THE MOTHER OF ALL REUNIONS..... THE GOLDEN JUBILEE OF THE CLASS OF 66

The countdown begins

The long waited re-union named the Mother of all Re-unions; the Golden Jubilee of the Class of 66 of the then St Thomas’ Preparatory School in Bandarawela [STPSB] is just a month away. On the 7^th of July 2016 the first member arrives in the country. Dulip Nilaweera also known as ‘Tonto’ both at school and at home, who at one time had second thoughts in coming over from the UK is now the first to come.

Manilal who is very much a retiree, with his beloved wife Hemanthi had been to Bandarawela already and booked up the whole of the premises and the 10 chalets at the Tourist Board Holiday Resort overlooking the school. They have even arranged with the photographers and met the incumbent Headmaster of the school and discussed a programme for the two days 12th 13th August 2016, in line with the already scheduled AGM of S Thomas’ College Bandarawela……..[that’s how the school is called now.]

By the last week of July I call all the locals once more for confirmation of attendance while Manilal and Nagalingam [Nage] coordinated with the arrivals of the expatriates. Nalin Abeyratne was the next to arrive all the way from Scotland who very generously undertook to accompany Ms. Indrani Elleopla to Bandarawela. She is the only surviving lady teacher who taught the Class of 66, while the only other surviving gentleman being Mr. Coillpillai. Today he is a Reverend  having ordained robes and is to travel with us from Colombo.

The first week of August saw the influx of the arrivals; Thowfeek from USA, Muralitharan and Sivanandhan from Australia, ALPD Perera from Dubai and Sri Dharan and Vivekanandhan from India.

It is interesting to note that Muralidharan and Sri Dharan have been sitting together in the same flight from Chennai and did not recognized each other until at the baggage claim.

I am finally through in locating the last person on my list; Tilak Wimalasooriya. In the meantime Nage manage to locate the missing one of the two girls, Vasanthi Kumar. Devika Collins nee Edirisinghe the other is in Australia and is scheduled to come over. We are lucky to have located both of them at the last moment. However they both could not make it to the event. Vasanthi for lack of time for  to leave from India and Tilak due to an unavoidable family need.

Anura Punchihewa who had earlier communicated of his intention to be in Australia during this time, calls me to confirm his availability for the event. This was a consolation for Tilak’s inability.

The most looked forward person ALPD Perera arrives in the country on the 9^th of August while the last scheduled arrival is Devika Edirisinghe from Australia who is to land just a day before we leave for Bandarawela from Colombo.

I am but worried of another. Hemasiri Kotagama [Kota] in Oman had been silent and I try desperately to contact him when he finally responds my E mail saying he is already in town and would find his way to Bandarawela from Kandy. Kota’s calming mail is countered by Devika’s alarming mail. She is denied from flying to Sri Lanka for her Australian passport being expired just three days before. The follow up to obtain an emergency passport is having hick ups with holidays and shortened office hours and getting support documents from Sri Lanka. Finally she is to arrive on the last day just in time for the Fellowship Dinner.

The Euphoria builds up

ALPD Perera was definitely a man for all seasons and the news of his presence in the country makes many of the Gurutalawa boys also needing to be in Bandarawela to attend the Social Night that is planned for at the resort. We had to make a strong ruling that the re-union is limited to the boys and girls of the Class of 66 at Bandarawela and the limited accommodation facilities would not facilitate any others. They are to have another evening with ALPD in Colombo later.

There seem to be other interests building up Down-Under as well. In the run-up for the event I make contact with our Lower Kindergarten teacher Ms. Erangany Sevadorai nee Karunaratne who is now living in Australia. I tell her about the upcoming event and that we intend to bring over Ms. Ellepola the only surviving lady teacher who taught us in the Standard 5.  Ms. Karunaratne tells me she had just returned from a visit to the UK where she had met another of the Class of 66 member, Maduma Ratnayake and that it would be a challenge to come over here but never the less would like to meet Ms. Ellepola, who is now an octogenarian.

Mrs.Erangany Meets Ms. Indrani 

The following week I get a message from her saying that 9^th of August is the census day in Australia and that she would be leaving just after the count to be in Bandarawela on the 11^th. She gives me the contact number of our first teacher at Bandarawela, Mrs. Merline Peiris nee Fernando who is also in her eighties now.  Mrs. Merline was also delighted to hear of the event but was too feeble for the long journey all the way to Bandarawela.

There is but only one other batch that could celebrate a similar Golden Jubilee re-union of STPSB and that is the 1967 batch. From 1968 onward STPSB commenced classes beyond Standard 5. There was a few others who were our seniors at STPSB who also wanted to be accounted with our celebrations. They were to be a group that had to be given consideration and they commanded themselves to the event anyway. They would be staying elsewhere and would join us at the Social Night at the resort and the Special Assembly that the Headmaster would conduct for us to honor the past teachers who will be at the event.

Thus we were to have Suresh Markandan, Bandula Vithanage & Upali Gunaratne who would be staying with Christopher Stork at Spring Valley, Badulla.  There was one other special person who also got news of the event and contaced me. Neil Horadagoda also an old boy of Bandarawela and Gurutalawa and is now a Veterinary Science Professor at the Sydney University is also in Badulla visiting his mother and preferred to come over to the school for the assembly.  Later Suresh is to regret his absence, compelling his stay back in Colombo.

Mithra Edirisinghe, Devika’s elder brother who joined the teaching staff of Bandarawela the year we left, calls me to say that he too will be coming over with Mr. F R Joseph [FRJ] and Mrs. Joseph. FRJ was in the School Administration then who later joins the teaching staff.

