The Master - Henry C. Milward FCMA, ACIS
Transcription
The Master - Henry C. Milward FCMA, ACIS
The Master - Henry C. Milward FCMA, ACIS Senior Warden - Dr Simon O. Fradd BSc, MB, BS, FRCS, MRCGP Junior Warden - Mr Michael G. Cook Immediate Past Master - Mr Deputy Michael J. Snyder DSc, FCA Needle News I am now over half way through my term of office as Master. It seems to have been an endless round of activities, both within the Livery and around the City. I wrote in the October edition of Needle News that I looked forward to representing the Company during the year. I have been pleased to be able to do this at a number of events (30 to date) to which our Company has been kindly invited. I have learnt the difficulties of an out of town Master, together with the vagaries of the United Kingdom transport system! As you will see by the functions report we have had another busy year. When planning this year's trips abroad, I was concerned that two overseas excursions, one of nearly two weeks to Southern India and the second of one week to Portugal (kindly organised by Liveryman Brian Knight) would be more than the Livery could absorb. To my surprise there were some 95 applications for 75 places. I can only apologise to those of the Livery who have not been able to join either trips I have met and talked with many Masters from other Livery Company's and the Needlemakers seem to be one of the very few Livery Company's which runs trips of much more than a long week end. I think therefore our trips must be an activity of which we should be very proud. However in future planning consideration of the strength of demand for these trips must be taken into account. Summer 2007 The Master’s Column The Charity Committee has had a year in which we have been rethinking our priorities. It has become clear that the production of needles in this country is on the wane. Demand for many types of needles is still very strong. There is great interest in their use in craft work and this is an area which we have decided we need to support. To this end we have sponsored a prize for a show 'Quilts in the Garden'. This is not dissimilar to the prizes which were given, when I joined the Livery, to needle making employees for hand sewing work. We will further monitor this development and hopefully expand our activities in the 'Use of Needles'. I am pleased to welcome the Honorary Archivist - David Henshaw to the Court. I am sure he will be of great assistance having been the editor of our 350th Anniversary Book. I am sorry to report the deaths two liverymen Ian C. Sibley and David Owen Thomas QC. Condolences have been given to their families. Thank you for your continued support. Reception at the Mansion House Banquet our website is: www.worshipfulcompanyofneedlemakers.com Henry Milward Programme of Events 2007 2nd - 9th June River Douro Trip Tuesday 3rd July St. James Garlickhythe Rededication of the Organ Wednesday 4th July Court Dinner at Butchers' Hall (Formal, Black Tie) Past Events Silver Evening The Livery had an informal evening at Butchers Hall. A feature of the evening was the opportunity to circulate and meet with other members and guests over a buffet supper. The Honorary Archivist David Henshaw gave an excellent talk on the Silver Collection. There are over 30 pieces from the Beadle's Staff (1706) through to the 350th Anniversary Loving Cup presented by Immediate Past Master Michael Snyder. St. Cecelia Day Service Wednesday 26th September India and Douro trips Proposed Reunion This was held at St. Paul's Cathedral with the address given by the Reverend Canon Jeremy Davies, Precentor of Salisbury. This was followed by a very convivial lunch at Balls Brothers Wine Bar. Annual Carol Service Wednesday 3rd October Annual Church Service at St. James Garlickhythe Installation Dinner at Painters' Hall Wednesday 21st November Festival of St. Cecelia at Westminster Abbey Lunch at The Atrium This was held at St. Giles Cripplegate followed by the traditional Fish and Chip supper. January Court Luncheon The January Court Luncheon was held at Butchers Hall. The Guest Speaker was Robert Hiscox, Chairman of Hiscox plc. He talked about the progress at 'Lloyds of London' - Insurance Business. Mansion House Banquet Tuesday 11th December Carol Service at St. James Garlickhythe followed by Buffet Supper (Change of Venue) We were pleased that we filled the Mansion House and were honoured to have the Lord Mayor and Mayoress together with both Sheriffs, their wives and 10 others Masters present. The speakers other than the Lord Mayor stayed in the Milward family. 