- SHV02-Issue 1:961006
Hi Cathedralites,
This week I thought I would share
with you the craze we had for table tennis in the school in the
fifties.
We used to have to set up the table
in the school hall during the lunch hour and after school if
we wanted to play. There were two tables, the better one being
reserved for the 8 top seeds, the other wobbly one being the
one on which us lesser mortals were allowed to play.
There was usually a mad rush once
the school lunch bell rang to be the first one to get to the
table. We used to charge down to the hall and the order was stricly
on a first come, first serve basis.
Everyone got a game and there was
a quick turnaround over the lunch hour. We were allowed 10 warm-up
shots before being asked to play a game. The last ones playing
before the lunch break ended had to put up the tables and prop
them against the wall before returning to class.
The evenings were better as those
who stayed were few and we used to get a fairly clear run on
most days, even playing best of three, in many instances. We
could occasionally even steal a couple of games on the better
table.
We were all extremely possessive
about our rackets and I was lucky to be given a Barna one year
as a birthday present. It lasted me for as many as 10 years.
The sponge rackets had not yet made their mark in those days,
the best ones being just plain pimpled rubber.
Every Monday morning there was a
seed list put up on the notice board just by the tuck shop. Anyone
could challenge any of the seeds by paying 4 annas, later raised
to 50 paisa, at the tuck shop and putting a mark on the notice.
The challenge had to be played on the Friday afternoon, unless
another time was agreed, the choice being dictated by the seed.
The most unusual people were the
best players. During our years, the John Saxon of the school,
Ramesh Mirchandani, who is I beleieve married and settled somewhere
in Canada, was undoubtedly the most stylish and best player.
I used to take great pleasure in
challenging Ramesh as that way I got two games in a row on the
better table and also I got to play against a really good player.
Ramesh usually whipped me, but it
was great fun as I would promptly practice harder to try and
beat him the next time. I never did, although in one of my final
attempts I did get a single game of him. I still remember that
happy day!!
I do not recall Ramesh, however,
taking part in any other of the blood sports in school as cricket,
hockey or football.
Neelam Lakhani, Jangoo Moos, Percy
Mistry, Amin Choksi, were all good players and I was lucky that
I got a chance to play against all of them as it stood me in
good stead when I went to study in London where, without much
effort, I got into the college league team and also did well
in the London University Open Championships.
Also, when I sailed home from Venice
round the Cape if Good Hope (the Suez was closed) with my family
in 1969 I was runner-up playing the game on a lilting and listing
VICTORIA somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean.
I wonder whether this mad tradition
of table tennis still exists in the school. Is there still the
rush to get in just a couple of games during the lunch hour?
More reminisences in a fortnight,
probably about the quad football traditions of the fifties! Regards
Jacob Matthan Savage House Captain
1959
Oulu, Finland
Return to the Top
- SHV02-Issue 2:961020
Hi Cathedralites,
This week I thought I would talk
about the inter-class quad footer competition that we used to
have annually in the fifties. Our football in that small confined
space with a tennis ball in the cemented quad was probably the
reason why we developed quick sharp reflexes, so useful in our
other sports activities.
I played in goal (like in field hockey),
and one of our class teams, we had so many great sportmen in
our class that we fielded three great teams every year, as far
as I can recall, always won the championship.
The game was fast and quite dangerous,
mainly because the cement surface was broken and uneven. I am
sure if there had been some safety conscious parents amongst
ours who witneessed our lunchtime sport, they would have put
a stop to it.
Surprisingly, I can only remember
one accident in all my time - that is mine, when, during a really
hard fought game, I fell while attempting to save a goal. I completed
the game, but by the time I reached class, sweaty and filthy
as usual, my wrist was swollen.
Because of the pain when I reached
home that evening, I visited the orthopaedic specialist, Dr.
Dholakia, located somewhere near Opera House. The Xray (which
was a big event in those days) revealed a crack somewhere in
the right wrist, which meant plaster and no sport for a good
six weeks. Sheer murder.
Some of the best quad football players
were the little fellows, people like Noel Ezekiel (brother of
the first Miss India, Fleur Ezekiel - thought I would mention
this considering the present controversey raging about the staging
of the Miss World competition in Bangalore - and whose mother
was the French teacher in the girls' school - I think Mrs. Ezekiel
lived on the top floor of the kindergarten section between Flora
Fountain and Petit School) and Rodericks, compared with the big
six-footers like me and Arvind Thadani, who is presently a bigwig
somewhere in IBM. Their small height and build gave them tremendous
flexibility and ball control.
Some of the quad football greats
that I can remember were Nalin Dharia, Jimmy Tata, Viney Sethi,
Vijay Shivdasani, Andre, Peter Miowich, John Beddoes, Jaffar
Hussain, Jaitly (not Tony but his elder brother), Sonawalla.
