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Vickram Vohra
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Vickram Vohra
| House: |
Junior/Rhodes/Fletcher/School |
| Years: |
1962-1968 |
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Memories:
I was in the very first group of non-Europeans to join the school when it became multiracial in 1962. The history
article on the web site, entry for 1962 needs amending as the figures given therein are inaccurate - it was actually
six Asians and one African who first joined. They were: R. Maini, A. Sethi, C.B. Patel, V. Vohra (me), R. Keshavjee,
M. Samji and Peter Mwathi. We started off in Junior House whose Housemaster was P.C. Read and Head of House, Nicholas
Price. At the time Mr. Oliver Wigmore was Headmaster and Keith McAdam was Head of School. It was generally a
culture shock - and not only for us. Obviously times were "a changing" in Kenya with Independence approaching and we
were all undergoing transitions. Still, after the first few weeks, most got used to each other and I/we made some good
friends. (It had felt like something out of "Tom Brown's schooldays" for a few days/weeks). I still remember the way the
left-handed Head of House used to make you bend over at a certain angle in the boot room, following a misdemeanour,
so that you could see the shadow of the cane as it approached its target!
Over the next six years, I enjoyed some good times at the school an made many friends - some that I meet from time to
time and others I remember fondly. I have seen the names of a few of the latter appear in the Alumni section and one day
may even contact them through the Webmaster. (I have just read the entry by Graham Townsend - we must have been
together in some of the classes. I clearly remember the Mr Cowie shooting Mr Gillespie episode as I was in Mr Cowie's
class when he went next door with his starting pistol)!
I remember many of the teachers for various reasons but the ones I remember with some trepidation are: Mr Gammie (for
English), with his accentuated Scottish accent especially after a good evening the day before; 'Storky' Chadwick - his
rapid pacing and mannerism always made me nervous; Mr David Hogge, the 'Dean of Discipline' - his philosophy was that
he was not punishing you for what you had done but because you had been stupid enough to get caught; and, Bill McCormick
who, as my Housemaster and English master, had taken great exception to my entering (and passing) for School Cert. English
Literature, of my own volition, and against his advice!
After my A-levels, I came to the U.K. where I joined a firm of Actuaries and then got into Life Assurance, firstly as an
underwriter and subsequently as a Compliance Auditor under the Financial Services Act. My career in Financial Services
has spanned approx. 35 years over four well-known insurance companies, and when my last employer company relocated
from London a few years ago, I went into hibernation and am "retired". I live in Harrow, Middlesex.
I will be happy to hear from anyone who remembers me on the above e-mail address. I am also hoping to attend the 2007
Reunion in London, with my brother, Pradeep Vohra, who is also an Old Cambrian, and was at the by then Nairobi School,
in 1967. After that year, he left for England and completed his secondary schooling and University in the UK (in the West
Country and Guy's Hospital respectively). He is a Dental Surgeon in Harrow.
This e-mail is getting too long so I shall do some updates later especially how I and my sister (ex-Boma) discovered
ourselves working for and with Old Cambrians some 20 years after leaving school - people we had not known at school
e.g. Professor Bill Stimpson (ex Hawke), Professor Keith McAdam and David Dare - who was apparently at Prince of Wales
in the early 1950's.
(Registered - 27th February 2007)
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If anyone wishes to contact Vickram, please e-mail webmaster@oldcambrians.com
to obtain his contact details
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