tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2917499281767514522024-03-19T15:18:31.864+08:00Princess Elizabeth Estate, HillviewKeeping memories of my old home village alive.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger211125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-40885962891503246142023-11-09T19:30:00.005+08:002023-11-09T19:30:56.529+08:00The Battle of Bukit Timah<p> Hello everyone,<br /><br />It has been too long since I last focused on this blog and for that I do apologise.<br />These past months I have been busy with my video project which I had put off for quite a while as well, but decided that I should try and at least finish it before the end of this year. And this I must say I have accomplished.<br /><br />Following my videos on the Japanese Invasion of Singapore during World War 2, where I covered the Battle of Chua Chu Kang, followed by the Massacre at Dairy Farm and lastly, the Battle of Bukit Batok, I have now completed my 4th video in the series and it is about the Battle of Bukit Timah.<br /><br />This last video was so much tougher to do as it involved so many army units and each had to be mentioned as they all had a part to play in it. The research I had to do to look up each and every unit was what took the most time. This time I had the good fortune of getting more details from the Japanese side.<br /><br />Most Singaporeans would have heard about the Battle of Bukit Timah but many do not know more than perhaps where it took place? Perhaps that is you too? <br /><br />So as not to spoil anything further for you, I will not say any more but to ask you to enjoy my latest video on Youtube. But I do ask that you please leave a comment on the Youtube channel, and a 'Like' if you really liked the show. I am sure you will learn something from it.<br /><br /></p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="379" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Hey-5_QO9M" width="481" youtube-src-id="_Hey-5_QO9M"></iframe></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">(If you have problems with clicking on the image, you can click this link:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Hey-5_QO9M )</span></p><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-58259182667971518482023-05-26T13:18:00.008+08:002023-05-27T08:05:13.787+08:00The Hillview Circus<p>One of the earliest construction from the development of the Hillview area, and in fact, the last surviving original feature today is the <b><i>Hillview Circus</i></b>. <br />The circus*, or more commonly called a roundabout today, was built in 1948 as part of the roadworks leading to the two pioneer post-war factories being built then at Hillview. <br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">*(<i>Circus</i>, from the latin <i><b>circ</b></i>, meaning circle and was typically termed in the British colonial days as traffic circus or traffic circle)</span></p><p>The two post-war factories were the <a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-5-malayan-guttas.html" target="_blank">Malayan Guttas Co Ltd</a> and the <a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-7-union-carbide.html" target="_blank">National Carbon Co Ltd</a>. Malayan Guttas produced the famous <b><i>Wrigley Chewing Gum</i></b>, while National Carbon manufactured the <b><i>Eveready</i></b> dry cell batteries. Both factories began construction in 1947 on land that were generously doled out to foreign corporations to help with the post-war economic recovery of Singapore.</p><p>This aerial photo taken on 15 April 1948 shows the construction in progress of the two factories and the building of Hillview Road and Hillview Avenue. The Hillview Circus was located at the junction of these two roads. The KTM Railway girder bridge was also constructed at the same time over Hillview Road. During the construction of this girder bridge, the railway line had to be temporarily diverted to allow for the construction of the bridge.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbOAoJku_yx9wzLfvROI0Fenw1w5ivU1UupKnt71t2xxKcgapCNaaAmstRAnmwT-8wE0Bv9P7Xu92FAiucXGmDCfFB0SPJDv8NaNtLo14lUPTwccEiHgaMSj12xJgWeWC3bSDqJ0hCJaoLhPV7ijDhEf9HJhwXsrBAMsb8VzneBq7gT6JOCle64ZqfQ/s1600/Construction%20of%20Hillview%20Road%2015%20Apr%201948%20copy.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbOAoJku_yx9wzLfvROI0Fenw1w5ivU1UupKnt71t2xxKcgapCNaaAmstRAnmwT-8wE0Bv9P7Xu92FAiucXGmDCfFB0SPJDv8NaNtLo14lUPTwccEiHgaMSj12xJgWeWC3bSDqJ0hCJaoLhPV7ijDhEf9HJhwXsrBAMsb8VzneBq7gT6JOCle64ZqfQ/w640-h480/Construction%20of%20Hillview%20Road%2015%20Apr%201948%20copy.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Creation of Hillview Road and Hillview Avenue to serve the two new factories of National Carbon and Malayan Guttas. <br />A new girder bridge was required to support the KTM Railway line over the new Hillview Road. <br />This original girder bridge was removed in Nov 2011.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>The completed development of Hillview Avenue and Hillview Road in 1950.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Iy79i9Whmzi6CoV-znnvR8Q6G2PWv1O_umDBVBaO3tboH3pb0RgErAQzvPwTR1XqdOtdHjucQZjANK1b0rsK6iWH2y6gyRvA9q25AA9N6dhmYWinfELSO5AXL-jwXyfYtk5uBNFrovMuoQC8j9RTajU3k-0dnKjWlOdSYJB6b7eUJDhyHIZq59mS_w/s1600/Eveready%20and%20Guttas%201950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1135" data-original-width="1600" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Iy79i9Whmzi6CoV-znnvR8Q6G2PWv1O_umDBVBaO3tboH3pb0RgErAQzvPwTR1XqdOtdHjucQZjANK1b0rsK6iWH2y6gyRvA9q25AA9N6dhmYWinfELSO5AXL-jwXyfYtk5uBNFrovMuoQC8j9RTajU3k-0dnKjWlOdSYJB6b7eUJDhyHIZq59mS_w/w640-h454/Eveready%20and%20Guttas%201950.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>During the construction of the factories, a temporary road track was created directly from Upper Bukit Timah Road into the construction sites. This track can be seen at the upper right corner and was the primary access way until Hillview Road, that connected Upper Bukit Timah Road, was completed. <br />The above picture show both the completed railway girder bridge and Hillview Circus.<div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>SAME, SAME BUT DIFFERENT</u></b><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OjgHgOozqTSL9gSLbK-xG5i_fsAAKb3WRy5C2zEndW85br-9hPL9tUmGe-zvJS3dBfQlc1ShywK7OylbE_NXpxjH__a49TKurAPnoTuDRK7RKucGkdTKnDOtV-IMed0PCWFepwnPya7MZn0tXYhZ7zjzbLLCxWOj3nBsfPWViVd9lsOCLocjxZShCg/s1534/Green%20Bus%20at%20Hillview%20Circus%201955%20FWYork.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1531" data-original-width="1534" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OjgHgOozqTSL9gSLbK-xG5i_fsAAKb3WRy5C2zEndW85br-9hPL9tUmGe-zvJS3dBfQlc1ShywK7OylbE_NXpxjH__a49TKurAPnoTuDRK7RKucGkdTKnDOtV-IMed0PCWFepwnPya7MZn0tXYhZ7zjzbLLCxWOj3nBsfPWViVd9lsOCLocjxZShCg/w640-h638/Green%20Bus%20at%20Hillview%20Circus%201955%20FWYork.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hillview Circus in 1955.</b><br />The bus attempting the incline at Hillview Road is Service No.5 of the Green Bus Co.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KoFq1ymPFevepZL6LwitsGsJ4Iavq7WKYFxIsmDcjJkjncxxr5tpC96z3Pb1bK7n4wEVK0GmROZmopeSBW2Xv9xSMFtZIXcB6xoUmdVesPb8CDcCY_aeuNf57YRKVbEcLxP_l0uW6NL4ZICSL6-1K4-YdoZsV4mqSmujaUs9znZgt6GXlLAAQgQpXA/s1280/Hillview%20Circus%202000.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KoFq1ymPFevepZL6LwitsGsJ4Iavq7WKYFxIsmDcjJkjncxxr5tpC96z3Pb1bK7n4wEVK0GmROZmopeSBW2Xv9xSMFtZIXcB6xoUmdVesPb8CDcCY_aeuNf57YRKVbEcLxP_l0uW6NL4ZICSL6-1K4-YdoZsV4mqSmujaUs9znZgt6GXlLAAQgQpXA/w640-h480/Hillview%20Circus%202000.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Hillview Circus in the year 2000.</b><br />The HDB flats in the background formed the Hillview HDB Estate built in 1975.<br />In 1999, HDB announced that Hillview Estate would be demolished under the SERS programme.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>At one corner of Hillview Circus, there used to be the <b><i><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-6-castrol.html" target="_blank">Castrol (Far East) Ltd,</a></i></b> a British lubricant manufacturer with their first overseas plant located in Singapore in 1963. This lubricant maker sold the land that subsequently was bought by private condominium developers. The site is now occupied by the Glendale Park and Hillview Park condominium complexes.<br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJhJfzTFuZApX6TsIepWjb_e7NwrrZQGM0iS6AdC44H0ItCero1Qk_YK1VVHwH9_C26wjlZX91Kf9nMMJyyZz9hzAwViMEdRWJhOXeBeSaZErzD0nquj2IpJnLkNC6_QLz-716XCeuHnA26xLPqAzJ84npa_mGtLyEQ0jnYRWu5DgUb1PWJKQXjAscQ/s1052/Castrol%201973%20colorised.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1052" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJhJfzTFuZApX6TsIepWjb_e7NwrrZQGM0iS6AdC44H0ItCero1Qk_YK1VVHwH9_C26wjlZX91Kf9nMMJyyZz9hzAwViMEdRWJhOXeBeSaZErzD0nquj2IpJnLkNC6_QLz-716XCeuHnA26xLPqAzJ84npa_mGtLyEQ0jnYRWu5DgUb1PWJKQXjAscQ/w640-h428/Castrol%201973%20colorised.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castrol Far East Ltd</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpC8a2hyXWjitDySeSwxFCfVcXFn_9_HTjtvzKlF4KGsGpZV_nPR-mU0TK5cXcJ3I0I4Ssews1mYJve01hzII6nY-kv8w9tEuhyARtqGV5zGmocPce7Ab_feYwrG4bU5KIh_EBut7xP_ixOeu6EtcTNturNokQUZB9sz6SKCwbGQ4tOGCPPovUbj_tQ/s1600/Hillview%20Circus%202019.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="1600" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpC8a2hyXWjitDySeSwxFCfVcXFn_9_HTjtvzKlF4KGsGpZV_nPR-mU0TK5cXcJ3I0I4Ssews1mYJve01hzII6nY-kv8w9tEuhyARtqGV5zGmocPce7Ab_feYwrG4bU5KIh_EBut7xP_ixOeu6EtcTNturNokQUZB9sz6SKCwbGQ4tOGCPPovUbj_tQ/w640-h378/Hillview%20Circus%202019.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glendale Park Condominium</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Changes are still ongoing around Hillview Circus. HillV2, a shopping mall, as well as the PA Bukit Batok Community Club now surrounds the other sides of Hillview Circus with a new road, Hillview Rise separating these complexes.<br /><br />How much longer Hillview Circus will remain as it is is anyone's guess. In Singapore, roundabouts or circuses are now an anachronism in today's fast paced and high speed traffic. Most likely, we will see the circus replaced with a signalised traffic crossroad. Who knows?</div><div><br /><br /><b><u>TRIVIA</u></b>: Did you know that Hillview Avenue was once used as Singapore's Grand Prix race track circuit in 1956 and 1957? Long before the Thomson Circuit or the Marina Bay F1 Circuit! <br />Click on <u><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-next-grand-prix-will-be-at-hillview.html" target="_blank">this link</a></u> to read about the history of the <u><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-next-grand-prix-will-be-at-hillview.html" target="_blank">Hillview Grand Prix circuit.</a></u></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Related links to this article:-<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/09/an-anecdotal-history-of-hillview-part-1.html" target="_blank">An anecdotal history of Hillview, Singapore<br /></a><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-railway-bridge-at-hillview-road.html" target="_blank">The Railway Bridge at Hillview</a></div><div><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-7-union-carbide.html" target="_blank">The Eveready Factory (National Carbon/Union Carbide)</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-5-malayan-guttas.html" target="_blank">The Wrigley Chewing Gum factory at Hillview</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0500G Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Hillview, Singapore 6781071.3622225 103.7670744-26.948011336178844 68.6108244 29.672456336178847 138.9233244tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-65215084204276718172022-08-19T20:04:00.017+08:002023-03-28T04:27:08.030+08:00Hillview Avenue was a proposed railway track !<body oncontextmenu="return false;"><p>When I was preparing a sketch map for my <a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2022/08/world-war-two-battles-around-hillview.html" target="_blank"><b><i>previous post</i></b></a>, I searched for one that would show the hills and relief of the area around Hillview. I found an old 1924 map and used that as an overlay for my sketch map about battles that occurred in the region of Hillview.<br /><br />Most everyone, I am sure, would not have noticed something on the battle map unless you are into railways or perhaps tried to look for the Rail Corridor which, of course being 1924, would not be on the map. Was there something different about the railway line there?<br /></p><p>While doing the sketch map, my mind too got distracted by the railway line and I was thinking that perhaps I could share some trivial information that I knew about the railway line here.</p><p>On the battle map, there is a railway line drawn from Bukit Timah Village running towards Bukit Panjang.<br />This railway line was not the one that is today's <b>Rail Corridor</b>, the NParks project to conserve the former KTM railway corridor as a 'Green Corridor'.<br />This rail line was the older and original <b>Tank Road-Kranji Railway</b>, or sometimes called the Singapore to Woodlands Railway.<br /><br />I reproduced the map here and the Tank Road-Kranji Line is marked in <b><span style="color: red;">RED</span></b><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13nZ0N5X2BJ7nDYRFds1ENFk8RfaJZSoUrdMBWrn7qlCVArh4gASvvCAtlGTcJqFkzfJjNkKdIf4FAr8ZjTtUTAoq4gJQ4PHgFZMp4N8kws9jRXjOv1WfcyUyHv6GrnYfWg7pHU6x1OyxDed23TTy1gxQa2DCudMkK9C88-QP-FuL5bkDQRTy2dwNPg/s1520/HILLVIEW%20RAILWAY.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1297" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13nZ0N5X2BJ7nDYRFds1ENFk8RfaJZSoUrdMBWrn7qlCVArh4gASvvCAtlGTcJqFkzfJjNkKdIf4FAr8ZjTtUTAoq4gJQ4PHgFZMp4N8kws9jRXjOv1WfcyUyHv6GrnYfWg7pHU6x1OyxDed23TTy1gxQa2DCudMkK9C88-QP-FuL5bkDQRTy2dwNPg/w546-h640/HILLVIEW%20RAILWAY.png" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>(Click on picture for detailed view)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The original Tank Road-Kranji Line that was laid in 1903 ran alongside Bukit Timah Road (from Newton) to Bukit Timah Village. From there, it curved back towards Upper Bukit Timah Road and continued northwards to Bukit Panjang Village, on the <i><b>western</b></i> side of the road.<br /><br />In 1932, the Tank Road-Kranji Line was replaced by the new <b>Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) Railway</b> (<i>marked in <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">BLUE</span></b> in the map</i>) that started from Tanjong Pagar instead. Now defunct since 2011, this is the current Rail Corridor. </div><div>In this region, the KTM Railway ran along the foothills of Bukit Timah Hill and crossed Upper Bukit Timah Road near <b>Rail Mall,</b> continuing north using the same track-bed as the older Kranji Line all the way to the Johore Causeway.</div><div><br /></div><div>While this may be something that some of you already know, that there were two separate railways, there's more trivia about this section of the railway that will surprise most of you.<br /><br /><b><u>The proposed Hillview Line</u></b><br />When the 1903<b> Tank Road-Kranji Line</b> was being planned, the original route was proposed on the <b>western</b> side of Bukit Batok (hill). This would be through the valley between Bukit Batok and Bukit Gombak, in the region that would in future become '<b>Hillview</b>'. The planned route is marked in YELLOW above. <br /><br />However, this plan was <b>rejected</b> and the route was redesigned for the railway track to run along the <b>eastern</b> slope of Bukit Batok, running parallel to Upper Bukit Timah Road. <br />You can see the abrupt change in the track direction after Bukit Timah Village. This diversion would be at Toh Tuck Road today, where the Bukit Timah Community Club is located.<br /><br />Perhaps it was easier from an engineering or construction perspective to use the main road? <br />I do not know the real reasons for this change in routing. I hope some railway expert can reveal the reasons by commenting in this blog?</div><div><br /></div><div>Things might have been a lot different perhaps for Hillview had the railway line been built through it.<br /><b>Hillview Avenue,</b> that was constructed in the 1970s, was laid on the exact route that the railway line would have taken.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-qzQ0chjZwrGbz548p2o0b8sm0FBsTKJTZxNHGvBHrjKgKavGFfMG6Mg9QCCmOn8gDsZeMYzPgBVTkxwiflcxp3--YRrHguyIRD99pCRznacoZWAM-V6HxwJcywX0Me7QF-XSRveF6kjHCFsKsuRvPUHp6udDtYXip1y9gacoEPsAeNqH8NoS4v60A/s2105/FORD%20&%20HUME%20RAILWAYS.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="2105" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-qzQ0chjZwrGbz548p2o0b8sm0FBsTKJTZxNHGvBHrjKgKavGFfMG6Mg9QCCmOn8gDsZeMYzPgBVTkxwiflcxp3--YRrHguyIRD99pCRznacoZWAM-V6HxwJcywX0Me7QF-XSRveF6kjHCFsKsuRvPUHp6udDtYXip1y9gacoEPsAeNqH8NoS4v60A/w640-h394/FORD%20&%20HUME%20RAILWAYS.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The older 1903 Tank Rd-Kranji Railway ran on a terrace beside Upp Bt Timah Road.<br />The newer 1932 KTM Railway was located on the other side of the road.<br />The Ford and Hume factories were only built in 1941.<br />The raised railway terrace can still be seen today.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AysVBkeLLNpDkJJzOpUBDyPd-QfRd3AASW0aqaslXBduPewKQYTZ_gIw4hHfhOiON_ftDMPxVQRpOhdc-6AzSMzh2kF3bqI3u4gUWsKbYSmM7lgVc7DK6akn5y6rpoWhwQXADfyuuXcN_eOV3N4MlISaH-Kb72BrOUk7IfoCxYb_xVT8K0qWs4eVXg/s3752/Kranji%20Railway%20at%20Hillview.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2436" data-original-width="3752" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AysVBkeLLNpDkJJzOpUBDyPd-QfRd3AASW0aqaslXBduPewKQYTZ_gIw4hHfhOiON_ftDMPxVQRpOhdc-6AzSMzh2kF3bqI3u4gUWsKbYSmM7lgVc7DK6akn5y6rpoWhwQXADfyuuXcN_eOV3N4MlISaH-Kb72BrOUk7IfoCxYb_xVT8K0qWs4eVXg/w640-h416/Kranji%20Railway%20at%20Hillview.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tank Rd-Kranji railway running down from the terrace.<br />The future Hillview Road would be built here in 1947.<br />The buildings at the bottom were the PWD Depot at Dairy Farm Road.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahgpAl7p-onqcywMTeTB3-kMnXOnnRmbIyr3WRQGmAoy88N6gGNON7UrpPDFMCqMKdP9pJjUXiDX9LsXc6WBzNGTwcfbEkXOfQHrWRuFvo9eFf973d6HddVXgVeIg2hw-uhWRlbcpuA08VJya7OYUENLHl8JVo2MPHdqSbULPYpp-61bkOjNW28l4Mw/s4322/Screenshot%202023-02-17%20at%2011.27.02%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2530" data-original-width="4322" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahgpAl7p-onqcywMTeTB3-kMnXOnnRmbIyr3WRQGmAoy88N6gGNON7UrpPDFMCqMKdP9pJjUXiDX9LsXc6WBzNGTwcfbEkXOfQHrWRuFvo9eFf973d6HddVXgVeIg2hw-uhWRlbcpuA08VJya7OYUENLHl8JVo2MPHdqSbULPYpp-61bkOjNW28l4Mw/w640-h374/Screenshot%202023-02-17%20at%2011.27.02%20AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a map from 1898 of Singapore (from the YaleNUS/NLB collaboration online library) <br />that depicts the original Kranji to Woodlands railway line drawn through the 'Hillview' region.<br />The coloured overlay on the map was probably not on the original 1898 map <br />but was likely drawn in at a later date but before the completion of the railway line.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-91730188891238258672022-08-18T19:36:00.008+08:002022-08-19T10:15:43.779+08:00World War Two battles around Hillview.<p>When World War Two descended onto Singapore in early 1942, the area that was to become Hillview in the future was still 'undeveloped' in the sense that we understand development today. <br /><br />Located in the valley between the ridges of Bukit Gombak and Bukit Batok, the hill slopes were then covered mainly by rubber plantations on the Gombak slopes, while on the Bukit Batok ridge were remnants of old pineapple farms and some older gambier farms that had existed since the 1840s. This 'Hillview' valley stretch all the way from Bukit Batok hill north to the plains in front of what is the Ministry of Defence installation today. </p><p>The only 'development' then in 1942 were the new factories of Ford Motors and the Hume Pipes Co., the more established Cold Storage Dairy Farm and the Nanyang Shoe factory at edge of Bukit Panjang Village. All these developments were along Upper Bukit Timah Road between the 8th & 10th milestones. Apart from these, it was mostly rubber plantations along the road.</p><p>It was an area that was still very <i><b>ulu</b></i> or rural, and at the periphery of the even more rural regions of Chua Chu Kang, Lim Chu Kang and Woodlands!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi250-9LGm0Z4h4fDzPiAbd0ju7HIl8zz3onaxyGcHcgZXLXamIMTAGD9D41GP0joZi6jop0qZ3mj54OprNPaYkPZp0BeNIx0sOpry9kdiPqlPUSQo6GLQGkUxtguWaxu6b0AAZHQNCW3rNVL4lefpb8DxiStwNoU-nMdNv7Ct3l5-592FBTOX8tGHMkQ/s2560/BATTLE%20AT%20HILLVIEW%20BLOG.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2560" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi250-9LGm0Z4h4fDzPiAbd0ju7HIl8zz3onaxyGcHcgZXLXamIMTAGD9D41GP0joZi6jop0qZ3mj54OprNPaYkPZp0BeNIx0sOpry9kdiPqlPUSQo6GLQGkUxtguWaxu6b0AAZHQNCW3rNVL4lefpb8DxiStwNoU-nMdNv7Ct3l5-592FBTOX8tGHMkQ/w640-h380/BATTLE%20AT%20HILLVIEW%20BLOG.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The invasion by the Japanese army towards Bukit Timah Village. 8-11 Feb 1942.<br /><i><b>(click on the map for a detailed view)</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b><u><br />The Japanese Invasion</u></b><br />On 8th February 1942, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Singapore by crossing the Straits of Johore at the Sarimbun and Lim Chu Kang coast. <br />Within the next 24 hours, the invading army had already conquered the entire Lim Chu Kang countryside and by afternoon the next day, 9th Feb, the British RAF Tengah airfield fell into their hands.<div><br /></div><div>General Yamashita, the Japanese Army commander, who was nicknamed the <b>Tiger of Malaya</b>, had initially planned that the total conquest of Singapore would be completed by the 11th of Feb 1942.<br />However, his supply line was stretched too thin in Malaya and his army was running low on supplies, including food, fuel and ammunition by the time they had arrived at the Straits of Johore bordering Singapore.<br /><br />Thus, he changed his immediate objective to the capture of Bukit Timah by the 11th of Feb instead. <br />Bukit Timah was where the British had their supplies, food stores and fuel depots and he coveted these supplies for his own men and army. </div><div>Bukit Timah was also the highest point in Singapore which would afford the invaders a good view of the entire battlefield. <br />More importantly Bukit Timah was the major intersection where the main roads spread north, south and west of the island. Whoever controls the junction, controlled all movement to these areas.