Writing in ‘The Island’ opinion page of 2 Nov. A. G. Abeywickarama invites senior journalists and retired Civil Servants to pool narratives of this 'uncommon man'. I do not belong to either category, but would wish to contribute with a few anecdotes I had heard from friends and read in newspapers.

Sir John was residing in Kandawala Walawwa in a 25 acre sprawling coconut estate in Ratmalana, which he gifted to the Defence Academy. He had a poultry farm and his favourite breakfast was egg hoppers. Once, the government nurses were on strike over some unresolved issues. As Prime Minister, Sir John summoned a delegation of the nurses' union to his Kandawala estate. The nurses were invited to sit with him at the breakfast table and partake of his favourite morning meal of egg hoppers and ‘seeni sambol’. The following morning, newspapers reported that the nurses' strike had been called off. (It is seen that sharing meals had been practiced as a political gimmick in solving problems and winning hearts, even at that time).

It was election time. Sir John was addressing an election rally on the last day of the election campaign in Galle, where two Abeywickamas, Henry from the SLFP and Harry from the UNP, were contesting the Galle seat. Sir John was the last speaker and at the end of the speech, he called upon the crowd: 'Go to the polling booth early in the morning and vote for Henry Abeywickama'. The audience went silent. A person seated on the stage got up and whispered in Sir John's ear: 'Sir, our man is not Henry, but Harry'. Immediately, he apologised to the crowd and said, 'I made a mistake. Go early in the morning and vote for Henry Abeywickama'. The audience was becoming restless now, with hooting heard from several directions. Sir John was furious at his own blunder, committed twice. He blared at the microphone: 'Thamusela gihilla oona ballekuta chande denawa'. When election results were announced on the following day, the SLFP candidate had won the Galle constituency with a comfortable majority.

While electioneering in the North Central Province, Sir John's motorcade had been going on a tank bund, when suddenly the lead vehicle had ground to an abrupt halt. People in the follow up vehicles craned their necks out, to ascertain the reason for the sudden halt, to see their leader putting a 'pump', standing on the bund, facing the tank.

And there is the incident reported from Parliament. The UNP had lost the election and a new SLFP government had been sworn in. One day, Sir John was ascending the steps to the (former) Parliament, when M. S. Themis, a postal peon elected from Colombo Central and sworn in as a junior minister in the government of 'Sanga, Veda, Guru, Govi, Kamkaru', saw Sir John, who was about to enter the Parliament. MP Themis ran after him and called: 'Halloo John'. Sir John turned back and gave him a thundering slap. The former fell down and rolled back a few steps. Later, MP Themis complained about this incident to Prime Minister SWRD, who said 'you are lucky to have got away with one slap. Even I call him Sir John'.