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Having A Good Time!!! There used to be these big dances all over the place. Perambur church hall (the Harry Pinto band) .Then there was the Binny's New Year Eve Ball. (The big one with the Fabulous Pearls) SIAA Hall near Moore Market. ----where one year the West Indian Cricket team came to a New Year Eve Ball. Everyone were thrilled and really enjoyed their company, until one foolish AI, drunk, as a lord on "one rupee ginger berries, and making ten rupees noise", decided he didn’t like the way 6ft 7in Wes Hall (the fast bowler) was dancing with one of our girls. In the ensuing scuffle Mr Wes Hall just picked up the little (knight in shiny armour?) AI and dangled him over the first floor, balcony railings. That quickly sobered up the little fool. Then there was the May Queen Ball, and the Valentines Ball, The railway institute at Royapuram, where everyone danced to records played on a huge sound system. Singing contests at Mount, oh the list is endless.
AI's never needed an excuse to have a knees-up. Singing and Dancing, Eating, Drinking, and Fighting. Wow! The fights. The best one I ever saw was when the Legendary Sgt: Roderick’s (from St Georges) by himself --- all alone --- single handed, took on a group of toughies from Perambur. No fighting, you know no fisticuffs. He just stood in front of, about six of them and said, "So what’s it going to be? One by one, or all together? Nobody moved. I said it was the best fight I saw, because I learned something that evening. You may be tough, but you have to have the intelligence to know, when to call somebody’s bluff! That gentleman was one powerful AI. Michael, Janice and Rudy, would go to these dances. Michael was a good singer and did not need much encouragement to get up on stage and sing with the band. Janice loved him doing the songs of Jim Reeves. They suited his soft baritone and he did the romantic ballads with a lot of feeling. "Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone”. From Arkonam to Asansol, from Bombay to Cochin to Bangalore, at every AI party, the guests, at sometime or another, would have to endure, and be tortured, by the local Jim Reeves singing "He'll have to go". Everybody sang that song. Michael’s favourite was "Blue Boy". He loved resonating those low notes and there was a sort of moodiness in his personality, so it suited him. The three of them finished high school with a flourish, and headed off to college for their PU. Michael and Rudy to "Loyola" and Janice to "Stella Maris". That was the year that Prince Phillip visited India .He was driven around the main streets of Madras, stopping off at certain places to have a garland put around his neck. At Stella Maris, Janice was chosen to garland the Prince and as she did so, he gave her a kiss. Can you believe that? An ordinary AI girl from Royapuram kissed by the Husband of the Queen of England?
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A Fabulous Band and a Fabulous Dad Too!!
Written by jennifer519 on 2007-08-23 21:49:30
I will second my sister Judeline all the way through at how great our dad was at music and what a wonderful band he had.. I remember our dad trying to teach us to play the guitar but sadly we were not able to learn it fully... I can still hear him play couple of his favorite songs by Perry Como "Its Impossible" and "And I Love You So" and Guitar boogie...(our favorite pass time on a sunday afternoon listening to him play the guitar for us) We all miss you Dad...
Proud to say my god daughter and newphew like my sister mentioned are learning music. Even though he is not here to see the music trend pass on, I know for sure he is proud of his grand children for taking up after him.... | Sorry Guys
Written by JudelineD on 2007-08-18 00:23:00
I don't know how this got copied thrice. I think the 'Enter' button on my keyboard must have got stuck when I entered the comment. Please accept my apologies for the same  | THE ONE AND ONLY "FABULOUS PEARLS"
Written by JudelineD on 2007-08-14 02:40:06
Well, well what shall I say. First and foremost "THE FABULOUS PEARLS" was Philip Walter Rose's Band and I am proud to say that "HE WAS MY DAD". The name came from my Mum's name which is Pearl. So many fond memories of my Dad come rushing to my mind. What a great musician he was. I don't think that there was any instrument that he could'nt play. He even used to write the music notes himself. Always with his guitar playing all those lovely numbers of the 50's, 60' and 70's. Only sad part was that neither my sister, brother or myself went into music (though we all have it still flowing in our blood). But I am proud to say that my daughter and son are going the music way. My daughter is having her voice trained and my son doing his Trinity 5th Grade Piano exam this year. My dream is that my son should be a musician like my Dad (who was my son's idol) and of course my grandad too (Harry Rose the great violinist). I am sure that those who heard his Band play would agree that they were really a bunch of great entertainers during their time. | THE ONE AND ONLY "FABULOUS PEARLS"
