Warm And Humorous Evocation Of A Disappearing World, Teatime At Peggy’s: A Glimpse Of Anglo-India By Clare Jenkins And Stephen McClarence, Celebrate India’s Anglo-Indian Community

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best book magazine in the UK“, in Teatime At Peggy’s: A Glimpse Of Anglo-India by Clare Jenkins And Stephen McClarence, you’ll discover the lives of the dwindling Anglo-Indian community in India.

Teatime At Peggy’s: A Glimpse Of Anglo-India

Step into a bygone era with “Teatime at Peggy’s,” a heartwarming glimpse into the lives of India‘s dwindling Anglo-Indian community. This unique group, numbering around 150,000, descends mainly from British men and Indian women.

Meet Peggy Cantem, an octogenarian daughter and widow of railwaymen, and Captain Roy Abbott, the flamboyant “Rajah of Jhansi” and possibly India’s last British landowner.

Authors Stephen McClarence and Clare Jenkins spent over 15 years journeying to Jhansi, the Indian railway town that inspired John Masters’ classic 1954 novel “Bhowani Junction.” This evocative town served as a backdrop for Anglo-Indian life during Partition. There, they found themselves drawn into the captivating world of “Aunty Peggy” and her circle of colorful friends, spending countless hours in conversations that felt like falling “down the rabbit hole” into a fascinating and fading world.

Inside Peggy’s cozy ground-floor flat, a world unfolded. Over steaming cups of chai, conversations flowed, reflecting on the rich tapestry of Anglo-Indian life. Tales of waltzes, foxtrots, and jive filled the air, a reminder of bygone social gatherings. The May Queen balls, where Anglo-Indian women were renowned for their elegance, were a source of shared nostalgia. Meals were a delightful fusion of cultures, with hearty Mulligatawny soup, comforting toad-in-the-hole, and fragrant railway lamb curry gracing the table.

Peggy’s circle of friends was as vibrant as the stories they shared. There was the ever-graceful Gwen, the adventurous Buddie who zipped around on her Lambretta scooter, and Cheryl, whose ancestry reflected the beautiful “hotchpotch” that was Anglo-Indian heritage. Pastor Rao, with his booming voice and a talent for reciting Churchill speeches, added a touch of theatricality. Peggy’s loyal companions, May the maid and Sheela the cook, were like family. Anish, the friendly auto-rickshaw driver, completed this eclectic group.

Anglo-Indian Community

Jhansi’s once-thriving Anglo-Indian community has shrunk to a mere 30 families, many struggling financially. English remains their first language, and their attire leans Western. Stepping into their homes feels like a portal to 1950s England – a quaint illusion shattered only by the incongruous mounted tiger heads displayed alongside Sacred Heart fridge magnets.

Outside, aviaries filled with parakeets chirp a lively counterpoint to the hushed reverence for the Royal Family evident in the Buckingham Palace embroidery adorning their antimacassars (decorative chair covers). Inside, perhaps, three plaster flying ducks complete the whimsical yet poignant juxtaposition of cultures.

Teatime At Peggy’s serves as an invaluable record of this fading community, preserving their history and stories for generations to come.

Clare Jenkins And Stephen McClarence

Stephen McClarence is an award-winning travel writer whose work has appeared in The Times, Daily Telegraph, National Geographic Traveller & DestinAsian magazine. He has also written book reviews and features for The Times and has been an exhibiting photographer.

Clare Jenkins was a regular contributor to Woman’s Hour for 20 years and has made features and documentaries, including about India, for BBC Radio 3 and 4. See www.pennineproductions.co.uk

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