Tissa Jayatilaka and Jayantha Dhanapala, …. their OCR Text of the INTRODUCTION to in a FELICITATION OF Professor ASHLEY HALPE IN November 2008
Introduction
Ashley Halpé, Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Ceylon (now Peradeniya), celebrated his 75th birthday on the 19th of November, 2008. This birth anniversary also marked 50 years of his service as a teacher both at home and overseas. He has also enriched us by his research, poetry, paintings, translations and labours as a chorister, actor and director of plays and as an administrator. In addition, he has been a guide, philosopher and friend to generations of students and colleagues, many of whom have distinguished themselves in diverse fields of activity. He is, however, not a pedant or an abstruse intellectual. He is a down to earth human being and a congenial fellow-traveller known to let his hair down with glass in hand on an evening of civilised fooling over a round or two of contract bridge! Whilst giving of himself to the world around him in his characteristically understated style, Prof. Halpé has been, and remains, the exemplary family man, a devoted husband and caring parent. In fact, it is virtually impossible to speak of or write about Ashley Halpé without in the same breath mentioning Bridget, Mantha (Guy), Haasinee and Aparna, the rest of the Halpé gang!
