Meeting my new old friend Mike Robbins

Mike Robbins, like John Harper and Brian Mitchell, is one of those people I call “my new old friends”. They are  like ‘old friends’ because, through their stories shared on this blog, of their time spent in Singapore all those long years ago, I seem to have known them for a long time. And new because I only just got to meet them face-to-face for the first time when they visited Singapore.

Last month, Mike and his wife Flora was in Singapore for a brief visit, and I took them to see some of the places that he used to know during his time here in the 1960s when he was working at the Naval Base. Unfortunately, due to time constraint, we could only do what the Chinese call, 走马观花, or viewing flowers from a galloping horse.

  

Our first stop was the former Chequers Hotel at Thomson Road near the former Police Academy. The last time I visited this place, it was home to the Europa Country Club. Unfortunately this turned out to be a disappointment because the entire area was fenced off and we could not even go through the main entrance at the road.

Our next stop was the Old Upper Thomson Road where Mike had travelled often. The road was quiet as it was a weekday morning and we saw many monkeys and even a monitor lizard by the roadside. The sight of the monkeys brought back many memories for Mike and Flora. I guess their kids must have had great time with these creatures.

The highlight of our tour was Mike and Flora’s home in Sudan Road. I did not consult any map … simply drove around the estate which had many interesting road names like Ottawa Road, Kenya Road and Bermuda Road; places that are still part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.  After driving around a bit, we stumbled upon Mike and Flora’s house at 823 Sudan Road. I think this must be the shortest road in Singapore. It’s probably less than 100m in length. We walked around a bit to study the place, and the Robbins were disappointed that they could not see their big rambutan tree.

I asked Mike if he could recall the route that he took to get to his office at the Naval Base. After a bit of driving around, he managed to figure it out. It was a short ride actually, straight down Canada Road towards Admiralty Road East.

Our next stop was the Sembawang Park where we caught a glimpse of the Mike’s former Stores Basin. After that we drove around a little before proceeding to the Kranji War Memorial for a brief stop. And then it was off to lunch at the Woodlands Civic Centre. Our final stop was the Alexandra Hospital where two of the Robbins children were born. At that time, it was known as the British Military Hospital.

At Sembawang Park

At Beaulieu House, Sembawang Park

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to my new old friend, Mike Robbins. God willing, we may meet again when I visit the UK; where I plan to catch up with my other new old friends  like John Harper, Brian Mitchell and Tom Brown.

Here are some seldom-seen photos that Mike wants to share with my fellow Singaporeans.

Related post: “Good Morning Yesterday” brings back memories of Singapore for Mike Robbins

Then, Then, and Now – Stamford Road

I wish I had this photo when I blogged about the old National Library at Stamford Road here. My recollections of this place generated much discussion and speculation about the shops along this stretch of Stamford Rd.

Zooming in on this photo, I can roughly make some of the signboards which have pictures of handbags and crocodiles; and names like Wah Siong Leather, Malaysia …., a vertical Chinese signboard which says; “马来西亚 _Japanese word_ 皮屋” (Malaysia ___ skin house). I would guess that that Japanese word says crocodile or reptile. Another Chinese signboard says, “鳄鱼蛇皮商行 (Crocodile and snake skins trading).

My thanks to Mike Robbins for sending me this mid-1960s photo which was taken by his former colleague, Ray Kirkman. The other two photos were taken by me.

Football @ Sembawang in the 1960s

Recently, I watched the episode of Project Neighbourhood on Sembawang. This programme was aired in November last year, and I had recorded it for subsequent viewing. There was quite a bit of history of the presence of the British forces at the Sembawang Naval Base. Of particular interest was the interview with local soccer hero, Quah Kim Song, who said that he developed his speed and courage through his matches against the British soccer teams.



I thought my friend Mike Robbins might be interest in this documentary and asked him to go Mediacorp’s xinmsn website to watch Episode 6 of Project Neighbourbood. Following that, he emailed me.


Hello again Chun See,


Have just watched episode 6 with interest and have attached two photos.


The Singapore football photo below includes me playing my last game in Singapore (I am in back row 2nd from right end of picture). This was a game played before one of the Indian employees returned to India I seem to remember. It was played on the pitch adjacent to the Dockyard Swimming Club.

The second photo (project neighbourhood) features an evening celebration with the Quah family previously mentioned to you. Sitting at the table 4th from right is myself and on my left is one of the two other British members of my section. That same person, Tony Walker, also appears in a photo in episode 6 at about 18.52 minutes! He was single and lived in the club mentioned.