Ms, Indari Ellepola , Mr.& Mrs. F R Joseph with Mrs. Erangany Selvadorai

Going back to Bandarawela after almost 50 years brought in nostalgic memories to many. Most of us had been living in this area or our parents were employed in this area then. The most sort after travel to Bandarawela then was by train. A train journey to Bandarawela is sure to bring back the nostalgia of that bygone era once again. Rajaram, Muralitharan and Sivanadhan preferred to take the train to Bandarawela for nostalgic reasons and they would be there a day before us visiting their ancestry homes and reminiscing their birth places in and around Bandarawela.

Fr. Coilpillai with Siva and Sri

The railway still runs in the same old way it ran 50 years ago with a limitation of six to seven wagons at that same speed or even slower now from Colombo to Badulla. It was this train journey that we all longed for then to come home in the company of Mr. FRJ who would entrust us to our parents waiting in the stations to collect us.

Finally it was the inquiries about the finances that one would need to subscribe for the event. We had never discussed costs as a primary requirement, the idea was to get all in that photograph to come up to Bandarawela at any cost. Our beloved friends ALPD and Thowfeek had assisted very generously towards the logistics and assistance on behalf of the needy. However everyone did contribute towards the nominal expenses and finances was never a matter to be discuss nor was a propriety.

Back to School by Bus

          

Finally the long waited day dawns. Friday 12^th August 2016. The bus would be leaving at 4:30 A.M. from the Thalawathugoda Keels-Super car park. Nage was to collect most of the guys as his driver would  bring him over to Thalawathugoda. All of us were punctual being on time for Manilal was very meticulous in getting things done in an orderly manner. Unfortunately Wathuhewa, one of those in the closest proximity to the location keep Nage and the rest waiting for over 45 minutes and we are to take a delayed start at 5:15 A.M. 

LS sans hair on head with Lal Samaraweera

Next to collect was L S Perera [LS] who would be at the top of his lane by 4:30 A.M., but his phone would not respond and we are now in a dilemma whether to skip him. Finally we decide to go for him and if he is not on the road to skip him. To all our surprise there he is. We only knew it was him because he walked over to the bus and we inquired if he was L S Perera. He was a person with a hairdo that resembled a Buckingham Soldier. Today it is the opposite with a bare skin, sans any hair.

It was a most surprising and interesting time getting to know each other in the bus. Mahesha Abeynayake from Australia was only recognized because of his Australian fiancée Vanessa. Dulip Nilaweera [Tonto] was a difficult one even though we knew he was in the bus. It would have been the same to both Dulip and Mahesha to recognize all of us. However Thangaraj was a difficult one for all, we had not met Thanga much even while in Colombo. Sridharan and Vivekanadan [Poochi] have not changed much. Father Coilpillai that we knew in his handsome 20’s then is now over seventy. ALPD was coming on his own to Bandarawela while Nihal Perera was to follow us by car.

After Breakfast at River Garden Belihul Oya

We are on the Southern Highway and on to the Panadura-Ratnapura road to avoid the morning school traffic and to make up time to be spent together at the resort. Breakfast was to be at the River Garden Hotel in Belihul Oya. Again Manilal being so meticulous had arranged all this beforehand and timed the itinerary accordingly. 

Almost three hours of dozing in air conditioned comfort we are at Belihul Oya for breakfast around 9:00 A.M. It’s a spread of a European and Oriental culinary combination with ample fresh juice rounded up with a steaming brew of high grown aromatic tea. A sumptuous breakfast had we all take a photograph with the River Garden Hotel in the background and are ready for the second leg of the bus journey. A travel time of a round an hour and a half all the way to Bandarawela.

When in Bandarawela our friend Sidath Perera, the ‘Poor Little Rich Boy’ of Dr. Wilfred Perera, [the famous gynecologist] says that his father has booked him into the Bandarawela Hotel and that he prefers to be where his father wants him to be. We have no option but we drop the fellow with his suitcase and all at the Bandarawela Hotel and proceed to the resort up on the hill overlooking the school. It was so strange to find his father looking after his needs even at this ripe old age of 60 when the father would also be over 80 now. It was so amusing to think so.

Sidath is not welcome at the Bandarawela Hotel- Manilal calms us with raised hand

However to all our surprise Sidath is back following us in a taxi saying that his father has apparently not booked him into the up market Bandarawela Hotel but to the old lousy Bandarawela Rest-House. He is now a happy man at the resort engaged in his painting hobby.

The Holiday Resort

We are now on the meadows of yesteryear Bandarawela, which is now turned into a Holiday Resort. Much are the dwelling houses that have come up on the once bare hills where Friesian cattle grazed 50 years ago. We are at leisure in the garden waiting for those who are coming on their own. Manilal again should be commended for sourcing two crates of Carlsberg beer, a commodity that is so scarce these days.

Under the beer tree

Relaxing and sipping into cold beer we reminisce the past 50 years when we find more people coming in. They are coming towards us over the rolling mountain side.  First it was Rajaram, Murali and Sivanadhan who had been to their ancestral abodes and had visited the old Hindu kovil in Bandarawel; their foreheads smeared with coloured holy ash. With gods permission they too join in the beer embracing each other which I’m sure if done at school 50 years ago, would have been taboo.

Murali, Ram and Siva 

Nalin brings in Ms Ellepola

Finally the long waited two arrive. Nalin Abeyrtane with Ms. Indrani Ellepola is coming over the hill and we all rush just as would have done as kids 50 years ago. It was all hugs and devotional welcome to her from all. Nalin was also the recipient of an occasional hug until we all took seats under the beer tree once again.

We all get a ‘Polo shirt’ each, specially done for the event and sponsored by Thowfeek . After Lunch we settle down for the evening in the 10 chalets that had bunk type beds. The plan for the evening is to have tea at the resort and go down to the school and walk through the halls and corridors with high nostalgia.

