If you have some old photos, or an article to submit, pls kindly email to me at;
Kindly let me know your Name, Country – so that proper credit will be given. Thank you.
Singapore Blog Awards 2009 Winner – Best Individual Blog
Recent Comments
My site is worth $3014.9.
How much is yours worth?
Hi there,
A colleague saw your blog and linked us to it. I must say I absolutely love everything here! It’s fantastic!! Thanks for capturing all the nostalgia for us Singaporeans. It occured to me that maybe we should get all the SIngapore young kids to use your blog as a resource for their history lessons.
Keep up the good work. I’ll be back quite often!
Cheers
Bigdaddy
Thanks Bigdaddy and welcome here. Glad you like it.
Hi there,
Interesting entries. Hope you don’t mind me linking it.
Keep up the good work!
Hi Rene,
Welcome here and pls go ahead and link.
Really loved your entry on Plaza Sing. I too remember very fondly my days of sitting just below the escalator, waiting for mum to pick me up from music classes at Yamaha.
Hi,
Just wonder you can find this oldies ‘Butterfly’. I have been searching for this song but still couldn’t find any in the local CD shops.
Anywhere checked from intenet & the song was sang by Daniel Gerald seems like a French singer but without English lyrics. Can’t rembered the name of the singer who sang the English version.
Hi YE Xian, I don’t think I’ve this ‘Butterfly’ song. Sorry.
i need the old english song Tonight it’s a duetto
Sorry no song request here.
I was staying there at haig road fairdrive during the 80s for almost 10 years,Thanks for your blog it really brings back good memories during my childhood there. i do sometime travel back to katong just to relive those memories.
HI Damien,
Welcome here. Glad to find another one staying at Haig Road here. A place where there were many cinemas to choose from. BTW are you a swimming instructor too?
What a coincidence, I used to study in Haig Girls School, and together with fellow delinquent, Rita G.-who rode a mean bicycle (no Harleys in those days),we would streak n shriek our way down to Seaview Avenue and collect loads of tiny hermit crab shells at low tide.
We became such pros at playing truant that we would presuade the school jagar to let us keep our uniforms in his quarters so we could change into beachwear and galivant at will. We had very little pocket money but made up for this with lots of great laughs:)
Rita was a great swimmer and the old Chinese Swimming Club was a fave hangout during and after school.
I still remember the principals were Mrs Desker (lovely lady) then came Mrs. Szetoh (very different strain altogether).
Outside the school were a number of ’sagar seed’ trees.
The ground was always dotted with brightly lacquered seeds,
we loved it. It was pretty, free and kept us amused.
So cool remembering, promised myself I would rediscover the old neighborhood soon.
HI Thirdsister,
Thank you for your inputs. Do you remember which year was that (estimate)?
Hi Mr Lau
I need a photo image of the front of an old Singapore classroom ie. with the old blackboard, maybe a old clock, calendar, worldmap, on the wall. Do you know where and how I can get it? Appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Bigdaddy
HI Daddyto3,
You may try the PICAS search from National Archives of Singapore at;
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/
hi, i’m currently a fashion student and i’m actually researching on the topic of ‘popular shops and contemporary shopping practices’ of singapore in the 1970s. seeing how interesting your blog is, i wonder if you might be able to help me with it?
Hello, I came across this site when I was searching for some information on Cedar Girls. That Scottish costume was worn during the folk dancing. In old the days, Cedar was known for its folk dancing lead by the teacher with a big hairdo. Cannot remember her name, but she was hilarious. The principal was Mrs PC Tan – AND SHE WAS VERY STRICT;
I was there from 1966 to 1969 and really enjoy myself there.
Hi Cam,
Welcome here. I’m not sure if I’m of any help but you may email me your questions.
Hi CathyO,
Welcome here and so you are from Cedar. Wonder if such folk dance CCA still exits in Cedar now?
hi. i wonder if you’ve received my e-mail?
Hi Cam,
Yes already replied.
Hi Laokokok,
No i m not a swimming instructor. I m more of a footballer ha ha, i use to play football with friends at haig girls school grass field during my time there.
