MY DAYS AT ST FRANCIS SCHOOL,LUCKNOW

My Days at SFS

Its great to talk about the good old days, schools and to interact with my dear fellow Franciscans, peers, seniors and juniors.
Its a matter of great pride and pleasure to walk down memory lane and talk of my days at SFS(Oooooops ,I mean SFC)
SF was School when we were there!!!!!!!!!!! Its college now .
Walking down memory lane ,is probably a misappropriate term!
I really don't have to go back and try to remember anything!!
Its all there, as fresh as today, as if it happened yesterday!!!
Even though I left St Francis in 1975!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(sounds pre historic!)

I joined SFC in 1968,in class three, after doing KG from Christian College and Prep and Class 1 and 2 from St Ann's
( Many of you would not have heard of this school-it was the boys section of Loreto Convent in the present building of Avadh Degree college and we were the last batch of students ,before the school closed down)

After leaving St Ann’s, most of us had only two alternatives Lamarts or SFC
Lamarts was more popular amongst the upper class of Lucknow as it was more British and had almost a complete Anglo Indian staff and above all had the reputation of supposedly brining out smart cool dudes with a greater stress on extra curricular activities and sports

SFS was the second best, in those days but still had a great crowd at its gates for admission, for three reasons.
It was a little more affordable than Lamarts, the academics were reputed to be better and it had an aura of an Indian English school which was a bit more friendly to the non Hindi speaking parents!

The reason why my dad choose SFS for me was different from these three. My brother had joined Lamarts a year back, and my parents were not happy with the academics. So I landed in SFC more by default than as a choice, and could never thank my dad for that more!!!!!!!!!

My stay of over seven years at the college, has been the best phase of my life, the memories of which are my most precious possessions. Besides developing a taste for specific subjects, interest in studies, it helped me to build my personality and bring out the best in me .My passion for stage emerged there, for acting, elocution and debating. And above all it brought me close to a great lot of wonderful teachers and some friends, a bunch of soulmates who have been the most precious achievement of my life, and are buddies for keeps!!!

I left SFC in March 1975, when I was in class 10Th. We were the first batch of ICSE ,and since I had to pursue a medical career ,I wasn't sure if ICSE would help me for CPMT. So I quitted SFS and joined Mahanager Boys High School, even at the cost of loosing 6 months, amounting to an year subsequently

The stay at SFS was a little more than seven years and its been over three decades since I left it, but the memories of those days occupy a very special and coveted place in my heart in terms of space, closeness, quantity and quality
They come alive when ever I interact with any buddy from SFC, and luckily have been in touch with many

Sanjay Lucknow

HAUNTING MEMORIES OF ST FRANCIS

The Haunting Memories of SFS

Its unbelievably strange,but I remember everything of SFS ,in my mind as crystal clear,specially the classes where I spent most of the day during those seven odd years

I not only remember the classes,or my seats,but even the seats of some of my other class mates!
Class III B was on the ground floor of the old primary building, to the right as you enter,after the Staff accommodation block(it was demolished and the new double storied primary section came up in 1970 at the same site)
Class IV was on the rear new block,ground floor,second from the toilets,facing the rear field
Class V and VI were in the rear block too,but on the first floor of the extension block to the rear wing
Class VII and VIII were on the first floor and IX and X on the ground floor of the main block

The staff quarters as we entered from the main gate,and the administrative block and principle office behind the primary section
The Canteen and Staff room were in continuation and behind this building with the chapel on the first floor

The Gym and the PT Instructors office were to the right of the main block with the Head Masters Office(The Forbidden Danger Zone-Tigers Den) in it under the steps going to the first floor of the main block

The Hall (Auditorium) was to the right of the main block with the Sceince Labs behind it
The Dormitories for the hostellers were on the first floor of the rear block and the cookhouse and dining hall for them,on the ground floor ,of the same building,at the far end,towards Cathedral School

There was a so called swimming pool too and a basket ball court

Have I missed out anything
and has anything changed/ any additions?? or demolitions ???

Prof Sanjay Kapoor