<br /><br />With his objective set, his plan was to use two of his best army divisions, the 5th Division and and the 18th Division to capture Bukit Timah in a pincer movement. <br />5th Division would moved along Choa Chu Kang and turn south at Bukit Panjang and head towards Bukit Timah with the support of Japanese tanks.<br />The 18th Division would move south-east through Bulim and along Jurong Road towards Bukit Timah Village, where they would converge with the 5th Division.<br />Both Divisions were given only 48 hours to accomplish this task of capturing Bukit Timah Village.<br /><br /><i>(There was a third Japanese Army Division called the Konoye <b>Imperial Guards</b>, but this unit was given a secondary task of moving across the Mandai and Thomson areas and played a more diversionary role to the main attack.)</i></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Bukit Panjang</u></b><br />By the evening of the 10th Feb, the 5th Division had arrived at Bukit Panjang and was slowly maneuvering down towards Bukit Timah Village. They had fought and won fierce battles against the British at both Bulim Village and Keat Hong Village. By the time they arrived at Bukit Panjang, they also had the support of tanks which had been quickly pressed into service upon crossing the Straits of Johore.<br /><br />At Bukit Panjang, the 5th Division was split into the three fighting regiments, the 11th, the 42nd and the 21st Infantry Regiments.<br />The 11th Regiment mauraded through Bukit Panjang Village and followed the water pipeline towards Bukit Timah via Dairy Farm, while the 42nd Regiment accompanied and provided infantry support for the tanks going down Upper Bukit Timah Road.</div><div>The 21st Regiment took the path along the Malayan Railway line and moved into the Hillview valley. This last group was given the task of capturing both the Ford and Hume factories.</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u>Jurong</u></b><br />Over at the Jurong area, the 18th Division moved through the Bulim rubber plantations relatively easily till they came to Bukit Batok where they were met by the British Indian Army's 15th Infantry Brigade. <br />With their superior numbers and battle-hardened tactics, the Japanese forces routed the British army brigade at Bukit Batok.<br /><br /><b><u>Capture of Bukit Timah</u></b></div><div>By the late morning of the 11th Feb, both Japanese 5th and 18th Division had overwhelmed the British defenders at Bukit Timah Village and secure the high point of Bukit Timah hill.<br /><br /></div><div><b><u>Surrender</u></b><br />Following this victory, General Yamashita gave an ultimatum to the British to surrender. However, the war in Singapore continued until for a few more days until the British finally surrendered on the 15th Feb, the first day of the Chinese New Year in 1942. <br />Three and half years of brutish Japanese Occupation was to follow for the citizens of Singapore.<br /><br />For those who find this article TL;DR, I have actually done two videos on the same subject. <br />You can watch the video on Youtube at these links:-<br /><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="323" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SJ8Z2Ewf-fg" width="547" youtube-src-id="SJ8Z2Ewf-fg"></iframe></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Part 1. The Battle of Choa Chu Kang</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="317" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-73Mg2kI4Jo" width="553" youtube-src-id="-73Mg2kI4Jo"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Part 2. The Battle of Bukit Panjang<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Further related links:-<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/an-anecdotal-history-of-hillview-part-3.html" target="_blank">Post-war history of Hillview</a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-3171737682633014142022-06-15T09:06:00.004+08:002022-06-16T08:07:35.395+08:00Going inside the haunted Hillview Mansion.Since first writing about the infamous Hillview Mansion on Bukit Gombak in 2012, I've added about another half a dozen more articles related to it. The last two being exclusive exterior photos of the 'haunted' building photographed and shared here by my reader Lester Yeong. <div><b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Links to these articles are at the end of the blog)</span></i><br /></b><br />In this article, I will take you <i><b>inside</b></i> the Hillview Mansion to see the unfinished and abandoned interior.<br />The dark, creepy and unkempt rooms with the incomplete construction works would definitely have made any brave intruder think the place was haunted. Evidence of the sudden abandonment were all over the scene.<br />Of course, today the building no longer exist, being demolished long ago, with only the driveway retaining wall and the original gate remaining. <div><br /></div><div>I am not too sure if the State has taken back the land but prominent "No trespassing" signs and even a Police notice were erected as a warning that people have been prosecuted for the offence. (<i>Adventurers and hikers to Bukit Gombak please take note.)<br /></i><br /><br /><br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Building Facade</b></h3><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnUhheR_ByfKI_n8VG0CfHmQDtZt86xr2eLu4cOovOrAHbOyswHz0LjGpYWmY-n-Q0CIohUwLF2UItu7Jp2aBD4djbUKSVsFRvHkdjSx-cENE0yOtTgs_VyNlA3UeZ7vAwKDzZuj5dzCQzmZa887BRiitPkISrtDcPihLKBeXCbcJWPOJabskgBgNqg/s1479/Int%201+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1479" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnUhheR_ByfKI_n8VG0CfHmQDtZt86xr2eLu4cOovOrAHbOyswHz0LjGpYWmY-n-Q0CIohUwLF2UItu7Jp2aBD4djbUKSVsFRvHkdjSx-cENE0yOtTgs_VyNlA3UeZ7vAwKDzZuj5dzCQzmZa887BRiitPkISrtDcPihLKBeXCbcJWPOJabskgBgNqg/w640-h442/Int%201+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1Y4TJdfzuHsPzd_5slb0QJ7FsECkhPwjb_ZWp5w9dd5mZv0eF_76ZVOyA1UPMLcIj108pwn9nA8UnVVG4ij7iBso2i0CUBX0_6cxiqO8AV3FXGsCCJIrikqLrV0obBqi8Owltde3lkyqYPQECpu3i-YI3YwWoUVwGWaQ4LT2C3GLqRbRLkXrK6qwcQ/s1482/Int%202+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1Y4TJdfzuHsPzd_5slb0QJ7FsECkhPwjb_ZWp5w9dd5mZv0eF_76ZVOyA1UPMLcIj108pwn9nA8UnVVG4ij7iBso2i0CUBX0_6cxiqO8AV3FXGsCCJIrikqLrV0obBqi8Owltde3lkyqYPQECpu3i-YI3YwWoUVwGWaQ4LT2C3GLqRbRLkXrK6qwcQ/w444-h640/Int%202+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWfde1pt5ZAA33nUFJXJWz4IDOgtxrQErRV_Dg7nMlEpTibxLSOyDZRmg7wNPLyJfxxpZ0_zNw7e3j9nonLyDiD1ACkD2B9JavDIw60G5hB__Zr9KBeVaFTAvIqpePaXu_NCYeyjcGDpdMIcys9DLg1SRVP40Ewnh4_Qk3jCxDK8BfQ0WcY8P1kO4IQ/s1482/Int%206+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioWfde1pt5ZAA33nUFJXJWz4IDOgtxrQErRV_Dg7nMlEpTibxLSOyDZRmg7wNPLyJfxxpZ0_zNw7e3j9nonLyDiD1ACkD2B9JavDIw60G5hB__Zr9KBeVaFTAvIqpePaXu_NCYeyjcGDpdMIcys9DLg1SRVP40Ewnh4_Qk3jCxDK8BfQ0WcY8P1kO4IQ/w640-h444/Int%206+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIybZrTCXlD0HoRI16pZws8kW067If2o-E43uHRmzx5ND6TbUNriDJWnK1sUsZdQG7Un_qniDtHXB0_XBOlYijBFXPVUuG1m7q8eYCdVJDVyDaWaaocN_fSye5oerHG4hGe4SZushf1uITEdJ2jaAwMd23vVs1XVMQhLchX0jkvpxxO5Dl17AgzWhZ5A/s1482/Int%207+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIybZrTCXlD0HoRI16pZws8kW067If2o-E43uHRmzx5ND6TbUNriDJWnK1sUsZdQG7Un_qniDtHXB0_XBOlYijBFXPVUuG1m7q8eYCdVJDVyDaWaaocN_fSye5oerHG4hGe4SZushf1uITEdJ2jaAwMd23vVs1XVMQhLchX0jkvpxxO5Dl17AgzWhZ5A/w444-h640/Int%207+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARQfQlLR2n_8gmGUBVorXQTkevh8ija7reZgPuO-oS_qCbVKuE29-cqhxwcxgF9Bhn6aSU6A3RVXKG1BsjqmSLn1kdUI6S-zbykn1pCw1Cp67sFROxKez0lXIwZTfOi_KET-9UAavoUNWvtg5hcVXDYkQXvAvIsVrCHcMmDBHjVK1JODdMPJ7n5UYhQ/s1482/Int%208+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARQfQlLR2n_8gmGUBVorXQTkevh8ija7reZgPuO-oS_qCbVKuE29-cqhxwcxgF9Bhn6aSU6A3RVXKG1BsjqmSLn1kdUI6S-zbykn1pCw1Cp67sFROxKez0lXIwZTfOi_KET-9UAavoUNWvtg5hcVXDYkQXvAvIsVrCHcMmDBHjVK1JODdMPJ7n5UYhQ/w640-h444/Int%208+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwBG4oMaHwB1MagK3pK5IJH6tA9iBYkXnJOWG8IFGLL_GE3UFnkjUisCtVPHtok16f_ZjQH9InIY66PMZj4K0V-7U7Nhzf5u-ctCmBIFtLrX5TxQh7eNreW3l9Xo14gWY4vf9c9SEmRye55wzqadfR2CuAN5JqP_stq2xhltUCo0KmujsHtCQO3N67Q/s1482/Int%209+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwBG4oMaHwB1MagK3pK5IJH6tA9iBYkXnJOWG8IFGLL_GE3UFnkjUisCtVPHtok16f_ZjQH9InIY66PMZj4K0V-7U7Nhzf5u-ctCmBIFtLrX5TxQh7eNreW3l9Xo14gWY4vf9c9SEmRye55wzqadfR2CuAN5JqP_stq2xhltUCo0KmujsHtCQO3N67Q/w640-h444/Int%209+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPdG1AKd4B_FY3QrNJ7UE6PHiqHPSX7K_0tqQeoNouJ4aE-fD1d8ARMjMTYY-S3_3vpz96evMGRrHFXGmXKuE6MaS49mvRfpdbDBmykaEsxdKHL6TSFviYbtR-OucbD88e4_EEyzc1czJc--GO8dwQfvmnMldK7SH7C-kWxEfVflQVyikv2nuJj_8TA/s1482/Int%2010+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaPdG1AKd4B_FY3QrNJ7UE6PHiqHPSX7K_0tqQeoNouJ4aE-fD1d8ARMjMTYY-S3_3vpz96evMGRrHFXGmXKuE6MaS49mvRfpdbDBmykaEsxdKHL6TSFviYbtR-OucbD88e4_EEyzc1czJc--GO8dwQfvmnMldK7SH7C-kWxEfVflQVyikv2nuJj_8TA/w444-h640/Int%2010+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanD5XPnVTWfv9XnXdaBTywP-sFHxZ4L3rjwqEh_aep9MAfSciX70OQoO14qqMLxvaQq1lqzMkZTLs_x8V8De-vUO7K6zkiD3944oHav2DyAjUDsvS9B93TbWyxs7fEtfZ64wt7V46nmqrWhPopXSqCNcjL7UB07z5cf05ivG0918W_rHEscaTnV7-Sg/s1482/Int%2015+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanD5XPnVTWfv9XnXdaBTywP-sFHxZ4L3rjwqEh_aep9MAfSciX70OQoO14qqMLxvaQq1lqzMkZTLs_x8V8De-vUO7K6zkiD3944oHav2DyAjUDsvS9B93TbWyxs7fEtfZ64wt7V46nmqrWhPopXSqCNcjL7UB07z5cf05ivG0918W_rHEscaTnV7-Sg/w444-h640/Int%2015+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Abandoned Construction Works</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lqdkBGtRqYKnTQjV51B8Xo5WJz3sHwAVF89iq0EQtLKp-v7axt_W4rjYGEWcESx05qFRddoH_3eLUq39RafZQ6vkH-j0l3c-gzwqY2ZJtZrjNBVcq35-9cd4i3FbZSRYXo8O4J26nL6c4jBHb8WvZtD1SsvaOKoGmDW6lkAXuVNoAU0CBFwI9qArGA/s1482/Int%204+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lqdkBGtRqYKnTQjV51B8Xo5WJz3sHwAVF89iq0EQtLKp-v7axt_W4rjYGEWcESx05qFRddoH_3eLUq39RafZQ6vkH-j0l3c-gzwqY2ZJtZrjNBVcq35-9cd4i3FbZSRYXo8O4J26nL6c4jBHb8WvZtD1SsvaOKoGmDW6lkAXuVNoAU0CBFwI9qArGA/w640-h444/Int%204+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIumYV-XuqscktkbIieS898h6GWUjUSO-VPpbUhZGyCuVUMV2Py26os0V97cr7qsDNd7UZxSUcu5zDK7WQVzC7uKqpQrSi4saKCDHWHEgSd4eafZSjcVF72h_lxXepvwTGAzIsMnXX4qX-uuBnSmYO88R9Y2A-YQfBodCCZIMlzcyNxqHlTXaZN-LyA/s1482/Int%205+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIumYV-XuqscktkbIieS898h6GWUjUSO-VPpbUhZGyCuVUMV2Py26os0V97cr7qsDNd7UZxSUcu5zDK7WQVzC7uKqpQrSi4saKCDHWHEgSd4eafZSjcVF72h_lxXepvwTGAzIsMnXX4qX-uuBnSmYO88R9Y2A-YQfBodCCZIMlzcyNxqHlTXaZN-LyA/w640-h444/Int%205+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXI7Rq6sE1Az0hFYDzs63yGZfsk15Es8bSXEKcicL-LJf24OwVh4l33d5I5t4l8Y5WMob-RX6S4Fo-iteFNmOi5UC5A45Uyniz_qQrUpC7_yUL2_MNPPKqg0XGsxH_uQ6q5kWlJTV5y6p1dtmmsicNa3dROulwM9UqIlMBHO3xNwBowYRavfzB3soqA/s1482/Int%2017+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoXI7Rq6sE1Az0hFYDzs63yGZfsk15Es8bSXEKcicL-LJf24OwVh4l33d5I5t4l8Y5WMob-RX6S4Fo-iteFNmOi5UC5A45Uyniz_qQrUpC7_yUL2_MNPPKqg0XGsxH_uQ6q5kWlJTV5y6p1dtmmsicNa3dROulwM9UqIlMBHO3xNwBowYRavfzB3soqA/w640-h444/Int%2017+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AGrx9LroSm4qEb6Z4-aXfVVe3ufRiBIJ4d7NHxG0Pw_2Hve7m6_FzE8x5Eoo7CK6xe_8beOxET6c7VKmHVY3czAyZoalMVHkSdzw5rwHStRyIey-PVsmHlPqqkp4EJCHo77OZG4A1omXySZ_FQ6M1ec9pnJFqdrYeeGN4vb6n1A5px0tCfY4fAn0qA/s1482/Int%20Con%201+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AGrx9LroSm4qEb6Z4-aXfVVe3ufRiBIJ4d7NHxG0Pw_2Hve7m6_FzE8x5Eoo7CK6xe_8beOxET6c7VKmHVY3czAyZoalMVHkSdzw5rwHStRyIey-PVsmHlPqqkp4EJCHo77OZG4A1omXySZ_FQ6M1ec9pnJFqdrYeeGN4vb6n1A5px0tCfY4fAn0qA/w640-h444/Int%20Con%201+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-IhSlBUPa58I5rixfR123KVUjUeTcr-x61gxhoZfKOF_Yx1hUR8MqdTqXutWdJlxkXq8wJGkjmP2VdnViU7AOsTSggczZeu0Hj2n8v5zuHJiu_b3JGBkBv3ZcHKeN6_ppVDmIunjGD1-Mlm6dXGg0EWaA2pRcUnuuiuP8tx62zo19dKxkTFq6knmbQ/s1482/Int%20Con%202+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-IhSlBUPa58I5rixfR123KVUjUeTcr-x61gxhoZfKOF_Yx1hUR8MqdTqXutWdJlxkXq8wJGkjmP2VdnViU7AOsTSggczZeu0Hj2n8v5zuHJiu_b3JGBkBv3ZcHKeN6_ppVDmIunjGD1-Mlm6dXGg0EWaA2pRcUnuuiuP8tx62zo19dKxkTFq6knmbQ/w640-h444/Int%20Con%202+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_mode9-kk2Mp5mepbcTFfZFDnkvoupSHx9RcOA3juolD16FdFquDL9AUB5buvu_mVbL79B8JerWnS2F8gJ_yashhmMmxA8L9WAcDePmBXyyl2GnoeCyx_c_OWL15o0GIK2ZdwE_C9KERcKvdY-eoyUPAJNZ9aE7uRjwJyKfyFDp_Krb8Rf4y1UsmYQ/s1482/Int%20Con%203+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_mode9-kk2Mp5mepbcTFfZFDnkvoupSHx9RcOA3juolD16FdFquDL9AUB5buvu_mVbL79B8JerWnS2F8gJ_yashhmMmxA8L9WAcDePmBXyyl2GnoeCyx_c_OWL15o0GIK2ZdwE_C9KERcKvdY-eoyUPAJNZ9aE7uRjwJyKfyFDp_Krb8Rf4y1UsmYQ/w640-h444/Int%20Con%203+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLiUeMQrYdP89I18IrqKU_KM_Iw3W6YKaFCkn4MdSufwTEqDUNAEG-qtZ4JSrCwygQtqnNyBpDgPBEqH749Ysj5exGqV7STSW4RHWUIj1ywfbBgUB0djDTOD6ZuOfd5tzNuXQbqXI8dWxyZueDbT6Fsze-2fVHTE9XHT2JVbP89oIssDYHASfeHZj5A/s1482/Int%20Con%204+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLiUeMQrYdP89I18IrqKU_KM_Iw3W6YKaFCkn4MdSufwTEqDUNAEG-qtZ4JSrCwygQtqnNyBpDgPBEqH749Ysj5exGqV7STSW4RHWUIj1ywfbBgUB0djDTOD6ZuOfd5tzNuXQbqXI8dWxyZueDbT6Fsze-2fVHTE9XHT2JVbP89oIssDYHASfeHZj5A/w640-h444/Int%20Con%204+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Interior Trim & Decor</h3><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kyghgqy2Zum9JnC4lw73h8IGmzBAfu5IObQ-ZEWWdYqqpBRLMvyjFsW2gkMDpihCE93jZGOHcFx-93ZNP9zpKEXEPZdp-1HDkiP0LJt_4lDRQ-lM7t9jbaJLhm0vSCeF7sTqroBbdzUH9Kk5d8Y7FTVHAcQ_nJZXe2F7YBShv1EkSgJDJBWT7xyXPA/s1482/Int%2011+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kyghgqy2Zum9JnC4lw73h8IGmzBAfu5IObQ-ZEWWdYqqpBRLMvyjFsW2gkMDpihCE93jZGOHcFx-93ZNP9zpKEXEPZdp-1HDkiP0LJt_4lDRQ-lM7t9jbaJLhm0vSCeF7sTqroBbdzUH9Kk5d8Y7FTVHAcQ_nJZXe2F7YBShv1EkSgJDJBWT7xyXPA/w640-h444/Int%2011+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAypUqB1bTuJHjnx1MincX961v5skcXVfXYdhQYchNrqr-tWrt-MLzeEVE8ZYncG9EGZ_8YTof7PrYoy5Uw0OC6u_bJQ7KtH1hM1-8iT0mvEn7MX52IwVeg1xspLch6WYyzWlb8FqVgV3Brxu2exQK5zDiI0fxvh5bjhBdKOeX4Upp-Y1Qh5JtjNAgGg/s1482/Int%2012+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAypUqB1bTuJHjnx1MincX961v5skcXVfXYdhQYchNrqr-tWrt-MLzeEVE8ZYncG9EGZ_8YTof7PrYoy5Uw0OC6u_bJQ7KtH1hM1-8iT0mvEn7MX52IwVeg1xspLch6WYyzWlb8FqVgV3Brxu2exQK5zDiI0fxvh5bjhBdKOeX4Upp-Y1Qh5JtjNAgGg/w640-h444/Int%2012+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcDtboqCgpg4hBM4oWIc3J50F_77NVOSkB3-kYYl0F4MwI5n6olw0WyO52_23JyhXsjMe44A4fOXi7UjNz9ta_toZDK2oGxOxvS7vN10Bd2KaIES76mEBUJiIeUlKtdRoauvvZ1KsB3A63pR8H0awHVKsjjhCyvLuTUvlLllkbu-0A_x1Hqy0udarbQ/s1482/Int%2013+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEcDtboqCgpg4hBM4oWIc3J50F_77NVOSkB3-kYYl0F4MwI5n6olw0WyO52_23JyhXsjMe44A4fOXi7UjNz9ta_toZDK2oGxOxvS7vN10Bd2KaIES76mEBUJiIeUlKtdRoauvvZ1KsB3A63pR8H0awHVKsjjhCyvLuTUvlLllkbu-0A_x1Hqy0udarbQ/w640-h444/Int%2013+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJFuvlbKUVFjtmQKZ5UjrQyvS6YHv5Q4GtEAezPnmUdBxJRDIlEa8inENh15xKe_XhSHbDPCx_e_ntgbJy1IT3DuRu8Z8_ob8cuq-WZXjHdVzPIe2DZfuza3Z2SoSQJM8TNmTVhJWcfG7HVwGq3Ijeu3m-6Pa386X9SSvwW-ThUuOUtcQiYR5dmBkWw/s1482/Int%2014+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJFuvlbKUVFjtmQKZ5UjrQyvS6YHv5Q4GtEAezPnmUdBxJRDIlEa8inENh15xKe_XhSHbDPCx_e_ntgbJy1IT3DuRu8Z8_ob8cuq-WZXjHdVzPIe2DZfuza3Z2SoSQJM8TNmTVhJWcfG7HVwGq3Ijeu3m-6Pa386X9SSvwW-ThUuOUtcQiYR5dmBkWw/w640-h444/Int%2014+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1QWcjPdYShnHMxREdpJM_NGjIOjplC5wF4frDU9m3X5OWunw-QVD3lm1V2vlc2MTx2AVMqfwqpYS97asqMkFTEzTffKjDqYG4tfd2k0yh0HX5uHWkWXP5p5RUtF2aoGl6zIcCbkwwaAYKj9UuFdeCS5H_qr0mZv_WeOXCIk-whGwxGY5_KyWF75qcg/s1482/Int%2016+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1QWcjPdYShnHMxREdpJM_NGjIOjplC5wF4frDU9m3X5OWunw-QVD3lm1V2vlc2MTx2AVMqfwqpYS97asqMkFTEzTffKjDqYG4tfd2k0yh0HX5uHWkWXP5p5RUtF2aoGl6zIcCbkwwaAYKj9UuFdeCS5H_qr0mZv_WeOXCIk-whGwxGY5_KyWF75qcg/w445-h640/Int%2016+D.png" width="445" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3WbZXTmXDsVUYr-P6USCzmM2O91Qnn_GObRADElcrilkJ9Oe1jron1DBNgdXijHzq6LmZypCzrm6ulJISlTe7rgqpNz5INnvMyjAy_tc-hYJt6uNZY34bHEoZMjsDSP8ZQw5Ub8mMOAuvXedzoVOWGSJBCSRsxj6tuCHHvSrCNzdBlbv-xPmSdI4fw/s1482/Int%20Con%205+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3WbZXTmXDsVUYr-P6USCzmM2O91Qnn_GObRADElcrilkJ9Oe1jron1DBNgdXijHzq6LmZypCzrm6ulJISlTe7rgqpNz5INnvMyjAy_tc-hYJt6uNZY34bHEoZMjsDSP8ZQw5Ub8mMOAuvXedzoVOWGSJBCSRsxj6tuCHHvSrCNzdBlbv-xPmSdI4fw/w640-h444/Int%20Con%205+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSy2iFHqXpi0NmTt26WQ8peaMpPJxB4GWFsz-9GBIUk1A89BwGH2NNIqIT4vb_XXymKP_S1m6I8y6AXSeRrNp4-9QdrILwYSr2nES7pbZkd9c5yFPsnW8zKNru7o33XGKFAOzNqQrvh7ZhoTuAzqWlV7s_koFBeUcW151zXcXgt4jP-3Xp-f2HC2irWA/s1482/Int%20Trim%201+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSy2iFHqXpi0NmTt26WQ8peaMpPJxB4GWFsz-9GBIUk1A89BwGH2NNIqIT4vb_XXymKP_S1m6I8y6AXSeRrNp4-9QdrILwYSr2nES7pbZkd9c5yFPsnW8zKNru7o33XGKFAOzNqQrvh7ZhoTuAzqWlV7s_koFBeUcW151zXcXgt4jP-3Xp-f2HC2irWA/w444-h640/Int%20Trim%201+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gJEu-8dPDlOLYBfkFsqex3K6CR_G1HrY8ZEpPoYV7Q_PJVsQjimsrOc6UyM4ovcBNlKpPyeSMBFuqG2BUOEnwG070Z9RwK-wCuV0Ou78sMW0TyMPLMH3NIIvdtyrDmYdV89VocEhnk-aauAi3oq9fRZUQoNUKPp8zc3m_5mP6VBHqIinIFY8LEO9Dw/s1482/Int%20Trim%202+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gJEu-8dPDlOLYBfkFsqex3K6CR_G1HrY8ZEpPoYV7Q_PJVsQjimsrOc6UyM4ovcBNlKpPyeSMBFuqG2BUOEnwG070Z9RwK-wCuV0Ou78sMW0TyMPLMH3NIIvdtyrDmYdV89VocEhnk-aauAi3oq9fRZUQoNUKPp8zc3m_5mP6VBHqIinIFY8LEO9Dw/w444-h640/Int%20Trim%202+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUv9yPWCQLVoxzx_ksKkCSYRYYZVYSvLGlnUQnM2shyjjZ9Gr1eycegkUDjM1L5UE0Jy045Q1VlSVNn1j6VaeCGsb1uS5jinzh6EmrmRtuFAefFXwiyCUGEv4oabXPnnRWMptjdBUR1LYabSbqCZWTH0lEl1B-3BPFXPPuEc7ipyWPwhOB08FvNy3MA/s1482/Int%20Trim%203+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUv9yPWCQLVoxzx_ksKkCSYRYYZVYSvLGlnUQnM2shyjjZ9Gr1eycegkUDjM1L5UE0Jy045Q1VlSVNn1j6VaeCGsb1uS5jinzh6EmrmRtuFAefFXwiyCUGEv4oabXPnnRWMptjdBUR1LYabSbqCZWTH0lEl1B-3BPFXPPuEc7ipyWPwhOB08FvNy3MA/w444-h640/Int%20Trim%203+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCOnmHPoCx7yuFX3U_QhRDwN-C9BwVu4Xe3uhHaCESVk5hBy8-8Hf2FQXbyaXrQiG8MYFtEoTFiTRJt4IMm4O8e5iHlYupO8YEOTK4tWUPiVUbssH7ODvFNqIHOYFABdWobBRhWTzThwRvFO5Hy5pQ7TOndK-eTyYaqObgy8Xy25jnQMWfi-OBcqHdg/s1482/Int%20Trim%205+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCOnmHPoCx7yuFX3U_QhRDwN-C9BwVu4Xe3uhHaCESVk5hBy8-8Hf2FQXbyaXrQiG8MYFtEoTFiTRJt4IMm4O8e5iHlYupO8YEOTK4tWUPiVUbssH7ODvFNqIHOYFABdWobBRhWTzThwRvFO5Hy5pQ7TOndK-eTyYaqObgy8Xy25jnQMWfi-OBcqHdg/w444-h640/Int%20Trim%205+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmlsuLryZtf3lJxXNvhEDtqcXOfKiZ3Tipdha0porck0DOTzXb1-jkqzhO1WRif0mCxpuU1bTXPZDPoZwa2lFMB1OHGOAocwsg4RB2SZ497sL3Rx9P5_7RLLICIGWJnELncLywpUjDsChwfRHMRNHMbc0BT1AC4f00WSEvRNlXxtUWZNzNkhSWwzmMw/s1482/Int%20Trim%206+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmlsuLryZtf3lJxXNvhEDtqcXOfKiZ3Tipdha0porck0DOTzXb1-jkqzhO1WRif0mCxpuU1bTXPZDPoZwa2lFMB1OHGOAocwsg4RB2SZ497sL3Rx9P5_7RLLICIGWJnELncLywpUjDsChwfRHMRNHMbc0BT1AC4f00WSEvRNlXxtUWZNzNkhSWwzmMw/w444-h640/Int%20Trim%206+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLILP56zaQqCl-RHVeC9-oBxme5B523sHsNSdcJMr3qO7RF8_twxm5OmfnmI7AVJdoGaHqak4xiuwTLLHYqhfFH1C3dzdAjoZtaIKAWxGhxo9imBdciaRdMltQg1A_vIFcc5O0s0a-yJeffrDN37_BxUJthi9g_drySnDBhWxxpCs-JRtKvCDEzjmxg/s1482/Int%20Trim%208+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLILP56zaQqCl-RHVeC9-oBxme5B523sHsNSdcJMr3qO7RF8_twxm5OmfnmI7AVJdoGaHqak4xiuwTLLHYqhfFH1C3dzdAjoZtaIKAWxGhxo9imBdciaRdMltQg1A_vIFcc5O0s0a-yJeffrDN37_BxUJthi9g_drySnDBhWxxpCs-JRtKvCDEzjmxg/w444-h640/Int%20Trim%208+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxd_Q8nGVaup3k1iBelqhymFCT0uqnoQ4F91DjEOd0p1y9A7-2s0HKifdMvtHX_Q-U585sKoW1ZsdXXh22n60pt672l7x9KkoVV5nomigv9njz4ZaMrZseJjTLypVx-MsQ-HgMj3_EPQBb7_PBwJI_ZiS6Zqp9uxar_Ip8ROhbzQXE-dVF9FfMdmx-iQ/s1482/Int%20Trim%209+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1027" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxd_Q8nGVaup3k1iBelqhymFCT0uqnoQ4F91DjEOd0p1y9A7-2s0HKifdMvtHX_Q-U585sKoW1ZsdXXh22n60pt672l7x9KkoVV5nomigv9njz4ZaMrZseJjTLypVx-MsQ-HgMj3_EPQBb7_PBwJI_ZiS6Zqp9uxar_Ip8ROhbzQXE-dVF9FfMdmx-iQ/w444-h640/Int%20Trim%209+D.png" width="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvr07Ze5hA34GYci0fTrAdA1erQu_unQg1KG1CaVklaAvEK7ezXOAWyS42GIcs5GOE8Y6s85_rfq9iNpIA1kxf59dELimlOQ5K27NTDgKV6LgybHwKpwJZsNeN7-nfw2ddaZMFhrLrk2fJJwxgPDAxIwpFuDx589e32pr2jZnJTolTv-Rs91UI98lfw/s1588/Int%20Trim%2012+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="967" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvr07Ze5hA34GYci0fTrAdA1erQu_unQg1KG1CaVklaAvEK7ezXOAWyS42GIcs5GOE8Y6s85_rfq9iNpIA1kxf59dELimlOQ5K27NTDgKV6LgybHwKpwJZsNeN7-nfw2ddaZMFhrLrk2fJJwxgPDAxIwpFuDx589e32pr2jZnJTolTv-Rs91UI98lfw/w390-h640/Int%20Trim%2012+D.png" width="390" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut2cy1XkwQPDtI9u_yl8vpywAc9BKzeh_VA6cxk3W7qWKvfQHOVqglnke5VkEKGu2YJ88_oqYJ9U8Gg30Xf4f3F-a2cpYxMc1Qah13THxGUVA0nNIZ8HD-L4fYBurQTAuJtpEPVwII4cmC_sKvkj9g02imGgJt9r3bHixCXmKDV-odAM_oOxJSEmjvg/s1482/Int%20Trim%2013+D.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="1482" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgut2cy1XkwQPDtI9u_yl8vpywAc9BKzeh_VA6cxk3W7qWKvfQHOVqglnke5VkEKGu2YJ88_oqYJ9U8Gg30Xf4f3F-a2cpYxMc1Qah13THxGUVA0nNIZ8HD-L4fYBurQTAuJtpEPVwII4cmC_sKvkj9g02imGgJt9r3bHixCXmKDV-odAM_oOxJSEmjvg/w640-h444/Int%20Trim%2013+D.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Links to other Hillview Mansion articles:-</b></h3><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/haunted-house-at-hillview-avenue.html" target="_blank">The Haunted House at Hillview</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-burial-of-hillview-mansion.html" target="_blank">The burial of the Hillview Mansion</a></div><div><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/04/hillview-landslide.html" target="_blank">The landslides at the haunted grounds</a></div><div><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/hillview-haunted-house-why-it-was.html" target="_blank">Why the Hillview Mansion was abruptly abandoned</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2021/06/hillview-haunted-house-exclusive-photos.html" target="_blank">Exclusive Photos of Hillview Mansion Part 1</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2021/06/hillview-haunted-house-exclusive-photos_30.html" target="_blank">Exclusive Photos of Hillview Mansion Part 2</a></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-31825351643224633942022-02-17T18:29:00.010+08:002022-02-23T10:59:50.498+08:00The beginnings of Rail Mall & Fuyong Estate.<body> Unless you have been following my blog, or lived in the area in the past, you may not be aware that the Rail Mall </body>at Upper Bukit Timah Road started off life as quarters for rubber plantation workers.