A reminiscence

We sometimes receive comments and stories from alumni and friends who have enjoyed reading articles and viewing pictures on the website. Here is one from Frank Blewitt, whose mother was at Woodstock.

My mother went through teacher training with Vera Francis, who was for a very long time a teacher at Woodstock. She lived in Landour and owned two houses there - Stainton Cottage and Stainton Lodge. They are located below Ivy Bank. Last year someone I know was going on a visit to Mussoorie and kindly took photos of the properties and sent them to me. There are several changes that have taken place in the intervening years, which I understand are only to be expected with India's exploding population.

For many years we made a yearly trip to visit her and stayed at the Lodge. After she went to Australia she went blind, but continued to correspond with my mother through cassette tape. Her niece, lives in Perth, Western Australia and is a regular friend and visitor of my sister there.

I remember with great affection the times a group of us, led by Miss Francis, went for long walks round the hills. Always towards the end of the walk she would get a fire going, and in a huge pan would make her regular meal of eggs and tomatoes, which we wolfed down with bread.

Then there was the huge fete that was held at he school during the summer months. It was said that a ship load of material came out from the States for the event. Or maybe it just felt like a ship load. Sweets like Mars Bars and Tootsie Rolls were a delight to get our teeth into.

On one occasion just as we entered Mussoorie we came under fire from hailstones as large as table-tennis balls. That year the long glassed-in corridor at Oak Grove School had almost every one of its glass panes smashed with hailstones.

I recall waking very early and hiking up to the top of the hill from Miss Francis's house. The road that circles the top of the hill - called the Chukkur - gave a wonderful view of the snow-capped mountains, and as the sun came up it kissed the snow-capped peaks with rosy light.

A couple of years ago I made contact with a former student of Wooodstock on the Internet, who remembered with respect Miss Francis, and he sent me a picture of the school taken from some distance away, but showing the setting very well. The picture had been folded twice before being scanned, and had score marks disfiguring it. I was able, in Photoshop, to tidy it up and return it to him, and he seemed to be pleased with the result.

Thank you for the pleasure and memories your site has evoked. Keep up the good work and may God bless and keep you in His care.