SMI Military Band
The St Michael’s Institution military band, somewhere in the late 1960s…
I wanted to be a drummer boy, but they gave my a euphonium, so I played that instead.
We thank Andrew YC Loh for the above picture and caption.
The St Michael’s Institution military band, somewhere in the late 1960s…
I wanted to be a drummer boy, but they gave my a euphonium, so I played that instead.
We thank Andrew YC Loh for the above picture and caption.
We thank Mun Chor Seng for this photo. Here we have Ipoh’s black-and-white Amahs walking in a Wesak Day Parade. This is of course Brewster Road…and one of the shop houses in the background is none other than Lean Kap Seng’s photographic studio (which many of you may know as Scoop photo studio).
This photo was not taken in Ipoh, but it is rather interesting. I’d like to draw your attention to the sign, which simply reads as: “You are now entering Malacca Settlement White Area”.
Did we have “white areas” in Ipoh too at some point?
We thank Chee Ong Ngai for sharing this photo with us.
The activity appears to be centred around the England Dobi Shop where the procession may well have stopped to give a demonstration, and there are large numbers of spectators in attendance. Numerous vehicles in the street are probably being delayed by the festivities and have formed a traffic jam.
I wonder which part of town this was….
Yes, this is a sample of a 1 cent note. Some of you might remember this.
(Sorry, no prizes for guessing WHOSE face is printed on the note π )
Here’s a relatively easy one. I’m sure you can guess where this is π
We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this photo.
Here’s another scene from an ACS play. This one is from Carousel, back in 1977. The pretty girl striking a ballerina pose is none other than Michelle Yeoh!
We thank Ong Su-Ming for sharing this photo with us.
Some of you may have already guessed this play, merely by the “balcony scene”. π
This play was organised by none other than the ACS Music and Drama Society, back in 1976. Just to refresh your memories (if you’ve watched it), the leading roles were played by Tan Seow Heng (Juliet) and Emmet O’Sullivan (Romeo).
We thank Ong Su-Ming for sharing this photograph with us.
Believe it or not, these children are having a blast by the Kinta River! Yes, there was a time you could swim at this river….
This picture was taken from the ACS centenary magazine, probably before the start of the school play. We thank our donor Ong Su-Ming.
Remember these tickets? Yes? No? Perhaps you might remember the bus (see below)
If I’m not mistaken, the number plate reads as AB 270….
We thank our donor Ong Su-Ming for this picture, which was taken from the 100th Voyage 1895-1995 (an ACS, Ipoh magazine).
Do you remember this play, back in 1952? Or, perhaps you caught the later adaptation in 1962?
When was the last time you saw such an advertisement? I for one have never come across such creativity!
We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this picture.
Some of you may already recognise this at the Rex Cinema, in Kampar. We thank Chee Ong Ngai for sharing this picture with us.
Here’s another gem from our donor Harvant Lisa Harper. Do you recognise the buildings in the background?
No, that’s not me. Rather another lad, who was obviously proud of his family car (I would presume).
Nothing like a good ‘ol Lion Dance Troupe to welcome Chinese New Year. Speaking of which, has anyone here been part of a troupe at some point in your youth? (maybe you were ‘part’ of the ‘lion’ too?)
This guy certainly wanted to join in the fun! Read more here.
picture source: NST online
We thank Chee Ong Ngai for sharing this with us. Looks like it was part of a magazine or booklet. Do you recognise it?
Back in 1954, there was a charity show at the Anglo-Chinese Girls’ School. It was for a good cause – to aid the educational work among the Dayaks in Borneo.
Did you catch the recital and one-act play?
No, this isn’t part of a circus troupe. Neither is this a Chinese New Year celebration (yes, I know some of you spotted the ‘lion’ in the background).
This is actually part of the Nine Emperor Gods Festival parade. We thank our donor – Ann Kesselring Hamon – for sharing this with us.
Here’s another picture from that parade.
