tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post6997702407668424396..comments2024-03-28T15:13:45.925+08:00Comments on Good Morning Yesterday: Places I Remember (4) – Lorong ChuanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-67371713521392658902006-12-02T15:18:00.000+08:002006-12-02T15:18:00.000+08:00Talking about girls, our strictly boy school was l...Talking about girls, our strictly boy school was located near to a Chinese Girl School, and some of the girls were actually quite pretty. We guys could only speak a level of Mandarin only we could understand among ourselves. Few brave souls tried to strike up a decent conversation with the girls with disasterous results, because the girls looked puzzled and giggled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-69809790610911340542006-11-25T12:40:00.000+08:002006-11-25T12:40:00.000+08:00I wish I could remember the STC bus service # (Ser...I wish I could remember the STC bus service # (Service #17) between 1967 and 1970. Some of my classmates would take this service from Capitol Cinema all the way to Toa Payoh Estate and make a round-trip. This service was popular because you could "catch" girls from the town convents, MGS, SCGS, RGS, Anderson, Whitley School and Swiss Cottage Secondary at one go. <br /><br />Seems the better looking ones were from CHIJ. They seem more "polished" and rather good in communication skills. Second was SCGS. Any body think otherwise?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-85594398334314906272006-11-25T02:09:00.000+08:002006-11-25T02:09:00.000+08:00Chun See said:
maybe we just wanted to gawk at th...Chun See said:<br /><br /><i>maybe we just wanted to gawk at the Anderson and Raffles Girls</i><br /><br />So I see that your sex drive was normal when you were younger. Then HSL, now DOM? :pVictorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-86478130905486820312006-11-24T13:38:00.000+08:002006-11-24T13:38:00.000+08:00Peter: The British built pre-war days or after WWI...Peter: The British built pre-war days or after WWII bungalows for senior officers, and flats like the one I mentioned at Nelson road for junior officers (I am one of them). I joined SHB in 1963 and it became PSA in 1964. In 1969 PSA built flats for their staff located at Blair plain, Tj Pagar, and point blks behind the railway station. I have no idea of the police station and other buildings mentioned by you. The dockyard your grand uncle worked was the Keppel Dockyard which was eventually demolished giving way to the present complex comprising of cruise centre, harbour front, cable cars, Vivo city, condo etc. I must say that your memory is really good, equivalent to that of an elephant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-74190095903425825502006-11-22T17:47:00.000+08:002006-11-22T17:47:00.000+08:00There's still one place where you can experience t...There's still one place where you can experience the old style Indian barber - at the corner of Upper East Coast Road and Woo Mon Chew Road. I like the special alcoholic oil he uses to massage your next with his fingers and then the karate-like chops. Heard that Geroge Yeo (minister) cut his hair there from childhood until now. The barber has been there since the 1960s. The building was built in the 1930s and still going strong. For tales about "Siglap area of the 1950s", talk to the Malay man who runs his photo-framing store next door to the barber shop.<br /><br />If this kind of barber who gives massage not good, walk across the road, you will Indonesian massage (by ladies for men and ladies).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-24802433499203218482006-11-22T15:45:00.000+08:002006-11-22T15:45:00.000+08:00I know! What happened to those quickie 30-sec or 1...I know! What happened to those quickie 30-sec or 1-min massages after a haircut? They suddenly went out of style--like humongous sideburns and bellbottoms. The barber used to rub your shoulders, put his palms together like praying style, then gave chops between the shoulder blades. And we just sat there and went ahhhh...(sound vibrating with the chops).<br /><br />I guess quickie massages have taken on a new meaning now--haircuts are not part of the deal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-41912412122513653592006-11-22T15:27:00.000+08:002006-11-22T15:27:00.000+08:00Yes, I remember Bus no. 104. But can't remember if...Yes, I remember Bus no. 104. But can't remember if it's the one going to Serangoon Road/town or Newton Circus. <br /><br />My brother David and I used to walk from our school in ACS Barker Rd to Newton Circus to take the bus back to Lor Chuan. Sometimes, if we were too lazy to walk, we would take no. 8A to Novena and change bus (maybe we just wanted to gawk at the Anderson and Raffles Girls). The bus stop was in front of a tailor and a Sri Dewa barber. Sometimes we would cut our hair there. At the end of the haircut, they used a portable massager to massage our backs .. damn shiok.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-72728251501781034492006-11-22T14:52:00.000+08:002006-11-22T14:52:00.000+08:00This sparked so many memories.
