'Sandstones' of time!

The pic is courtesy Shehan McGrath's FB account 

THE sandstone steps running the length of Constantia's east terrace were more than steps to the students way back in the 1960's. They were used for sitting and chatting or reading, or just to sit and gaze across the lake into the distance, beyond the Lat, waiting for the dinner bell to ring, while on weekends we sat there and watched some of the best 16 mm Hollywood movies that the VP, Mr Frank De Souza procured. They were also used by small chaps to play a game called 'Steps' that required a tennis ball. I don't know whether this game has survived!
But first-time visitors to the Mart have always expressed amazement when they see the hundreds of names engraved on them, no less than the old boys who come back after 60 years and more, to find their own still there! Some names go back perhaps a century. This must be unique and also bizarre, when one thinks of the struggle the world over to preserve heritage sites. How this tradition crept in is not known but every boy joining the Mart wants to add his name. Of course, considering the thousands that have passed out from here it's fortunate that only a few names are added each year.
Having one's name on the steps meant: 'I am a Martinian'! Yes, boys were very proud as Martinians way back in the 1960's and before. I cannot peak for the following generations but do hope it is that way today as well!
Three years is the minimum a boy should be on the college rolls before he can engrave his name. Luckily, once the first year passes most tend to forget about it, or feel it can be added any time and we all know how fast those 'golden years' fly. Those who do take advantage of the privilege put the year of joining but few remember to add the year of leaving!
When the chisel and hammer has been acquired it's important to find a spot on the steps to fit one's name. I think that is near impossible (today). Then the lettering shouldn't be too bold and large because that doesn't make one a better Martinian. More important is the lack of space! Then it is important that one doesn't supplant or wipe out someone else's name.
Some names today are obscenely large. In the 1960's there was just one such name, that of  S. Alexander, on the bottom step not far from the canteen parapet. Boys were told that example was to be shunned. Over the years names can be found anywhere there are flagstones, in the house rooms, corridors, on the Lat steps and in the Bulls Ring!
It was once felt that more steps should be installed for the purpose, let's say against the bund opposite! But that may have been a joke!

Olga Shepherd funeral

A  small group of Roman Catholic sisters pray for the newly departed
soul after the crowd had trickled away.

Add caption

Mrs Olga Shepherd was buried at the Nishatganj Cemetery on Thursday, Nov 28, 2013. She had been in poor health for several months having spent a few days in hospital earlier this year. Her husband, Sidney Herbert Shepherd, who had retired as Suptd, Northern Railway, died in 1988.

The Vincents in Calcutta

Lauraine  and  Brenda with their mother, Noreen in Calcutta cir 1971.

Brenda I put this picture up for you. I got the message on Google circle or whatever that is called and I replied and heard nothing more.
I was happy seeing your message because, though I'd tried to find you on Facebook, I had no luck. I took it that you may not be on FB or you are using another name. Lauraine prefers keeping to herself.
You could have got my email from
my blog: georgeshepherdlkw@gmail.com

George Herbert Shepherd's diary 1921-25

The diary is a record of monies handled by Mr G.H. Shepherd after he moved to Lawrence Terrace. I have no record of his designation but the letters are to the municipal board officials and to residents and some who had shifted. Since LT only accommodated 19 families his jurisdiction, it would appear, extended to the main road opposite LT known then as Outram Road (later renamed Ashok Marg).
The diary also holds copies of letters written to the district magistrate and Hashman & Sons, Auctioneers.
 There are approx two entries that place him in house No. 4 from where he moved to the largest accommodation No 13 LT where he lived till he passed away in 1928. The Shepherd family also stayed at No 17 LT where my father Ivan Douglas Shepherd was born in 1918.
The family retained this accommodation till the new blocks of flats (A & B Blocks) were completed in April 1959. The pic here of a diary entry is a letter to Mr W.F.Hilton, 13 Outram Road. Dated 30th March, 1923 the letter is to remind Mr Hilton that he had to pay Rs 100 for January and February - Rs 50 per month.