HI Damien,
Sorry, probably a mistaken identity haha.
Um, I’m a Vicotrian, and this year’s Opw (online project work) is about the history of katong. Mind if I borrow a few articles??
hi
i was from braddell rise primary too! born in year 1965. do you have siblings/cousin/friends that was from my batch, if so, please ask them to contact me. some of us met yesterday and we are trying to locate the other missing 27 .
Hi Zhe Chuan,
I’m aware of the OPW project for Sec.2, pls go ahead.
Hi Guat Bee,
Welcome here. I do not have any friends from Braddell Rise Pri, sorry. Anyone here can help??
Hi,
I wonder if it is possible for u to do a blog on Victoria school (from the early days to the site at Tyrwhitt road to Kallang then to the current site at Marine Parade). The old one in Tyrwhitt road is currently undergoing a re-construction; seems like it will be converted into People Association HQ.
Lots of fond memories there; classrooms with 8 doors, the raised corridoor, the attic of the library etc….
Thanks.
regards,
Ning
Hi Ning,
I’m not too sure if you mean more in details of Victoria School from past till now? I’ve already done one under the post “1 School 3 Generations” here.
Thanks, laokokok
Hi
Love the site – brings back a lot of memories!
My father was in the RAF and we lived in Changi in 1964/5 – I’m writing a novel based on my childhood and am trying to track down where we lived (unfortunately both my parents died in 1991).
I know it was away from the RAF camp and we lived opposite the jungle which had a kampong in it. Just over the road and in front of the jungle area there was a field of oxen. There was a small swamp at the end of the road and we were near a cemetery (not a christian cemetery)
I believe it was in the Siglap/Bedok area and thanks to Google Earth had worked out that it may have been Swan Lake Road in the Opera Estate as there used to be a kampong there and there is a cemetery next to the Flamingo condominium. But I remember mum and us kids walking to the ahma’s night market and have worked out that we walked along the Bedok canal, which seems to be a long way from Swan Lake Road?
Any ideas?
Cheers
Des
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I missed out the “1 School 3 Generations” article previously.
Love your blog site as it really have brings back lots of nostalgia memories.
regards,
Ning
Thanks for the memories. It’s very kind of you to share so much of the past with us. I’ve always wanted to embark on a similar project to chart the changing landscape in Singapore but no time la… you are even better, contextualize every memory and sharing that part of your life with us. I am very grateful to have stumbled upon your site, sheer force of serendipity.
Hi sgMyHome,
Thank you and welcome here. It will be good if everyone starts to embark on charting their experiences of life in Singapore. Ppl like Peter and Chun See (regulars here) who are 1 generation earlier than me may have different experience than mine, and you may also be different from theirs and mine too. So it will be interesting to read from different ppl though we are in the same island.
Hi Laokokok!
My name is Jean and I’m thoroughly enjoying walking down memory lane with your fab blog.I grew up in Katong in the 70s.I’ve already commented on 2 other posts here.I’ve sadly forgotten the name of the road we lived in.It was a discreet road by a side entrance to St.Patrick’s School.Can anyone help me?We lived a few houses away from St.Pat’s.I know it may sound silly but I can’t recall the road’s name.On one end there was St.Pat’s and on the other end it was my school KC, Karikal Road and the Grand Hotel.
Thanks for this blog Laokokok.Its certainly made my day.I’ll be back for more.
Hi Jean,
Welcome here and thank you for your comments and posts.
Hello
This is GREAT! I’ve enjoyed all the pics and your memories. I’m staying in Katong and loved the old photos.
I’m not originally from Singapore, but am working on a project and have to learn everything I can about Singapore in 1970 – 1975(info about day to day life is not so easy to find!)
Some of my questions are about what cars were popular, anything about gangs, China town, old Kampongs in rural areas, clothes, food (typical rich people’s dinner, poor people’s dinner), hawkers, boxing!, catching and training fighting spiders, fighting fish, making and flying kites, what teens got up to and how they got in trouble then, what clubs people went to, etc.
Any thoughts, memories, stories, etc would be interesting and greatly appreciated!! I hope this is bringing back some fun memories for you!!
