Category Archives: performance

People Inbetween and Professor K. M. de Silva’s Diehard History

Michael Roberts, in Daily News, 27 March 1991 … reproduced here with highlighting emphasis added

Professor K. M. de Silva’s review of the book People Inbetween Volume I in the Daily News on the 19 and 20 September, 1990 has come to my notice. My response here to seeks to raise issues regarding the way in which history can be written.

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The Power of Poetry: Learning from Ashley Halpé

Aparna Halpé, in The Island, 23 May 2021, where the title reads  “Learning from My Father, Five Years After his Passing”

I was mingling with the audience at a poetry reading in Toronto, where I had been reading some of my new poems, when I was approached by an audience member. He asked me a question that I’ve encountered before in some form or another throughout my entire artistic and professional career… “Excuse me, are you by any chance related to Professor Ashley Halpé?” When I answered that I was his youngest daughter, the gentleman proceeded to tell me this story.

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Percy Colin-Thomé and the Composition of the Book People Inbetween

Michael Roberts

Percy Colin-Thomé was born in Galle and his initial learning roots were at Richmond College. His genealogical roots derived from the Swiss personnel of the de Meuron Regiment in the service of the VOC in the 1790s who stayed on in Sri Lanka in British times when the colonial lands on the coast of Ceilao were taken over by the expanding imperial power known as Britain. These lineages became one strand in the mixed/race “Burgher” ethnic group in the island once the whole arena had been unified as colony by Britain between 1815 and 1818. Largely urban in background and increasingly English-speaking at home, these Burgher people became an influential segment of the local “middle-class” fulfilling intermediary roles in the British colonial service.[1]

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Red Alert! Commentary on the Failures of GoSL pinpointed by Peiris and Malik

A Cricketing Friend with Senior Mercantile Firm Experience, 21 May 2021

If the powers that be sought the advice of these professionals the country would not be in the situation we are in. The army cannot decide what is best on medical matters…… https://thuppahis.com/2021/05/21/for-lanka-a-science-based-strategy-to-control-the-present-covid-situation/

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Appreciating Sunil De Silva: Urbane Master of Many Trades

Hugh Karunanayake, in an Obituary Appreciation in THE CEYLANKAN, Vol XXIV/2, May 2021 **

My acquaintance with Sunil De Silva was mainly after he migrated to Australia in the early 1990s when I encountered him at a Sri Lanka Association dinner which he attended in formal attire replete with a curved pipe, (ala Sherlock Holmes) firmly placed in his mouth. We immediately acknowledged each other, he  recognizing me as a senior student from his old school and as a fellow denizen of a small town in Colombo called Pamankade.

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In Appreciation of Ashley Halpe: A Man for All Seasons

Tissa Jayatilaka, in The Island, 19 May 2021, where the ttitle runs: “Remembering Professor Ashley Halpe”

As we mark the fifth anniversary of Professor Halpe’s passing, we remember him with gratitude and continue to celebrate his life and work. He was a teacher for over 50 years both at home and overseas. He also enriched us by his research, poetry, paintings and translations; as well as by his labours as a chorister, actor, director of plays and administrator. In addition, he was a guide, philosopher and friend to generations of students, many of whom have distinguished themselves in diverse fields of activity.

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Gilbert Roberts: Barbadian-Lankan Virtuoso … and A Johnian

KKS Perera, in The Island, 27 February 2020, where the title reads G C Roberts, Barbadian 12th man in Windies became a Sri Lankan”

Continuing on ‘Nostalgic Memories of Windies’, I thank Lalith Fernando, “…my own native citizen unknown to me,” [quoting from his own letter…] for the correction on the day and date of 1967s 3-day match. Let me quote an extract from the last paragraph of my letter which appeared in these columns on Feb 4, 2016, under the popular series, four years ago on, “Kollo/Kello in Girl/Boys’ schools.”

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Vignettes in Assessment of Angela Merkel, A Scientist become World Leader Par Excellence

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Lindsay Hassett: As Unruffled as Australian

Abhishek Mukherjee, in cricketcountry.com, 27 August 2017, with this title: “Lindsay Hassett: Master of strokes, shrewd cricketing brain, terrific sense of humour”

“There are others who have made more runs and taken more wickets [than Lindsay Hassett], but very few have ever got more out of a lifetime.” Richie Benaud.

It would be wrong to think that Arthur Lindsay Hassett did not want to win. Of course he did; everyone playing any sport at any level does; he was as much a professional as any of his colleagues. The War heroes Denis Compton, Keith Miller, Godfrey Evans, Hassett had also probably seen death too closely to give a sport a larger-than-life image.

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Harry Solomons, FOG and Cricketing Philanthrophy Down South

Harry Solomons, FOG and Cricketing Philanthrophy Down South

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