay is so quiet about setting up the Catcall Web Site. It would certainly relieve a lot of pressure on me if they would put up regular issues of Catcall on the web so that I could gradually make this webletter a monthly rather than a fortnightly. I do not want to reduce the momentum that we have achieved so far for almost a year, but I would certainly like to have some others share my load.

Oh, that Ooky had a web presence. His imitable style would have all of you in splits of laughter. That is something, unfortuately, whch is not my style, because I am more a political satirists rather than a humourist.

Could someone out there give us more details about the new school principal. Is she the first woman principal of the combined schools? Sorry to show my ignorance, but it does show you how far I am from the city of Bombay!!

I have discovered some more old photographs in my collection here in Finland, and hopefully will put up some of them in the coming issues.

57er Kashinath Dandekar had one comment that got me a bit worried - he mentioned that someone had equated the title "Seventh Heaven" as sounding like the name of a Bangkok massage parlour.

I hope I have massaged your senses, but there has been an overwhelming mail to maintain the name as it is, as after all, it was the class newspaper for us in 1955 when we were in the Seventh Standard, and it has a lot of sentimental association to many of the readers of that era.

More in a fortnight, and do continue to send me your criticisms and comments. Above all, I love the criticisms as it spurs one to do better - that was one of the best lessons that I learnt from the red ink of Pop Pharoah from his correction in my geometry Xth Standard classwork book.

Your Cathedralite friend

Jacob Matthan
Savage House Captain 1959
Oulu, Finland