Tag Archives: Networking OCs

Golden and Silver Anniversaries : ’62 and ’87 batches

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Dear OCs

This year we are celebrating the Golden and Silver Anniversaries of the ’62 and ’87 batches. While we are getting the ’62 batch in top gear – they have had a number of meetings towards this – but no one from the ’87 batch has contacted the OCA office.

Those interested please get in touch!

BM Singh

A dinner was organized at Toti Agarwal’s house on May 4, 2012 for the 1962 batch. They are having several round of dinners and this is the second one. There are more to follow. Important to note that Bunty, Toti’s wife, created the house flags and emblems. Terrific atmosphere. Click here to view the photos.

My pet rabbit and Mr. Goss

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(Editor’s note: The exchange with Mr Goss is, as expected, lively. Here is an amusing yet poignant incident which seems to have ended happily after 50 years!! Little boys do carry grudges, real or imagined. !!

A background introduction is given to lend the correspondence a perspective

The intervening mail from Badal inducts a spot of fun in this exchange.
Badal is a gentleman-at-large and a mining baron in a day and age where this breed is currently under siege. He has a puckish and provocative sense of humour which is well meaning and really innocuous.

Joe  Joshi is the elder brother of Dr. Jai Hind Joshi. Joe is a News Editor with Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar. He was in Vietnam during the years of turmoil in that country.

Jai Joshi is an eminent doctor and lives in Houston. Both these brothers, originally from Burma, did well and made their mark in society)

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Goss,

Rishi Rana may be the only other person who recalls this.

Do you recall a young boy who found a little white rabbit in the hills near school, brought it with him and then asked you to look after his little pet. He was not expecting you to agree but was thrilled when you did. For weeks the little boy dreamt about his rabbit, wrote home to his parents, and planed on how he would try and take his rabbit back home to Burma, a thousand miles away, at the end of the school year

And do you recall that a few weeks later when that boy came to visit and asked if he could see and play with his rabbit, the both of you laughed and said that you had enjoyed that rabbit for dinner weeks before.

I wonder whether you recall, also, that many years later, when that boy graduated, and would come visit school with his brother; you said something about how a bad penny was sure to always come back.

That was more than fifty years ago.

I was happy to hear that you have done well as I was to hear about Mr. and Mrs. Williams. I remember Ms Gardner (who later became Mrs. Williams) with the fondest of affection as our KG home room teacher and Mr. Williams was my house master. I have always held them in very high esteem, and hope Mrs. Williams is part of this mailing list

Regards to you both
Jai Joshi, MD

Sent: Sat, Mar 31, 2012 9:02 pm
Subject: RE: Memories from a long time ago

Hey Mr Goss…… you can Run But you can’t Hide…… This lil burmese boy is hot on yr tail…. and like the elephants in burma he dosnt forget anything……suggest you go to australia next… hear theres lots rabbits there . maybe you can send him one..or like the proverbial bad penny he might show up at yr door one day…. last i heard … his bro Joe was joining  him in the hunt …. whoa.. he has had some really wild experiences as a gunfighter in vietnam…. near death stuff… he’s a real bounty hunter… i was you id be scared …..REAL scared….your sins are catching up on you mr goss…….LOW MARKS…. RABBIT KILLING…. JUGGED HARES…. We don’t even know whether you preferred sherwood to BCS …….. so tomorrow by Sundown you better be outta town boy….. (as we say in the deep south uf the United States)…. ADIOS AMIGO.

Inderjit Singh Badal

Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2012 17:32:39 -0400

Badal – you are just too nicely funny. Am sure Mr. Goss will take it all in good sport. He did reply to my story, by the way – and very pleasantly, too. As for crossing the river, again: the situation now is a lot different, with texicans not gringos as border patrol men, the coyotes are now gringos and the river at El Passo is all dried up, so your swimming prowess will not help- you will have to walk
Joshi 2

Jai Joshi, MD 

Dear Jai
Thank you for your letter.  You will forgive me if after all these years I cannot recall looking after your pet, but I can assure you we did not have him for dinner as neither my wife nor I have ever acquired a taste for rabbit stew.   Telling you that we had feasted on your pet was probably our way of letting you know that the rabbit had escsaped to be reunited with his family in ithe hills despite our vigilance.

