1. travel
2. tourist facilities
3. hotel

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 : needlemakers.clerk@yahoo.com
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: geofflewis@PhilipPank.com
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
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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
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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
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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!
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Sunday 21st
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