2008 Friday 7th March United Guild Service at St. Paul's Cathedral Clerk of the Company Philip R. Grant PO Box 3682 Windsor SL4 3WR. Tel : 01753-860-690 Email : [email protected] The Master receives the Senior Past Master Our website is: www.worshipfulcompanyofneedlemakers.com Trip to Southern India The Mansion House photographs have been supplied by Gerald Sharp Photography Tel: 020-8599-5070, www.sharpphoto.co.uk 2 This was a very successful trip, which has a full report included in this extended issue. Woodwind Competition The Annual Company Woodwind Competition was held at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. This was an excellent performance of young talent, eventually won by Fiona Paterson on a flute. This was followed by a sociable dinner at the Italian Restaurant - Bacarra. Charity The Charity Committee has spent much time considering the support we should give to activities associated with the ‘Use of Needles’. This has led to an investigation into a number of projects associated with this concept. United Guilds Service Old Palace Primary School This Annual Service was held at St. Paul's Cathedral with the sermon being given by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Afterward we were invited to join the Innholders for lunch at their Hall. Six Liverymen have been visiting the school to assist with reading. The Livery has congratulated the school which came 2nd out of 31,000 schools in the league tables for added value. In recognition of this achievement, the Livery presented the school with funds to purchase a musical instrument. A presentation was made by the readers and entertained the staff to tea. April Court Luncheon This was held after the Court meeting. The speaker was Mrs Heather Bush, Deputy Head of Development at the Museum of London. She spoke about the £18m development at the museum. Other Items Company Archives Thanks must go to the Honorary Archivist and the Clerk, who have moved the Company Archives from HSBC to the Guildhall Library who will be responsible for their safe keeping. The Guildhall seems very pleased to have taken over this function. These documents follow the history of the Company from 1656. They join the Oliver Cromwell and Charles II Charters at the Guildhall. 350th Anniversary Books Copies of these books have now been distributed to all the Livery Hall libraries in the City. There have been many favourable comments, about our book. Master’s Charity The Master’s Charity this year is RSD-UK.This is a small charity which assists sufferers to cope with the condition. RSD stands for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome which is a disabling pain condition with little or no cure. Lord Mayors Charity Many of you will have heard the Lord Mayor talking about his Charities at our Mansion House Banquet. His theme for the year is ‘City of London – City of Learning’. The charities he supports to achieve this aim is VSO, Mansion House Scholarship Scheme, the Guild of Educators and King Edward’s School, Whitley. City Dip Eight Liverymen and guests took part in the Lord Mayors City Dip in aid of his appeal. Nearly one quarter of the Livery donated towards the appeal and over £1800 was raised. This is a remarkable achievement for a small Livery and thought to be the highest donation. Trentham Gardens Tel : 020-7383-2859 or email: [email protected] The Livery sponsored a new event ‘Quilts in the Garden’. Over 100 quilts were entered for this competition. The Livery sponsored a peoples choice prize. Over a weekend 3000 visitors saw the quilts. The winner was Diana Brockway from Gwent with a quilt entitled ‘Wreck’ chosen by the visitors to the exhibition. St. Petersberg 2008 Forge Mill Needle Museum Plans are underway for a trip to St. Petersberg in 2008. Once details are available these will be circulated. It has been agreed that a donation should be made to Forge Mill Needle Museum in Redditch to provide for a complete refurbishment of the William Hall Needle Case. The work is very specialised and will be undertaken by The Shakespeare Centre of Stratford-upon- Avon. Skiing Holiday 2008 It is intended to have a week skiing in Switzerland. It would be useful to have an indication of those who might be interested, without any commitment. Please could you let Geoff Lewis know on:- Soirees It is envisaged that in October and November Simon Fradd (Currently Senior Warden) will be holding Soirees for Liverymen and their partners. These will be at his flat overlooking the Thames and Tower Bridge. Once dates are confirmed you will be circulated. Needlemakers Ties We still have a few English silk ties available, in dark blue or black, with a very fine Needlemaker’s motif in silver and gold thread. Price remains at £58 What Can We Do? One of the traditions of Livery Companies is charitable giving. This does not just mean in the monetary sense, although this is most welcome. It can also mean harnessing people’s talents and skills by giving time etc. Within our limited resources do you have any ideas where the Charity side of the Company might be able to do more than what we do now? Please contact David Henshaw on 01 992 717 663 3 VISIT TO SOUTH INDIA 11th January to 23rd January 2007 Thursday 11th We left Heathrow at 1.40pm on our 10 hour flight to Bangalore Friday 12th Bangalore to Mysore Arrived at Bangalore Airport. The five hour drive from Bangalore starting at about 7.00am was broken up by different interesting "happenings". If only we had been wide awake after an overnight flight we would have appreciated them even more! Driving out of Bangalore itself seemed to take ages. I've never seen so many people, heard so many car horns, - it's a seething mass. Smart prosperous looking new office blocks towered above the shanties where people lived and cooked- the smoke from their fires contributed to the smog which had delayed our plane's landing. En-route, we saw a sugar extracting co-operative where some people seemed to work quite hard. Sugar cane is grown in great quantities in the countryside and the growers bring it along in buffalo