As you can imagine after being at sea for some time, sailors clearly needed to let off steam. It was a navy tradition that each ship had several sports teams - football, tug of war, cricket, rugby etc. Whichever port a ship visited, it would be part of the goodwill visit to arrange to play some sport with the local community.


As far as Singapore was concerned this was the base of the Far East Fleet with many ships going and coming. There were often inter-ship and inter-service (Army and Air Force competitions). The base was also used by the US Navy at that time for R & R from their Vietnam patrols. I remember seeing aircraft on the deck of an US carrier showing scars of their action - the odd bullet hole here and there.


The ships on arrival would be up for any matches they could arrange hence competition also with the local base employees. Through these matches I am sure local friendships were formed. Clearly many of the sailors would be bigger than Quah Kim Song. I imagine his speed enabled him to avoid many crunching tackles!


As an aside the Naval Golfing Society in the base had a monthly day at the Island Country Club - thoroughly good day out. I remember the little kids coming out at every other hole to sell us cold drinks. I am sure times have very much changed there.

“Good Morning Yesterday” brings back memories of Singapore for Mike Robbins

Hello Chun See,

Your book brought back many memories of our initial arrival in Singapore in 1966.


We arrived at Paya Lebar airport at around midnight having spent over 26 hours en route from UK - 10 hours to Abadan, 1 hour on the ground, 8 hours to Colombo, 1 hour on the ground and six hours into Singapore. Apart from the heat, we arrived at the height of the durian season, and that smell together with the smell of rubber emanating from the many lorries making their way to the docks with their loads will stay with me for the rest of my life! On arrival we were taken to our hotel - Chequers Hotel - mentioned in your book.


Other items mentioned that brought back memories were:


Thomson Road and the Singapore Grand Prix


Having moved from the Chequers Hotel into Cairnhill Court just off Orchard Road in August 1966, I travelled to the naval base daily using the Thomson Road. I remember the standard of driving was pretty poor. Along the main straight of the Thomson Road, which formed part of the circuit, was the best piece of tarmac road on the island! You may not remember the pick up taxis that used the road. They were very cheap and you just waved them down to stop and pick you up. You could often find yourself sharing space with live chickens in baskets! These taxis often overtook each other. if one was on the wrong side of the road it was essential to accelerate towards it to make it give way!


Thaipusam


This was a Hindu festival I think, and have attached some photos of the Kavadi carriers. You may not have been aware of this Hindu celebration. Does it still happen now?

Naval Base


My first job in the Naval Base in the Naval Store Department was managing transport for the navy including transporting the naval service children to school. We used Tay Koh Yat buses from time to time. I was interested to read that your father also worked in the naval base as a Senior Grade clerk. Was he in the CC department? I have fond memories of my association with a Senior Grade clerk in the Naval Store department - Ong Boon Poh. He would be in his eighties now if he is still alive. He invited us to his home for Chinese New year celebrations.


Novena Church


I was also interested in your account of your conversion to Christianity and of your mention of the Novena Church in Thomson Road. We regularly attended that church and visited it on our return three years ago. Don't have many photos of it but have attached a shot of the outside decorations at Christmas plus a not very clear one of the icon in the Church. The story we were told was that the icon of Mary was saved before the Japanese occupation and protected by the local Muslim community and returned after the war. Don't know how true this account was.

You also mentioned the weekday markets - we called them the amah's markets. We still have brandy glasses we bought very cheaply from this source!


One other piece of history you may be interested in was the fact that by 1939, the strategic importance of Singapore to the Far East Fleet was immense. The island at that stage had three very large fuel depots - Senoko in the north as part of the naval base and connected by pipeline to all the berths in the Naval Base, Normanton in the south (quite near the site of the British Military Hospital I think) which was accessed from the main Singapore port, and there was an important header tank on Mount Faber. The third site, I think in the east of the island had disappeared by the time I arrived. In 1939 all three sites were inter linked by pipelines. As the Japanese invasion advanced many of the Senoko tanks were deliberately destroyed, but as the advance gained pace, the pumps only at the Normanton site were destroyed. The Japanese reinstalled pumps from somewhere, and in the period 1966-1969, these pumps at Normanton which were built in Glasgow Scotland in 1915 were housed in a new pumphouse which even in 1966 still bore the rising sun emblem on it although it was whitewashed in the same colour as the rest of the building!

Hope you find these snippets interesting. If ever you come to the UK to visit your friend in Scotland, an area we visit regularly as we have family there, please let us know.


Best wishes and again many thanks for your book.


Mike

Old kampongs quiz (1)

Can you identify the kampongs in these photos? I certainly can’t. I know it’s tough, but GMY readers have always risen to the challenge in the past.