In School with the incumbent Headmaster

We are all clad in the white polo shirt with the old school crest and go down to school where we meet the Headmaster who showed us the expanded school. It was to be a very tiny and small school that was here 50 years ago as we remember. The perspectives that we as kids had of the school then seem so small to us adults now. Our walk end up at the Peiris dormitory and find this dormitory to be in the same shape as it was 50 years ago. We walk over to the famous 'ice-room' where the bed wetter’s were housed. Poor Kota says he had company then but could not remember all but Suresh Markandan was a member here.

Ms. Elleopla in conversation with the Headmaster - Wathu, Aravinda Abeysooriya, Thangarajand Frank around with Panini

We are informed that there are a very few boarders when compared to the day scholars now. It was the other way round 50 years ago. The condition of the present day dormitories will not bring in any boarders in this era. When an average home at present time have tiled floors and attached bathrooms. Any parent will have a second thought to house a child in a dormitory of this state . It was not the case when we were kids. Some of us did not have electricity at home when compared to the comforts we had in school. Times have changed and things need to change accordingly.

In the new kindergarten class rooms

We walk back to the dining hall for a cup of tea and walk up to the classroom block and roam behind the chapel, reminiscing the nooks and corners where we played hide and seek and where some were up to mischief as well.

By the chapel

Back on the hill we are ready for our Social-Night. Again in the outdoors but not under the beer tree but more closer to the resort building. We now have all the participants including those that reside in and around Bandarawela also spending the night with us. Aravinda Abeysooriya, Yogeswaran, Anura Punchihewa and R M Gunasiri the one from the village, whose father was the Rate Mahathaya of Amunudowa. In fact our Gunasiri is also known as Amunudowe Ralahami today, keeping in line with the family title. It was through this prefix that I managed to locate him. Nobody knew him as Gunasiri.

Nage Gunasiri and Tonto with Ram and Poochi in the far ground

Our Social Nite

The party kept going late into the night with all those seniors mentioned before also joining us. The other staff members, Mr. & Mrs. Joseph and Mr. Mithra Edirisinghe is also with us. Mrs. Erangany Karunaratne too has come over from Australia as planned and she calls me requesting to be excused from the social but would be at the chapel the following morning for the service and she would join us at the Fellowship Dinner.

Bandula Vithanage with ALPD

Everybody was in high spirits including the brown eyed Murali who is elated with his mineral water. We call it a day and enjoy a dinner with string hoppers and chicken curry with a fiery pol sambol and retire for the night as we have a very busy schedule the following day.

Inside the chalets different encounters were sure have taken place.  My chalet was a full house with four; Christo, LS, Tonto and me in the two bunk beds with Frank and Dimbula in the next room on the two single beds.

Tonto and I occupied the upper bunk as both Christo and LS had extra bulk that made the slim ladder to wobble. No sooner the lights were put out both Christo and LS go “ZZZ-Zzzz-ZZzzz-hngGGggh-Ppbhww- zZZzzzZZ . . . they are both in a sonorous droning. Tonto being disturbed and uneasy keeps tapping on the wooden side plate on the upper bunk, to no avail. In a while I too fall asleep and most definitely did join the two below. Come morning Tonto is not in the bunk bed and I locate him stretched out on the dining table in the upper floor.

  

I get up early and get into my regular sweat out and walk all the way passing the Keble dorm, the school gate and into the old golf links. There is no golf link now but a large complex of a series of buildings of the Government Technical College. I walk all the way passing the ditch in the golf link. The depression in the ground is still visible but the ditch in which we waded for fun has all been drained out.

On the way back I inquire from the security guard at the gate if there is a way to go up to the holiday resort directly over the hill. He tells me there was an old footpath which is not used now but judging me for an outsider who for nostalgic reasons need to go up this way he allows me in the premises and directs me.

This was the old route we took to go up to the “Little Thatch”. Ms. Blanchard’s cottage which later became the abode of Mr. & Mrs. Godfrey Peiris. Kota came over to live with the Peiris’ after graduating from the 'ice-room' in the school dormitory. He was a fond favorite of the couple who very nearly adopted him, says Kota. Later on Thangaraj too joined him at the ‘Little Thatch’.

The Reunion

Everyone is ready in Lounge Suit expect for Kota in his Oriental Lounge attire and a matching golf cap. We all go down to the school chapel. It was nothing strange for us non-Christians to be sitting through services for we had even been in the school choir while at school.

After the service the first major event of the re-union is to take place. We would be taking the same school leaving photograph taken with the chapel as the background 50 years ago and in the same sequence.

The 50 year old photograph that brought us together 

The photograph taken after 50 years

With the present staff

This was to be the most nostalgic and solemnest moment of the event.  Of the eight teachers who tutored us in the Standard 5 then, only two are existent, Mr. Coilpillai and Ms. Ellepola. Empty seats are left vacant in memory of the other teachers. We all take our positions just as we had been asked to in 1966 leaving gaps for those absent and the two deceased, Ganesh Kumar and Ajith Wanigasekara are no more. Next we sit for a group photo with the present day teachers and the Headmaster. This was followed by those who were prefects and sportsmen taking photos. Photo sessions over we proceed to the dining hall passing the class rooms and the old bell structure sans the bell for a typical school breakfast of pol sambol and bread with a fried egg chased down with hot brewed tea with milk.

