To commemorate the life of our beloved Father
Mr. Jagdeep Singh Bhasin (Father)
Please join us for Kirtan and Antim Ardaas on Friday, 28th June, 2024 at Gurudwara Sahib Patshahi Dasvin, Sector 8 Chandigarh from 12 pm- 1 pm followed by Guru ka Langar
Grief stricken:
Ruhie and Ankit Chaturvedi
Naina and Himmat Jakhar
Abhaysher and Aishwarya Singh Bhasin
Grandchildren
Anaya
Naunidh
Walked 12 km (so far 150 km since I got back on 20/3) through deep forests past frozen lakes and narrow meandering paths … incredible but slow … close to 5 hrs so it was tough but exhilarating..
Sad to announce Richard Oscar (Dick) D’Abreu passed away peacefully at SJOG Bunbury on the 14th March aged 91 years. Much love Husband of Joan – Marjorie D’Abreu. Father of Tony D’Abreu. Dad to Ken Bird Alan Bird Joanne Smith Steve Smith and all their families. A battle weary Serviceman finally at rest.
DUE TO THE CURRENT STATE OF THE WORLD HEALTH The funeral will be at
Crematorium Chapel
10 Belcher Street Bunbury
Wednesday 18 March, 2020 at 2.00pm
Due to the short notice and some people not being able to attend due to current Health Department guidelines we will be live streaming the service.
PLEASE USE THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH THE LIVE COVERAGE OR YOU CAN WATCH AT A LATER DATE.
https://barrettfunerals.etributes.com.au/etributes/richard-dabreu/
Completed. Here’s me at the summit of #Aconcagua (6,962 meters or 22,840 feet above sea level) after an intense 13 hours of climbing where we started our climb directly from Camp 2 with no acclimatisation. Due to weather conditions we had to change and complete our entire climb from Base Camp to Summit and back to Base Camp in a shortened 5 days (in Everest it was 21 days and in Manaslu I did it in 10 days – Usually it takes double or even three times for most climbers).
With this summit of Aconcagua, I’m now closer to my goals of being a true Explorer. If summiting an 8,000 meter peak is equivalent to a Masters degree and summiting Everest is a PhD, then the below are the lifetime Emeritus titles offered. So far, below are my membership journey into the various clubs I’ve always wanted to be a part of:
Dear All,
It is my painful duty to pass on the sad news given to me today by his daughter Emma Way, of the death of her father Bob Myers.
He died yesterday, suddenly but peacefully, with his wife Gilly at his side. His family were looking forward to joining him, from around the world on the 30th December for his 92nd Birthday and he was in good spirits until a couple of weeks ago when he began to be in some pain.
It was Bob’s wish that those whom he knew and loved would gather to enjoy his memory and so on Friday 3 January there will accordingly be such a gathering. Details will follow.
Best regards
Gay [Allan Gay Niblett]
Yet again a Cottonian from our beloved BCS steals global headlines!
Nakul Anand (Lefroy House) – ITC Luxury Hotels – has been named World Hotelier 2019!
What an amazing award for a superb Cottonian! Nakul is a leading icon in the global world of hospitality. He has under his belt, over four decades of exemplary dedication showcasing ITC Hotels, which are world renowned offering the very best properties and resorts in India to local and international guests. The ITC Grand Bharat has been nominated as Asia’s finest. We Cottonians honour Nakul Anand and feel proud that he is etched in history, Cottonian history, accepting this accolade with the greatest of humbleness and humility.
Congratulations Nakul!
God Bless You abundantly.
[Vivek Bhasin – Lefroy 1961-1970]
Mr. Anand is the third Old Cottonian Hotelier [that we know of as of now] to have made a mark of achievement in the field. Congratulations!
Webmaster OCA
I am sending you a treasured letter from my friend Mike King whose Father Charles King (Ibbetson House, School Capt 1928) a Rector was taken in as POW in Nazi Germany during WWII.
((A very close and wonderful friend of mine based in Baumberg Germany translated the first page. I can also understand my friend’s emotions as she was not born during those days; she is truly a remarkable person Regine Ullrich Zollmarsch who walked the Camino Francis with me on the path to Santiago de Compostela in Spain)).
Many Thanks for your efforts in keeping our website in its finest…
Warmest Regards,
Vivek
[Vivek Bhasin – Lefroy 1961-1970]
Prisoner of War Post
To : Mrs Katherine King stamped: 4.12.44 (1944) after checking
Destination: Ideford Rectory
Community: Newton Abbot
Place: S. Devon
England
Checked with Camp Stamp: M-Stammlager
XX8 (5888) Passed P.142
From: Rev. (Capt. ) C.J.W. KING C.F.
Prisoner no: 1088
H. Stammlager XXB
Ld Prisoner of war camp
In Marienburg (Poland today), Danzig
My Dear Kate,
I was so pleased to hear from Vera that you and (dated 30.11.44) young Bill had gone to stay at the Rectory. I feel an awful responsibility towards you two now I’m the second head of the family, and wondered how I was going to fulfill my obligations. I don’t know how long you mean to stay with us but I feel that both sides would benefit if you made your home with us. We shall always have houses which will be too big for our needs, and you the problem of company for yourself and Bill while the lad is growing up. But you and Vera must decide that. Things happen Kate, to people big enough to carry them. That is the conclusion I have reached here, where I have had so much time in which to think. The loads are never more than one can bear, however heavy they may seem. Strangely enough too, the load becomes lighter with carrying and one becomes stronger. And don’t my dear, make young Bill into old Bill. You’ll never be able to make anything more than a good copy, and the child will be far more worth to you as just himself. Winter our greatest all round enemy comes and goes. To kill my disappointment I have dug myself into work and am trying hard to improve my own, and other people’s knowledge of French, German and English. I make some progress in each. My headaches fortunately have been very infrequent so far. They have in past captivity winters been my greatest curse. I did hope to be home this year! But I’ll see to it that the extra time is put to good use. Doing an hour’s Physical Training each day. At the moment I feel I am coming apart, but am, nevertheless. Much better for the exercise.