I wonder if any of these old boys are reading these reminesences.
The half hour games were really exhilarating, especally when
the tennis ball which we kicked around was wet and stung you
like a wasp if it touched your skin.
My forte was the goal throws I used
to make. These were so accurate that my team-mate, Rodericks,
almost always headed in a goal at the other end. We were a perfect
couple as far as quad football was concerned, my enormous frame
which covered half the goal mouth and my fleet footed five-foot
high partner.
How I wish we had some good shoes
in those days. All we had were those white or brown cloth canvas
gym shoes - no Nikes, Reeboks, Pumas or Pumas - just plain Bata
and Flex shoes with rubbery soles!
This week, in my second editorial
in Findians Briefings, I tackle the question of Education where
I ask the question as to the number of handicapped persons, those
who are blind, deaf, dumb, or wheel-chair ridden, who are being
used as teachers in schools and colleges. Can any of you name
any handicapped person who has been in a teaching or administration
position in our alma mater. Just curious! (Don't all stand up
and shout that I have just described the average Cathedralite
through the ages!!!)
More about the Tin and Bottle competition
and the Lemondrop Cricket Championships in coming issues of Seventh
Heaven.
Till then,
Your Cathedralite friend
Jacob
1959 Savage House Captain
Oulu, Finland
Return to the Top
- SHV02-Issue 3:961103
Hi Cathedralites,
I wonder if the Lemondrop Cricket
Tournament is still in existence. It was our cricket championship
in the cramped confines of the quad. The stumps were painted
on the stone column, the one just before the place where the
stairs come down. The run up for the bowlers was from the steps
of the Sports Store Room to the Steel Girder at the edge of the
lunch/PT shed. Of course, to start playing we had to wait till
all the tables were cleared after lunch, and then the competition
began.
Playing with a tennis ball, it may
have looked easy, but the pace that some of the bowlers got on
that short run up was really something. I remember Nalin Dharia,
Ooky (Elijah Elias) and Trevor Newnes who certainly whipped up
a lot of pace. Or there was the fantastic off-spin of Earnest
Haskell, Vijay Nayar and Noel Ezekiel.
The real big hitter was Jimmy Tata.
If the ball went on top of the roof, there were the few anxious
moments while all the fielders waited till it rolled down the
steel sloping roof. More often than usual it dropped where there
was no-one underneath to catch it.
I often wondered why it was called
the Lemondrop Cricket Tournament - was it because of the way
the ball would drop of the roof? If I remember correctly, it
was a six a side competition. Our class had two teams. Our star
batsmen was Ashok Kapur who consistently kept our scores high.
There was always some great running between the wickets as the
few minutes we had per game really put pressure on both sides
to go for the runs. Present day one day cricket on the international
arena probably got its beginnings from such half hour cliff-hangers
that we used to have in the school.
Being a leg-break bowler, it was
difficult to get many wickets but it kept the runs down as there
was not much room for stroke play on the leg side. Not so many
left-handers were around in our day. I could get quite a mean
turn of the cement quad floor and did get a fair share of the
spoils. Did not get much batting, however, as our opening pair
usually struck off the runs!!
Going to another topic, I hope that
the Bombay crowd will soon have the History Page of the school
up on the web. In my other webletter for my other alma mater,
St. Stephen's College, Delhi, we are very fortunate that a couple
of guys have put up a complete history of the college covering
its 115 years existence. That link now has a permanent presence
on my page. Stephanians all around the world were excited and
extremely pleased - just as I am sure that Cathedralites world-wide
will be pleased and eternally grateful if someone in Bombay would
take the trouble to put up our school history page on the web.
More in a fortnight,
Your Cathedralite friend
Jacob
1959 Savage House Captain
Oulu, Finland
Return to the Top
- SHV02-Issue 4:961117
Hi Cathedralites,
A few weeks ago I noticed the name
Aubrey Ballantyne in the Cathedral page of the World Alumni list
(hope you have registered). I recalled a Ballantyne who was senior
to me and used to sing in the Cathedral choir, so I dashed of
an email to him asking Aubrey whether he had been in the Cathedral
Church Choir.
Aubrey did not recall me, as I was
his junior, but confrmed that he had beena choirboy till his
departure from India for Canada in 1956.
Aubrey mentioned a few Cathedralite
staff members who have settled in Canada including Mr. Shiri
(Physics) and Mr. Gregory (Chemistry). Aubrey had also met the
late Stan (Pop) Pharoah when he had visited London in the sixties.
My memory of Aubrey was that he used
to carry the cross which led us up that long walk from the vestry
to the Choir stalls.