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBd1qhsd4-b-461LF9ePCn6N8jllk42JT34gss9oHqLCYbwzp0KyzzEXlnUnI65pYL9ZG-2LMmGRyUbImYGwnu9MoO5Wb8I1bEA6pg7Uah4hF72auPAS7-yV0NuFAOrKsGXfVDzS8AgLBMO_YyUHjdxIMVpOgm7LjpxcmnIzcL-vqB737MenKLMcBiLA=s1008" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBd1qhsd4-b-461LF9ePCn6N8jllk42JT34gss9oHqLCYbwzp0KyzzEXlnUnI65pYL9ZG-2LMmGRyUbImYGwnu9MoO5Wb8I1bEA6pg7Uah4hF72auPAS7-yV0NuFAOrKsGXfVDzS8AgLBMO_YyUHjdxIMVpOgm7LjpxcmnIzcL-vqB737MenKLMcBiLA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rail Mall at Upper Bukit Timah.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br />Philanthropist Lee Kong Chian owned the entire swathe of land on the eastern side of Upper Bukit Timah Road 14km (9-1/2ms) from the Singapore Quarry to the PWD Quarry at Dairy Farm.<br /><br />On this hillside, he planted rubber trees and the rubber estate became part of the Lee Rubber Plantation conglomerate.<br />After World War II, in order to provide decent living quarters and accomodation for his plantation workers and their families, Lee Kong Chian, in 1947, built four rows of workmen houses called artisan quarters at the edge of his rubber plantation. </div><div><br /></div><div>Each row had twelve units. Each unit had two small bedrooms and a small living room with an attached kitchen. At the rear of each unit there was a small open-air yard where a separate bucket system toilet was set apart away from the living space. <br />At the beginning, there was no electricity and using kerosene lamps was the only way to get illumination at night. But back then, it would have been almost a luxury for manual workers, considering that most people were living in kampong attap houses. A real luxury was fresh water direct from the tap within their own household.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgn7gDiGSc_LHkYoBxIEJRGAKjWK71mE-DoIcpOOT7pCiTk19BmiMpuemuljsu-SYU8y-Xje93V7tcQeu8wBbG1_H0BaUuyeGZxZ7BgsO4LYigbF6HGzHzbnR5GOlO6wT3miQvgRB7XwLRWQcEiIuOrA7mrE9pVbyp0_-zhhfRxz8HUgzNDnQAqG0OjQ=s1218" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1218" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgn7gDiGSc_LHkYoBxIEJRGAKjWK71mE-DoIcpOOT7pCiTk19BmiMpuemuljsu-SYU8y-Xje93V7tcQeu8wBbG1_H0BaUuyeGZxZ7BgsO4LYigbF6HGzHzbnR5GOlO6wT3miQvgRB7XwLRWQcEiIuOrA7mrE9pVbyp0_-zhhfRxz8HUgzNDnQAqG0OjQ=w640-h612" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>This was how it looked in 1947 when the worker's homes were built. You can see most of the hill slope at the back covered with rubber trees. Two rows of the terraced homes visible are separated by some buildings which may be part of the rubber plantation processing facility. If anyone knows what these buildings are, please drop me a comment below. The path beside the black building would be transformed into Jalan Asas in future. A prominent landmark here is the black truss bridge that carried the KTM Railway line and crossed Upper Bukit Timah Road here (bottom right).<br /><br />In the 1950s, more of the rubber plantation was given up to build a private housing estate. This was <b>Fuyong Estate</b>, that was also developed by the Lee Foundation, comprising terraced, semi-detached and detached bungalow houses.<br />The original four rows of workmen's quarters were then sold or rented out as there was no longer a need for plantation workers due to the fall in demand for natural rubber. These workman quarters were mostly converted into shophouses for various trades ranging from tailoring, provision shops to motor workshops and coffee shops. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh8gxZpkYwnJK2XSCQWQHIjJR93Y3-jXYw4sNgfnAc3xnPbHKQ27iYxm3q4KhtBrQ2JR-_y9Yu8BMA-dF0sLoIWqhcc0BbaWzwxHMiYxR3DxewH-uZ2GFS7RAPTx8FZEIspMeuBrfpOVog8eUrTOnSzAUN8wua1L79YhGgb2pf52L-dmYJalp8UwvT2Q=s2367" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="2367" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh8gxZpkYwnJK2XSCQWQHIjJR93Y3-jXYw4sNgfnAc3xnPbHKQ27iYxm3q4KhtBrQ2JR-_y9Yu8BMA-dF0sLoIWqhcc0BbaWzwxHMiYxR3DxewH-uZ2GFS7RAPTx8FZEIspMeuBrfpOVog8eUrTOnSzAUN8wua1L79YhGgb2pf52L-dmYJalp8UwvT2Q=w640-h214" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture for a detailed view.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is an aerial view of the land owned by the Lee Foundation, between the Dairy Farm Quarry (left) to the Singapore Quarry (right.)<br />The Lee Kuo Chuan Children's Home was built on land donated by Lee Kong Chian to the Salvation Army for them to run a Children's Orphanage. </div><div><br /></div><div>In 1995, the 4 rows of shophouses were re-acquired by a Lee Foundation company called Pulau Properties, who then created the shopping arcade called Rail Mall. After 2018, it was sold to the SPH group.<br /><br /><br /><br />Related links:-<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/02/places-arounds-pee-10-fuyong-estate.html" target="_blank">Fuyong Estate</a> <br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-singapore-quarry-and-chia-eng-say.html" target="_blank">Chia Eng Say's Singapore Quarry</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/places-around-pee-3-dairy-farm.html" target="_blank">Dairy Farm</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/01/places-around-pee-9-rail-mall.html" target="_blank">The Rail Mall</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-51214570364716778752022-01-24T13:13:00.005+08:002022-02-01T14:12:50.505+08:00A rare vintage photo of Hillview!<p> While doing some follow-up research after publishing my video on the Battle of Bukit Batok <a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2022/01/the-battle-of-bukit-batok.html" target="_blank">(previous article</a>), I happened to come across a vintage photo on the Australian War Memorial photo collection site.<br />It was untitled and undated and at first glance you would probably think it was just some kampong somewhere in Singapore or even Malaya then.<br /><br />On closer examination, the hair on the back of my head literally stood up! It was precisely what I was searching for, and even better was that it had a very rare view of the area before it was called Hillview. <br /><br />This is the vintage photo which must have been taken before the end of 1947 or earlier.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg24bWDaODMXjzNdnLhBlLc1kxU7wF379rmBSOw79wT6L7VAmuQC827pBlDM7nj_A9myNaHuHfJoKtVDxCRt30PBhZV8xfTugpiPUBfon64CGIXWyZtFy7_xq9rJXBDY6uMW4JHKFC66EnH9lZjvrQgnZmjl4aOy9KpXG5Lnk3ymwSA7Tc0axc97KaP4Q=s1126" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1126" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg24bWDaODMXjzNdnLhBlLc1kxU7wF379rmBSOw79wT6L7VAmuQC827pBlDM7nj_A9myNaHuHfJoKtVDxCRt30PBhZV8xfTugpiPUBfon64CGIXWyZtFy7_xq9rJXBDY6uMW4JHKFC66EnH9lZjvrQgnZmjl4aOy9KpXG5Lnk3ymwSA7Tc0axc97KaP4Q=w640-h416" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: Australian War Memorial. Public domain. Captions by hjtann.<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The photo shows a cluster of buildings beside a major road. This was Upper Bukit Timah Road at the 14km, or then the 9-1/2 milestone point.<br />The buildings are not of a kampong but were the Public Works Department (PWD) office and staff quarters at the junction with Dairy Farm Road. Dairy Farm Road is on the far right of the picture. The PWD had its offices there because it was near where they obtained granite gravel from the Dairy Farm quarry for their road building projects. <br /><br /></div><div>My grandfather, Louis Goh, worked as a mandore (foreman) with the PWD and had his office there. He was supervising the building of roads in the 1960s.<br /><br />I was sourcing for exactly a picture like this because during the 2nd World War in Singapore, a British Army unit, the Argylls and Sutherland Regiment, occupied the buildings as its field Regiment HQ.<br />The unit attempted to stop the Japanese tanks from going down Bukit Timah Road to the city by blocking the road just 600 yards away near St. Joseph Church. <br /><br />What may be more interesting to some of you is that the photo shows the Hillview ridge before the building of Hillview Road just across the road from the PWD offices. Hillview Road was built in early 1948 by cutting across the ridge from Upper Bukit Timah Road. You can see part of the KTM railway line running alongside the road.<br /><br />p.s. I just added in an additional photo to show what the area would later become.<br />This is an aerial photo taken from the National Archives collection (NAS Photo no. 267628) that shows the same area in 1963. I have rotated the photo to try and orientate for easy comparison. The PWD buildings are on the bottom left of this added photo.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_Jg5vPtZal7RqoNtz0bQym3NB8PQlDyoROWG19lHw-qGrNqQakF-kyUi0kUncofz-154JUWgpKaUQkmh3MF-4KkO6yYWBWp7N0fL7NgAFOq5wIMH9pt2a-fqooMWeuBQARKlURPTE5mMVZRyQ9UOq8eT2Ob-jEzTO-KmgbEC5lTMQhrthIfESGsWrlg=s835" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_Jg5vPtZal7RqoNtz0bQym3NB8PQlDyoROWG19lHw-qGrNqQakF-kyUi0kUncofz-154JUWgpKaUQkmh3MF-4KkO6yYWBWp7N0fL7NgAFOq5wIMH9pt2a-fqooMWeuBQARKlURPTE5mMVZRyQ9UOq8eT2Ob-jEzTO-KmgbEC5lTMQhrthIfESGsWrlg=w460-h640" width="460" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br />Related links:-<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-railway-bridge-at-hillview-road.html" target="_blank">The building of Hillview Road and KTM girder bridge</a>.<br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-26632753062289599712022-01-02T10:38:00.002+08:002022-01-02T10:50:20.970+08:00The Battle of Bukit BatokHello everyone. it has been quite a while since I did a post here and I do apologise for this.<br />I have been working on a video production all about the Battle of Bukit Batok.<br />I have also received many leads from you readers for new articles like photos of the former estate band, the Pest Infested, a series of of photos of the old HDB Hillview Estate, and I have also yet to publish the unseen photos of the Hillview Mansion interior. I will do this all later this year.<br /><br />I would like to share with you my latest video production about the war that occurred in 1942 around the Hillview/Bukit Batok region. <br /><br />While many of you may have learnt in school or heard about the Battle for Singapore, Bukit Timah is often mentioned. Yet many do not really know where in Bukit Timah the actual battles took place. There is a heritage marker on Bukit Timah Hill itself but it wasn't only on the hill itself that the British army fought the Japanese army.<br /><br />So my video was to focus on one of the battles that took place here at Bukit Batok, a fact many people don't realise, and were shocked to learn that more than 1,000 British soldiers died around here, especially for those still living in the area.<br /><br />Do enjoy the show, you are most welcome to give me your comments and please help to support my video channel by giving it a 'Like' and share the video with your friends.<br />Wishing you all a happy and blessed new year 2022, and continue to stay safe.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Please click the picture</i></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/07CuvhZFOGc.youtube.com/watch?v=07CuvhZFOGc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1088" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgrcUIzSt_l4hf6g2tMgoLoesQ99OjzGztTN9Zc0AOJa-O5j1nO3tBXucTnDwMIqP8SzGewY2W2EqJ1n1l8EZLqr2VNwYen3xJZtoA4clDVppQpTIX5FPm8f-Z0BZdLPAiGSJMj7KFhwbjqogSY3t5uBq9EoFMFb5qzWWCJRM0q2HK5ypmOtuGMdGjr5w=w640-h360" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Please click on the link here if you are unable to continue from the above photo.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07CuvhZFOGc">The Battle of Bukit Batok, 10th-11th Feb 1942.</a><br /></div></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-57311711831174853792021-08-16T12:58:00.013+08:002021-08-17T14:05:56.924+08:00The Singapore Quarry and the Chia Eng Say connection.<div><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This article was written back in July 2011 and I transferred it here from my other travel blog as some readers have been enquiring about the Singapore Quarry and rather than re-directing them away. Edited Aug 2021.</span></i></div><div><br /></div>Strangely, small coincidences seem to keep popping up in sequence for me.<i><br /></i>It all started with the <b><a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-line.html">KTM railway closure</a></b>. <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(click on link to go there)</span></i><br />
Visiting the Rail Mall led me to <a href="http://hjtann.blogspot.com/2011/07/in-those-days.html"><b>Fuyong Estate </b><span style="color: black;">and to</span><b> Jalan Asas</b></a>.<br />
This then led me onwards to the old shortcut to the <b><a href="http://fujiwara-kankoo.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post.html">Singapore Quarry Park</a></b>.<br />
At the quarry park there is a plaque that reads "<i>A Quarry story of</i>....<i><b>Chia Eng Say</b></i>..."<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JSdPBfCWUvbNkUK4y1hFezNjdhaiuRKXu2IgI9Gqx3VeJidhnHoaeNf0UX4ahlNI96w2vIr9HnLmeITCxYrMzp2fgYh7Ybj_dlDhdotkFri1qzc7BxAfPBosk63atBUzY_QlR6yr_KU/s1600/quarry+plaque.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9JSdPBfCWUvbNkUK4y1hFezNjdhaiuRKXu2IgI9Gqx3VeJidhnHoaeNf0UX4ahlNI96w2vIr9HnLmeITCxYrMzp2fgYh7Ybj_dlDhdotkFri1qzc7BxAfPBosk63atBUzY_QlR6yr_KU/w640-h480/quarry+plaque.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plaque at the Singapore Quarry Park.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTtu8A2J3rSwoGDVhOol3S1h9TaX-V1XjVgBlEo_-_NHAPgd7Qo_sDbIFQjoDSzVekfw7mNU1NVI4mKK57-ILZhevSWcHa0K-hPzHfuwZ0_aE3aysVV4rotzRwTZeadCqsq9zHbwt914/s1600/plaque.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoTtu8A2J3rSwoGDVhOol3S1h9TaX-V1XjVgBlEo_-_NHAPgd7Qo_sDbIFQjoDSzVekfw7mNU1NVI4mKK57-ILZhevSWcHa0K-hPzHfuwZ0_aE3aysVV4rotzRwTZeadCqsq9zHbwt914/w640-h480/plaque.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to read the Ode mentioning Chia Eng Say.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />Then just last night, I chanced upon a <b><a href="http://citizenhistorian.com/2007/07/31/shedding-some-light-singapore-quarry/">blog by a Kevin Lee</a></b> mentioning a disused 'nameless' road running by Rail Mall train tracks. He wondered why it was there.<br />Wow, just what are all these coincidences ?<br />I realised the common link to them all is <b>Chia Eng Say</b>!<div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYw0n8gjHovPoE0H8E70eWPTHa616rK37tC6Jgr15zgGu-slK5hRiPJnbKyifQs-e1Jp9kWYjUHlnB64x9Vfl-dTGdY_bO2WeMJp71MVrnjPf0wWcKlOC3Bssb1QaOppHYzMKCFCRh3U/s1600/ChiaEngSay+Road.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQYw0n8gjHovPoE0H8E70eWPTHa616rK37tC6Jgr15zgGu-slK5hRiPJnbKyifQs-e1Jp9kWYjUHlnB64x9Vfl-dTGdY_bO2WeMJp71MVrnjPf0wWcKlOC3Bssb1QaOppHYzMKCFCRh3U/w640-h480/ChiaEngSay+Road.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original Chia Eng Say Road ran beside the railway truss bridge.<br />
Now abandoned and covered with detritus.<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><u>A brief background to the man, the road and the quarry</u></b></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div>Chia Eng Say Road was a private road built by the quarry company for access to their quarrying operations. It was the only access from Upper Bukit Timah Road to the quarries and ran parallel to the former KTM railway line. I can still recall trucks with their load of huge granite rocks rumbling along the road, off to some construction site somewhere in developing Singapore.<br />
<br />
The road ran through a Chinese kampong known to us 'locals' as <b><i>Kampung Chia Eng Say</i></b>.<br />
The kampong has been demolished and the homesteaders have been resettled in HDB housing, I presume. How sad.<br /><br />Two of my old schoolmates used to live in that kampong, Quek Chee Ling and Wong Bee Leng. Alas, I've completely lost contact with them after our school days ended.<br />
I can recall visiting them often at the kampong, especially during the times when the Chinese <i>wayangs</i> played during some religious celebrations. <br />I used to lived at Fuyong Estate that was just beside the old quarry worker's kampung.</div><div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToVMo3M9ZQ_Y4PnjGEh049c93Q-bMUAvohdsjeW87iDEcNQVPxph0ajSJbuIv4aJHznNZfrlnPXkcMX6QlvMElanEu1tNuZr-i_zIicAFgjyd3WewF4cbzYL-QzmS67pbr_f5uk9PKcw/s1600/footbridge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgToVMo3M9ZQ_Y4PnjGEh049c93Q-bMUAvohdsjeW87iDEcNQVPxph0ajSJbuIv4aJHznNZfrlnPXkcMX6QlvMElanEu1tNuZr-i_zIicAFgjyd3WewF4cbzYL-QzmS67pbr_f5uk9PKcw/w493-h640/footbridge.jpg" width="493" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A footbridge ran from Chia Eng Say Road over the KTM railway line.<br />
This gave the kampong folks and quarry workers direct access to Upper Bukit Timah Road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5-BwPbKv6ANuFK9JeHdFJXj7-rNB_G9mRQtPGPnvDRiNo7jdZ2eC8wB-B709IngBe9gVE0WVB93usIXpD9lbnLaBQYdL1XhBDi7WLRC9VJy4CqSXvlLq0z5GJnhrkLROSB-2Z3_0ddw/s1600/Cul+de+sac+Jln+Asas.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir5-BwPbKv6ANuFK9JeHdFJXj7-rNB_G9mRQtPGPnvDRiNo7jdZ2eC8wB-B709IngBe9gVE0WVB93usIXpD9lbnLaBQYdL1XhBDi7WLRC9VJy4CqSXvlLq0z5GJnhrkLROSB-2Z3_0ddw/w640-h480/Cul+de+sac+Jln+Asas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cul de sac at Jalan Asas. The playground on the right was where the old kampong was located.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_BWk72Qei06GwbIFPa2tjUDeW7yGAruCUH6GKkhGIDsTiEh6lYDll-CeE_FMHE8kjUdUSWua2iTsTau0p1ALWQJFBr1YzzUtAdJ8hxUAJmpOU5pwmptj_Ygz_d4ysbppmXlX4a7C5HU/s1600/shortcut.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_BWk72Qei06GwbIFPa2tjUDeW7yGAruCUH6GKkhGIDsTiEh6lYDll-CeE_FMHE8kjUdUSWua2iTsTau0p1ALWQJFBr1YzzUtAdJ8hxUAJmpOU5pwmptj_Ygz_d4ysbppmXlX4a7C5HU/w549-h640/shortcut.jpg" width="549" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The secret shortcut to the quarry at the end of the cul de sac.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /><b><u>Who was Chia Eng Say?</u></b><br />Mr Chia Eng Say was what we would call an entrepreneur today. A multi-millionaire businessman from Fujian, China, who established businesses in Penang and Singapore in the early 1900s. <br />He apparently lived in Katong with his large progeny, believed to be 7 sons and 15 daughters in all! Old newspaper announcements of the past had several reports of his sons and daughters being married off with grand dinners held at his mansion at Katong.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><b><u>The Chia Eng Say Quarries</u></b><br />
</span>Chia Eng Say obtained the rights to mining the granite on the mid-western area of the Bukit Timah Ridge in the 1930s. There he started quarrying operations at two separate but adjacent sites facing the 8-1/2 milestone Upper Bukit Timah Road. The two adjacent quarries eventually merged into a single quarry. They were initially known as the Chia Eng Say Quarries. <br /><br />How it became known as the Singapore Quarry was simply a matter of convenience. <br />Chia had set up several subsidiary companies to run his quarrying business. <br />The major company was called the <b><i>Singapore Quarry Co Pte Ltd,</i></b> and this was the firm that undertook the actual mining.<br />After Chia Eng Say died in 1943, the business was usually referred to as Singapore Quarry. <br />The name became pegged to the actual quarry site itself. Thus, the Chia Eng Say Quarries became simply known as the Singapore Quarry.<br />The quarry was closed when the Singapore government ordered all mainland quarrying of granite to cease in 1970.<br /><br />The private road, Chia Eng Say Road, located beside the railway truss bridge, became disused over time and was later expunged. In the 1980s, NParks recovered the land as part of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. The quarry was to be converted into a nature park. <br />A new access path to the nature park quarry was formed from disused sections of the old Chia Eng Say Road.<br />The old name of Chia Eng Say Quarry was then replaced officially as the Singapore Quarry Nature Park.<br /><br /><b><u>Kampung Chia Eng Say</u></b><br />Chia Eng Say also built homes for his workers nearby, using the unallocated land that was beside the quarry adjacent Fuyong Estate. These were basically squatter land with temporary occupation licences given to Chia's company. Thus, colloquially, the kampung came to be known as kampung Chia Eng Say.<br /><div><br /><u><b>Chia Eng Say's legacy lives on</b></u><br />
Besides being mentioned in the ode on the plaque, his name is now firmly entrenched nearby.<br />
When the old shophouses at Fuyong Estate were re-developed into the <b><i>Rail Mall</i></b>, the little service access road in front of the shops was widened to a 2-lane road and the name Chia Eng Say Road was transferred to this upgraded stretch of road.<br /><br /><i><b>Trivia:</b> </i>In 1937, Chia Eng Say won the tender to supply all the granite to build the (old) Supreme Court building. The stones came from this quarry.</div><div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7fPygQ4Eu9VbKB36ZGjycKlnT5Tma-zSVZ2vQtR3o_TrMkKp81lZ8gBeuFT4lCL5LVyaV7ITCvXzYoA2blYXE690w72DFFsLkgTUqNTmCVssu_4PkED2_sHfl4W2CzyrjadBRQM7xTs/s1600/EP7041170.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7fPygQ4Eu9VbKB36ZGjycKlnT5Tma-zSVZ2vQtR3o_TrMkKp81lZ8gBeuFT4lCL5LVyaV7ITCvXzYoA2blYXE690w72DFFsLkgTUqNTmCVssu_4PkED2_sHfl4W2CzyrjadBRQM7xTs/w640-h480/EP7041170.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The service road in front of Rail Mall is now named after Chia Eng Say.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br /> </div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWk6dqyply3d4ReSGKemmGjCtkllLXo6-r-emiBG53bLEXJcKiRd55BqbNlmCvtZK5SeAFwHL3ba91MZ8kf2IO6VCkLE5uiDbQql71fD0RrsRh7uJ5mHNLdm1Bk0RcocSFGMNe_dQav0vQ/s1475/Chia+Eng+Say+%2526+SGQ.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1475" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWk6dqyply3d4ReSGKemmGjCtkllLXo6-r-emiBG53bLEXJcKiRd55BqbNlmCvtZK5SeAFwHL3ba91MZ8kf2IO6VCkLE5uiDbQql71fD0RrsRh7uJ5mHNLdm1Bk0RcocSFGMNe_dQav0vQ/w640-h400/Chia+Eng+Say+%2526+SGQ.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Below is an overhead aerial view of the Singapore Quarry <br />with the defunct Chia Eng Say Road leading up to it.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div>
<br />
<i><br />
</i></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-49771527988182141922021-08-06T19:58:00.019+08:002021-09-12T16:47:38.303+08:00The reservoir dam at Bukit Gombak.