The old belfry sans the bell

School Breakfast

ALPD and Poochi with Mr. Godfrey Peiris' sons

Item two for the day is the Special Assembly for the Class of 66 before the scheduled AGM of the Old Boys Association. We are into a delay with the Headmaster taking time and it is said the assembly will take place after the AGM. We become a forced assemblage to witness the cold war between the Headmaster and the officials of the Exco.  A bitter and unruly way of handling matters related to school administration. However the intermittent animated verbal barrages of Panini Edirisinghe at the lectern, emulating ‘Kermit’ of Sesame street fame kept us amused for over an hour. Finally the AGM comes to a stalemate situation and it’s time for our assembly.

We take seats on one wing of the Keble Hall and the seniors with Neil Horadagoda are also back in school after last night’s social. The Headmaster is pleased about the first ever such event organized by the Class of 66. He welcome us to the school and admires the presence of Ms. Ellepola, Mrs. Karunaratne, Mr. & Mrs. Joseph and Mr. Mithra Edirisinghe.

Manilal and I brief the gathering of the significance and the run up to the event and acknowledge the generosity of ALPD, Thowfeek and the others who in their own special ways for sponsoring the event.

A small memento to honour the existent teachers is given away by the Headmaster on behalf of the Class of 66, brings the assembly to an end. We now go up to our old classroom of standard 5, the second room from the then school office for the final event of the re-union; to enact a class session with Ms. Ellepola as the class teacher.

We all take seats at the tiny desk and chair and Ms. Ellepola walks into the class when we all stand up for her and say good afternoon Miss. She orders us to sit and the attendance taken and the reason for the absentees are discussed in a very novel way. Next was the call up to narrate your memories to the elderly class.

Kota making his confession 

First was Nalin exposing how Ms. Ellepola hit Bandula Vithanage with a piece of chalk to get his attention when she accidentally threw the bunch of keys instead, injuring Bandula. For which she was remorseful to Bandula even today. Nalin went on to say about Michael Goonawardane messing up inguru [ginger] and anguru [char coal] at the school kitchen.

Manilal briefed the class about him and his brother Lalin facing an admission test to enter the school midway, when their father was transferred to the Badulla hospital. SLA had advised his father that the boys could be admitted two classes behind to standard 2 for their English was so poor. They then had to undergo a rigorous tuition session in English for one year at home before they were admitted to standard 5 the following year. 

Pooch narrated about how contented they were when SLA’s car would stop a few yards from his home for the lack of air pressure in the tires …….. A tit for tat for being punished in the poetry class.

Kota was in all faithfulness to Ms. Ellepola for providing him with an ample stock of pictures for his scrap book. Which would otherwise be decorated with the multiple mackerel fish, all swimming in one direction. This was about the only pictorial commodity that a household did have in that bygone era.

Last was Tonto in the typical Nilaweera brand giving basic standards of measurements and its invention related to human morphology and anthropomorphic?  Yes the Nilaweera siblings were a kind of a brand and they were all bright and clever.

Next Fr. Coilpillai detailed how he enjoyed a Sunday beer with Godfrey Peiris at the ‘Little Thatch’ after Sunday mass. Kota now had a confession to make….he has had his fist drips of alcohol [beer] from the left overs in these bottles, where as now he could take charge of a few bottles. 

Mrs. Erangany Karunaratne related how the handsome Coilpillai in his 20’s, used to tease the young lady teachers.

The brochure is distributed by Manilal 

The mornings photograph is now printed and placed in a brochure alongside the original one taken in 1966 is delivered to class. Again Manilal’s specifics in coordination is at work. 

This classic memento is distributed to all. A once in a lifetime experience to be carried home and to be proud with your wife and family. The class ends and we go down to the dining hall for the Headmasters lunch and back in the resort relaxing before the Fellowship at the Bandarawela Hotel.

While many are taking an evening siesta, Kota, Punchi and I venture into locate the ‘Little Thatch’. It was not that easy as the locality has changed very much and in fact we had walked past the old cottage unknowingly. The cottage is now vested in the school and is renovated as the chaplains living quarters. The 'maana' thatched roof is now having a metal cladding but the foot print has not changed. We could not get into the house as it was closed.

Back in the garden we have tea when Ms. Ellepola and Nalin also take seats with us. We have company, Ediriweera who is junior to us and married from the Acme house close to college has come over to see Tonto, his cousin. Acme was the name of a confectionery run by the family. An old photograph that Ediriweera brought in with his in-law and a special lady in it, made Nalin break loose of his childhood pranks of being a peeping tom, having seen how Adma and Eve behaved after taking the forbidden fruit. This made Miss Ellepola almost choke with bewilderment. This was all about someone and something that used to take place then which we all knew but was apprehensive to discuss then. Ms. Ellepola also added her side of the story of this pitiful lady as a pretext. After a hearty laugh we see the sun going behind the hill and it’s time to get ready for the Fellowship Dinner.

The Fellowship Dinner

Everyone is seen in their best casual wear for the fellowship dinner at the Bandarawela Hotel. I have no doubt that everyone will agree with me to say that we the Class of 66 did steal the day of the OBA that day. We were all welcomed by Angela Seneviratne the fair lady who was also a tomboy much junior to us in school. The band playing and the Class of 66 all turning 60 years of age was unmatched on the dancing floor when compared to the young lads of today. Not to mention Ms. Ellepola in her 80’s singing and dancing her own solos made us feel back in those tender ages we were 50 years ago.

Waltzing ALPD with Ms.Ellepola

Murali Nage and Siva

To everybody’s surprise here arrives the jewel in the crown………..Devika the only female at the jubilee celebrations has finally made it to the fellowship with her husband.  It was definitely the most joyous moments in all our lives for sure. Vanessa and Devika were the happiest on the dancing floor with ALPD and Ms. Ellepola waltzing to Sridharan’s Sinhala songs backed by the one man band who sang old favourites of Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdink our time heroes in the music world.

