Lushington Boys School, Ootacamund Established 9th February 1961 The Lushington story… briefly: Lushington Hall was first owned by C.M. Lushington, brother of the Governor of Madras, S.R. Lushington, in the late 1820s. The Georgian style homestead was built on 40 acres of land purchased from the Todas of Manjackalmand. th Hebron Girls High School’s Rev. Dr Pope established a school in the mid-18 century, history is well-documented in but he later moved to Bishop Cotton School in Bangalore. the Hebron Centenary book Later, when the McIvor family owned Lushington Hall, they Rain On A Tin Roof, (ROATR) divided the estate and half was given to the Horticultural compiled by Rod Gilbert. Department of the Madras Residency and became what is Hebron, founded in 1899, now known as The Government Botanic Gardens began in Brooklands, (including the Governor’s summer residence). but in 1908 the During World War Two Hebron School’s numbers doubled school moved to the property to 185 girls, and in 1941 the Hebron Council purchased now known as Silverdale, an Lushington Hall. Rod Gilbert wrote: ‘This one transaction orphanage owned by the has proved to be the most significant in the school… the Christian Mission Service. result of much prayer and thought by the school Council.’ ROATR p. 39. Breeks School, in the centre of , dates back to 1874 and was founded in memory of Mr J.W. Breeks, the first Commissioner/ Collector of the Nilgiris. After World War Two it was designated an Anglo-Indian school and so received Indian Government funding. Students were a mixture of Indian, Anglo- Indian and foreign, and boarders were housed in hostels including Clifton Grange (girls) and Lushington Hall (boys). In the 1950s Breeks was transitioning away from the Cambridge School Certificate to the Indian School Certificate. From 1913 Hebron had been recognized by the Madras Presidency as a ‘European High School’ and it remained exclusively so until 1964, when the first Indian girl was admitted. Hebron still operates under that recognition (ROATR p. 16). By 1959 Hebron parents became increasingly concerned that boys who had previously moved from Hebron to Breeks would not be able to complete their Senior Cambridge School Certificate – creating a discrepancy for siblings in the same family. Discussions took place between Breeks and Hebron managements, resulting in a meeting with Hebron parents in May 1960, at which a proposal for a new boys’ school was strongly supported. The Hebron Council decided to open Lushington Boys School the following year and the first newsletter went to prospective parents in June 1960. At the same time Mr Alex Smyth sent an appointment letter to Mr Rupert Darling in Northern Ireland inviting him to be the founding Headmaster – he arrived at the end of September 1960 with the daunting task of opening Lushington Boys School in just 4 months time! Lushington Hall had been used as a boarding hostel so had no designated classrooms (the current classroom block was only completed in stages and not fully in use until 1964). The Dining Room was where the Gardens flat is now (next to the Inters Quadrangle) and the new kitchen-dining hall building wasn’t completed until March 1969. Mr Darling describes the chaotic first years of LBS 9th February 1961 – ‘The school opened its doors to 60 boarders (as against a hoped for 40). The enlarged pitch was still being levelled and classrooms were tucked into all sorts of odd corners in the hostel buildings – three in the Junior dorm [where the Principal’s Secretary’s office is now] and two in the [Inters] dorm block… We had boys in Standards 1 to 8 and the timetable was made with four teaching groups at any one time... There were three full-time teachers and five part-time helpers, including Mr Fox, the new Headmaster at Breeks… eight senior boys in Standards 9-11 still attended Breeks until the end of 1962… Numbers grew to 92 in 1962, 110 in 1963, 130 in 1964 and 160 in 1965.’ P.S. The Hebron Council provided a ‘float’ of 25,000/- to get the school started!

In addition to starting the school, Rupert Darling found time to court Elaine Pease (mainly by correspondence as she was on furlough in the UK during most of 1962). They were engaged in July and married in Ooty on 6th December 1962. Reflections and memories from some 1961 students FRANK DEWEY (USA): I remember the elation we had when we realized that we didn’t have to march in formation to Breeks, every morning, then back at noon for lunch, then back to Breeks for the afternoon and back again to Lush in the evening [six kilometres every day]!

