Tag Archives: Vijay Khurana

Curzon House photos : 1954 & 1962

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Dear All,

RS Sodhi has been kind enough to loan me photo album and I am now forwarding for your records, the Curzon House photographs for the for the years 1954 (Amar Singh Gill as House Captain) and the one for 1962 when RS was House Captain. Incidentally Amar Singh Gill became a commercial pilot.

His collection of pictures are in good condition permitting me to replace prints that were faded or defaced. I feel better now !!

Warmly

Vijay

Vijay Khurana

[Click for a full view]

Curzon House – old photos received

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A whole bunch of Curzon House photos found and passed on to us via Vijay Khurana.

here are some of these. click each for a full view:

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS [and the exchange of emails with Mr and Mrs Goss

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16th Dec 2022

Dear family and friends.
Ron and I found the isolation over the past three years very tough. Especially Ron who felt that three years of his travelling life was taken away. Ron is 93 and a half, and I turned 83 last month. We did take a short cruise from Vancouver to Alaska on Sep14th, hoping the worst was over.  We welcomed the trip, but found that things were not the same. Almost everyone was dining alone, so one couldn’t meet new friends.  We returned on Sep.26th. The next day Ron went down with Covid, and I followed a few days later. Ron got a mild attack, but I had a high fever for a few days, lost my sense of taste and smell, and was left tired for quite a while. We are both on the mend but unfortunately old age is taking its toll, and Ron has been suffering with spasms in the neck and pains in his thumbs due to calcification and degeneration.
However, isolation also had its blessings: Ron really appreciated the online prayer services conducted by the Rev Tim and his assistants every weekday, a true source of peace and inspiration. Ron was also able to read some excellent books, best of all “The Other Side of Morning” written by Stephen, his first novel which is doing well in the book stores and has garnered some excellent reviews.
We are looking forward to spending Christmas with both our children Stephen and Cheryl, the grandchildren, and great- grandchildren.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish each one of you a very Happy Christmas, and a New year filled with God’s blessings for good health, Peace, and happiness.

Ronald and Yvonne, Mum and Dad, Grandpa and Gammy

21st Dec

My dear Mr & Mrs Goss,

My thanks for your mail and your Christmas Greetings. Warmly reciprocate the sentiments and on behalf of us Old Cottonians, my family and I we wish you a very happy Christmas and all the very best of health and happiness in the Coming Year.

I am truly sorry to learn that the Covid virus interrupted so much of your lives with illness and its attendant side effects.

I recall that you are inveterate and long established cruise travellers. The last figure was over 90 cruises or so which is a certainly a number not many of us have the stamina and / or the funds to undertake. Remarkably active for your respective ages and we now begin to discover what the years do to you as 70 year olds. You are well over that number !! You have kept yourselves in excellent shape and I will not attribute that to the genes alone. A well measured active life makes all the difference as so many of us are now discovering. The frequent complaints you encounter from friends these days is knee aches, arthritis, gastro changes, damaged lungs, cardiac ailments and most don’t even know about memory loss until you realise that he is using the wrong name to address you !!  I have often been called, “Vinay” instead of ‘Vijay” by nameless old friends !!

I had the pleasure of reading Stephen’s book. It was a pleasure and this writer is gifted. My compliments.

May I please request you to send us some of your latest photographs. Speaking of photographs, Mrs Goss you will probably have overseen the largest number of children for any matron of Linlithgow given the long years you spent there. The number of boys who remember you is particularly large. Incidentally did you know that Kanhaiya Lal fell to an incurable case of syphilis and Jaktu died of a cardiac arrest ?

It will also interest you to know that Linlithgow has been disbanded and children are inducted into School in a higher age category. During the 1950’s boys as young as 4 and 5 years old joined School and were parked at the Linlithgow dormitory under the care of some of the finest matrons who played mother with huge success. They are still remembered with a great deal of affection – and love.

Warm and sincere wishes for a Merry Christmas and a laughter filled and happy 2023. Add another cruise!!