The climax of the fellowship

The climax came when the Exco brought in a cake in honour of our 50 year jubilee which was cut in unison by Ms. Ellepola and Fr. Coilpillai. The evening comes to an end just past mid-night and we are back in the resort after a hectic day.

50 year Jubilee celebration 

Devika makes it to the fellowship 

All good things come to an end

Breakfast next morning  is very long. Siri Silva of Sirisara fame in Kurunegala was our Billy Bunter in class. Today he is very sick and refrained from coming up to the event on doctor’s advice. Late last night Siri calls me saying that he saw some of the photos posted in the FB by Nihal Perera and his conscience did not allow him to stay home and is now coming over to have the last breakfast with us… against his doctor’s orders. To everybody’s surprise Siri had left Kurunegala at the wee hours to be at the breakfast table at 8.00 A.M. in Bandarawela with us.

Siri comes all the way from Kurunegala for breakfast

Devika has brought a small stuffed Koala bear as an individual souvenir to everyone. Mithra Edirisinghe came in with his last set of copies of ‘Foot Prints’ the history of the school done for the 70^th anniversary to be given to those who are living overseas.

Nalin making a point to  Mithra  and  Devika's hubby

Finally it’s time to say ‘adios’………. hugs all around and Thank-you cards signed up by all and the organizers felicitated by the only ladyship Devika brings this memorable two days merry making to a conclusion. The final parting photograph was taken on the hill with a vow to come back here one more time before we breathe our last.

The big Thank You

End of the story

Three hearty cheers for the Class 66....hip hip hooray,,,, hip hip hooray,,,,hip hip hooray,,,,,,,

Postscript

The idea of a re-union was something that inspired in Manilal’s mind ever since he made friends with me in the FB and had access to the 1966 year-end photograph of STPSB. It took three years for us to locate many in the photograph. A few are still to be located. The search will go on in an individual way. Any such locating will be notified to all by E mail.

Finally I must say, if not for the persistent enthusiasm of both Manilal and his beloved wife Hemanthi this event would not have been this amusing and this unique.

Let me now divulge what Hemanthi had told Manila when he was back at home from Bandarawela……."she had seen Manilal this happy in his life only twice……….the first, was the day he got married to her… and the second being the re–union of the Class of 66 without her……… I’m sure every other spouse would have felt so, while also being jealous of us to have enjoyed two days without their company."

The Maestro is no more

Now that the Maestro Amaradewa is no more having bid farewell to the nation that is to continue mourning for a few more days………let me put here our feelings and encounters from the time of the first announcement of him being hospitalized.

It was Thursday 3rd Nov 2016, morning and I am leaving to Hambantota having put up at my home in Galle. Around 6.45 A.M. the car radio voices out that the Maestro has been admitted to the Sri Jayawardanepura Hospital. I have a cold shiver running down my spine and I call home and give the news to my wife and she is taken a shock and hopes nothing is serious.

Next I call my closest Architect friend working with me who is equally worried. I then text a message to those I feel should be of concern of him being taken ill. Now I am flooded with voice calls asking what is that message that you sent was about. I go read the message again to see what I really wrote to them and start explaining that it is that Pandith Amaradewa is hospitalized and is in the Emergency Treatment Unit at Sri Jayawardanapura.

I now feel that I have overestimated the present clan with regard to the Maestro and his music in our current society. By 11.30 A.M. I get a call from my wife and before I answer her I could feel her trembling hand it was the news of his demise.

Evening I am on my way to Colombo and call her to place a white flag on our ‘Araliya’ tree and discuss of the possibilities of attending the funeral the following day.

Friday 4th Nov 2016…………The flag is on the ‘Araliya’ tree and my wife is at the gate answering the tooting car horns and the bicycle bells….."No it is nothing about the husband but it is as a respect for Maestro Amaradewa". ….it was only this one white flag down our lane. What a pity?

Friday was an auspicious one and I am at a wedding of a office colleague. By late evening my wife joins me to pay our last respects to the Maestro at the Independence Hall. Clad in white we drive to our office in Bagatale road were I park my car and take a ‘tuk tuk ‘ to the Independence Hall; when the tuk tuk driver tells me “wonder if it is possible to go there with so many people …..Jana Gangawa“. I tell him let’s get as close as we could and we will walk the rest……He parks for us right at the foot of the stairs of the Independence Hall.

We are lost to see that Janagangawa that the media blasted over their wave lengths forcing to me park the car at the office.

We join the few heads of bereaved, sorrowed and saddened …… we were pleased to spend as much time we could at the casket of the Maestro. Our hearts would not let us leave this place… We then seat ourselves alongside for over an hour where over a hundred vacant seats were available until the clergy took the seats when we as in tradition stood up for them ready to leave the Maestro.

Now on our way home past 9.30 P.M. in the night both our phones start ringing…………….. "Where have you both been?".... We had been in a news clip in the late night news, queuing up at the Independence Hall………………

You may wonder why I have to tell all this ……..There is reason for me to write this note because…. This was a state funeral in the heart of the City of Colombo. There was hardly any white flag on any of the lamp post that have such a unit for flags by the Colombo Municipal Council [CMC].

 We have seen how the CMC has acted during state visits of dignitaries and during political events.

The CMC may have reasons for this………….leave out any reasoning? It will still be a shame on the part of CMC’s actions during a state funeral where the deceased was the first and could be the only one to be placed inside the Independence Hall. 

Nothing here is fictitious; everything is true and actual

CLASS OF 66–REMEMBERS THE EVENTS CALENDAR AT THE BOARDING SCHOOL IN BANDARAWELA

We who left St Thomas’ Preparatory School Bandarawela [STPSB] in 1966 having completed the Standard Five; the highest grade in the school then call ourselves the Class of 66.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of our stay at STPSB. The Class of 66 are to reunite at the school from the 12th to the 14th of August in line with the scheduled AGM of the Old Boys Association.

