To All OCs:
The Old Cottonians’ Associations of Bishop Cotton Boys’ and Girls’ Schools
Invite you to the Green & Gold Ball scheduled to be held at the Chancery Pavilion, Residency Road, Bangalore on Saturday, 13th December, 2008 at 7.30 p.m.
It was decided that the OCs who passed out 25years ago (1983) and 50 years and above (1958) will be honored, but only the 50yrs and above will be given the Free Entry for the Green & Gold Ball and dinner and the rest of them will have to buy the dinner coupons.
Tickets are priced at Rs. 1250/- per head inclusive of unlimited drinks and dinner.
Dress Code: Formal
Edna Benn / Asghar Mistry
Secretary / Ass. Secretary
OCA-BCGS / OCA-BCBS
Monday, December 8, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
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).
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
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
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A Golden Oldie from the 1930's!
Isn't this an lovely photo?! This photo with a number of girls dressed for what appears to be a Shakespearean play was taken in the 30s. Clearly we've had a long tradition of drama at Bishop Cottons!
This photo was sent in by Cheryl Irish (1975 batch). In the picture is Cheryl's mum Ida D'Bras who is standing in the back row (second from the right) and graduated from Cottons around 1936. All three of Ida's daughters - Gail, Dawn and Cheryl were Cottonians too!
We'd love to know if anyone has any more information about the event or the other "old girls" in the photo!
This photo was sent in by Cheryl Irish (1975 batch). In the picture is Cheryl's mum Ida D'Bras who is standing in the back row (second from the right) and graduated from Cottons around 1936. All three of Ida's daughters - Gail, Dawn and Cheryl were Cottonians too!We'd love to know if anyone has any more information about the event or the other "old girls" in the photo!
Friday, November 21, 2008
School's Out - 1976
A couple of photos taken by Janice Mulleneux on the last day of school before the ICSE exams
- The exact date 29 October 1976!!! It was muck up day!!
Meera Balraj and Arathy Appayya
Meera Balraj and Arathy AppayyaMonday, November 10, 2008
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 DicksonFront row: Mrs Panickar, Mrs Medhora, Mrs Chandran, Mrs Lobo (back), Miss Edwards(front), Miss Stevens, Miss Ryall, Mrs Galiffe.
Pictures from the 1974 magazine - More Staff pictures
Field staff with Mr Vaz and Mrs Chandran.
Seated are Ms Phillo, Mrs Chandran and Mrs MathewsDoes any remember the names of any of our dear gardeners, cooks and bearers standing in the back row?
Pictures from the 1974 magazine - Boarding Staff
L-R; Ms Cooke, Ms Marchand, Ms Solomon, Ms Bruty, Miss James, Ms Chandran, Ms Samson, Ms Gnanakan
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Carol Service December 1978
And while we are on the subject of music...here are two pictures from the Carol Service held in the old School Hall
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!!”
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!!”
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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
Sports Day 1962
Celia (Joyce) Fivash sent in this picture - here she is collecting the cup for Maiden House who won that year. Celia was captain of Maiden House, and she's also one of 10 girls from her batch who are getting together for a reunion of the 1962 batch in Bangalore in January 2009.
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