Mart 1976 & 2013

Photo taken in 1976 by John Cline

Pic taken in 2011

Aug 27, 2013

Aug 27, 2013

Dr Mrs MC Shave, MLC, Punjab

Dr Mrs MC Shave, Representative of the European
and Anglo-Indian Communities in the Punjab Legislative
Assembly, Fourth Council (October 24, 1930 to 
November 10, 1936).
(This pic was cut from a newspaper or magazine
and preserved for more than 70 years in a photo album.)
People spend their lives collecting photographs and other keepsakes that are discarded after they're gone!
 I was going through an album that belonged to Mr Denzil
D'Gama that was passed on to my parents when
my dad's widower brother-in-law decided to shift to
Bangalore at the end of the '70's. Mr D'Gama had
 married my dad's widowed sister-in-law, Nora nee
Dubois when her husband, George Percival Shepherd
passed away. 
I wonder whether Mr D'Gama knew Mrs Shave or why would he have her pic in his album - well many years ago I stuck a picture of Ali MacGraw in my album!

Vilayatibagh ruins, Lucknow

Pics taken on Sunday July 21, 2013

Vilayati Bagh was built by Ghazi-ud-din Haider
 (b. c. 1769 – d. 19 October 1827) was the last^[1] nawab wazir of Oudh from 11 July 1814 to 19 October 1818^[2] and first^[1] King of Oudh from 19 October 1818 to 19 October 1827, for an European of his on the right bank of the River Gomti not far from the Dilkusha Palace.
The Archaeological Survey of India has been working on its preservation after decades of neglect. 
Three European graves within its precincts have been repaired but remain nameless!

 

The two little pyramids put on one grave are, perhaps,
 remnants of the original grave or wall that surrounded it! 

Hussainabad Clock Tower gate

 

The top picture was taken in May 2011: Roaming around the Hussainabad Clock Tower in Lucknow,  notRumi Darwaza I noticed this iron railing with a crescent. I couldn't believe that it had survived

far from the

when all the rest of the fencing had long gone; replaced by a poorly finished angle-iron fencing. I again visited the place on July 14, 2013 and was disturbed to find labourers digging around and I thought this would be the end of that old fence. Anyhow on closer examination I discovered that this was actually the original gateway to the clock tower. The pictures here are of two iron pillars with the two gates intact. One is hidden by the earth that has been piled against it. Most of the gate had been hidden by bushes most of the time. I went on to an Archaeological Survey of India facebook page thinking I'd draw the attention of the authorities to it. The reply I got from there disappointed me: The page is the ASI's 'fan' page!! Now how long will this survive is anybody's guess! Several years ago the changed the original pre-Independence fencing around the Sir Harcourt Butler Park in Kaiserbagh, Lucknow. What the use today as fencing needs repairs every couple of years. Iron is twisted a wrenched off by people who sell it to scrap dealers.

November 2014 the original gateway to
the Hussainabad clock tower was
smashed as I'd feared three years earlier.

This is how the Archaeological Survey of India
preserves heritage sites and artifacts!

End of November 2014

Old pic taken some months ago (2014)

Hendy has passed on!

The news Friday night (April 26, 2013) that Mr Oscar Henderson has passed away saddened me. I came home from work after midnight and discovered the news on facebook.

This is the letter Mrs Henderson has put out to all Martinians and others who knew him:

Dear Friends,
Greetings to you from the Henderson family in Tampa, Florida excluding your very dear friend Oscar, who is no more. Yes, Oscar left us all for his Heavenly Abode, yesterday, Thursday 25th April ’13 at 1.15 pm.

It is with great sadness that I write about Oscar, my precious husband, the love of my life for the last 54 years, my best friend, my All! Even though he was pretty unwell for the past couple of years, by the Grace of God, his final moments were very quick with little struggle. This was so because he was a good man and well blessed by our Heavenly Father.