On the evening of 15 July 2021, newsfeed and videos started trending on social media about a strange incident at Bukit Batok West Ave 5 beside the Gombak Stadium. <br />Muddy water was gushing out at a tremendous rate from a hillside near the Bukit Gombak MRT Station.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='569' height='473' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzTYcWhHg3lvvWyK8a7XFrvC0_6fImp85qNhovW-cGDuG9tAOMmLjntZEalLm91JPvCW3AVPaxP-yRlyF0xmA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='578' height='480' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx3t7Y1EDvSWmSMiE2AAg6y4vnvK_-BAuuPdDDn2zuVuJShTJ994nszIyMQGoEhvcCwA6PUX5j8YFsjEzCD0g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Videos above copyright and courtesy of Marcus Lim</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div>One of these posts was from my friend, historian painter Mr Marcus Lim, who was an eyewitness to the event. In his post, he also pondered over what was happening. It was an incredible scene.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>Oh Gosh! The Seng Chew Dam burst?</b></i> I speculated. <br /><b><i><span>Dam?</span></i></b> Came the more <i>incredulous response</i> from Marcus.</span><br /><br />In reality, what had happened was that a part of the Seng Chew lakeside wall had collapsed inwards after a few days of rain previously and slid into the lake. The landslide caused a mini-tsunami to overflow the top and gush down the hill towards the roadside at West Ave 5. The resulting deluge flooded the roadside, stopping traffic for several hours and bringing with it debris like tree branches, logs and lots of mud.</div><div><br /><b><br /><u>THE SENG CHEW QUARRY LAKE</u></b><br />Some of you may not be aware but there is a <i>hidden</i> lake high up on Bukit Gombak. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRixrJG_A3LqOTyqCjVMaTsHMAIPFUfZ9bpBaIOegzGwZ2Vtqo6Vm919LzK7Zpkl11Dcj44HWOACOW-IaOduduI2_Ebx70o_hxVyQSEIHKGE2_mCeE75xgSxo-apZR5lhbkEPmDyviLF8/s1094/Seng+Chew+Lake.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1094" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqRixrJG_A3LqOTyqCjVMaTsHMAIPFUfZ9bpBaIOegzGwZ2Vtqo6Vm919LzK7Zpkl11Dcj44HWOACOW-IaOduduI2_Ebx70o_hxVyQSEIHKGE2_mCeE75xgSxo-apZR5lhbkEPmDyviLF8/w640-h480/Seng+Chew+Lake.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Seng Chew Quarry Lake at Bukit Gombak</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>It was formed from the disused granite quarry that operated there from 1947 till 1970. <br />It was called the <b>Seng Chew Granite Quarry</b>. <br /><br />This disused quarry was transformed and revitalised into a lake as part of the new Bukit Gombak Nature Park and Forest Trail. It was to be one of the several features of the new <b><i>Bukit Batok Town Park</i></b> that included the new sports stadium and the Little Guilin Park. <br /><i>(Note: The Bukit Batok </i>Nature<i> Park is a different park about 2km away)</i></div><div><i><br /></i>However, the Bukit Gombak Nature Park and the Seng Chew Quarry Lake were short-lived, and were soon closed to the public due to several recurring landslides that occured in that area. These occurred at several places like Chu Lin Park, the Forest Trail and at the lake side as well. The public thus were denied entry for safety reasons. Only the Little Guilin Park remained open to the public.<br /><br />You can read some my earlier articles about the Bukit Batok Town Park and the Seng Chew Quarry at the links <a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-mysterious-hidden-lake-of-bukit.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://hjtann-pixs.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-old-gombak-nature-trail.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2014/03/trekking-bukit-gombak-in-search-of-ww2.html" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/08/streams-of-bukit-gombak.html" target="_blank">here</a> <i>et al.</i><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJt4wMpT-siiSl8aMgP3HbhY9FhZqEsPBzIZbfpSdgzBH28yjysy-KIeCkp8oQ7gJ_HFgvmXYICDjC8RvvFYiI7oqy0gtIXyTyY_k1NhI5WXSFFVaibzMGBw902Ne0VvP0KCK4CT3JEIY/s1500/Gombak_Lake+2014.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJt4wMpT-siiSl8aMgP3HbhY9FhZqEsPBzIZbfpSdgzBH28yjysy-KIeCkp8oQ7gJ_HFgvmXYICDjC8RvvFYiI7oqy0gtIXyTyY_k1NhI5WXSFFVaibzMGBw902Ne0VvP0KCK4CT3JEIY/w640-h426/Gombak_Lake+2014.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a landslide into the lake back in 2014.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rRenschTLop05VrUn1GH8mMj0MYCuZ8gsUS2rGPY_4t2G5RjPN45B44Z7z95t2h-CZAHVPcMmG7LCEvc7GoH2NClthkjFC_Vb2JjMdCTwovu2cP3D5B0dC-hq3-UYqi-72uvAScFnb3T/s1172/Screen+Shot+2021-08-06+at+1.21.50+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1172" data-original-width="917" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rRenschTLop05VrUn1GH8mMj0MYCuZ8gsUS2rGPY_4t2G5RjPN45B44Z7z95t2h-CZAHVPcMmG7LCEvc7GoH2NClthkjFC_Vb2JjMdCTwovu2cP3D5B0dC-hq3-UYqi-72uvAScFnb3T/w500-h640/Screen+Shot+2021-08-06+at+1.21.50+PM.png" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lake boundary was fenced up for public safety.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxOH8l7fOzCvtbC0wQt00C7_uLLYm1nBHRS3I10TEh4zQgRWVJNRLu0G3MYaKPK6r4eK-AC5TSwqy-8ky5YjC3WU9wzJkIYVgzGl_oaOg1ctaR1wEma7JTxMxRDrcCsc8TTVr1-YNcCew/s935/Gombak+Trail+9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="935" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxOH8l7fOzCvtbC0wQt00C7_uLLYm1nBHRS3I10TEh4zQgRWVJNRLu0G3MYaKPK6r4eK-AC5TSwqy-8ky5YjC3WU9wzJkIYVgzGl_oaOg1ctaR1wEma7JTxMxRDrcCsc8TTVr1-YNcCew/w640-h562/Gombak+Trail+9.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bukit Gombak Nature Park was closed due to recurring landslides.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZK0WF7dCkNgT3ZrQED97GhrCfJiEJx8ulHDZM9rFhSebP8w8l4hum7vSYQrD_wXjznkxpBq42YnexD_asBsCZkZE-URrZ9yfdCwg63jA3gm9O4-pUfPrGSCZNaxpPbRozHhLzYO9-N30-/s1698/Seng+Cherw+Landslide+July+21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1698" data-original-width="1306" height="688" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZK0WF7dCkNgT3ZrQED97GhrCfJiEJx8ulHDZM9rFhSebP8w8l4hum7vSYQrD_wXjznkxpBq42YnexD_asBsCZkZE-URrZ9yfdCwg63jA3gm9O4-pUfPrGSCZNaxpPbRozHhLzYO9-N30-/w529-h688/Seng+Cherw+Landslide+July+21.jpg" width="529" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the latest landslide of 15 July 2021 that caused the lake to overflow.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT4ct9F8fgfGKX1scDPh9VCVDHvJoMNscrZvc8H_2yvOH0Z4VT0MGbb_-Whownd23u4kEgCFa3VGvI7lmiOXxvT27n-85gP34Yx78A5HEMIoqfNxD8rSF4J7OPaoOdYlprNELVErVwCvs/s1837/Screen+Shot+2021-08-06+at+1.27.38+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="1837" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaT4ct9F8fgfGKX1scDPh9VCVDHvJoMNscrZvc8H_2yvOH0Z4VT0MGbb_-Whownd23u4kEgCFa3VGvI7lmiOXxvT27n-85gP34Yx78A5HEMIoqfNxD8rSF4J7OPaoOdYlprNELVErVwCvs/w640-h462/Screen+Shot+2021-08-06+at+1.27.38+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The debris and mudslide from the overflowing lake spilled onto the roadside below.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />That may well have been the end of the story, but why did I exclaim that the <b style="font-style: italic;">Dam burst </b>to Marcus' amusement?<br />Well, while some of you may know of the existence of this hidden lake, most of you will never ever know that there is a huge dam there at Bukit Gombak! Surprised?<br /><br />It was so well engineered and built that you would never ever suspect that it is there.<br />Marcus would have been thinking I might be crazy when I said the dam burst, as would most of you. You have in your mind a dam such as the one like China's Three Gorges or Hoover Dam in USA. <br />A great hulking concrete structure holding back gadzillion tons of water and with a hydroelectric power station inside. Am I right? Touch your heart, <i>ha ha</i>.<div><br /><br /><b><u>THE SENG CHEW QUARRY DAM</u></b></div><div>The Seng Chew Quarry Dam is technically known as an earth-filled 'Embankment Dam'.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>When the HDB was building Bukit Gombak New Town in the early 80s, they had a gigantic problem that they needed to settle. This was the scarred western hillside of Bukit Gombak where there were four huge former granite quarries. These were the Ideal Home Quarry, the Lian Hup Quarry, the Seng Chew Quarry and the Gammon Quarry. <br />*<i>(There was a fifth smaller quarry between Gammon and Seng Chew, but that will be fodder for a new article in future)</i></div><div><br /></div></div><div>These quarries had gouged enormous holes into the landscape. HDB architects decided to convert the quarries into nature parks as they were unsuitable for other major infrastructure then. Both the Gammon and Seng Chew Quarries had to undergo major civil engineering works.<br /><br />The aerial photo below shows the Seng Chew Quarry in 1956, in its ninth year of operations. There was another smaller adjoining quarry to its right by 1970 when it was closed but I cannot find a photo of that era. So you can imagine how much more wider the quarry face would have been after a further 14 years of quarrying.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XS-_14kOfOzgzVHnlG0dencMENnSKHTIkYi5Cn0cmZOraj87_rArDAL1-OiHz2aoEcUEC3gndesKZm4Z9-3x7hc0qVcLONm0mcyCJRrBBhIXw-Mv3dUVVCDEUrg-5O4bD3jwb2zFFj7f/s2048/Seng+Chew+Quarry+Dec+1956.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1215" data-original-width="2048" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XS-_14kOfOzgzVHnlG0dencMENnSKHTIkYi5Cn0cmZOraj87_rArDAL1-OiHz2aoEcUEC3gndesKZm4Z9-3x7hc0qVcLONm0mcyCJRrBBhIXw-Mv3dUVVCDEUrg-5O4bD3jwb2zFFj7f/w640-h380/Seng+Chew+Quarry+Dec+1956.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>This is the same 1956 quarry photo superimposed on a current Google map extract. The circle approximates the quarry-face size in 1970 according to topographic maps of the 70s. That was how much larger the quarry had grown before mining operations ceased. For reference, Bukit Gombak MRT Station is at bottom right.<br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9TBBb7Xz_zycVXjG3iLORyZPMiJASu-g6Gb4Jnx0E_YyB2NA6MvU5OZF9oI8f0NL0ydH2ZeNwr5bBOkAQRy4TAQKC-H8lM94zSkpyMRdvs468f_wVkSxQFjDeNPnwAqJanBfRBjLGt9y/s2048/Goodview+with+Seng+Chew+superimposed..jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9TBBb7Xz_zycVXjG3iLORyZPMiJASu-g6Gb4Jnx0E_YyB2NA6MvU5OZF9oI8f0NL0ydH2ZeNwr5bBOkAQRy4TAQKC-H8lM94zSkpyMRdvs468f_wVkSxQFjDeNPnwAqJanBfRBjLGt9y/w640-h386/Goodview+with+Seng+Chew+superimposed..jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on photo to see in full details.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfHnXTAzrVdeh5UN352ULE6M_cr9FSPeIhUJs5BfkGSltDcN6Qw19snrea6W3sNHhhud-cuv6cSXrx-Htry11LPvoe7KISBJ2_-NO8GIGx0rhav91OAqGjEQcwZUnje3LqHAUlq0fBQV6/s2048/Goodview+with+Seng+Chew+Lake+today+superimposed..jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqfHnXTAzrVdeh5UN352ULE6M_cr9FSPeIhUJs5BfkGSltDcN6Qw19snrea6W3sNHhhud-cuv6cSXrx-Htry11LPvoe7KISBJ2_-NO8GIGx0rhav91OAqGjEQcwZUnje3LqHAUlq0fBQV6/w640-h386/Goodview+with+Seng+Chew+Lake+today+superimposed..jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>The red circle represents the size of Seng Chew Quarry Lake today as it was planned by HDB to be part of the new Nature Park. <br />In order to reduce it to that manageable size, they had to reinstate the entire hillside by building an earth dam over the entire area where the quarry once was. And so the 1st stage to constructing the lake was to build the new earth dam. Click on the photo above to see an enlarged view where you are able to judge the size of the 'hole' that they had to fill to build the earth dam.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26VasE2ReG3v4Zr3U3r_BZ6NcF9IojRUMuab8GU8FxOvVT1fFVhyp7V_1yJUjz-tuTQfmK2bZr_InfpSU-dYG3qWw1fYVZX-sv3XJxgvAIVM5x22mUcuZMi-da_gpoTUWQS8fCSnYYa_c/s2048/Earth+Dam+Bet+GDview+%2526+Stadium.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1234" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26VasE2ReG3v4Zr3U3r_BZ6NcF9IojRUMuab8GU8FxOvVT1fFVhyp7V_1yJUjz-tuTQfmK2bZr_InfpSU-dYG3qWw1fYVZX-sv3XJxgvAIVM5x22mUcuZMi-da_gpoTUWQS8fCSnYYa_c/w640-h386/Earth+Dam+Bet+GDview+%2526+Stadium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br style="text-align: left;" /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">The entire hillside between the Gombak Stadium and the Goodview Gardens HDB precinct</div><div style="text-align: center;">(left of pic) is in reality an earth dam that was built to enclose the Seng Chew Quarry Lake.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwRQKwVNNCswOfvNFyrjc5DGiGR2EYRpsxgbiUbUDeumPnF03rLmw7mP8mNpeizMrOHuvXdE7NhM_5SM4nPSETKl_lCMDjlSivAEhdsXFd9eCu7QpL3Hhk1NCF3dHm85Sm5VCW1NZy3Yk/s2048/Gombak+Earth+Dam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1495" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwRQKwVNNCswOfvNFyrjc5DGiGR2EYRpsxgbiUbUDeumPnF03rLmw7mP8mNpeizMrOHuvXdE7NhM_5SM4nPSETKl_lCMDjlSivAEhdsXFd9eCu7QpL3Hhk1NCF3dHm85Sm5VCW1NZy3Yk/w468-h640/Gombak+Earth+Dam.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The hillslope behind the HDB's Goodview Gardens housing blocks are actually part of the earth dam.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUPyPkwmi4E6B9_IYWpkv4wHmMrTOQhFZWqxLjH886wlH7MfI9FPT9BDt6l0bTt3tgH3vumfp-hBImwrsXccuwMu_UBdL6LACxez9H3-2sti5S744bhLHMr02wGvnX77EqKMn-IDRzvxl/s1094/Seng+Chew+Spillway.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="821" data-original-width="1094" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUPyPkwmi4E6B9_IYWpkv4wHmMrTOQhFZWqxLjH886wlH7MfI9FPT9BDt6l0bTt3tgH3vumfp-hBImwrsXccuwMu_UBdL6LACxez9H3-2sti5S744bhLHMr02wGvnX77EqKMn-IDRzvxl/w640-h480/Seng+Chew+Spillway.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the top of the earth dam that holds back the Seng Chew Quarry Lake reservoir. This was the zone where the landslide cause the lake waters to overflow and spill over the dam.<br />The drain on the right is known as a <b>Spillway</b>, it acts as a vent whenever the lake waters reaches a certain level and keeps the water level inside under control.<br />The sudden landslide on 15 July 2021 overwhelmed the capacity of the spillway and so the water simply overflowed this top but continued to follow the direction of the spillway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbWuyg5KOJmiSU7drzfI8B3dFHS5WCPySheAy__9U05uZ2Y9aPQiK1yuTZp3YfPxnk4A8g5k13fg9Eo9mqJ9z1qAqkh_86JPhX5Ly9Q9HaIMKbmE15zfS78lYavkV2EIoOzN0jILx90gG/s783/Screen+Shot+2021-08-06+at+1.29.01+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="661" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGbWuyg5KOJmiSU7drzfI8B3dFHS5WCPySheAy__9U05uZ2Y9aPQiK1yuTZp3YfPxnk4A8g5k13fg9Eo9mqJ9z1qAqkh_86JPhX5Ly9Q9HaIMKbmE15zfS78lYavkV2EIoOzN0jILx90gG/w540-h640/Screen+Shot+2021-08-06+at+1.29.01+PM.png" width="540" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spillway drain after the deluge of 15 July.<br />Appears that some repairs will be needed soon.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>So, in all essence, the spillway actually did its job well except that it wasn't designed for the kind of sudden volume that overwhelmed it that day.<br /><br />My first instinct when I saw the video clips was that this area at the spillway top of the earth dam had collapsed and the earth dam had burst open. <br /><br />I reckoned that the earth dam is at least 300 metres wide and 30 metres high, holding back the reservoir that became the Seng Chew Lake. An amazing engineering feat. It had been so well incorporated into the landscape that almost everyone would never believe that it is a real dam.<div><br />So now you know that there is a huge earth dam at Bukit Batok.<br /><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-58980493214004954062021-08-04T16:09:00.031+08:002021-11-15T08:23:45.783+08:00The hidden waterfall at Bukit Batok<body oncontextmenu="return false”>
<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>There is a beautiful cascading waterfall at Bukit Batok.</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">Most people would not even see it when it is in plain sight.</div><div style="text-align: center;">There is a magical secret to this!</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0xwlHn4KcqasjwanBE2WH0qnkvF9xKw5wzvzuLKQcUO6vQmy7Za_vblB7UlMqbwAG18pHtYw8l_dJm4Y0zaneqn1Kgx4XuJFwjwXhrzo3WdSoq_ReSKg9wXLRbwwVJBkO7Xe2MN5MmIC/s2048/Hillside+3+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0xwlHn4KcqasjwanBE2WH0qnkvF9xKw5wzvzuLKQcUO6vQmy7Za_vblB7UlMqbwAG18pHtYw8l_dJm4Y0zaneqn1Kgx4XuJFwjwXhrzo3WdSoq_ReSKg9wXLRbwwVJBkO7Xe2MN5MmIC/w480-h640/Hillside+3+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Many of you may have noticed that even whilst we are in a pandemic situation, a lot of people have found new ways to relieve stress. One of the most visible that I have seen is that more people have been out to the parks, nature trails and forest reserves and in bigger numbers than the usual.<br /><br />As a result of sharings on social media, more people are finding places that were once unknown to most. <br />Two of these lesser known places are the former <i><b>Bukit Batok Hillside Park</b>,</i> as well as the <b><i>Bukit Gombak Nature Park</i></b>. They have been closed for more than twenty years now for various reasons, mainly for public safety.<br /><br />In this article, I will tell you some secrets of the <b>Bukit Batok Hillside Park </b>located at Bukit Batok West Avenue 2, especially of its hidden waterfall.<br /><br />Bukit Batok Hillside Park was created in the early 1990s. It was designed by the HDB based on a totally new concept then. <br />While most HDB neighbourhood parks were built within the housing precinct and thus would be basically 'flat' and built on cleared land making them easily accessible, the Hillside Park was designed to be a 'rugged' countryside park instead.<br /><br />In early 1990, HDB's Principal Architect, Ms Evelyn Chua, on a trip to New Zealand was inspired by how the Kiwis preserved their natural terrain and natural vegetation in creating nature parks.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPgWttF80_BQ3WFHg8yIHmHyByScoB6WS9EAlRQDKWQ-V1_-0_qAJ_b46opxnNtf-4YUBNY7whY1VCdvR-sxxRurkNgFQ4qhTVW-puBBxST_Z9b4pXxBMpdaUVg6F4yChyMe7XvE9rFBR/s1000/national-parks-new-zealand.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvPgWttF80_BQ3WFHg8yIHmHyByScoB6WS9EAlRQDKWQ-V1_-0_qAJ_b46opxnNtf-4YUBNY7whY1VCdvR-sxxRurkNgFQ4qhTVW-puBBxST_Z9b4pXxBMpdaUVg6F4yChyMe7XvE9rFBR/w400-h266/national-parks-new-zealand.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">New Zealand Nature Park </span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In trying to emulate this concept, HDB planners found that the hilly Bukit Batok region was ideal for this kind of natural rugged parkland. <br />It had natural hills, was forested, had natural springs and had rocky outcrops to emulate mountain climbing features. Importantly, it was also isolated and away from the bustling new town, giving it a '<i>getting away from civilisation</i>' feeling.</p><p>The intention was to keep it as pure and natural where possible. Making full use of the terrain, the rocky outcrops for hiking trails and using the forest flora supplementing it with local palms, ferns and rhododendrons for the more general public areas. <br /><br />A lot of the secondary forest would be kept natural with only prepared trails in, to minimise damage to the natural vegetation. It would be a park not just for the general public but would also cater to those who prefer a hardier hike or climb or some jungle trekking.<br /><br />For the general public, the Park was built with an '<b><i>enchanted forest</i></b>' theme. There were cobblestone paths, a wishing well, floral pergolas and gazebos built all around the hillside where you could gaze on the developing Bukit Gombak New Town below. It would be like walking through a floral wonderland from one place to another through the pergolas to the gazebos.<br />But the best feature was a hidden waterfall that could be seen only when the conditions were right.<br /><br />The Park was completed in early 1990 and was handed over to the Choa Chu Kang Town Council as part of their town facilities. Choa Chu Kang Town Council was in charge of that area of Bukit Batok at the time as part of their constituency. The Town Council renamed the new park as <b>Greenwood Park</b>, however, the name did not last and was forgotten by most and was never included in further official listings when the park was closed for the reasons I will explain below.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFs5c_iK7XmAHprx0vZqWqFllDYMh7vUjhD5nH3iValQ0oVPFcWY-Sr9Rl6DCcWdprFuY_0FxggOlhuS02Z8-mYXVEDVDDOPlvs3sGcu-Wl3VO02OKci5xnzEqkt-oXrjDB2snnSaAPOR/s969/HillsidePhoto+by+EngOng+Bluefly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="969" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZFs5c_iK7XmAHprx0vZqWqFllDYMh7vUjhD5nH3iValQ0oVPFcWY-Sr9Rl6DCcWdprFuY_0FxggOlhuS02Z8-mYXVEDVDDOPlvs3sGcu-Wl3VO02OKci5xnzEqkt-oXrjDB2snnSaAPOR/w640-h474/HillsidePhoto+by+EngOng+Bluefly.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photos by ©EngOng Bluefly</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /><b><i>THE PUBLIC WAS NOT READY.</i></b></p><p>Alas, Hillside Park was not popular for the very same reasons that they expected that it would be. <br />It was <i><b>too</b></i> rugged, people found it too hard to climb about the rocky surface, the slopes were too steep for comfort, there were no handrails along the paths, and the park features felt a bit fake, a bit out of place. <br />Even simply to access the park, you had to climb a steep stairway of 10 metres just to reach the entrance. And it was too far away from most residents then, being isolated at the far end of Bukit Batok West at that time, while most of them were living in the eastern and central zones.</p><p>So the very reasons that they thought would make the park outstanding and unique became the very reasons for its downfall. <br />The public, especially residents of Bukit Batok, were not used to this new concept and most gave the park a miss due to these difficulties. So visitor traffic to the Park dwindle to almost zero over the next few years. It was the wrong type of park at the wrong time.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcXlDfC1TmE_QQTwI4XL2uPqu5wP_Ohm19nMT8Onnve4R1hu5y0uEjLfCP6-L8qVg7REEf5A8DHth-nh5kDE65_LUck7-61XMBe7e9zuOoY8HKohN7qCv6_QjfMK45mBD3XU3CVwenzk6/s1135/Hillside+Wishing+well+with+roof+BORDERS.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="872" data-original-width="1135" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcXlDfC1TmE_QQTwI4XL2uPqu5wP_Ohm19nMT8Onnve4R1hu5y0uEjLfCP6-L8qVg7REEf5A8DHth-nh5kDE65_LUck7-61XMBe7e9zuOoY8HKohN7qCv6_QjfMK45mBD3XU3CVwenzk6/w640-h492/Hillside+Wishing+well+with+roof+BORDERS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Wishing Well</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div>For the Town Council, the park became a costly liability. It cost them more to maintain than there were visitors to justify its continued upkeep. However, they kept it going at that time as there were talks that a new statutory board was to be formed to take over the management of all parks in Singapore.</div><div><br />When NParks was formed to take over all Singapore parks, they decided not to upkeep the unpopular Hillside Park and so it was closed and left to fallow. It was eventually abandoned and the land was returned to the HDB. Over the years since, it was literally forgotten except by the few hardy explorers and 'ghost hunters' and it became a hidden gem for birders.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can watch the accompanying video clip below that will show you some of the remnants of the features that were in the park. The video was done more for the birding community but it will also show you a bit of the old park.<br />In this video, I also dispel the mistaken notion that the pergolas many hikers and explorers come across there were once Japanese "Torii Gates".<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIfBopBIEmt2WuqNn85Cmb8XNiLKECXz49gYAtgxbCkKS-qEcBfzfs2aV1RqhBMnRNRMGvf80baRnG8xqEaQdz8PZ_bJDV2I1t0dbctGBO9kszVXCWO5Zkjht1vd4-s_SHakurAvpnm29/s1837/Screen+Shot+2021-08-04+at+4.02.04+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="1837" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIfBopBIEmt2WuqNn85Cmb8XNiLKECXz49gYAtgxbCkKS-qEcBfzfs2aV1RqhBMnRNRMGvf80baRnG8xqEaQdz8PZ_bJDV2I1t0dbctGBO9kszVXCWO5Zkjht1vd4-s_SHakurAvpnm29/w553-h402/Screen+Shot+2021-08-04+at+4.02.04+PM.png" width="553" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Definitely not Japanese Torii Gates!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><b>SO WHERE WAS THIS WATERFALL?<br /></b><br />One of the most unique features of Hillside Park, one that can still be seen even today after being abandoned more than 20 years, is the <i><b>hidden waterfall</b></i>. <br />On a fine day, you won't be able to find it but when it rains, it appears like magic in the enchanted forest.<br /><br /></div><div>The main access into the park was a man-made rock stairway leading to the Wishing Well and the Gazebos.