Robert and Gertrude Bristow
Published November 30, 2009 | Reading up on the Old Lighthouse Bristow Hotel I was curious about Robert Bristow and his house which is today refurbished into a boutique hotel. To put in simple terms, Sir Bristow was the architect of the Cochin Port and he said this on the BBC in 1935 ~
I live on a large Island made from the bottom of the sea. It is called Willingdon Island, after the present Viceroy of India. From the upper floor of my house, I look down on the finest harbour in the East.
Robert Bristow and his wife lived in Kochi for 21 years and are credited for the great changes in Cochin society. Lady Gertrude was instrumental in forming the Lotus Club – the first non-English only club of Kerala. The story goes that Lady Gertrude was denied entry into the elite Cochin Club where the aristocrats hobnobbed and the rest, as they is history. She presided over the Lotus Club for over 10 years and today decades later it is considered an elite club on its own.
The Cochin Port-building feat was carefully recorded by Robert Bristow in his book the Cochin Saga. But for his engineering prowess, today’s Kochi, Willingdon Island and the Naval Base would never have happened.
Kerala tourism cashing in on the Volvo Ocean Race fever
Published April 5, 2008 | 
Kochi: The Volvo fever is in the air and festivity mood is palpable in the tourist industry as the count down for Volvo has already begun. The Cochin port would be one of the pit stops for upcoming Volvo Ocean Race and Kerala is leaving no stone unturned in flaunting its tourism potential. Countless foreigners are expected to touch down at Kochi to see the race, commonly called `Everest of Sailing’, as it is one of the world’s most challenging team events.
2008-09 Volvo will have nine teams, seven inshore races and eleven ocean legs apart from many short stopovers. Cochin port is the only Indian destination chosen and also holds the distinction of being the first port in the country that has been chosen as a whistle stop for this prestigious yacht race. It is exciting to note that the arrival of race teams on Dec 3- Dec13 complements the peak tourist season in Kerala. The other ports of call include Singapore, Qingdao, Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Gothenborg and Stockholm.
A sprawling race village spread over 2.5 acres of land will come up at Willingdon Island with 10,000 sq metres of covered space and over 200,000 sq metres of open space. The Kerala tourism department and Cochin Port Trust will shell out a staggering Rs.300 million for organizing this mega event and a major part of this amount is likely to be mobilized through sponsorships. More than that, Kerala would be paraded at its best among the tourists who would throng to enjoy this event.
Kerala tourism is sure to benefit from this highly acclaimed event. The mood in the hotel industry is upbeat as organizers will be earmarking over 1,500 premium rooms along with 3,500 other rooms for the guests who arrive from various parts of the world to experience the thrills and spills of this event. In addition over 150 houseboats will be arranged near the race village to cater to the accommodation needs. Volvo race will be flagged off in Alicante, Spain on Oct 4 and will traverse a total of 39,325 nautical miles in a period of nine months before ending at St. Petersburg, Russia in July 2009.