drawn carts to a giant, ancient-looking, mincing machine. The cane goes through the powerful motor driven rollers and comes out the other end as a type of thick straw. The squeezed out juice goes into vats which are boiled over open fires of this straw, tended by girls who squat beside them. We tasted the resulting "fudge" - a deep yellow and gold in colour. Meanwhile the buffalos are rewarded by chewing the green tops of the sugar cane with obvious satisfaction. managed by the Government, but nonetheless we had to remove our shoes to be properly respectful. A small community of Muslims have a working mosque nearby and they keep the tomb supplied with fresh flowers. I had thought that, since partition, India was entirely a Hindu or Buddhist state but we have seen quite a few Muslims and the odd mosque in Mysore. It is officially a secular state. After the Tipo Mausoleum we drove to the nearby island fort of Srirangapatha which was besieged and more or less destroyed by the English (Commanded by the Wellesley brothers) at the end of the 18th Century and where Tipo met his death. It is pretty derelict- earthworks and the occasional stone wall but it is regarded as a heritage site. (What it needs of course is advice from English Heritage and a team of NADFAS volunteers). Just before the sugar place, we had called at a roadside café and tasted dosas- delicious, vegetable filled crispy pan-cakes cooked to order. Our Indian guide recommended this as opposed to the next-door coffee shop which looked more like a "Little Chef". But we did have cups of coffee too. I resisted a trip to the loo as David thought them rather unappealing. I remember, vividly, the mechanical tiger which apparently eats an Englishman at the Victoria and Albert museum. It was the toy of the Tipo Sultan, an 18th Century Muslim ruler of this part of India, who hated the infedels especially the English. He was eventually killed by them and was regarded by his own folk as a martyr. The English subsequently installed a line of Hindu Maharajahs who ruled obediently to order. We visited Tipo's family Mausoleum, a mosque-like structure of great beauty where the bodies of himself and his parents lie under palls of embroidered silk. It is set in a lovely garden and, 4 It was but a short drive from then on to the hotel Lalitha Mahal Palace which is on the outskirts of Mysore. We arrived at about 1pm but having been due to land (and therefore wide awake and ready) at 4.40am, negotiated Bangalore airport, and been travelling for six hours all after very little sleep we were very tired. Arriving at this hotel woke us all up with a bit of a start. Imagine-being told that Versailles was to be your home for a couple of days!! It was built in 1931 to house the Maharajah's guests - faded grandeur properly describes the interior - stuffed tiger and lion in the foyer, marble pillars, and a massive dining room. Our room is delightful.We do not open the windows because there are monkeys and mosquitoes but we enjoy the balcony. The staff are obsequious, the food is good buffet style and the outdoor swimming pool pleasant - a biggish oval unheated pool plenty warm enough. We were greeted with individual garlands of sweet smelling fresh flowers. We had a delicious selection of wine and finger food on a terrace overlooking Mysore. A special treat was the baked bean canapés. We then crashed into bed for a sound siesta. Then a swim followed by dinner. We are eating vegetarian which is the local style anyway- delicious.We managed to sleep on and off for nine hours and were woken by telephone at 7.30am next morning for a 9.00am start. Saturday 13th Our first excursion today was to a temple, Nandi Bull, high up on top of nearby Chamundi Hill, lots of hairpin bends, spectacular if hazy views and swarms of people-mostly Indianwhen we got there. We have completely hardened our hearts to the odd beggar and frequent hopeful peddler they are so irritating that it is easy to be genuinely cross with them (poor souls). The monkeys were a bit opportunistic and of course there are cows and calves wandering everywhere too. I thought the Temple a con’we (presumably as a group ) paid to go in, queued for some time , removed our shoes, and then didn’t get beyond the porch or so it seemed). There was a lot of music and banging of drums with one of those whiney accordion things, a trumpet and cymbals. Also a procession of some god or other being carried by six men. Some of us got forehead marks in yellow- we didn’t know whether to expect to be charged more or whether we looked more in need of prayer than the others.