An Englishman in Sri Lanka (part 3)

Nuwara Eliya or "little England" as the locals like to call it is Sri Lanka's premier hill station and has been since Colonial times. The "rich and famous", according to one local man, come to Nuwara Eliya to escape the heat and humidity of Colombo during the month of April. The 'April Season' is eagerly awaited by the people of the town with its many processions, festivals, horse and car races and dog shows.

The town was first developed as a holiday resort in the nineteenth century and glimpses of its past can be found in the town in amongst the trappings of modern day Sri Lankan life.

Tea is still the major industry in the hills around the town. Whole hillsides are covered with neat lines of tea bushes that are tirelessly picked by women in brightly coloured sarees. These tea plantations retain old names such as "Somerset" and "Edinburgh", and are real little communities with their own schools, dispensaries and more often than not, an old Methodist Chapel - "commerce" and "Christianity" went hand-in-hand in Colonial times.

The hotels in the town still hark back to days past with names such as Windsor, St.Andrews, Glendower and Ascot being examples. There is even one, The Hill Club, where dinner must be taken in a jacket and tie.

The Colonialists brought golf along with their tea and their churches - what else to do on a Saturday afternoon? The clubhouse is immaculate with its wood-panelled bar complete with the names of past Captains and Presidents of the Club dating back to 1891 and bottles of Scotch Whisky. The clubhouse also boasts a badminton court and a billiards room with Championships dating back to the nineteenth century in English snooker and Rangoon snooker. What is Rangoon snooker? The golf course itself winds through the town and crosses a number of roads on its way. It is the first time I have played golf where I have had to drive over a moving bus.

Sri Lanka's only racecourse can be found in Nuwara Eliya and the owners, trainers and gamblers are all looking forward to the five race days in April. I spoke to the manager of the racecourse, who also happened to be a trainer, as well as being the Mayor's personal secretary. She told me of the "Sri Lankans' love of racing" and the upcoming meetings that included thoroughbred, half-breeds and pony racing. Her office was full of old photographs of meetings in the 1920s and 30s with people dressed in their Sunday best. Also old teapots, cocktail shakers and ornate cutlery stood alongside frayed copies of livestock and breeder's guides.

The racecourse provided a great place for many games of football and cricket. I joined in one highly competitive game and was amazed to find an 'Arjuna Ranatunga' look-alike complete with all the nudges and flicks that were his trademark shots. The similarity was uncanny!