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMyP1CU4KnfYP6-VEKMnYsbG3J3BgFuhJqDn0lmwtUUFzyjl7MVX-FgkzjLYQWt7gjwxYGsGfX6l74hp6M27qk6BAl2XyKAnbSM_DcPM1H3lDeRlyR9l4odHSRaFbosevOOp92C52zI92/s2048/Hillside+1+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMyP1CU4KnfYP6-VEKMnYsbG3J3BgFuhJqDn0lmwtUUFzyjl7MVX-FgkzjLYQWt7gjwxYGsGfX6l74hp6M27qk6BAl2XyKAnbSM_DcPM1H3lDeRlyR9l4odHSRaFbosevOOp92C52zI92/w480-h640/Hillside+1+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div>The unique feature of this stairway was that all the drains around the park were directed towards it. <br />Whenever it rains, all the runoff rainwater would be channeled into this stairway causing the rainwater to cascade down the steps.<br />The heavier the rainfall, the larger would be the cascading waterfall.<br />This effect can still be seen today whenever it rains.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaJrhqabfx_MJKkCyCa0HNC11e_2xXui3F4qtmk5Dry6BrjitVBuiMN9WCfRAo85XPjaNy9NNYGImhodFc5U5XTN5NUVXzkbha25kaSZPQMGGWZVG36_oXRsKAbfiHBwkblHlKjsnZM2N/s2048/Hillside+5+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMaJrhqabfx_MJKkCyCa0HNC11e_2xXui3F4qtmk5Dry6BrjitVBuiMN9WCfRAo85XPjaNy9NNYGImhodFc5U5XTN5NUVXzkbha25kaSZPQMGGWZVG36_oXRsKAbfiHBwkblHlKjsnZM2N/w480-h640/Hillside+5+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7MeFAKHGW3UnV4bK_iPCoN0V5IrTyuh_S0uNr9pchFQGH25tRo-CSOinmxycP9ezyFHH0LsgLQ_8rRlb3HCBcYJ7TrlRutKIl5RC-cqCWqPhNdoBDp9-UwyAz-AaKH4X2spYqz-7LAFl/s2048/Hillside+6+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7MeFAKHGW3UnV4bK_iPCoN0V5IrTyuh_S0uNr9pchFQGH25tRo-CSOinmxycP9ezyFHH0LsgLQ_8rRlb3HCBcYJ7TrlRutKIl5RC-cqCWqPhNdoBDp9-UwyAz-AaKH4X2spYqz-7LAFl/w480-h640/Hillside+6+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NJmnqIsEcmylTJL7NZxMAoQ7JFBpX7tAvKoU_N8bmky8uN_CrPSi3I4gkydf6GlgtMuwSXDdu8-i-WKIkYF9ZPyv-NKlgqBAmBl5Kc3xkcB1X_N9_m8U0OGE4XiEUvUAGxxpNADNMPwc/s2048/Hillside+3+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NJmnqIsEcmylTJL7NZxMAoQ7JFBpX7tAvKoU_N8bmky8uN_CrPSi3I4gkydf6GlgtMuwSXDdu8-i-WKIkYF9ZPyv-NKlgqBAmBl5Kc3xkcB1X_N9_m8U0OGE4XiEUvUAGxxpNADNMPwc/w480-h640/Hillside+3+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>When NParks closed Bukit Batok Hillside Park to let it revert into a secondary forest, they <i><b>removed the bottom half of this stairway</b></i> to prevent the public from getting inside. The stairway was also covered with new plants to hide the entrance. <br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcL7i3E1LmqnLuaiy8sQSpHXJ0iXTNFXf7oJ7LRcNr0USybK3Ugn6YVBpu20MxW6eTCmkvWd6wcz-8bwv8FudrQIUoC-G4G034KHrr8k2d6i9eotTQejJjcdS4TyTWYnRPACxfid8M3aI/s2048/Hillside+4+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcL7i3E1LmqnLuaiy8sQSpHXJ0iXTNFXf7oJ7LRcNr0USybK3Ugn6YVBpu20MxW6eTCmkvWd6wcz-8bwv8FudrQIUoC-G4G034KHrr8k2d6i9eotTQejJjcdS4TyTWYnRPACxfid8M3aI/w480-h640/Hillside+4+%25C2%25A9TKL.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i><b>AN UNINTENDED DISASTER</b>!</i><br /><br />What NParks didn't realise then was that when the original hidden waterfall was put in, it was covered with a layer of <b><i>Gunite</i></b> (shotcrete). This layer of gunite, which is a type of concrete, was laid all over the stairway channel to prevent erosion of the soil when the waterfall effect happens during the rain. <br /><br />HDB planners apparently knew that a gushing waterfall would soon erode the soil beneath but I guess NParks know more about flora and fauna than civil engineering. <i>hee hee. just kidding.<br /></i><br />NParks failed to recognise the ingenuity of the HDB architect's design. <br />Essentially, HDB had created a huge concrete <b><i>'longkang'</i></b> (canal) to drain all the runoff rainwater away from the park. Creatively, they made that same longkang into a stairway as well. This canal/stairway would channel all the rainwater to the main drainage at the roadside. And in this process the magical waterfall would appear for those willing to wait in the rain.<br />Can you imagine what would happen if someone cut the longkang away?<br /><br />As the erosion prevention layer was removed together with the lower half of the stairway, the bottom half of the waterfall channel has now eroded the hillside over the years and continues to pour rainwater and mud directly onto the roadside today.<br />The intact upper section of the stairway is still in excellent condition and hasn't eroded all these years.<br />The gunite layer also acted as a non-slip layer to allow people to walk through the cascade without falling.<br /><br /><b><i>LAST CHANCE TO SEE THE MAGICAL HIDDEN WATERFALL</i></b><br />Bukit Batok Hillside Park is slated to be re-developed for new flats over the coming years. A small replacement neighbourhood park would be built for the new residents on one side of the present hill by 2024. Today, Hillside Park has already been reduced to less than a quarter of what it originally was when it was built.<br />If you want to see this magical phenomena, go there soon before it is all gone. <br />But only when it rains!<br />If you intend to go further in, remember it is very, very slippery on the steep slopes during a rainfall.<br /><br />Here is my accompanying video where you can see the fake cobblestone stairway that turns into a beautiful cascading waterfall during the rain.<br />If you prefer to watch in full screen or with subtitles, you can click on <u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E39Q540mL4I" target="_blank">this link</a></u> <br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="404" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E39Q540mL4I" width="497" youtube-src-id="E39Q540mL4I"></iframe></div><br /><br /><br /><i>A word of thanks to my hiking friend Tan Kim Lai for the use of his photographs.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-14650768461103189732021-06-30T17:58:00.013+08:002021-08-06T15:18:31.120+08:00Hillview Haunted House - Exclusive Photos Part 2.<body oncontextmenu="return false”><br>This is the second instalment from the photo collection of <i><b>Lester Yeong</b></i> on the infamous Hillview House at Jalan Dermawan.<br />For those who missed the 1st instalment of exclusive photos, you can view them at this link here:- <br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2021/06/hillview-haunted-house-exclusive-photos.html" target="_blank">Hillview Mansion Exclusive Photos Part 1</a>. <br />As for those who wish to read more of the supposedly haunted Hillview Mansion, you can click on the links at the end for the other past articles.<br /><br /> In this instalment, I will show you the <b>driveway</b> leading from Jalan Dermawan up to the front porch of the house. Why the driveway, you asked?<div><br />Well, beside the fact that it has never been seen before in any other media, the <b>main gate</b>, where the driveway starts, and the <b>driveway</b> itself are the only remnants of any original structure that still exists today. The retaining wall alongside the the driveway is included as part of the driveway itself. </div><div><br /></div><div>The main gate and the partial driveway are what most people have only seen of the '<b style="font-style: italic;">haunted Hillview Mansion' </b><span>for the past three decades</span>.<div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><b><u>HILLVIEW MANSION EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS - PART 2.</u></b></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_-VDuHZcsuXUWvQ4i2QvqQc8goGNrvwdgVtrgfHOYEO5Zqiv1vta8w77iFQMq2vVpE-xZmBoG_u8VBkcRGBj99XuWPle1ArZYD88lAxvRzySIB2lu65cS2m8WlPBd2UgANb5b_oJcFUV/s2048/1Ext+6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia_-VDuHZcsuXUWvQ4i2QvqQc8goGNrvwdgVtrgfHOYEO5Zqiv1vta8w77iFQMq2vVpE-xZmBoG_u8VBkcRGBj99XuWPle1ArZYD88lAxvRzySIB2lu65cS2m8WlPBd2UgANb5b_oJcFUV/w640-h444/1Ext+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main gate to the property.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3vg0CRZyL886KorxKd8-9FDDIuMYlaiEjgaY5qkNhCvdfxjZJ_XMM5h_JHzvBrV1Q974Z2FBfY9Sj6gqTLDlTIFA-4-hxwV4O0ve2E-14A1lETT-mr95Sq_UnhQp7fEGRM5MpC9j86XQ/s2048/2Ext+8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="2048" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3vg0CRZyL886KorxKd8-9FDDIuMYlaiEjgaY5qkNhCvdfxjZJ_XMM5h_JHzvBrV1Q974Z2FBfY9Sj6gqTLDlTIFA-4-hxwV4O0ve2E-14A1lETT-mr95Sq_UnhQp7fEGRM5MpC9j86XQ/w640-h442/2Ext+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The retaining wall was a necessity as the driveway was cut into the steep slope of Bukit Gombak.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYmwoBB1mPhl3TVLExeO_3AjqzLx1FmDNCtjbn4Pv4zdJPumpQ8W7OCmSI0CQ_kOisMYF3aspx8H_JoFIHRszx2ZyrVKcSxf6tpTMTMoBLetGMUVqUbAItjXeezoxIcsXimTm5KJL5wWr/s2048/3Ext+7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaYmwoBB1mPhl3TVLExeO_3AjqzLx1FmDNCtjbn4Pv4zdJPumpQ8W7OCmSI0CQ_kOisMYF3aspx8H_JoFIHRszx2ZyrVKcSxf6tpTMTMoBLetGMUVqUbAItjXeezoxIcsXimTm5KJL5wWr/w640-h444/3Ext+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The incline up to the first bend.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxnz1qaV4GKuch11ycYRrkXMWMaSZTCoI8KtuXMJZc_AlE9Z1ZsyKDSBGGpdn6mjOnAezzHitosxuxxzSVh2l7dvZU-aY3AH35wWJ-bW62tHQnbj8kcgyMbVGK8tvA89bit5hOUd71Ioj/s2048/4Ext+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1403" data-original-width="2048" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxnz1qaV4GKuch11ycYRrkXMWMaSZTCoI8KtuXMJZc_AlE9Z1ZsyKDSBGGpdn6mjOnAezzHitosxuxxzSVh2l7dvZU-aY3AH35wWJ-bW62tHQnbj8kcgyMbVGK8tvA89bit5hOUd71Ioj/w640-h438/4Ext+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To reach the house, you needed to make at sharp turn at the hairpin bend.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OM4MCgxIx75UZAshbaoSii4QxJm7Cc12jHs0xQm0zdc6267PqDZNaHctyyHmLHF6Oks18IxPs0TwQe4PjNwFmFhgrk5-gGR1cHUiuvbt7U_SJH6coxynzGgWnd_qiHEWVv2MwXuXD4yB/s2048/5Ext+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="2048" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OM4MCgxIx75UZAshbaoSii4QxJm7Cc12jHs0xQm0zdc6267PqDZNaHctyyHmLHF6Oks18IxPs0TwQe4PjNwFmFhgrk5-gGR1cHUiuvbt7U_SJH6coxynzGgWnd_qiHEWVv2MwXuXD4yB/w640-h372/5Ext+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The driveway continues after the hairpin bend.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrtMYNep1IN1loLzn1TTmy9PqC3fA_aun4hZpZmLTlpJELyfIjeHeyAMFKFQmQiIwLK0pirrX9hWwpXpwbGVyuDP_DHTQW0wDz-5VTxZ1TmveWHEgKb-WRNP8NgukH4g515iDbiQ__3fm/s2048/6Ext+4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1409" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxrtMYNep1IN1loLzn1TTmy9PqC3fA_aun4hZpZmLTlpJELyfIjeHeyAMFKFQmQiIwLK0pirrX9hWwpXpwbGVyuDP_DHTQW0wDz-5VTxZ1TmveWHEgKb-WRNP8NgukH4g515iDbiQ__3fm/w640-h440/6Ext+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The right turn to reach the top after the hairpin section.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB3lHCL_1cQiwrz0b9vVKwv2rP6hF0YoRoxuLzJWKnRFC1gVZApNSiiYCQz1zTOrRcuTXfwPzb30uGNVBa0wNAPK3aagHVwkpAVbF8oq-tG3s5B73paGz91rzPeKEkP9O40pt5_peUkLl/s2048/7Ext+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB3lHCL_1cQiwrz0b9vVKwv2rP6hF0YoRoxuLzJWKnRFC1gVZApNSiiYCQz1zTOrRcuTXfwPzb30uGNVBa0wNAPK3aagHVwkpAVbF8oq-tG3s5B73paGz91rzPeKEkP9O40pt5_peUkLl/w640-h440/7Ext+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This structure had stairs that led to an underground space at the top corner of the driveway.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB3lHCL_1cQiwrz0b9vVKwv2rP6hF0YoRoxuLzJWKnRFC1gVZApNSiiYCQz1zTOrRcuTXfwPzb30uGNVBa0wNAPK3aagHVwkpAVbF8oq-tG3s5B73paGz91rzPeKEkP9O40pt5_peUkLl/s2048/7Ext+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtB3lHCL_1cQiwrz0b9vVKwv2rP6hF0YoRoxuLzJWKnRFC1gVZApNSiiYCQz1zTOrRcuTXfwPzb30uGNVBa0wNAPK3aagHVwkpAVbF8oq-tG3s5B73paGz91rzPeKEkP9O40pt5_peUkLl/s2048/7Ext+3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QrQ6qc4BUwHziMqeNR0D0jhWNWBl_aB1zo9b04S82vCpDNcjjoyCh4nSYjOAHNxEimxYGJ3dfrVj3S_2-8d14D_4qe6Y3erei6KSgC_KOmMDHqWS0okg7SEk1eB-I6FcJyGG5aKg8rri/w640-h444/8Ext+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIb1AJP5rxYWaM8DIe4wzEonRtprxiyAOo5ixZTWkMezPcLBBkIVUk3EH6a1sDSrpC1VtMZwk3XFdm_pE9ViFsSR-WebDg9OtRRIun4AFwoSm_k4DJNg1eP7iYrETruzbP1gZr0la-hoe/s2048/Ext+24.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIb1AJP5rxYWaM8DIe4wzEonRtprxiyAOo5ixZTWkMezPcLBBkIVUk3EH6a1sDSrpC1VtMZwk3XFdm_pE9ViFsSR-WebDg9OtRRIun4AFwoSm_k4DJNg1eP7iYrETruzbP1gZr0la-hoe/w640-h440/Ext+24.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This structure at the top turn had an underground level.<br />Does anyone have an idea what it's purpose?</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7-X56dgv5mWVW1eRfgdP7texjVv7DtudEbQ3z7tvUpddiGD_5Rm7ItGhLY8xSpX2sbfuB5m171dhUD7cN-mE_jZt3mJYlXPpM3erobTpjTsNxC_fXbGCq45E_MWKFPhK7UkD_R_PYkAc/s2048/9Ext+11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7-X56dgv5mWVW1eRfgdP7texjVv7DtudEbQ3z7tvUpddiGD_5Rm7ItGhLY8xSpX2sbfuB5m171dhUD7cN-mE_jZt3mJYlXPpM3erobTpjTsNxC_fXbGCq45E_MWKFPhK7UkD_R_PYkAc/w640-h440/9Ext+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /> </td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoW_iR7F-z41oExnVOltUGkmct3O7Ejj9vbaJSKeFHQmr2ofhiLo4y1nLc9NIb0rCT-OmHGi0LPT6gVIdW2zbrzCv6tnbCmdtXSGeJnfqC745ng_wW5iEhyphenhyphenBZeaiDAOfNHsrzhEXS_Jh6X/s2048/10Ext+16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoW_iR7F-z41oExnVOltUGkmct3O7Ejj9vbaJSKeFHQmr2ofhiLo4y1nLc9NIb0rCT-OmHGi0LPT6gVIdW2zbrzCv6tnbCmdtXSGeJnfqC745ng_wW5iEhyphenhyphenBZeaiDAOfNHsrzhEXS_Jh6X/w640-h444/10Ext+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arrival at the front porch and foyer of the mansion.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR8pl1rA_rQoWcYlce58cZU1ioyAVCdgJlR3EboVX8CCT7B8mV-Jju-OgyFR_mvx5A1enfByS154jjnYhi5rVIEfHLBqCvw-PnJpVBPPEtqKmrAnE6rIvgZbSqYJ54BnLB5ky7hNy8gYW/s2048/11Ext+%2528Int+3%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWR8pl1rA_rQoWcYlce58cZU1ioyAVCdgJlR3EboVX8CCT7B8mV-Jju-OgyFR_mvx5A1enfByS154jjnYhi5rVIEfHLBqCvw-PnJpVBPPEtqKmrAnE6rIvgZbSqYJ54BnLB5ky7hNy8gYW/w438-h640/11Ext+%2528Int+3%2529.jpg" width="438" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front porch and main entrance into the Hillview Mansion.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next instalment of this exclusive collection will take you into the interior of the house. There you will see some of the luxury fittings and the abandoned construction work that was stopped when the mansion was abruptly vacated in 1986.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Related links to the Hillview Mansion:-<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/haunted-house-at-hillview-avenue.html" target="_blank">The haunted house of Hillview</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-burial-of-hillview-mansion.html" target="_blank">The burial of the Hillview Mansion</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/04/hillview-landslide.html" target="_blank">The landslides at the haunted grounds.</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/hillview-haunted-house-why-it-was.html" target="_blank">Why the Hillview Mansion was abruptly abandoned.</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2021/06/hillview-haunted-house-exclusive-photos.html" target="_blank">Exclusive Photos of Hillview House Part 1.</a></div><br /><br /><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-36385639932215906932021-06-24T21:51:00.018+08:002021-06-26T07:47:10.909+08:00Hillview Haunted House - Exclusive Photos Part 1<body oncontextmenu="return false;">
I first wrote about the <b><i>Hillview haunted house</i></b> back in 2012. <div>Since then, I have updated this blog several times in the past with more related articles <i>(links to those articles are below)</i> to appease the undying curiosity of my readers.</div><div><br /></div><div>This so called <b>Hillview Mansion</b> was abandoned in 1986 and left there uncompleted till it was demolished in the early 2000s. </div><div>Through the years since, strange incidents kept happening at that site such as recurring landslides, paranormal activities and people getting struck by lightning there. </div><div>This led to many people speculating that the site and the abandoned house had <i>something</i> that was not apparent, <i>something not quite right</i> about it, and so the stories began circulating and grew into a life of its own.</div><div><br /></div><div>In 2019, I revealed why the house was abandoned. I also promised then to reveal the reasons why and how it perhaps became <i>haunted</i>. </div><div>However, at this time, I still can't reveal those reasons due to the fact that the person who survived the lightning strike has not given me permission to tell the story of that tragic day.</div><div>So please wait patiently for that coming article.</div><div><br /></div><div>The house is no longer standing and the land is completely sealed off now. </div><div>But that hasn't stopped the curious, and many trespassers have been caught by the authorities over the years. Most of them due to their youthful exuberance and friends dares. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Lester Yeong</b>, in his youth, was also one of those adventurers and explorers who had visited the Hillview Mansion on several occasions in the past due to its infamous history. </div><div>Being intrigued as to why the house seemed abandoned, he was brave and curious enough to risk entering back in the late 1990s when the house was still intact. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nevertheless and most fortunate for all of us today was that Lester took a whole series of photographs of the abandoned Hillview house before it was demolished. This is treasure as there have been so few available photos of Hillview Mansion, especially of its interior!</div><div><br /></div><div>Lester wrote to me and offered me the exclusive rights to publish these, <i>till now</i>, unseen photos in his collection. These were taken between 1998 and 2000. Being more than 20 years old and having been kept in his old albums, I tried as best as I could to restore some of the colours back into the faded photos. The collection has more than sixty photographs which shows the exterior, and the rarely seen interior of the house that Mr. Chua Boon Peng built at Hillview.</div><div><br /></div><div>To prevent an information overload, I will publish Lester Yeong's photo collection over several parts. The first here with 12 photos to give you a taste of what's in store! </div><div><br /></div><div>I will leave minimal captions on the photos but please do give me your feedback in the comment section below <i>(don't forget to include your name in the comment, please)</i></div><div><br /></div><div>For those who may not have seen the previous articles regarding the Haunted Hillview Mansion, I append some links here for your convenience:-</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/haunted-house-at-hillview-avenue.html" target="_blank">The haunted house at Hillview</a></div><div><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-burial-of-hillview-mansion.html" target="_blank">The burial of the Hillview Mansion</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/04/hillview-landslide.html" target="_blank">The landslides at the haunted site<br /></a><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/hillview-haunted-house-why-it-was.html" target="_blank">Why the Hillview Mansion was abruptly abandoned<br /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span style="font-size: medium;">EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS OF THE HILLVIEW MANSION</span></b></u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5drAXsKRhmpfpjpGKH25NecJNlaVHpg1i-z0uqv97BvMXEPsIhuoLQlbt_yOgpMR-veOHqYQpTaEhui4hcYO1vS_zT97um9-FfEH14PGkdhyhe7rl4MBTAy986UaSEWsndx9bpJ5hcKS/s2048/Ext+6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE5drAXsKRhmpfpjpGKH25NecJNlaVHpg1i-z0uqv97BvMXEPsIhuoLQlbt_yOgpMR-veOHqYQpTaEhui4hcYO1vS_zT97um9-FfEH14PGkdhyhe7rl4MBTAy986UaSEWsndx9bpJ5hcKS/w640-h444/Ext+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the locked gate at Jalan Dermawan, familiar to those who have been there <br />but seen from the property outwards with the familiar retaining wall at the side. <br> Today, the gate and the wall are the only existing relics from the original construction.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CiiT8nn9oZZTzYHx1HTPQZ_vAJyoHO-8AOe4X8-5yVteN_iETe1qKHXW9cX5G3LJ1MyOrSeWJ6PiOLOG5VmgsIDW5aLD_C31zzdqOP31K3GcE87iLPgllU7DYEmVn_Hx1dz37ZnjsKvM/s2048/Ext+8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1413" data-original-width="2048" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6CiiT8nn9oZZTzYHx1HTPQZ_vAJyoHO-8AOe4X8-5yVteN_iETe1qKHXW9cX5G3LJ1MyOrSeWJ6PiOLOG5VmgsIDW5aLD_C31zzdqOP31K3GcE87iLPgllU7DYEmVn_Hx1dz37ZnjsKvM/w640-h442/Ext+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhiXcfrDNeAK0mSuiGENyMmzppgeyKbqMIwIgJTF98n1f2RlTibUtK19CvLIBAKXiMnMWJ7XVftGcaPF_0y3D_-u-3XmGKswrhYX0qedxfv0g77h0MSrkqhAdr7hyphenhyphenPMSXnHOdamOoPy_N/s2048/Ext+9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2048" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhiXcfrDNeAK0mSuiGENyMmzppgeyKbqMIwIgJTF98n1f2RlTibUtK19CvLIBAKXiMnMWJ7XVftGcaPF_0y3D_-u-3XmGKswrhYX0qedxfv0g77h0MSrkqhAdr7hyphenhyphenPMSXnHOdamOoPy_N/w640-h442/Ext+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the top balcony towards the condos along Hillview Avenue</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi738cf2UCm3UOWuoUF9WnPksI7iKX0bEPa-XU734uAb1-LNikzUTAjW4rh6iO16xXL0xOXLWzzEma7fS6ZQdH5fD0h9sYGBf9rUTS9FFAufNjFxMb6_JkrIJZXVDtOHHk4BNBklh74ZqG1/s2048/Ext+11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1410" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi738cf2UCm3UOWuoUF9WnPksI7iKX0bEPa-XU734uAb1-LNikzUTAjW4rh6iO16xXL0xOXLWzzEma7fS6ZQdH5fD0h9sYGBf9rUTS9FFAufNjFxMb6_JkrIJZXVDtOHHk4BNBklh74ZqG1/w640-h440/Ext+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"> </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFnvRTkI9y4243y8Hz_9Kjaj3nnZsxOvou6feZvI5uU-Ayk1vFARFHlOoqyWfhIpbP0YXbJxjx_Ars7w99OmOIe3Gxvva6fqDluXW87rHoODwSwKGjwvp_Y7SRXhNqFIZHNqp8USQmr0C/s2048/Ext+22.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1409" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFnvRTkI9y4243y8Hz_9Kjaj3nnZsxOvou6feZvI5uU-Ayk1vFARFHlOoqyWfhIpbP0YXbJxjx_Ars7w99OmOIe3Gxvva6fqDluXW87rHoODwSwKGjwvp_Y7SRXhNqFIZHNqp8USQmr0C/w640-h440/Ext+22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQwvPrD0daAxoBDrg8xsR3efc2FKygZM_Sv600qgHTsXU97h-amG4BY_NEe5YHLA-HIkf8Z44hI5rxAv6i42ncEGdfMInZk_v8rN-CQwpg56XUNgHfTa3zFs236gnM-AdN7nrMudy57q7/s2048/Int+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1400" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQwvPrD0daAxoBDrg8xsR3efc2FKygZM_Sv600qgHTsXU97h-amG4BY_NEe5YHLA-HIkf8Z44hI5rxAv6i42ncEGdfMInZk_v8rN-CQwpg56XUNgHfTa3zFs236gnM-AdN7nrMudy57q7/w438-h640/Int+3.jpg" width="438" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_K6f7lA5ah75qpR777T7fH4LVpYaBx8l0pUj0T-3XkJyAyvcUg6WB9UndsTPISZxvTNse-BdLyzqBNuK1y3G_QFnf908H0qMyCGJ36ih58hHPThdKX-svB6I47xtRkzmIVb7qGOux02-/s2048/Int+8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="2048" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_K6f7lA5ah75qpR777T7fH4LVpYaBx8l0pUj0T-3XkJyAyvcUg6WB9UndsTPISZxvTNse-BdLyzqBNuK1y3G_QFnf908H0qMyCGJ36ih58hHPThdKX-svB6I47xtRkzmIVb7qGOux02-/w640-h444/Int+8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3pZr3lMzm5kbVVsAB4FZIp5Z2LxuFL5aEHtf2DgBOfE371Zk6vE21_eQneJlg33HsWjOfJ93EDImouSXhyphenhyphen49YiQUdaLhY3RiDeeeU6eIQtmTuDnEqoDMZn1SfljrsZVVzBcajNiy251y/s2048/Int+11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1402" data-original-width="2048" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3pZr3lMzm5kbVVsAB4FZIp5Z2LxuFL5aEHtf2DgBOfE371Zk6vE21_eQneJlg33HsWjOfJ93EDImouSXhyphenhyphen49YiQUdaLhY3RiDeeeU6eIQtmTuDnEqoDMZn1SfljrsZVVzBcajNiy251y/w640-h438/Int+11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5dBdRLsz31za5PZHsFVEK4D3EsZmBrjlspFsIyBwW9tUqCRZiy4N67MDQ7GKYYzOoQwJessUxFsOORpoJBDMsWZG9t-P7S2COXKBlQxFS7FJIBQcJHsgeuEUDKI1XKGer18D3PR79fk-/s2048/Int+13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1399" data-original-width="2048" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5dBdRLsz31za5PZHsFVEK4D3EsZmBrjlspFsIyBwW9tUqCRZiy4N67MDQ7GKYYzOoQwJessUxFsOORpoJBDMsWZG9t-P7S2COXKBlQxFS7FJIBQcJHsgeuEUDKI1XKGer18D3PR79fk-/w640-h438/Int+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvIn8DUlx-keYm4nzQYoI1X29JCTy4rAc_DUaS1yBydrbCeo4dQ1U_AjdNBYPqP3i4sCbDS7qGohQK-KvQYd9G3WVFjc1pBGzzSFyImj3Fa8AvoWlGepwCkp0VeDJmpHS5fxjibQaeqyX/s2048/Int+Con+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1411" data-original-width="2048" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvIn8DUlx-keYm4nzQYoI1X29JCTy4rAc_DUaS1yBydrbCeo4dQ1U_AjdNBYPqP3i4sCbDS7qGohQK-KvQYd9G3WVFjc1pBGzzSFyImj3Fa8AvoWlGepwCkp0VeDJmpHS5fxjibQaeqyX/w640-h440/Int+Con+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie04EnCaWIncL0k5Z2MijXJhfAhWHKvQ2W_fAncC0mIrxiOyhaVZVjyyi1KXUXpGYlhAk7syYDbf3dqPfgQv6BgKfuPWmE1cT9TfNDkX4zsEjL-4KjGX8TjEGA5CDUOREUo69ryFgvSUoP/s2048/Int+Trim+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1419" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie04EnCaWIncL0k5Z2MijXJhfAhWHKvQ2W_fAncC0mIrxiOyhaVZVjyyi1KXUXpGYlhAk7syYDbf3dqPfgQv6BgKfuPWmE1cT9TfNDkX4zsEjL-4KjGX8TjEGA5CDUOREUo69ryFgvSUoP/w444-h640/Int+Trim+1.jpg" width="444" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx9UHQtbCBZFj8VR8ZdterhPMNxarmVMQqqU63tbufkmbFbCdHIHVpbnZmPfLfCmBMEXVxXMqLWkW605UsWraDo4TouEhc8zapIBUBNY1s3vVVAG1YdmzQTay_JWFiDCAogoV7dpqGxSC/s2048/Int+Trim+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVx9UHQtbCBZFj8VR8ZdterhPMNxarmVMQqqU63tbufkmbFbCdHIHVpbnZmPfLfCmBMEXVxXMqLWkW605UsWraDo4TouEhc8zapIBUBNY1s3vVVAG1YdmzQTay_JWFiDCAogoV7dpqGxSC/w430-h640/Int+Trim+6.jpg" width="430" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></div><br /><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-53004020991353373292021-06-08T22:06:00.004+08:002021-06-09T09:40:52.357+08:00Photos from ex-residents (#23) - Gerald Cheah BK.