- The former I suspect because poor Brian had no change and felt obliged to part with a 100 rupees note (just over £1) so we didn’t feel too guilty. On the way down the hill we stopped to see a massive basalt statue of a bull positioned encouragingly nearly at the top of the steep pedestrian route for proper pilgrims. Our main visit was next. – To the Maharajah’s Palace – I bought the guide book in Mysore. Victorian crossed with South Indian- what a medley of colours and decorations! Off had to come the shoes again but at least it was cool. The outside temperature at mid-day is very hot and shade is sparse. This palace and finding out about the Maharajahs was fascinating. Apparently the current Maharajah, although since independence he has not been a force in the land, is a successful businessman, interested in politics, and living somewhere at the back of his ex-royal palace. At least he didn’t meet a grisly end like the ex-Russian Royals. After the Palace, it was back to the Lalitha Mahal Palace for a late lunch, a very short rest, and then for some of us, back on the bus to go to the market in Mysore. Before lunch I felt like chickening out of that trip but a rest and good food did the trick and I was again raring to go at 3.30pm. By 4.30pm I was regretting it! The sun was boiling, the beggars and peddlers were importuning, we nearly got run over crossing the traffic and I felt seriously, hot, bothered and bewildered. The market's magic worked eventually though and Sri (our Indian guide) led us safely through the milling throngs. The vegetables and to a lesser extent, the fruit were unbelievably stunning. Elegant mounds of tomatoes , limes, oranges, aubergines, peppers, onions, garlic, and enormous bunches of fresh green herbsmint, parsley, coriander, curry leaves, and funny looking roots of ginger, celeriac(possibly) and tapioca to name but a few. I was beguiled by the heaps of brilliantly coloured powdered 5 He made us all sit on the cool marble entrance steps to the hotel while the coach was being loaded. Then he did the most brilliant tricks close up. Bobby, our grandson, would have loved it. The most spectacular was swallowing a flame and belching out smoke before apparently coughing up handfuls of nails.The funniest was when he put a funnel at the bottom of Graham Born's trousers and appeared to make him pee through it. Needless to say he was well tipped and greatly enjoyed. Not such a bad way of making a living. Carolyn Ezekiel Sunday 14th Mysore to Ooty - a journey of pot holes and bends. vegetable dyes and suffered myself to be painted (on the back of my hand only) before succumbing to our only purchase- a selection of dyes in powdered and packeted form. A few of our group broke away to do their own things and Sri treated the rest of us to coffee or tea in a pet café which was otherwise filled with locals. Back to the bus (which had had to be parked some distance away) noticing the cows grazing and "tidying up" the market refuse with some enthusiasm. Earlier in the afternoon we had seen a mare and two foals trying to cross the Indian equivalent of Hyde Park Corner - no reins or riders and the younger foal got to the central reservation only. He seemed terribly anxious about the whereabouts of his Mother and I was sure that he would be run over!! Somehow he got away with it. We returned to our hotel by about 5.45pm - just time for me to have a swim before the Sun went down. Dinner wasn't until 8.00pm so I had time to write a bit of this as well as showering. Sunday 14th We left the Lalitha Mahal Palace quite early- 8.00am- so we were called at 6.30am in order to put the bags outside our rooms for collection by 7.00am. After breakfast and just before boarding the bus we had a little entertainment. A conjuror! He also played brilliantly a little two string violin which he had made himself from a coconut shell. The great thing to drink, we'd noticed the day before, is coconut milk through a straw- there were mounds of green coconuts piled up outside the Temple. The seller flattens the top with a hatchet and pierces a hole and inserts a straw. Then when the milk has been drunk, he sets about the coconut with the hatchet again to reveal the flesh of the nut. Anyway back to the conjurer. On the third day of our holiday we set off from our hotel in Mysore at 8am for the 100 kilometre journey to Ooty. Whilst we had fully expected the drive would take most of the day we had not anticipated it taking ten hours. Nor had we appreciated it would also be a test of courage and persistence! Some quickly felt the strain and had to move to the front of the bus to avoid travel sickness. After leaving the outskirts of Mysore we drove through the wonderful countryside of Bandipur National Park. We saw two different types of monkeys, the greater number being the Rhesus variety, as well as Spotted Deer. Sadly we didn’t see any Elephant or Tigers, although we were constantly on the look out. Well to be honest we were more on the look out for large pot holes, and reckless drivers who paid no heed to oncoming traffic and frequently over took on sharp bends. Most motor bike riders wore no helmet, buses were overflowing with people, some hanging on for dear life to the sides of the bus, and every vehicle had a loud horn which was liberally used. Our first stop for coffee was in the park. Some of us bought new hats, all the same, which gave us a somewhat uniform appearance when we all wore them at the same time. Our survey of local “conveniences” also began here. We quickly became adept at judging the quality of what was on offer, indeed often this could be judged from quite some distance. In particular the vital decision had to be made as to whether it was worth taking a risk, or hang on for a few more miles. The foot hills of the Blue Mountains in many respects had a similar appearance to parts of China, but as we ascended the scene dramatically changed to become mainly terraces of tea plantations. The vegetation was lush with many flowers and plants which we could readily identify such as; Lantana, 