Miss Marjorie Suares – 87 Years Young

Today is Miss Suares' birthday, and we here on the Cottonsgirls blog have this little gift for her: a lovely heartfelt article written especially for us by Heera Nawaz (batch of 1975).

Miss Marjorie Suares - 87 Years Young

by Heera Nawaz

For 40 years, Miss Suares focused all her verve, tenacity and energy in being a physical education instructress at Bishop Cotton Girls’ School – a post she held until she retired at the age of 60, nearly thirty years ago.

Apart from successfully honing the sporting skills of several national athletes, such as Nandini Prasad, Preethi Joseph and Loretta Wate, Miss Suares had a brilliant sporting career in her own right:

In the 1948 Lucknow Olympiad, she became the first woman to break the 16 ft record in the Long Jump event in India. A few years later, at the 1952 Asian Games, she won the Bronze in the High Jump event.

She was the 100m and 200m State Champion, and was also Captain of the Karnataka State Hockey and Basketball teams – positions she retained for several years.

Miss Suares was also a born leader and a confident administrator. She started the State Women’s Hockey Association and for 15 years held the prestigious position of Secretary of the Bangalore Schools Athletic Association. She was also a member of the Old Cottonians’ Association and the school’s Parent-Teacher Association.

Recently, a group of Old Girls visited Miss Suares to share past memories and reminiscences of life at Cottons with her, and found that she only appears to be growing younger and even at the age of 87 is active, mobile and enthusiastic. Perhaps being a physical education teacher for so many years may have something to do with her active and lively persona and sparkling mind.

The best thing about the rendezvous was that it enabled us to see the person behind the successful careerist. Always a `live wire’ bursting with dynamism, Miss Suares was also known to be very strict and an ardent disciplinarian. However, when she let her guard down, it is evident that she is also a very kind and compassionate person.

She is a sterling example on ageing gracefully. As she says, be grateful for each day, every day. She has obviously proved that harbouring prejudices and having a faulty attitude are definite no-nos for longevity.

Miss Suares was full of praise about the “good old days”. About Bangalore, she has this to say: “Bangalore has grown so much in the past years, yet I would like to remember the way it was thirty or forty years ago, at that time it truly was a Garden City and a Pensioners’ Paradise.”

Amen to that, Miss Suares!

By Heera Nawaz

Pictures from the 1974 school magazine - Senior School Staff

Seated L-R: Mrs Jaffer, Mrs Athyal, Miss Suares, Mrs Chandran, Miss Susheela, Mrs Carmel Joseph, Mrs Prakasam.
Standing Row 1 L-R: Mrs daCunhna, Mrs Pai, Mrs Thomas, Miss Gnanakan, Mrs Chabbria, Mrs Molly Joseph, Miss Solomon, Mrs Joshi, Mrs Rozario, Mr Sadagopan
Standing Row 2 L-R: Miss Coelho, Miss Vanaja, Miss Rao?, Mrs Lynsdale, ?, Miss Andrews, Miss Charles, Ms Tushar, Mrs Stella Samuel

Pictures from the 1974 school magazine - Junior School Staff

Back row: Ms Samson, Ms Hegde?, Ms Mangala, ?, Miss Vanspaul, Mrs Leslie, Mrs Tannen, Mrs Smith, Mrs Dickson

Front row: Mrs Panickar, Mrs Medhora, Mrs Chandran, Mrs Lobo (back), Miss Edwards(front), Miss Stevens, Miss Ryall, Mrs Galiffe.

Music Maestro - Barbara Thomas

The Bell Rings… “Pens down girls….its the SINGING PERIOD”!!!
Gladly….the girls stopped wrestling with Fleming’s Left Hand Rule, Avogadro's number, Goh Cheng Leong's geographic definitions, the finer points of Akbar’s Din-i-Ilahi and Otto Bismarck’s plan for the Unification of Germany and made their way to the Singing Room. This is one occasion when hardly anyone straggled as they made tracks out of the quad…past the cycle stand, school toilets, pantry rear entrance, bathoo’s domain and tailor’s shed… and headed into the Chapel side entrance of the boarding block to the suite of Music rooms on the ground floor.

Music Maestro Mrs Barbara Thomas, more than the “Pied Piper that beckoned” was always at her piano. With good humour and an unparalleled passion for her art, she single-handedly transformed scores of discordant caterwauling noises to (dare I say ) voices of angels!!!! Scales, Rounds, Ditties, Folk, Religious, Classics and Contemporary…we did them all….who can forget the medley of My Fair Lady and the bewitching sounds of the Bohemian Rhapsody [yes very trendy then...and a still a hot fave today - my 18 year old is impressed that his Mum was taught to sing this in school in 1977]

Mrs Thomas' effort was relentless, her attention to detail - meticulous and the results - always spectacular… whether it was the Inter Class Singing Competitions, special choir numbers at School Prize Day or St Peter’s Evensong services, the fully choreographed events at the Carol Services…or the mega productions that began with Bluebeard once the new Auditorium was completed! Other successes followed...to read more check out the photos and piece on the famous Madras Choir Competition on this the blog!

