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I had for some time known that Vicki Vanden Driesen was writing a book about her early life in Sri Lanka, and I looked forward to reading the book with a great deal of interest, because I could relate to some of the content of the book. Read More
Nineteenth Century Ceylon boasted of many stately homes such as Queens House, Horagolla Walauwa, and Alfred House. Alfred House achieved considerable fame as the venue for a much remembered dinner in 1870 for the visiting Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred then titled the Duke of Edinburgh. Read More
My Second Heart, a 253-page memoir written by Vicki Vanden Driesen (née Blazé) is the story of her life growing up in post-colonial Ceylon as well as the story of her family going back many generations. Read More
In 1995, British author Royston Ellis, a resident of Sri Lanka, visited the Poonagala group of estates, then managed by Vije Bede Johnpillai. While there, he was shown a visiting agent’s report, written a century before. Here are extracts from his article about it, published in Tea International in 1995. Read More
The City of Galle was for many centuries the capital of the Southern Province. Until about the mid twentieth century it was self-sufficient socially and economically. Read More
In the latter part of 1971, whilst I was on Eskdale Estate, Kandapola, I received a letter from the estate agents, George Steuart & Co, transferring me to Chapelton Division of Kotiyagala, Bogawantalawa. Read More
The name Ferguson was associated with Ceylon coffee and tea for nearly one hundred years though it is perhaps better known because of its journalistic rather than its planting connotation. Read More
On leaving school he joined the Bank of England but soon tired of this career and decided to immigrate to Australia. When his ship called at Colombo he elected to remain in Ceylon and train as a tea-planter. Sometime before WW1, he joined the Indian Cavalry (13st Duke of Connaught's Lancers {Watson's Horse}) and saw action against Afghanistan on the Northwest Frontier. Read More