6 Poinsettia, Hibiscus, Mimosa, Jacaranda, Morning Glory and Laburnum. Pepper wound its way around the trunks of trees and the tea shrubs lay flat under the shade of tall trees. In one part huge Eucalyptus trees looked just likes the tall trees in parts of Australia. Lunch was at a small shop/ restaurant in a noisy dusty village. Some of us had a curry, (we hadn’t had many by then,) and others had a picnic of fruit, nuts and chocolate on the cool bus. Towards the end of the journey the role of the bus boy became vital. As we ascended to the top of the mountain approximately 8,000 feet, we began the hairpin bends. On occasions the bus boy had to get out of the bus to guide us around the bend, not an easy task when traffic from both directions kept coming .The most difficult part of his role was clambering back onto the bus while it was moving, all heart stopping stuff for those in the front and had a good view. A number of back seat drivers, (sat mainly at the front,) could hardly contain themselves, and gasped and screeched for the benefit of those at the back. (2,240 meters above sea level) to the village of Ketti which involved in our bus making a three-point turn between two of the hairpins in the road, we finally arrived at Needle Industries (India) for a visit to the factory there. This was to be a very memorable day for me as it brought to reality so many of the stories that I had heard from my father about the people and friendship offered by the staff there. After a short walk up to the main entrance of the factory we were met by our hosts, Liveryman Shaku Devagnanam, and her son and daughter-in-law Theo and Vasanthi and grandson, Theo. On our arrival there was a short "Aarthi" ceremony performed by two of the staff. This is for the "Removal of the evil eye"! Theo, Managing Director, gave us a very brief overview of the facilities and then we were split into three groups to be given a guided tour of the facilities. Theo took one group, while his son Theo, Executive - Manufacture, and Mr K. Arunkumar, Works Manager, took the other two groups. The factory is involved in the manufacture of many items associated with the needle manufacture which include the complete ranges of Hand Sewing Needles and Sewing Accessories, Knitting Pins and Accessories, Metal Garment Fasteners (Snap Fasteners, Hooks & Eyes and Jeans Buttons), Pins (Safety Pins, Coloured Headed Pins, Pearl Headed Pins Our last stop was at a wayside café, although none of us had any refreshment.The convenience was a wooden shack for the ladies and a field for the men for which we were all charged. We finally arrived at our mountain top hotel in Ooty driven backwards up the final hairpin bend exhausted but excited by the wonderful sights we had seen and the experience of life on the road in India. Liveryman Liz Fradd Monday 15th Needle industries at Ketti and Ooty Club As with most other days, Day 5 dawned with clear blue skies and a mist lying across the valley from the Gem Park Hotel in Ooty. After an eventful journey over the top of the Nilgiri hills 7 100% inspection of every single surgical suture needle for sharpness and curvature, the moulding of plastics used for the points and heads of the knitting needles, and so many other areas too numerous to mention in this short report! Not only impressive was the facilities at the factory but also the concern given to details on an ecological front as water purification plants are used to allow clean and re-cycling of water used throughout the processes. Other re-cycling facilities extract nickel used in the plating process and also Chromic Acid used elsewhere. There is even a 1250Kw wind generator some 50km away from Coimbatore which generates over 80% of their power consumption. and Glass Headed Pins) and Surgical Suture Needles. Sold under the "PONY" brand. Even the old 78rpm gramophone needles are still manufactured albeit in small quantities. Their product line runs to some 30,000 items. Their production levels are vast as they produce 25-30 million hand sewing needles per week, and even 600,000 suture needles weekly not to mention quantities from their other product lines. From entry onto the production floors, the cleanliness and staff working conditions were of the highest standards. Throughout the area, ISO 9000 standards are employed and full accreditation has been given to the entire Surgical Needle factory and all administration departments. Other areas have Quality Systems in place. The factory employs a work force of just about 1000 employees of which 850 are employed in Ketti itself the remaining staff are spread across their 18 remote warehouses and their sales field force The entire processes for each type of product manufacture were clearly explained to us ranging from the straightening of the wire at the start of the process, through the drawing of the wire to the correct diameter for the needles, straightening and cutting into the length of two needles, pointing the wire, stamping the eyes in the needles and punching out the holes in the eyes, breaking the double needles into two, grinding off the rough edges round the eyes before they are hardened and tempered, scoured to polish the needles before the final processes of plating, inspecting and packaging. There are many other processes to take in and marvel at the amount