Surely I didn’t refer to you as a ”bad penny”!  My sincere apologies, although 50 years too late.

Tell me more about yourself.

With kind regards,
Ronald Goss

BCS in WW2 – by David M. Wood-Robinson

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I and my two brothers, Mark & Colin, were some of the large number of boys who came out in 1940 to spend the war in India with our parents; while Europe was in turmoil and even the defeat of Britain seemed a possibility.

Mark & I came out with about 600 other children on a passenger ship with Thomas Cook staff looking after us and arrived in Bombay(!) in September. We started at BCS later that month but due to the large number of ‘new boys’ the Headmaster, George Sinker, took about 20 of us into his house while another similar number of older boys went to a house near the school gate with a matron in charge. These arrangements were only for sleeping and we each belonged to one of the four houses for everything else including inter-house games.

Some of my memories include stealing chemistry lab equipment to make hookahs in which we smoked all sorts of strange things, climbing over the barbed-wire school fence to ‘scrump’ bhuttas which we roasted in the school boilers and fighting with kites with ground-up glass glued onto their strings. Also that some of the older boys had their eye on Joy Sinker, the Head’s pretty daughter! And at the end of term in December, the school train spread a trail of destruction along the various lines to where the boys’ homes were all over India. Why do we always remember the naughty things?

At prize-giving every year the current Viceroy came to preside and I was lucky enough to shake hands with Lord Linlithgow, Lord Wavell and one other whose name I forget. And of course we made many wonderful friendships which I’m glad to say joining OCA has opened the possibility of renewing.

David M. Wood-Robinson
[1940-44 Ibbetson].

[EDITOR
Here is a listing of the boys who joined BCS in 1940/41/42/43/44 -  general information for those who might be interested : BCS List - 1940 to 1944 ]

Reunion 50 years Batch of 1961 + Change of dates:

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The School will be closed for the ten days from 2nd Oct – 12th October, both days included. The Headmaster would also not be available during this period as he too would be out of town. He expressed his wish to honour the ’61 Sixth formers’ in an Honourable manner. The boys would be too close to the exams after the Break, therefore no date available later.

He has suggested that we get together in Shimla on the 23rd and 24th September when there would be Cultural Programme on the 23rd, and Sports for the differently-abled on the 24th. He would like have prizes given by the ’61 Sixth formers’. He would like to host a dinner for us on the 24th night at the School.

Bearing the above in mind, I have tentatively booked 15 Rooms at the Eastbourne Hotel near the School, (next to the Grotto, after the first Bridge at the finishing Leg of the Marathon) for the 23rd, 24th nights.

Chandigarh 22rd September, 2011.
Shimla 23th September, 2011.
Shimla 24th September, 2011.
Barog 25th September, 2011.
26th Morning disperse.

Please note that there has been a pre-ponement of the dates.
I am going ahead and making the arrangements as above. There would be no further changes.

Please plan your calendar for the month of September accordingly. I am hoping that all of you who have confirmed so far, make a note of this change.
Curse me for it, accept it, and attend happily.

The request goes to all who wish to attend, the more the merrier. 15 rooms have been booked tentatively; we have time to book more.

Confirmation is desperately required from all.

Sudhir [Chottu] Khanna

OCA Website…Networking…Facebook…Links

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BACKGROUND
It has been almost 9 years to the day since the OCA made its presence on the Internet. In May of 2002 the oldcottonians.org domain was registered and an online website was created. It started out with a single page. Since then, it has come a long way thanks to the countless OCs who chipped-in with resources, plans, design ideas, articles, suggestions, complaints, cheers and support – from a basic webpage, to full blown website, to what it is today.