Other than the slight change in the logo, what else do you notice?
Is it a bird…is it a plane…..? No, they are most likely staring at the Birch Clock Tower.
The gentleman (holding some papers) is none other than Rev J Appaduray. The boys in the background are students from St Michael’s Insitution.
Here’s another picture of the group:
(read the full story here)
We thank Gary Au Yong for this picture. Seems like the pilot is making a final inspection before the plane leaves the airport. Yes, in case you didn’t recognise the building in the background…this is, of course, the Ipoh Airport.
(picture courtesy of Hovid)
This photograph shows Fujiwara Iwaichi with Captain M. Akram, adjutant to General Mohan Singh, at Fujiwara Kikan headquarters at the Anderson School, Ipoh, on 5th January 1942.
The military headquarters was established by Fujiwara Kikan, the military intelligence agency, on New Year’s Day 1942. The building also served as the headquarters of Indian Independence League (IIL), the Indian National Army (INA), the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM), and the Sumatran Youth Association.
source: BWF Virtual Museum
Looks like a beautiful painting, doesn’t it? This postcard shows the hot springs at Tambun, Ipoh. It was posted to France on 28 August 1913. It shows three men in front of the geyser; behind the geyser are the famed Limestone cliffs of the Kinta Valley. This, of course, is a Kaulfuss postcard π
The month of August is usually known as “bulan Merdeka” (Merdeka/Independence Month). But did you also know that the earliest cinematograph first came to Ipoh in August 1906?
Initially the cinematograph market was monopolized by one company, the Matsuo Japanese Cinematograph Company, who used to hold nightly shows in a tent for 7-weeks running, moving from city to city. The following year however, he had competition in the form of 3 other cinematograph companies, each employing different novelties to attract crowds. (read more here)
Here’s a comparison of F&N bottles over the years. If I’m not mistaken, the first bottle is from the 1940s. The one in the centre may have come out a few years later. The last one of course is today’s modern creation.
This was what the Japanese Garden (sponsored by the Perak Turf Club) once looked like. Of course, this picture was taken back in the 1980s. Sadly, this lovely tourist spot fell under poor maintenance and neglect over the years. It even fell prey to vandals π
I don’t know what has become of this place today.
However, there was another Japanese Garden built at D R Seenivasagam Park (formerly known as Coronation Park). This garden seems to have survived over the years, and has also been given a ‘facelift’ of sorts. (read more about it here)
The people of Ipoh had an opportunity to witness an aeroplane for the first time on July 1 1911! G P Kuller – one of the earliest aviators β staged a 4-day flight exhibition in Ipoh.
Thousands congregated at the race course, with 150 Europeans occupying the 1st and 2nd class seats. The 3rd and 4th class ticket-holders were largely Asian, while an even larger crowd assembled outside on Tambun Road. (read more here)
Do you recall the first time you boarded a plane?
We thank Ipoh Remembered for this advertisement, which of course is from Cold Storage Ltd.
Here’s an idea for the weekend – indulge in your preferred flavour of ice cream (with your favourite toppings too!)
We thank Conrad Pregrave-Payne for the above picture. We believe that the gentleman in the dark suit is Sir R. G. Watson (Resident of Perak). The venue of course is the Kinta Club, which catered to both horse racing and golf.
With Raya round the corner, many will be travelling back to their hometowns this year. Of course, such kampong houses (like the ones above) may no longer be around…but they were once a common sight.
The above badge has the words βChristian Brothersβ Schoolsβ and βSignum Fideiβ clearly printed on it, one at the bottom of the badge and the other at the top. In between there is an image of Peninsula Malaysia as well as a figure of a Catholic Brother. At the top end of the image of Peninsula Malaysia the numbers β1852β can be seen while at the lower end the numbers β1952β are printed.
This is an advertisement from a 1967 newspaper (The Straits Times). Any fans of F&N here? Which was your favourite flavour?
