A gripping novel written in the nineteenth century

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HERE IS A book I have greatly enjoyed reading. It is “The Bertrams” by Anthony Trollope (1815-1882). First published in 1859, this is a story that highlights some weaknesses of human behaviour, the consequences of ill-conceived decision making, and the risks taken when marrying for the wrong reason. The novel is set mainly in England, but significant parts of it take place in the Middle East, notably in Egypt and the Holy Land.

 

The main characters in the story are George Bertram, George’s miserly but extremely wealthy uncle, George’s cousin Arthur who attended Oxford with him, Henry Harcourt who is a little older than George, Caroline Waddington, and Adela Gauntlet. George falls in love with Caroline, and Arthur with Adela. Each man wins the heart of the lady with whom they have fallen in love. However, in both cases, there are impediments that prevent them from marrying. Eventually to George’s great dismay, Caroline marries his friend Harcourt, by now a successful lawyer and ambitious politician. But this is a marriage without love, for Harcourt has married Caroline in the hope that she will receive a huge inheritance from her grandfather, who is George Bertram’s uncle.

 

In addition to the principal characters, there are many minor characters, most of whom are important in the story. Trollope’s portrayal of these and the main protagonists is both perceptive and often rich in humour. Throughout the novel, he explores the strength and frailties of human behaviour. He also describes how nineteenth century English people behave while travelling abroad. Although my copy of the book has almost 580 pages, not including notes on the text and a long introductory essay by Geoffrey Harvey, the story never flagged. Even though I began to guess how the tale would end, it was fascinating to follow its often-surprising twists and turns on its way to the conclusion.

 

“The Bertrams” is not only a ‘page turner’, but an example of storytelling at its best.

Books and a fountain in Bombay  (Mumbai)

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FOUR MAJOR ROADS meet at Bombay’s Hutatma Chowk. In the middle of this extensive piazza, there is one of the city’s much-loved landmarks: the Flora Fountain. This fountain was constructed in 1864 and is surmounted by a statue depicting the Roman goddess Flora. Originally intended for the Victoria Gardens, it was placed in its present position instead. It stands where the Church Gate, one of the gates of Bombay’s Fort, which was demolished in 1860, was located.

 

Within a few feet of Flora, there are several places where books can be purchased. For new books and the latest releases, head for Kitab Khana, which is about 73 yards southeast of Flora. This is a well-stocked, pleasantly arranged bookshop with its own (rather pricey) café.  Books are sold at their marked prices less ten percent. It is a fine bookshop but not a patch on The Bookworm and Blossom Book House in Bangalore. Both of these Bangalorian booksellers offer a far more extensive stock (both new and second-hand) than Kitab Khana.

 

Just over 70 yards north of Flora Fountain, there is a corner where Dadabhai Naoroji Road meets Mahatma Gandhi Road. Several pavement booksellers display their vast stocks of books around this corner. Each seller has a bewildering number of books, mostly arranged as tall columns from which removing a book can be quite difficult to achieve without causing all the books to topple over. Some of the books are new, some are pirated editions of recent books, and the rest are used books. I do not know how they do it, but the booksellers have a good knowledge of what they have in their stock, and where to find a particular title if they have it.

Whenever we visit Bombay, we spend time at the pavement booksellers. Over the years, I have managed to find several rare, out of print books here. Prices are reasonable and the vendors are prepared to discuss the price (i.e., ‘haggle’). At the end of 2025 and the start of 2026, we were in Bombay, and as usual, haunted the pavement booksellers. Whereas on previous visits, I have found what I was looking for as well as some interesting surprises, on our most recent trip, most of the well-stocked stalls were devoid of the kind of books I was hoping to find. Only one of the several stores had a good selection of out-of-print books. It was here that I acquired a copy of “Road to the Stars” by the Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin: the first man in space. Although newer softcover versions of this book are available, I bought a slightly battered copy of the original hardback edition published in the USSR in 1960 by The Foreign Languages Publishing House (Moscow). I paid considerably less than I would have for one of the newer (often facsimile) editions.

