January 2014
A Unique Dining Table
Ever come across an oval-shaped dining table? Well, this picture (from Sally Everist) shows the late John Allison‘s dining room. Unique isn’t it – since most homes have either long, rectangular tables or round tables in their dining rooms 🙂
More Tales from the Local Barber…
Here’s a gem from Ruth Rollitt. The little boy is her son, all anxious about his new hair cut 🙂
Seen This Before?
Familiar? Well this is none other than the Veterinary Research Institute, Ipoh. This 1953 photo is from Ruth Rollitt.
Recognise the building? I wonder if the facade has changed over the years….
The Tarcisian Convent Library, 1967
Calling all Tarcisian Convent (Ipoh) Girls! Remember what your school library looked liked in the 1960s? Well, here’s a little clue for you. I’m sure much of the interior has changed over the years. For the present generation of Tarcisian Girls, DO tell us about the ‘new additions’ to your school library 🙂
Thaipusam Greetings
We thank Alison Caldwell for sharing these pictures with us. They were taken when she lived here in Perak in the 1950’s. Has much change been made to the festival since then?
On that note, how was Thaipusam celebrated in YOUR part of town?
Have You Heard…of Wilkinson Road?
We received this from Alan Steel, with the words Wilkinson Rd from the back seat of a bus. Do any of you know WHERE Wilkinson Road is? Since many road names in Ipoh have been changed over the years, I wonder what the new name is. Or, perhaps I got it wrong…and this place is not Ipoh after all?
Cinema Seats!
Remember these seats? All you movie buffs out there, especially those who visited the old cinemas (not the modern cineplexes), I’m sure you’ll recall sitting on similar chairs.
The 12 Inf. Hairdresser!
We thank Graham Barton for sharing these pictures with us. Do you remember such Hairdressers? Do they still use those(ever sharp!) razors/blades and ‘Good Morning’ towels? Looking at these pictures, I couldn’t help but think about the famed Star Barber – who once ran their business at Belfield Street 🙂
On that note, how much would a standard haircut and shave cost today?
New Book, Road to Revolution
“Chan Sue Meng, the author of “Road to Revolution – Dr. Sun Yat Sen and His Comrades in Ipoh”, is the great-great-granddaughter of Lee Guan Swee, leader of the Tong Meng Hui (Chinese Revolutionary Alliance) in Ipoh, Malaya, during the 1911 Revolution. Two years ago, upon learning about the great deeds of her ancestor and portions of family memoirs, she decided to compile an annal of the activities of Dr. Sun and his revolutionaries in Ipoh, in an attempt to present the trail that was left behind by Dr. Sun and its impact on Ipoh.” – Wong Sin Kiong, Associate Professor, Department of Chinese Studies, National University of Singapore.
The above book can be purchased at the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall for $S 12.00 (RM 30.00). The book will probably be re-launched in Ipoh later.
Famous Names – Run Run Shaw
(Picture 1: Run Run Shaw)
(Picture 2: Runme Shaw)
We pay tribute to Run Run Shaw, of the famed Shaw Brothers, who passed away in Hong Kong yesterday.
The Shaw Organisation began in 1924, with operations in Singapore screening their own brand of silent movies. Frustrated by local distributors, they set up their own cinema, “The Empire”, to screen their movies. Led by brothers Run Run and Runme Shaw, they began to branch out into Malaysia building new cinemas and operating a mobile cinema for rural areas. However, it was only with the advent of sound that movies began to really launch themselves – by 1933 the Shaw’s had produced the Cantonese opera film ‘Normal Dragon’ which proved a breakthrough for them in both Singapore and Hong Kong. [more can be found at – http://www.hkcinema.co.uk/Articles/shawbronews.html ]
I’m sure many movie-lovers out there remember these famous brothers and their contribution to the cinematic industry. I was not born in that era, but from what I’ve read (and heard) the Shaw Brothers always had interesting ways of advertising the up-and-coming movies. (see sample below)
The Gunong Panjang Camp
We thank Alan Steel for this picture. It shows the camp and gates of the 12th Inf. at Gunong Panjang. I’m just making a guess and putting this location at Tambun Road (though I could be wrong). Is this place still called ‘Gunong Panjang’? Or, perhaps the camp has relocated? Hope those familiar with the area could help us out 😉
Something for the Foodies!
[ Warning: the picture below may cause some of you to drool excessively 😉 ]
We thank Alison Cotterill (nee Caldwell) for this one. To what we were told, this was taken at a wedding – and yes, folks…the guests are eating on banana leaves!
So, fellow Foodies…when was the last time YOU had a banana-leaf meal? 🙂