My love to you both, Charles.
The original letter:
[click to see a larger view]
They obviously opened, read and approved it before sending.
Attached is a letter from Mike King’s father, Charles King, to his youngest brother Noel who left BCS in 1934 to move to England with his parents. He was a Captain in the British Airborne Forces and saw action at the Battle of Arnhem and was actually present at the Japanese surrender in Rangoon in 1945.Love, terrible Wars…and then Peace….Finally a Servant of the AlmightyAmen
Vivek BhasinLefroy 1961-1970
Came across this poem…. Thought I’d share it..
The heartthrob of the school,
is a man grim and sombre.
That lanky little girl,
is now a weightlifter.
The topper of the class,
is a happy homemaker.
Back bencher of the lot,
is an entrepreneur.
The flamboyant fashionista,
became a dreaded lawyer.
Oft ignored average Joe,
turned a well-known writer.
The one who failed math paper,
is a fashion designer,
And one who often got to stand outside the class, is a respected army officer.
The reunion taught me how,
people came with many layers,
and tell me why should we never,
judge a book by its cover.
Comment: We have seen our fair share of such situations.
Bittu Sahgal become an authority on animal conservation, especially the tiger, though he first started by selling Milton buckets and then entered the printing business!
R S Sodhi became a judge after he could no longer fly planes for the IAF !!
Brandy Gill a corporate honcho who brought Gillette to India (an interesting story there). Tennis, his BCS back ground and his qualifications as a chartered accountant got him there with the aid of a few good women!!
B M Singh, Chairman of the Central Board of Taxes, and his ability to handle people and situations – brilliantly !!
Rajive Sawhney, an ace lawyer he was determined to be. He wanted nothing else and he tore his heart out debating whenever he could. It began early.
CM Kohli, a real estate magnate and smoked every one else out of business !
SM Singh, a brilliant entrepreneur who otherwise was the quietest guy around
N K Akers, a hospitality expert and that affable temperament that fit perfectly. He resides in Cairo and has been there for over 30 years now.
Vinod Pawa, a university professor. Actually that capability would have fit anywhere and done exceptionally well.
Param Inder Singh, vastly successful inventor and entrepreneur in the field medical devices business while he first set out to become an aeronautical engineer
Guljit Kochhar, an expert in the plastic moulding business expanded into plastic products. He currently employs 700 people !! He got into the game only because a programme coordinator suggest he take a trip to see some other parts of the US during a college break !!
Mohit Goyal, became an IT entrepreneur when he flipped a job advertisement page that his father sent him and was attracted to what IBM had to offer on the other side of the sheet !!
Also remember those with warmth and feeling who never really entered life or reached their full potential. Shiv Raj Singh, who died of an anaphylactic shock from an injection straight after school or Ashok Dina Nath in a tragic road accident. May they rest in peace. In a lot of other cases Fate just did not carry them to the destiny that may have awaited them !!
There are so many more. The names listed above are suggestive based on a spontaneous listing and certainly not exhaustive.
Warmly
Vijay [Khurana], BCS class of 1962.
Mike King a very dear friend of mine based in the UK is a die-hard fanatic of BCS! Even though he could not go to BCS his Father and Uncles did.
Mike regularly attends the OCA (UK) reunions and stays in touch with me regularly, sending snippets of excellent news and information strongly focused on BCS which I enjoy thoroughly. It is Mike and his present family who managed to , over the years retrieve these fantastic gems of letters his Father and Uncles wrote to their parents whilst residing as Boarders in BCS.
Mike King now 70 last April, was educated at Durham School England.
He Served with the City of London Police (UK) before transferring to the Toronto Police in 1975. Specialising in organised crime investigations, his work was featured in several books. He spent two years with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) before entering the private sector and then spent 25 years engaged in commercial investigations around the world. He took part in film documentaries about organised crime and acted as a consultant in two separate productions. He contributed a chapter to noted Indian author Shrabani Basu’s book entitled India Revisited in which he wrote about his ancestor’s lives in India and his father’s respect for the great contribution of the Indian Forces in two world wars – never to be forgotten.
As for languages, Mike is modest, and speaks a little French, German, Spanish and Cantonese.
The following boys (all Cottonians) were the sons of Mr. WH King MBE FRGS who was, himself, born and brought up in India. He was a renowned engineer who built the telegraph line from Gyantse to Lhasa in 1922 which linked Tibet to the outside world.
William King (Uncle of Mike King) – born in Gilgit. Graduated in Agriculture at the University of Alberta, Canada. Lt. Col. British Army – killed in action on Normandy landings 1944.
Charles King (Father of Mike King) – born in Bhatinda. School Captain BCS 1928. Graduated in Theology at the University of Cambridge. Wartime Chaplain to the Forces. Prisoner of War in Poland and Germany 1940-1945. Died in Church service in 1972. ( some fantastic letters/postcard follow)!
John King (Uncle of Mike King) – born in Poona died in 1984 aged 65. Fl. Lt. RAF – WW2 escaper from Crete and member of the elite Caterpillar Club (RAF Escaping Society).
Hereward King (uncle of Mike) – born in Mussoorie. Served in the Royal Navy in WW2. Advertising executive. Died 1976.
The following attachments can clicked to be opened in a full view page:
@sandeep_mansukhani holds up the BCS Flag atop the highest point in Europe – Mt. Elbrus. 27th July 2019 at 0710 HRS [LT].
A proud moment for all. Three Cheers!
