Guest blogger - Grace Seah

My dad used to work at Malayan Guttas as the Bookkeeper/Clerk in their office.  

We seem to have an endless supply of Wrigley's chewing gum at home during those days but funny enough I never enjoyed them!  My dad used to call the base product that was manufactured at the factory as jelutong.

The Malayan Guttas factory with Princess Elizabeth Estate in the foreground.

The American bosses at Malayan Guttas were very kind to their staff.  

One story my father told me was that most residents at P.E.E. were from low income families who worked in that vicinity.  

When my parents first moved to the estate, they didnt have much savings and so my dad on his first day of work had no proper shoes to wear.  

Instead he patched his old pair of shoes by hand just so they wont fall apart when he walked, hoping to be able to afford a new pair by the next pay day.  

His American boss saw that and immediately arranged for a salary advance on his first day of work so that my dad could buy new shoes to wear to work.  

That story of kindness has stayed in my memory ever since. In fact I ended up being his boss daughter's penpal for many years. She lived on Staten Island, New York and we corresponded by letters for many years. 

My dad and his colleague working at Malayan Guttas.

My dad continued to work at Malayan Guttas after we left right up to the day he retired.  

(After moving out in 1968) he ploughed all the way there and back from East Coast Road to Bukit Timah and back everyday to earn a living for his family.

I would pine for my old school and I even begged my parents to let me follow dad to school everyday. But of course that would have been so impractical.

My mum would tell me that for a long time after we moved out of our flat, during lunch time, my dad would drive over to the green park just infront of our flat and sit under the beautiful flame of the forest tree and just stare at the balcony of our flat in silence, just reminiscing of precious days gone by. 

Related link: No more chewing gum at P.E.Estate.

Photos from ex-residents (10) - Grace Seah

Grace Seah left Princess Elizabeth estate when she was only 9 years old but still remembers vividly her years spent there. Especially of her years growing up with her friends from P.E.E School and with her neighbours.  Grace now lives in Perth, Australia. These pictures are from  her.

The Dance Group photo was taken on 31 May 1968 at the annual primary school sports day held at the
football field bounded by the 3 rows of low rise houses.
I am 4th from the left (front row) and Grace Chua is the first girl seated from the left.
The teacher /dance instructor was Miss Cherry Tan.

This pic of Rosanna Ong (left) and me was taken at the green park just in front of my block 19. 

I remember there was a beautiful Flame of the Forest tree
 and I think we were probably standing right below it.
Rosanna Ong used to be our neighbour and we used to climb over to each other's homes via the balcony.

My brother Eddie & me on our balcony.  My parents would place a "bangku" just next to the dividing wall between my neighbour, the Ongs. that we could climb over to each other homes easily.  Many happy times were spent interacting with our neighbours in this manner.  Our balcony was also our "garden".  My parents would plant herbs and other flowering plants in pots in our balcony.   

My neighbours and grandma playing cheekee in our dining room.  

There was a big table in our dining room which doubled up as the dining table. 

It was made of solid timber and we used the same linoleum floor covering as the table "cloth" 

The Ong sisters, Eddie & me under the lovely Flame of the Forest tree. I will never forget that tree with its vibrant red flowers and recall always feeling a cool breeze emanating from the tree whenever it was a hot day.  It was pure and unadulerated "airconditioning" back then.  The Lee sisters used to lay a tikar mat on the grass on lazy afternoons and I often joined them there to play with Claire.

Photos from ex-residents (9) - Eddie Tan

Eddie Tan used to live at #113B (Blk 19) at Princess Elizabeth Estate.
Eddie sent me his 1965 class photo when he was in Primary 3A.

He is hoping to make contact with as many former classmates as he can via this blog.
If anyone can recall being with Eddie from 1963 to 1968 at Princess Elizabeth Estate School, please do send in a comment.

Primary 3A of 1965.
(Click on the picture for a larger detailed view)

Seated L-R: Kwok Li Choo, Eddie Gan Chong Lek, Goh Peng Sum, Form Teacher Ms Tan Hong Eng, See Yang Chee, Eddie Tan, Song?

