Wall have ears and maybe that’s why buildings have history. So when old buildings get demolished, their history too gets ground into rubble. As do the stories of their inhabitants. The city we live in is slowly and inexorably losing parts of its history as many familiar, old landmarks disappear. Pretty soon, we will be living in a city which will be completely unfamiliar to us. And by us- I mean those of my generation. So when my friends and I planned a walk around some of the city streets, it was to revisit what we had known and grown up with, while it (and we!) were still around. And this time we stopped to stand and look, really look at some of them. It was comforting to see the ones that looked cared for and a little disturbing to see others that looked rickety and ramshackle.
This one seems to be doing quite well. The library itself came up in 1875 but later moved to this location-which happened to be a jail during the British rule. What we see here is the reading hall of the main library It looks very senior citizen-ish and anyone below the age of 70 venturing inside; would definitely be looked at with deep suspicion. But how I’d love to browse their collection of books!This is the library itself which does look a bit decrepit and more like the jail it once was. It’s connected to the reading hall by a corridor. What stories these walls could tell! Just as many as the books that line them, if not more.
This is the upper floor of the library. I wonder how many patients the good doctor has…The owners of this building seem determined to keep its upper portion and facade unchanged. Which makes the shops below look a bit out of place. Like.. yeah…yeah… we know we don’t belong, but give us a chance!!A closer look at the upper floor. Windows firmly shut and I wonder if they ever get opened. It’s overlooking one of the busiest streets in the city.
This one seemed to have been lovingly renovated and preserved. We peered through the foliage, envying the owners and wondered who they were.We did come across these stones on the gatepost and compound wall. I like to think that one was part of the original structure and the other was brought in during renovation! Now, this one looked interesting. Built around 1906, it too has retained its original look. Apparently their motto is “eat little, eat everything” which makes a whole lot of sense. If only it were easier to put into practice! They do practice it however, because their stocks are limited.This was another residence that looked pretty as a picture (never mind the towel drying on the railing)And just a few metres away, this one was falling to pieces. I felt sorry for it. At one time it must have been full of people and life. More stories…We stood outside this one for a while. Only the facade can be seen because it’s on the road. We had to try and imagine what the rest of the building was like. We watched as an old lady put her hand through the railings to water her potted plants and wondered how her life must be…The best for the last. As we stood there and watched, this dear old lady came out on her balcony, smiled and waved to us. I gestured that I would like to take a photograph and she smiled again. Then her husband came out and she pointed us out to him. And waved to us again before going inside.
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