NETWORKING
We have been able to network and provide a place for OCs to connect. The Online OCs Directory continues to provide a way for the OCA to contact all members and for members to locate other OCs. The data collection and updating is an onging process, so we ask all OCs do come back to keep their details up to date. Thanks.

The OCA has been active on Facebook as well – since 2009 – so that all OCs who use Facebook can connect up via the OCA’s official Facebook Page. Two official OCA Facebook pages can be reached via the links below. Do look at these screen-shots of what the correct OCA Facebook pages look like because there are many out there and not all of them are connected to the OCA:


Click the images to see full page views of each.
The official OCA Facebook IDs are http://www.facebook.com/OldCottoniansAssociation.BCS.Shimla.India / http://www.facebook.com/OldCottoniansAssociation.BCS.Shimla.India#!/oca.india

We did also start a Twitter page, but abandoned the idea because it was simply a duplication / mirror of our Facebook page….

NOT ALL ARE WHAT THEY APPEAR TO BE
We notice several Websites and OCA Facebook pages and profiles that purport to belong to the OCA. So, if anyone wish to have an informal OCA page or something that connects back to BCS and the OCA, do write in with your ideas and hopefully we can find a way to link up – rather than have people wondering which page is ‘official’ and which ones are not.

SEO
OCA’s keywords and articles all get listed on priority at Google and other search engines with the assistance of  our web-hosting service to whom we are gratefully thankful for the wonderful service that they provide to us.

VOLUNTEER
OCA is on the constant lookout for OCs who have web / internet / software scripting knowledge – to assist with the upkeep and maintenance of this website. If you would like to volunteer, send in a note.

26th May UPDATE:

 

Changes… Transitions…. [OCA UK]

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Saturday 26th June 2010:

Changes…Transition.
(Capt. Vivek Bhasin : Chairman OCA (UK Chapter)

From Kindergarden to Transition and then to Lower I……
Isn’t that’s the way all Cottonians start?
The OCA (UK) Chapter’s Annual Lunch at Bombay Brasserie was attended by 45 OCs and their wives; in my case my Mother and Brother ( an OC stalwart) accompanied me.
It was my Mother who packed my trunk and my bedding roll, gave me my red attache case and putting on me Black  ’ tuffies’ shoes from Bata, tying my laces put me on the Howrah-Kalka Mail on the 5th of March 1961……..at the age of FIVE……… The Old Cottonian   has come a long way.

Having accepted the position of Chairman of the Old Cottonians Association  United Kingdom on this date, I wish to first Thank all my Seniors; especially:

-Allan Gay Niblett-Chairman OCA (UK) who is now appointed as Honorary Life President; indeed the most remarkable and dedicated Chairman in the history of the Association. Unfailing in his responsibilities, he makes at least 12 trips a year to London from his Mallorca Home; nearly always at his own time and expense; personally writing such meaningful and intelligent letters in his most beautiful handwriting and ensuring that whatever he says…’will be done….for the Good of the OCA….for the Good of BCS’. To me he is a Father, a mentor and a true true friend. Christine….you are Beautiful.

-Peter Stringer-Secretary of the OCA (UK) who breathes the Simla Air and has dedicated his 150 years( yes he is 150)  for his love of BCS-he too has stepped down,( but I am not releasing him in a hurry). Peter lives in Whyteleafe and has steadily over time, built a small museum of BCS in his pretty home. Maggie his Dear Wife has given him a study where he sits, thinks, paints….Bishop Cotton forever…. To me he is my Rock of Ages.  Maggie we love you.

- Raj Lamba:   A Hard Core Cottonian who always supports and is part of the Committee….permanently.

- Vinod Nanda: The hardest of the core…..a fellow Lefroyian…..Guts and Glory……A committee member…permanently.  Over the last 10 years he has always been there..offering his home for us to attend meetings before we move on to an authentic north Indian khaana at Southall.  Rosy we appreciate it all…… we really do.

-Arthur Jones: A wonderful wonderful person…..always there; Peter Stringer’s true bother in arms…at home and in the pub……God! We do miss Shirley.

