Last Hash of 2005, picnic and suchlike pandemonium near Park Circus Maidan

Meet: Park Circus Sun 18th December at 7:30am Park cars opp. Lady Brabourne College. By 8:30 in cars to artists Tandra Chandra & Pulak Ghosh’s res. a Sunday School for Art & Crafts @ 7/1 Asgar Mistry Lane. Left past Chittaranjan Hospital. Right turn opp. Ladies’ Park into lane next to Nepal Chandra Sweets. Past level crossing turn right, then left at the Adarsha Sangha Club. When we come to an open field the house is 2nd on left. Picnic breakfast with Tandra and also interaction with the kids.

On the last Sunday Hash of December 2005, we will visit the Park Circus that in our 5 years we have never visited as a hash walk. We will no doubt see lots of early morning walkers but not too sure about the birds.

We then go to visit the Sunday School for Art & Crafts for underprivileged children near Park Circus whose project this year is Rickshaws. Rajesh Nath, Gherdie, Sid, the Dutch and others had visisted the school last year when the theme was boats. Their artwork will be on display and Tandra, their teacher who is a stain glass expert and has renovated Bengali renaissance writer, social activist and educationist Vidyasagar's house will organise a picnic breakfast for us there. Tandra will offer us tea and sandwiches but those who are expert at cakes and cookies, this is your turn to shine. I can still taste Barbara’s delicious star shaped cookies and Sid’s fruit cake! Zoria and others can be counted on to bring fruits. It’s Francois Birthday this Sunday 18th december, and hopefully his mother will join us too so we’ll have one Birthday cake ;-D (Francois you’d better be reading this)

The art school kids get in at 9 and we’ll be able to see the display of their artwork. It was thrown open at the breakfast last Sunday that whatever hash cash is collected that day will be given to the School for art supplies for the kids. They can give us the receipts for our records. Next year when we go to Satragachi or the zoo we could take the Sunday school kids on an outing with us.

Met Peter, Rosie and their son Sam who reached the gate to the Park Circus Maidan opposite the Lady Brabourne college in Doc's car. I reached there with Francois, his mom and Wanja.

We saw the Ajanta Circus Big Top and the elephants. There were hundreds of early morning cricketers. Sam took loads of pictures. We then discovered a Traffic Park where drivers are taught traffic rules. We thought it might be an amusement park with miniature cars going around the tracks stopping at the zebra crossings and all. We took a walk around the perimeter of the park passing Don Bosco school and the statue of Don Bosco with kids in the middle of the road. Doc pointed out the Lady Brabourne college ladies hostel.

Amazingly, we didn't get lost on the way to Tandra's house. Wanja had a blast pulling the Rickshaw in the garden that will find its way to a museum in Scotland. Everyone is welcome to go and see the song of the Rickshaw exhibition before it leaves for Scotland in February. The children's miniature rickshaws painted in vibrant colours are being assembled slowly and beautifully. Peter posed for photographs with the gaily painted umbrellas.

We had lots of sandwiches and Peter had brought a fruitcake for Francois' birthday. Over tea we saw the children's artwork.

We were able to buy some of their craftwork such as Papier Mache masks, bowls, boxes and penstands for around Rs.30. They've made delightful Xmas presents for friends.

A sculptor in clay showed us his tableau of street sleepers of Calcutta - frogs in various reclining positions that can be bought for Rs.500 each.

Francois nearly bought a lovely scultpture for Rs.1500 but didn't have the cash on him.

Tandra then showed us her studio and all her stained glass work and Doc was keen to buy one of her owls or Lakhi Pecha. We also saw the view from the terrace while Tandra took out her paintings. We saw the muslim cemeteries which unfortunately though green and beautiful, is not open to hashers according to the Doc! We saw the leather drying and mistook them for Dhobi Ghats and laundry being hung out. Peter pointed out the new church on the Bypass and Doc pointed out the highrises of Saltlake and the new towns.

By this time, Francois and Wanja were dropping from sleep as we'd had a Saturday Barbecue Hash Bash on Saw's terrace and a late night Birthday party at H2O at The Park poolside where Yvonnick had organised the best chocolate cake ever and Himanshu came finally to finish the last piece and give us a hairraising ride home.

We took our leave and our parcels of handicrafts and promised Tandra that we would take the kids to santragachi or a Picnic.