I love all your details and hope you have some ideas about the above!
THANKS
Mez
hi, can you talk about vintage item from singapore like the metel coin bank that was given out in the past? they have few design from pig, rino .. any info on them?
thanks
HI Dave,
I’ve not come across any of this. Maybe others can help, anyone?
Hi,
Just wonder if you have any pictures of old bus stops in Singapore to share. I think they are almost non existent in Singapore.
HI Timothy,
I think I’ve some and this you may check out at the PICAS site under National Archive of Singapore. I’ll put them up when I’m on that topic. Thanks for your suggestion.
Thanks LKK(hope you didn’t mind me calling you that). With the skyline keep changing and old buildings being torn down. i wonder if there will still be a feeling of old Singapore in twenty years time.
Call me LKK it’s alright. Not to mention 20 years time, just 1 year I may not even recognise some of the road changes…
CathyO
The name of the folk dancing teacher at Cedar Girls was Miss Lim. She had this big hairdo more like a wayang actress. Her nickname was Lim Tau Tow (Miss Big Head). The principal was Mrs PC Tan and she was very very strict and I mean mean.
My sister was in the Scottish dance and they performed at the jalan Besar stadium I remember and on the way to the dance, 2 students died in a traffic accident. I think the two girls were cousins.
I was in that school from 1971 to 1974.
Dear LKK, I really enjoy your blog as it truly satisfied my urge for things nostalgic. Im currently doing a paranorma-historical blog and your research and information inspired me to go on further. Thanks and keep the flames of nostalgia alive for fans like me yah!
Thanks Whiskyz and pls come back for more hehe.
Hi L K K,
I did a google search on old city map of Singapore and found this blog, find its informative and interesting.
I stay in Queenstown area since born (1965) and this place had changed dramatically for the past 30 years.
Hope I can share my info regarding the past of Queenstown in this blog.
Cheers
HI Ah Ann,
Sure you can share with us on Queenstown area in this blog. You may choose to email to me.
Hi, interesting site. I was wondering if you have the video of Count On Me Singapore make in 1986? Or Do you have any idea where I can find/ My brother was in the video and I hope to get a copy to show to my nieces! Thanks!
Hi Su,
Here is a couple of them, not too sure which is the correct one;
1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_a622n3v2I
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g5-4VNoLCc&feature=related
You may check on youtube too.
Fantastic page!
I am seeking for a one room apartment/HDB flat for filming purposes.
It is an international NYU Tisch School of the Arts Second Year Project.
Filming will be taking place during the first week of december for two days.
The scenes are all night scenes but we could film during the day.
Please get back to me asap.
914 708 73
Salutations and Congratulations on fine piece of work.
I am sure we’d all be much poorer without it !
However, for sake of exactness, “Fitzpatrick’s Supermarket” has the
caption in the picture as Scotts Road. This is erroneous as the
Supermarket was on Orchard Road, across from Ngee Ann Building.
Thank you for your blog. Its much appreciated.
MORE MEMORIES:
TIGER PURAN SINGH WAS A WRESTLER IN THE 1960S WHO USED TO WRESTLE
OTHER WRESTLERS THAT HAD NAMES LIKE KING KONG, LOFTY BINIH, AND
SHEIKH ALI AT THE HAPPY WORLD AMUSEMENT PARK
Hello, wonder if I am the first in US to post? I am married to Anita Harichandra (formerly of Armed Forces Radio, with Leslie Pillay and SBC) wonder if anyone out there knows her? And, if you know where I can get some clips of her on air? We do have tapes of her National Day coverages & etc. I know she missed home and would love to talk/contact some Singaporeans.
Thanks
Don Suwanee, GA, USA
Hi Don,
Sorry I’m not sure where to get some of her clips. Anyone can help?
Hi,
This is one of the greatest blogs I ever chanced upon. Great job LKK! I was also born in the 60s so this blog really brings back those good old memories.
Did my primary school education at Serangoon Gardens and I was a frequent visitor to the “Circus”. Some of the favourite haunts were Chomp Chomp hawker centre, really loved the icekacang there.
