PASSAGE FROM INDIA AND PANCAKES

Home are the hunters,

Home from the Hills ………………

In instalments, the various members of the Company’s recent architectural study tour to South India have made it back to Blighty. While some were, temporarily, the worse for wear, a good and definitely educational time was had by all.

The Master ensured that the long hours of coach travel between the various sites and cities visited were lightened with a series of daily broadcasts from the front of the coach detailing the adventures (or misadventures) of that legendary Cornishman Denzil Pemberthy. There will almost certainly be a full, illustrated and scholarly report on the trip appearing in the next edition of the newsletter and on the Company website in due course.

Literally thousands of photographs were taken – not a lot, sadly by the Master who, early on, inadvertently managed to drop his camera down the toilet (best not to enquire about the circumstances). Happily there were others who recorded the occasion on Shrove Tuesday when the assembled group met at an enchanting lake side site on the outskirts of the 16^th century of Bijapur to watch the sunset, to observe the rituals normally associated in the City with that day – pancake races and to partake of sundowners.

Disappointed by the fact that the Company would be precluded from taking part in the annual inter-livery Pancake day races in Guildhall Yard on the day, the Master contrived to purchase the wherewithal to replicate the event. A couple of oversized stainless steel vessels (a cross between a wok and a salad bowl) served as frying pans with what passed for the pancakes being sourced from the restaurant where lunch had been taken. That the consistency of these items was somewhere between a chapati and an over-cooked omelete proved to be of assistance to those less dextrous at the tossing element required of the contestants. Marks were awarded by the race supervisor – Common Councillor Michael Welbank – for both outright speed and tossing style and Team A (pictured above) were victorious – not least because they managed to complete the course without serious mishap or spillage.

To say that the few assembled locals, our driver and guide were somewhat mystified by this eccentric behaviour would be putting it mildly!

Pictured here are most of the assembled party relaxing and taking 'gimkas'* after the exertions of the race.

* a curious beverage consisting of a lemon flavoured soft drink suitably reinforced with a slug of Mr Gordon's finest - the latter thoughtfully procured by the Master at the duty free emporium in Dubai.