IN THIS ISSUE
- Christmas Greetings from the Dilmah Family
- Feature Article of the Month - Kelly's of Killarney by Moira Colin-Thomé
- Personal Memoirs of the Month - Tissa Atapattu
- Photo Album of the Month - Logie Estate, Talawakelle
- Contributor Photo Album of the Month - Joan Cross
- Planter Profiles of the Month - Malin Goonetileke & Steve Morrell
- Down Memory Lane - 1875 Ceylon Christmas Card
- Podcast of the Month - The Tea Planter & His Cook
- Historical Events on Christmas Day
- Tea Radio by Dilmah
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A Christmas Greeting from the Dilmah Family!
Click HERE to view video greeting
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FEATURE ARTICLE OF THE MONTH
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THE KELLY'S OF KILLARNEY
By Moira Colin-Thomé
The year was 1954 – in April to be precise; my husband Percy and I were on the first leg of our honeymoon and on our way to Killarney Estate in Bogawantalawa, where we were to stay with our dear friends Douglas and Margaret Kelly.
The drive to the bungalow was unique. The first section, while twisty and windy, was approachable by most motor vehicles of that period. There was even a garage to park your vehicle at the end of it. Nothing unusual on the face of it, except this was only the first section. A fair hike still remained to reach the bungalow. That is unless of course, you drove a Baby Austin!
Ever mindful of his privacy and a dislike for people just dropping in, Douglas had ensured that the second section of the drive to the bungalow could only be negotiated by a tiny car such as the Baby Austin that he owned. So, unless a visitor was expected for which Douglas would provide the Baby Austin shuttle service from the garage, an unscheduled or unannounced visit to Killarney was certainly not for the frail or the faint-hearted. Click HERE to read the full article.
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Memoirs of Tissa Atapattu
Not long after I left school (Royal College), in late February 1955, I was interviewed by the Managing Director of Bosanquet & Skrine Mr. Walter Berry and his assistant Alan Sharp Paul.
There were three other strong candidates interviewed that same afternoon, all from St. Thomas' College, two from planting families and the other the swimming champion of St. Thomas' – I was fortunate to get the job – obviously my brother’s good reputation as an established, efficient SD in the Agency of Whittals helped. Click HERE to read more.
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Logie Estate, Talawakelle
Manager's Bungalow & Factory - Click HERE to view the album.
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CONTRIBUTOR PHOTO ALBUM OF THE MONTH
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Joan Cross
Click HERE to view the album
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PLANTER PROFILES OF THE MONTH
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(L-R) Malin Goonetileke & Steve Morrell
Click on respective photo to view profile
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Christmas Card from Ceylon - 1875
Reproduced from The Early British Tea & Coffee Planters and their Way of Life by John Weatherstone. Editor's note - The first commercially available Christmas card was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole and designed by John Callcott Horsley in London 1843.
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THE TEA PLANTER AND HIS COOK
Listen to a podcast based on a fascinating tale penned by Hugh Karunanayake, on the association between a prominent and pioneering English tea planter and his Tamil cook in the 1880’s in Ceylon.
Click HERE to listen to the podcast.
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HISTORICAL EVENTS ON CHRISTMAS DAY
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- 337 Earliest possible date that Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th
- 352 1st definite date Christmas was celebrated on Dec 25th
- 1643 Christmas Island founded and named by Captain William Mynors of the East India Ship Company vessel, the Royal Mary.
- 1651 Massachusetts General Court ordered a five shilling fine for "observing any such day as Christmas"
- 1760 Jupiter Hammon, an African American slave, composes poetry broadside "An Evening Thought" (1st poetry published by an African American 1761)
- 1769 First Christian service in New Zealand; Mass is celebrated in Doubtless Bay by Father Paul-Antoine Léonard de Villefeix of the de Surville expedition
- 1809 Physician Ephraim McDowell performs the first abdominal surgery in the U.S, an ovariotomy to remove a 22 lb ovarian tumor
- 1818 1st known Christmas carol ("Silent Night, Holy Night" - "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) sung (Austria)
- 1831 Louisiana & Arkansas are first states to observe Christmas as holiday
- 1914 Legendary "Christmas Truce" takes place on the battlefields of WWI between British and German troops. Instead of fighting, soldiers exchange gifts and play football.
- 1939 Montgomery Ward introduces Rudolph the 9th red-nosed reindeer
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