My memories of this institution have been noted from time to time in order to lift the spirits of the Class of 66 and to arouse the nostalgia of all who passed through this institution in the 1960’s.

This is the last of such a memorabilia before this once in a lifetime reunion.

This institution that had exceptional organizational skills conducted its annual events to a calendar that was planned and prepared at the beginning of the year. Ever since my friend Manilal de Mel posted the old events calendar for the year 1966 which was our last year at school in Bandarawela my memory ran down to the basic sub cultures that we had developed in line with this annual events calendar.

I had touched on the academia and its teachers on two previous write-ups and this last write up is all about sports and extra activities as I remember to this day.

First Term

Generally the First Term in school commenced from January and ended just in time for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Holidays in April. The first term was dedicated for Cricket as the sport where we played interschool matches in the groups Under 8 and Under 11 with schools in Badulla and with STC Gurutalawa. Badulla had a number of good schools that took sports seriously then.

School cricket in the 60’s was far from what it is today. We had pads that needed to be buckled on to our calf muscle. Velcro was yet to be invented. It was a common sight to find batsmen adjusting their pads in the field holding up play as the buckle did not have a hole positioned to suit every calf size. Ultimately one ended up with two or more handkerchiefs securing the pad on your lower leg. The ground boy had a lot to do before a match. The bats we used needed to be seasoned. This was done by applying a generous coating of Linseed oil on the willow and kept exposed to sunlight for absorption. Then a leather ball was inserted in shoe sock that was suspended from a height and you went on hitting the ball will the bat until there was no vibration on the handle. The batsmen wore linen gloves with green coloured spikey rubber strips that were sewn on the outer fingers for protection against the ball. These are now replaced with the padded leather sausage glove. I would say it was the primitive stage of cricket paraphernalia then. There were no helmets, no arm guards, and no rib guards but there was the cup that guarded your testicles. But I’m sure none of them fitted the tiny bunch of the Under 11. They were not worn as there was hardly anyone at that age who could bowl you a bull's-eye then.

The height of the cricket season was not of a big match as today. It was the Fathers vs. Sons match played on the school grounds that had a big attraction from the adjoining village as well. I remember once when Hon. Dudley Senanayake played for the fathers and the ball as well as the bowler was not spared when he cleared the ropes several times until the ball was never to be found. The fathers won the match…..however there was a disqualification proposal brought in of Dudley’s participation as he did not qualify to be a father?……….a qualification that is best known only to Dudley himself.

Another finale and a pain to everyone in the first term was the Spelling Bee Contest that was conducted annually. This was something that was started by Mr. S L A Ratnayake and was not a favored activity for many. There was but one or two who was somewhat good at difficult words and did come forward to represent their houses. I for one was not good at it then neither am I now.

The first term therefore was dedicated for cricket and this was mainly in the form of two teams involving 30 players…..There was also a sub culture that went in line with the main sport at all times. If my memory is right it was in this term that we enjoyed playing Hopscotch. 

One needs to draw the Hopscotch pattern on the ground and throw a flat stone onto a square. The stone should not touch the sides of the square. Then the player needs to hop in the squares always having only one foot in a square. When you return to the square with the stone it should be picked up still being on one foot and making sure to clear that square clean. When you have gone through all the squares you get a handicap to own a square. This is by throwing the stone overhead standing on the semicircular sector at the top of the pattern. If the stone falls on a square clean you own that square and no other player could enter that square. This way towards the end of the game the hop turns into a long jump. It was to be such an interesting game then.

The term end always signified with the Prize giving for the previous year. This was a very glamorous event. In our junior days during Mr. Paul Raj’s period it was held on the small stage in the main building. The collapsible folding partitions that separated the classrooms were unbolted and folded to the sides creating the school hall. The stage was decorated with crape-paper and ample tinsels. The prize table with the prizes and the trophies were illuminated by Mr. Charles’s electrics and spot lighting.

The event commenced in the afternoon and went on till late evening. The long recitation of the Headmasters speech that was printed in the prize day report was turned on and on by the parents while the headmaster kept reading it. Then it was the speech of the Chief Guest and the giving away of the prizes commenced through his ladyship.

Mr. Cyril at his car with us.

To us the most attractive piece of interest in the prize giving was Mr. Cyril… the proprietor photographer of Cyril Studio Bandarawela. He was one piece of a machine. Unlike today technology was yet to be miniaturized. He held a fairly large battery pack in a leather case on his right shoulder hanging down to his waist that gave power to his camera. His best and the most expensive camera was used for the event. No extension lenses were available then but the camera lens that could be folded out of the camera-body gave him the extra focal length that was required. The light path from the lens to the celluloid light recorder in the camera was covered with an accordion type folds of thick black paper that folded in and out when the lens was packed into the camera-body. It was more like the cameras used by the cartoon characters today.

There were no flash guns as today but a long aluminium ‘L’ shaped attachment which was fixed to the camera that held an aluminium silver reflector with a bulb holder was the flash mechanism. Mr. Cyril wore a waist belt that could hold a pack of these bulbs that went into the reflector. Each time an indoor photograph is taken a flash bulb would go off with a funny ‘POP’ sound and a bit of smoke ………illuminating the stage like when lightning strikes before thunder. After the photo is taken and the used bulb with shattered glass held behind a plastic cover popped out of the reflector automatically saving time for him to plant a new bulb from his waist belt into the reflector.

One bulb per photograph; as the prize list was read at a slow pace keeping time for Mr. Cyril to get ready for the next shot. At the end we scavengers went about looking for the used bulbs that were collected for what reason I am yet to know.