2nd hand book stores NIB and MBS which were run by indian uncles. I was their regular customer too.
My brothers were fans of “dragon tiger gate” comics. They couldnt afford the new releases then so had to try their luck at past issues at a small stall beside Paramount cinema.
The famous curry puff stall was also near the circus then before moving to its current location in AMK, beside Jubilee building.
Then there was this arcade run by a Caucasian auntie. I was the record holder for one of the space-invader light games. Usually only needed to pay 20cents and could play the game forever…haha.
I remember a fast food restaurant opened in the 80s and it was called Buddy’s. It soon became the favourite hideout for school children playing truant.
and much much more…
regards
Hi EricT,
Glad you like my blog. It’s interesting reading your nostalgia past too.
Hi,
I love your blog! I have lived in Singapore for a year, but am in the UK at the moment, so it is really nice to read these charming stories about the country I miss.
I have a small question… in your “ALS to ERP” blog, where exactly did the LTA Academy photos come from? I have searched the LTA Academy website for hours, but I can’t find them! I would particularly like to get hold of the first picture with the traffic policewoman (without the text over the top).
This photo would fit very nicely in an essay I am writing, comparing ALS/ERP with the Congestion Charging scheme in London.
Could you help me to do this? Thank you so much!
Also, the PICAS archives are fantastic! There are some really lovely photos in there. I would love to use some… but are they really $50+ each?
Thanks again for your wonderful blog,
Harry
do you have an old map of kampong villages at bukit timah road further up beauty world that used lived many years ago before 1975?
And also near chinese garden that used to house kampong villages?
Hi there,
I am a photographer keen in covering shots of Hungry Ghost festival.
Please let me know of places that may be of interesting elements for my photography pursuit on this.
Thanking you in anticipation.
rgds
William Cho
hp 9022 8714
http://www.flickr.com/photos/adforce1
Hi William, you may try to check out at the STOMP website for the getai schedule;
http://getai.stomp.com.sg/getai
Hi Laokokok,
Evergreen and lasting memories as life is a journey. We live to see the passing moments and pass it on.
It’s a great blog as we are of the same generation, we come a long way.
Cheers.
Happy Blogging,
Ray
Hi Ray Lim,
Thanks for dropping by my blog.
Hints for the nostalgic:-
(i) the most retro hawker centre surviving in its original 1970s condition is the one in the open air car park of Lion City Hotel (off Geylang opposite City Plaza). You have to see it to believe it – its instant time travel man, no need time machine.
(ii) the most retro bakery surviving in its original 1970s condition (after the demise of the red house bakery in Katong) is the one called Singapura Confectionary and Bakery situated at Jalan Kuras (off Upp Thomnson Road behind a SPC Petrol kiosk). You have to see it to believe it – its instant time travel man, no need time machine. All their products are also very the retro and authentic one.
Quick! Go see them before the tidal waves of progress sweep them away – yet again.
Thanks for the infos Foo.
Hi,
I enjoyed reading your blog!
I have used one of your item “HERITAGE TREE Tembusu(Fagraea fragrans)”
in my blog : http://mutual-sharing-frog.blogspot.com/ for the topic of
botanic gardens. I have also linked your website to the above item, I hope
you do not mind!
I suppose we are of same age by looking at your photograph appeared
in the award ceremony.
Through the popularity of your website, may be something can be done to push the idea for Singapor Botanic Gardens to be the declared World Deritage Site!
Regards,
Yeo
Hi Yeo,
Thanks for dropping by my blog and pls go ahead with the link. Your blog is interesting too.
Hi Mr Laokokok,
I enjoyed going going through your
website “timesofmylife”.
It brought back memories of the places
I’ve been.
Keep up the good work and the effort you have put
to the blog.
It’s a piece of Singapore you are contributing
to the world.
Thanks for the memory.
Philip.
By the way, I like the photo of the New World Lion Gate.
Do you know what will happen to the Gate ?
Is there any follow up ? – might be interesting.
Thanks Philip. I think the developer is keeping the New World Lion Gate as I remembered it was mentioned in the newspaper. Yep I should do a follow-up once the condo is completed.