Ashton Agar = email from Sunil Liyanage

Ashton Agar – Proud to be of Sri Lankan heritage

Ashton Agar is featured here. He is just eighteen years of age and has been selected by Cricket Australia to attend the Centre of Excellence on a scholarship for three months commencing in May this year. Ashton Agar (Right) He represented Australia in the Under 19 quadrangular series in Townsville in April this year playing against India, New Zealand and England. He took eight wickets at an average of 25.75 with an economy rate of 4.20. He is a left arm spinner who has represented Victoria in the Under 15,17 and 19 teams and Australia in the Under 16 and 19 teams. Ashton's father -- John played for the Prahran Cricket Club. Ashton is the grandson of Nala Hewawissa who played cricket for Dharmarajah College Kandy. The Rajans have honoured him by naming a trophy after him - which is presented at the annual Kingswood-Dharmarajah match. Sheilagh Hewawissa was his grandmother - she worked for the Ceylon Tea Board as secretary to Mohammed Iqbal who is now the Honorary Consul in Auckland . The Centre of Excellence Head Coach Troy Cooley said " the development of the Australian Institute of Sport players will be crucial to Australia regaining it's title as the No. 1 side in the world". Ashton has had to postpone entry in to Deakin University to do a degree in Law. Quintus de Zylva (Chairman – Sri Lanka Cricket Foundation of Victoria)

 

1910 - Ford and way of life - email jksw

---

 Subject: FW: 1910 Ford:
 

1910 Ford Make sure you read all the statistics under the photo. This has only been 103 years ago...Amazing!!! Show this to your friends, children and/or grandchildren! The year is 1910, over one hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1910: *********************************** The average life expectancy for men was 47 years. Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only. Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads. The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph. The tallest structure in the world was the  Eiffel  Tower ! The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour. The average  US worker made between $200 and $400 per year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year. More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME. Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard.' Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee was fifteen cents a pound. Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. There was no such thing as under arm deodorant or tooth paste. Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason. The five leading causes of death were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza 2, Tuberculosis 3. Diarrhea 4. Heart disease 5. Stroke The American flag had 45 stars. The population of  Las Vegas  Nevada was only 30! Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day. Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school. Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help. There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A. ! I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself. From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD...all in a matter of seconds! Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

Aphorisms - email from Sunil Liyanage

APHORISM: A SHORT, POINTED SENTENCE THAT EXPRESSES

A WISE OR CLEVER OBSERVATION OR A GENERAL TRUTH

1. The nicest thing about the future is . . . that it always starts tomorrow. 2. Money will buy a fine dog .. . . but only kindness will make him wag his tail. 3. If you don't have a sense of humour . . . you probably don't have any sense at all. 4. Seat belts are not as confining . . . as wheelchairs. 5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is . . . when you're in deep water. 6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark . . to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night? 7. Business conventions are important . . . because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without. 8. Why is it that at class reunions . . . you feel younger than everyone else looks? 9. Stroke a cat (or dog) . . .. and you will have a permanent job. 10. No one has more driving ambition than the teenage boy   (or girl) . . .. who wants to buy a car. 11. There are no new sins . . .. the old ones just get more publicity. 12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 a.m. . .. like, it could be the right number. 13. No one ever says "It's only a game" . . . when their team is winning. 14. I've reached the age where . . . 'happy hour' is a nap. 15. Be careful about reading the fine print . . . there's no way you're going to like it. 16. The trouble with bucket seats is that . . . not everybody has the same size bucket. 17. Do you realise that, in about 40 years . . . we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!) 18. Money can't buy happiness .. . . but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Cadillac than in a Mini. 19. After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint . you're probably dead. 20. Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind . . .. and the ones that mind don't matter. 21. Life isn't tied with a bow .. . . but it's still a gift. REMEMBER.... POLITICIANS AND NAPPIES SHOULD BE CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASON"

 

