From my Inbox - Colin Liddell

Hi Lam

I have been looking at some of your photos and blogs.

I am a New Zealander who lived in Singapore in 1973 -75. My father was with the NZ Army, and I went to high school in Singapore. I was at Changi, then at Woodlands , lived initially at Serangoon Gardens and then at Seletar.

Serangoon Gardens 1973

Serangoon Gardens

Seletar

I am part of a group called the Military Brats of Singapore, made up from the kids who went to the school at the Australian & New Zealand Defence Force schools that operated from 1971 – 1989. We have a website and Facebook page and this year we are having a School Reunion in Auckland. We have great memories and some great photo’s as well.

For all of us who were there, Singapore was the best years of our lives. We loved living there, and many of us have been back many times. We ate at the makan stalls and played rugby on the Padang, lived our days at the swimming pools, and snuck off to Bugis St at night, when it was still worth visiting.

Under 14s - Padang 1973

Colin labelled this photo Beach Rd 1973. I don' think this is Beach Rd.

Keep up the great work, and love the stories and photos.

Terimah Kaseh.

Colin Liddell, 16 Jan 2013

GMY Book Contest #4

Thanks to Geoffrey Pain for sending me this mid-1960s picture some time ago. The first person to identify this place wins a copy of my book, Good Morning Yesterday. Just post your answer in the comments section. Sorry; only local readers can win ….. for obvious reason.

RESULTS

This is what Geoffrey Pain wrote: “The subject of the photo is the shop at the end. Hengs which is where my father bought his radios and other items. The shop is in Jalan Kayu just outside the Seletar Base.“

Peter Chan, my friend, and regular blogger here at GMY, adds: “Those shops on the left of Jalan Kayu as you approach TPE (then you cross the road bridge over TPE); then before you is Piccadilly Circus inside Seletar Airport.  The famous Jalan Kayu roti prata (in Foodage) opposite to those wooden shops.  Today those wooden shops gone and now an empty plot of land.”

Congratulations to Johnny Chen for being the first to come up with the correct answer to what appears to be a relatively easy one. Pls email me your address; or message me at Facebook.

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Incidentally, Good Morning Yesterday (Book) was last spotted at Times @ Centrepoint (Tel: 6734-9022), Kinokuniya @ Ngee Ann City (Tel: 6737-5021). You can also get it at Betel Box Hostel, Bistro & Tours (Tel: 6247-7340) and HAF Box Pte Ltd (Tel: 6235-4560). 

Some old cinemas in town - 1952

Here are some 1951~52 photos of cinemas in the town area courtesy of Joe Elliot. Also cinema tickets from the same period. I have not been to the last 2. A bit too young. Anyone know where was Chung King?

And here’s one more from Mike Robbins taken in the mid-1960s.

GMY Book Contest #3 - Results

Congratulations to Edwin Lim. I believe this is the junction of Serangoon Road and St George’s Road. Take a good look the Then and Now photos below. The building has not changed much after nearly five decades.

Edwin. Please let me have your mailing address and I will send you a copy of Good Morning Yesterday. You can email me, or message me at Facebook, or post your address here. Thanks to everyone for participating. Look out for Contest #4.

Here are 2 old buildings nearby that are still standing amidst the drastic changes all around.

Adam's Corner

Yassin Restaurant

GMY Book Contest #3

The first person to identify this place wins a copy of my book, Good Morning Yesterday. Just post your answer in the comments section. Sorry; only local readers can win ….. for obvious reason.

Thanks to Geoffrey Pain for sending me this mid-1960s picture some time ago. I did not post it earlier because I could not find the time to visit this place to confirm if I myself know the correct answer. Anyway, I still am not 100% sure. Which means of course, the judge’s decision is not final.

Let’s not forget them

I would like to greet my dear readers a “Happy New Year” with a not-so-happy photo. May we be reminded, in the year 2013, that there are older Singaporeans in our midst who are like these 3 (what you call this) stumps -  once young, good-looking and located in a place that was once full of life, and surrounded by young happy people. But today they are forgotten, neglected and forlorn. They are not necessarily found in the old age homes. They could be living next door.

Guess where I took this photo.