of automation that exists everywhere at Ketti. Such processes as the single machines used to point and bend the safety pins, the precision of drilling holes into the shafts of the surgical needles for the suture threads to be inserted, the 8 On the staffing side of the factory, Theo advised that there were many facilities provided for the staff such as a health centre, sports and recreation facilities along side the obvious catering facilities. This means that there is a very small staff turnover with many members of the staff working there until they retire. After this full tour, the entire group was entertained to a full buffet lunch which had been laid on by Shaku at her house near the factory before we all bade our farewell to the family having suitably thanked them for their time, organisation and hospitality. Every member of the party was presented with a full set of needles and accessories produced by Needle Industries (India). The day ended with a spectacular evening reception and buffet hosted by the Devagnanam family at the famous Ootacamund Club. This club which was formed in 1841 and became the residence of the first Governor General of India also can add to it claim to fame as being where the game of Snooker took serious roots when Sir Neville Chamberlain first posted the rules of the game. The Billiards room which is still preserved with reverence was opened up for us. Liveryman Michael Lee Tuesday 16th Ooty demise of the families buried there. The afternoon was free to recover or to undertake retail therapy - a not unfamiliar past time of the trip. After such an action packed day at Needle Industries and the Ooty Club, the next day could be a let down. Not so. We had a lie in to 7.15am. It was then off to the Blue Mountain Train and a slow and ponderous journey through the tea fields down to Coonoor Station an hour journey which was fascinating. The line was built in 1800's by the British and would have been the only convenient way up 8000 feet to Ooty. In the evening we were pleased to entertain the Shaku, Theo and Vasanthi Devagnanam at our hotel. We were able to thank them for their hospitality and a fascinating tour of Needle Industries, together with an enjoyable evening at the Ooty Club. We then had a chance to see the steam trains in the engine sheds. Wednesday 17th Ooty to Cochin The coach then took us back to Ooty where were visited the Highest Tea Factory in the Southern India. There we toured the museum before touring the tea production line. The smell of tea was overwhelming. Then onto the Botanical Gardens, which were vibrant with people, as it was a public holiday. While travelling through Ooty we witnessed a procession of colour and interest. We visited St. Steven's church built in 1829, which could almost be found in any county of England. There in the church and on the grave stones lies testimony to the early British involvement in the area. Many stories must lie in the early An 8 am start for a day of travelling viewed with some trepidation after our breath-stopping journey up to Ooty. Theo Devagnanam suggested a different route for the journey down so we ventured into the unknown, not knowing if our very large coach could negotiate the hairpin bends. The steep terraces of tea bushes of Ooty gave way to gentler hills with the bushes almost but not quite merging into each other giving a quilted effect.This changed dramatically to wild forests with coffee plants lining the road and pepper plants creeping up the palm trees. We learned why the "bus boy" is given that name. He leaps out of the moving bus to guide it around the hairpin bend and 9 then leaps back on again. We stopped at a rubber small holding where a family work some rubber plants collecting the sap twice daily, treating it and then processing it ending up with sheets of latex which are sold on. A laborious manual process unchanged in years - such a contrast to the new India of Needle Industries. A reasonably timely arrival at our hotel in Cochin - the most westernised of the trip. However we arrived with the 2,500 guests for a local dignitary's daughter's wedding celebration which took over all the grounds of the hotel. The men were quite casually dressed but the women were colourful and elegant in their gorgeous saris. Thursday 18th Cochin The following morning saw a visit to St Francis Church which was the first European church in India, established by the Franciscan friars from a Portuguese expedition in the 1500s. Vasco da Gama's body lay there from 1524 - 1538 before being repatriated to Portugal. open and happiness was spread amongst the traders by satisfied customers. The afternoon saw a very lazy cruise through the harbour and some of the backwaters where we saw the Chinese fishing nets in action from the water and the somewhat more substantial catches being unloaded and transported. That evening we packed into a tiny theatre to see a demonstration of the traditional Keralan classical dance dating from the early 17th Century. These are usually performed in Temples at Festivals and last for many hours. We had a demonstration of the body and quite extraordinary eye movements and then two short dances. The dancers train for eight years and we watched the very elaborate makeup being applied. Aficionados can understand the story told by the dance but I don't