Very sincerely

Vijay

Vijay Khurana

22nd Dec

Dear Vijay
Thanks for sharing the email from Mrs Goss. Teaching, I think, is a noble profession, as the teacher inspires and influences the lives of hundreds of youngsters.
I take this opportunity to wish all OCs and Mrs and Mr Goss, a Very Merry Xmas.
I hope it brings love and cheer to all your families, and spreads goodness all around.
Warm regards from warm Singapore
SM Singh
Curzon 57-64

—
Best Regards
SM Singh

Thank you Vijay for sharing Mr.and Mrs. Goss’s email with the warm Christmas greetings.

Many good wishes and greetings for Christmas and the coming year to you ,Mr. and Mrs. Goss
all OC’s current Cottonians , Teachers and staff..

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
traditional Gaelic blessing

Warmly
N.K.Akers

My dear Mr & Mrs Goss,

Thank you for your quick reply.

I am taking the liberty of circulating your mail. There is so much about the Goss family in your mail. There is, at the same time, a large body of interested former students who are eager to learn, “Where and what are Mr & Mrs Goss doing these days “ !! Some have already sent you individually addressed greetings for the Season.

You certainly chose one of the colder countries to migrate to but climate has hardly been a deterrent for those choosing Canada. It would appear that it is the preferred choice still and now a more welcoming destination than the United States. All I can say is please keep yourselves warm!!

Jagtu died of a cardiac arrest and this is a well known medical issue with hill folks. I did not know Kidaru and I daresay he is unlikely to be around. Changes take place all the time. Those who journey back to School with a certain feeling of familiarity and even ownership find it hard to assimilate the changes that have occurred. It goes against the grain, as it were, to their entire system. The patronising cry of agony is, “ How dare they do this, it was never the case when I was here!!”

I have not been able to retain any kind of contact with Mr Das Gupta  and I fear he may have passed on. He was in a fairly fragile state when I last contacted him which is a long while ago.

Finally, we wish you a lovely and pleasant cruise, free from the mundane daily chores of cooking and cleaning. You deserve the break and you have found an outlet that you are familiar with. Besides, you seem to enjoy it enormously.

I will write to you separately about the wedding.

Once again, good wishes for Christmas and the very best in the Coming Year.

Warm regards

Very sincerely

Vijay

Vijay Khurana

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all .

sudhir kashyap

Merry Christmas mr mrs Goss R S Sodhi

Dear Vijay
Thanks for sharing the email from Mrs Goss. Teaching, I think, is a noble profession, as the teacher inspires and influences the lives of hundreds of youngsters.
I take this opportunity to wish all OCs and Mrs and Mr Goss, a Very Merry Xmas.
I hope it brings love and cheer to all your families, and spreads goodness all around.
Warm regards from warm Singapore
SM Singh
Curzon 57-64

—
Best Regards
SM Singh

Tribute: Harminder Singh Atwal “Bindi”  (6th October 1943- 27th July, 2022)

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History and posterity will always remember Arjun Atwal, the international golfer from India who now lives in Orlando. Not many know he is the son of Rupinder and Harminder Atwal. Arjun’s father Harminder, popularly known to his friends as “Bindi” passed away on July 27, 2022 after a battle with cancer.

Bindi had a big hand in creating the golfer that Arjun is today. We all know Bindi himself was a winner and he certainly knew how to create one from his own stable !!

In 1957, three Atwal boys joined BCS. There was Bindi and his cousin, Bhupinder. The third, Premjit, was the younger brother of Bhupinder who left BCS at the end of 1959. Bhupinder, the elder guy finished from BCS in 1960.

So, we distinguished between these three Atwal boys by labelling  Bindi as “Fatty” Atwal. Physical forms were easily identifiable and of the three he was the most affable, the most pleasant and the most warm. He was also the most easy going with not a care in the world. I recall, vividly, his emerging from the evening showers, wiped and clean but the towel was never draped around his waist. He slung it over his shoulder and nonchalantly ambled past the first entry door (closest to the main staircase leading to the dorms on the right side) to the dormitory at the beginning of a long passage all the way to the cubicles at the end of the corridor. The cubicles were the privileged accommodation for the VIth Form guys. In an all-male environment this brief walk was enough raise a few eyebrows. However, when you look back here was a man who was open, honest and, yes, even naked about anything that he did.  Bindi was honest, likeable and easy going.