My other find, which I obtained in late 2025, is extremely rare. It is not listed on the very comprehensive bookfinder.com website. The book in question is “The Bohras” by Asghar Ali Engineer. Several of his other books are listed for sale on the website but not this one. Although I have yet to read the book, I can tell you that the Bohras are members of a denomination within the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam. The bookseller told me that the book is rare and refused to drop his (not unreasonable) starting price. While buying the book, neither the seller nor I knew how truly difficult it is to find a copy of this volume.

 

Whereas Flora Fountain is a sight that tourists feel they must see, the bookshops around it are, for me, the greater attraction when in Hutatma Chowk.

Chocolate in the hills of southern India

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WHEN WE VISITED both Munnar (5200 feet above sea) and Kodaikanal (7300 feet above sea level), both on the Western Ghats in southern India, we noticed many shops selling teas, herbs, spices, oils, and chocolate. All of the shops claimed to be selling homemade chocolate, and what I sampled of it was on the whole both tasty and good quality. The variety of different types of chocolate was remarkable. One could buy plain dark and milk chocolate, with or without nuts, as well as different coloured chocolates flavoured with fruit essences. The flavours of the fruit chocolates tasted as if real fruit had been used rather than synthetic flavourings.

 

Both Munnar and Kodaikanal have good climates for both cocoa growing and especially for processing it into chocolate. However, cocoa grows better at altitudes lower than those of Munnar and Kodaikanal. Much of this crop is grown in the southern Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.   One shopkeeper told us that despite this, much of the cocoa used comes from a warehouse in Pune (Maharashtra).

 

Chocolates from Munnar

According to  a website (www.sterlingholidays.com/blog/kodaikanal-indias-chocolate-factory/), when American missionaries arrived in the Kodaikanal district in 1845, they discovered a number of interesting plant species. Amongst these, growing wild, was a plant that Europeans had previously not known to exist in India: the cocoa plant. As a result, Kodaikanal became the first place in India to produce chocolate. Growth in the popularity of chocolate in India only began to take off when Cadbury, a British company, began importing the confection in 1948. Now, it also manufactures its chocolate products in India.

 

Although large companies such as Amul and Cadbury produce excellent chocolates, what can be bought in the many small shops in Munnar and Kodaikanal is also very acceptable and more interesting in taste than the industrial products.

A pioneer of fine dining in Bangalore (Bengaluru)

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I FIRST VISITED Bangalore (Bengaluru) in 1994. At that time, as far as I am aware, there were few restaurants that offered high quality Western European food in the city. One of the few, or maybe the only one, was Sunnys, which at that time was located in a tall, slender building in a lane that runs between Lavelle Road and Kasturba Road.

 

Sunny’s was established in about 1993 by Arjun Sajnani and Vivek Ubhayakar. It was named after their golden retriever, Sunny. I remember  that the kitchen (or part of it) was located on the ground floor, and the dining areas were on floors above it. When I first visited the restaurant, Sunny’s also sold imported food specialities like cheeses that were not available anywhere else in Bangalore.

 

The original location of Sunnys

Sunnys moved from the tall,  slender edifice to larger premises next to a petrol station on Vittal Mallya Road, and close to the UB City shopping mall. Later, it moved to its present address in a converted mansion on Lavelle Road.

 

Although slightly pricey, Sunny’s served exquisitely presented, superbly prepare, delicious food. The service and ambience at the various locations of Sunny’s was faultless. The Christmas lunches, which we attended a couple of times, we’re lavish. The establishment imported  Butter Ball turkeys from the USA. I do not know what they did to those creatures, but the results on our plates were superb: the tastiest roast turkey I have ever eaten.

 

The original premises of the restaurant is still standing,  but locked up. Sadly, there are rumours that Arjun Sajnani is closing his restaurant, but his inspired cooking will continue in the form of a ‘cloud kitchen’.