think we were good pupils. Across the road from the theatre was a local toy shop "Born's babies" which we questioned Past Master Born about but he professed ignorance! That was across the road from the advertising board with the website for your local building Abadbuilders.com. Back to the hotel for another of the amazing buffet dinners that were a feature of the visit. Assistant Pamela Goldberg Friday 19th Kerala and the Backwaters The last leg of our trip will take us through the backwaters of Kerala. I'm last on the coach again to find our luggage has expanded so much we've lost four seats and I find myself in the guide's seat facing the oncoming melee of pedestrians, cyclists, carts, wandering cows, cars, buses and trucks which part miraculously as we set off down Route 47. Then off to the fish market where some of the more energetic liverymen helped the fishermen raise the cantilevered fishing nets. We were assured that the tide wasn't quite right as our haul was very meagre! This was followed by what was becoming a favourite pastime, shopping. Into Jewtown, where there was a Jewish community from the first century. Unfortunately the synagogue was closed but the shops were 10 Our first stop is a coir factory making floor matting. The cooperative takes in spun coir from dried coconut husks. Women spin the twine again to strengthen it and get a consistent volume ready for weaving. Some of twine is dyed but mostly its left natural. Men wind the twine manually onto reels ready for the antiquated manual looms. We marvel at their strength. Our leg muscles wouldn't last an hour let alone a day. The entire process is manual but there is energy in the workforce. We are delighted to see a giant darning needle being used in the final binding process to the mats - so relevant. That we are all immensely impressed is evidenced by the number of red and black doormats that find their way onto the bus. The workers are paid 4 rupees an hour and whilst skilled work it can be sporadic as the factory only works to confirmed orders. Onwards to Alleppey. The road is straight with habitation on each side. The area is more affluent and amidst the bicycles, bullock carts, cars and trucks we see ladies in saris sitting side saddle on vespers as their partners ferry them around. The backwaters come into sight and we drive into Alleppey to a canal packed full of Chinese junks (rice boats which have been converted into luxurious holiday accommodation) hired out for the day or fortnight as are our canal barges. Apparently it's a bad season as normally they would all be out. We make our way on to the top deck of our varnished wood launch and seat ourselves on the ubiquitous plastic chairs for our two and a half hour cruise through the backwaters. We cast off and move through the hustle and jostle of the canal to reach Lake Astamundi, (the lake with eight creeks), the largest in India. The lake is host to annual snake boat races during one of their temple rituals and we see one of the 100 foot long boats which take a crew of a 100 moored at the lake edge. We move at a gentle pace from the open lake into one of the creeks, edged with palm trees and dotted with villages and abodes. Each home has a small garden area neatly brushed with steps leading into the creek and display all manor of daily living, ladies washing clothes or cooking utensils standing on their steps at the water's edge and using a designated stone, cows grazing, even a couple of cows immersed for their daily bath, new buildings going up, dogs, chickens, goats. Laid back from the banks are vegetable plots and paddy fields. Women, bent double, are working in the fields. We pass men diving for a type of mussel. Egrets and kites are everywhere. Carolyn pointed out a kingfisher on the wing with its flash of blue and then we see another two on telephone wires. There are a pair of bustards in a field and a brandish (sp) hawk on a fence post and a split-tailed drongo is spied. All too soon we reach Kottayam. Back on the bus we continue down Route 47 and the coastal vegetation of the Malabar Coast becomes more prevalent. Around 4.30 pm we reach Thirunnvananthanpuramm (also called Trivandrum or Travancore), Kerala's state capital, and an area known for its spices, timber and historically, ivory, occupied in its time by the Arabs, Jews, Chinese, Greeks, Romans and following Vasco da Gama came the Portuguese, Danes, Dutch, French and finally the British. We reach our resort and say our goodbyes to our bus driver, his assistant and our guide, Shinivas, who left us here. At the Travancore Heritage Hotel we are allocated cabins dotted on the hillside above cliffs leading down to the sea. The cabins are built in the local style, dark, cool with interesting bathrooms which have part of the roof left off letting in fresh air and exposed to the sky. A tradition of the area. Mark calls out the hotel staff as he finds a family of lizards living behind the air conditioner and a tree frog residing in the bathroom (it later moves to Liz's room). Some of us meander down to the beach, taking the lift down the cliff and then walking out across the hotel foreground to the sea before dinner in the main hotel complex. Assistant Claire Cross Saturday 20th Trivandrum The Resort is in an Ayurvedic Centre and its yoga at 6am for some. Some had been up