We, that’s my driver and I start with four goals in Maradana, Colombo. The Railway Station, the Tower Theatre, Elphinstone Theatre, then to find a hotel from bygone years for a cool drink. The Whinging Pome Random Rule Number 302: “Always have a plan but always expect and embrace change.” This trip has to be done in one hour, which is tight. What makes it harder is we have to park the jeep and walk a bit. It’s 2 p.m. and very hot.

Lucky, my driver is a man of surprises, but they’re not all good- what makes matters worse is in the 20 years I’ve known him his hearing has deteriorated badly but not consistently. Built in 1925, the Elphinstone Theatre is the second oldest in Colombo, Lucky as always “does the needful”, finds the manager gives him a bit of a speech and introduces me as an important man who has invested in Sri Lanka over twenty years. We get the royal treatment.

The theatre has a balcony of booths and reminds me of many smallish English theatres. It has aircon and 700 comfy large red seats though some literature quotes 900. They mostly do live plays and musicals, the odd one is in English. I thank the manager and congratulate him not only on the programmes but also on the cleanliness of the place, especially the seats. In perfect English, he tells how he set standards and he adds “You know how dirty most locals can be.”

He is a local. Well, actually I have to agree with him. We rush across 4 lanes of traffic, quite normal for Sri Lankans, with no zebra crossing in sight. Not that all drivers understand the principle of stopping. Next is the railway station and we “enter from the backside route” as my Nepalese driver used to say in Delhi.

The station doesn't look that impressive at this point. Said to be designed in English style with 7 lines of tracks and multiple platforms, we pass a man adjusting the notice board with old wooden signage hung on metal brackets, with manual clock faces, I assume it’s the old British standard of 120 years earlier. The current building dates from 1908 and is designed in the English Renaissance style with a tower with a Gothic revival look.

We cross over on a dirty covered bridge in pretty bad shape, everything looks tired including the drudging passengers going about their average but normal daily routine. We finally get to the front of the station, lost in a lovely time warp with wooden ticket offices and a colonial feel, this area is marginally cleaner.

After another lot of steps on the flyover, we find the 1911 historic Tower Theatre. Lucky again does the needful groveling and I’m again getting a full tour with the manager. Both theatres we have visited are government-supported, but the Tower Theatre was refurbished by President Premadasa who set up a welfare fund for artistes and promoted Indigenous culture. Below the impressive tower sat at the entrance is a Hindu statue of Saraswathi goddess of music art and more. She appears to be sitting on lotus leaves.

Our time is up and we head for a cheap bar for refreshments built in the era of what we have just experienced. Lucky, not short of creativity, says the place we must visit is the Hotel de Buhari. Its claim to fame appears to be biryani, not its decor or age. Likely fifty years old and once a four-star establishment, today it is a bit grubby. I think back to the potential scene of this area a hundred-plus years ago with the latest railway station, grand theatres and perhaps one of the best eras of Sri Lanka's modern history. I await the first Time Machine.