I also remember the gentle slope of the hillside where the “big pitch” is now. It was an open slope with just a couple of huge eucalyptus trees on it. We would have the annual “Guy Fawkes” bonfire there.

Then they cut the trees down and had a couple of places where men with huge saws cut them into boards and other pieces for use in the new buildings and furniture. They peeled off the bark, which we used to slide down the embankment from “Inters dorm” down toward “Govy Gardens”, using soap and water to increase slipperiness and trying to avoid the barbed wire fence at the bottom of the slope. Reflections and memories from 1961 students FRANK DEWEY (USA): I also remember one of the students, I think it was Hally Tank from Germany, who decided he was going to come up all the way from Metty to Ooty by bicycle. He made it, but barely. And I have memories of hiring bikes to go out to and other places for picnics. Going out was great; coming back not so much!! Particularly one time with a punctured bike tyre.

Frank was the most senior Lushy boy – the first Std 11 Prefect and the first to complete his Indian School Certificate (ISC) in 1964, after which he stayed on as a ‘Junior Helper’ – he was then referred to as ‘Mr Dewey’! (Black and Gold 1965, p. 10) His classmates in 1962: James Heslop, Jonathan Paul Harland, Clarence Crook, Martin Reidel and Charles Fordham all left LBS before completing their ISC. Reflections and memories from 1961 students (JONATHAN) PAUL HARLAND (UK) I joined Breeks Memorial School at the beginning of 1959. I started in Standard 6, my brother Tim in Standard 4 and my sister Betsey in Standard 1. We lived in Varanasi in the north so it was a train journey of 4 days and nights via Calcutta and Madras to get to Ooty... As they were steam trains it took another 4 days to wash off the soot and get clean! When Lushington Boys School started up the staff thought that we were not getting enough exercise [i.e. not marching to and from Breeks 3 times a day!]. At 6 a.m. a whistle would blow and we would dress in our sports clothes and run along the straight road to Charing Cross in the centre of town and then back to the dormitories by a circular route via the potato Paul later worked in Bangladesh with fields. Maybe some staff thought this to be a bit dangerous because after his wife Carol, and a while this was changed to do PE on the new pitch. Doing press ups on their two sons the cold gravel early morning was very painful. On April Fool’s day all the Andrew and Mark, boys went on strike and stayed in their beds. The master went to the attended Hebron. pitch and found nobody there! Reflections and memories from 1961 students KEITH HOGGART (UK) I recall little about arriving at Lushy Hall. My most vivid memory, after a warm welcome from Ma Bateman, and encouraging signs of friendly fellow students, was my first breakfast. There had been apologies that the toaster was not working but the presentation of watery scrambled eggs laid on top of a slice of bread did not warm the cockles of my heart. The eggs went down fine but the cold soggy blob I was left with needed dumping. Hence, my first Lushy lesson, when Ma Bateman sat by me until I had eaten every morsel. I struggled, but the message has stayed with me. I still feel bad if food is left on a plate (save for overcooked vegetables).

Overall, though, my memories were positive, as fellow classmates were a lot of fun, the school grounds continued to stimulate awe and the restraints on movement gave vistas at the edge of school territory an aura of enticement, lulling with an imagined message ‘come to me’. The quest for travel has never left me. Reflections and memories from 1961 students RUPRECHT VEIGEL (GERMANY) My father was forced to start early and brought me to my new school around 9:30 am [the first boarder to arrive]. I was welcomed by a tall, thin man called Mr. Darling, who listened very carefully how my German name Ruprecht was pronounced correctly because his was the same name in English (Rupert). After my parents had left [by car to Mangalore] , Miss Bateman showed me my bed in Middle Dorm and took me to play with the Smyth boys, of whom Ashley I remember best. Thankfully, Mrs. Smyth invited me to have lunch with the family. In the afternoon we roamed around and watched with interest the growing stream of boys arriving, a few of whom I was happy to know from St. Hilda’s - the Riedl brothers Martin and Reinhold, from our Mission. At ten to six I, for the first time in my life, heard the three-foot piece of railway track clanging for supper. As a matter of fact, in one of my first letters writing home, I found it worth mentioning that the food at Lushington was much, much better than at St. Hilda's. What a lovely place to be! Ruprecht’s sisters and younger brother Christoph were at St Hildas

