Monthly Archives: September 2011

The School BELL

THE SCHOOL BELL.

All Cottonians remember well the school’s BELL that stood on the First Flat – and the various different tones and ringing patterns that were struck to denote the TIME, BREAK, LUNCH, END OF SCHOOL DAY, PREP TIME, etc ….

Recently, we had an email from OC Richard D’Abreu [Curzon 1936-46]:

My thanks to Bishop Cotton School for forwarding me the Mitre School Paper. I look forward to this newspaper arriving at my home in Bunbury Western Australia from time to time. I am also fascinated by all the stamps which have the picture of the school printed on them.
I find the Mitre interesting to read. It keeps me up with all the events that the school has during the year. So much change to the days of the 1930ies and 40ies which was my era. What got my attention, in Volume 1 March – May 2011 issue,  in the column “In and around BCS” written by  the School Captain Uday Punta, was the mention of the demise of the school bell, and that it would be sadly missed. I could remember, in the 1940ies at the end of term in December, a few vandals, as a school prank, would take the big brass bell down and roll it down the khud. It was always found by the workmen at the school and put back to it’s rightful place in its housing on the First Playground. I cannot comprehend that the old bell is no more. Was it lost or just replaced by a more updated system?
Best wishes to all Cottonians and Old Cottonians…
Dick D’Abreu.

The HM’s response:

I write to inform you that the old order changeth to herald in the new as far as the School bell is concerned. Mr. G.P.S. Sahi and his batch-mates also donated a lovely brass bell along with the bust of the dear Founder in 2009 and it is this bell that is in use at present, having replaced the old one that time and the elements of the weather had put paid to.
You will be glad to know that a Museum has been in place in School since 2009. The Estate Department has been instructed to place the Old School Bell in a place of prominence therein.
With good wishes.
Yours faithfully,
R.C. Robinson
The Headmaster

Dick D’Abreu responds:

Thanks for updating me on the fate of the old school bell which I remembered so well. Progress is a good thing and the replacement new bell may last as long as the old faithful… It was good to read the Head Master’s comments. I had fond memories of it after 9 years as a Cottonian. Many a time I was privileged to be given the honour of ringing it on a Sunday while the boys and staff filled into the chapel..So pleased it is now in the school museum…
Dick

 

BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE [at Bishop Cotton School]

16 Replies

The Best Years Of My Life:

My parents settled in Lahore decided to try for my admission at B.C.S where a nephew of my Late Father, Rustom Boga studied in the late 20’s. I was admitted to the Preparatory School situated at Chota Simla in March 1945 and recall Boarding a train at Lahore on around the 10th March,1945 and it was part of the Frontier Mail carrying fellow school mates who were travelling from Peshawar to Kalka via Lahore, Amritsar, Jullundar and Ludhiana to Kalka. We had a short stop at Kalka before Boarding the train around 6 AM to Simla which was about a 6 hour journey with numerous stops. It was an experience travelling on a mountain train which passed through about 100 tunnels. The main attraction was Jetoog/Behrogh where we had a short stop to fill the belly and thereafter I recall the stop at Tara Devi where Kevinter had their farm. We were escorted to the school around 2PM and after a tiring journey were moved to our Dormitory. I was admitted to Cotton House and my house Master was Mr. Shalom and later Mr.Murray. The Headmaster was Mr. Priestly with his wife in attendance to look after us. This was the first time I had left home and the first week was tough for most of the new faces. However, we were very comfortably looked after and fed and soon settled down to a very well organized and settled life. My first friend was Ramesh Bhasin who assisted me in settling down and finding my feet and as time went on the group of mates increased with Derek Crowl, Durrani, Ali Afridi, Niaz-ul-Haq, Persis, Ifti Malik, Mcdowell, Edrich etc.

Among the staff the name of a Mr.Shalom and Jones comes to mind who assisted us in our development and Dunda Hawkes-the Physical Training Instructor who had retired from the Army and was a boxing Champion in his day. I was at the Prep School for 2 years-1945 and 1946. In early 1946 Mr. Priestly left and an Old Cottonian Col. A.E.R Bruce took over as the Head Master. These 2 years at the School played a significant part in my development as the Staff were committed in assisting the country in producing men of character who would take the country and World forward. Apart from taking us for outings regularly to Chota Simla they also took us to some beautiful spots and the one I still recall is Brockhurst. We also visited the Main School on various occasions and they were mainly to view the Inter School fixtures between B.C.S. and Sanawar and we followed the path through the woods to the main school and entered where there was a Birds House in which a variety of birds were held. We watched the School’s matches against Sanawar from the 1st Flat which was covered and was the entrance to the Swimming Pool and the Gymnasium.

I moved to the Main School in 1947 and the year brought new challenges which added to my vision of the outside World as I witnessed the School go through a very traumatic and upsetting period. The School went through a very trying and difficult year in August 1947 at the time of Partition of India when a very large segment of our mates departed for their homes in Pakistan. The Head Master Mr. Drake and Staff at the time Mr. & Mrs. Fisher, Mr. & Mrs. Brown, Mr. Papworth, Mr. & Mrs. Murrey assisted us greatly in settling down. Continue reading →

BM Singh hosts a dinner for BCS 1961 Batch

Dear All

BM Singh, President OCA (India) and his wife Ravi Singh hosted a dinner for the batch of 1961 who will go up to Simla to celebrate their 50 years of leaving School this week. The dinner was hosted at the Deck Suite at the India Habitat Centre

The numbers for this batch have dwindled rapidly but their gusto and enthusiasm remains undiminished. In typical OC style,

Sukhinder Singh, Billy Gill,  Adarshpal Singh, accompanied by Ajay Thiara drove in yesterday [17th Sept] morning from Chandigarh for this dinner. The dinner which began early at 7.30 pm concluded almost near the mid-night and these gentlemen then drove right back last night. They were sleeping when Ashok Mulchandani rang to seek some assistance and advice!! What do you expect ? !!

The following other guys from the 1961 batch were present:
Veenu & Jaiwant Gill
Nano & Ricky Sawhney
Anita & Sudhir Khanna
Sudhir Kashyap
Ashok Mulchandani

The others present were:
Harry Bedi
Jyoti & R S Sodhi
Ritu & Neel Mehra
Anupam Thapa
Vatsala & Vijay Khurana

The pictures that Sudhir Khanna took, and sent as a separate mail with a Picassa link, simply indicate what a lovely evening it was. What I am doing is sending some of these pictures with the names of the persons labelled (left to right pattern) so that you can identify the persons in the respective pictures. Unfortunately, the quality of my attachments is not outstanding but Sudhir’s mail will give you a much better idea. Go full screen and a slide show to get the complete effect of what a group with an average of 60 can do and enjoy an evening!

We take this opportunity to wish the 1961 batch a happy and lovely reunion.
Cheers
Vijay

[Hover your mouse-pointer on a pic to see the title, click a picture for a larger view]