Regd. No. MH/MR/South-160/2012-14 RNI Regn. No. 43675/1985 MUMBAI THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014 32 PAGES `3 Website: www.afternoondc.in
Aft er oo DESPATCH & COURIER
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ven though the visitors had sought permission only to ‘see’ the Raj Bhavan, that once served as the proud residence of their grandfather, in a departure from protocol, Governor Sankaranarayanan asked the Colvilles to meet him over a cup of tea before proceeding for a walk around the mansion which has been the residence of the Governors since 1885. David Colville, 65, Chartered Accountant by training and industrial insurer by profession living in London, confessed that they were overwhelmed by their first visit to Raj Bhavan and the reception accorded to them by the Governor. He said, when the family decided to visit India, he sent a mail, out of the blue, to the Governor, unsure whether he would at get any response. The prompt response from the Governor as indeed the welcome extended by the Governor was beyond imaginations, he said. Reminiscences and anecdotes of Sir John Colville passed on to the successive generation were bound to come up. David recalled that Sir John was a keen sailor and had a steam yacht in Scotland called Iolanthe. He said, whilst Governor in Bombay, Senior Colville had a dinghy which he used to race in the Arabian sea. “Very often my grandfather won but it was not always clear whether this was due to his superior skills or the good manners of his fellow competitors!,” he quipped amidst laughter.
Andrew, the younger of the two siblings, a senior Corporate event manager, told the Governor that being a proud Scotsman, Sir John would occasionally surprise his guests by turning up in the traditional Scottish piper’s uniform and playing bagpiper, that iconic cultural symbol of Scotland. David and Andrew also recalled having heard of the great explosion on the Victoria Dock that had rocked the city on 14th April 1944 when Sir John was Governor of Bombay. The explosion had killed almost 800 people including 66 officers and jawans of the Bombay Fire Brigade. Continued on pg 02 «
Gold: `29,162 Silver: `44,345 US Dollar: `60.48 Temperature: 330C/240C Humidity: 58%
Woman’s World Pg13-20 Raj Bhavan had a group of very interesting visitors last week. David and Andrew Colville (third and fifth from left), grandsons of the last British Governor of Bombay Sir John Colville (1943-1948), accompanied by their families, met the Governor of Maharashtra K Sankaranarayanan at the magnificent Raj Bhavan. ADC spoke to the PRO at the Raj Bhavan, Umesh Kashikar, to get more details about this very significant event.