Tennis in Sri Lanka: Halcyon Days, 1915–1990-by Michael Roberts Source:Thuppahis Lam Seneviratne, compiler of a booklet published by the Sri Lanka Tennis Association, 45 Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo (Rajagiriya, New Lanka Printers, June 1990 … with blocks by Two P. Graphic Reproduction Services, Dehiwela). The compiling of this book to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Tennis Association quite unexpectedly devolved on me. I realized very quickly that it would be a big task to trace the events of 75 years. There were no similar publication to commemorate the silver or golden jubilees, which meant that a start had to be made from the very beginning. I had to interview the oldest officials, administrators, players and the relatives of those who have passed away, to obtain information, documents, souvenirs, paper clippings and photographs in order to record the history of these years. I say thank you to Doris Somanader, Coo Coo Jilla, Ranjani ...
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A Requiem For Barbara Sansoni: From 1962 …. – by Michael Roberts Source:thuppahis.com Somasiri Devendra, ** whose chosen title is “A wooden bridge, an iron house, and Barbara then ….” .………… of such are memories made, writes Somasiri Devendra So, Barbara has ridden off into the sunset, on her white horse, after “a hard day’s night” leaving behind memories of the times when she was a person, not an icon, and very good company indeed. Those memories reach back 60 years. In 1962 I was the only unmarried officer, in our ‘ship’ in Diyatalawa – Her Majesty’s Ceylon Ship “Rangalla” – living in solitary splendour in the Wardroom (the Officers’ Mess). That made me the official host to visiting dignitaries. One day I was told to stand by to entertain a WW2 veteran, a Lieut. Cdr. Hildon Sansoni, who would be coming on a longish holiday with his family. Proctor of the Supreme Court, National ...
Barbara Sansoni – a unique person-by Nan Source:Island “My entire source of inspiration has been this Island. Traveling all over I have been overwhelmed by its wonder, inspired by its colour. Design emerges from one’s daily life; it has for me.” I quote Barbara Sansoni from an interview with her just prior to an exhibition of her abstract art which was billed: “Celebrating 40 years of design, colour and weaving linking us with the Abstract Modern Movement of the Twentieth Century.” The article I subsequently wrote appeared in this column on the second Sunday of December 2004. Barbara Sansoni Lewcock died last week, on April 23, a day after her 94th birthday. Many Sri Lankans, to whom Barbara is a household name, will join her family in mourning her death. But she lived a long, full and happy life surrounded by all things bright and beautiful. There is no room for ...
Barbara Sansoni Passes Away Just received some sad news. The Legendary and Iconic Ms. Barbara Sansoni (Barefoot) has passed away to her Eternal Rest this morning (Saturday 23rd April 2022). A TRUE SRI LANKAN PATRIOT WHO DID SO MUCH TO UPLIFT THE LIVES OF RURAL WOMEN THROUGH HER INIATIVE OF ENCOURAGING THE HAND LOOM INDUSTRY, WHICH SHE TOOK TO THE WORLD WITH SO MUCH PRIDE. MAY HER SOUL REST IN PEACE. SANSONI, Barbara Carolyn (nee DANIEL), born 22nd April 1928, Kandy, Ceylon, died 23 April 2022, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Daughter of Reginald Young Daniel and Bertha Van Langenberg. In 1945 – Studied in Presentation Convent, Kodaikanal, India, at age 6, later final year at St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo, Ceylon. She showed an early interest in art and developed an intense love of colour. The vibrant hues of South Asia have provided her with a lifetime’s worth of inspiring painting and cloth design. Though ...
A life Less Ordinary, Remembering Laki Senanayake (1937-2021)-by Lahiru Pathmalal Laki hosting some of my friends and I and among us were those who met him for the first time Source:Dailymirror His sculptures and paintings adorned some of the most significant buildings that have been built in the island He lived in a strange place called ‘Diyabubula’ (an oasis that he has created for himself through decades, and what many believe to be his greatest creation) in Dambulla Laki’s other great lesson in life is of course in the realm of his pursuit of happiness. Not as a destination in itself, but rather as a state of being. Perhaps Laki’s greatest quality was his investment in the people around him. With no real ‘effort’ at all, he did what’s best possible to make the lives of others simply better ...