<p>For many of us who grew up in Princess Elizabeth Estate, the primary school at Princess Elizabeth Drive was a big part of growing up there in our early school life.<br /><br />Gerald Cheah Beng Kin moved with his family in 1955 and lived on the ground floor at Block 22 which was adjacent but nearer to the back of Princess Elizabeth Estate School. Spending his first six years of primary school there and leaving in 1960, he fondly recalls the Principal, Mr Ponnusamy, his scout master Mr Bernard Fernandez and his Science teacher Mr Nair.<br />Most memorable for him was his Geography teacher Mr Lim Mou Shen, who took his classmates all over the countryside in his car, especially to the mangrove swamps at Sungei Buloh where they would bring back root stumps to make handicraft like lamps stands and table legs.<br /><br />Gerald was kind to send me photos to share on my blog in order that those who went to Princess Elizabeth Estate School would remember those days. Some of the photos below are not from his time at the school but were taken later after the demolition of the SIT estate.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4qT-eVhTpI8Ts5xnteiPtcbGTx0mSuKNKzZNH9ae7dcIMMhOwdPML3zK4zuSy94M3770T7yRvNdHpSfr898JF1KBkwkNhYH2-otGtSD49SMytG6p_7u7gl3JIV-hhydk6XNaLBJJ3IOq/s2048/BK+in+Princess+Elizabeth+Sch+Dental+Van%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1303" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB4qT-eVhTpI8Ts5xnteiPtcbGTx0mSuKNKzZNH9ae7dcIMMhOwdPML3zK4zuSy94M3770T7yRvNdHpSfr898JF1KBkwkNhYH2-otGtSD49SMytG6p_7u7gl3JIV-hhydk6XNaLBJJ3IOq/w640-h408/BK+in+Princess+Elizabeth+Sch+Dental+Van%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The class of 1960. Gerald is second boy from the left.<br />They are beside the dreaded mobile dental van that visit schools.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUp0reZruRgUvefKT4aMf0lOhopZNCI8rw-rOlU6VAcDWQKa2q96GcyusIMoUI_WxR7lpHDi0i8EeYTdZJUEslQhiHF0agL7EHd1UopayxEGLex8FNXRsB7E1G78loEkI5nPYc394-Vlp/s2048/GeraldCPees+1%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhUp0reZruRgUvefKT4aMf0lOhopZNCI8rw-rOlU6VAcDWQKa2q96GcyusIMoUI_WxR7lpHDi0i8EeYTdZJUEslQhiHF0agL7EHd1UopayxEGLex8FNXRsB7E1G78loEkI5nPYc394-Vlp/w640-h400/GeraldCPees+1%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blk 3 of the HDB Hillview Estate. <br />The old S.I.T. Princess Elizabeth Estate was located in the green field beside the HDB block of flats.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvR9XCGsru1m783rJWgtVAa-k3PO7YaL7xzEzSbRDgCZkjCeaLX6DhcEBJ-3WWM_0h4Jkv3xi4yJYtPRXpEY1bTp1ebwBrUy1V6IPXW-oRuVE76PJj8KpKMn2kmw02GRPAk0egJ8o1WCl/s2048/GeraldCPees+2%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvR9XCGsru1m783rJWgtVAa-k3PO7YaL7xzEzSbRDgCZkjCeaLX6DhcEBJ-3WWM_0h4Jkv3xi4yJYtPRXpEY1bTp1ebwBrUy1V6IPXW-oRuVE76PJj8KpKMn2kmw02GRPAk0egJ8o1WCl/w640-h394/GeraldCPees+2%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cleared land was where the old estate once stood.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEMPILdlbfAtkwd-DwfH1E3itRB-FfgN4wOlR0U5O1qksXbw-Ou5eb7VDgv3EWrKmBClmfN0YpN50N2zgLSN4tBS6PblR6ftHB_mmZbSYaoLLx9N1j_v9icyj-C86LgQDDg0xQGgjdThN/s2048/GeraldCPees+3%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEMPILdlbfAtkwd-DwfH1E3itRB-FfgN4wOlR0U5O1qksXbw-Ou5eb7VDgv3EWrKmBClmfN0YpN50N2zgLSN4tBS6PblR6ftHB_mmZbSYaoLLx9N1j_v9icyj-C86LgQDDg0xQGgjdThN/w640-h428/GeraldCPees+3%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmJ59pI5bh8LxQWy0jv8dbfwg6p9ZzX7jhtvXIXPBbZHl7q2EwACaxR-bk2m-x42lN-uvV_nF1LsFpNv67lqACqvoUBSixjpVWWgNahL2DFN6NGTM7zY-P6HpQ3Q9cbpMREDzLF2ZbigC/s2048/GeraldCPees+4%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1249" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmJ59pI5bh8LxQWy0jv8dbfwg6p9ZzX7jhtvXIXPBbZHl7q2EwACaxR-bk2m-x42lN-uvV_nF1LsFpNv67lqACqvoUBSixjpVWWgNahL2DFN6NGTM7zY-P6HpQ3Q9cbpMREDzLF2ZbigC/w640-h390/GeraldCPees+4%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBY1BsCZtOpDVChy-BP0tEBCQlzJhZbQoAjqMtZINWkZqknXJkdExLTTi0QFMXOJhVF9mTOzA7-4nRyf5sdiX15MOOtw-NRiDtDZOoZh4m3WiGU4AlWR8WwSg8AoBcXaiX3TK5Nf0xnvof/s2048/GeraldCPees+5%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1391" data-original-width="2048" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBY1BsCZtOpDVChy-BP0tEBCQlzJhZbQoAjqMtZINWkZqknXJkdExLTTi0QFMXOJhVF9mTOzA7-4nRyf5sdiX15MOOtw-NRiDtDZOoZh4m3WiGU4AlWR8WwSg8AoBcXaiX3TK5Nf0xnvof/w640-h434/GeraldCPees+5%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmW5HskL-GxawTMQOuWQRLlAtSL1ZCbi3wjlEahnsRQtzk5PoP2HhWfJkQQW4SSHAb-eqSXecfW2I18yi8sbHvKYl59MICaDFLXDlcC6ETMT51AEqb3O8XV57Is-KVpcl8hy87aZ_QKEV/s2048/GeraldCPees+6%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmW5HskL-GxawTMQOuWQRLlAtSL1ZCbi3wjlEahnsRQtzk5PoP2HhWfJkQQW4SSHAb-eqSXecfW2I18yi8sbHvKYl59MICaDFLXDlcC6ETMT51AEqb3O8XV57Is-KVpcl8hy87aZ_QKEV/w640-h400/GeraldCPees+6%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99XNggOJupcQYbwHJ1XIpx5i-55v3Nn8wNLvFbd4p479wDzQL93dT0GJQUbdtomHz_SEnGn5DCZh9INcTcfdBWo2Fal2_NjwnLJABrhozZgF5HTGtTnebqYctvDuyAkUL-oahiTwVpUcJ/s2048/GeraldCPees+7%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="2048" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99XNggOJupcQYbwHJ1XIpx5i-55v3Nn8wNLvFbd4p479wDzQL93dT0GJQUbdtomHz_SEnGn5DCZh9INcTcfdBWo2Fal2_NjwnLJABrhozZgF5HTGtTnebqYctvDuyAkUL-oahiTwVpUcJ/w640-h420/GeraldCPees+7%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApLnxPjFCIs9WajPOtGYIy6lZajPFf1fL5joJYEN3-rWJF4yYtY8f5-agutRLAdOPDvpFre_C9tSO2ZRa_4tJBIood_Fco9XCbm0RAHOVryTBgoN_EbN_FeeLIJ5Qd6xNw1563VojBe8f/s2048/GeraldCPees+8%252BD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1329" data-original-width="2048" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApLnxPjFCIs9WajPOtGYIy6lZajPFf1fL5joJYEN3-rWJF4yYtY8f5-agutRLAdOPDvpFre_C9tSO2ZRa_4tJBIood_Fco9XCbm0RAHOVryTBgoN_EbN_FeeLIJ5Qd6xNw1563VojBe8f/w640-h416/GeraldCPees+8%252BD.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-8346919582030542032021-05-09T11:48:00.021+08:002022-07-02T08:27:08.259+08:00The sarabat stalls at Hillview Road<body oncontextmenu="return false;">
A <i><b>sarabat</b></i> stall is basically a makeshift coffee stand, in days gone by.<br />Unlike an itinerant or travelling hawker, the sarabat stall was usually rooted temporarily at the same spot for a period. It would sell freshly brewed coffee, tea, cold drinks and snacks for a quick bite.<div><br /><div>Often ramshackle and unkempt, they were found usually at places like construction sites or near places where people gathered like markets, factories and bus terminals. It was mainly good for a quick cuppa or a smoke during office break or while waiting for the bus.</div><div> <br />The name <b>sarabat</b> derived from the Malay <i>sarbat</i> or ginger juice that was mixed with the milk tea, the main beverage sold at these stalls. This concoction is still available today as <b><i>Teh Halia</i></b>.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7myqdamwvBXdyTcQ4UvR0aGRW5w2eJRDCQJp3nLtrGVth5NqAENgmLf0sQyxQUJXO8pHY4JwsRGcdVV-46pijGHpGDeTGx1JHCkrEVLhiFljkSlVMxxyeg7MnHX5dVTBHOI2Nbvxsxd-/s1536/Sarabat+Stall+opp+Eveready+Hillview+Road.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7myqdamwvBXdyTcQ4UvR0aGRW5w2eJRDCQJp3nLtrGVth5NqAENgmLf0sQyxQUJXO8pHY4JwsRGcdVV-46pijGHpGDeTGx1JHCkrEVLhiFljkSlVMxxyeg7MnHX5dVTBHOI2Nbvxsxd-/w640-h426/Sarabat+Stall+opp+Eveready+Hillview+Road.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sarabat stall opposite the Eveready battery factory gates along Hillview Road.<br />Behind the fence is the Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing Co. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>There were two sarabat stalls that operated along Hillview Road in the 1950s and 1960s.<br />These were located aside the main road directly opposite the main gate of the National Carbon factory. This factory was also known as Union Carbide or the <b>Eveready</b> battery factory. The factory began production way back in 1948 but it is not clear as to when the sarabat stalls starting operating at this location. <br /><br />The above photo shows one of the two sarabat stalls in existence then and was taken pre-1963. <br /><div>The aerial photo below of Hillview Road was shot in 1958 and already shows the two sarabat stall along the fence of the Hong Kong Rope factory (yellow circle).<br /><br />Beside the two semi-permanent sarabat stalls, I was told that there was also an occasional push cart hawker selling cut fruits and cold plum and starfruit juice at times. These hawkers catered mainly to the factory workers during their lunch and tea breaks, especially to the staff of both the Eveready factory and the adjacent Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing factory. Customers included the occasional kampong folks and residents of Princess Elizabeth Estate as well, who had to pass the stalls as they walked along Hillview Road to reach the main road at Upper Bukit Timah.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPke7SREMlAVyKR3ZnzV8sNu4Rv4-uOoyajEGe1h4qf_YwF7FCXmZuf1UZEtbfymyv0De3cpv_BHSBVHqSzYAp29r4fXqqTj9l13G19wCnPV4IbZvk1OyJOaQHmvE5IghaS6NcvJosPi3l/s1396/Hillview+Road+Sarabat+Stalls+outside+Eveready.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1396" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPke7SREMlAVyKR3ZnzV8sNu4Rv4-uOoyajEGe1h4qf_YwF7FCXmZuf1UZEtbfymyv0De3cpv_BHSBVHqSzYAp29r4fXqqTj9l13G19wCnPV4IbZvk1OyJOaQHmvE5IghaS6NcvJosPi3l/w640-h504/Hillview+Road+Sarabat+Stalls+outside+Eveready.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo source: NAS)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>The sarabat stalls were located at the top of the ridge, across which Hillview Road ran from Upper Bukit Timah Road to Hillview Avenue. It was at this very point that the Green Bus Co #5 bus had Request Bus-stops* on both sides of the road, obviously to serve the factory workers as it was just by the company's main gate. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the above picture of Hillview Road, you might be able to make out the sloping road that peaked at the area where the stalls were. Today, the slope is not as steep as it once was. The gradient having been reduced with the building of the condominiums around the mid 90s, as well as with the regular accretion from road re-surfacing and maintenance over the decades.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h8GsYE4kKcW2WvalIS-R1jGg3RN0UHxiYvbgcHgzGPyPT0v6sWsixeZL9NpR1DClqkGQKO7m90FRUKG49U8TBhmNqyClqzdm1OchnJSQACIrQAe2kPm1yZW7F7tzKGc9d-fOVp6mQdCz/s1546/Green+bus+from+Hillview+Circus.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1544" data-original-width="1546" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h8GsYE4kKcW2WvalIS-R1jGg3RN0UHxiYvbgcHgzGPyPT0v6sWsixeZL9NpR1DClqkGQKO7m90FRUKG49U8TBhmNqyClqzdm1OchnJSQACIrQAe2kPm1yZW7F7tzKGc9d-fOVp6mQdCz/w640-h640/Green+bus+from+Hillview+Circus.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">(Photo source: NAS)</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />Green Bus Co Service #5 driving up the slope from Hillview Circus. <br />It would crest the Hillview ridge just where the sarabat stalls stood at the top of the ridge.<br />Note that even in 1955, there were no concrete footpaths along the sides of Hillview Road.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHgcB2VOAhna2p5LJ69y5Bs8JWcj48TxAsHrl9tcc7KrW3YhUwf1ZvLI4b8anf-w_VlT_hlCiZQpFjKtiS6Uh2RMBazeH1l6XaRMtnV7EkgmSJgCx4Vs8zjqUnRJwsGdhndBcAZKnye5I/s1110/Green+bus+from+Hillview+Rd+junction.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="1110" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHgcB2VOAhna2p5LJ69y5Bs8JWcj48TxAsHrl9tcc7KrW3YhUwf1ZvLI4b8anf-w_VlT_hlCiZQpFjKtiS6Uh2RMBazeH1l6XaRMtnV7EkgmSJgCx4Vs8zjqUnRJwsGdhndBcAZKnye5I/w640-h634/Green+bus+from+Hillview+Rd+junction.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">(Photo source: NAS)</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;">Green Bus #5 coming up the slope from Upper Bukit Timah Road side. <br />The KTM Railway girder bridge was built when Hillview Road was constructed in 1947.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0wa5BHc6xDZ3NT3UTucezmAr_O7xKcsBQU0j2zz8mssCGJT7H_92NGlLPKk_4K5LnXjbcR1dy1ou-Xj2biBJi_Z-NOHj2kgBh06_a3ah8gmmvwwKj8FzOyE1pwnjDPp3Laefv0xdjtCm/s2048/Hillview+Road+2011.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0wa5BHc6xDZ3NT3UTucezmAr_O7xKcsBQU0j2zz8mssCGJT7H_92NGlLPKk_4K5LnXjbcR1dy1ou-Xj2biBJi_Z-NOHj2kgBh06_a3ah8gmmvwwKj8FzOyE1pwnjDPp3Laefv0xdjtCm/w640-h480/Hillview+Road+2011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo source: ijamestann.blogspot.sg)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Photo taken in 2011 after the removal of the KTM railway line over Hillview Road.</div><div style="text-align: center;">You can see that the slope is much gentler than in the old days.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>*<u style="font-weight: bold;">Request Bus-Stops</u><br />For those who are unaware, especially of the younger generation today, bus stops in the old days of the mosquito buses were known as '<b>Request Stop</b>'. A bus will stop at a 'bus-stop' only when a passenger wanted to alight by pressing the bell, or if there were passengers waiting to board at the marker, which was usually only a metal pole with a number plate. The bus would continue on if the bell was <b><i>not</i></b> rung, unlike today where it is usual for all buses to stop at every bus-stop in order to keep to their planned scheduled times.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitL72GT5woaPUstxQWSwFHWBw8AGkbw7YbYzbEBAb0pVVmaLlAt4ObiRU_v0DGUN-Wre6-hGPuHChsrmvlcf9KzmaD3_68YzRc10nr00x0cpqENprApwoq2pgSWzU9eCzAj5dLGb5ItX8/s747/Requwst+Bus+Stop+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="669" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitL72GT5woaPUstxQWSwFHWBw8AGkbw7YbYzbEBAb0pVVmaLlAt4ObiRU_v0DGUN-Wre6-hGPuHChsrmvlcf9KzmaD3_68YzRc10nr00x0cpqENprApwoq2pgSWzU9eCzAj5dLGb5ItX8/s320/Requwst+Bus+Stop+crop.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A "Request Stop" outside St. Andrew's Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table> <br /><br /><br />In those days, there had been many incidents and arguments where the bus would not stop while a passenger will claim that they had rung the bell. Nasty bus drivers, which were common, might hesitantly and purposely stop a long way from the Request Stop and some would even continue on and let the passenger off only at the next stop! Most bus-stops did not have shelters except for those in popular areas. The Request-stops at Hillview Road were not sheltered in those days.<br /></div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF0fpNTg8OjPx-pSwCTqty_gZmD-vkEhAHCGYuL9pgW-bOkA7lwItHlSILTsk5EgkgEUpVBLvghSi5bkv7D6V-FjFd7s1FlsULmeKisYQjR55Nnhyphenhyphen72L_228J7Y-s_-5b5ticabSGzdpQ/s1536/Sarabat+stall+opp+Eveready2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1536" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF0fpNTg8OjPx-pSwCTqty_gZmD-vkEhAHCGYuL9pgW-bOkA7lwItHlSILTsk5EgkgEUpVBLvghSi5bkv7D6V-FjFd7s1FlsULmeKisYQjR55Nnhyphenhyphen72L_228J7Y-s_-5b5ticabSGzdpQ/w640-h426/Sarabat+stall+opp+Eveready2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">(Photo source: NAS)</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;">The sarabat stall opposite the gate of the Eveready battery factory.</div><div style="text-align: center;">At the far right distant, you can see the KTM railway bridge running over Hillview Road.</div></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My own personal recollection of the sarabat stalls is very vague. It would be in the early 1960s when my father was still working at the Eveready company. I can only recall that my dad used to stop his car at the sarabat stall and would alight to buy cigarettes from the Indian Mama (<i>uncle</i>). We would be driving out from Princess Elizabeth Estate and he would only patronise this stall as he was familiar with them. It was a habit he had, or perhaps he had credit with the Mama? Apart from that scant memory, I cannot recall if I ever had a drink at this stall at all. I was too young then.<br /><br />Illegal itinerant hawkers as well as makeshift sarabat stalls were all moved off the streets from 1965 to 1971 as part of the government's plan to resettle all hawkers to more hygienic and proper facilities. <br />So, for those of you who lived at Hillview after the mid 60s, it would be very unlikely that you would have known of these sarabat stalls. There were also sarabat stalls at the #5 bus terminus at Princess Elizabeth Estate too.<br /><br /><br /><i><b>In a future article...</b></i><br />If you look again at the aerial overhead photo, you can see a yellow square at the junction of Upper Bukit Timah Road and Hillview Road. This was directly across Hillview Road from the old Chartered Bank. <br />It marks the homes of two Indian families who used their house front as shops to sell Indian food. Many will recall these two Indian shop houses as they were also beside the main bus stop heading into the estate.<br /><br />I will blog about this eating house in a future article, as well as about the HDB Food Centre (photo below) that was built in 1994 at the new HDB Hillview Estate.<br /><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyc-gxSFDkLUph-IVkqW3bRh4gCrK4TbhpCBs-g6pMh7g9jHrv3YD0AJ_Ici6Xo45xRByXXmOxYUVMLD7TQxeF42DgqI66g8EROkSaeCwlgksLGKOnrA2Wmu_sq0ocLhbALzo3CxOVQgWZ/s1409/Hillview+Market+Blk+16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="1409" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyc-gxSFDkLUph-IVkqW3bRh4gCrK4TbhpCBs-g6pMh7g9jHrv3YD0AJ_Ici6Xo45xRByXXmOxYUVMLD7TQxeF42DgqI66g8EROkSaeCwlgksLGKOnrA2Wmu_sq0ocLhbALzo3CxOVQgWZ/w640-h414/Hillview+Market+Blk+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">(Photo source: Internet)</span></div><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Quick links to related articles about Hillview Road<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-railway-bridge-at-hillview-road.html" target="_blank">The building of Hillview Road</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/passing-of-era-railway-girder-bridge-at.html" target="_blank">The removal of the Railway Bridge</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/hillview-avenue-to-jurong-road.html" target="_blank">The development of Hillview Avenue</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-7-union-carbide.html" target="_blank">The Eveready Battery factory</a></body>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-8975008225370765312021-02-23T11:34:00.003+08:002021-02-25T07:29:58.493+08:00The Ford Motor factory - Japanese Occupation 1942-1945.