What did you do after you received
your final results. I can remember my situation as in our class
of 28 we landed up with 27 First Division and 1 Second Division
for the Senior Cambridge. Some of our group had already rejoined
school to do the HSc, but several, like me, were looking around
to see which college or University to join. Those days there
was no question of capitation fees, as entry was purely by merit.
I toyed with joing Elphinstone College,
but when my parents explained to me that if I joined St. Stephen's
College in Delhi I would not have to do the Inter Science examination
and I could get my Bachelors degree in just three years, I knew
that was the best alternative. The other alternative was to join
the Kharagpur Indian Institute of Technology.
So, to celebrate the First Division
and also to see the college where I would spend the next three
years of my life I planned a trip to Delhi.
When I mentioned this to some of
my friends, we quickly formed a posse to spend a week or two
in Mussorie - as all our parents were thrilled with our results.
Many of them probably thought that as we used to spend so much
time on the playing fields and so little on our studies, that
all of us would end up with Third Divisions.
Viney Sethi, Arvind Thadani, Vijay
Shivdasani, Noel Ezekiel, Ashok Ruia and myself were the group
that planned the visit to the hill station.
We had an enjoyable trip by train
to Delhi - which was just entering the summer and was unbelieveably
hot. We did not stay long in Delhi - just long enough for me
to see my future alma mater and get tickets to proceed to Dehra
Dun. From Dehra Dun we took a frightening bus trip to Mussorie.
Never having been north before I
was dumb founded by the beauty of the Himalayas which formed
the backdrop to this sleepy hill station which was packed with
tourists. We were lucky in that Ashok Ruia had a Guest House
in the town and so we did not have to spend our money on hotels
and food. We got some absolutely delicious vegetarian grub in
the Guest House.
Ashok taught me to play bridge during
our long evenings there. Viney, Vijay, Noel and Arvind were happy
to go roller skating, something I tried a couple of times and
failed miserably - so I stuck to Bridge, and even today, before
I go to sleep I play a few rounds on my little Bridge Computer.
I have one picture in my collection
about our time in Mussorie - not very good quality considering
it was the early days of colour photography in India and it has
survived the many travels around the world with me. However,
just to share an image, here is a picture of Arvind Thadani (now
a bigwig somewhere in IBM in the US, Viney Sethi, the Elvis Presley
of our time, also settled in some part of California in the US,
and the guy dressed in white, is me!
And just for a contrast,
here is a picture of my better half of the last 30 years and
myself, this time I have a white crown only, taken a couple of
summers ago at the Arctic Circle.
Do write and let me
know what you did to celebrate your passing out of our school.
I am sure a lot of our readers would like to know about those
pangs of leaving something which was so close to us for so many
years.
Hopefully, more in a fortnight,
Your Cathedralite friend
Jacob
1959 Savage House Captain
Oulu, Finland
Return to the Top
- SHV02-Issue 5:961201
Hi Cathedralites,
It is nice to get Vivek's occasional
newsletters with a couple of interesting letters. Also, he has
taken the trouble to maintain the directory but has asked someone
to relieve him off this responsibility. I still think that the
World Alumini Register is the best bet and all Cathedralites
should register there. The link is given in the Index of this
issue and it only takes a couple of minutes. They have a useful
monthly reminder service in which any entries to the Bulletin
Board which is maintained on the site is also informed to all
those whose names are registered there, besides informing the
names of new additions. I get four reminders from them, and therefore
an fairly up-to-date with all my alma maters.
Many of you have been intrigued by
the Tin and Bottle Competition that I mentioned in an earlier
issue. It was for the badminton competition which we used to
have at school, the entry fee being either a tin or a bottle
of something. In our childhood days most tins and bottles were
great delicacies - there were not many Kissans and other brands
around, so the collection of tins and bottles was quite an attractive
package to play for. The Nestles Milk Maid condensed milk tin
was my favourite. I could finish an entire tin by myself in one
sitting, and I probably still could if my wife were not so strict
in keeping my triglycerides down.
I wonder why Bombay is so quiet about
setting up the Catcall Web Site. It would certainly relieve a
lot of pressure on me if they would put up regular issues of
Catcall on the web so that I could gradually make this webletter
a monthly rather than a fortnightly. I do not want to reduce
the momentum that we have achieved so far for almost a year,
but I would certainly like to have some others share my load.
Oh that Ooky had a web presence as
his imitable siyle would have all of you in splits of laughter,
something, unfortuately, is not my style, because I am more a
politicql satirists rather than a humourist.
Could someone out there give us more
details about the new school principal. Is she the first woman
principal of the combined schools? Sorry to show my ignorance,
but it does show you how far I am from the city of Bombay!!
I have discovered some more old photographs
in my collection here in Finland, and hopefully will put up some
of them in the coming issues.