Photos number 1 and 2 were sent by Mike Robbins and Photos number 3, 4 and 5 by Robin Brewster. Of course if you could identify the people in the photos that would be even better; especially the kid in Photo number 1; LOL. I don’t know about you. But I always find it a joy to see the happy faces of kampongs kids; especially when the kampong is from Singapore.


By the way, if you have watched the documentary Lost Images featuring videos by Ivan Polunin, you will see similar scenes of kampong kids frolicking in the sea. Maybe it’s the same place.

Can you spot the two aircraft carriers?

Recently Mike Robbins sent me a 1968 photo of what he referred to as the Stores Basin, saying that there were two aircraft carriers. I was curious as to why this place was called Stores Basin. Also I could only spot one aircraft carrier. And so I asked him to elaborate and this was what he wrote:

It was called stores basin because all the supplies/logistics (Non armament and food) for the Royal Navy Far East Fleet were landed in that area where there were many godown type storage areas. There were also oil pipeline connections to each berth linked to the many tanks at Senoko which was the main storage area of fuel for the Fleet. Some tanks are still there and feed the power station I think.

There are two aircraft carriers if you look closely. One was HMS Victorious (full side on when you look). The other is actually at right angles to it in the basin itself (top left and adjacent to Victorious) It was actually a commando carrier with helicopters, most of which had been disembarked to one of the shore bases at the time. Hope this makes sense to you!

Eh …. Actually I am still unable to spot the second aircraft carrier. I trust that my readers are less dense than me. :(

More Old Photos of Singapore River

I have just received another batch of old photos of the Singapore River. This time it is from Mike Robbins. Mike, you might recall (from this post) spent three years in Singapore from 1966-69 living mainly in the Naval Base at Sembawang.

The two black-and-white photos were from someone who was here in the late 50's. The other two were from a colleague of his who was a keen photographer and were taken between 1966 and 1969.

Thanks Mike.

By the way, can you spot the Marine Police Station @ Empress Place in photo no. 4?

And here's a photo that Peter took of the Spore River from the Fullerton.

Welcome to the Far East

Below are some images that Mike Robbins sent me.


"Thought you might be interested in this booklet that we were given on our arrival as an introduction to Singapore - a little piece of history. Perhaps the most interesting page is the exchange rate for Singapore dollars in 1966 although some of the photos especially transport are of interest too. . How well your country has done since independence and how weak is stirling now! Please feel free to publish."

Mike Robbins’ fond memories of Singapore

Hello Lam,

Just recently found your site. It is nice to know that you are trying to preserve memories of old Singapore.

My wife and I were fortunate to spend three years on the island from 1966-69 living mainly in the Naval Base at Sembawang. We have been back twice since 1969, and the changes that have taken place make the place almost unrecognisable.

Surprisingly our first flat in Cairnhill Road was still there as was our house in Sudan Road - photos of that attached. The only noticeable change from the outside was the house now had air-con.

Our last visit coincided with the first F1 GP on the island - very impressive. We broke our return journey from Bali. We were very fortunate to still have contact with a pen friend of our daughter who was born in Singapore in 1968. She took us out on a trip down memory lane - back to Sembawang and to our old house. We also enjoyed a nostalgic curry in Changi village. It is a pity that so much of old Singapore has been lost - fond memories of old Bugis Street playing noughts and crosses with young children in front of the bars - for a few cents!

Our one regret is that we lost touch with our amah in Cairnhill Court. Her name was Lee Boon Yong. She was a much valued member of our family. She had one son only called John who would now be about 50. She originally lived in a kampong near Bukit Timah, but was re-housed in the early flats in Toa Payoh. Yong was our first amah in Cairnhill Court off Cairnhill Road not in Sembawang. In the house in Sudan Road,we had a couple who lived in the servants quarters at the back of the house. The amah's name there was Yok and her husband we also knew as John. He worked in the base but was also a very good pastry cook.

I have other old photos and documents from that time some of which I could scan I think if you would like to add to your collection.

It was interesting to see that the old oil fuel depot at Sembawang still had some tanks standing which I understand feed the nearby power station.

Have fond memories of working closely with a ship's chandlers company - Soon Aik in Outram Road - the Quah family. Went to a family wedding on the rooftop at 225 Outram Road. Also have fond memories of taking our young children into the botanical gadrens, buying a small cone of peanuts and watching the monkeys sneak up and snatch the whole paper cone from their hands. How times have changed!

Keep up the good work to preserve for the next generation

Best wishes

Mike Robbins