<body oncontextmenu="return false;">
<span> </span>Though this is not directly related to Hillview nor Princess Elizabeth Estate, since both were created only after the surrender of the Japanese Army in 1945, the Ford Motor factory has featured prominently every time discussions about Hillview or Princess Elizabeth Estate arise.<br /><br />Of course, we all are aware of the fact that the Ford Motor factory became infamous as the place where the unconditional surrender of Singapore took place on 15th February 1942. GOC Lt-Gen Arthur Percival surrendered all Commonwealth forces in Singapore over to Lt-Gen Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Imperial Japanese Army at the boardroom of the old Ford Motor factory.<br /><br />The Ford Motor factory was completed and began operation in October 1941. This was just three months before the Japanese Army invaded Malaya. By 10th Feb 1942, the Japanese Army had already invaded Singapore and overran the Ford Factory in their quest to conquer Bukit Timah. It then became the field Headquarters for Lt-Gen Yamashita throughout the Battle of Singapore.<br /><br />During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, from 1942 to 1945, the former Ford Motor factory was handed over to Nissan Motor Company and converted for the building and maintenance of military trucks for use in the Japanese war effort. <br /><br />In 1944, the Japanese military government conducted a census of population and required all citizens to be registered. The Ford factory was the registration centre for people living in the rural Jurong, Upper Bukit Timah, Chua Chu Kang and Woodlands areas.<br /><br />This photo was published by the Japanese newspaper <i>Mainichi Shimbum</i> in a report of the census of 1944. It is also one of the earliest known photos of the building taken during the Occupation period.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocwDbvcN34FuBi_p5oDk_lZcqu9ANWikhbxS-TpLK1czub2mustB6oxDOVwX1Ns1XOWNH6y-pf0OYyaXi7zEL6hqgm9Pv8PpHCSF-zjgmxNCAIoeRN2gjFzWYqqjZEvYtKiB1LPPEL1s4/s911/Population+Census+1944+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="704" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhocwDbvcN34FuBi_p5oDk_lZcqu9ANWikhbxS-TpLK1czub2mustB6oxDOVwX1Ns1XOWNH6y-pf0OYyaXi7zEL6hqgm9Pv8PpHCSF-zjgmxNCAIoeRN2gjFzWYqqjZEvYtKiB1LPPEL1s4/w494-h640/Population+Census+1944+%25281%2529.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q9zX5pbRkqRd1bMGyRCx_6hRY7D9D3V4SFWbZx8PO_lUzT1fT_fCMg_UMUl-eBLXEN64-0cZ-Rkn4hdDxrrSWkjWml5-mGLeFe31d5rdbI3C5GA7WYQ5eKe_LKTwPGN0wiu_uVfS3hWr/s717/Screen+Shot+2021-02-23+at+11.00.32+AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="463" data-original-width="717" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q9zX5pbRkqRd1bMGyRCx_6hRY7D9D3V4SFWbZx8PO_lUzT1fT_fCMg_UMUl-eBLXEN64-0cZ-Rkn4hdDxrrSWkjWml5-mGLeFe31d5rdbI3C5GA7WYQ5eKe_LKTwPGN0wiu_uVfS3hWr/w640-h414/Screen+Shot+2021-02-23+at+11.00.32+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newly completed Ford Motor factory in 1941.<br />It was built on the western side of Bukit Batok hill.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODCNIZ6hY8dRczvkx6TdlczIdxCiDNOHPFMO_vhV5gfyeLQ3dUKPGx5sTUVcHjzhzLXbd_8WRlq1USXOpr0EMzFm0RhsmAxDykOYeqaOhgB9N-hFEdbX9hKkgB_LEnVZZ8eB7B8J527gU/s1196/Chreito+Opening+1942+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="921" data-original-width="1196" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhODCNIZ6hY8dRczvkx6TdlczIdxCiDNOHPFMO_vhV5gfyeLQ3dUKPGx5sTUVcHjzhzLXbd_8WRlq1USXOpr0EMzFm0RhsmAxDykOYeqaOhgB9N-hFEdbX9hKkgB_LEnVZZ8eB7B8J527gU/w400-h308/Chreito+Opening+1942+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Japanese shrine, the <i>Syonan Chureito</i>, was built on the summit of Bukit Batok hill <br />to honour the war dead of the Japanese war campaign.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHBBxdHJvQChZICI-yr3y1nsIf8T8YoyE0YTPmSgktjdcBHho1pM_NW2ucD9A-As2Yx4jZeXMVHd9Dp-9pgc_BLOlAP8w7ZlJB6M9CsiHtQbw47WhFz6QXYVa8tIk67VtIHQGP3t3bmrM/s959/British+Surrender+1942+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="959" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHBBxdHJvQChZICI-yr3y1nsIf8T8YoyE0YTPmSgktjdcBHho1pM_NW2ucD9A-As2Yx4jZeXMVHd9Dp-9pgc_BLOlAP8w7ZlJB6M9CsiHtQbw47WhFz6QXYVa8tIk67VtIHQGP3t3bmrM/w400-h245/British+Surrender+1942+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous picture of the Surrender taking place at the Ford Motors Board Room on 15 Feb 1942.<br />Lt-Gen Arthur Percival faces his nemesis, Lt-Gen Yamashita.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibwpTjAVVov0__F7ooJxgaaWGMkARri5QXXNQGnI09BaPYLg-AiC82FLw45G7ATOITZeJpmDVOteSUELaOBcXGcQ_5Tfvsme5b7v4sDLKYMw1dkMT6bR-BapRL58YNjOoBfoShxgbXW87/s2773/Surrender+group+photo+at+Ford+%2528Mainichi%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="999" data-original-width="2773" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibwpTjAVVov0__F7ooJxgaaWGMkARri5QXXNQGnI09BaPYLg-AiC82FLw45G7ATOITZeJpmDVOteSUELaOBcXGcQ_5Tfvsme5b7v4sDLKYMw1dkMT6bR-BapRL58YNjOoBfoShxgbXW87/w640-h230/Surrender+group+photo+at+Ford+%2528Mainichi%2529+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group photo for posterity.<br />The victor and vanquished pose for a group photo after the surrender.<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyCQTvNtHEDm-e0zW3p6FeIV2HaQ3rzT-QG3PzympX8F4IQvu9esPVDjjj4sfECDlRCGfnSmCM1epA9i4GEZQnmdoYgMvcK44-e_24qgA5fDzqcY02_ir4YOOLjZcjJoLnDMynUFLaPte/s973/Ford+Factory.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="973" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNyCQTvNtHEDm-e0zW3p6FeIV2HaQ3rzT-QG3PzympX8F4IQvu9esPVDjjj4sfECDlRCGfnSmCM1epA9i4GEZQnmdoYgMvcK44-e_24qgA5fDzqcY02_ir4YOOLjZcjJoLnDMynUFLaPte/w640-h466/Ford+Factory.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ford Motor factory was returned to the owners, the Ford Motor Company of Canada, in 1947.<br />Above photo is of the factory in 1958.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br />Links to other articles:-<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-3-ford-motors.html" target="_blank">Factories around P.E.E. (Ford Motor)</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/of-udaya-and-mendoza-cafe.html" target="_blank">The Mendoza Village</a><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-19677858918231502642020-12-09T13:15:00.011+08:002023-11-09T18:53:58.791+08:00Malayan Guttas Vintage Photographs<body oncontextmenu="return false;"
<p><b><i><span style="font-size: medium;">Malayan Guttas Ltd </span></i></b> was a pioneer factory at Hillview, Bukit Timah. <br />Many of you may never have heard of this company, unless perhaps, you once lived nearby around Hillview or you might have known of it perusing through this blog of mine where I had previously written a few articles about it. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(links below</span></i>)<br /><br />However, you will definitely recall its most famous product - the <b>Wrigley Spearmint Chewing Gum</b>.<br />The Wrigley Company of Chicago USA set up the factory in 1947 soon after the end of World War Two.<br /><br />Following the end of war, the British Government offered extremely good incentives for foreign companies to invest in the colonies to revive the war-torn countries' economies. One major incentive was that their manufactured goods would be entirely tax-free if it was manufactured, distributed and sold in any British Commonwealth nation.<br /><br />As a result, Malayan Guttas became the biggest manufacturer and distributor of chewing gum in all the British Commonwealth out from its factory in Singapore. <br />The other major incentive for Malayan Guttas was that its principal ingredient for making chewing gum could <i>only</i> be found in the Malay Peninsula, i.e. the then Malaya, Borneo and Indonesia. This was the resin <i><b>Gutta Percha</b></i>.</p><p><br />Gutta Percha resin is the inedible bit that gum chewers spat out and made a mess of the sidewalks! <br />Gutta Percha came from the endemic Sapodilla tree, of which the Chiku fruit tree was one species. <br />However, extracting the gutta percha resin was primitive even in those days. It had an unsustainable and destructive process in its extraction. They had to chop the entire tree down to bits and boil the wood to extract the resin. <br />By the 1960s, due to the scarcity of the Sapodilla trees, they switched to the resin of the <i><b>Jelutong</b></i> tree. So Malayan Guttas became the biggest source of Jelutong resin and the centre for worldwide distribution.<br /><br />Ironically, chewing gum was banned in Singapore in 1992 but by a strange twist of fate, the entire region of Hillview where the factory sat was then re-designated into a 'residential development zone'. The Wrigley Company sold the land to a private developer for a fortune in the late 1990s. The land was developed into the now Hillington Condominium complex.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitzqMO2tvKHRAi17yHpJTJLQJ9FSl3yyeEr9P69JFkEOhq9JOSQueNuAXok4YcRdL1Quh_ROeBO1C2d_35IIazv4dzuU1xRLPhiVNoSi2-q7AP58AC52KUxcN6FZJDE-3PPoXsawNaPmL/s2048/Malayan+Guttas+from+the+air.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitzqMO2tvKHRAi17yHpJTJLQJ9FSl3yyeEr9P69JFkEOhq9JOSQueNuAXok4YcRdL1Quh_ROeBO1C2d_35IIazv4dzuU1xRLPhiVNoSi2-q7AP58AC52KUxcN6FZJDE-3PPoXsawNaPmL/w576-h426/Malayan+Guttas+from+the+air.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newly built Malayan Guttas factory in 1948.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>Recently, I was very fortunate to receive a package of old photos from Switzerland.<br />It came from Pierre-Yves Bünzli, son of Mr Bünzli who was the General Manager in the late 50s to the early 60s.<br />In those days, the GM was numero uno. He oversaw the entire operations and personally lead many expeditions to Borneo to source for Jelutong resin.<br /><br />The cache of vintage pictures, of which I will release periodically in future articles, were of the factory operations and of the staff. Many of the staff were from the old Princess Elizabeth Estate and if you do recognise anyone of them in the photos, please comment below.<br /><br /><br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7IrU_Y1u4rDUAFjeth5vzjQVvN7xSQ-jtiyvLe02AagH2AD9jd2SWkNB43v7bAwLpV8XxYD4_mcoDwZxmatAnOHWWKMHSBTa1QzBfwSmAvXicvU5oSocPAB_jmxLjvO8aGiw8Wl4LWse/s1000/Letter+from+Bunzli.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="592" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh7IrU_Y1u4rDUAFjeth5vzjQVvN7xSQ-jtiyvLe02AagH2AD9jd2SWkNB43v7bAwLpV8XxYD4_mcoDwZxmatAnOHWWKMHSBTa1QzBfwSmAvXicvU5oSocPAB_jmxLjvO8aGiw8Wl4LWse/w444-h592/Letter+from+Bunzli.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cache of vintage photos I received.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKI3LR8M7fhB2f2_bmWpyCWArdbYVCG-6s3HWky-1UjLlDwUb2R38VlP9DSRwfeL-ABNnVKJecXHeisA9XkKSysVohhs3RGlfYOF4LSinF_kI7SxFa4pl4SECUOnxAxqkzxDB62qB3-_5A/s2048/Factory+Machinery+1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1281" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKI3LR8M7fhB2f2_bmWpyCWArdbYVCG-6s3HWky-1UjLlDwUb2R38VlP9DSRwfeL-ABNnVKJecXHeisA9XkKSysVohhs3RGlfYOF4LSinF_kI7SxFa4pl4SECUOnxAxqkzxDB62qB3-_5A/w400-h640/Factory+Machinery+1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The machinery used in the resin extraction<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ3FwcMAlL2QjgDbErvDtlDYsZ1vZuPPXfljV9OrXnSX6K5gwGC-gAfJWV-O0WlqIogOlecq2e-4Fdnx9Dkgyyle8VSELDmzob_v5h_hamM077riPfZnkS5z8ipD8o97o8-WZqnfgNTKh/s2048/Factory+Machinery+6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1281" height="609" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ3FwcMAlL2QjgDbErvDtlDYsZ1vZuPPXfljV9OrXnSX6K5gwGC-gAfJWV-O0WlqIogOlecq2e-4Fdnx9Dkgyyle8VSELDmzob_v5h_hamM077riPfZnkS5z8ipD8o97o8-WZqnfgNTKh/w381-h609/Factory+Machinery+6.jpeg" width="381" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The boilers used for resin extraction</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqfyIOfDgY8tiWTQXebvj2YaTHTDUjxdcihmwYrvlC2SRlP-YeVogdawLK0m8peQZI6kWSifaeWP-8y0kTDhing_8fvwNzcOF8leK8eXQjm0LBnLPh1p8MB7Wesirby34vQC_V0nwSuzn/s2048/Factory+Machinery+10.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1281" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqfyIOfDgY8tiWTQXebvj2YaTHTDUjxdcihmwYrvlC2SRlP-YeVogdawLK0m8peQZI6kWSifaeWP-8y0kTDhing_8fvwNzcOF8leK8eXQjm0LBnLPh1p8MB7Wesirby34vQC_V0nwSuzn/w400-h640/Factory+Machinery+10.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crates of resin extract stored at the back<br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYh8P2DgUEy0dZcKzAlIdR-_x7mQO3CA7JRRP3FC9tZMJNS6dEHLGqiRB67FUWCNPwhrPkServLvRE1Z2o6gOdNKdA4lIvzsjEprIY0s8QAEH5R6RmUyP1F0dp_zslUgEdOBOWHJ3mU7ze/s2048/Group+Photo+1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYh8P2DgUEy0dZcKzAlIdR-_x7mQO3CA7JRRP3FC9tZMJNS6dEHLGqiRB67FUWCNPwhrPkServLvRE1Z2o6gOdNKdA4lIvzsjEprIY0s8QAEH5R6RmUyP1F0dp_zslUgEdOBOWHJ3mU7ze/w640-h408/Group+Photo+1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staff Group Photo c.1962</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vDme5H-HeHmivOJSq8keOFnsylcItQRQZPtTd-skNiYfLzAraUHlAjtoHdtDLR2BEbplCZGfHLjimfwf_mTTDwXIhu4IzBts-TIA78XaWQCo5leYopBrQS3Q_v0xIjjBxXy4oZYwgAEO/s2048/Staff+Dinner+19.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1306" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6vDme5H-HeHmivOJSq8keOFnsylcItQRQZPtTd-skNiYfLzAraUHlAjtoHdtDLR2BEbplCZGfHLjimfwf_mTTDwXIhu4IzBts-TIA78XaWQCo5leYopBrQS3Q_v0xIjjBxXy4oZYwgAEO/w640-h408/Staff+Dinner+19.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staff function at the factory grounds.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>Links to articles about Malayan Guttas<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-5-malayan-guttas.html" target="_blank">Factories around Princess Elizabeth Estate (5)</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/11/guest-blogger-grace-seah.html" target="_blank">A daughter remembers her father at Malayan Guttas</a><br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/an-anecdotal-history-of-hillview-part-2.html" target="_blank">A history of Hillview Part 2</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Hillview Ave, Singapore1.3596007 103.7638949-26.950633136178844 68.6076449 29.669834536178847 138.9201449tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-90182018442059843602020-12-06T20:57:00.012+08:002020-12-08T07:52:53.396+08:00Dairy Farm @Bukit Timah in 1963Going through the archives, I found an amazing old black & White photo that many people might have dismissed because it was improperly labelled. It had been labelled as '<i>Indian milk cows. Malaya 1963'</i>.
<br /><br />However, when I took a closer look at it, I could straight away identify it as the old Cold Storage Dairy Farm at Upper Bukit Timah, where today the Dairy Farm Nature Park is located.<br /><br />Here is the original photo I found.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtGa2LiMhrEE4MSG2oqrp10uQVT4-yE9LgbF5dnHTX6om8wlGYlqTiVWnSuEOYGWvVnGHWguJ7wKl9mJCdYonLYOQTHPe4XtxHjSrm3miwRCVGP3C-UQCWPwU2AOg9ZQ8lb7HhNI7Rt1K/s1124/Dairy+Farm+Singapore+1963.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="894" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGtGa2LiMhrEE4MSG2oqrp10uQVT4-yE9LgbF5dnHTX6om8wlGYlqTiVWnSuEOYGWvVnGHWguJ7wKl9mJCdYonLYOQTHPe4XtxHjSrm3miwRCVGP3C-UQCWPwU2AOg9ZQ8lb7HhNI7Rt1K/w509-h640/Dairy+Farm+Singapore+1963.jpg" title="Dairy Farm @ Upp Bukit Timah 1963" width="509" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dairy Farm @ Upper Bukit Timah in 1963.</span></div><br /><div>The clues to this picture lie at the top right hand corner. </div><div>The main building is the cow milking shed that is today the Wallace Education Centre. </div><div>If you follow the line left of this building, you will come to the uphill slope that leads to the Dairy Farm General Manager's house at the top which still exist today and which has been converted into a visitor centre. The last General Manager was Mr Phillip Fielding and the house is often referred to as "Fielding's House".<br /><br />The long building in the picture in front of today's "Wallace building" was the cow shed where the cows were washed and inspected before being sent to the milk shed. Only the concrete foundation remnants of this building are left today, in the field in front of the Wallace Education Centre building.<br /><br />Running right across the photo in the valley between the cows and the buildings is the location of the water pipeline that carries the raw water that Singapore buys from Johor state.<br /><br />Today, this entire area in this photo is covered by secondary forest with the Wallace Trail running through part of it.<br /><br /><u>Update: 7 Dec 2020</u><br />Following my above posting of the old Dairy Farm, I search my own collection and came out with this rarely seen picture of Dairy Farm, also taken around the 1960s.</div><div><br />This photo shows the pasture behind the building that is now the Wallace Education Centre (right of photo). Today we see a forest there with no access into the area. The open field at the foreground of the photo is where NParks had recently built a new teaching/training shed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEIyhRls2ZS7fGNNcacNdWnVmzYq9JygZZDQ_HJrl78zIv3bVGJwsFMHfg_nkTCKEoVC2yFlj9-iIrx_XqrbgPOG6zDkFWuwZCHZpJg667K06IDYwPboaBJt2E_FRd7ZanhMNJw9ZrG-s/s865/Singapore+Dairy+Farm+1960s.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="541" data-original-width="865" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEIyhRls2ZS7fGNNcacNdWnVmzYq9JygZZDQ_HJrl78zIv3bVGJwsFMHfg_nkTCKEoVC2yFlj9-iIrx_XqrbgPOG6zDkFWuwZCHZpJg667K06IDYwPboaBJt2E_FRd7ZanhMNJw9ZrG-s/w640-h400/Singapore+Dairy+Farm+1960s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>You can read more about the Dairy Farm in my blog here at the following links:-<br /><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/places-around-pee-3-dairy-farm.html" target="_blank">Places around Princess Elizabeth Est - Dairy Farm (Jan 2012)<br /></a><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-mysterious-house-at-dairy-farm.html" target="_blank">The mysterious house at Dairy Farm (June 2014)</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-29764287727913404462020-08-20T21:16:00.029+08:002020-09-02T15:01:05.144+08:00The Railway lines at HillviewIn my previous article that I posted in July regarding the Hillview factories along Upper Bukit Timah Road, a lot of interest was centred on the two railway lines that ran past Hillview. These were, firstly, the <b><i>1903 Singapore-Kranji Railway</i></b>, and secondly, the <b><i>1932 KTM Railway</i></b> that 'replaced' the 1903 railway line. I must clarify that even though I occasionally write about the railways, I am not a rail enthusiast, nor an expert on this subject, and my writings about them only relate to my blog articles here.<br /><br />One of my contacts, a local railway expert, Trevor Sharot, had earlier re-discovered and confirmed the existence of a tunnel that was seen in old 1950 aerial photo maps. This tunnel is under the now '<i>Green Corridor</i>' and is not clearly visible by any and all who trek along this conservation corridor. It is covered by shrubs and overgrowth. I have marked it out in this 1950 aerial photo. I will do a writeup on this tunnel in a future blog article.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hVi3CgCTG5eyU3oN6DthpyPR4nKowxQAfRViNQYSeV2MR0EX5SWfmHOOmNixLz_XVKEdXfvOH6H-UJXFxIIIEoPKizW2EGz5Kr5Z45_9RmfZEP0pmGzCZEWDgdvJBi1HY91TtGv6uvil/s764/Union+Carbide+Tunnel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="764" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5hVi3CgCTG5eyU3oN6DthpyPR4nKowxQAfRViNQYSeV2MR0EX5SWfmHOOmNixLz_XVKEdXfvOH6H-UJXFxIIIEoPKizW2EGz5Kr5Z45_9RmfZEP0pmGzCZEWDgdvJBi1HY91TtGv6uvil/w512-h409/Union+Carbide+Tunnel+2.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hidden tunnel under the old 1932 railway track.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another old friend and railway enthusiast, Peter Chan, also got in touch with regards to the older 1903 Singapore-Kranji Railway. Peter's grandparents lived at the Chestnut area and had seen the building of the 1932 KTM railway that was to replace the 1903 Singapore-Kranji Railway. <br />More fortuitously, Peter's grandfather had the presence of mind to take photos of the construction in those days, and Peter shared one with me.<br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAF4-EecGt4yvf1xaikd39i01I7HnkaeO9K6kxn_AoBKpZ7LLWQh6xDxRyJmg-4O_gR1dJSJQBfmkP0hyphenhyphens64QjwsW_U76dqSoDgBATKtqKxZd5Vlur-ZIAJfBjLzSf5UcnLLlIZ-g2SuD/s805/SKR+Peter+Chan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="644" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAF4-EecGt4yvf1xaikd39i01I7HnkaeO9K6kxn_AoBKpZ7LLWQh6xDxRyJmg-4O_gR1dJSJQBfmkP0hyphenhyphens64QjwsW_U76dqSoDgBATKtqKxZd5Vlur-ZIAJfBjLzSf5UcnLLlIZ-g2SuD/s640/SKR+Peter+Chan.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What is interesting about the black & white 1931 photo is that it shows the steel truss bridge being built across Upper Bukit Timah Road in 1931 for the new KTM Railway that would run to Tanjong Pagar. This now retired truss bridge is being conserved today as a heritage item along with the rail corridor.<br /><br />What is of greater interest in this B&W photo (<i>especially to rail enthusiasts</i>) is that you can see behind the bridge, the level on the hillside where the older 1903 Singapore-Kranji Railway line ran down from the hill <i>(where Ford Motors would later be built). </i>It was on a higher level above Bukit Timah Road.<br /><br />With Peter's permission, I enhanced<i> </i>the old B&W photo and found that I could then make out the old telegraph poles that ran alongside the 1903 Kranji railway tracks! The old telegraph poles were significant in determining the layout and alignment of the 1903 tracks as seen in my previous posted article. <i>(The red line).</i><br />In the old days, telegraph poles were built parallel alongside the railway lines.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnn7ADejYRr-ACjAMmvaopd5EjKdeWnVRA3WT8juYhczfTWJ48AEyycjCjKoV7pGl_mvKm6KLG4SjtlpoyHAEYXcosnmHjU4YEVupePJswIC0EXzf3WiQaE6ELJhRhyphenhyphenuB6fjQ201btkkx/s800/Close+up+of+SKR+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="800" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnn7ADejYRr-ACjAMmvaopd5EjKdeWnVRA3WT8juYhczfTWJ48AEyycjCjKoV7pGl_mvKm6KLG4SjtlpoyHAEYXcosnmHjU4YEVupePJswIC0EXzf3WiQaE6ELJhRhyphenhyphenuB6fjQ201btkkx/w640-h256/Close+up+of+SKR+bridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><i> Note the 1903 telegraph wires up on the bridge level (right of pic).<br />There also appears to be overhead electrical cables alongside Bukit Timah Road as well. These can be seen beneath and beyond the bridge.</i></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Peter then sent me more photos he had!<br />These were the actual remnants of the telegraph poles which he found and had kept!<br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSK8FuwvONy0SLQUDx-z7GoSjGv96qQvsQ97Dxv-1_9fG8iGclmjDTORHjncQRFBi9SczQfN3RNHJgU4GzrIEc-YhDreVt8ETkbZS9rko_IN6pfJCw3JnYnUSq4J44PJuMVFejTrMPhcoq/s1024/SKR+1903+Telegraph+pole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSK8FuwvONy0SLQUDx-z7GoSjGv96qQvsQ97Dxv-1_9fG8iGclmjDTORHjncQRFBi9SczQfN3RNHJgU4GzrIEc-YhDreVt8ETkbZS9rko_IN6pfJCw3JnYnUSq4J44PJuMVFejTrMPhcoq/s640/SKR+1903+Telegraph+pole.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejBURm5qjAeeSlT_ed_Cu39nNmZNCnxvEv8Zot2uFLLo6PBcNE_AFv7tZxBhB_rXk7Ye052ByGdvnD9S7aPfKoDKtSIvqteItdDAI2EI_DfhshFmIkZHog5-X2GkZesSc-wWgMNAPx-fK/s768/SKR+1932+telegraph+remnants+at+Hillview+19+Aug+2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiejBURm5qjAeeSlT_ed_Cu39nNmZNCnxvEv8Zot2uFLLo6PBcNE_AFv7tZxBhB_rXk7Ye052ByGdvnD9S7aPfKoDKtSIvqteItdDAI2EI_DfhshFmIkZHog5-X2GkZesSc-wWgMNAPx-fK/s640/SKR+1932+telegraph+remnants+at+Hillview+19+Aug+2020.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Parts of the 1903 telegraph poles.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReeNxCTRt6y5lYmCotEZmPMmvZL5D_0xVx3RhJUr6_TV9x6sDjm22PfeRZBpipjWd5WdA2pkiEk6eL5aOWiS0stFgAVjF_fnpo0QzeQiobv8B1jrD81U84uMwfyIVfQiML4In9e-6KRmv/s1024/e2f9e02b-76ad-47a7-8455-5e5be0e8502c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Insulator" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgReeNxCTRt6y5lYmCotEZmPMmvZL5D_0xVx3RhJUr6_TV9x6sDjm22PfeRZBpipjWd5WdA2pkiEk6eL5aOWiS0stFgAVjF_fnpo0QzeQiobv8B1jrD81U84uMwfyIVfQiML4In9e-6KRmv/w300-h400/e2f9e02b-76ad-47a7-8455-5e5be0e8502c.jpeg" title="Insulator" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The telegraph wire insulator.<br />(Peter's souvenir from 1903)</div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a
</a></div><div>According to Trevor, the 1903 Singapore-Kranji Railway, after passing Bukit Timah Village, had originally been planned to run through the valley that would eventually become Hillview Avenue. That is, it would have been on the western side of Bukit Batok Hill running through the pineapple and rubber plantations located there and onwards towards Bukit Panjang.<br />However, it was built eventually on the eastern side of Bukit Batok Hill, past Mendoza Village, up the crest <i>(where Ford Motors would be built)</i> and then down towards Hillview. Why the routing was changed is yet to be made clear. Maybe someone out there knows?<br /><br /><br /></div></body>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-29579693176892304962020-07-20T21:53:00.002+08:002020-07-21T21:23:16.986+08:00Hillview as seen from Upper Bukit Timah 1957.<body oncontextmenu="return false;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZ3V86im405IsNCDd_ma8py9d6dHH_MqRPfIoSVI98fUIeSDM-5SFqqOiaD_M_hczcB_dCdrbj-O-_At9vqwpXDuBa9h5rMmVp5yeaA1t6CecuzOrtNIYwlvi09SWvnt-XRX1tQrPbbeZ/s1600/Colorize+KTM+SKR+BLOG+LOWRES+VER+1957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="701" height="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZ3V86im405IsNCDd_ma8py9d6dHH_MqRPfIoSVI98fUIeSDM-5SFqqOiaD_M_hczcB_dCdrbj-O-_At9vqwpXDuBa9h5rMmVp5yeaA1t6CecuzOrtNIYwlvi09SWvnt-XRX1tQrPbbeZ/s640/Colorize+KTM+SKR+BLOG+LOWRES+VER+1957.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Source: National Archives of Singapore/British Royal Air Force Collection.<br> Thanks to Lai Chee Kien and Trevor Sharot for confirmation of the 1903 line location</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here is a picture that is worth a thousand words! </div>
Colorised from an old RAF Sqn 81 aerial survey photo taken in 1957, this is the Hillview region at 9th milestone (14km), Upper Bukit Timah Road.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On the left are the factories of Hillview in 1957, starting with Hume Pipes Co Pty Ltd at bottom, Rheem Hume Co Ltd, Malayan Guttas Ltd, National Carbon and finally, the Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing Co. The Chartered Bank Hillview Branch is to the right of Hong Kong Rope Mfg Co.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Fuyong Estate is across Upper Bukit Timah Road and the KTM Railway truss bridge straddles the highway prominently at this point.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
The red roofed buildings today house the Rail Mall shopping arcade and eateries. It was built in the early 1950s by philanthropist, Mr Lee Kong Chian, as low-cost workers quarters to house his employees who worked his rubber plantations in the area. I used to live at Fuyong Estate from the mid-60s till the mid-1980s. My old house was the 4th semi-detached unit up the hill behind 'Rail Mall' . The back of my old house faced the factories across the road and everyday I would see the KTM trains going by.<br />
You can't miss the trains because at this point, just before the girder bridge at Hillview Road, they were required to 'WISEL', as the signal signboard indicated. Whistle to warn of an approaching train.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Among other things to note here was the railway sidings just to the left of the bridge. There were two sidings, off the main railway line, that were used exclusively by the Hume Pipes Co. These were used to load the manufactured pipes for conveyance up to Malaya then, where Hume Industries was a major supplier of concrete pipes for the country's development. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The first railway line that ran through Hillview was the 1903 Singapore-Woodlands Railway <i>(aka the Tank Road-Kranji Railway)</i>. I have sketched out the approximate line location where the 1903 railway ran through this part. (<span style="color: red;"><b>red line</b></span>). The other railway line that passed Hillview was the 1932 KTM railway line. The 1903 railway line became defunct, and eventually removed, when the 1932 KTM railway line started operations.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Initially built by the Federated Malay States Railways (FMSR). It was later incorporated by the governmental <i><b>Malayan Railway Administration</b></i> (MRA) and in 1962 became known as the <b><i>Keratapi Tanah Melayu </i>(KTM)</b>, the name which most of us associate the railway line with. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It was the FMSR that built the black truss bridge over Upper Bukit Timah Road, which has now been declared a heritage conservation structure. </div>
The former KTM railway line was closed and subsequently removed in 2011 and the old rail bed is now preserved as part of the Green Rail Corridor conservation project.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Related reading.</div>
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-railway-bridge-at-hillview-road.html" target="_blank">The Hillview Road Girder Bridge</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/passing-of-era-railway-girder-bridge-at.html" target="_blank">The dismantling of the Hillview Bridge</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-5-malayan-guttas.html" target="_blank">Malayan Guttas</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/06/the-great-hillview-bank-robberies.html" target="_blank">The Hillview Chartered Bank Robberies</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-7-union-carbide.html" target="_blank">National Carbon Ltd (Union Carbide)</a></div>
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/01/places-around-pee-9-rail-mall.html" target="_blank">Rail Mall</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-18899989304944198462020-07-19T16:08:00.003+08:002020-07-21T07:51:22.974+08:00Factories around P.E.Estate #13 - Malayan Textile Mill<body oncontextmenu="return false;"> After all these years describing the various former companies and factories located at Hillview, you would think that <b>Malayan Textile Mill</b> would be on top of the list. It being one of the original four factories set up back in 1953. Yet until now, it was left out because I really did not have much information on this entity!
