Recently, there have been a number of articles on perhaps the oldest confectionery in Delhi, Wenger's, celebrating its 100th anniversary. I have myself been frequenting it since early 1950s and it is definitely my number 1 as far as confectioneries go. Anytime I go to Connaught Place, I indulge in its Lemon Tart, and for birthdays and anniversaries, it is my go-to place for a Black Forest Cake and Cheese Straws.
Karan Thapar in his recent Hindustan Times column "The delight Wenger's has been for Delhi for 100 years", traces the history of the confectionery and then goes on to write about his other old favourite shops in Connaught Place some of which no longer exist. And that triggered my memory of my own old haunts in days of yore.
A shop I shall never forget was "Marques and Co." which for ages had been a market leader in selling musical instruments. My association with it also goes back to the early '50s when I was studying in St. Xavier's School in Jaipur. I had become a regular listener of Radio Ceylon and its western music but the only source of my own records was Vinnie Mama's annual visits home on leave from the Navy. Then Rajendra 'Sunny' Sahai, two years my senior and elder brother of my dear friend Yadu, went to Delhi to study in St. Stephen's and informed me that Marques in Connaught Place sold English records. From then on till I myself joined the Navy, whenever I went to Delhi which was quite often, I would make a beeline to the shop and come out with an armload of 78 rpm records and Marques' Annual Songbook so that I could sing songs like "Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes" correctly.
In 2001, after we moved to our present abode in New Delhi, Shumita wanted a piano. So off we went to Marques and Co. and selected a Yamaha. Marques Sr., the founder of the shop was no more and the shop was being run by his son who could play many instruments and had been part of many bands. He readily offered to teach Shumita to play the piano. For many months till Shumita acquired the necessary skill and confidence, he came to our house regularly and we would gossip about songs, singers and bands of old times. Some years back, Marques Jr. passed away too and I learnt that with no one to run it, the shop also had to pull down its shutters. Sad!
The other haunt of mine was the The Cellar, a nightclub and discotheque with mind blowing music and psychedelic lights. Many an evenings I spent there including one in 1973 with Akhila on her birthday, 4th of July. Both of us have a vivid memory of a very pregnant foreign young lady, perhaps an American, jiving and twisting as if she were Jayne Mansfield in "The Girl Can't Help It"! Pity, The Cellar too ceased to exist quite sometime ago.
But Wenger's continues its journey into a second century and may it live long. Akhila and I visited it last evening and crowds were thronging it resulting in many items having been sold out. We met the modest and self-effacing former manager, Charanjeet Singh, who still spends a lot of time in the shop. We were glad to see that the shop is keeping pace with the times. For, while preserving the quality of its trademark products like cakes, tarts and cookies, it also stocks Macarons, Burger Pizza, and special breads like the Italian Foccacia.
As for us, we stuck to the good old Lemon Tart and Cheese Straws.
