Everyone’s friend

Saturday, 27 July 2019 05:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The recent picture of the female Netherlands Ambassador in Sri Lanka coming to see Mayor Rosy Senanayake riding a push bicycle brought back memories of the popular song ‘Bicycale Bicycale Duppath Apage Bicycale’ we had been singing from our school days. Vincent de Paul Peiris sang it as a young singer and continued to enthral audiences even in his nineties.

The easy-to-remember simple words, the catchy tune and the singer’s popularity made it a hit ‘party song’. Efforts to find the lyrics writer failed since it was always the singer’s name that was highlighted in the old days.

At least two songs sung by Vincent de Paul became popular among everyone. One was ‘Bicycale’ and the other ‘Siripade Samanala Kanda Pene’. It is doubtful the younger generation appreciating them but the more mature, ‘oldies’ type greatly appreciate them. That is how C.T. Fernando’s numbers are still so popular. Of course, CT’s songs are available in CDs and YouTube.

Getting back to the popularity of bicycles, those of us who came to Colombo schools by train and invariably cycled to the station if we were a few miles away. I cycled from my village home two-and-a-half miles away from Gampaha station. I got space to park the cycle at ‘Wilmot & William,’ a business house trading mainly in exporting betel Pakistan. The company of the two brothers Wilmot and William were also big businessmen in Polonnaruwa.

There were many who cycled to school if they were not too far away.

Cycling became quite popular during World War II when fuel became a problem. The ships bringing food items, fuel and other necessities were curtailed due to possible attacks by the Japanese. Fuel was among the products that were severely rationed. Coupons were issued to vehicle owners and petrol sheds received rationed stocks.

In recent years cycles became a popular mode of transport due to traffic congestion.

According to ‘Top10 Hell,’ there are more than a billion bicycles in the world, twice as many as automobiles. In recent years bike production had climbed to over 100 million per year (compared to 50 million cars).

Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century and since when have been and are employed for many uses: recreation, work, military, show, sport, etc. For example, in the USA, people use bikes for slimming and better feeling because cycling burns 600 calories an hour, but in China or other countries people use bikes mostly for transportation needs. For these reasons in some countries bikes are especially

popular.