My Father’s Youthful days — Photo Essay

Don Thomas Jayasinghe, when he worked as an office assistant at J M Robertsons in Colombo in 1947.

Another photo of Thomas with a friend was taken on the same set; My father wore shorts. At that time, one would only wear long pants if one could speak fluent English. He attended night classes to improve his English and secure a clerical job simultaneously. His unnamed friend wore a sarong, a traditional Sri Lankan male garment.

Thomas’s best mate Joseph Perera and K W Perera with Thomas. The three boys attended junior school together, studied for English exams after school and went to work together. — Joseph Perera was a life long friend of Thomas. Joseph was to become Denzil’s godfather, Thomas firstborn.

Thomas in the middle of the tree; Taken during a road trip

Thomas with his friends during a road trip

Also taken during a road trip, K W Perera, Joseph Perera and Thomas (wearing sunnies) seated in front row from left

Thomas in shorts on right. (original image damaged)

Thomas with some of his friends at Keeramalai, fresh water springs in Northern Jaffna peninsular in Sri Lanka.. Thomas in undies in the middle and Joseph on right, Rasiah, their host on extreme left.

Thomas on extreme right with friends

Thomas and his friends on a trip to Jaffna. Thomas seated on extreme right with his friends from the North of Sri Lanka. Sandayanake, Thomas’s colleague and friend is seated on extreme left.

Thomas on extreme right with Sandanayake and his kids on a roadtrip. Sandanayake was to become Thomas’s only daughter’s godfather few years later.

Friends drinking toddy in the north of Sri Lanka.

Girlfriends on a road trip

A road trip to Yala

Joseph and Thomas

Thomas with Joseph

Thomas at Gampaha Botanical Gardens

Thomas on his bicycle at Botanical Gardens. Thomas bought this bicycle with his first pay for Rs 250. He rode it for some 40 odd years.

Thomas’s friend, Thomas, is the ninth from left.

Office group photo at Thomas’s first clerical job at Kolonnawa Urban Council, Sri Lanka

Thomas’s photo taken for identity card in 1952 at 26 years of age

Taken on Thomas’s on the day of his wedding to my mother, Susan. from left Arthur De Saram, Thomas’s first cousin, Francis Jayawardane, Thomas’s bestman, Joseph Perera, my father’s best mate and the bestman, Thomas and unnamed child. Location my mother’s ancestral church at Eldeniya, Kadawatha Sri Lanka. Joseph was to become Thomas’s firstborn, Denzil’s godfather.

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