Anyone going to Mussoorie/Landour?

dnsmith

Actually I meant the one on a side next to the barber. Both outdoor stands.

Dilliwala

How long ago was this?

dnsmith

Long long ago, in a galaxy far far away Maybe 20 or so years? I do know it was there in 1952 and again in the mid 80s; different wallahs I'm sure, but the same outdoor stall, adjacent to the outdoor barber.

Dilliwala

Okay, I can't remember either from infrequent visits in the 90's, and frequent visits this decade. Certainly not outdoors - for a moment I thought you meant one of the small shops opposite the 'western side' of the tower (if one consider the door to be the northern side').

I'll try to find out where they went next time I go up, but all depends - were the jalebis any good?

dnsmith

Great. We waited while he fried them and dipped them into the syrup. We got them too hot to eat, in an old newspaper cone. Not the most sanitary place, but..... When he saw us Woodstock kids coming he would sometimes put various dyes in the syrup for the chuts.

By the way, next time you go up, take a walk, or ride, out the old Tehri road to Woodstock school.

Dilliwala

Walk? Hmmm..........

Driven that way dozens of times.

dnsmith

In 1952 there was no vehicular traffic on the old Tehri Rd, all foot or pony. About half the time we would go straight down the hillside to burning ghat and up the ridge. It was closer but a much harder trip. We would stop at the first cafe, go on to a movie, then all the way to the Mussoorie Mall to Kwality, another movie, and a trip past the jalebe wallah.

Dilliwala

And now you can drive right upto Ridgewood, past Hansen Field, past the Dhobi ghat* and almost all the way upto Chamasari**!

* Pakka road
** Kachcha road, one section definitely not 2wd-able. Must be dreadful during the rains.

And if you hiked in those days, which you most probably did, did you ever walk to Kempty? I read on the web once another Woodstocker writing that there was no motor road even ca. '59. What was the walking route, say from Library?

Aishah

dnsmith - your post reminds me of the days in NZ before we got our Austin A40! We walked everywhere too, and none the worse for it. I've walked that road quite a lot when I was staying at Woodside - I would go along the tracks behind Woodstock school, and came out onto the road further along from the gate (a sort of shortcut) then walk the rest of the road to Mullingar and Chayya Cafe. Have you ever visited since - was the Community Hospital there in 1952? You wouldn't recognise the place now I think - so much development (not overly developed but buildings there that would not have been there in your time).

__________________
"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

bluekelda

I've been in Landour for the past three weeks, staying at Kilmarnock. After three weeks at Kilmarnock, I feel it's necessary to let future LLS students know that Kilmarnock is the best guesthouse by far. Benefits: delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners; fair prices; very helpful and friendly owner; great rooms; and hot water!

I'll be here until December--feel free to get in touch if you are coming!

dnsmith

Ah..., so you are familiar with Woodstock. Hansen Field was where we played baseball and basketball (under a covered court) Ridgewood is the chut dorm - halfway between the Hostel (Highschool boys's dorm) and the College (Highschool girls dorm). It has been 56 years since I did a trek to Kempty. Speaking of 1959, that was the year the Dalai Lama made his trek out of Tibet and stayed at Woodstock. The students and faculty helped fund and build a school and quarters for Tibetans in Happy Valley, west Mussoorie.

BTW, when I said we took a short cut down the hill past dobhi ghat I mispoke. It was burning ghat, not dobhi ghat.

And yes, Landour Community Hospital was there, I spent the night there after a fall.

"In April 1959, after fleeing Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Dalai Lama established the Tibetan Government of Exile in Mussoorie. The Government of Tibet in exile eventually moved to Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. The first Tibetan school was established in Mussoorie in 1960. Tibetans settled mainly in Happy Valley in Mussoorie. Today, some 5,000 Tibetans live in Mussoorie."

Dilliwala

There is now a basketball court at Ridgewood also, it's practically the fore-court. The parking-lot is right next to it.
Ah, the senior girls' dorm has been called Midlands for a very long time now - certainly my life-time (no, I'm not a Woodstocker, just someone who spent many school-summers at Landour away from the Dilli heat).
Ridgewood is the what?

WS has bought up a lot of the hillside (it's a big-bucks school now , quite distinct from your time) - Ashton Court, South Hill, Edgehill & Aotearoa (long lease), Mount Hermon (senior girls hostel)....
Really?! That I didn't know. The DL did spend the rest of his 6-month stint in Muss at Birla Nivas, close to the present location of THF.
Didn't know about WS funding their school either. I did have the opportunity 2 years back to have a short tour of the school given by the principal, who himself is an ex-student of the school.

Can't place the burning-ghat right now, but I meant the dhobi ghat. You just keep going on the path (now road) that goes past Hansen and curves left, maybe a km? The same path/road leads to Chamasari.
Wud you believe there is now a 'resort' in the village (forgetting the name) behind/below Pari Tibba (Witch's Hill)? Ughhh!!

P.S. Ok, just checked the map - I see where the burning ghat is located, right next to the Muslim burial ground. Yes, that route wud make sense as a short-cut into town (came up near the Civil Hospital?).

dnsmith

"Ridgewood is the what?"

Chut dorm. We called the little kids chuts.

Did you know the Beri family? They were Landour residents much of the year. Liela Beri was one of several kids in the family. She was in my class. From Delhi were several kids. Raksha Mehta was from Delhi. She married a Dr Talwar and she became active in women's rights. Of course Delhi is so large it is not likely you would know her.

Also in Landour was a family of Flemings. Mrs Fleming was a Dr at Landour Community Hospital and her husband Robert was a teacher at Woodstock. The Alters - Bob and Ellen are long time hillside residents, and Woodstock staff as well as part of the Mussoorie Gramin Vikas Samiti, Community Developement program.

In so far as Woodstock being a "big bucks" school now, that would be only for those who have plenty of money. Most of the kids are there on grants and scholarships provided by a trust fund we the alumni keep fluid. Any kid with the academic ability who can't afford it can go. Of course there is some competition if the applicants outnumber the slots, but openings are expanded if there are many who qualify. There is a program even for non-India residents in the US, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim called SAGE. If you know someone who is interested in a year (or more) of this kind of experience check out:

The SAGE Program (Studies Abroad for Global Education) offers students from North America and elsewhere the opportunity to attend Woodstock for one or two semesters, usually in Grades 10 or 11. http://www.sageprogram.org/

Dilliwala

I don't know any of those names! WELL before my time on the planet.

Saw Bob Alter at the Christ Church annual Christmas concert last year, after many years. I guess you know son Stephen is VP now? And the murder attempts?

I know there are scholarships still available, but the word around the hillside for some years now is that they've been greatly curtailed vis-a-vis full-fee paying students. (I don't have figures, but I cud check - know a coupla teachers). There are many Korean, Japanese and Indian kids whose parents work for big multinationals around India.

dnsmith

We were kept up to date about Steve Alter and his wife. Karab (sp) situation.