Centre L-R: Foo Sek Sen, Chew Ah Lan, Azizah, Grace Oh,  Poh Chew Yong, Lim Song Boon, Chan Yoke Meng, Lee Suh Yang, Deborah Phua, Lim? Kim Cheng,  Chua Sok Wee, Esther Wee, Lee Yuh Mei, Lim Nyuk Foong, Ho Kok Wah

Back L-R: Thia Boon Hwa, Tay Boon Kok, Leong?, Abdul Fattah, Leong Wing Soon, Chong Tian Seng, ?, Sarawan, Sim Khee Lian, Loh Kim Chong, Ranjit Singh, Hashim, ?, Ong Ee Tong, Choo Chuan Huat, Andrew, Mokhtar Ali

36 pupils identified (3 partial), 2 unidentified.

Reunited via this blog: 8 
Eddie Tan
Deborah Phua
Choo Chuan Huat
Lee Yuh Mei
Esther Wee
Sim Khee Lian
Mark Tay Boon Kok
Amy Poh Chew Yong.

On a happy note, a previous photo sent in by Brenda Low of Ms Pat Ortega's 1961 class managed to round up 20 of the 30 classmates! This is fantastic. I believe that they are trying to organise a reunion next January. Just hope they don't forget to invite me too!


Tip: if you are sending in a comment below, select "NAME/URL" instead of Anonymous when prompted. 
Then type in your name so that the comment will be attributed to you instead of Anonymous.

Bees invade Princess Elizabeth Estate

On the evening of 4th August 1981, a block of flats at Princess Elizabeth Estate was invaded by a large swarm of bees.

This tale was told to me by Wendy Ng, who lived at the affected block at that time with her brothers and parents.
It was her brother Wilson, as reported in the Straits Times the following day, who called the Environment Ministry about the danger to the residents.

Strangely, they were informed that the Ministry would only send workers to eradicate the bee hive only the next morning !
I wonder if this is the normal operating procedure?  Wouldn't the danger of getting stung warrant an immediate response to this situation?
The report also mentioned that 2 residents were already stung by the bees. Just turn off the lights and shut your doors and windows, advised the Police.

Hmm, in today's age of social media, I wonder how the people would respond to this kind of advice.

I guess that's the price you pay when your estate is located beside the luscious natural greenery that is Bukit Gombak.

Blk 22 Princess Anne Hill where Wendy lived with her family.
Many residents also knew this as the 'Gonzales' block.
Mr Raphael Gonzales was the PAP MP for Serangoon Gardens in the 60s
and lived the ground floor unit on the left. Wendy lived on the 3rd floor above him.

A follow-up report in the Straits Times of 6 August 1981.

.

Primary School Diamond Jubilee

Fifty years ago in 1962, I enrolled into Princess Elizabeth Estate School as a Primary One pupil.
I was placed into Primary 1C under the care of Miss Tan Gek Eng. Six years later, I graduated from this school.

Since that time, I have not been back to the school except for a short period from 1994 to 1996, when I placed my son in my alma mater for his primary school education. Even then, I hardly visited the school except for the occasional parents-teacher meetings. I had never attended any of its anniversary celebrations, be it the 25th, 30th or 50th.
This year 2012, the school celebrates its 60th Diamond anniversary.

So what made it so different that I finally attended an anniversary dinner?
Well, for one, it may be because of this very blog that I maintain about Princess Elizabeth Estate.
The primary school is intrinsically connected with the old estate.
(Although the school had moved to Bukit Batok New Town). 

In fact, it is probably the only surviving entity from the old estate as with the old school building that still exists at Elizabeth Drive.
And since it's the only remaining survivor from our time I should at least see if some connections are still to be found.

Another reason was that I was persuaded by some of you who read my blog and I would be letting you all down by not turning up. Thanks especially to Shoen Kang who arm-wrestled me to attend by getting his brother Shoen Yih who was my old classmate at PEES to attend as well. I guess it was a good chance for an old reunion of sorts.