The first term holidays in our school was to be the longest in the year. It generally covered the Sinhala Tamil New Year and the Vesak Festival in May, if it fell within the first fifteen days of the month.

Second Term

The second term was a busy term in relation to sports and other activities. At the beginning of the term we always had the school excursion for the standard five class. I remember we were taken in a reserved compartment in the late night mail train from Bandarawela to Colombo for an excursion that lasted two nights in Colombo. We reached Colombo in the early morning hours and there was a CTB bus that picked us up at the Fort railway station. This was arranged by our classmate Ajith Wanigasekara’s father who happened to be in a Managerial position in the CTB then. It was in this bus that we went over to the Harbour, the Dehiwala Zoo, the Lever Brothers factory, the Museum etc. In the Harbour everyone was taken on to a ship and explained of how a ship would set about in the high seas… it was Greek to us then. I am sure we all could remember the depths of the dry docks and the thrilling cruise in the Police Launch within the harbour breakwaters. This was again through the courtesies of a parent who was the Inspector of the Harbour Police then.

The Zoo and Museum were a general walk through at that age but for the elephant antic and pranks in the evening at the zoo was enjoyed by all. I very well remember the famous meal stops then. It was at ‘Pudding House’ outlets…. the renowned eatery then where we took in packeted meals to be had on the way. Pudding House and Pagoda Restaurants were the famous eateries then in Colombo. Pudding House is no more and the Pagoda Restaurant is limited to the Green Cabin in Kollupitiya today. The last Pudding House I still remember was close to Siripala Road on Galle Road Mt Lavinia, where I said goodbye to the last Thomian institution in the early 70’s.

At Lever Brothers we all got a pack of their products from soaps to toothpaste but some of us were not permitted in the factory on safety reasons for us being so tiny and small. I happened to be one of the unfortunates. On the third day we came back to school in the Udarata Menike train from Colombo. As always in any school even today the following week we had to write an essay of our excursion to Colombo.

Next in line for this term was the drama festival. STPSB was famous for drama and it was of very high standard then. We had the blessings of the eminent dramatist Mrs. Aileen Sarathchandra and I remember there were cupboards full of costumes of all sorts. We never had to tax our parents for costumes unlike school kids do today. The nativity play for Christmas was always an event with any boy selected from any faith. I remember some dramas that were played…. Ali Baba & the 40 Thieves, The Enchanted Shirt, King Midas and his Golden Touch, Elowa gihin melowa Aawa………etc. There was always dance and song items before a drama commenced. Initially they were played on the school hall and when Mr. S L A Ratnayake came in he had them in the Bandarawela Town Hall as Public Shows knowing that they were of very high standard. My friend Arawandy Muralitharan who is scheduled to come over from Aussi will remember his role as the beggar in the drama Enchanted Shirt. He was to be the happiest man that day and his long shirt was taken away to the King. Guess he is the same happy man to this day down in Australia.

Drill competition

Towards midterm we all get ready for the inter-house drill competitions and the inter-house sports meet and the cross country race. Unlike the 30 students who played cricket in the first term we all had to take part in the inter-house sports meet. It was a tough time for the house masters as lists had to be drawn up for every event and boys selected through their skills and competence for these events. The field events took place before the real sports meet which was the finale of the end of the second term. One special event in this school was the inter-house drill parade that was held in line with the field events for athletics. The squads were clad in white shorts and sleeveless vests with a ribbon across your breast stitched bearing the colour of the house. We wore brand new canvas shoes and white socks. Every parent of the squads’ kids had the cost of the white canvas shoes socks and the vest in the following month’s school fees. The current Rin washing powder advertisement on TV today reminds me of this drill parade …..New clothes were needed then as white material turned a pale yellow those days with multiple washing.

The drill squads were exercised to the command of the house captain who led the three lines of the squad formation. The overall marching orders were given to all the squads of the four houses by the school captain. Points were given for neatness and the timing and the uniformity of the exercises. This was by the staff and the Chief Guest who was generally someone form the Tri-Forces in Diyatalawa or the Police. The best house was announced and the trophy was presented on the Sports Meet Day.

There were two very peculiar field events in this school further to the long jump and the high jump events. It was hockey dribbling and kicking the football. We did not have the javelin throw and the discus throw but the Put-Shot. The Put Shot was favoured for the Billy Bunter types; and it was Siri Silva who managed to throw the furthest in our class.

Hockey dribbling was to take the hockey ball between equally placed 10 bottles without knocking any bottle either by the ball, stick or man. The fastest with least bottles knocked was the winner. This probably was with the hopes of getting us prepared for the game in the senior schools.

Kicking the football of course was to select the winner who could place kick a football to the furthest distance. The ball had to travel in a projectile. We did not know our Applied Mathematics then, where a projectile needed to leave the station at an angle of 45 degree to gain the maximum displacement.

Keble House and Hulugalla House tents

Finally the term end day comes and it is the Sports Meet Day. On the day before the school carpenter will put up four sheds of aluminium roof on timber approximately 8 feet X 10 feet which would be our house tent. The teachers with our help will decorate these houses and the best decorated house was selected for an award. It was almost always the house of Ms. Ellepola that won the best decorated house. We had four houses dedicated to the benefactors. The Keble House, De Saram House, Hulugalla House, and Hayman House.

The action station headed by Mr. Godfrey Peiris at the Sports Meet

The grand finale of the sport meet was the lighting of the large torch depicting the Olympic principles. The torch itself was built by the school carpenter. A large timber frame done to the shape of an extra-large ice-cream cone cladded in a galvanized sheet and painted in Dark Blue, Light Blue and Gleaming White, was erected in the center of the grounds. The inside was stuffed with jute gunnies and cotton waste soaked in kerosene and coconut oil. The four house captains would stand at quarter distance of the running track when the first runner would light the torch of the second then the third and the fourth…and once the four torches are lit all four would run the full track and come to the main torch in the center and go up four ladders and aim the four flames to the top of the main torch. The stuffed gunnies would then catch fire but eventually give out a heavy smoke till the end of the meet. This was the beginning of our sport meet.