The 'Fireman' - email from Kamalini Kanapathippillai

Subject: Fw: Am I a Fireman yet? - This is BEAUTIFUL

If you "tear up" go ahead,  who's watching? In  Calgary    ,  Alberta     a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was  dying of terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled with  sadness, She also had a strong feeling of determination. Like any  parent, she wanted her son to grow up & Fulfill all his dreams. Now  that was no longer possible.. The leukemia would see to that. But she  still Wanted her son's dream to come true. She took her son' s  hand and asked, 'Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted To be  once you grew up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would Do with  your life?' Mommy, 'I always wanted to be a fireman When I  grew up.' Mom smiled back and said, 'Let's see if we can Make  your wish come true.' Later that day she went to her local  fire Department in  Calgary    , where she met Fireman  Bob, who had a heart as big as  Alberta She explained  her son's final wish and Asked if it might be possible To give her 6  year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said,  'Look, we can do Better than that. If you'll have your son ready  at Seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make Him an honorary Fireman  for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, Go  out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll  give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform For him, with a real fire  hat - not a toy - one-with the emblem of the Calgary Fire Department on it,  and a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots.' 'They're all  manufactured right here in  Calgary    , So we can get them  fast.'   Three days later  Fireman Bob picked up Billy, Dressed him in his uniform and escorted him  from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy  got to sit on the back of the truck And help steer it back to the fire  station. He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in  Calgary     that day And Billy got to go out on all three  calls. He rode in the different fire engines, The Paramedic's'  van, And even the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for  the Local news program. Having his dream come true, With  all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched  Billy, that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought  possible. One night all of his vital signs began to Drop  dramatically and the head nurse, who believed In the hospice concept - that  no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the  hospital.. Then she remembered the day Billy had spent As a  Fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and Asked if it would be possible to  send a fireman In uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his  transition. The chief replied, 'We can do better than  that. We'll be there in five minutes.. Will you please do me a  favor? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the Lights  flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a  fire?' 'It's the department coming to see one of its finest  members one more time. And will You open the window to his  room?' About five minutes later a Hook and ladder truck  arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open  window-------- 16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's  room With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him  and told him how much they LOVED him. With His dying breath, Billy  looked up at the fire chief and said, 'Chief, am I really a  fireman now?' 'Billy, you are, and The Head Chief, Jesus,  is holding your hand,' the chief said With those words,  Billy smiled and said, 'I know, He's Been holding my hand all day, and The angels have been Singing..' He closed his eyes one  last time. My Instructions were to send this to at  least four People that I Wanted God to bless and I picked  you. Please pass this to at Least four people you Want To be blessed. This Story is powerful and there is nothing  attached. PLEASE Do not break this pattern. Uplifting  stories are one of the best Gifts we receive. There is no cost, but a  lot of rewards, let's continue to uplift one another!   This is a true  story Comment by Tissa Kappagoda Hi Kamalini! Thank you very much for sharing the story about the boy in Calgary.  I spent more than a dozen years at the University of Alberta located in Edmonton which is the City to the North of Calgary. I also work with the fire fighters in my current location in California.  They are all very special people who face danger and put their lives on the line every day! Thanks and best wishes, Tissa

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Old Colombo - email from Lesley Sirimanne.

History of Thurstan Road... Interesting!

 

"Reverend father A. J. Thurstan started a private technical school in 1859 in this beautiful environment and maintained it out of his own funds.

This institution had been a agricultural and multimedia technical training centre for many years but had to be closed down after a few years.

In 1884 with the assistance of the British Government an agricultural school was started in the same place.

There was historical evidence to show that around this agricultural school there had been a flourishing cinnamon cultivation, and today Colombo 7 is known as Cinnamon Gardens due to this cultivation.

The agricultural school was started by the then Director of Education Mr. H. W. Green.

In 1910 it was closed down."

You are sure to find this most interesting...

Charles Layard who lived in Bagatelle House (now Alfred House) fathered......wait for it,.......26 children!!!

 

Thurstan Road & Cambridge Place Area

Fifty years ago, the Thurstan Road- Cambridge Place thoroughfare was one of the most picturesque in Colombo.

It was lined on either side with gigantic specimens of the flamboyant or flame of the forest tree (poinciana regia) and the saman tree (samanea saman), which provided a shady and restful canopy over the road.

During the months of April and May when the avenue of trees was in full bloom, this stretch of road was most colourful and attractive and indeed a magnificent spectacle, a remarkable living legacy from the spacious days of the past.

Those were the days when Colombo was renowned the world over as the "garden city of the east".

It is believed that the trees were planted around 1920 following a report by Professor Patrick Geddes who was commissioned by the government of the day to recommend a master plan for the development of Colombo.

He had a vision for Colombo, which included trees, greenery, and open spaces.

Sometime in the nineteen forties members of the Orchid Circle of Ceylon took the initiative of adding further colour to the environment provided by the trees, by planting varieties of epiphytic orchids on the branches of the larger trees.

Specimens of cymnbidum bicolor, vanda tesselatta, and dendrobiun superbiens could to this day be seen among the trees that survive along this once beautiful avenue.

Thurstan Road (since renamed Munidasa Cumaranatunge Mawata, after the well known Sinhalese author and poet) commences at its intersection with Reid Avenue, and ends at the roundabout connecting Flower Road.