We have here a tin of Ovaltine teething rusks. According to our donor (Mr Chan Hoe Cheng), this tin is about 55 years old!
We received this lovely photo from Eric Low. He’s hoping for any information regarding the young people in the above photo.
In his own words:
Once upon a time there was this band in Ipoh who called themselves “The Rain People” (**) … The 1968 or 1969 picture below was taken in one of the Catholic Churches in Ipoh when and where we performed at the birthday party of Rev Bro Ultan Paul of SMI ….Enlisting your assistance to see if any of you recognise some of the faces, for me to reconnect with a couple of them …Left to right (standing): We were all ex-MichaeliansMichael Wong (with the drumsticks, whom I know is still in the UK; lost contact).Next to him – David Hew (whose family owned the Orchid Farm off Tambun Road, which he took over in running; still in Ipoh I am guessing; lost contact).Miss Wong Mei Ching (of Housing Trust, she was a 6th Former at SMI then).Yours truly. to Mei Ching’s left ….Guy in the glasses was my best friend, Richard Chan, who sadly passed away many yeas ago; I managed to get him Aussie citizenship in the 1970s.And in centre frame (always wanting to be different), sitting down, is Zainal from Kampung Manjoi (someone whom I am desperately trying to reconnect with …)I am praying that some of these innocent faces of a yesteryear ring a bell with someone out there …
…Ipoh was declared a city! Here’s one memorable newspaper cutting of the celebrations. (more samples can be found here)
A red envelope or a red packet (in Mandarin it’s known as hongbao) is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions such as weddings, graduation or the birth of a baby.
That being said, I’m sure some of the young ones out there will be looking forward to receiving this ‘good fortune’ come Chinese New Year π
Here’s a sample of ‘hongbao’ from back then…
In keeping up with the Halloween theme, here’s a familiar landmark that may have had its fair share of spooky tales…
Somewhat triangular in shape the Odeon is adjacent to St Michael’s Catholic graveyard and like the post-war Rex Theatre, rumours that it is haunted abound. One popular rumour is that if you ever take off your shoes inside, you will never find them when the light comes on — even if nobody has sat in front, behind or next to you. Although the theatre was air conditioned, management would occasionally conserve energy by opening the doors on the side facing the graveyard creating a rather spooky feeling. The Theatre seated 850 on its main floor and in the balcony.
This is an example of what one can do with a used Milo tin – turning it into an oil lamp π
Which brings us to this interesting article in today’s Star newspaper.
Any ‘collectors’ reading this? We’d love to hear your thoughts…
I’m sure you’ve heard of the Malaysian Red Cross Society, which later became the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. No, we’re not recruiting members….just wondered if anyone of you remember the badges from back then. Perhaps you were members of such clubs back in school? [As Ipoh Remembered has pointed out, the actual Red Cross badges have a red coloured cross, not white as in the above images]
On that note, here’s a little history from Wikipedia:
The Malaysian Red Crescent has its beginnings in 1948 as branches of the British Red Cross Society in the former British North Borneo (now the Malaysian state of Sabah) and Sarawak. In 1950, the British Red Cross Society established the first branch in Penang in the Federation of Malaya from which it rapidly expanded its presence in the other states.
Upon the independence of the Federation of Malaya on 31 August 1957, the branches in Malaya were reorganised as the Federation of Malaya Red Cross Society and the society was officially incorporated by statute with the passing of the Federation of Malaya Red Cross Society (Incorporation) Act 1962 by Parliament. On 4 July 1963, the Federation of Malaya Red Cross Society received official recognition as an independent national society by the International Committee of the Red Cross and subsequently admitted as a member of the League of Red Cross Societies on 24 August 1963.