Thanks Glenis Thomas (nee Mulleneux), who sent us this picture of Barbara Thomas taken in 2005 during a visit to Australia.

It’s lovely see Mrs Thomas looking so well and active. Readers will be pleased to know she continues to teach her beloved music - which as she remarked in a recent email “Keeps me in touch with young people, and hopefully their influence keeps my mind fairly trendy!!”

Cotton's Teachers circa 1950s

Here's another picture sent in by Celia, of the teaching staff at school during the 50s.

Emily Pharoah (Celia's aunt) is in the middle row, 6th from the left. Mr. Godbole, Hindi teacher is far right, top row, Miss Susheela is top row 3rd from left, and Miss Suares is middle row 2nd from the right.

Just in case the caption is hard to read, here is the list again (if anyone knows the missing names - or has more info on any of the people in the picture, do let us know so we can grow our history book!):

Top Row (left to right): Mr. Ramamurthy, Mrs. Galloway, Miss Sushila, Mrs. Whitbread, T5, Mrs. Pereira, T7, T8, T9, Mr. Godbole

Middle Row: M1, Mrs. Latt, Mrs. Robey, Miss Mortimer, Miss Britto, Miss Pharoah, Miss Mulley, Miss I. Stevens, Miss Stevens, Miss Suares, Mrs. Fewkes

Front Row: Mrs. Arkley, Mrs. Clark, Miss Moore, Mrs. C. Gaughan, Mrs. Schiff, Miss Biddy Scott, Miss Millington, Miss Holder, Mrs. Robinson

A picture of Miss Suares - from the 1980's

Maya Thomas (1983) sent in this picture of Miss Suares smiling away. Mrs Clarke is in the background, and the teacher seated on the left is Mrs Collison.
Can someone with good eyesight figure what the thought for the day says on the black board and also help identify the other seated teacher please?

Twenty years on .. Miss Suares and The Magic of Cottons (Part One)

It started with The Secret Order of Facebook, where various old Cottonians who had wandered down the vast corridors of the internet, found themselves in front of a magic door marked 'Log In'. And here it was that Bartonians, Foleyites and Maidens reunited and rekindled much of the olde magic of Cottons.

Then, with the magic tingling in her fingertips one day, Leena Athyal sat in front of her computer and uttered that omnipotent spell: "Google!" And so it was that the magic wound its way around the web and Miss Suares was found!

The internet Owls winged their way across with Leena's findings - Miss Suares' whereabouts and most importantly her phone number - and I found myself on the phone, asking to speak to "Mrs. Marjorie Suares". This did not get any positive response from the young vivid voice on the other end of the line. I thought for a moment and quickly amended my request, "I mean, MISS Marjorie Suares." This worked immediately.

"Speaking," was the answer.

(What a lovely affirmation for us single women! That an 87-year-old lady can communicate in that one little exchange, the pride and self-recognition of who we are - in a country where the misses are seen as women who have "missed out" - not that a Miss or a Mrs or even a Ms is superior one over the other - but that we are who we are, and we state it with our heads held high and our voices and self-worth firm as ever.)

And so the magic spread across the web. Soon letters were pouring in from around the world, and plans were made. And yesterday was the day - twenty pages printed out on yellow (imagine Gold) paper and wrapped in a Green folder, bound with a red satin ribbon (school colours, and Barton - for those of you with colour-blind memories!), and seven of us Old Cottonians frantically rushed to be On Time (after all, Miss Saures had told me, "Saturday at 4" and when "Suaree" gives specifics, you make sure you follow orders!)

Three hours later, we left, unwillingly, taking with us lovely memories and inspiration and even some useful anti-ageing tips!

To be continued ...

Drill Sergeant Marjorie Suares...PRRRP PRRP PRP!

Drill Sergeant Marjorie Suares.

