Today we had an interesting chat on the whatsapp group triggered by Averil, posting here for posterity
The 'principal's gown' was just the gown the Principal (Mrs.Barnard) wore, don't think there's a specific name for it. I'll send separately a 'middle' I wrote for the TOI some years ago with an amusing anecdote. I walked to school, more than often ran when I was late, took the shortcut via the side of Davis Hotel and during the rains, slipped into a puddle and had to go all the way back home to change!! Us day scholars carried our books in a pile in our hands, no school bags, no cars - though I remember the Pittocks had a green Austin which their mother used to drive. Sheila and Shirley were in Stanes for a while, then left to join St. Joseph's Convent. Their brother, George, who went to St. Joseph's Boys School, was my first 'boy' friend and I visited the family often!! The youngest, Susan, was small then, but we were confirmed together - Rev. Hearn was the pastor of All Saints Church - and Susan giggled her way through it all much to my embarrassment. I used to be in touch with them all but, as tends to happen, distance doesn't always reinforce friendships. Then there was Richard Franklin, now 'Frankel', who tormented me and during a gardening class, shoved the fork through my right foot - I still have the scar! It was only years later when he got in touch that I realized he actually liked me! He is now what seems to be a very well known and popular pastor in the U.S., no doubt the good Lord forgave his sins!!
John Daniel: Beautifully written. Can’t wait for the next. Keep going Averil.
Philip Abraham 69: Averil , thank you🙂
I enjoy hearing about Coonoor and Stanes of the 1950s and 1960s.
Those years ,when the Nilgiris was unspoilt .No pollution , no overcrowding.
Keep writing 🙂
Joshua Vijayakumar: With regard to the Principal's gown, I remember that it was not only Mrs. Barnard who wore it, but during her last year in Stanes as the Principal (1961), she made it compulsory for all the graduate teachers in the school to wear their convocation gowns. As such Imagine Miss A. Cherian, Miss E. Cherian, Mrs. Rajan, Mr. Krishan Nair, Mr. Chandrashekhar, and some others walking around school with their gowns on. This arrangement was just for a year. Thereafter Mrs. Barnard left and Mr. Anderson took over as the Principal, and the gowns were never to be seen again. 😊
Edwin Rajarathnam Stanes: Averill I remember Richard he had a brother Michael cassimere n Joe Frankel who was my classmate n lived right ontop of stanes n neighbours of Richard n peter green. Rev. Edward hurn who confirmed you bought my grandmother's property n till the end lived there which is below my house near Sims park. N the pittocks used to come to all saints n I knew both the girls though they were my seniors. Where r they now. They used to live in tiger hill enroute to Hebron school
Poornima Swaminathan: Someone got their garden fork through their foot when Mr Wood was Principal and they were making the ground bigger for sports . Don’t remember who
PHILIP ABRAHAM Stanes: It was Malcom Greig’
Poornima Swaminathan: Oh . Mr Wood had to carry him fork and all by car to hospital
Uddhav Pandit: It was Vikram Harshavardhan
Joshua Samson: It was neither,but one guy named mark...
Poornima Swaminathan: It was a boarder boy
[ Poornima Swaminathan: Was much younger than us
Poornima Swaminathan: Were fooling around with it during evening games
PHILIP ABRAHAM Stanes: Malcom was a boarder
Now that there are many whose names have come up, hope the person involved himself clarifies 😅
Joshua Samson: Mr wood encouraged him saying your a boy, immediately he stopped crying.I was in the ground then.but don't remember the second name
Sumesh K P: Mark Swain?
Joshua Samson: 👍 your right.
Peter Greene Canada: Thanks for the interesting articles, Averil! You are a talented writer!
Joshua George: My classmate named Peter James accidentally pitched the fork into Vikram’s feet who was standing close to him….I was also there when were were cleaning the basketball court as part of the SUPW (socially useful productive work) in our 10 ICSE course…later I was with Vikram in the hospital when the wound was sutured !
Averil Haidar Ali Boesinger Stanes 60: You're right, I couldn't remember the name but yes on the way to Hebron where the Pittocks lived. Sheila was in Australia, Shirley started a Montessori School in Bangalore, Susan was in England and George in Spain! No idea where they are now.
Philip Abraham 69: I am reminded of the time when Miss Cherian was furious with Mr.Verghese the science teacher for turning up in school ,wearing the Kerala mundu.She told him that only European style outfits were permitted and that he needed to wear pants with shirt tucked in .
Mr.Verghese told the saree wearing Miss.Cherian she should wear a frock. You can imagine how that conversation ended !
Peter Greene has written about this in his book.
Philip Abraham 69: Imagine Miss Cherian with a touch of lipstick and flouncing around in a frock ..... to quote from Peter's book
Peter Greene Canada: Philip, I wrote that on the Stanes Saunter blog. We asked Mr. C.P. Varghese what his initials stood for.
He replied, "corrupted polluted" Verghese.
Averil Haidar Ali Boesinger Stanes 60: Brings back memories of how we would go there for their displays - called something specific, can anyone remember? This must have been 1959/60.
Asha Stanes: My son, a Stanite❤️
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