-Ken Richards:….motoring down from Marlborough….until… until then….we know how life goes through its changes…..the mind is willing but the body is weak….the last angrez speaking Hindustani…never forgotten.

- John & Katherine Phillips:  John… Tall, bold, Mighty……decisive….and the delicate but firm Katherine. The OCA (UK) will always need you…..for a lot more. Your hard work and sincerity is always appreciated.

- Peter Evans (Lamboo):…….He may live in Amsterdam….and is a more in-depth painter than Van Gogh….A PILLAR of BCS..ageless….forever. His strength is what drives all of us….onwards.

- Bob Myers: A tower of strength; his knowledge and planning excellence knows no bounds.  He too keeps BCS always on his mind…on his agenda.

-Shiela Reed: A true Lady Cottonian; yes she is. No doubt.

……and so so many more Seniors whose faces, whose actions,  I can never forget……    Dr Daljit Singh…never ever failing to be there. Thank you Sir.

Dr Humayun Khan……Hashim Khan Esq,…..in a complex world….you make it look …So Very Easy….

On behalf of ALL Cottonians far and wide…… I Salute You ALL.

AND NOW…….(into Transition to a newer and younger generation)…

-Young Puneet Singh:   The numbers Kid…..(Treasurer)….!!! A ROCK, BISON
-Young Gursant Singh…
-Young Gursant Sidhu…..
-Young Mrinal Vijay..
-Young Bunti Singh..
-Young Kuljinder Singh  Bahia…
-Young Rana Datar
-Young Bhawani Singh
-Young Mohit Chowdhury
-Young Marshal Brar
-Young Chaku Talwar
-Young Siddha
-Young Samson Rathur
-Young Ladinkima….

AND every  young, youthful OC who in a way is omnipresent here in the UK.

THIS IS A TIME FOR CHANGE. OUR SENIORS HAVE IN EVERY GRACIOUS MANNER MOVED TO EXHAULTED POSITIONS LEAVING US , THE YOUNGER OCs TO FURTHER CEMENT OUR ORGANISATION HERE IN THE UK.    FOR ME AS CHAIRMAN, I KNOW I NEED THE STRENGTH OF THE YOUNGER GENERATION……I BESEECH YOUR HELP…

We need to come together more often..
Very good suggestions and ideas flow from the young….We need to Listen, we need to sit together and make this work…..for ourselves, for future OCs and for Bishop Cotton School.

Lets also be frank and open.. We need Cottonians who have the infrastructure, organisation, financial capacity to come forward and assist whenever/wherever possible.

1. We need to have at least 4 to 6 get togethers here in London. Suggestions are Welcome!!
2. Culminate in the Annual Get Together on the Last Saturday of June every year..
3. As suggested the ‘out-of -towners’ and the younger chaps in College need to be supported by way of  subsidised travel/accommodation to attend the same.

In clear terms,   every OC in the UK is part and parcel of the Association. Every OC visiting the UK must make contact..
Networking plays a great part in today’s world.
The OCs worldwide form one of the greatest networks..we need to develop this further.

We are Blessed and Proud that  we were Born Cottonians.
Lets make the most of it! Help each other….Help our School  and enjoy ourselves

May God Bless the OCA (UK) and Bishop Cotton School.

My Sincerely Regards

Capt. Vivek Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970
Chairman
The Old Cottonians Association, United Kingdom

An OLD OC!

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Dear Editor,

I have been induced by recent correspondence with some of my  contemporary OCs to write a few words that can be shared with those who remember me during my years at BCS. It was a priviledge to have spent time at the School in those halcyon days during the early ’40s. I have had the good fortune to keep in touch with Peter Rollo and Jim Lee over several years and just recently have been reaquainted with Arthur Allan Bapty.

The contact with the school through articles in the Old Cottonian Magazine on the Internet is now an important part of my life and I sincerely hope this will continue in the future.

My sincere thanks to all those involved with keeping this essential vehicle alive.

Yours very sincerely,

Peter  Maidment.
At BCS 1941-1943