Squirrels feed!

On Friday morning I was lucky to get close enough to take these pics with my camera phone. Often one might see pigeons and parrots feed along with the squirrels. The Residency and the Botanical Gardens are the only peaceful places because the zoo remains too crowded.

Nancy J Powell

Audrey (my wife) and I visited the Residency Friday (Aug 31) morning for a walk.  We do this two or three times a week. This time, however,  it was to be different from the instructions being given at the entrance gate to spruce up the place because of an important visitor. We wondered who could it be!

The place has two main gates, one which is always in use and the other that allows VIP motorcars in. Near the VIP side we found about a dozen cops in riot gear. The path was being swept and lined with lime (chuna) with arrows pointing out the way - no room was being left for error. Obviously this was a very special guest but I couldn't even start guessing who was visiting. It would have been different had I glanced at the newspaper before coming out. We returned to our walk for health and returned to the other side to wait. Finally, the visitors came along led by a lady in slacks with a long-lens camera in her hand. Walking past us she said 'morning' and we replied and the tall guy with the West Point hairstyle said "Namash-kaar!'

Only when I checked the newspapers I came to know that we had met the US Ambassador, Ms Nancy J Powell. I regretted not asking her if I could take a pic. The top one was taken from too far when she looking down. The lady in front is a member of her staff whose name I learnt later is Anna Martz. Ms Powell on Thursday had attended a party thrown in her honour by Mr Ammar Rizvi while earlier in the day she had met the CM Akhlesh Yadav and other state officials.

Martiniere Staff 1966 - John Cline

I don't remember using this picture before still I'd rather use it twice than omit it. (From top left) Jim Shepherd, Mr Ruck, Oscar Henderson, Marris Bell, Mr Agnihotri, Major H Towning. (Top 2nd row left) Mr Azeem, Charlie Gardner, Nelson Gardner, Mr Roy, Hugh Dignum, Hugh Homan, Henry Rodrigues, Dr Shukla, Sidney Lewis. (3rd row) Mr Goswami, Mr Sinha, Mrs Barrett, Mrs Herford Ally, Miss ?, Mrs N. Gardner, Ms ? (is it Henderson), John Chand Das, Edgar Tuck. (Sitting left) Winnie McKenzie, Mrs Lorna Towning, Arthur Flynn, Frank D'Souza, Col HRH Daniell, Trevor A Penn-Barkeley, Victor Rainer, Mrs Betty Dignum, Mrs Phyllis Tuck.

Peter Colin Shepherd

Peter Shepherd and his wife Barbara at the grave of his grandmother, Agnes Louisa Shepherd (nee Bonnar) in Bareilly, when he visited India in 1988. Peter, as a teenager went to Australia with his family in 1948. In the picture above is Barbara at the grave of Peter's grandfather, Edward Thomas Shepherd, Agnes' husband, who died and was buried in Naini Tal in 1936, twelve years earlier.

