Jude my Driver

I am very lucky to have my own driver here in India - to some extent it is needed because the quality of driving falls short of what we might expect in the UK.  Overtaking on blind corners, uphill in fourth gear appears the norm!

Jude is my driver, he is a local man who has lived in Coonor for 40 years.  He is a devout Roman Catholic and this is a picture of him standing outside his church - St Anthony's.

Jude drives me to and from work and is a bit of a mover and shaker, helping me to resolve issues with the phone line, getting shoes repaired or showing me the sights of Coonoor and the surrounding countryside.

He is also the gardener, although admits to being not too good so is keen to learn a bit from me (and my mum when I don't know the answers!).  I will post some pictures of the garden soon as it is looking quite nice at the moment.

Fancy a Brew?

 Coonor is surrounded by tea plantations - plenty of opportunity to grab a mug of Tommy Atkins's favourite!

Having spent the morning trying to open an Indian bank account, Jude my driver took me for a drive in the local countryside - great views.

Defence Services Staff College

The Defence Services Staff College is one of the oldest military institutions in India.  It was set up in 1905 as the Army Staff College at Deolali (near Mumbai) and was relocated in 1907 to Quetta (now in Pakistan).  On partition in 1947, the Indian element moved to Wellington in peninsular India.

http://www.dssc.gov.in

The aim of the Staff Course is to train selected officers of the 3 Services in command and staff functions in Peace and War in own Service, inter-Service and Joint Service environment.  Also to provide related general education to enable officers to perform effectively in command and staff appointments to the rank of Group Captain.

The Staff College is affiliated to the University of Madras which awards an MSc (Defence and Strategic Studies) degree to all officers who qualify on the course.

Arrived at DSSC

17 May 2013 - and at last Chris has arrived at the Madras Regiment Cantonment in Wellington (Coonor) in the Nilgiris.  This will be our home for a year, although without Tom and Hazel who will not travel out to India until July the house feels empty.  Coonor is an old British Hill Station not far from the more famous Ooty 'Queen of the Hill Stations.'  The town has all the hustle and bustle that you  would expect in India, but the cantonment and Staff College are reminiscent of the British Army of the 1960s.

Advance Party - Delhi 12 May 2013

Forming the Advance Party, Chris arrived in Delhi on 12 May, in order to receive briefings from the Defence Section of the British High Commission. Delhi was hot and sweaty, but the views were outstanding:

THE BERRYMAN FAMILY

Who are the Berryman family and why are they spending a year in India?

Dad is Wing Commander Chris Berryman who has been selected to attend the Indian Defence Services Staff College.  Chris is an RAF Regiment Officer who is fanatical about all things mountaineering.

Mum is Hazel Berryman who is a Montessori Teacher, philosopher and Peace Studies researcher. Hazel loves the outdoors, running with her 2 dogs and is the world's best Mum!

Thomas Berryman is 7 years old and currently in Year 2 at Cherry Trees Montessori School in Risby near Bury St Edmunds.  Tom is the cool dude of the family, but currently has to do everything his dad wants to do - so lists climbing and mountain biking among his interests.  Tom plays cricket for Bardwell Under 9s and swims at Stowmarket Swimming Club.

Who is Ronnie?

Ronnie was an Airedale Terrier who accompanied the mountaineer Nicholas Alexander Tombazi on one of the earliest expeditions to the  southern glaciers of Kangchenjunga in 1925.  This blog will chart the adventures of the Berryman Family as we negotiate living in India for a year and hopefully end with our own expedition to the foothills of Kangchenjunga in April 2014.