A hazy photo of a fondly remembered teacher

There was much St Columba’s School nostalgia at the big book launch of Ajay Jain's school memoir Charlie’s Boys at India Habitat Centre a few days ago. I’m not exactly a school sentimentalist (don’t have many good memories, didn’t have any of the rambunctious fun that the extroverted boys did, spent most of my time in a haze of petrified shyness even though I was always doing well academically) but it was nice to see the displays from the pages of old Columban magazines. Including images of nearly-forgotten teachers, especially from my Junior School and Middle School years.

In the picture here: my Class 3 teacher Mrs Ray (extreme right), who was so fond of me she visited mum and me a few times when we had left my father’s house and were staying with my nani in the mid-80s. Mrs Ray brought me some books to read when I was ill once, including a very gripping Arabian Nights-style fantasy novel (I don’t remember the name now) that I never expected a prim classteacher to endorse.

 

Also, supplied at the event, a whistle in the school colours! And Phantom sweet cigarettes of yore.