The Bull's Ring

Vinod Mehta - Lucknow Boy

Feb 1, 2012

Hi John,
I was also disturbed with what Vinod Mehta supposed to have written in
his book Lucknow Boy, as described in Khushwant Singh's column.
Vinod has a readable style and though I'm no fan of his I thought,
when the book was published, that I'd like to get it. That thought has
changed!
Vinod Mehta became the editor of The Pioneer for a short while and
his 'just-missed' success in turning around its fortunes is mentioned
in the book. He had given an interview when the book was published and
mentioned that he was removed as editor just as the paper was showing
positive results.
Just as only Vinod knows about the Martiniere's Anglo-Indians of his
time, only he knows about pulling the newspaper out of its dive.
Kushwant says that Vinod wrote about AIs sodomising boys; so it would
be better to leave it at that as he must have good reason to put it in
a book. He also wrote that boys were still in school in their '30s'.
All I can say here is that AIs never bluffed their ages! No more
comment is required here as I don't want to alienate any Martinian
just because of Mehta.
The joke, bitter as it was for all those who were going to be jobless
at The Pioneer, was that Vinod had been know for closing down
newspapers and magazines. Let's say Vinod's luck changed with his
'Outlook'. The recent scourge of scams that hit India helped him when
he 'exposed' two very popular journalists, Barkha Dutt of NDTV and
Vir Sanghvi of the Hindustan Times, of being in cahoots with some of
the crooks. This went down well with the public and his popularity
soared because in India journalists of some standing are celebrities
themselves.
Barkha, I think has been rehabilitated while Vir Sanghvi, whom I
admired at one time for his balanced views, keeps a low profile. When
the Cal Mart was being pilloried after the death of a student Vir
threw a couple of stones himself and, if I remember correctly, said
the Martinieres are poor copies of the British public school. I then
felt his thinking isn't all that good! (following added on March 27,2013) Vir Sanghvi shouldn't forget that he studied in Mayo College,also founded on the British pattern but, as he has honestly admitted from time to time in his writings, came from a privileged background, so did his higher studies in the UK. This put him above the 'fake' public school image that he himself had shrugged off!
By the way, Vinod's pic is in today's 'i next' (Lucknow) along with
the Naqvi brothers, Saeed and Shane. Saeed is also a well-known
journalist.
May continue this later...
George Shepherd
I have the (dubious) distinction of working under two Martinians who were appointed editor of The Pioneer
whom I never met - Chandan Mitra is the other.

Mart being spruced up

Sunday Jan 15, 2012

Robert Cooke and I took a look around to see the changes taking place. The Mart had been sliding to complete ruin; but, all old boys will be happy to know that Carlyle Mac has applied the brakes. The east terrace today looks like never before.

Cynthia Cline laid to rest

Hi George  hope you don’t mind but I am sending  just a few pictures for Mrs Gopal at 5B so she can say goodbye to Mum

Like she was here... She was very upset when we phoned her... ..hope she is ok.

 Just had family and a few close friends at the burial which was this morning  and it was  beautiful

 Sunny day. The service was held on Saturday Morning (Dec 17, 2011) and the church was filled  to overflowing. Will send a DVD that we made about

 Mum’s  life that we showed  at the church.

 Thank a ton

Xxxxx Millie

(Adelaid, South Australia)

Letter from John Cline

Tue Dec 27, 2011.

Dear George
I'm back in Sydney for a bit. Thanks for helping out with getting the
sad message to Mrs Gopal. Over the years Mum kept in touch with her -
frequently speaking to her by phone.

While I was in Adelaide I had the sad duty to inform Yvonne Ward [Carl
and Michael's Mum] - she was unable to speak and was very upset.
Although she did call back after Carl and Michael had gone to her
house to offer support. Mum and Eve were very close. [ Eve knew Dad
from her childhood - Dad grew up in Bangalore - he even did his
apprenticeship working in Eve's father's business - Ashe is Eve's
maiden name] The Wards are related to us through Mum - Clary Ward and
Dickie Ward were Mum's cousins. It was through Dickie Ward that Mum
met my Dad. Dad had been recuperating from third degree burns
sustained in the military workshops in Cantonment. I might add, Clary
gave Mum away at her wedding - cause her family did not approve of her
choice of husband. It was only after the marriage, when Dad prospered
in business in Lucknow that they eventually came around. Ironically,
it was the remnants of Mum's family who had settled in Adelaide after
WW2 who sponsored the Cline family migrating to Australia. [We were
supposed to go to New Zealand in 1952] But there it stopped - Mum and
Dad went it alone and in the 15 years that Dad lived in Australia, he
set up the family's resources - it sustained Mum for the 28 years she
survived after Dad's demise. They are buried in the same plot north
of Adelaide.

I have been going to Adelaide for Christmas for the past 27 years -
this year was the first time I have been in Sydney for the festive
season.
I have also had a long chat with Maurice and Glenna James - they
usually phoned Mum at around Christmas time. They had left a message
on Mum's phone - so I called them back. Maurice has a very good recall
about his life in India - can tell many a tale of the shenanigans
those Anglo boys got up to in Lawrence Terrace. Some one should record
an interview with Maurice - he always has an interesting way of
telling his tales - very good grip on reality too.

Speaking of Bangalore - I have attached a PDF from the latest edition
of the New Yorker.
Thanks and be of good cheer.

John

burrababa@hotmail.com