Cambridge Place continues northwards from this point, and ends at its intersection with Edinburgh Crescent, now known as Sir Marcus Fernando Mawata.

Thurstan Road was once the eastern boundary of the estate originally known as Bagatelle, and renamed later as Alfred House.

The Fergusons Directory of 1871 lists Bagatelle as a cinnamon cum coconut estate of 125 acres.

As the history of Alfred House has a significant bearing on the stately homes that exist on Thurstan Road to this day, a brief examination of its past would seem appropriate.

The property was first advertised for sale in the Ceylon Government Gazette of March 9 1822 as" a thatched cottage with a tent roof, about two miles and half from the Fort of Colombo, to be disposed of by private contract."

The owner at the time was believed to be a prominent businessman in the Fort with the quaint name Daddy Parsee.

Charles Edward Layard the third son of the Dean of Bristol arrived in Ceylon in 1803.

He joined the Ceylon Civil Service in 1804 and served until 1839.

It is not clear whether he owned Bagatelle Estate, but it is evident that he resided there, the thatched cottage having been replaced by a substantial two-storied bungalow at the time of his occupation.

Many of Layard's children were born in Bagatelle House, and it is on record that the youngest of Layard's 26 children, named Barbara, was born in Bagatelle in 1834.

The Ceylon Almanacs of the 1840s lists Bagatelle Estate as a property owned by Arbuthnot and Co, who were agents for the Government of Ceylon in India, and who were the sole exporters of cinnamon from Ceylon, which was a government monopoly at the time.

Around 1858 Susew de Soysa, a pioneer native plantation owner became the owner of Bagatelle Estate, which was thereafter called Bagatelle Walauwwa.

His nephew Charles Henry de Soysa to whom the property passed on, demolished the old homestead and built a magnificent home comprising of around 100 rooms. This was the location of a historic dinner that was accorded by the De Soysas to the Duke of Edinburgh when he visited Ceylon in 1870.

The house was named Alfred House with the permission of Prince Alfred, the Duke. C.H. De Soysa died in 1890, and his wife in 1914, leaving a large family of 14 sons and daughters to inherit an enormous estate which in addition to Alfred House included several thousand acres of coconut, tea and rubber lands spread around the island.

Over the years, the 125 acre Alfred House Estate underwent several sub divisions, some major changes being precipitated by the master plan for Colombo which foresaw many new roads across the estate.

The earlier sub divisions were however made by the De Soysa family itself, which constructed several stately mansions within the property.

The ornate Lakshmigiri which was built in 1910 by A..J.R. de Soysa, the second son of C.H. de Soysa, is a classic example of extravagant building design of the time.

This house with its extensive gardens and massive cast iron gates is at the southern end of Thurstan Road bordering Queens Road.

It bears assessment No.102 Thurstan Road and is much the same fifty years ago, as it was when constructed almost half a century earlier.

A few years after it was built, the house was mortgaged, and later foreclosed.

It was then bought by the Adamjee Lukmanjee family and has remained in their ownership to date under the name Saifee Villa.

Fifty years ago there were no buildings between Saifee Villa and Queens Road.

Adjoining Queens Road is the house originally named Regina Walauwwa by its owner T. H.A. de Soysa, the 4th son of C.H. de Soysa.

It was named after his wife Regina, and was built in 1912.

An imposing building with multiple roofs, turrets, and towers it was a palatial residence facing Thurstan Road.

The owner was a keen turfite owning many horses, and with a penchant for heavy wagers.

The story goes that whenever he won over Rs. 100, 000 at the races, he would hoist the family flag on the large flagstaff in front of the house to indicate to all and sundry that he had made a killing at the races.

This ritual was locally referred to as "Lakseta kodiya" meaning "win a lakh of rupees and the flag goes up".

Fortunes do however fluctuate, and by 1920 he was in financial difficulties and the house sold to the newly emerging University College.

It was then renamed College House.

The flagstaff or 'kodigaha' remains on the property to this day.

On the opposite side of Thurstan Road was the Univeristy of Ceylon buildings constructed in 1913 as the home of Royal College.

The school occupied the premises till 1923 when it was acquired by the Ceylon University College.

Royal College later moved to the new premises on Racecourse Avenue, where it functions to this day.

Next to College House is a property extending to over 3 acres, purchased from the De Soysa family in 1926 by the Imperial Bank of India.

It was earlier used as the dairy for Alfred House.

The Bank commissioned Walker and Sons to construct an impressive residence for its manager, and the house was named "Carlowrie".