The celebrations were held last night, 9 Nov 2012, at the school premises at Bukit Batok.
The guest of honour was Dr Tony Tan, the President of Singapore.
The theme for their anniversary celebration was From Golden to Diamond which meant they focussed on the last 10 years of school development. Probably in line with the current principal's tenure?

As expected, I didn't recognise any of the people there, most being from the later generation.
But at least I got to meet people I already knew through facebook and through this blog like Wendy Ng, Hrh A Sean, Shoen Keng and his siblings. It was the first time we were meeting each other in person.


Here are some pictures I took of the event.

President Tony Tan about to cut the 60th birthday cake.

The school hall where the dinner was held.

Guests at my table,  Andrew, Wendy and Shoen Yih

All attendees were given a goodies bag - door gifts and souvenirs.

Included in each bag was a unique gift made by the students themselves. Mine was from Daniel of Pri 5E.

Everyone went home with a huge diamond! I am rich now.

Former teachers with former students.
Mrs Lim Choon Hui, Wendy Ng, Hrh A Sean (Andrew), Yum Shoen Keng, Mrs Kannan, Mrs Krishna.

Mrs Kannan chatting with Shoen Keng and Shoen Li.
Mrs Kannan came over specially to our table to say she reads this blog!

Andrew and Wendy,  former classmates!

Their new gallery showcases.

Memorabilia of past events at Princess Elizabeth primary school

The old school bell.

Hmm, wonder what the Swiss Cottage Sec Sch badge is doing in the showcase?
What is missing from the display is an old PEES school badge, the original one with the latin motto.

Last pictures of P.E.Estate before demolition.

Last evening, I was fortunate to be able to attend the 60th anniversary dinner of Princess Elizabeth Primary School. I was seated at a table with my ex-classmate, Shoen Yih, whom I had not met for nearly 45 years. With him were his three siblings, Shoen Liang, Shoen Yi and Shoen Keng, who were also ex- P.E.E. School students.

Also with me at this table were two others whom I knew only through my blog and via Facebook. They were Wendy Ng and Hrh A Sean (Andrew). Though we had communicated through Facebook, it was the first time that we were all meeting each other face to face.

I was very touched when Wendy, who knew I would be at the function, produced out of her treasured memorabilia, an old newspaper cutting she had brought specially for me. Thank you Wendy!
The 1994 newspaper spreadsheet was an article on Princess Elizabeth Estate just before it was to be demolished. Sadly, the photos in the article showed the estate in its last neglected state.
Here are the pictures I scanned out from the article as well as the original write up in Chinese.

Princess Elizabeth Estate in 1994.
Sadly, ageing and waiting for its impending demise.
Most of the residents have moved on and the flats shuttered.
In the rear is Blk 23, Blk 22(left) and Blk 20 (centre).
Front left Blk 17 and right Blk 18.

The old commemorative signboard that was moved
to the football field between PEE and Hillview Estate.

Click on the newspaper article to read it in a larger size

Bro Roger Photo Collection (4) - St Joseph Church Bukit Timah

Bro. Roger has lived at Boy's Town since 1953.
As Boy's Town is located just beside the parish church of St Joseph at Bukit Timah, he was witness to the demolition of the 1905 church building and the re-building of the present church.

St Joseph Church just before the demolition in 1963.
The church was built in 1905 replacing the original wooden/brick church of 1853.

As the new church would sit on the same plot of land, it was constructed firstly behind the old church.
When the partly constructed church was ready, the transept used for services while the old church was demolished to build the main church hall. This picture shows the old and new portions of the church in 1963.

Fr. Joachim Teng rebuilt St Joseph Church in 1965. New renovations were added in 2010.
(Photo: ©James Tann 2012)

(Source: Fr Rene Challet MEP)
This was the original wooden/brick Church of St Joseph built in 1853 by French missionaries.
The church was built on a hillock at 9-1/2 ms (16km) Bukit Timah Road on land
bought from the English East India Company.
From 1846 to 1853, St Joseph operated from a small chapel at Bokokang Village in Kranji.

Related links:
Bro Roger Photo Collection (1)
Bro Roger Photo Collection (2)
Bro Roger Photo Collection (3)
St Joseph Church Bukit Timah
The French Connection