  Apart from being a superb cook and restauranteur, Arjun is an acommplished actor, play director, and film director. Just as every performance on stage must be flawless,  it was clear to me that Arjun and his team felt the same about every dish placed in front of a diner in the restaurant

The cats on the MAP in Bangalore (Bengaluru)

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I LOVE CATS. So, I was keen to visit the exhibition, “The Many Lives of the Cat”, which is being held at MAP (Museum of Art and Photography) in Bangalore until 29 March 2026. This small but beautifully displayed exhibition is, according to MAP’s website:

“… a showcase of how the Indian cat appears in paintings, sculptures, matchbox covers, artist sketchbooks and more.”

 

The works on show include those of lesser-known creators, as well as paintings and sketches by well-known ‘modern’ artists including: Bhupen Khakhar, Arpita Singh, and Jamini Roy. There are also older prints and paintings made in the nineteenth century and earlier.

 

Each of the artworks is properly labelled. In addition, there are quotes from a book,  “The Indian Cat”, by the art critic and historian BN Goswamy (1933-2023). After seeing the show and looking at his beautiful book that was on display at MAP, I purchased a copy at my favourite Bangalore bookstore: The Bookworm in Church Street.

 

Even if you are not a cat lover, this is a wonderful collection of artworks. When I mentioned to a friend that I  had just visited the exhibition,  he said:

“I am severely allergic to cats.”

I replied that the cats in MAP were worth seeing and would do him no harm. I am not sure he was convinced.

 

MAP, which opened only a few years ago is housed in an attractive contemporarily designed building on Kasturba Road, which is interesting to see even if you are either allergic to cats or have little interest in viewing an exhibition. That said, I left the exhibition happy to have seen it. And had I been a cat, I would have been left MAP purring contentedly.

Coffee,  Silks, sweaters,and Air India

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UNITY BUILDINGS IS a collection of low blocks near to Bangalore’s Town Hall. The buildings are arranged each side of a long Central avenue. I am not sure when they were built but my suspicion is that they were constructed in the 1970s.

 

Unity Buildings

At one end of the central avenue, there is an older building, Haigh Memorial Hall, which was built in the 1920s. Constructed to commemorate a Wesleyan missionary,  Reverend Henry Haigh, this grey coloured edifice houses an Air India office. Haigh arrived in India in 1875, and during his long stay there he did much work to produce publications in the Kannada language. He returned to England in 1903. The Unity Buildings complex stands on land owned by one of the churches in Bangalore.

 

We visit Unity Buildings for several reasons. First, there is a Kashmiri shop, where over the years I have bought excellent woollen Pullovers (sweaters). Another reason is to visit two shops that offer good selections of silk scarves and other garments. One of them is Janardhana Silk House and the other, the less costly Shobha Silks.

 

The third reason to visit the complex is to enjoy good South Indian filter coffee and vegetarian snacks a the Unity Buildings branch of Kamat. According to a sign within the restaurant, this Kamat company has been in business since 1948, when it was founded by Sri Rangappa Pandurang Kamat (1919-1993). Other branches of Kamats were established by Rangappa’s younger brother Sri Sheshagiri Pandurang Kamat (1926-2002). The Unity Buildings branch of Rangappa‘s company was opened in 1972, and maintains its original appearance, apart from new overhead lights.

 

Usually full of customers, Kamat in Unity Buildings was almost empty on Republic Day this year (2026). When we stepped inside, we were given a warm welcome by the manager, whom I imagine was pleased to see at least two customers on such a quiet day.

 

On normal working day,  Unity Buildings is a bustling place, but never as busy as, say, Bangalore’s Commercial Street area and KR Market (City Market). However, it is a pleasant place to shop for various things.

Memories of childhood at a car show in Bangalore

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MY MOTHER WAS the driver in our family. Having been injured in a bad accident during the 1930s, she was an overly cautious driver.

Fiat 1100

All of our family cars were Fiats. My mother believed that because there were many hills and mountains in Italy, where Fiats are made, these cars must be reliable and ‘strong’. We had a Fiat 600, then an 1100 (millecento), and then finally, a 1200.

Seeing several Fiat 1100s at a vintage car show held at the Bangalore Club (in Bangalore/Bengaluru) jogged my memories of my mother, the 1960s and 1970s, and my childhood motoring experiences.