I remember the ru...This sparked so many memories. <br /><br />I remember the rubber factory along Lor. Chuan. We used to take bus home to Serangoon Gardens (I think it was no. 104). Just before that stretch, we'd start to hold our breath until the bus was well past the factory. Those were the days before air con buses. <br /><br />And those were the days of bus conductors giving you a paper ticket. I had a 4444, which we didn't consider inauspicious or anything. My childhood buddy and I got up a bus, paid the fare and the conductor gave him the tickets. He saw the numbers but out of fairness, he gave me a choice to pick one ticket, with the numbers faced down. I took the 4444. He went "Shucks!" Ah Hoe, if you are reading this, yes, I still remember that. Unfortunately, we moved house so many times, cos landlords wanted more rental, I no longer have those special tickets.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-5878414423776948342006-11-21T18:54:00.000+08:002006-11-21T18:54:00.000+08:00Let guess .. Keppel Shipyard?Let guess .. Keppel Shipyard?Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-59719536870773607202006-11-21T18:22:00.000+08:002006-11-21T18:22:00.000+08:00Chun Chew:
SHB at Nelson Road. I thot there was t...Chun Chew:<br />SHB at Nelson Road. I thot there was the United Engineers building at Kuching Road, a police station (Kg Bahru) and a row of shophouses in that area? I thot SHB quarters was at Blair Plain, near the East Wharf or what is now the Tg Pagar Distripark? Can you refresh my memories?<br /><br />I recall dropping off my grand-uncle who worked in a shipyard that was next to the Sentosa Cable Car and opposite to a block of 4 storey apartments on the side of Mt Faber. There was a row of red brick buildings (like St James Power Station) facing Teluk Blangah Road in my mind. What was the name of the shipyard and the gate number of that place?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-27717453013094029142006-11-21T17:25:00.000+08:002006-11-21T17:25:00.000+08:00The resident of the SHB apartment at Nelson Rd., w...The resident of the SHB apartment at Nelson Rd., was a supervisor of the port, an achievement for a local at that time. This gentleman sublet his room to my father, was interestingly an opium smoker, as I found out when he smoked in one of his rooms, emitting a terrible odour which easily stunned a cat. His son was working in the British Army as a white collar worker, loved me very much, and would often bought a bar of chocolate for me when he came back from work. One day a neighbour huge dog, for no rhyme or reason, pounced on me, luckily this uncle was there to shoo it away. After this incident, my mother while bathing me, found out that I had a fever. Later on our family shifted to Geylang Lor.14, because my mother (bad tempered) had a a nasty quarrel with one of tenant's three daughter, and all the three ganged up against my mother who cried bitterly. This was the last straw and we had to move on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-87042151959813389412006-11-21T14:22:00.000+08:002006-11-21T14:22:00.000+08:00I used to see sparks coming off the overhead cable...I used to see sparks coming off the overhead cable when ever the trolley bus made a U-turn<br /><br />Some places I recalled seeing those overhead cables:<br /><br />1. Bukit Timah Road - next to KK Hospital and Rex Cinema<br /><br />2. Junction of Outram Road and New Bridge Road. <br /><br />3. Clifford Pier - opposite to the Asia Insurance Bdlg<br /><br />4. Geylang Road - think it was the old Changi Market<br /><br />5. Bras Basah and Victoria STreet junction<br /><br />Seems that they tap electricity from the street electric poles. In those days, high-tension electric cables were overhead and not underground.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-90439172007718172052006-11-21T13:24:00.000+08:002006-11-21T13:24:00.000+08:00After WWII, my parents returned to Singapore from ...After WWII, my parents returned to Singapore from Segamat, and stayed in an SHB (Singapore Harbour Board) quarters at Nelson Road. In 1945, I was 2 years old and witnessed (quite vaguely) a cultural show put up by Japanese prisoners after their surrender at a concentration camp not far from the quarters. A few years later, my mother took me for a first rickshaw ride, and the puller had a quarrel with my mother probably over the fare. It was during this period that I had a first ride on a trolley bus and I saw the conductor busily trying to adjust the two poles behind the trolly bus, probably to have better electrical contact with the overhead wires that power the trolly bus. This is all I can remember.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-4703217535065408052006-11-21T11:02:00.000+08:002006-11-21T11:02:00.000+08:00Peter, thanks for the info. I just did some resear...Peter, thanks for the info. I just did some research and this is what I found in a Straits Times article dated 6 Nov 2004:<br /><br />"<i><b>Trolley buses</b> were common from the 1920s to 1962. The earliest buses on Singapore's roads were <b>trolley buses</b> which were brought in during the 1920s to replace <b>electric trams</b></i>."<br /><br />So according to the article, it seems the right term for that mode of transport is <b>trolley buses</b>. I will save the other details of the article for my blog post.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-12604185530474074392006-11-21T09:23:00.000+08:002006-11-21T09:23:00.000+08:00Victor
FYI
Trams needed to run on "railway tracks...Victor<br /><br />FYI<br />Trams needed to run on "railway tracks" and this made it different from electric buses which had tires and overhead cables. The HK example runs on overhead cable + tracks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-12119312231589428562006-11-21T06:25:00.000+08:002006-11-21T06:25:00.000+08:00Victor
Need to be careful over definitions.
