Raymond Memorial School, Falakata, West Bengal, India
Dear Sir:
I just returned from Falakata. My elder son Dr. Sundeep had his 'miracle' son Joshua dedicated in the same chapel that you used to preach in. The chapel is much larger now with extensions on both the sides.
I have taken a few pictures of Falakata with my son's camera. I'll tell him to send it to you. I wanted to take the picture of the old leg-operated press where you used to crank out the school paper, The Plainsman, but it was raining cats and dogs just as it often does so I could not take any photos. I will ask my nephew who is the headmaster to take the photos for you. Khitish and Ashima, your students, taught at the school and now are retired and live there. I have taken the pictures of the house where you stayed--both the front and the back of the house. The big Flame of the Forest tree is long gone. A few trees which were relatively small have grown massive are still there as a mute witness to the passing of time.
The barn and the carpenter shop adjacent to the press remain intact. The riverside has changed drastically as expected: the cane jungle is gone and those majestic teak trees are long been cut down to be replaced by smaller ones. The old rickety wooden bridge has been replaced by a concrete one. The Oxbow lake is getting filled with sand. I am told that the lake is going to be deepened 3 feet.
There is a teak jungle behind where you used to stay. The wooden structure of the girls’ hostel has been replaced by a modern building. Now the girls hostel has a quadrangle with dining hall on the eastern side. The Old Mango tree is gone and so has the silk cotton tree from which the boys use to retrieve wild honey.
There is one amusing incident from the school to report: At dusk a girl was eating a chapatti for supper. Suddenly from no where a jackal turned up. The girls screamed. That frightened the poor creature, who looking for the best hiding place, dashed under the skirt of the girl. It was a comical sight, both of them, the girl and the jackal, jumping up and down for couple of seconds until the jackal dashed out of the strange safe haven!
Well, I think I can write some more later. So long. -- Manick Kiksu.
Read MoreI just returned from Falakata. My elder son Dr. Sundeep had his 'miracle' son Joshua dedicated in the same chapel that you used to preach in. The chapel is much larger now with extensions on both the sides.
I have taken a few pictures of Falakata with my son's camera. I'll tell him to send it to you. I wanted to take the picture of the old leg-operated press where you used to crank out the school paper, The Plainsman, but it was raining cats and dogs just as it often does so I could not take any photos. I will ask my nephew who is the headmaster to take the photos for you. Khitish and Ashima, your students, taught at the school and now are retired and live there. I have taken the pictures of the house where you stayed--both the front and the back of the house. The big Flame of the Forest tree is long gone. A few trees which were relatively small have grown massive are still there as a mute witness to the passing of time.
The barn and the carpenter shop adjacent to the press remain intact. The riverside has changed drastically as expected: the cane jungle is gone and those majestic teak trees are long been cut down to be replaced by smaller ones. The old rickety wooden bridge has been replaced by a concrete one. The Oxbow lake is getting filled with sand. I am told that the lake is going to be deepened 3 feet.
There is a teak jungle behind where you used to stay. The wooden structure of the girls’ hostel has been replaced by a modern building. Now the girls hostel has a quadrangle with dining hall on the eastern side. The Old Mango tree is gone and so has the silk cotton tree from which the boys use to retrieve wild honey.
There is one amusing incident from the school to report: At dusk a girl was eating a chapatti for supper. Suddenly from no where a jackal turned up. The girls screamed. That frightened the poor creature, who looking for the best hiding place, dashed under the skirt of the girl. It was a comical sight, both of them, the girl and the jackal, jumping up and down for couple of seconds until the jackal dashed out of the strange safe haven!
Well, I think I can write some more later. So long. -- Manick Kiksu.