The first letters to their parents from Christoph (left) and Ruprecht (right) – note the Breeks stationery still being used in 1961. Reflections and memories from 1961 students DAVID GALLAGHER (IRELAND and UK):

Best reminiscence from early 1961 – memories of being in Miss Bateman’s Middle Dorm from the outset, on the far side of the quad, and going into her flat with the rest of the dorm (a dozen of us?) for a bedtime story each night. We sat on the floor in pyjamas in her lounge while she held forth from an armchair reading from various books, I particularly remember the Austrialian novelist J E MacDonnell’s ‘Captain Mettle VC’ which was gripping stuff, and pleading with ‘Ma Batey’ for another chapter before lights out. [Many boys remember being drawn into the world of Narnia by Ma Bateman.] She also gave us a synopsis of world news each evening, clearly remember the excitement when she told us Yuri Gagarin had orbited the earth as the first man in space in April 1961. A stern but loving lady, the closest we came to having a home from home in those early days, and for me a huge improvement on Hebron Coonoor.

David and his brother John in the in the May holiday – still in their khaki shorts! Reflections and memories from 1961 students TIM HARLAND (UK): I joined Lushington in January 1961 having spent the previous 2 years at Breeks. In standard 6 in 1961 my classmates were Keith Hoggart, Thomas Mckay, Benny Norton (Canada), Peter Patterson, Philip Pelham, Dave Prosser, Geoffrey Richards, Olaf Sandal (Scandinavia), George Schrag (USA), Ashleigh Smythe (Northern Ireland), George Trumpe (Swiss) and David Warburton (NZ). Absent from our class that joined from Breeks were the 3 girls who had gone to Hebron, and the 22 children from Indian families. The girls would be missed for their role in our school plays, for biscuits brought in and shared at break, secret notes passed in class and even a kiss for a dare. We would miss the strength of our sports teams drawn from the larger numbers of Breeks and for long would become the underdogs against other schools. Together, we would share the next 3 years with many memorable experiences along the way. The beauty of the hills with time to The Harland family: explore them, friendships that would last a lifetime and an education Paul, Betsey and Tim that in a good number of cases would stand us in good stead. Reflections and memories from 1961 students PETER HILL (NZ) – a day student whose parents were running Montauban. Peter returned, with his wife Annette in the 1980s, as the VP alongside Rod Gilbert. In January 1961, before the school year began, I recall observing the extension and levelling of what came to be known as Big Pitch. Mr Parker (Nosey Parker, as he became known, naturally enough) was supervisor of the workforce. One of the giant gums, some of which still surround Big Pitch, had been felled. Along with a couple of other young onlookers I pleaded with Mr Parker to relocate the massive tree trunk to the swimming pool to serve as a slippery log. As you know, the pool is a longish way both horizontally and vertically from the end of Big Pitch so Mr Parker had no difficulty in refusing our urgent pleas. Even the offer to help carry the log up the hill left him unmoved. The pool did eventually feature a slippery log (for a while), The slippery log featured pillow-case but its dimensions were considerably more manageable fights in the swimming sports. [and now long gone – sadly!]. Reflections and memories from 1961 students and staff GRAHAM GRIFFITHS (UK)