The ...Victor<br /><br />Need to be careful over definitions.<br /><br />The buses you see in HK are trams - belonging to the ealry 19th century. Trams were here in Singapore until post war they were replaced by electric buses (not trams) run only by STC. Trams resemble more like train coaches unlike electric buses. I think they are still around even at the HK PEAK. I love to take them when I worked in HK as it was faster than taxis along Des Voux Road. Trams can only run on this road and not other roads because this was where the old coastline was. Furthermore during winter season, you catch the cool breeze whilst clothed in thick woollens but summer time, it was bad. It's a good time if you have time to catch the sights of roasted goose meat, ducks, roasted pork and chickens hung outside brightly ligheted restaurants or that jewellery shop.<br /><br />The other attraction was the Star Ferry plying between Wanchai/Central to Kowloon side. For 10 cents Singapore one-way, you catch the sights of Cherry Chung look-alikes and the smell of the sea (do so only during winter). Just heard they are moving the landing point on Kowloon side old clock tower to somewhere else. Most males like to patronise 5-foot way vendors selling Playboy or Penthouse after a ride on Star Ferry - not sure why.<br /><br />Sure no problem, I shall send you jpegs of a) STC share certificate, b) bus tickets, c) I got one picture of overhead cables running down Bras Basah Road at the Rendevouz Hotel, and d) bus terminus at Maxwell Road Wet Market taken in 1958 by my father.<br /><br />chztwyzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-32881140939536246462006-11-20T22:27:00.000+08:002006-11-20T22:27:00.000+08:00I remember one occasion taking such a tram along B...I remember one occasion taking such a tram along Bras Basah Rd in front of the former St Joseph's Institution. Must be in the 50's. Saw a photo of such a tram in a book in the library. <br /><br />Last time I took a tram was in Hiroshima in 1985.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-65062937290270702252006-11-20T21:36:00.000+08:002006-11-20T21:36:00.000+08:00Peter, you are indeed an avid collector of old thi...Peter, you are indeed an avid collector of old things. Who would have thought of keeping used bus tickets till this day? Erm... actually the kids of those days did keep the tickets with nice numbers like "3333" or "8888", but only for a while. I don't know where are mine now. And "Easy Bus" only sounds vaguely familiar to me now.<br /><br />However, I remember taking a tram ride with my mum. (Hong Kong still had trams in the 1980s. I don't know if this service had since been terminated. Can anyone confirm this? And does Amsterdam still have them?)<br /><br />The trams were even older than the bus services that you have mentioned. They were powered by overhead cables, had wooden louvred windows and no air conditioning, of course. If I am not wrong, I think they operated till the early 60s (when I was about 5-6 years' old).<br /><br />Peter, can you do me a favour? If it is not too much trouble and when you can spare the time, please scan (or take photos of) the share certificate, the bus tickets and any photos related to the transport service then. I will blog about these archaic bus services one day. Thanks in advance.Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10339178864363140977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-63159048112142915632006-11-20T13:54:00.000+08:002006-11-20T13:54:00.000+08:00Older folks of our time, were very gullible to chi...Older folks of our time, were very gullible to chit funds, tontines and the likes run by questionable people or organisations. My parents contributed to a fund managed by a HAKKA association in Malaysia which was supposed to reimbursed all the expenses incurred when a member died. The association eventually disappeared together with members' money. Sometimes I wonder why my parents being educated people can still be conned, but I notice even educated people nowadays can still be swindled. Perhaps con-men are a step smarter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-11155870086410298852006-11-20T10:33:00.000+08:002006-11-20T10:33:00.000+08:00When public listed STC declared itself insolvent o...When public listed STC declared itself insolvent on the Singapore Stock Exchange (before amalgation with other bus companies, all investors lost their money. The government refused to bail out the company. One of my uncle and auntie lost their entire savings over 5 lots of STC shares. I saw my aunty crying and she wanted to jump down from one of the Macpherson Road flats.