Photo Analysis – Sam
Feel free to comment. I love the brand new Morris Minor!
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News, Views and More from Batch'64, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, SriLanka
"Best and the Brightest from 1964"
News, Views and More from Batch'64, Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, SriLanka 
Good Morning to ALL from Sedona, Arizona !
Sam- you LOVE the brand new Morris Minor- a stark contrast to what is around it .
I LOVE the ‘ Ratmalana – Wattala 106 ” Double Decker-
“Take me Home, Country Road , To Where I Belong …… ”
This is THE bus that me and my two sisters would take to come home from Holy Family Convent , Bambalapitiya to Wattala , on days, when my father was not able to drive us back home .
It is a very long bus ride- and the Top Deck Front Seats were ours all the time . with lots of leg space, place to keep our books and lunch boxes etc !
There were also two other girls from Ja- Ela who would travel with us and take the connecting bus to Jaela from Wattala .
Sometimes, if we are lucky- we all catch the Ratmalana- Jaela Bus- right from B’ pitiya, in front of the Convent .
Oh my God== What a trip down Memory Lane ….
Then, we get off at Wattlala, at the ” Laduru Handiya “- the turn off the to the Leprosy Hospital ( remember the Public Health Field Trips ?? !! ) .
Then take that nasty crowded smelly” Hendala 260 ” going to Hendala and walk another quater mile down the dusty street to home .
If my little sister ( 10 yrs younger than me ) was not there, then, me and my other sister ( 3 yrs younger than me ) we would walk the mile and a half home, rather than take ‘The 260 “.
” Ratmalana- Wattala 106 “This was also the bus I would take to come home from Hopper House to Home – catch the bus at Fort Main Bus Station.
Thank you my dear Sam- – for this Trip Home , and, I will see you tomorrow in Florida – via American Airlines Phx- Tampa getting off at Tampa !
eagled.
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My dear Sam,
Thank you for bringing to focus my most beloved car
During our time as priliminary grade doctors it was a star
I am sure like with many other mates that was my first car
Just like ‘ first love’ lingers the most I am still in love with my car
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Thanks Sam, Great picture takes me back on memory lane. In the 50’s I studied at Wesley college. I had to take the then Southwestern bus line (red) from Dehiwela to Bambalapitya, Walk down to take to the Bambalapitya railway station area to get into a COC (Blue) to Borella Junction. We had the option of taking another bus to Wesley in front of the Welikada jail. We opted to walk the 2 miles or so to save 3cts for “seenibola”.
Like Ariya, the Morris Minor is also close to my heart. My first car was a Morris Minor. It Was a 1947, 2 door, model. Cost me Rs 10,000.00. In 1970. My salary as DMO, Agrapantna was Rs. 950.00. The car shown in Sam’s picture is 4 Sri. Well beyond my financial ability, in spite of a government loan. Mine was CN 8713 (23 yrs old) The first gear was slipping, so while climbing, I had to hold the gear lever in place with my foot. Lots of hills and bends in Agrapatna. I am still alive!!!
I wonder what was in the bullock cart. “Gunny Sacks”? For rice / flour
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Dharma
Enjoyed reading your comment. It is amazing what we went through to go to school , always on time.
The Minor, I assumed was new based on the 4 SRI plate, I believe the 1 Sri came in the fifties ?
The Bullock Cart is loaded with gunny Bags (jute)
Sam
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Yes Sam and Dharma- the 1 Sri came in the 50’s and our VolksW Beetle was — 1 Sri – 1013 – bought from Clarence Amarasinghe Car Mart in Maradana in 1954- 5 I think .
1013- significant #- I was born on the 13th Day, of the 10th Month !
This was the car that was used to take me to med school and back – 1964 before the Hostel was completed and my father had it going good till it was finally sold after nearly 15-16 yrs of good use .
I heard later that it was used as a taxi cab in Colombo .
Nice post Sam- thanks a lot .
What a trip down Memory Lane – in that Ratmalana- Wattala 106 !!
eagled
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Thanks Sam, This old photos took me back to my experience in 1966. Morris minor was my first car, I used in 1970.
Indragee.
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Like Dharma, Ariya & Indragee my first car was a Morris Minor too ! I had a tourer which rattled a lot going over the pot holes. Every time I took the car to a mechanic to get something fixed , they spoke of faulty “sockatsorber, “bushes” or “kingpins”. I didn’t have the foggiest idea what they meant !
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Very interesting picture. Brings back pleasant memories. Even with Bullock carts on the road traffic was not as bad as today , in colombo. We were able to get from one place to another in a relatively short time. Can’t imagine that it takes about two hours to get from Mt. Lavinia to Fort nowadays.
I never owned a Morris minor. My brother had a Morris minor tourer in pristine condition. I used to love to drive that car. I had the use of the car for about a week when I was in Med School. That was a fun week..
Nisantha
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The Morris Minor you loved takes my thoughts to my mother’s Morris 8. My father bought it for her in 1948 and died one month later. She used it till she died in 1989. Once she got me to bring a crown wheel and pinion carrying it in my hand luggage from England( after joining the Morris Register club).In those days there were no such checks as today at airports.
Yes Deepthi, I too used the SW Bus Co. red buses to Mt. Lavinia, in the opposite direction to HFC Bambalapitiya. What glorious memories.
But I am shocked that no one noticed the poor bull overloaded with weight in a cart. A sorry sight in those days.
Posted from Singapore. Here for the Air Show having seen it before in Farnborough, UK.
Narme
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Sorry could not mention that my mother’s tortoise like Morris 8 had the number CL 3378. Asoka, Soma and Ranjit Silva will remember it .
Narme
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What a beautiful trip down Memory Lane on a Morris Minor and Ratmalana – Wattala 106 ..
And the – bullock cart , makes me think of that old song by CT Fernando- Bara bage, Bara Bage , Dutuwe, Sihiwe Pera kale ….. ”
Yes Sihiwe Perkale — Remembering Past Times .
Thanks Sam for this lovely Post .
eagleD
By the way folks , I am here now in Sarasota, Florida, with Sam and Kathy, having arrived here via American Airlines- will be here for a week.
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