Written by JudelineD on 2007-08-14 02:39:51
Well, well what shall I say. First and foremost "THE FABULOUS PEARLS" was Philip Walter Rose's Band and I am proud to say that "HE WAS MY DAD". The name came from my Mum's name which is Pearl. So many fond memories of my Dad come rushing to my mind. What a great musician he was. I don't think that there was any instrument that he could'nt play. He even used to write the music notes himself. Always with his guitar playing all those lovely numbers of the 50's, 60' and 70's. Only sad part was that neither my sister, brother or myself went into music (though we all have it still flowing in our blood). But I am proud to say that my daughter and son are going the music way. My daughter is having her voice trained and my son doing his Trinity 5th Grade Piano exam this year. My dream is that my son should be a musician like my Dad (who was my son's idol) and of course my grandad too (Harry Rose the great violinist). I am sure that those who heard his Band play would agree that they were really a bunch of great entertainers during their time. | THE ONE AND ONLY "FABULOUS PEARLS"
Written by JudelineD on 2007-08-14 02:36:22
Well, well what shall I say. First and foremost "THE FABULOUS PEARLS" was Philip Walter Rose's Band and I am proud to say that "HE WAS MY DAD". The name came from my Mum's name which is Pearl. So many fond memories of my Dad come rushing to my mind. What a great musician he was. I don't think that there was any instrument that he could'nt play. He even used to write the music notes himself. Always with his guitar playing all those lovely numbers of the 50's, 60' and 70's. Only sad part was that neither my sister, brother or myself went into music (though we all have it still flowing in our blood). But I am proud to say that my daughter and son are going the music way. My daughter is having her voice trained and my son doing his Trinity 5th Grade Piano exam this year. My dream is that my son should be a musician like my Dad (who was my son's idol) and of course my grandad too (Harry Rose the great violinist). I am sure that those who heard his Band play would agree that they were really a bunch of great entertainers during their time. | Thank You
Written by ernest on 2007-05-05 16:19:18
Winnie, Thank you for sharing with us your memories of acheiving something that made you feel proud. Look at Henry (previous comment)What a great feeling it must have been to train with the Olympic Hockey Team. We can only hope that by recalling these proud memories, someone, somewhere is inspired to go out and acheive something, to make them feel proud of themselves. God Bless. Ernie | Ai from Callcutta.now in Melbourne
Written by winnie on 2007-05-02 22:18:01
I WAS IN A BAND CALLED LITTLE RICHARD AND THE SMALL FRIES,WE PLAYED AT FORT WILLIAM,cHRIST THE KING ETC:I then joined the HEATWAVES and played at the Calcutta swimming club,the Rangers club,Christ the King,Trincas Jam Session on Park Street,and played for a lot of weddings.and i tell you they were like all good Anglo Dances,if you did not go,there was something wrong.I tell you i like many Anglo`s miss those wonderful days.
It was great,and fantastic to read your stories on the Anglo Dances etc:
Regards.
Winston Deefholts. | nice!
Written by conradical on 2007-05-02 06:30:32
I've been a silent reader for a while now! You have a gift for writing.
FYI. Got the video, do we have rights to publish? Email me. | Hello
Written by ernest on 2007-04-27 15:48:52
Hi Mr Henry Holly,hope you and Marion are well. Long time no see?.I used to come to St Georges when I studied at Bishop Corrie's, to play Hockey and Cricket. We always got thrashed in Hockey and managed to give you a good game in cricket. But the main event was after the game when we were invited to have tea in your Refectory. Freshly baked brown bread with lashings of butter and jam. Mr Tony Rodericks, you guys used to call him seargent, didnt suffer fools gladly, but he was always prepared to put his money where his mouth was.(sorry about the cliches.)
I bet you could tell a story or two Henry.St Georges was -- and probably still is --an AI bastion of traditional AI education. I'm rambling on. bad habit Ernie | St Georges
Written by RAF on 2007-04-27 14:06:20
Ernie
I was not aware that you knew the late great Tony Rodericks. He coached me as the schools hockey goalkeeper which has stood me in good stead, I went on to
represented Doveton Schools and was later selected for squad coaching at the Madras stadium for a month with the Olympic squad.
He was a great guy one you could love or hate.
By the way his daughter is one of the teachers at St Georges.
Keep telling the short stories
Regards
Henry
| Hi Charlotte
Written by ernest on 2007-04-27 06:41:54
Noooo we're just over half way through. From the next chapter on, we concentrate more on M&J&R.
Keep reading.
Ernie. | Is this the last chapter?
Written by domestic engineer on 2007-04-27 05:52:27
Good times good memories!  |
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