<br /><br />They threw out all their "useless" share certificates - I retrieved one of them and is still with me today.<br /><br />I also collected bus tickets - now got a few left from Green Bus, STC, Tay Koh Yat, Easy Bus, Keppel Bus, Paya Lebar-Pongool Bus, Changi-Bedok Bus as souveniers. <br /><br />Unfortunately my late mother threw many of my collections away because she said that "people who picked up things from the road could lose thier hands due to dirt". I doubt it but in those days, grandmother stories were prevalent to frighten school kids from playing at the bus stops. For higher demoniation tickets, I would ask passengers for "donations".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-85145824803378763672006-11-20T08:41:00.000+08:002006-11-20T08:41:00.000+08:00Just talking about STC (Singapore Traction Co.), s...Just talking about STC (Singapore Traction Co.), since colonial days, would make commuters angry, though the fare was really cheap - 25 cents max. for a long distance trip. The irregular services were the norm for this company which later on folded up when the govt merged up all bus services, evolving into the present SBS and TIBS. I had to use STC bus to pick me up at Lorong Chuan at around 5.30 am to reach Clifford Pier, and made another connection to my place of work - Tj Pagar at 7 am (lst shift), a nightmare. Because of this hassle, I bought my 'old horse'(morris minor) to do a better job, sending Chun See to ACS enroute.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-34226841425291620302006-11-20T05:24:00.000+08:002006-11-20T05:24:00.000+08:00Yes now I recall the smell and the sight of a rust...Yes now I recall the smell and the sight of a rusty looking rubber factory. Like many others, it was for "smoking" rubber. Latex collected from the estate were sent to the factory where it was turbned into sheets and hung to dry in the sun until the sheets turned yellow. If you know of Bukit Timah Plaza today at 7 miles Upper Bukit Timah Road and Clementi Road junction, there used to be a rubber factory called Lam Choon Rubber Factory. I saw the same kind of activities like you describe. Most of the fatcories were located to rubber estates. <br /><br />My memories tell me that Yio Chu Kang Road( nearer to Sembawang Hills and before the old Jalan Kayu Post Office), Tampines Road (nearer to Upper Serangoon junction), Upper Thompson Road (former motor racing grand prix circuit), Mandai Road, Woodlands Road (near the SHELL lubricating fuel depot) and Chesntnut Avenue were sites of rubber estates. Today if you head into Chesnut Avenue Water Treatment Plant (where a short-cut from dairy Farm Road brings you from BKE to Upper Bukit Timah Road), you can still find rubber trees and some durian trees. No wonder there was the Nanyang Shoe Factory at Bukit Panjang which bought rubber from the rubber factories to produce slippers and shoes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-27559511202375826022006-11-19T17:40:00.000+08:002006-11-19T17:40:00.000+08:00I think the rubber factory was diagonally across ...I think the rubber factory was diagonally across the road opposite the croc.tannery which emitted a very foul smell. The rubber factory was constructed of rust-red colour zinc sheets. I had not gone inside but it could be used to process rubber sheets. This rubber factory should be considered inside the Plantation avenue kampong. Although the tannery is gone, there is still a building the tannery site.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-85247274019240215832006-11-19T15:05:00.000+08:002006-11-19T15:05:00.000+08:00Thanks Shih Tung. I had forgotten about the rubbe...Thanks Shih Tung. I had forgotten about the rubber tannery. Going toward SG, it would be after the crocodile farm. There was a similar rubber tannery (I think tannery is not the right word, but I cannot remember the correct term) along Upp Thomson Road, between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Bright Hill.Lam Chun Seehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01762020157703342970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16760936.post-74698049910362620362006-11-19T14:53:00.000+08:002006-11-19T14:53:00.000+08:00I don't remember the crocodile farms, but there wa...I don't remember the crocodile farms, but there was definitely a smell along Lorong Chuan when I was growing up (1970s). I throught it was from the rubber tannery on the right-hand side of the road (going towards S'goon Garden). There's still a broken-down brick guard post along Lorong Chuan near the junction with the new S'goon Ave 2. I think that's from the old tannery.Ngiam Shih Tunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02800779441060614157noreply@blogger.com