Kashinath Dandekar had one comment
that got me a bit worried - he mentioned that someone had equated
the title "Seventh Heaven" as sounding like the name
of a massage parlour. I hope I have massaged your senses, but
there has been an overwhelming mail to maintain the name as it
is, as after all, it was the class newspaper for us in 1955 when
we were in the Seventh Standard, and it has a lot of sentimental
association to many of the readers of that era.
More in a fortnight, and do continue
to send me your criticisms and comments. Above all I love the
criticisms as it spurs one to do better - that was one of the
best lessons that I learnt from the red ink of Pop Pharoah from
his correction in my geometry Xth Standard classwork book.
Your Cathedralite friend
Jacob
Oulu, Finland
Return to the Top
- SHV02-Issue 6:961215
Au Revoir Web-surfing Stephanians
and Cathedralites,
The time has come to say au revoir
to all of you wonderful web-surfing Stephanians and Cathedralites.
Many of you are probably too young
to know how Indira Gandhi effectively introduced censorship of
the critical news media during the mid seventies. Besides imprisoning
the political leaders and her sharpest media critics, her most
effective weapon was to restrict the quota of newsprint to the
critical press and also the amount of Government business directed
to the outspoken media - very effective ways of shutting them
up.
Here, in this western democracy called
Finland, the establishment has a very effective method in this
tightly run society. All your contracts vanish, making it impossible
to survive if you are in conflict with the establishment. Hence
Findians Oy had no option but to seek outside assistance to prop
it up while they tried to restructure their actvities to be able
to withstand the tirade. They attempted to raise sufficient funds
to save their three popular webletters. This was not successful.
They reached only part of the initially targeted amount.
Hence, the new owners of Findians
Oy (Annikki, my better half, and I had to sell out our interests
in the company for technical reasons) have informed me that they
are returning all the cheques, money orders and cash received
from many of you wonderful people out there. This will be done
over the next two weeks so as to avoid any loss during the present
Christmas postal rush. They will be returning the documents registered
post acknowledgement due. If you do not receive the contribution,
you so generously made, by the 7th of January 1997, please send
me a message.
I have succeeded in getting myself
a private email address outside the clutches of the authorities
and outside of Finland, and you may like to note this email address:
matthan@usa.net
I am glad that KOOLER TALK (WEB
VERSION) and SEVENTH HEAVEN lasted 18 issues. I can
honestly say I had a lot of fun putting up these pages every
fortnight. During these last 9 months I made many wonderful friends
from all around the world from different school and college generations,
older and considerably younger to me.
Surprisingly, I did not get a single
bad vibe during that entire time, which, as a professional editor,
was quite a feat - no, not even a single staff member complained
about my abraisive style and content!
I am taking the optimistic view that
the alma mater webletters are temporarily suspended till I can
raise enough funds to put them up without any assistance from
Findians Oy. It may mean setting up my own web server equipment,
my own computer with sufficient storage space, etc. which, unfortunately
is rather an expensive process and outside of my present financial
(and probably technical) capabilities. After all, as you all
know I am not one of the present youthful generation and in my
younger days we were lucky if we learnt how to operate a calculator
which weighed as much as my present portable Mac on which I hammer
out my books. My next one, Handbook For Survival in India,
which is a sequel to our last local best-seller Handbook For
Survival in Finland, is about halfway through at this stage.
Hopefully I can leave the archives
on line for some time. If I manage to locate a permanent home
for these archives, katy1.html, katy2.html and the one one which
will go up next week katy3.html for Stephanians and sevven1.html,
sevven2.html and sevven3.html for Cathedralites, I shall move
them there and post the location in the World Alumini Register.
I will leave the entire index archive as a single entity as koolertalk.html
and seventhheaven.html till such time I can restart them.
What pleased me the most and made
me particularly happy was that many of you thought me to be of
just your generation, although, in some cases, I was at
least 30 to 35 years ahead of you at the alma mater. Thank you
for all the compliments which flowed like water from all of you.
In a way I am sad that it had to
come to an end in this way, for no fault of any of us. Unfortunately,
Annikki and I are people who believe in freedonm of expression,
and we accept criticism as much as we give it. My grandfather,
the late K. C. Mammen Mappillai (KCMM),
stood for this principle, which saw him suffer many ignoble
things, but the foundation he laid has resulted in the Malayala
Manorama becoming the largest circulating newspaper in India.
It may be too much to hope, but one
of these three webletters may hold a similar position on the
web well after my time - and that thought itself spurs me to
be ready to hand it over to capable hands that may come forward.
Consider that the Malayala Manorama had to stop publication for
almost a decade when KCMM was imprisoned and it was restarted
only after India attained independence.
Your Stephanian/Cathedralite colleague
Jacob Matthan