In the mid l950s it was acquired by the Government of India as the official residence for its High Commissioner, and has since been called "India House".

Many distinguished visitors have been entertained here, including Prime Minister Nehru, and later his daughter Indira Gandhi who have planted trees in commemoration of their visits, in its spacious gardens.

Adjoining India House were two bungalows belonging to Brooke Bonds Ceylon Ltd, the tea company.

Hammerfaest was at No 80 Thurstan Raod and was the residence of its Managaing Director H. Broome.

In the adjoining home lived his Deputy Roy Collins, and later S. E. Satarasinghe.

At No. 76 was Chitrakala one time residence of Percy Gunasena of M.D. Gunasena and Co. whose mortgage on the property was foreclosed by the bank.

Next to the University property was Thurstan College established in 1949 in the premises earlier used by the Government Training College, prior to its shift to Maharagama.

Adjoining Thurstan College was Royal Primary School, whose Headmaster Major A.F. de Saa Bandaranaike resided in the official bungalow at No 13.

Mr. J.C.A. Corea the Principal of Royal College occupied the adjoining bungalow.

The buildings and grounds of Royal Primary School stood next.

Around fifty years ago the school was under the Headmastership of Mr.H.D. Sugathapala and Mr..H.P. Jayewardene under whose leadership the well facilitated school hall known as "Navarangahala" was built.

It acquired a permanent place in the history of the island, when the constituent assembly convened to draft the 1972 Constitution, was held there.

It was also the occasion for the change of name from Ceylon to Sri Lanka.

On the opposite side of Thurstan Road facing Thurstan College were the ends of Bagatelle Road and Alfred Place conjoining at the intersection with Thurstan Road.

At this point along Thurstan Road were a few commercial buildings including a small restaurant known as "Villas" a haunt of generations of Royal College students who dropped in after school for a 'cuppa' often combined surreptitiously with a cigarette.

Many were the abortive raids conducted by the college prefects in attempts to rein in the offending delinquents.

Next door was Thurstan Café run by Noel Perera.

Further on towards Flower Road, near Pedris Road was the home of K.H.M. Fernando, who owned a successful motor spares shop in the Pettah.

Adjoining Pedris Road was the home of Mrs. A. Wijewardene.

Her son, the entrepreneur Upali Wijewardene who disappeared tragically in his Learjet in 1982, built his house designed by Geoffrey Bawa in part of the land in the 1970s.

Her sons-in-law Dr. Atttygalle and Prof Stanley Wijesundera the latter killed during the JVP insurgency of 1989 also lived in houses within the same property.

Adjoining was the entrance to 5th Lane, which was neighbouring the dental clinic of Dr. Ian de Silva.

Next-door was the home of the General Manager of the Shell Co P.D. Finn.

The house there was built on a property, which was earlier known as "the Monastery"

The roundabout here links Thurstan Road on the south, Cambridge Place on the north, Racecourse Avenue on the East, and Flower Road on the west.

Racecourse Avenue in its entirety on one side provided boundaries to Royal College and Royal Primary School.

At its western end was the Orient Club founded in 1894, and at one time an exclusive social club for the elites of Colombo.

Its tennis courts border the southern end of Cambridge Place, near the roundabout.

On the opposite side of Cambridge Place at No. 32 was the home of Sherman de Silva, the proprietor of a well-known produce company of the time.

Adjoining was the large home earlier called Cambridge House and later renamed Florence House when Sir Wilfred de Soysa, the sixth son of C.H. de Soysa, occupied it.

Sir Wifred's sons Bishop Harold, Terrence, Cecil, Ryle, Anura, and Lalith, all grew up in this home, and were later to acquit themselves with great credit in adult life, whether it be business, sports, or in the "service of the Lord".

Ryle was for many years the opening batsman for the Ceylon Cricket team then known as "The All Ceylon Cricket Team".

As a schoolboy at Royal College he was a member of the unbeaten Royal team that toured Australia in 1938.

Florence House stood on a large extent of land.

It was demolished in the 1950s to give way to a cluster of large bungalows and a new roadway named Cambridge Terrace.

Adjoining Florence House was Mackinnon House the official home of the Managing Director of Mackinnon Mackenzie and Co. the well known shipping agents.

H.W. Tatham lived in this house situated in a large garden enclosed by a high wall. In the late 1/950s Mr George Chitty the very successful criminal lawyer purchased this house and named it Goodwood.

A humanist and a lover of people and company, he was a man of varied interests, and was an expert on cameras and photography, music, art, forensic medicine, woodwork, and motorcars.

