Discovering Madras in the bustle of Chennai

In the run-up to Madras Day, The Hindu Downtown will be presenting a series of articles showcasing Madras as it is ensconced in the everyday things of Chennai. These are not major monuments, but minor markers of the past that are often ignored because they have woven themselves intricately into the fabric of Chennai and are in plain sight.

Winston A. Henry (who was running the rare second hand book shop in Anna Nagar) may not be in the best of health following a stroke some years ago, but his passion for narrating stories of the past is evident by the way he spoke to this reporter.

A hollow glass buoy measuring around 15 inches collected from S.S. Stamatis, the cargo ship which hit Marina beach on November 3, 1966, is something he holds dear. A friend’s friend had given him knowing his passion for antique things. “I bought it for ₹ 20 from my friend,” says Winston.

The half-submerged Stematis remained a wreckage till the 1990s. “When they were breaking the ship, many items including artefacts were sold in the platforms outside the beach in the 70s, that is how the friend got hold of the buoy,” says Winston.

He has also done his research on the buoy to learn that only two countries were designing such buoys. It is special and Winston has kept it safely in a cardboard box. The buoy is mostly tied to the fishing nets. Many year ago, during a Madras Day event, Winston says, he had exhibited the buoy.

From storing silverware, carrying one to the hostel to associating it with the Military, these large metal trunk boxes lock away childhood memories, in many homes. At Sita Rao’s house in CIT Colony, the trunk holds centre stage. It is given a cover and the family uses it as a seat.

“My mother had two identical ones that she got from her mother, so I took one and my daughter took the other,” says Sita, a certified coach and course facilitator for pranic healing.

Sita remembers her mother and grandmother using the space to store brass vessels that were taken out during special occasions. “They were washed, dried and kept inside,” she recalls.