It'll also probably be the last factory to be covered in this series on the factories around Princess Elizabeth Estate.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiektAb30KVH5Pf6K2xHFeEpoeuwpGdiypcVmlQxQ6vJWh5dwcDsfZjaW31245D-wlXK2bMca8ZHz7GEhy4qj6WqQnkZdUezZroReCoquKtXa7jAZoaNWG6AX8aBPFgqQiTN6C1WuUt2MtV/s1600/Malayan+Textile+Mill.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="1600" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiektAb30KVH5Pf6K2xHFeEpoeuwpGdiypcVmlQxQ6vJWh5dwcDsfZjaW31245D-wlXK2bMca8ZHz7GEhy4qj6WqQnkZdUezZroReCoquKtXa7jAZoaNWG6AX8aBPFgqQiTN6C1WuUt2MtV/s640/Malayan+Textile+Mill.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /><br />Fronting Hillview Avenue with its distinctive serrated roof, the Malayan Textile Mill was built on a large 3000ha piece of freehold land. In the 1950s, textile production in East Asia was becoming very popular due to the low cost and producers in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan were getting renown for their quality textiles.<br /><br />Malayan Textile Mill was set up to spin yarn. <b><i>Yarn</i></b> being the raw material used by other textile mills to produce finished fabrics, textiles, knittings and other types of cloth.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L1PGGzGW48VNVPGP6sNGmBjjJRjSQBqKsC48Ad-vUqHLJlbJdfuulftkPFUtZzCQfKepuJZuvVMyckRo4SSGAtJErMGY9enW2mOYIOpZeWg6JLcXjPMQ9yVQHHsSh02mrUI7LLJTuc9G/s1600/Malayan+Textile+Mills.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="850" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1L1PGGzGW48VNVPGP6sNGmBjjJRjSQBqKsC48Ad-vUqHLJlbJdfuulftkPFUtZzCQfKepuJZuvVMyckRo4SSGAtJErMGY9enW2mOYIOpZeWg6JLcXjPMQ9yVQHHsSh02mrUI7LLJTuc9G/s640/Malayan+Textile+Mills.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Malayan Textile Mill machinery spinning yarn on spools.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the tumultuous 1960s, the factory was involved frequently with workers wildcat industrial action and strikes. This was a time of growing awareness of workers rights, mainly over the low wages and working conditions.<br /><br />By the 1970s, there were up to 25 textile mills in Singapore but most were inefficient and unprofitable. It was an industry where local expertise and skilled workers were in very short supply. Experienced textile workers tended to migrate to other factories with better pay. This eventually led to a detrimental situation for the entire textile industry in Singapore, and to the eventual closure of most mills.<br />
<br />
The Malayan Textile Mill was bought over by another company and renamed as the International Spinning Mill. It lasted well into the early 2000s when it was sold to real estate developers to built condominiums on the site.<br /><br />Today, Hillview Green Condominium sits on the old factory site along Hillview Avenue.<br />
<br />
<br />
Related links:-<br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/factories-around-peestate-1.html" target="_blank">#1 Factories that were located at Hillview</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/factories-around-pee-2-cycle-carriage.html" target="_blank">#2 Cycle & Carriage</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-3-ford-motors.html" target="_blank">#3 Ford Motor</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-4-amoy-canning.html" target="_blank">#4 Amoy Canning</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-5-malayan-guttas.html" target="_blank">#5 Malayan Guttas</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-6-castrol.html" target="_blank">#6 Castrol</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-7-union-carbide.html" target="_blank">#7 Union Carbide</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/12/factories-around-pee-8-kiwi-polish-co.html" target="_blank">#8 Kiwi Polish</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/06/factories-around-pee-9-magnolia-dairies.html" target="_blank">#9 Magnolia Dairies</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/06/factories-around-pee-10-hume.html" target="_blank">#10 Hume Industries</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/12/factories-around-hillview-11-hong-kong.html" target="_blank">#11 Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing Co</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2020/07/factories-around-pee-12-central-oil.html" target="_blank">#12 Central Oil Refinery</a><br />
#<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/an-anecdotal-history-of-hillview-part-3.html" target="_blank">The Hillview Industrial Estate</a></body>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-65742969555612494922020-07-15T14:54:00.004+08:002020-07-28T21:20:31.663+08:00Factories around P.E.E. #12 - Central Oil Refinery<body oncontextmenu="return false;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKaC-rooXQBD0CMlu-TDbdtqGiMuZRUsMvnnayTyqC583vGjstoI9qRaMYYMY7a3OWrUnocGp6eWALUX5lZiwwGb9IjeHII3fn4-bXxJlVk5T3ycAP4sLeGpH-RadbUyR1_WGVP_8WxCP/s1600/Central+Oil+Refinery+Hillview+Ave+26_8_1958.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhKaC-rooXQBD0CMlu-TDbdtqGiMuZRUsMvnnayTyqC583vGjstoI9qRaMYYMY7a3OWrUnocGp6eWALUX5lZiwwGb9IjeHII3fn4-bXxJlVk5T3ycAP4sLeGpH-RadbUyR1_WGVP_8WxCP/s640/Central+Oil+Refinery+Hillview+Ave+26_8_1958.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The factory along Hillview Avenue.<br />
Green Bus service No. 5 about to turn towards (Princess) Elizabeth Drive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The <b>Central Oil Refinery</b> was built in 1951. It was one of the four original enterprises that were set up by the <i>Colonial Development Corporation</i> at Hillview Avenue to spearhead what was supposed to be the Colonial Industrial Estate at Bukit Timah.<br />
<br />
Built by local entrepreneur, Mr Lim Seow Peng, with investors from Hong Kong, it produced cooking oil, margarine and soaps derived from palm oil. <br />
In 1964, it achieved a local first breakthrough by refining a cholesterol-free poly-unsaturated oil from groundnuts and marketed as a healthy oil, free from saturated fats.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9sMwb8HXu64exNtZEmKP1syaOq-WdZaV0l80H6utJvwlkGY8eCsD34KjAxyru2gxQIkBfqiWaXnpn0H9VNwhP__yZj0Vdk_HcG4RdnESb6MJHY55GfKK0kj_peLkby_3hnasXg4P4LNt/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-15+at+2.27.09+PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9sMwb8HXu64exNtZEmKP1syaOq-WdZaV0l80H6utJvwlkGY8eCsD34KjAxyru2gxQIkBfqiWaXnpn0H9VNwhP__yZj0Vdk_HcG4RdnESb6MJHY55GfKK0kj_peLkby_3hnasXg4P4LNt/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-07-15+at+2.27.09+PM.png" width="353" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flag Brand Groundnut oil advertisement from the Central Oil Refinery.<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(extract ©NLB microfile 12158)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When the new Popular Estate was developed in the area behind the factory in the late 1960s, the factory premises was separated from the new estate by a narrow road, Jalan Batu Nilam. </div>
The close proximity resulted in a torrent of complaints from the new house owners about the air pollution and heavy oil smells emitted by the factory.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-gDtvgNvQPN0gPlO02f9xQPBRgbO34c6R97W1OfJbg3X-fLSfyYExsgBJi6echdcAD3DhPsGWPWHbeQ4icxyQRbCs_J_NV2WZ6ZcnKiUEuHIhcNIDPmVOk1-RSyOx2T52pTEn1QIlr6r/s1600/colorized-image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-gDtvgNvQPN0gPlO02f9xQPBRgbO34c6R97W1OfJbg3X-fLSfyYExsgBJi6echdcAD3DhPsGWPWHbeQ4icxyQRbCs_J_NV2WZ6ZcnKiUEuHIhcNIDPmVOk1-RSyOx2T52pTEn1QIlr6r/s400/colorized-image.jpg" width="333" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building of Popular Estate behind the refinery in 1963.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Despite much intervention and mediation by the authorities, the problem of the persistent oil smell were never fully resolved. Relief for residents only came when Hillview was re-designated from an industrial zone to a residential zone. The factory land was sold to a real-estate developer, City Development Ltd.</div>
<br />
Today, the Chantilly Rise condominium is located where once the Oil Refinery stood along Hillview Avenue.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
Related links:-<br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/factories-around-peestate-1.html" target="_blank">#1 Factories that were located at Hillview</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2011/12/factories-around-pee-2-cycle-carriage.html" target="_blank">#2 Cycle & Carriage</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-3-ford-motors.html" target="_blank">#3 Ford Motor</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-4-amoy-canning.html" target="_blank">#4 Amoy Canning</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/01/factories-around-pee-5-malayan-guttas.html" target="_blank">#5 Malayan Guttas</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-6-castrol.html" target="_blank">#6 Castrol</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/10/factories-around-pee-7-union-carbide.html" target="_blank">#7 Union Carbide</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2012/12/factories-around-pee-8-kiwi-polish-co.html" target="_blank">#8 Kiwi Polish</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/06/factories-around-pee-9-magnolia-dairies.html" target="_blank">#9 Magnolia Dairies</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2013/06/factories-around-pee-10-hume.html" target="_blank">#10 Hume Industries</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/12/factories-around-hillview-11-hong-kong.html" target="_blank">#11 Hong Kong Rope Manufacturing Co</a><br />
<a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/an-anecdotal-history-of-hillview-part-3.html" target="_blank">The Hillview Industrial Estate</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-22410660788136417842020-07-13T15:50:00.000+08:002020-07-13T18:18:04.601+08:001924 map of Hillview area.<body oncontextmenu="return false;">Recently, I was chatting with a friend about the old Singapore-Woodlands Railway, aka the <b>Tank Road-Kranji Railway</b> of 1903.
This railway ran past Hillview along Upper Bukit Timah Road. I mentioned I had an old map which showed the railway alignment and went to search my archive.
I have not used this map previously in my blog because I couldn't link much to what I could say about Princess Elizabeth Estate, it being drawn 30 years before Hillview and PEE even existed.<br />
<br />
Here is an extract of the 1924 map. I have superimposed the main roads of today's Hillview into the map for you to reference in reading the map.
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErRkipuCDWKE9xZHS4VpxJea6Bk9iUjGOeOlTC9l2AUk7pY37N9PyHqeorkIUB9i_0k5Uoz59uMMdI-tCMRUMs4GFxwUyqyXo07pyxkwu-Dso4ZmjmfYlKWXAV_ZixPqO4ZCI2XeuvXxT/s1600/Hillview+1924+map+with+road+superimposed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1600" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErRkipuCDWKE9xZHS4VpxJea6Bk9iUjGOeOlTC9l2AUk7pY37N9PyHqeorkIUB9i_0k5Uoz59uMMdI-tCMRUMs4GFxwUyqyXo07pyxkwu-Dso4ZmjmfYlKWXAV_ZixPqO4ZCI2XeuvXxT/s640/Hillview+1924+map+with+road+superimposed.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the picture for a detailed view.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
On seeing this old map and scrutinising it closely this time, I came to a realisation that I was mistaken all this while about the old 1903 rail alignment. I had always assumed that the line ran alongside Upper Bukit Timah Road from <u><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/of-udaya-and-mendoza-cafe.html" target="_blank">Mendoza Village</a></u>, up to where the Ford factory would be, and then followed the road downhill and northwards towards Bukit Panjang. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From the map, I saw that from where Ford would be, it continued up on a high embankment (in fact following what is today Hume Ave!) before coming down towards the Chartered bank /MRT Station level and then continuing on northwards. <br />
It did not run alongside Upper Bukit Timah Road from where Ford would be to the Chartered Bank! You live and you learn new things everyday. I stand corrected.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8P9dBU1QcghLHaTY7zsKIFDxVS0NocYppb0kS43-qic0Lu_txYEDXv0_x7Gh0JZ26ozoMnfo8XR9e1z45EFeKY8A6CrjMW2Vei_GWP-_bc5pwfv9CwqetizS2_6iK44HywKL11GyQ_cZS/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-07-13+at+5.32.51+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8P9dBU1QcghLHaTY7zsKIFDxVS0NocYppb0kS43-qic0Lu_txYEDXv0_x7Gh0JZ26ozoMnfo8XR9e1z45EFeKY8A6CrjMW2Vei_GWP-_bc5pwfv9CwqetizS2_6iK44HywKL11GyQ_cZS/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-07-13+at+5.32.51+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the junction of Hume Ave and Upp Bt Timah Road, just after where the old Ford factory was.<br /><br>
The 1903 Singapore Kranji Railway travelled up on the road on the left (now Hume Ave). Upp Bt Timah Road (right) went downhill from here towards Bukit Panjang. I had mistakenly assumed the old 1903 Railway followed the downhill road.<br />
The 1932 KTM Railway was on a different alignment parallel to Upp Bt Timah Road here, beyond the trees to the right.
The 1932 KTM Railway would cross Upp Bt Timah Road at the black Truss bridge near today's Rail Mall. (Jalan Asas)Pic from Google Earth,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In line with the recent articles I wrote about the <u><a href="https://ijamestann.blogspot.com/2019/10/an-anecdotal-history-of-hillview-part-2.html" target="_blank">history of Hillview</a></u>, and looking closely at the map, you can see that the entire area was marked with 'rubber trees' or rubber plantations <i>(green map symbols)</i>. So this confirmed that the entire Hillview area was a rubber growing region in 1924.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Also marked in the area around the peak of Bukit Gombak <i>(top left)</i> you can see markings of 'pineapple' symbols. This would also confirm that the Hillview region went through the agricultural stages from gambier to pineapple and lastly to rubber.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Lastly, this map also vindicates what I always debunked as a myth when people ascribe the name Bukit Batok to the 'coughing' of the dynamite blasting of the granite quarry giving rise to the name of the hill as Bukit Batok - "Coughing Hill". <i>(Map lower centre)</i><br />
The quarry at Bukit Batok, called the Poh Kim Quarry, operated only after World War 2 ended in 1945. Yet this 1924 map already had the name Bukit Batok pinned to it. So the coughing hill theory is totally debunked.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Something, you might also want to note is that in this 1924 map, Upper Bukit Timah Road and Woodlands Road were actually named as Kranji Road.<br />
<br />
This is a superimposed Google map over the 1924 which I used to get the road alignments.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8ZYodQtSIutbg-4BduBZ2R8hoOA9gdcdmgjcE-xYcuSz92LeCS-_R2k5GiVjhAvt02GUSym0-aHEeKbuZz-1IpJt4d9BWKObtDCvV5qVsNyb5KfXdkVuWPn1v09rqZK6eZ2SIZyVrwPH/s1600/Superimposed+2020+on+1924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8ZYodQtSIutbg-4BduBZ2R8hoOA9gdcdmgjcE-xYcuSz92LeCS-_R2k5GiVjhAvt02GUSym0-aHEeKbuZz-1IpJt4d9BWKObtDCvV5qVsNyb5KfXdkVuWPn1v09rqZK6eZ2SIZyVrwPH/s320/Superimposed+2020+on+1924.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Note: </b></i>The 1903 Tank Road-Kranji Railway is a different rail line to that of the <b>1932 KTM</b> (Keretaapi Tanah Melayu) Railways that ran almost in the same alignment from the black railway bridge at Rail Mall to Woodlands. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com04 Hillview Rd, Singapore 6693201.3622081801572603 103.766449311767561.3542711801572602 103.75636431176756 1.3701451801572604 103.77653431176756tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-34536663648183783202020-03-08T13:35:00.001+08:002020-03-27T12:34:28.769+08:00One Million ViewsToday, 8 March 2020, marks a milestone for my Princess Elizabeth Estate blog here.<br />
Total viewership to this blog has passed the 1,000,000 views mark.<br />
<br />
I started blogging back in 2007 when a colleague suggested I write about my travels.<br />
I found blogging quite easy and quite fun but the enthusiasm was short lived.<br />
I realised that my travel blog had no focus. It was all rambling and was going all over the place (he he, pun intended)<br />
<br />
So in 2011, I decided to focus on one topic and that was to recall the memories about the place where I grew up, my kampong Princess Elizabeth Estate.<br />
This was the place that was most dear to me, my growing up years, my neighbourhood friends, classmates, my schooldays. As a baby boomer, I watched my parents struggled through this period. The period of self-sacrifice and nation building.<br />
<br />
So I intended that some record of my early life there would somehow remain for posterity.<br />
The blog has expanded to over 190 articles to date. I hope to continue to write more about the place and I hope my readers will continue to contribute stories and photos to keep our collective memories alive.<br />
<br />
A big Thank You to all my viewers and readers for visiting over the past 9 years.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<i><b>I write so that the story that lives with me, will live with you as well. </b></i><i><b>When a story is told, it's not forgotten; it becomes something else..</b></i><i><b>the memories of who we were, </b></i><i><b>the hope of what we can become.</b></i><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Sarah's key by Tatiana de Rosnay)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzELZcc99h-tW8hGyJ2FTNjgKZU9rzbmAiz6SJNb5DJ1pvamZJomggkhtAmfOc7RYQG7dvykfpGLx5kR88jNttFdeOaTYSZmjA-cbuTtZ1o_W6_rMLvuPWCR7odLjdAy6jUTHIf7hH8TK/s1600/Screen+Shot+2020-03-08+at+1.34.45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="702" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzELZcc99h-tW8hGyJ2FTNjgKZU9rzbmAiz6SJNb5DJ1pvamZJomggkhtAmfOc7RYQG7dvykfpGLx5kR88jNttFdeOaTYSZmjA-cbuTtZ1o_W6_rMLvuPWCR7odLjdAy6jUTHIf7hH8TK/s640/Screen+Shot+2020-03-08+at+1.34.45+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></h3>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291749928176751452.post-81592236549267406032020-02-21T21:27:00.001+08:002020-02-24T07:27:24.562+08:00Lee Kuan Yew's Walkabout at Princess Elizabeth Estate 1963<body oncontextmenu="return false;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Nineteen Sixty-three was a tumultuous year both for me and for Singapore.<br />
For me, I was still in primary school learning my ABCs and Times Table. Yes, in my time, children hardly ever attended kindergarten then. We started 'learning' in primary school. I was barely cognisant of what was happening outside of my school life!<br />
<br />
For Singapore, it was a politically heady time. Singapore had declared itself independent from the United Kingdom, it appointed its own Head of State (Yang di-Pertuan Negara) and had its own Prime Minister. In de facto, Singapore freed herself from British colonisation that year. <br />
Ahead was a planned merger with some states of Malaya and Borneo, that was being opposed both locally and internationally!<br />
<br />
In the political turmoil after the 1959 election, Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew won a 1962 referendum for merger with the Federated States of Malaya and some North Borneo states to form the new Malaysia. To quell opposing views about the forth-coming merger, Mr Lee visited all 51 constituencies in Singapore in 1963 to explain their rationale for this merger.<br />
<br />
On 5th May 1963, he visited Princess Elizabeth Estate as part of his tour of Bukit Timah Constituency.<br />
<br />
Keep in mind that back in 1963, there were no resident's committees, no citizen consultative branches, no grassroots organisations, etc. Estates, kampongs, villages and settlements were all run by whoever appeared to be the leader and accepted by the community as head. All were volunteers.<br />
<br />
At Princess Elizabeth Estate, the 'management' of the estate was taken up by the community centre management committee (CCMC), who sort of oversaw more than just what took place within the community centre. They also played the role of 'estate managers' when requested and acted as liaisons with officialdom on behalf of residents in the estate.<br />
The community centre was not as yet under the purview of the People's Association. <br />
Then they were all volunteer residents from the estate who stepped forward to help their own community.<br />
<br />
I recently came across archived photos of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's visit to Princess Elizabeth Estate in 1963, during which he also laid the foundation stone for the new People's Association Community Centre building at Prince Charles Rise. These photos are from the archives of the National Archives Singapore (NAS) and all copyright belong to them. I do not own any of the attached photos.<br />
<br />
If you lived at Princess Elizabeth Estate then and can recognise anyone from these pictures, please do drop me a comment so that we can all enjoy these old memories the better.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtP6fp2dknYDdOsPMIWBULyNzxWkJJ4lkl0-12TOGqpLqWZUexufNdhk-OEW06XPqO1rq-6BgqKADqC5_Cz02-fR9WdiDDxWoq3T-jmxZdeM4Uqa5NT0r6Ye4gj6LkUjqEbvPRcOubL3Y/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Arrives+at+Elizabeth+Drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="838" data-original-width="1273" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtP6fp2dknYDdOsPMIWBULyNzxWkJJ4lkl0-12TOGqpLqWZUexufNdhk-OEW06XPqO1rq-6BgqKADqC5_Cz02-fR9WdiDDxWoq3T-jmxZdeM4Uqa5NT0r6Ye4gj6LkUjqEbvPRcOubL3Y/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Arrives+at+Elizabeth+Drive.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Lee Kuan Yew arrives at Princess Elizabeth Estate in his Landrover along Princess Elizabeth Drive.<br />
Children from Princess Elizabeth Estate School lined the road as guard of honour to welcome him.<br />
PEE School is at the far background and the row of houses at the left were the new <br />
Popular Estate terraced houses that were not yet occupied.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzag03676MZaOvFJk1UY_CM-iA0yy8mEIB1TXKHAb-O0CH6YQFmFsfavuJaXGk6wS6qnjm-oHOzbh9E1bBE1wmquXqOu-sbGnd8yYk5OeS9KHFbfsZNu-GQ8p9mr5T23p4JG4myBpr0s0/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Waving+PEES+Children+along+Elizabeth+Drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="839" data-original-width="1280" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzag03676MZaOvFJk1UY_CM-iA0yy8mEIB1TXKHAb-O0CH6YQFmFsfavuJaXGk6wS6qnjm-oHOzbh9E1bBE1wmquXqOu-sbGnd8yYk5OeS9KHFbfsZNu-GQ8p9mr5T23p4JG4myBpr0s0/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Waving+PEES+Children+along+Elizabeth+Drive.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can still vividly recall this event and more so because we schoolchildren were each given a cupcake and a bottle of <br />
Green Spot orange drink when we were re-assembled back in school after his arrival.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rBMjPgrVLhVBATxTsl4XxersWkwo1t25OOaY72xdrvSsroxHJW1uS6rPoKYLBZNosLheqkhKxBCKEISXk-upc9GMZQ_eWqgZcHQ1jNsBkaUuYYSE6c1YMbo0FsKyyfDlnF9RGuRRFHFM/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Garland+by+Dr+Rajah+Bus+Terminus+carpark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="881" data-original-width="1320" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rBMjPgrVLhVBATxTsl4XxersWkwo1t25OOaY72xdrvSsroxHJW1uS6rPoKYLBZNosLheqkhKxBCKEISXk-upc9GMZQ_eWqgZcHQ1jNsBkaUuYYSE6c1YMbo0FsKyyfDlnF9RGuRRFHFM/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Garland+by+Dr+Rajah+Bus+Terminus+carpark.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Lee being garland by Dr Raja at the car park that was also the Green Bus Terminal.<br />
Can anyone remember that Estate signboard at the bus terminal?<br />
Dr Raja, the only physician in our estate was the CCMC Chairman at the time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJHcBXCqQVkyvLtqZseQ_eAS-MgTFIlcJcK2BznnwVDwb9Er7x-l-XSmNmhOY1_N2NKCo7R6No2ZA4I_Aoii0Q0ecacTcxdzvH5gNDxsP7c4anIn2ONehqz7SCfXtxM_yS1OGCbHWF2Za/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+behind+Blk+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="1539" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYJHcBXCqQVkyvLtqZseQ_eAS-MgTFIlcJcK2BznnwVDwb9Er7x-l-XSmNmhOY1_N2NKCo7R6No2ZA4I_Aoii0Q0ecacTcxdzvH5gNDxsP7c4anIn2ONehqz7SCfXtxM_yS1OGCbHWF2Za/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+behind+Blk+21.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walkabout began with a tour of the estate and meeting residents.<br />
They were walking across the small field in front of Blk 22. In the background is the rear of Blk 21 where I lived.<br />
Dr Raja leads the entourage in front of LKY.<br />
Mr Lee Teck Hup is at the far right.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF6oOR-4TBhjbNoZs_tPcpXfX36qpUEMJ9mBx4R31gCeBO4WjzTqKq7DAhnxvgnWDxPi7LLr5HeoBP0FrxIOvd-3gaOkL2LXBOcTeJWl4ZuPn4ofxpbsetknPp8N7k34R_j1M_yjOeQWj/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+In+front+blk+22+Princess+Anne+Hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="695" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKF6oOR-4TBhjbNoZs_tPcpXfX36qpUEMJ9mBx4R31gCeBO4WjzTqKq7DAhnxvgnWDxPi7LLr5HeoBP0FrxIOvd-3gaOkL2LXBOcTeJWl4ZuPn4ofxpbsetknPp8N7k34R_j1M_yjOeQWj/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+In+front+blk+22+Princess+Anne+Hill.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing Blk 20 Princess Anne Hill, the longest block of flats in the estate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCERD2J0SkwRIpTJUPeUOeJO48JsdBa8D0O4BGAYuLEQ67HFnEfy06O2h0k20aRRgJq7_s1VhDW7ti1F_JmO2N_VK_4Iree5c8BsQDYArU5cCQE-j88U0aYVt0M02KEIAaxD-9acxaRyak/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+behonf+Blk+22+Elizabeth+Drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1322" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCERD2J0SkwRIpTJUPeUOeJO48JsdBa8D0O4BGAYuLEQ67HFnEfy06O2h0k20aRRgJq7_s1VhDW7ti1F_JmO2N_VK_4Iree5c8BsQDYArU5cCQE-j88U0aYVt0M02KEIAaxD-9acxaRyak/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+behonf+Blk+22+Elizabeth+Drive.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming down (Princess) Elizabeth Drive from Blk 24.<br />
Notice how narrow Elizabeth Drive was? With cars parking along the edge, another car can pass only in one direction.<br />
If cars came head on, someone had to reverse and back away to allow the other to pass.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZOjsfwHD7O2vHWv2XLHsHermZv2XZO0InerAWHgz9IdAIYN1kMhT-ZvhJmp-ofJ1x369mUgNeK1qVyRmsm-N4YBCMnpDVlV3BLyRpG_Gl3OvTWbuyZcKQWkBwI64NRNa6STloIGan5fy/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Elizabeth+Drive+in+front+Blk+23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="696" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZOjsfwHD7O2vHWv2XLHsHermZv2XZO0InerAWHgz9IdAIYN1kMhT-ZvhJmp-ofJ1x369mUgNeK1qVyRmsm-N4YBCMnpDVlV3BLyRpG_Gl3OvTWbuyZcKQWkBwI64NRNa6STloIGan5fy/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Elizabeth+Drive+in+front+Blk+23.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The same procession from an obverse view. LKY waving to residents at Blk 23.<br />
The man beside Dr Raja in front I can only remember as Tony Chua's father.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyOxoGH4EljRgbI9OFpl_QoYlwa6VwkTNfU7y51NzmmKPp-peWhHiz52fjtqoF30h1iW_8zQUsjr62SOoY8r_BLTbWRS9IDakFnAgqKXgIuPfr3HpeovyORlSp9jDlEc558gLtgaPhUgo/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Heading+to+Prince+Charles+Rise+CC+site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="696" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyOxoGH4EljRgbI9OFpl_QoYlwa6VwkTNfU7y51NzmmKPp-peWhHiz52fjtqoF30h1iW_8zQUsjr62SOoY8r_BLTbWRS9IDakFnAgqKXgIuPfr3HpeovyORlSp9jDlEc558gLtgaPhUgo/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+Heading+to+Prince+Charles+Rise+CC+site.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entourage heading down Princess Anne Hill to Prince Charles Rise to the new <br />
PA Community Centre building site for LKY to lay the foundation stone.<br />
Man on the left of LKY was my father, Tann Yean, who was also on the CCMC,<br />
Dr Raja on the right of LKY.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfnFArMwmozNhHsgtygXDQt7dvNfKnRSk9NDZUg_cSWvbxisB7R_XGqbzPnqhUJVQukN3QftGFSg9-yH2sYkcBPAS7pAx3jzGZQANaljBncHTXjMtGnTMoe-ujY8mXjevxoUb0gSlTkNa/s1600/LKY+1963+Walkabout+CC+Building+site+blk+17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="882" data-original-width="1318" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfnFArMwmozNhHsgtygXDQt7dvNfKnRSk9NDZUg_cSWvbxisB7R_XGqbzPnqhUJVQukN3QftGFSg9-yH2sYkcBPAS7pAx3jzGZQANaljBncHTXjMtGnTMoe-ujY8mXjevxoUb0gSlTkNa/s640/LKY+1963+Walkabout+CC+Building+site+blk+17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LKY speaking to residents on the construction site of the new PA community centre <br />
in front of Blk 17, Prince Charles Rise.<br />
He spoke about the upcoming Merger with Malaya to form Malaysia.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa21fmdRjxTya9WBuZTIJzK93ewCg8lcrVExTaz_Aptx6JbZhFHfzEFD_Ij3-5WTQJ5Prq0P_u5_sapHJyZU9oHRYFVHNX7pL2KXCiACXmwHfRS3ID4BoPFdG8pZxh8WVsVkAcxuKxP1q/s1600/img0089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQa21fmdRjxTya9WBuZTIJzK93ewCg8lcrVExTaz_Aptx6JbZhFHfzEFD_Ij3-5WTQJ5Prq0P_u5_sapHJyZU9oHRYFVHNX7pL2KXCiACXmwHfRS3ID4BoPFdG8pZxh8WVsVkAcxuKxP1q/s640/img0089.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new PA Community Centre was built over the old badminton courts and the grove of Mangosteen trees.<br />
Notice the ramshackle huts and zinc roofs on the far left? That was the old 'market' stalls.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhGGUaabiSzlqnrb2ajkx8OteJstFbp3i-qS864n9LMa5Ee8fhBFvv-gLD_4Tk1cgMUtha1CrdHgGEwRQKAM5tpDlr6SYtU7EXD7Y2cfGFf1hYPeSGlGEWho-MKIPzXkPLb452zzi5iI6/s1600/img0078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhGGUaabiSzlqnrb2ajkx8OteJstFbp3i-qS864n9LMa5Ee8fhBFvv-gLD_4Tk1cgMUtha1CrdHgGEwRQKAM5tpDlr6SYtU7EXD7Y2cfGFf1hYPeSGlGEWho-MKIPzXkPLb452zzi5iI6/s640/img0078.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Lee laying the foundation stone for the new Community Centre.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJF686yTrJ_z5ti2TPqKXK4GUQ35c6zQeD0i_Cl7KevvUGHyjphDUe9aTooDnzYXin1lyAo_pKf-Bo9cf8TNU4BROE7Uhy94GbD9t1jnY5kNjRAytEGGOM5BuYoqZloaPukU4zYRV8-m3/s1600/img0091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="768" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJF686yTrJ_z5ti2TPqKXK4GUQ35c6zQeD0i_Cl7KevvUGHyjphDUe9aTooDnzYXin1lyAo_pKf-Bo9cf8TNU4BROE7Uhy94GbD9t1jnY5kNjRAytEGGOM5BuYoqZloaPukU4zYRV8-m3/s640/img0091.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5