You can read more about my late mother and her unusual attitude to motoring here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/REMEMBERING-HELEN-MY-MOTHER-ARTIST/dp/B0DKCZ7J7X/

A festival of art incarcerated in a penitentiary in Bangalore (Bengaluru)

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MANY ART WORKS are ‘imprisoned’ in museums, galleries,  and private collections.  Today, 25 January 2026, we visited a collection of art ‘incarcerated’ in a prison.

 

The prison is, in fact, a former prison. It is what was once the grounds of Bangalore’s Central Jail.  After it became disused, it was converted into a public  park in 2008: Freedom Park. This contains many of the former prison’s buildings, which have been restored to create a fascinating museum within a leafy park.

 

Freedom Park was the site of the 2026 BLR Hubba, which we visited today. The Hubba is a 10-day annual art festival held in Bangalore. Each year it is held at one of the city’s historic landmarks. This year at the former jail.

Encompassing many kinds of art including  for example,  sculpture, painting, music, theatre, and poetry, this festival is  well-attended and vibrant.

 

At Freedom Park, the Hubba’s artwork and events were scattered all over the site of the former jail including within the cell blocks and at the place where hangings were carried out.

 

On the Sunday that we visited the Hubba, there was a competent jazz band playing and a crowd of visitors. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the art and themselves.

 In comparison with the rather disappointing 2025/26 Kochi Muziris Biennale,  which we attended in early January, the Hubba was wonderful: a well curated, excitingly appealing festival of art. Although the Hubba contained far fewer things than the much larger biennale, it produced a far more impressive impact on us than what we saw in Kochi

A little England high up in the hills of southern India

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WRITING IN 1931, the Spanish missionary Father Emilio noted:

“The Protestants in Munnar … appear arrogant and presumptuous and form a stark contrast to the humble pagans and submissive Catholics …”

The writer was referring to the British tea plantation owners and officials and their attitude to their Indian workers, both Hindus and those who had converted to Roman Catholicism.

 

31 years later, and after India had become independent,  another Spanish missionary, P Fermin, observed that Munnar (in Kerala) was conceived as:

“… as a meeting centre, with pretentions of an English town,  to break the routine of their [The British] plantation life on weekends. Munnar has its European club, …”

 

Now in 2026, the above-mentioned club, the High Range Club, still thrives, although now it is no longer exclusively for Europeans. We visited it several times in January 2026. Entering it is like stepping into the past.

 

The Club was established in 1909 on a large plot of land (6 acres) next to and high above a river. It was built as a residential  club, and has 17 rooms. Membership is restricted to corporate planters (senior officials of the tea plantations) of the Munnar area. As the club has many affiliations with other ‘elite’ clubs in India, many of the people who make use of its facilities are members of affiliated clubs.

 

Not only does the club’s architecture and interior design look like a leftover of bygone Britain,  but it preserves the old British club traditions and dress code rules. The Club has a wonderful old fashioned bar. Stepping into this is like going back to England of the 1930s or even earlier. Sadly, the High Range Club does not have a liquor licence.

 

On one of our visits to the Club, I looked at the board that listed the Club’s chairmen. From 1909 until 1973, all the chairmen had British surnames. It was only in 1974 that a chairman, Mr Murthy, had an Indian surname. And until 1966, none of the Honorary Secretaries had Indian surnames. Given this information,  I  wondered how many years elapsed before non-Europeans were admitted to the Club  after 1947 when India became independent.

 

Prior to the admission of Indians, the Club, like almost all of the British colonial clubs, were places where Europeans could isolate themselves from the Indian population. Today, these clubs provide a refuge for better-off Indians, who wish to socialise amongst themselves away from the ‘madding  crowds’.

 

The room used as the dining hall at the High Range intrigued me. At one end of it, there is a proper stage with curtains that could be used for performing plays and other entertainments. Seeing it reminded me of “A Passage to India” by EM Forster.  In it he described a British colonial club and how its members performed amateur theatricals. Here at the High Range is an example of exactly what Forster described.

 

Visiting the High Range is not only a pleasant way to pass a few leisurely hours, but it is also a chance to glimpse into the strange world that was once a feature of British India, albeit one that enforced a racial colour bar.