Oscar as you know lived and enjoyed his life to the fullest, putting others’ needs before his own, and at all times doing his very best for all he interacted with. Each endeavor he undertook was with sincerity and honesty. Where ever he went he spread happiness and cheer all around. It is for this very reason that he did not disclose his ill health issues to anyone outside of his immediate family. Instead he focused his attention on spreading happiness and goodwill to his siblings, wife, children, grandchildren and hundreds of friends all around the Globe with inspirational, motivating, informative and witty emails. His inability to travel to catch up with family and friends was balanced by the constant flow of e-mails, online bridge games, listening to music, keeping up with the Daily News and watching the Sports Channel - his favorites being Rugby and Cage Boxing!

What I will miss most is while he was an excellent human being, gregarious, intelligent, a towering personality who made heads turn, he was deep down God fearing, and very soft and tender on the inside. His innate ability to sense and share pain or sorrow of others and always lend a helping hand, was truly remarkable. I am positive each one of you will recall and reminisce some of those moments spent with him.

As we prepare for the upcoming funeral service, I am proud to see how Michael our son, has so easily slipped into his father’s shoes working through the logistics, taking into account my wishes for Oscar. He and his family have been by his side throughout this arduous journey and were with him as he breathed his last. Unfortunately our daughters, Debbie, Sandy, Jennifer and their families were unable to be here in time to say their goodbyes but will be with me as we lay him to rest. In addition, we will be joined by family from Australia, UK and Canada - his sister Anne and her family, his brothers Bruce and Tom, his cousin Shaku and other close friends in the US will be present to bid him a final farewell.

I will end with the consolation my 9 year old granddaughter Rebecca, extended to me yesterday as she innocently remarked how her Grandpa was no longer in pain and safe with Jesus. She went on to quote a verse she had recently learnt at school,

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelations 21:4

Sorrowfully,

Meena

Going forward: Contact Details while in the United States:

Meena Henderson
5824 West Inter Bay Blvd.
TAMPA. 33611
Residence Telephone – 1-813-944 3047
e-mail: meena@iecworldwide.com

La Martiniere Jr School

Mon April 22, 2013

The junior blocks have expanded considerably. The view is restricted to what can be seen from the front gate.

The fields here are again green with the care that has been taken over
 the past months 

Over the years outsiders misused these grounds. You'd even have people
 learning to drive here.

La Martiniere Lake 1976

This is the only know picture of the lake, taken in 1976 by John Cline, after the embankment, known locally as a 'bund'
 had come up cutting off the lake from the two-century old 'Constantia'.

This picture was taken in June 2011.  The river has since been rerouted flowing about 100 metres beyond where it is seen in the pic which is  close to the distant embankment.

 The River Gomti, like most rivers in India and elsewhere, would flood during the rainy season and overflow its banks all along its course, joining up with the Martiniere lake forming a sheet of water for miles beyond. The earliest water levels was registered in perhaps, 1923 to be beaten by the High Flood Level - 1960. During the next decade the water level never went much beyond the banks of the lake, barely reaching the road in front of the Martiniere steps. This was much to the disappointment of  the school boys (us). The next big flood was in 1971. I was out of school and in Calcutta at the time. The flood level, I don't remember accurately while I write this, was close if not higher than the 1960 level. This was the proverbial last straw for the city administration. To protect the growing city building embankments on both sides of the river was seen as the only way out! This spelt doom for the lake because instead of building the bund along the river beyond the lake, it litterally ripped in half a masterpiece when it cut the lake off from the building. It doesn't mean much for those who have joined the institution after the 'crime' but remains a festering sore for all of us from the 1960's and earlier.
Leaving aside the aesthetics the lake was an experience, an adventure and a pastime  - the bank was where boys lolled around and chatted while dragonflies hovered over - boys of all ages sailed boats made from paper and wooden ice cream spoons that glided over the water lining the opposite back with a strip of white. One time the college warden had to order an end to boats, at least temporarily, because of the mess it had caused. Fishing was the other interest where boys fashioned hooks from pins to pull out mostly tiny fish that fell for the bait! Since the water level in the lake remained low most of the year it was a good way to crouch out of sight of a prefect or master and run down the length of the lake then popping up and hiding behind one of the many trees that lined the bank - a common way to escape punishment!

