This quaint Ole Colonial mansion that houses one of Sri Lanka's most prestigious and sought after family recreational Clubs opened on Friday 20th after refurbishment .History tells us that the "Storm Lodge" was born to a rich British businessman, then residing with his family in Colombo. This grand building complemented other like Colonial residences, along the top end of Galle Road, resplendent with columns, verandahs, cane furniture and antiques of Dutch, British and French origins. Well maintained gardens with lamp posts lighting the evening dressage, was the ideal setting for yet another Somerset Maugham story.

In 1938 ownership changed hands for a sum of rupees 55,000 at that time a princely sum, but well worth the investment. Today, this ole mansion is the Clubhouse of the famed Colombo Swimming Club (CSC) and occupies prime property, lounging alongside the sea directly across from Temple Tress - an address not to be ignored.

CSC started out as a family club with a swimming pool, built then, by the well known Walker Sons Ltd and was declared open the following year, by the then Governor of Ceylon Sir Andrew Caldecott followed by a big gala celebration. Soon, the club became the only venue for British civil servants and planters to converge for social gatherings. Sepia images of families lounging by the pool while ayahs watched the children paint a picture of what the club was like in the good old days. (A picture of such an image adorns the corridors of the CSC). Boards recording winners of erstwhile swimming galas and past Presidents jostle for attention on the walls, and the ancient trappings within the building evoke a sense of time having stood still.

The CSC became a meeting place over the years for lonely expatriates posted to the island, who found the club an ideal place to forge friendships as well as strike lucrative business deals. Today the CSC also attracts many Sri Lankans who come home on holiday and find the club a convenient place to meet up with old friends and talk about the good old days. The uniqueness of CSC is its unpretenfiously exclusive ambience, which seems to sustain itself effortlessly. Although the club's premises cannot be categorized as a heritage site, it does stand as an eloquent testimony to a grander age gone by. Undoubtedly, it is an unmistakable landmark in the city that was once a colonial capital.

One name stands out proud - that of David Wilke, who went on to win a gold medal at the Montreal Olympics after honing his aquatic skills at the CSC in his youth. CSC being the proud owner of the only five metre diving board in the country at the time, it was only natural that CSC was the choice for the prestigious all Ceylon diving competition. Of course, as with most establishments set up by the British, the CSC was the exclusive domain of the British at first, then Europeans until as late as 1971, when it was finally deigned to throw open membership to Sri Lankans.

Even today, from the moment one sets eyes on the CSC, one gets a sense of a bygone era. Teak and rosewood paneling, and spacious verandahs and pillars, all add to the old-world charm of the club. Until recently, the oldest living member - the late Mr. Tony Horsfall - asserted that very little has changed in the main building and claimed that it has remained the same since he joined the club) in 1941.

He recalled an anecdote about a group of British locomotive drivers - working on the steam engines which chugged along the coast - who were denied membership to the CSC by their upper-class compatriots. In a show of protest, the former would brake hard and reduce the speed of their trains as they steamed past the club, releasing a load of soot to the accompaniment of raucous hooting! Needless to say, it wasn't long before they gained membership at this exclusive British bastion!

On another similar note, our well known late Sir Arthur C. Clark, author, science fiction prize winner et al, refused to seek membership at the club, although belonging to the upper crust of the then society, until the "natives" were allowed the same rights to membership. Today, members comprise a mix of expatriates and locals, clubbing in harmony.

Like all other cyclical events in life, the CSC too went through its lows. A period of complacency had set in, balancing the books at the end of the year became a Herculean task, finances became a rarity and the club) went through hard times, resulting in having to sell a block of land to surmount a break-down. Buildings needed tending and enhancements, after taking severe beatings from the vagaries of the Indian Ocean salt and corrosive influences. Many heads met to seek solace and solutions to overcome difficulties.

The first Sri Lankan President the late Mr. Chandra De Silva occupied the hot seat in 1989 and did his utmost to keep the blue flag flying high. The same is true of all his local successors; they have all given of their time and talent in varying degrees in the interests of the Club.

During the decade spanning 1993 to 2003 it is a fitting gesture to recall and record the enormous effort and painstaking contributions made by Mr. Victor Castelino to the CSC both in his capacity as General Secretary and later on as the President. He spearheaded some and improved considerably, the already existing facilities at the Club. He started the first Gym. Restored the Monsoon Villa with a Party Lounge, a Carlsberg Bar, a practice squash court, an indoor Badminton court, developed the kiddies area with a jungle gym, a basketball half court, brought flood lights back to the Tennis courts, etc.

He also initiated and built the North Wing which housed a new kitchen, three additional new residential air-conditioned rooms, built new offices for the admin and accounts staff set up a well appointed two storied air-conditioned library building to house a huge variety of books, DVDs and CDs, along with a designated area for children to doodle and spend time. Proper staff quarters were also built during this time. He then went on to develop and build "Arthur's Space" named after our very own late Sir Arthur C. Clark, an uniquely styled outdoor restaurant. In response to the memberships request for Air-conditioning facilities at the Bar, he went on to build a new cozy and comfortable bar. Victor's last project was the development of the "Sports Complex" which housed the existing Badminton court, a new regulation size Squash court with glass back, an air-conditioned party cum conference hall, new wash room facilities for both Men and Ladies, a Health club, Table Tennis room etc.

When Victor came back in 2007 as the President once more, he continued with his planned refurbishment programme, and got it off the ground. This programme continues under the able leadership of the current President Chandra De Silva.

The CSC opened the renovated TONY's TAVERN TAVERN bar (named after the late Tony Horsfall) on Friday 20th the bar will now be three times larger than the old bar, fitted with flat screen TV's, music system, with lighting and furniture tastefully done by professionals to maintain the old charm with a spanking new look. This assignment was totally masterminded and accomplished by Ajay Singh.

Victor's pet money spinning project - the residential rooms at the sports complex, was initiated by him and realized in 2008/9 with immense help from . Aku Jeevunjee. With this improvement the CSC will now have seventeen air-conditioned rooms available for members overseas guests and guests from overseas clubs that share reciprocal facilities with the CSC.

Given the current "security concerns and restrictions in the CSC location", all this work in record time would not have been possible, had it not been for the untiring efforts of Mr. Mihira De Alwis, the current General Secretary. He stepped in wholeheartedly, sped up the activities and ensured that all the paperwork, permissions and approvals were in place at all times. Mihira continues to be the driving force behind most of the development activities and improvements at the Club, which consume huge amounts of his precious time.

While it is named a "swimming club", the CSC today offers a variety of sporting options and its annual sports gala attracts even otherwise dormant members to participate in the jamboree. The gala extends over a few weeks and ends with a grand prize giving ceremony, after which both winners and losers alike whoop it at a glamorous after-party.

Many of the country's popular Western music bands have graced evening at the club, especially on selected occasions such as New Year's Eve, Christmas, and Deepavali. The Friday nights being a feature that most look forward to starting their weekends.

The Club's state-of-the-art kitchens offer a varied cuisine, with Continental and Sri Lankan food being firm favourites amongst members. A daily businessman's luncheon offers executives a chance to relax over a quick meal as the club is located close to the heart of the city's business district. The Club's kitchen and restaurant was ranked amongst the top 15 restaurants, in Sri Lanka last year by the Ministry of Health and the Colombo Municipality.