Appendix 1: poems by my grandmother

 

                                                        Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

This is a transcription of some poems by my grandmother, which I found together among some documents.

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Dow Hill. 1937

 (music - “Riding down from Bangor”)

 Riding down from Dow Hill

On the D.H.R.

After nine month’s learning

Let’s shout Hip-Hip-Hurrah!

Students cry together

We think we’ve had our fill

But we’ll gladly three cheers

For Dow Hill College still.

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For amidst the [mugging?]

Much fun we can recall

Going to the pictures

And our grand old Chinese Ball!

Won’t forget the trip to Senchal

And the hockey match we played

And our marvellous tennis tournament

And that Coronation Parade.

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Think of the Poojah Picnic

We had on Eagle’s Crag

And the Junior’s Farewell Dinner

And the Senior’s ghostly rag!

And talking round the fire

Till all hours of the night

Until that beastly mad-man

Gave us an awful fright.

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On every great occasion

We strut around the show

In our dark-green costumes

Which are really all the go!

With pride we wear our College crest

Of green and silver made

And when it’s on the scene

It puts the school tie in the shade.

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Now all our exams are over

We’re happy as can be

So we’ve pack up all our boxes

And we’re puffing home with glee

With spirits always soaring

We’re bound for Sealdah

So students lift your voices

And shout Hip-Hip-Hurrah.

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Homeward Bound

 (music: “Painting the Clouds with Sunshine”)

 

Now we are homeward bound

Just let us look around

At Dow Hill College which we are leaving

With boxes all around

And rubbish on the ground

And coolies standing about and heaving

We say good-bye

We never cry

We just rolling along

We go through town

Singing a son

Acting the clown

Amidst the cheers we leave

We watch old Assam freeze

As we go puffing along to the sunshine.

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(music: Tipperary)

 

It’s a long long way to Calcutta

It’s a long way to go

It’s a long way to Calcutta

To the sweetest folk we know

          God Bless Them!

Goodbye Dow Hill College

Farewell Kurseong

It’s a long long way to Calcutta

But that’s where our hearts belong.

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There’s a long, long train awinding

Into the land of our dreams

And I hear the whistle blowing

And the green light gleams

There’s a long, long night of waiting

Before all my dreams come true

To the time when I’ll be standing

On the platform with you.

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Sealdah [one of the stations serving Calcutta] 

(music: San Francisco)

 

Oh Sealdah open your platform gates

You let no student wait

Outside your door

Oh Sealdah here are your learned ones

Saying they’ll learn no more

Dow Hill College only makes us love you best

Now we’re coming home to have a well-earned rest

Oh Sealdah welcome us home again

We’re coming home to go roaming no more.

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‘Don’t You Cry’

Don’t you cry when we say good-bye

For you and I must meet again

Can’t you see that for you & me

Our fate must be to meet again

Though we may be a million miles apart

You’ll be with me deep down in my heart

So don’t you cry when we say good-bye

For you and I will meet again.

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