For the record: During the last tenure of the BSP Government, under Chief Minister Mayawati, squatters who had built a small village close to the railway tracks and were rival Samajwadi Party supporters, under Mulayam Singh Yadav, were 'relocated'. Then the whole lake area was cleared up to be used as a park. Not long after the BSP which had converted a large area into a memorial to Dalit leaders about 3-400 metres upstream from the Martiniere, decided to reroute the river closer to the opposite embankment, in the process building a weir 50 metres upstream (out of the pic), thus, giving back La Martiniere the land that the river had cut away. Of course one cannot really be given back as long as the bund exists. Today, in my estimation, the river is flowing where it must have flowed a century ago.  

Reclamation work!

April 17, 2013
Another old well on the Martiniere grounds was exposed to the world after the trees and bushes around it were removed in recent months. The school authorities remained completely oblivious to large swaths of property and concentrated on only what was in use and the running of the institution. The land on the village side, seen in the pictures, was also a part of the golf course in the 1960's and for a few years later. Once I left school, end of 1969, I must have visited a few times during the next two and a half decades. The embankment, better known as the bund, came up perhaps towards the ending of the '70's. This came as a shock to me! But I've got to admit I didn't notice the changes taking place on the village side of the road. The whole area had become an open-air toilet.
 Temples, in other words religion, has been long a weapon used for self-gain. Temples along roads in most parts of Lucknow are there to protect illegal constructions - usually businesses - shops etc. The temple in the top picture was planned for the same purpose but the school authorities constructed the boundary wall despite the place of worship being used to prevent it. Those behind  these temples often say that the temple has always been there, or, its thirty years old. The one in the pic supposed to be 30 years old!

Martiniere January 2013

 Visited the Mart with Kenny and being  Jan it was still misty late morning. Top pic shows Sykes Hall and the kitchen area being spruced up.

Kenny at the Band Pavilion (Built 1890) It's just a guess that the Mart may have used this area for its sports as the Polo Grounds, as it was still known in our time, was used by the army till they developed their own ground in the Cantonment that today houses the Surya Auditorium. The info about the polo grounds I got from old Martinian Satish Bhatnagar's book 'Bright Renown'. Satish, I understand is working on an updated version.

The Mart owns its own tractor, financed by a group of old boys. Testing it is the Principal's grand nephew.

Ken Taylor

Kenneth Jude Taylor who migrated to the UK in 1974 works for Underground rail. He'd visited Lucknow in Jan 2013. He had visited Lucknow twice in the past 18 years but thought I wasn't in Lko anymore. In 2012 he found my email address and since then we've been in touch.

Pic from the past!

A picture I don't remember seeing before. Only Kenny is in the UK while the other three live in Melbourne.
Four Martinians: William Lyons and Kenneth Taylor (standing) and Peter Quieros and David Young sitting

A picture from the 1960s sent to me by Kenny Taylor (standing second from left).
The Dignum-Gardner-Sinha-PennB house in the background.

Maurice and Glenna James in 1976

 

Glenna and Maurice James 

Maurice James moved to the UK in 1959 with wife Glenna (nee Nestor) and their five children - Lesley, Allan, Christine and twins Maureen and Denise (?). Maurice worked as the labour officer of a sugar factory chain in Uttar Pradesh being posted at Gauri Bazar not far from Gorakhpur. Maurice, the son of Thomas  and  Elsie Katherine  (nee Shepherd) James had four siblings all of whom have predeceased him - Freddy, a paratrooper during WWII was in the police at Lahore before he moved to the UK in 1947 (?) or around the time India got independence. The others were Dennis James who settled in Perth, Australia in the 1970's followed by Noreen Vincent. Dorothy James who remained unmarried passed away in Bangalore in the 1980's where she had spent much of her life.

 The picture was taken by John Cline when he met them in 1976 in the UK.