With the formation of the larger federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the Malaysian Red Cross Society (Incorporation) Act 1965 to incorporate the Federation of Malaya Red Cross Society and the branches of the Red Cross Society in Sabah and Sarawak under the name of the Malaysian Red Cross Society was passed by Parliament and gazetted on 1 July 1965. On 5 September 1975, the Malaysian Red Cross Society was renamed the Malaysian Red Crescent Society by the passing of the Malaysian Red Cross Society (Change of Name) Act 1975 by Parliament.
Back in 1952, Countess Mountbatten visited St Michael’s Institution. As President of the St John Ambulance Association in London she toured Malaya, visiting centres where St John Ambulance activities were organised. In this photograph, she’s addressing an assembly at the school hall – where she declared a half-holiday (much to the students delight!).
This photograph was taken during the official opening of the new ACS Library and wing, on 11 June 1955. The gentleman unveiling the tablet is said to be the Perak Deputy Menteri Besar. Does anyone know who he was?
Also in the photograph are: Methodist Bishop Raymond Archer (left) and school Principal Ralph Kesselring (right).
Special thanks to our donor – Ann Kesselring Hamon.
Taken in Papan in the grounds of the Raja Bilah complex outside the Rumah Besar (also known as a Rumah Godang), this photograph shows Raja Yaacob in ceremonial Malay dress with several other Malay men seated or standing around a table. There is a label on the table in Jawi that we believe translates into Hari Raya 1333, which would date the photograph as either 1912 or 1913 in the Gregorian calendar.
Those of you who’ve guessed it already know this to be part of the Elim Gospel Church. But what was this building used for?
We thank Ann Kesselring Hamon for sharing this photo with us. We were told that this was taken in 1957, at ACS Ipoh.
We thank Sai Chew Yin for sharing this with us. In his words “Lee Heng is synonymous with the Yin family living in Ipoh for three generations, had many fond and happy memories growing up in our home/shop“.
With reference to our previous blog, Sai added “The receipt was made out by one of our staff members, Mr Kwan Kam Tong“.
We thank Barat Kumar for sending us this picture. In his own words, Barat explains:
“As we bear witness to the passing of a great man I would like to share this picture of Our beloved Mr Selvamany. Picture was taken on 14 July 1972 at a farewell assembly. This was when he went on transfer. From left Thian Hock (?) and Chong Kee Seng.Accompanying Mr Selvamany is Principal”
Some time ago, we featured a wooden ice shaver. Well, here’s a picture of how one would shave ice – the traditional way π
There is also a bit more about the men behind the Milo Tricycle, on this Ipoh Echo link.
The picture shows the Perak XI Football Team (back 1957), in Ipoh. Do you remember them?
Anyone here a fan of spelunking? Hmm…maybe I’ve lost you guys for a minute π
Spelunking is the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby. So, back to the question in hand; anyone here been spelunking before? If so, have you come across this cave (picture below)? This place is somewhere in Ipoh, by the way…
Remember the time (back in school) when you received an award for excellent exam results? I remember getting an award for good PMR results (though I can’t recall what the prize was).
Well, back in 1947 Dawn Kathigasu received an award for bravery! The gentleman beside her is Mr A. Aston (British Resident Commissioner for Perak).
On this date, in 1948, the movie “The Boy with Green Hair” played at Ruby in Ipoh. Anyone watched this movie? Did Peter’s hair turn back to its original colour?
When The Falcons had to end due to their manager quitting, the band members, Joe Chin, Michael Ho, Christopher Choong and Thomas Ham decided to concentrate on their education, leaving the stuffed Falcon (the bandβs mascot) with Christopher. But not long after that, Joe and Michael found two other guys, (Kenny Ham, Thomasβ brother and Vincent Joseph, his cousin), who shared their interest and together they formed ‘The Teenage Fentons‘….
Just wondering…any of the members of the Teenage Fentons still around? We’d love to hear from you π
This play opened in 1938. Some of you may be too young to recall this…or were not even born yet. Then, there was a 1952 film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A similar production came out in 2017 (titled “The Greatest Showman”), which also revolved around the famed duo Barnum & Bailey.
