The street names in Colombo have all been nationalised and the old colonial names shed. While I think this is a good thing it has not really been done in a very practical way.
Done well, Torrington Place - whose name celebrated Lord Governer Torrington (aka George Byng, the 7th Viscount Torrington) who was infamous for his cruelty in suppressing the 1848 peasant revolt - is now named Independence Avenue, which can only be a good thing.
But to give you some other examples, what was Albert Road is now Sri Dharmakeertiyarama Road and Church Road is now Sir Mohamed Macan Markar Mawatha. Now, while I am more than happy to wave goodbye to Albert and the Church, and while that last name is a wonderful bit of alliteration, it is just not practical to say when you are giving directions.
And being very aware that this could sound like a classic bit of British post-colonial colonial resentment ... I can say that this attitude is confirmed by a number of the taxi drivers of Colombo I have encountered who continue to use the old colonial names and often don't even know the 'new' street name (they have mostly been renamed since independence in 1948).
Done well, Torrington Place - whose name celebrated Lord Governer Torrington (aka George Byng, the 7th Viscount Torrington) who was infamous for his cruelty in suppressing the 1848 peasant revolt - is now named Independence Avenue, which can only be a good thing.
But to give you some other examples, what was Albert Road is now Sri Dharmakeertiyarama Road and Church Road is now Sir Mohamed Macan Markar Mawatha. Now, while I am more than happy to wave goodbye to Albert and the Church, and while that last name is a wonderful bit of alliteration, it is just not practical to say when you are giving directions.
And being very aware that this could sound like a classic bit of British post-colonial colonial resentment ... I can say that this attitude is confirmed by a number of the taxi drivers of Colombo I have encountered who continue to use the old colonial names and often don't even know the 'new' street name (they have mostly been renamed since independence in 1948).
