I have visited the grave of an Uncle who died in Calcuta two years before I was born!
Uncle Billy was the husband of my Great Aunt Marion Prance, her eldest sister was the mother of my Father, so Marion and my Dad were more like cousins in their relationship. When they were young they sometimes went to dances together and Dad would annoy Marion by calling her Aunty.
Anyway, not long before the second World War, Marion married a jolly marchant seaman, William or Gwuillam (sorry if I havent got the Welsh spelling righ) Prance. Billy was from Solva in West Wales and judging by the photos I have of him he was really good looking and very jolly, hes always smiling and looks like he really enjoyed life.
During the war he was on convoy duty and spent a lot of time in convoys to Russia, in fact he was shipwrecked twice and ended up with a DSC and a medal from the Rusians with a citation signed by Molotov.
How unlucky then to be in Calcutta in Feruary 1946 and to get caught up in a riot and killed. I was always told he was thrown out of a window. we went to visit his gave todayin the Bhowanipore Cemetary, plot O, row F, in the beautifully kept Comonwealth war Graves part of the cemetary. It is a lovely, peaceful spot and the beautiful flowers attract the most wonderfully coloured, huge butterflies.
Before visiting Billy we went to get some flowers in the amazing flower market. It is down by the river at the base of the Howrah Bridge and just heaving with people, crows, lorries, bikes and evrything else you can think of.
Tess
Don't get me started on Kolkata taxi drivers. I had thought that the driver yesterday who did not know what or where the Victoria Memorial was an aberation - not so. Our first trip was to the flower market (there's only one, its very big and where everone buys their celebratory or devotional flowers) but asking for it drew a blank look from the taxi driver. fortuanately a local guy saw what was going on and told him where it was so we got there. After that we needed to travel right across town to the cemetary. This was always going to be more tricky but we gathered I guess about 15 people around us this time and between them they explained to the driver how to get there - and he got us right there. Coming back however we asked for St Pauls Cathedral and tried to explain what it was, next to the Victoria Memorial etc etc - and off he went missing the road, getting us stuck in traffic, and even resisting our efforts to point out the very large building up the road. He got us there eventually - about three minutes before it closed! I had told him he was a complete disgrace and that on the strength of ten minutes looking at the map I knew his city better than him and refused to pay more than a small fare. I would guess these drivers are all from outside town, know nothing of the heritage sites and can just about get you to the stations etc. We are takin the metro out towards the airport - I just dont trust them even to know where that is1
Brian
Uncle Billy was the husband of my Great Aunt Marion Prance, her eldest sister was the mother of my Father, so Marion and my Dad were more like cousins in their relationship. When they were young they sometimes went to dances together and Dad would annoy Marion by calling her Aunty.
Anyway, not long before the second World War, Marion married a jolly marchant seaman, William or Gwuillam (sorry if I havent got the Welsh spelling righ) Prance. Billy was from Solva in West Wales and judging by the photos I have of him he was really good looking and very jolly, hes always smiling and looks like he really enjoyed life.
During the war he was on convoy duty and spent a lot of time in convoys to Russia, in fact he was shipwrecked twice and ended up with a DSC and a medal from the Rusians with a citation signed by Molotov.
How unlucky then to be in Calcutta in Feruary 1946 and to get caught up in a riot and killed. I was always told he was thrown out of a window. we went to visit his gave todayin the Bhowanipore Cemetary, plot O, row F, in the beautifully kept Comonwealth war Graves part of the cemetary. It is a lovely, peaceful spot and the beautiful flowers attract the most wonderfully coloured, huge butterflies.
Before visiting Billy we went to get some flowers in the amazing flower market. It is down by the river at the base of the Howrah Bridge and just heaving with people, crows, lorries, bikes and evrything else you can think of.
Tess
Don't get me started on Kolkata taxi drivers. I had thought that the driver yesterday who did not know what or where the Victoria Memorial was an aberation - not so. Our first trip was to the flower market (there's only one, its very big and where everone buys their celebratory or devotional flowers) but asking for it drew a blank look from the taxi driver. fortuanately a local guy saw what was going on and told him where it was so we got there. After that we needed to travel right across town to the cemetary. This was always going to be more tricky but we gathered I guess about 15 people around us this time and between them they explained to the driver how to get there - and he got us right there. Coming back however we asked for St Pauls Cathedral and tried to explain what it was, next to the Victoria Memorial etc etc - and off he went missing the road, getting us stuck in traffic, and even resisting our efforts to point out the very large building up the road. He got us there eventually - about three minutes before it closed! I had told him he was a complete disgrace and that on the strength of ten minutes looking at the map I knew his city better than him and refused to pay more than a small fare. I would guess these drivers are all from outside town, know nothing of the heritage sites and can just about get you to the stations etc. We are takin the metro out towards the airport - I just dont trust them even to know where that is1
Brian
ps as you will see we have finally managed to get the technology working again to add some photos to this entry and to a few previous ones - so scroll down to check
1 comment:
well that's all very well, but how about some PICTURES of the insects?
glad you are both well again.
wait till you see the new house in your back garden.
Laurence
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