ABSORB the varied setting and programmes in this VIDEO and Note the ‘pristine’ school uniforms ….. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=rm&ogbl#inbox/FMfcgzQhVXGPFXjrWHtjMnbmRgQdpdWL?projector=1
Vale Sir Christopher Ondaatje
AUTHOR = ??
Sir Christopher Ondaatje, 93, no more!
It is with profound sadness that we learn of the passing of Sir Christopher Ondaatje in the Bahamas. Sir Christopher Ondaatje passed away on the morning of July 20, 2026, at the age of 93.
Broker, publisher, Nile explorer, Olympic athlete and arts philanthropist. Born in Sri Lanka in 1933, he moved to England for schooling before emigrating to Canada in 1956. His death was met with widespread mourning across the arts, sports, and philanthropic communities. He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as a financier, Olympic athlete, author, explorer, and a highly generous patron of the arts.
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Christopher Ondaatje in Wikipedia
Christopher Ondaatje
Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje (/ɒnˈdɑːtʃi/; 22 February 1933 – 20 July 2026), styled Earl of Rothes, Lord of Leslie and Sheriff of Fife[1] between 2004 and 2024, was a Sri Lankan-born Canadian-English businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and bob-sledding Olympian for Canada. He was the older brother of the author Michael Ondaatje and lived in both Chester, Nova Scotia, and the United Kingdom.
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Understanding Martin Wickramasinghe
Uditha Devapriya, whose favoured title for this essay is “Martin Wickramasinghe: The making of a Sri Lankan mind”
Regarded as one of Sri Lanka’s finest public intellectuals, Martin Wickramasinghe (1890 – 1976) unleashed the possibilities of radical thought in 20th century South Asia. His 50th death anniversary fell this week, on July 23.
A tiny island some 30 or so miles from India, Sri Lanka has a recorded history of more than 2,500 years. Its recent history has been marred by ethnic conflict, civil war, and political and economic crisis. This has tended to dominate international reporting at the expense of other aspects. In reality, the country is popularly marketed as the pearl of the Indian Ocean. The more cynical and pessimistic, mindful of its troubled past, call it a teardrop. Both groups are right: the half-full bottle, after all, is also half-empty.
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Richmondites in the Forefront of Sri Lankan Cricket TODAY
Nandasiri Jasentuliyana in USA, 27 July 2026, in a Comment on a TPS Item on Cricket which I Consider Worthy of Frontal Notice ++
For Richmond college to provide six on the squad and captains of the team in all three formats for Sri Lanka is no mean task for an outstation school It should be some sort of a record, may even be worth an entry in the Wisden, as it probably never happened in any cricket playing country school.
The list is as follows:
Dhananjaya de Silva … Sri Lanka test captain
Charith Asalanka .………….. Sri Lanka ODI & T20I Captain
Wanindu Hasaranga ……. Former Sri Lanka ODI Captain
Kamindu Mendis …… Formerly, Sri Lanka Under-19s Captain.
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When Yatawara shattered Sobers’ Stumps in 1961 & Tissera Scored 101 Runs
Senaka Weeraratna
Sobers bowled Yatawara = 58
This is what prominent Sri Lankan historian and sociologist Michael Roberts has written on his platforms like Thuppahi’s Blog. … The phrase references a famous cricketing moment from a match played on 28 February 1961 at the Colombo Oval, where the fast bowler Sonny Yatawara clean bowled the legendary West Indian all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers for 58 runs . [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
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Two Central Forces Influencing Post-War Ceylonese Migration To Australia
Earlson Forbes
Regarding your recent Thuppahi article titled:“Post Second World War Sri Lankan Migration to Australia…..1946’: I found your article very interesting. However, I could not compare figures in one of my articles with figures supplied in your article as the formatting of tables was user unfriendly.
The first point I wish to make is that due recognition has not been attributed to The Colombo Plan as an instrument that contributed to a change of attitude in Australian Migration Policy. The Colombo Plan was established in 1951 to enable post war recovery in the British Commonwealth of Nations, (somewhat like a mini Marshal Plan). The Colombo Plan sought not only to foster infrastructure development, but to focus on education at both the institutional and individual levels. Australian bureaucrats and policy makers who came into direct contact with their counterparts in India, (including present day Pakistan and Bangladesh), Ceylon and Malaysia realised that there was a sizeable body of highly qualified personnel capable of satisfying Australia’s future developmental needs.[1]
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Straddling the British Colonial World: Primrose Marie Swan
Sandy Austin
Primrose Marie Swan wrote many books while she was living in Kenya, including ‘Dim Venue’; ‘Tides Of Zhimoni’; ‘So Low The Stars’; ‘Wake Of A Moonbeam’; ‘No Day But This’; Secret Splendour’; ‘Joyous Bondage’; ‘Dear Enchantment’ and ‘Dangerous Delight’. All written under the nom de plume Valerie Rift (after the Rift Valley of Africa) and published by Wright & Brown Ltd, London. She worked as a journalist for the Nairobi Times and later as editor of the women’s section of the newspaper.
She also wrote an autobiographical account of her life in Kenya under her own name Marie Bartlett titled ‘The Rhino Stayed For Breakfast’. It is of life set in colonial Kenya, the difficulties faced by Europeans in an increasingly hostile environment of Mau Mau revolution. Fearing for the safety of her two children, born in Kenya, Marie and her husband Bill returned to Britain where she continued her writing.
She also wrote an autobiographical account of her life in Kenya under her own name Marie Bartlett titled ‘The Rhino Stayed For Breakfast’. It is of life set in colonial Kenya, the difficulties faced by Europeans in an increasingly hostile environment of Mau Mau revolution. Fearing for the safety of her two children, born in Kenya, Marie and her husband Bill returned to Britain where she continued her writing.Filed under Uncategorized
Sri Lankan Women’s Team in Remarkable Cricket Win
Priyan in The ISLAND, 25 July 2026, where the title reads thus: “Gunaratne 123, Samarawickrama 100* ace 274 chase for 1-1′
Sri Lanka aced their third highest chase in women’s ODIs in emphatic fashion with centuries from Vishmi Gunarathne and Harshitha Samarawickrema to level the three-match series 1-1. For Pakistan, Sidra Amin’s unbeaten 100 in the first innings went in vain as Pakistan could take only two wickets while trying to defend their score of 273.
Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne put on a massive partnership[SLC]……… [Cricinfo]
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A Garland For Ashley Halpe …. In 2008
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!
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![Harshitha Samarawickrama and Vishmi Gunaratne put on a massive partnership[SLC]……… [Cricinfo]](https://thuppahis.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cricket-1.jpg){kind=link}