He led the successful prosecution in the Bandaranaike Assassination Case, at the invitation of the Crown.

As in all neighbourhoods, romance is always in the air, and it was no different in Thurstan Road.

His son Ajit married Rapti, the daughter of Y.D. Gundevia the Indian High Commissioner who lived in India House on Thurstan Road, thus linking the two roads Thurstan and Cambridge by marriage!

Two doors next to Goodwood was "St Catherine" the home of C.H.Z. Fernando whose father C.M. Fernando was a son in law of C.H. de Soysa of Alfred House.

D.J. Wimalasurendra who pioneered hydroelectric schemes in Ceylon earlier owned St Catherine's.

At the end of Cambridge Place fronting Edinburgh Cresecent was "Lynwood" the home of Francis Amarasuriya a popular race horse owner of the time.

His elder son Rukman ended his life tragically, at an early age, committing suicide in 1957 in Nuwara Eliya.

Facing the Museum on the opposite side in Cambridge Place, in a house called "Brentham" lived Leslie de Saram the head of the legal firm F.J. and G de Saram.

He sold the house to the Australian Government, which purchased it for its embassy.

Leslie de Saram was a remarkable man known for his generosity and many acts of philanthropy.

He was educated at Royal College, and Clifton College in England, but gifted Gurutalawa Farm of 35 acres of cultivated land, and buildings, to St Thomas College, which established a branch school there.

He also gifted his unique collection of rare antiques to the University of Ceylon, when it established at Peradeniya, and was described as "the greatest benefactor and friend the Ceylon University ever had".

After his retirement he settled all his affairs in Ceylon and migrated first to England and later to Australia where he lived in Canberra.

Next to Brentham was "Oakleigh" the home of another legal luminary F.C. Rowan the senior Partner of Julius and Creasy.

Rowan was the advisor and confidante to almost every leading mercantile firm in Colombo in the 1950s.

Further down Cambridge Place at "The Eyds" lived Stanley de Saram the brother of Leslie, and no less remarkable.

He was also a partner of the family firm of de Saram's but in 1946 relinquished it to take up a position as a Director of Leechman and Co, an Agency House, the first Ceylonese to be invited to the position.

He later became the first Ceylonese Chairman of the firm.

Stanley and his wife were well known personalities in the mercantile world of that era, and were renowned for their legendary hospitality.

Stanley and his wife at "The Eyds' who became close friends of the De Sarams hosted Lady Churchill on a visit to Ceylon in 1953.

Later, Sir Winston and Lady Churchill played host to the De Sarams when they were asked to dinner at their home in Chartwell.

After Stanley's death in the 1970s, "The Eyds' was demolished and several new homes have come up on its grounds.

Somewhere between "The Eyds" and Oakholme stood a house called Gresham, which has since been altered structurally.

At around this area in Cambridge Place, was the intersection with Edinburgh Crescent.

Further on, adjoining the Orient Club was the Women's International Club.

The Thurstan Road /Cambridge Place belt still remains a salubrious area of Colombo, but its quiet and leafy environment may not be the same as it was fifty years ago, as the student population in the educational triangle, which it adjoins, has expanded dramatically, making the area a traffic controller's nightmare during school hours.

Mercifully, the commercial sprawl that is evident in most areas of Colombo has spared its blight here, and Thurstan Road and Cambridge Place together with its immediate environs, are still an absolutely charming area within Colombo.

(The writer wishes to acknowledge assistance given by Vinodh Wickremeratne, a fellow "streetscape connoisseur" especially in verifying the location of properties some of which have long since gone to dust)

- courtesy The Ceylankan (Australia)

Thoughts for the day - email from Kamalini Kanapathippillai

 

Tiny Truths

 

1. Notice at Church:
'' Do not leave your mobile; purses, wallets,
hand-bags, girl friends unattended... Others
may think it is an answer to their Prayers:''..-
2. Who is a Psychiatrist?..
A qualified person who gives you an expensive
and critical analysis about yourself, which your
spouse gives for free, daily too..!
-
3. Scotch is a brilliant invention..........
One double and you start feeling single again..;
-
4. Global recession and financial crisis have
become so critical and serious now-a-days
that...

The majority of men have started
loving their own wives..!!-
5. No matter how many times the Teeth bite the Tongue..

They still stay together in one Mouth;
That is the Spirit of ' Forgiveness '...!!!

 

A Sri Lankan dessert - email jksw

Curd and red rice a  low glycaemic dessert combo. A teaspoonful of kitul
treacle would round it off acceptably I guess.
 jksw

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