Gentlemen:
I am writing an article to explore the qualities of outstanding teachers. After much thought and introspection, I decided to use my BCS student experience as a guide for analyzing the qualities of good teachers. Any thoughts you might have on what makes a good teacher would be most welcome—especially if you can draw on your personal experience from your school years.
The purpose of this note is to solicit your help in getting relevant information on the teachers and staff with whom I interacted during my years at BCS from October 1948 till August 1954. Any inputs on my request, including resources that might be able to help, would be much appreciated.
More specifically, the following information will help:
1. The full name of Mr. “Taffy” Jones. The years he worked at BCS—he may have been at BCS at two different times. The classes he taught—I know he was the class master for Upper II. Any biographical information—where he came from, his formal education, … —would be of great help.
2. The full name of Mrs. Nanavati, Matron (Linlithgow)
3. The full name of Miss. Hannah, Matron (Box Room)
4. The classes taught by Mr. and Mrs. Murray and their full names.
5. The classes taught by Mrs. Barker, her full name and that of Mr. Barker (Bursar?)
6. The classes taught by Mrs. Fisher, her full name and that of Mr. Fisher, Headmaster.
7. The classes taught by Mr. & Mrs. Knight (Senior Master) and their full names.
8. The classes taught by Mr. Cuzen (House Master, Lefroy) and his full name.
9. The classes taught by Mr. F.M. Brown (House Master, Ibbetson?) and his full name.
10. The full name of, and classes taught by, Mr. T.P. Paul.
11. The full name of, and classes taught by, Mr. Das Gupta (Art).
Looking forward to your inputs,
And with regards and best wishes,
Sincerely,
Vijay Stokes
Vijay K. Stokes
Rivaz House: 1948-1954vijay.stokes@gmail.com
Old Cottonians Association
OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD. Old Cottonians Association of Bishop Cotton School Simla India.
1. I was taught by “Freddy” Brown at BCPS in 1943 (he would throw chalk – very accurately – at any boy not paying attention). I was in Curzon House at BCS in 1944-45, and I think FMB was the HouseMaster then (Mr. Frank Fisher was Housemaster of Ibbetson, I believe).
2. I believe the best teacher I ever had (and that includes my subsequent excellent education at Radley College, in England, 1946-1951) was Mr. M.H.Murray, in 1944-5; He taught English (including “How to write a Sonnet”!), Maths and Science (and possibly Latin).
M.R.Wetherfield
F M Browns full name was Fredrick Morris Brown
Taffy Jones: I think that his initials were J. W. but I don’t know what they stood for.
He was the class teacher for Upper II and apart from subjects like English, History and Geography, etc. he taught us Handwriting!
Mr. Murray: Iniials M:H: HisNickname was “Bob”. At the Prep School he taught Urdu in Lower II. But that stopped in August 1947 after partition.
Mr Cuzen: He was there twice. First as A:E: Cuzen and later as E:A. Cuzen. He was my housemaster – Lefroy and looking back, much underrated.
Mr. Knight: “Tubby”. Initials: T:W.M.K.T for Thorburn???? but W for Whitmarsh. The rest???
A great teacher.
Thank you, I was delighted to read your very kind comments about my Father Edward (Ted) Cuzen.
I still have ALL my class half yearly & yearly reports of ALL teachers, House Master & HeadMaster, properly maintained in a file by my late father.
I had my Senior Cambrige finals question papers of 1957, in their original, crease less form, nice & blue, which I had handed over to The Head in 1995.
Once again my apologies for another correction;
Mr. M.H. Murray was class teacher of Lower II in 1951 & not Upper II.
He left at the end of 1951.
Mr. Taffy Jones was class teacher of Upper II in 1952. Taffy also thought us how to make paper meshy.
Any correction : read Mr. Gauri Shanker, not Taurine- again autocorrect!
Correction: read Mr. MH Murry, not Kutty.
Auto correction I guess.
What a treat it has been to go through the responses of several OCs !
Mr. M.H. Kutty was the class teacher of Upper II, in 1952 (my class then). He taught us Maths & a few other subjects- memory fails beyond. He left at the end of 1952, for ?Australia, I think.
Mrs. Barker was our Nature Study teacher in 1951-52. (For me it would be & Lower II & Upper II).
Mr. Asrani was the English Literature teacher in 1956-57 for what was 5th & 6th Form for me. He prepared Inderjit 56(one year my senior- GPS Sahi’s classmate) for a declamation contest, at Gaity Theatre. His topic was Mark Antony’s Speech from Julius Caese, which I remember by heart till today, because the other person in that BCS Declamation team was me! My subject was in Punjabi “Desh Prem,” for which our Hindi / Punjabi teacher, Mr. Taurine Shanker, prepared me. I came away with a second prize (1st time ever on a stage) & of course we brought back the trophy also.
Mr. Asrani was a great Litery teacher.
Mrs. Nanawati was Matron in Linithgo, and I only remember that we, the Sikh boys with long hair, from the HeadMaster’s House, (where I was in 1950, when I went toBCS), had to go to her for our hair-wash every Sunday.
Incidentally, on the 1st floor of the Head’s House were two big rooms, in which some of us were housed.
Mrs. Enid Fisher was our Class Teacher of Form III, in 1953. She taught us English & one or two others, which I don’t remember.
Mrs. Fisher used to call 3 or 4 of us to her house to cut & make decorations for occasions such as the School Fete & the Speech Day etc. She was a great hostess.
If I remember any more, will gladly write.
Good luck for this great venture.
Santokh Singh, Lefroy, 1950-57.
I know Mr. Brown was called Freddie Brown but not sure what the initial M stood for. Wonderful teacher but getting whacked by him was far worse than Dustin. Mostly because he knew when you padded up whilst Dustin either didn’t know or didn’t care.
Frederick Maurice Brown. He was my Godfather and he was there with my Father Edward Cuzen
Mr. Das Gupta’s full name is SASIM DASGUPTA.
His name was Farhat Paul.
Hot hot samosas with chutney …… it’s been yeeeaaaarrrrsss since I heard the name of Mr Paul mentioned … just not sure that TP were his initials …. after all this time I realise I only knew him as Mr Paul ….. he who handwrote all our certificates with his old world penmanship ….
Great memories …. a great time ….
Hi Vivek
I am an earlier. student of the school, 1936 to 1945, however you would have heard of a teacher named Fred Brown. I knew him as student first at BCS, he then came back after leaving school in 1939. He was a master at the Prep school for a while, then the main school as House Master of Curzon. He was extremely tollerant and fair to all his students. He knew of all their problems and excuces. Very fair in dealing with trouble. A good sportsman that could pass on his skills to others.Should you be interested in my friend Fred, I would be happy to write further about a great Master. Best wishes, Dick DAbreu.
Dear Sir,
That is a wonderful move to honour those who laid our foundation stones as young lads in Blazers and Flannels! It was them, our staff teachers who saw us grow in mind, body and spirit seeing us leave the iron gates of BCS and move into the world. Perhaps; most of us never looked back and got on with our own lives; the teachers stood their ground and patiently waited for another batch of young restless Cottonians, patiently prodding, coaxing and instilling the guiding light of Bishop Cotton School. I shall contact John WWW Knight who I still correspond with ( I was his neighbour for 13 years in England) and get facts of Tubby Whitmarsh ( was he married Sir?)
My Best Wishes.
Vivek Bhasin
Lefroy 1961-1970