Athletes and staff during our period - Sarath Weerasekara, Michael Goonawardane,
AHM Thowfeek, Ediriweera, Nalin Abeyratne, P Warhuhewa with Mr Mithra Edirisinghe
Ms Ellepola, Ms Karunaratne, Ms Senaratne and Ms Nadarajah 

If I remember the words right the games captain would then announce over the microphone the commencement of the meet thus…….

“we swear that we shall take part in the schools’ sport meet….respecting the rules that govern the sport……..to the honour of our school …..and for the glory of sport ”

The track events would now commence and the funniest events would be the teacher’s race and the gunny bag race.

Towards dusk with the lights fading the event would come to an end with the awards distribution and it was time to go home for the August vacation.

Third Term

The third term in Badarawela is generally a wet and gloomy one. The north-east monsoon is already active when we come to school in September. The main sporting event in this term is Football. This was basically played at inter-house level and the term was with less outdoor activity due to the inclement weather and Football being the only permitted play in the rain.

Football itself was so different from what it is today. The ball was of leather sectors cut to equal shape and sewn together with a laced opening for a bladder type inflatable tube to be inserted. The tube had a long dangling narrow tube like an artery that would hold the nozzle of the brass hand pump with which the tube was inflated. Once inflated the leather covering turns hard and stiff. Then the artery is tied tight with twine, folded and tied again to retain the air within. It is then tucked into the leather covering and the opening sewed at the eyelets with a lace and the ball is ready for play after a thorough application of a greasy compound known as Dubbin.

It was really painful to get the laced part on your leg. Playing in the field was limited to the better days.

However the excess play time available in this term was used for another sub culture that developed. It was the time to play marbles. Marbles were brought from home or bought with the saved pocket money given to the day boys who brought them to school. There were to be marble gangs teamed together in order to collect all the marbles in school. In fact the team headed by ALPD Perera managed to collect tin loads of marbles having harbored the best sharp eyed members to his gang.

The game is played on ground where a square of about 1’ 6” is drawn with a hole created in the center about the size of a marble. Each player then sends a marble to the square from a marked crease a distance of about 4 feet from the square. The marble that is closest to the hole decides the playing order. The player whose marble is closest to the hole then collects all the marbles and throws them into the square.

No sooner this happens there is a set of words that come in unison “adi first putting last” adi a Tamil word for hitting or playing and the rest is English what this meant for I cannot remember now. I get the feeling once the marbles are all in the square one has to take turns to hit one marble in the square with another marble so that it does not strike the others and the one struck clean have to go out of the square. For this accuracy one has to have a good aiming eye. When this is done all the marbles in the square are his. Failing a clean strike the next player gets to play. Larger the number of players the time spent becomes longer large and we did not feel the time pass.

However playing marbles was not that welcome from the school authorities. There were instances when marbles were swallowed by younger students. Very many were to be punished in class when the occasional marble would fall in the silent classroom. This happened when one would occasionally pull a handkerchief out of his pocket. I remember Mr. Peiris teasing Kotagama for having dropped a marble….. ‘eta bolle’ ……. that went tick ….tick ….tick….ticking on the cement floor. One never dared to go collect it and be punished for owning it.

Come November / December it is the time for ‘katchan winds’ in the hills. At the end of the monsoon the dry winds takeover. One could hear from the villages close by the sound of the whistling wind fans that the village boys tie up on the tall “Fishtail Palms”; [Kithul in Sinhala]. The bamboo whistles tied to the single propeller ends give out a woooooo…..wooooooo sound day and night. We then begin to run about with paper fans made out of exercise book leaves and old toothpaste packs etc. It was a never ending pastime that we created of our own to suit the climate and time.

December has already come. It was time to say goodbye to STPSB to us in the Class of 66. The entrance test for Gurutalawa was held and our parents were notified of our success. At the end it was Manilal de Mel, L S Perera, Sidath Perera and Michael Goonawardane who were selected to enter STC Mt Lavinia. Generally the one with the highest academic average in the last year is offered STC Mt Lavinia. We are still to know which one of them qualified to this requirement. All the rest was to be seen in Gurulatawa the following year. Asoka Ranasinghe and Ajith Wanigasekara had entered Trinity Collage Kandy.

The last event before Christmas holidays was the Christmas Dinner for the Standard Five Boys who will not be back in school the following year. It was more like the Last Supper. The event was special and there was always about five chickens brought in to be dresses by Veeran the sanitary assistant .......

Evening came and there was chapel service for all. Then we marched into the dinning hall clad in tie and blazer. The dinner was served and we all had a Bon-Bon each place at the table. Grace said, we have dinner. This was the only occasion when a boy would have chicken curry in this boarding house. Chicken in the 60's was a luxury. Beef was in plentiful.

The Bon-Bons were pulled apart and would burst out with a loud noise. Within was a tiny toy and each boy would carry it home the following day as a memory from this great institution.

We were yet to come into our teens then. Our testosterone levels were still low and grouping for different reasons was yet to happen. Over at Bandarawela we were just innocent children being brought up by a set of dedicated teachers and matrons. And I am sure we all enjoyed life here in a common setting ……..However when we meet after 50 years we will definitely be a naughty set of grandparents just clearing the age of 60 years ……….

Photographs Courtesy Ms Erangany Selavadorai nee Karunaratne