Newsletter OCA UK 2025
Old Cottonians’ Association United KingdomPresident’s Newsletter Vijay Bhalaik MRCS FRCS Dear Old Cottonians I hope you are all well. Another busy year has passed since the last annual newsletter. I have had the opportunity to meet with Old Cottonians in the UK and India and also attend the BCS 165 Celebrations last October. Whilst there, […]
BCS Crest / Badge de-coded by historian Raaja Bhasin
BCS Crest / Badge Every Cottonian knows this Badge and Crest from Day One at BCS. Many of us have looked closely, and probably figured out the meaning of some of the more easy to decipher elements. Old Cottonian and Historian RAAJA BHASIN had published an analysis for the School many years ago, and we […]
Website structural changes
The OCA website is undergoing a slight revision of structure, though all posts / articles / photo collection / etc remain intact, the visual structure is being revamped for a cleaner easier to navigate user-experience. We expect a no blackout / downtime occasions during this process. Any comments posted at any articles by visitors, might […]
The Playing-fields of Shimla
I’d like to share one true-life story penned by Ruskin Bond here, which I think is beautifully written – Sarabjit [Sabu] Singh The Playing Fields of Shimla t had been a lonely winter for a twelve-year-old boy. I hadn’t really got over my father’s untimely death two years previously; nor had I as yet reconciled […]
Happy 96th Birthday Mr. Goss!
We wish you many happy returns of the day Mr. Goss! Thanks to Mrs. Goss for posting a message on Facebook and reminding us! Gurrinder [Indi] Singh Khanna wrote, and sent this photo: How well I remember Mrs Goss. Motherly and so very caring. Ma’am, just want to thank you for seeing me the other […]
Camino de Santiago – pilgrimage 2025
Vivek “ Bonnie “ Bhasin 9th April 2025 The twin spires of the Cathedral at Santiago de Compostela are calling me again … beckoning me to come into the bubble of his special world ..his peaceful world … I have shed my bespoke suits, my fedora hats and the bouquet of that special tree.. I […]
Rakesh (Rocky) Chopra / Prayer Meet
Rakesh Chopra Curzon 1958-63) passed on at Delhi on 29th March 2025. PRAYER MEET Rear Admiral Rakesh (ROCKY) Chopra VSM (RETD). Sep 27, 1948 – March 29, 2025 Celebrating a distinguished service career and a life well lived Remembrance To Be Held On April 2, 2025 Wednesday | 3:30 pm Venue: Chinmaya Mission 89, Lodi […]
Jam & packed
For WE Buchanan and his Shimla-born son Colin, the quality of a town was defined by the quality of its public realm — a maxim ignored in Himachal RAAJA BHASIN As a typecast Parisian, with both flourish and conceit in his pocket, the gentleman’s opening statement was: “Don’t you know that man discovered fire and […]
Rakesh (Rocky) Chopra – [BCS Curzon 1958-1963] passed on 29th March ’25
March-29-2025With profound grief, we regret to inform you of the passing of Rear Admiral Rakesh (Rocky) Chopra, after many glorious years of service in the Navy and an accomplished post-retirement career. Rocky, as he was affectionately known within the naval fraternity, was from the 31st NDA course and was commissioned on 1st July 1968. After completing his Sub Lieutenant […]
OCA India AGM 2025
NOTICE: OCA INDIA Annual General Meeting. On Thursday 27th March 2025.Time.5.30 pm On ZOOM (Link is shared below) AGENDA 1.Welcome Address by The President.OCA.India. 2.Confirmation of the Minutes of the meeting of the last AGM. 3.To adopt and approve theAnnual Accounts as on 31/03/2024. 4.Darpan Requirements. 5.Appointment and Confirmation of an Auditor. 6.Income Tax dues. […]