I had shifted to Lucknow from Dehradun in December 1966, after completing my Indian School Certificate exam ( just renamed from earlier 'Senior Cambridge exam' that year) from St. Joseph's Academy, managed by Irish Patrician brothers. (Now the Indian missionaries from Kerala have taken over the administration.) My father, who was an engineer (CWE) with the Defence forces, had come down to Dehradun to take me with him. It was the first time I saw the Cantonment at Garhi, Dehradun, where the CWE office was situated. It was also the first time, I went to the Prinicipal's (Br. Duffy's) office at the school, where my father took me to ask him to send the result of the exam to him at Lucknow. I felt bad when the Principal wished me good luck and hoped I would get a good second division. I got a first division, when the result reached Lucknow later in December 1966.
Dehradun, then, was a small town, as compared to Lucknow. Only one bus ran per hour between the School (St. Joseph's Academy) and our residence towards Clement Town at Dehradun, situated about 10 kilometre apart. The market was smaller as compared to Lucknow market, mainly situated at Paltan Bazaar and at Rajpur Road, up to Astley Hall and Connaught Place towards Chakrata Road.
Lucknow was a bigger, sparkling city as compared to sedate Dehradun. At the centre of Lucknow was stately Hazratganj, which was about a mile long from the GPO end till the Mayfair Cinema, and a little further on towards the Gomti river. A big globe constructed by the industrialist mayor, V.R. Mohan of Mohan Meakin, adorned the park , a little away from Hazratganj, towards the Gomti bridge and CDRI (Central Drug Research Institute).
Hazratganj had a number of cinema halls, besides Mayfair, which showed English movies. There was a twin movie complex, opposite Mayfair, which housed Prince and Filmistan cinema halls. On the first floor, adjacent to the Mayfair Hall was British Council Library, which closed down later on, when I visited the place in nineties. There were two more cinema halls on either side of the road, one near the Chaudhary Sweets and another towards the Hanuman Mandir.
There was another cinema hall at the side market to the left of Mayfair and one further down at the Lalbagh Crossing, viz. Novelty Cinema. I remember seeing a number of movies in most of these halls from 1967 to 1968
Dehradun, then, was a small town, as compared to Lucknow. Only one bus ran per hour between the School (St. Joseph's Academy) and our residence towards Clement Town at Dehradun, situated about 10 kilometre apart. The market was smaller as compared to Lucknow market, mainly situated at Paltan Bazaar and at Rajpur Road, up to Astley Hall and Connaught Place towards Chakrata Road.
Lucknow was a bigger, sparkling city as compared to sedate Dehradun. At the centre of Lucknow was stately Hazratganj, which was about a mile long from the GPO end till the Mayfair Cinema, and a little further on towards the Gomti river. A big globe constructed by the industrialist mayor, V.R. Mohan of Mohan Meakin, adorned the park , a little away from Hazratganj, towards the Gomti bridge and CDRI (Central Drug Research Institute).
Hazratganj had a number of cinema halls, besides Mayfair, which showed English movies. There was a twin movie complex, opposite Mayfair, which housed Prince and Filmistan cinema halls. On the first floor, adjacent to the Mayfair Hall was British Council Library, which closed down later on, when I visited the place in nineties. There were two more cinema halls on either side of the road, one near the Chaudhary Sweets and another towards the Hanuman Mandir.
There was another cinema hall at the side market to the left of Mayfair and one further down at the Lalbagh Crossing, viz. Novelty Cinema. I remember seeing a number of movies in most of these halls from 1967 to 1968
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