Travel to school was always an adventure. Initially my journey would take me from Poona to Ooty. This was done by 3rd class compartment on a train and took two nights & 3 days to complete the journey. To get to see others on the train the cissies would climb up and along the roof, however for most of us it was clambering along the outside of the railway carriage, even when the train was moving… We had 4 dormitories: Junior Dorm run On arrival at School, it was such fun to catch up with by David and Gwen Parker, Middle other students who had arrived from Pakistan, Dorm with Miss Bateman as matron, Nepal, Burma, Malaysia, Tanzania, and other areas Inter Dorm and Senior Dorm. Over the of . Many were and are today still ‘family’ and I years I was a boarder in each of them. am still able to keep in touch with many on social There was no Gardens dorm in the media, some on a regular basis. early years as student numbers were such that there was no demand for it. Reflections and memories from 1961 students and staff GRAHAM GRIFFITHS (UK): Month end Saturdays were always a highlight with no classes on the Saturday and we were able to take either a ‘lunch’ or ‘tea’ sandwich bag then make our way out of school to places like Glenmorgan, Pykara, and The Downs. Most month ends we would hire cycles from Saits which was beside The Assembly Rooms. Occasionally, we would say we were going to but went down to Masinagudi via the Sigur Ghat and hitch back up on a Badaga Bus. Obviously we needed extra time for such a trip so we would arrange with someone to ‘tick’ us back in because we would be out for both lunch and tea. The first official cycle trip down the Sigur ghat, escorted by Brian Wood. GG second from left. SPORT ‘We would miss the strength of our sports teams drawn from the larger numbers of Breeks and for long would become the underdogs against other schools.’ (Tim H) LBS victories in IS team sports in the early days were rare but at the Inter School Athletics LBS had some notable achievements, including coming 3rd behind St Josephs and Lawrence in 1963 and 1967! But 1969 was the most memorable: Alan Taylor set a record in the All that marching to church paid dividends Junior High Jump, and soon after Graham at the I/S Athletics meet in Wellington! Griffiths set a record in the Senior 400m and shared the Senior Championship (with Mike Dawson of Mountain Home School) - and we almost beat Lawrence into overall 2nd place. The whole school rejoiced when Mr Darling declared a half-day holiday! In the first few years there were two houses: Black and Gold, but from 1968 there were three: Pykara, Mukerti and Kundah. 1969 - Close third place behind Lawrence Reflections from the classroom – did the students learn anything?

I assume I learned something in that year of 1961. What I remember is hearing about the new substance, fibre-glass, on a pane of which an elephant could stand without harm to glass or elephant. A preposterous suggestion was made by one teacher that beef could be eaten in California before its animal was killed in Australia – this was an attempted explanation of time zones and jet planes. Also, Yuri Gagarin and Alan Shepard, and John F. Kennedy, who being a Roman Catholic, would surely bring ruin and disaster upon the U.S.A. (Peter H.) ‘Mr Parker taught French, although he didn’t know any!’ (A staff colleague) Miss Wagland (who had a degree in teaching French) was a welcome and valued addition to the staff in 1965 – she taught French to hundreds of students over the next 28 years! Mr Enos taught me violin, though I was a reluctant and unpromising student. On one occasion I left class for a lesson but absconded and hid somewhere in the Gardens. On discovery I was given six of the best by Rupert Darling for telling lies. Miss Bateman was a fearsome character to my recollection - I regret to say we had a song for her which began "Ma Bateman had a bunion, a face like a pickled onion…" and went on in similar vein. David Parker known, naturally, to us as ‘Nosey Parker’ and Alex Smyth (he of the 7 sons) also linger in my memory. Reflections from some staff – Miss Elizabeth Gladwell (now Harris) 1961-1965

I arrived in January 1961 as a 22 year-old to teach the five-to seven-year-olds. At first, I had only nine or ten children, a blackboard, and a few reading books. Everything else, things to count, to weigh and measure, paints, brushes, paper had to be gathered. The best toys were a heap of real bricks dumped on the playground outside [for the new classroom building]. But I was free – free to plan the day and run my class. On a brilliant sunny morning, if I felt like taking R.E. In Govy Gardens, I would race down the drive with the boys and into the Gardens. They would sit in a ring on the grass, pray and sing, and listen to a Bible story. Having let off steam we would climb back up to school and settle down. On Saturdays I started a Cub Pack - Betty Orme and I re- formed the 1st Nilgiri troop. We met on Saturday Miss Elizabeth afternoons on the “tennis court”. It was in the woods below the school hall. There was a genuine flagpole Gladwell on the there. The pack looked smart in their green jerseys and Cub Pack black and yellow scarves. What a place to run a Cub pack - actually in the jungle! (Once a black panther was seen on the hospital verandah). Badges had to be earned, fire lighting was very popular, a dozen fires in the woods! I was very young, but we did enjoy ourselves and took it very seriously. Often, we would go up into the . We went out the back gate through the Toda village, past the fiercest looking buffaloes, by the stream and up into the woods, once we startled a very large cat. It was a wonderful area for wide-games. Even more exciting were the camps at Easter. Usually we would book a forest bungalow. Once at Avalanche, when we arrived in an overloaded mini-bus, we found we had brought everything but knives and forks. Not to worry, but eating custard was tricky. The 1st Nilgiris Cub pack in 1965 with Miss Gladwell and Miss Somerville Those were the glory days! Diary notes from Miss Moira Jackson (now Fox) 1961-1990

