Usually my sister is also there, for we have made it a practice when we can to go to the cemetery, twice a year for both him and my mother, and usually too for my grandmother, who died on his birthday way back in 1994. And on special anniversaries we go for my grandfather and for my uncle Tissa, who ...
On the 19th of May this year then I got to Berwick, having again been driven up by Bruce though this year Nigel Hatch too was in the car. As he did last year, Bruce stopped en route to buy duck eggs from a farm where once again we admired the massive pigs. And then we were early enough at ...
Six months ago, I was told by one of my good friends, who has assiduously followed my blogs, from far away Maine, over the last few years, that he was getting a bit tired of fish and flowers. I was grateful to him, for I had I think been taxing the patience of readers in showing what must have been ...
One by one the other guests turned up, a whole range of them, including the wife of my chaplain David Burgess who had been so kind to me over the years. George Cawkwell’s son-in-law, whom I had met soon after he had married, and then not again – for the couple had divorced – until the launch the College arranged ...
This will be the last post in this series, not only because the year has come to an end, but also because there will be no more new generation, amongst the dogs who have proliferated in the last eighteen months. Last week I realized that Luna, the older and now only slightly bigger of the female puppies Lara had in ...
I went in early to New College on the 17th and, though Miles had gone to London, I was able to settle the bill for the party and work out arrangements with his efficient secretary. Then I went for a walk around Christ Church Meadows, this time too as in the previous year walking by myself on a route I ...
It was almost eight weeks before I managed to get to the cottage again, after the brief visit with my cousin for lunch. This time I was able to stay overnight, and the following morning I explored the new house, what I have called the North Block of the property, which was given to Kithsiri’s son Ashan after he got ...
I had a little over six weeks with the puppies after I got back to Canada, weeks in which they grew quickly, for they were over two months before the next journey this year. That journey was also a sentimental occasion, for it was to celebrate my 70th birthday in Oxford. I had had my 50th birthday party there, for ...
There was another picture I took, of the puppies now domiciled there, when I went down to the cottage in late October with my cousin. I show this too here, for was taken on the balcony of Kithsiri’s house, at the gate to the stairway going down to where Bingo lives. He is alone now, after his boon companion Jimmy ...
Sharmini and her family were remarkably hospitable, and sent lots of gifts home, while Mrs Navaratnam loaded me with food after a splendid lunch, so that I did not have to get in more supplies for the days that remained. And this was just as well, for having ventured out on the next day I caught a chill, which made ...
The picture I had tried to upload has not appeared for today’s post, so here it is, but preceded by one of Blackie facing the other way, so you can see at least something of his face
As I have noted, Lara had two other puppies in addition to the four I kept, now sadly three, Of the two of them, Blackie went to Kithsiri’s in May, and Bruno a month later, when I persuaded Kithsiri with a commitment to provide funds for their food. This was a way of ensuring they stayed part of the family, ...
My second trip this year was to Canada, to accompany my cousin Shan whose affairs in Sri Lanka I look after. She had had a delightful six weeks here, with for the first half a friend who had flown out with her, with whom we travelled to different places. Then in the second half she had stayed in Colombo, while ...
I wrote last week to settling down over the last four months to life with my menagerie, three puppies and three older dogs, or rather four for one should include Rocky, who belongs to Kavi but has also devolved to me for feeding, and affection, for the others are not at home as much as I am. The pictures I ...
Having finished the account of my journey to England last year, I move now to this. The highlight of the first half was my trip, to England, which I went to in May, both to celebrate my 70th birthday in Oxford, and to see an area of Britain I had not been in before, Scottish islands. But before I talk ...
So in the last four months and more, a longer period than Bimbo lived, I have grown used to having just the three puppies with me at Lakmahal. Luna who was the second and looked large turned out to be more fur than flesh, and is still the same, though she has not grown very tall. Branco the fourth, who ...
Well over a year has passed since my trip to England in the summer of 2023. I was there for just over two weeks, but reflecting on that period, the places I went to and the friends I met has provided these 22 articles for this facebook series. It has also instilled in me a delight in the pleasures of ...
I wrote last week about the sheer joy of spending much time with the puppies last June, when they were growing up so delightfully and estabilishing their individual personalities. But changes began then, for in June Bruno went away, to join his brother Blackie at Kithsiri’s. He had been meant for Getamanna, from where I had got Toby, but Jothini ...
I wrote last week about the sheer joy of spending much time with the puppies last June, when they were growing up so delightfully and estabilishing their individual personalities. But changes began then, for in June Bruno went away, to join his brother Blackie at Kithsiri’s. He had been meant for Getamanna, from where I had got Toby, but Jothini ...
I noted last week that I had planned to get to Heathrow early on the last day of my nostalgic visit to England this year, since John Harrison with whom I was staying at Eton was due to go to London for lunch. But it was Robert Binyon, a mutual friend, with whom he was to lunch, and I was ...
