Remember This?
Yes, this archway was decorated specially for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Notice the building that says ‘Borneo Motors’ (which is now a restaurant/pub called ‘OverTime’). Brewster Road was rather quiet in those days, wasn’t it? 
I wonder…..when was the facade of this archway renovated to it’s present design?
Renovated? I think this archway was only a temporary one coz looking at the sides of the pillars, it looked rather flimsy.
Well spotted Jeremy, that’s what we expected someone to point out. Over the years there have been many temporary arches built in this spot and also at the bridge in Hugh Low Street. They were almost always funded by local associations in honour of something important. We wonder when the present permanent arch was put up by the City Council and why it is sticking out into the carriageway making it a hazard for motorists.
Can anyone help us out here regarding the present archway please?
Ika, City Council is well known for making ugly structure serving no purpose. A case in point is the bridge at Hugh Low Street, the Ipoh Padang, of course the Brewster Road arch, the structures in Polo ground and so on and of course the former People’s Park ugly structure. I remember City Council used to put up a lane in front of the market opposite the Yik Foong complex. It took them a few months before they realised that it caused a traffic jam with only one taxi stopping in front the the whole line of taxis could not move out. Remember our beautiful bougenvilles (Ipoh is a Bougenville City) and the flower pots bought great expense in the middle of the road? Wonder what happened to them? Then there are those potted plants in the road dividers which block the view of on-coming traffic. I was passing the small garden next to the Suen Hotel and noticed that it has become a jungle. The grass are tall and no one seems to water the plants or trim the grass. I wonder why they bother to plant flowers and not take care of them.
I echo SY Lee’s comments in toto.
As an Ipohite, I am especially irked by the pathetic sight of People’s Park now, deserted and languishing at the mercy of weathering, just to name one.
And now the powers-that-be is mulling the development of kayaking at the smelly and shallow Kinta River. Please, clean up the river first.
SYLee and PT, you and I know why ‘useless and ugly structures’ are being put up! Each time there is a project money flies around, if you know what I mean. So, we have a lovely collection of these items in our lovely city!
Borneo Motors was renovated by my father the Danish architect B M Iversen in the 1950s. This is the garage we bought our petrol from – we had a book that we signed when we filled the car – and were billed once a month.