“My classroom, in the Hoz, is only 200 sq feet, yet I am to have 22 children – composite 3-4 class. Fortunately we have a verandah which I plan to use extensively. The nurse’s room, next to my classroom, was the only ward and there was a space between the walls – so when I was trying to teach and asked a question, I would often have the sick kids answer over the wall!!”

“On Sunday, Gwen Parker had to go to hospital and Betty Orme went with her. I had a full day doubling up and filling in classes. Betty came back on Tuesday, but Mr Smyth went off to Madras to see about a permit for the cement for the building and he did not come back until Thursday. Mr Darling was still confined to his room with jaundice and on Wednesday, Harry SS went off for a long weekend of meetings in Vellore, so that left David Parker on his own with no other male staff… no matter how willing the female staff might be, only the men can do dorm duty with the senior boys. On Thursday all the men had to go out on school business, so I had to do Senior Prep!!” Reflections from Miss Moira Jackson contd: I reflect that in the midst of all the stress, the care of the boys was of utmost importance. I was invited by Audrey Bateman to a prayer meeting every lunch time where the needs of the school were brought to the Lord. Also the list of boys was divided into five, and each boy’s name brought before the Lord each week, and any problem specially prayed for. (When LBS staff 1966 – Moira 1st left, front row; Rupert and Elaine Darling, centre. the numbers increased to 100 we were only able to pray specifically for each boy once I must I must say that I learned so much during every two weeks.) my first term – and I greatly admired Mr Darling We were also praying either for a permit for for his humility and selflessness – Elaine cement, the money to pay for it, or that the [Darling] was also so much like that - nothing building would not be hindered through the too menial for them to do – salary the same as lack of supply! We were also praying for all the staff members [a longstanding tradition]. more staff! LUSHY Songs Oh, give me a home From the 1960s Where the Toda Buffs roam Where the fences are never intact, Where up on the mat You'll hear the impact Of a cutch [cane] on the seat of your daks. Chorus Come to Lushy. Come to Lushy. Home, home in dear Lush 'Tis a place of misery. Where the grounds are nearly all slush, There's a signpost at the entrance Where seldom is seen Saying “Welcome unto thee”. Hands and knees very clean And the matrons are all in a rush. Don't believe it. Don't believe it. It is all a pack of lies. If it wasn't for the teachers Oh, give me a school It would be a paradise. With a clean swimming pool, With a field that's so level and green, Build a bonfire. Build a bonfire. Where the food is so nice Put the teachers on the top. And the beds have no lice Put the matrons in the middle And the “dames” are the best we have seen. And then burn the jolly lot. Chorus (from Black and Gold – 1966) The two major building projects in the 1960s – both overseen by Alex Smyth

The classroom block completed in 1964 had 10 classrooms on the ground and middle floors, and two senior dorms and a staff flat at the far end on the top floor. The Kitchen-Dining Hall and staff flats complex was commenced in November 1967 and completed in March 1969. Water shortages in the 1970s

Kitchen deliveries, 1970s… Viresh – shoe restorer and repairer from the 1950s…

JB – old boy in LBS uniform

George started working in the ‘new’ kitchen in 1969 Some ‘old’ Hebron Principals – Barclay, Reid, Gilbert, and Darling (also LBS Headmaster), Hebron Reunion, February 2012

Elaine and Rupert Darling with John Barclay - March 2012