This is going to be my epic story of the school where I studied, of the people I knew, met and observed. The places that made the school what it was and is.
I am starting this a couple of months after St. Anthony's Anglo Indian High School drew the curtains on its centenary as a school in Egmore. Perhaps, somewhere down the line there will be a book in the making.
My earliest memory of Madras was a black and white picture of my Dad, Cyril John D Souza, in his formal attire, wearing a tie standing in the corridor of the May & Baker, that famed English pharmaceutical company whose Madras office he worked for. He was some sort of Store In Charge and M & B had its offices just off Mount Road, in the building where Stereovision stands today, next to the famed India Silk House.
Since we lived on what is still a vantage location on Madras' greatest road of that time, Mount Road that ran from the Fort on to the Mount ( St Thomas Mount), I got a bird's view of all that went around in this busy neighbourhood.
Most children of our area, the area of Narasinghapuram went to Christ Church school, also on Mount Road but my mom must have been keen to send us to a convent school and that is how she came to choose St. Anthony's in Egmore.
And from the time I joined Std.I in 1965, I began to appreciate and understand new areas of this city - Pudupet and Egmore.
My memories of the Std.I journies from home to school are lost in time and not even faint now. We had to cross the Coovum River and the long winding road would bring you to the gates of St. Anthony's. So, it was not a school that stood too far away from home.
Over the next few weeks, I plan to write on the early villages of this area that went on to make this city. That includes Elambore, as Egmore was then called; the arrival of the Presentation Union nuns in Black Towne ( north Madras) and a short history of their early work here. And on the Anglo Indian community in this part of Madras and then lead onto the foundation of St. Anthony's.
I want this story to be of the people. So if you have stories of Egmore of the 1940s or 50s, if you studied at St. Anthonys in that era or in the 60s and want to share anecdotes here or if you have photos of people or places that enrich this story, feel free to share them here.
I am starting this a couple of months after St. Anthony's Anglo Indian High School drew the curtains on its centenary as a school in Egmore. Perhaps, somewhere down the line there will be a book in the making.
My earliest memory of Madras was a black and white picture of my Dad, Cyril John D Souza, in his formal attire, wearing a tie standing in the corridor of the May & Baker, that famed English pharmaceutical company whose Madras office he worked for. He was some sort of Store In Charge and M & B had its offices just off Mount Road, in the building where Stereovision stands today, next to the famed India Silk House.
Since we lived on what is still a vantage location on Madras' greatest road of that time, Mount Road that ran from the Fort on to the Mount ( St Thomas Mount), I got a bird's view of all that went around in this busy neighbourhood.
Most children of our area, the area of Narasinghapuram went to Christ Church school, also on Mount Road but my mom must have been keen to send us to a convent school and that is how she came to choose St. Anthony's in Egmore.
And from the time I joined Std.I in 1965, I began to appreciate and understand new areas of this city - Pudupet and Egmore.
My memories of the Std.I journies from home to school are lost in time and not even faint now. We had to cross the Coovum River and the long winding road would bring you to the gates of St. Anthony's. So, it was not a school that stood too far away from home.
Over the next few weeks, I plan to write on the early villages of this area that went on to make this city. That includes Elambore, as Egmore was then called; the arrival of the Presentation Union nuns in Black Towne ( north Madras) and a short history of their early work here. And on the Anglo Indian community in this part of Madras and then lead onto the foundation of St. Anthony's.
I want this story to be of the people. So if you have stories of Egmore of the 1940s or 50s, if you studied at St. Anthonys in that era or in the 60s and want to share anecdotes here or if you have photos of people or places that enrich this story, feel free to share them here.
Vince,
ReplyDeleteIts a great start and appreciate you taking up such a project. It will draw every one of us to go down memory lane during the 60s through late 70s. Also you could include Rajaratnam Stadium which has been a part and parcel of our school life during the entire period, the Police Commisioners Office, The Magistrate Court etc.
Mohan