The Atwal boys travelled every year to School at the beginning of term by train from Calcutta. The family, certainly wealthy, came from the coal mining town of Asansol in West Bengal. Those were the days when parents sent their children from distant cities like Bombay, Calcutta, Nairobi, Singapore and Bangkok because the schools in Simla carried the most favourable reputations for imparting the best all round education. These schools in the hills were the educational establishments of choice for a parent willing to invest in the best education for his child. So that is what motivated the Atwal Family to send Bindi and his brothers to BCS.

Boys from his school days will also remember he possessed a strong arm and was a great shot putter and discus thrower. He finished with the Class of 1961 and was Lefroy House Captain that year.

Bindi was exceptional as a person who fostered and developed lifelong friendships. He was dependable. When bailing out a friend in trouble he would stand by until the crisis had passed. He never walked away.

While, Bindi was born to wealth he was not a man without initiative, drive and possessed a desire to succeed in his own right. He was hard working, had an uncanny knack to develop business and that is what landed him huge road construction contracts in Gaddafi’s Libya. He was discreet, humble and always willing to take on a challenge. He did that with great panache and flair. He celebrated his success and his friends testify to his generosity as a host. Finally, let us not forget his charitable instincts. He was truly a Giver.

A fitting tribute from his classmates, Year of 1961.  “ You were an amazing guy and we adored you. Good bye, Bindi “

Photographs of Bindi accompany this note from his exceptional days at BCS

Vijay Khurana

God bless Bindi.
May he rest in peace.
Condolences to the entire family.
Vijay Singh
Curzon
1953 – 1958

I had been very close to Bindi and then I met his  young son and I was delighted to meet him and got all Bindi´s contact numbers . We have met several times but due to the pandemic we could not come to India . I did keep a close contact with him and That day Badal Called me to say that he is no more . I found a very nice photo of Bindi and Ricky and Badal as usual with his knowledge of Editing a lovely black and white of Bndia . That same day was Rickys birthday .

A great person who fought a very hard battle -and was always positive . I shall always miss him .

Anyone who can give me Arjun´s contact details do let me have it .

All the Best Bindi as I am sure you are in heaven . I am not deleting your number as maybe one day we see a miracle and you call .

Cheers and Our condolences to the whole family .

Bota [Sudhir Kashyp]

Photographs with Tilli & Vijay Pawa – NP and the Pawa brothers passion for music

3 Replies

Dear All,

Since NP has now begun to regularly interact and I was browsing my files, I came upon two photographs from 1964 which I forwarded to NP & Vinod Pawa. These pictures feature Tilak (Tilli) Raj Pawa & Vijay, the latter was NP’s younger brother. (Please note the pictures are from Partap Grewal’s collection!!)

I received the following response from NP which I reproduce below since it would interest many to know about a talent that the Pawa Family nursed in School, became a lifelong passion. “Music is still a good part of my life and it keeps me going”

[click for full view of photos]


“Thank you for the photos.
My brother Vijay was walking along side me for years until he passed away. Tilak on the other hand and Vinod Pawa were involved in my interest in music. Unfortunately Tilak has left us to take his place but deservingly  in heaven. Around 1964, while I was in Japan for business training, the three of us got together with a Chinese friend (drummist) and a German fellow to play base and an American playing the lead guitar. The six of us for some reason called ourselves ‘The ‘Five Beat Tops’ and played at events and at  a competition where we won a runners-up trophy. I guess Danny the American joined us after we had picked a name for our band. Tilak played the second lead on his guitar and I the rhythm. The three us brothers sang mostly Beatles’ songs and had a blast. Music is still a good part of my life and it keeps me going.

Thank you for your interest and friendship.

Sincerely,’

Np “

NP has just sent me additional pieces of music and the links below are included for your listening pleasure. Keep them coming NP ! We were and continue to be music lovers and a familiar voice is a very welcome pleasure. Thank YOU !!

 By The time I Get To Phoenix

https://youtu.be/e8_MEylGzRk
 Walk Away

https://youtu.be/adKI0ySaVUM

Warmly

Vijay [Vijay Khurana]

When you are passionate, then you are, well, just passionate. !! NP just sent me this following number to be added for your listening pleasure

When You Say Nothing At All

https://youtu.be/mOsodhWNAbE