The blow of her whistle was like a crack of a whip. Move it! Move it! – She got even the sluggiest of slugs to complete the 2 rounds around the field.
PT as we called it (physical training) was the bane of my existence. Jumping jacks, running on the spot, raising your knees as high as you could (which was never high enough!) Touch your toes...1 – 2 – 3 – 4.....Stand straight...”SHOULDERS BACK, CHEST OUT, STOMACH IN.....EYES LOOKING THEIR LEVEL”....she would holler and we’d comply. Drill Sergeant Marjorie Suares... No, she wasn’t a Real Drill Sergeant, but I bet she could have Whooped the Arses of any drill Sergeants out there. Bishop Cotton Girls School won several accolades in the field of Inter School Sports. Trophies and Shields of excellence were won under the Stern Eye and Firm Hand of Ms. Marjorie Suares. More often than not, Bishop Cotton Girls School (between the years while I was there -1975-1981) led the March Past in the Interschool Sports. This recognition is owed solely to Ms. Marjorie Suares, Old Cottonian and PT Teacher for many, many years. She was mean with the hockey stick and is the only person I can recall that could run the length of that hockey field (for her age!!) during the OCvs PC matches! Shame PC’s Shame!!

As a kid, I was interested in playing field hockey and basketball and I must say that Ms. Suares never let me forget the commitment I made. Once you’re in, you’re in for good or GET OUT! Which means – Practice, Practice, Practice and I must say I was proud to have been able to represent Cotton Girls in some of the matches for both games...No, I was not the best nor the Star Athlete, but I learned about Presence and Determination from Suaree (as we used to call her..never to her face..NO NO!). If there was anybody more Present (in more ways than one) in what she did and certainly more Determined, Ms. Suares stands out in my mind’s eye. She was there, rain or shine (much to our chagrin), but I don’t recall her ever being absent...does anybody else?? And mind you, you’d better have your bloomers or shorts on when you’re at PT!!!! As I look back and reminisce, Ms. Suares will always be a part...A BIG PART OF BISHOP COTTON GIRLS SCHOOL! She was 10ft tall for God’s Sakes....well, maybe not, but to me she sure appeared to be so!

Ps – I never hunch when I walk and am cautious even while I sit at my computer...coz if ever I do, I hear echoes of “SHOULDERS BACK, CHEST OUT, STOMACH IN, EYES LOOKING THEIR LEVEL...PRRRRRRP! PRRP! PRRP! -
If anybody has a pic of Ms. Suares kindly post it in the BLOG
Cheers,
Raj

A reunion with Mrs. Seshadri

All praise to Facebook who enabled me to find Gita and discover that Mrs. Seshadri is her mother-in-law! Gita put me in touch with Mrs. Seshadri and finally, after years of wondering how to locate her, I met her on Saturday (16 August 2008). Niru and I (Nirupama Sarma, 1981 batch) took the scenic route (meaning which we got lost and took a lot of u-turns) and eventually found ourselves at Mrs. Seshadri's front door. Some rapid make-up and hair preening to ensure we were fit to face her, and then there we were, exchanging hugs and memories.

It was a wonderful morning - and what a memory Mrs. Seshadri has! It was a truly special time and thanks so much Gita for making this happen. For all the years that have gone by, "Seshu", as we used to call her (not to her face, of course! Far too irreverent! Plus most of us were too terrified and awed to!) has hardly aged. She was surrounded by piles of books and texts, and on a blackboard behind her were scrawled these delightful words: chiaroscuro .. catharsis .. hamartia .. hubris .. it was even a thrill to see her elegant handwriting hadn't changed after all this time. We talked of school, of girls and teachers, of those who are still here and those who have passed on. We talked about our lives, our work, our destinies .. it was such an inspiring morning.

I was even honoured by having my very first cup of coffee ever made by Mrs. Seshadri - so honoured, in fact, that I have taken a picture of it! But that picture goes on my other blog (Art Earth Ink Soul)!

Today I'm yearning to be her student again .. and not just for the coffee!

Molly and Annie

Well its not just us ex-students who are catching up and having a yarn...the old teachers are at it too!!! This picture, taken at Chenganoor yesterday (16 Aug 08), was sent in by my mum. On the right is Mrs Elizabeth (Molly) Joseph, former School Principal (1988 – 99) and English teacher (1970-88). Those of us in her English classes will have wonderful memories of discovering the skill and wit of Shakespeare and the inspiration of classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird

under her keen tutelage! To the left of Mrs Joseph is my mum Mrs Annie Athyal, Barton House Mistress and teacher between 1970-81, who gently navigated her students through the travails and joys of learning Chemistry. We were certainly lucky to have a suite of dedicated teachers at Cotton Girls...It would be great to see pictures of more of them up here on the blog

Relaxin n Chatting

Here's Mrs. Seshadri relaxing and chatting - taken a few years ago

Get More Photos from BCGS

Sheela Mathew took this recent photo of Mrs Cherian, our Physics teacher...I am sure most of you OC's will remember her.

Thanks Nazu for setting up this blog...I will try and invite folks that I am in touch with to join up as well and when I am back in Liverpool, I will add more photos of OC's from my batch, taken in 2004 I think...and one of Mrs Molly Joseph with Yasmin and myself