at dawn to see the sunrise, going down to the beach to see the fishing boats returning with their nights catch. However, after yesterdays long coach journey, we had a more leisurely departure to see the sights of Trivandrum. We had a new guide, Seresh, who gave us an interesting insight into the main religions in Kerala - Hindu 58% and Christian and Muslim each a little under 20%, with few members of other faiths, including surprisingly few Buddhists. It is very reassuring to see these differing faiths living side by side in apparent harmony. Our first stop was the large Hindu Temple, Anantha 11 Padmanabhaswamy, built in 1773. It has a very imposing 7 storey entrance or Gopura, with a granite base and above decorated with many fine figures carved in plaster depicting a wide variety of scenes. Although the Gopura was cleaned four years ago, most of the figures are looking very grey, thanks to the pollution driven into them during the monsoon. Only Hindus are allowed into the temple and there were many worshippers, including school parties. The men have to change out of their normal attire into long white skirts (dodi) with no shirt, but the women were very colourful in their best saris. We then went to Kuthirmalika Palace, built by King Raja Swathi Varma. Each king builds a new palace to show off his power and prestige, but this palace is the most impressive in Trivandrum. It covers six acres and was totally unused for many years after the king died before the state rooms were opened to the public some twenty years ago. The temple is nothing like the magnificent opulence of the palace at Mysore and at first sight seems dark and dreary. But this is not fair, as the main feature is the extensive and very elaborate rosewood carvings on all surfaces, but particularly on the ceilings and doors. Of special note are the 122 wooden prancing horse sculptures supporting the roof under the eaves. Our last visit was to the Napier Museum and surrounding grounds. It was built as a museum in 1880 to house a rare collection of old artefacts, including a number of cast bronze statues of Hindu gods from the first few centuries AD, together with many other oriental curiosities, mostly with some religious or ritualistic significance. Apart from the items on display, the building itself is an architectural delight and would happily bear comparison with the best museums in London. Also in the grounds is the Shi Chitra Art gallery, which houses an interesting collection of paintings. many by a well known local painter of the late 19th century, Raja Ravi Varma and his uncle. These included portraits of the 'Great and the Good' of the time, including one Westerner, and some of their mythological paintings. Also exhibited were some modernistic paintings and some from Russia and China, giving a varied collection of artwork. Travencore Heritage Hotel Sunday, and a day of rest. A leisurely breakfast after which a number of us gravitate to the pool while others enjoy our surroundings. That night we gather for a farewell drink proudly wearing newly made silk clothes. The Master thanked us all our support and enthusiasm over the past ten days with special thanks to Mark, our escort, for his unfailing patience and attention to detail, ensuring no disasters - a sentiment we all heartily endorsed. On our behalf, Derek thanked Sue and Henry for all the time, thought and planning which had gone into giving us such a wonderful experience. The highlight had to be Ooty, our visit to the Needle Industries factory and the wonderful hospitality our fellow Needlemaker, Mrs Devagnanam and her family gave us. In tribute and as a reminder of our trip, Roger presented the Master and his wife with gifts. These had been difficult to buy as Sue had always appeared at the critical moment and even more difficult to wrap as wrapping paper is not something used in India. They were given a carved sandlewood box the lid of which depicted a rosette from the rosewood ceilings of the palaces we had visited. For the Master there was a leather briefcase and for Sue a wall hanging made from ancient saris. Then it was off to our farewell dinner. Monday 22nd Travantrum to Bangalore and Onward ! We then returned to the hotel for a free afternoon of relaxation. Some decided to stay by the pool, but many of the ladies indulged in some retail therapy, which no doubt was less relaxing for their men folk! Monday, our last day It's another leisurely morning getting last minute packing done, buying trinkets from the shop and chasing up the tailors, before catching the early evening flight to Bangalore. Our last curry buffet at the Royal Orchid Hotel. We say our goodbye's to Derek and to John and Zena who fly on to Sri Lanka. It's a short rest until our 3.30 am alarm call and then its off to the airport for our flight back to London and temperatures of zero degrees. One last goodbye and our odyssey to India is over. We are indebted to our Master and his wife. Past Master Derek Foster Assistant Claire Cross On the way to the art gallery, we passed the old colonial bandstand. The acoustics in the centre are so excellent that David Henshaw could not resist an impromptu rendering of 'A wandering minstrel I', much to the delight and amusement of the locals! 12 Sunday 21st Designed and printed by The Newsletter Company Tel: 0800 183 0622