The Havelock Park we knew
View(s):Havelock Park is the house to three of the oldest clubs in Sri Lanka, B.R.C. (Burgher Recreation Club) and Colt’s Cricket Club in Cricket along with Havelock Sport’s Club in Rugger. It was from this Park that many talented sporting personalities developed their skills in their respective Sports’ such as in Cricket — the Wettimunys, Football Sumith Walpola, and Rugger the Ratnam brothers
Besides its Sporting activity, the Park had its off the field entertainers, and among them were Teddy Kannangara actor turned commentator, whose narration of a fictitious Race Commentary, was second to none. Richard the chap in the black Tweed Coat would hold the crowd spellbound with his long speech, Major Edwin claimed to have served in the Army during the Second World War, being in a foreign country. A close friend, an Enemy pilot, who had the courtesy to warn him that his location was a major target and vacate immediately, the Major needed his friends’ advice and lived to fight another day. U.C. was then had completed the Intermediate Examination from the Law College, sacrificed a promising Legal career and instead opted for a Life membership of the Park as it was his submission that, relaxing under a Tree, and breathing the Oxygen from its leaves was a pleasure that money couldn’t buy.
Clive Liyad Silva was the Vocalist, who could imitate all the landing Singers there was also a group of pensioners who sat on the terraces of the Havelock, and discussed the issues of the time till dusk beckoned them to their homes that were a stone’s throw away from the Park. The Children’s Park was then maintained by The Apex Club, patronized mainly by the children of the Expatriates, who were accompanied by their local Maids, the centre of attraction, which had the young men swarming its precincts, in the evenings, looking forward to their visits.
The present Park has seen many changes, with Construction of now Pavilion’s High Gates and fences; movement from one Park to the other is restricted, as membership is necessity even if one were to take a stroll in the parks. Missing is the bustling Sporting activity that was a feature of the ferns park, where the Youth of the surrounding areas played their Cricket, Football and Rugger matches in a fiercely competitive but sporting environment and from which leading sportsmen emerged, gone are the entertainers who like magnets draw people to the Park, for a daily visit and the Pensioners most of whom have faced the final curtain, and the Park which was the venue of some spectacular entertainment this Country has seen, such as the Holiday on Ice Carnival International Wrestling and Apollo Circus to name a few, would perhaps never see the likes of them again.
The Park named after Governor Havelock, which was his concept than it’s a place for Recreation Relaxation, but if he were to be looking at it from beyond, wouldn’t be pleased with the exclusivity that has replaced the open some ideal of a Glorious, spacious and Liberal era.
Walter Rajandran