Search
Please Share your Email if you Wish to Receive the Golden Tips & Tales Newsletter from History of Ceylon Tea Website
I was on my first posting as a PD in 1963 on Mincing Lane, Upcot between Fairlawn, Eddie Jayawardene and Alton, Geoff Middleton………..although during part of that period Ian “Guna” Gardner was acting on Alton and we became good friends as I did with Eddie on Fairlawn. Chris Bean was on Stockholm and we had already established our friendship through Rugby.
It was a very happy period in my planting life and Chris and I as members of the Ceylon Trout Fishing Club stocked the Maskeliya Oya with an abundance of trout fingerlings in the Fairlawn Pool at the top of the large waterfall that Eddie had on his estate, and as a result we had some good fishing over that time although many were poached when we both were on furlough at the same time.
I do remember that on Mincing lane I managed to increase the yield per acre figures by a fair margin and also the tea prices so it was a very satisfying task, particularly as the tea was the low jat china variety.
We were also good friends with John and Nancy Holland on Strathspey, Peter Innes and Jack Armitage on Moray as well as a number of others but our social life really focused around the DMCC and the Darrawella Sailing Club below Wanarajah Estate.
I spent quite a lot of time fishing the Rajamalle pools and of course, the estate was access to the long climb up Adam’s Peak during the pilgrimage season.
The Maskeliya Club was a small but delightful place with its main emphasis on Tennis, but I can remember spending a few good Sundays before curry lunch at somebody’s estate imbibing a few bottles of good Nuwara Eliya Beer.
A great place to have planted and with very good memories.
David Bretherton
Comments
(In keeping with the objectives of this website, all COMMENTS must be made in the spirit of contributing to the history of this estate, planter or person i.e. names, dates & anecdotes. Critical evaluations or adverse comments of any sort are not acceptable and will be deleted without notice – read full Comments Policy here)