For the movie-buffs out there, can you identify the poster shown above? Was it for the 1938 play…or the 1952 movie?
In the 1960s, a magician by the name of John Calvert drove from the Ipoh Airport to Lido Cinema…blindfolded! No, I’m not kidding; the above picture was taken at Cockman Street showing Calvert in an Austin Gypsy..with his eyes covered.
We’re not encouraging you to try this stunt…but we’re wondering if anyone out there remembers John Calvert and his magic show π
Special thanks to SK and Ooi Kean Chye for these photos. On the left is NTPS Pasir Puteh back in 1962, on the right is the same school today (2019).
SK also shared with us: “In the 1962 picture, in between the buildings in the middle was where we took our pictures. On the left of the picture was the School Lavatory, then School Tuck Shop. We used to hang around the Tuck Shop….The school field on the further left had gone & replaced by double storey classes. The Headmaster residents, the Day Teacher’s Centre, The Dental Clinic on the left all gone“.
Students from NTPS Jalan Pasir Puteh are probably grinning at the screen now. As for the former students…has the school changed much over the years? Maybe some of you have old photos of the building back then…do share them with us.
On that note, how many of you remember YOUR first day at school? Was it exciting? Scary? Did it end in tears? Did you make friends with everyone? Or…maybe you preferred to sit in the corner of the classroom with your head down? Do share some of your “First Day at School” stories with us π
If they ever came to life (like in those Disney cartoons), perhaps these vehicles would have been good friends π
Here we have a bicycle, a car and a van; all three of them ‘worked’ for Ho Yan Hor.
We’d like to hear from the car-lovers out there – can you identify the type of car shown in this picture?
No, we’re not being ‘bitter’ about it…but did anyone realise that this beautiful floral clock is no more? For those who’ve never had the chance to see it, here are two pictures for you; both are from Ann Kesselring Hamon. The lady in white (left image) is Ann’s mother Florence Kesselring. As for the right image, it was taken from a 35mm Kodachrome slide.
For those (like me) who have never seen this lovely clock, it was once part of the Japanese Garden along Tambun Road.
Left image: Simee New Village, 1951 (from the Kinta Valley Book) Right image: Simee today (picture from the Star, 12th October 2018)
No, thisΒ was said to be the temporary building for the Anglo Chinese Girls’ School, back in the 1950s. For those of you who don’t know,Β Anglo Chinese Girls’ School (or ACGS Ipoh) later became Methodist Girls’ School (MGS). Of course, the MGS building now looks nothing like this one pictured above.
MGS Alumni, we’d love to hear from you! π
We received this via email from SK (who sent it to us on behalf of the donor). According to SK, Gurpal is looking for his former classmates.
Anyone out there from Lower Six Science 2? Gurpal is looking for you. Incidentally, SK told us that this picture was taken in April 1967 – Gurpal’s last day at Anderson School; apparently one of his classmates lent him a coat to wear – yes, the young man in the dark coat is none other than Gurpal.
We thank Lennie Brooks for these pictures. Her father once served in the 15/19 Hussars as their Company Sergeant Major Instructor. Back in 1955, they lived at No. 20, Chung Thye Phin Road – yes, at Chung Thye Phin’s mansion nonetheless. These pictures show a mosaic of Chung Thye Phin and also an interesting marble statue, which were once part of the mansion’s deco.
courtesy of Charlie Choong
But I must say, between the precious stones and a beautiful car….I would choose a car (but that’s just me!)
Could this have been a branch of Cold Storage? Or, perhaps Cold Storage’s competitor? We don’t know, so we’re hoping someone out there could help us out. Our anonymous donor didn’t say much about this photograph (and unfortunately, we are no longer in contact with this person). I’m sure someone out there visited 47 Cockman Street at some point in their life…
Yes, you read it right – Anglo-Chinese Girls’ School. Maybe you’re more familiar with its current name – Methodist Girls’ School (MGS).
Anyway, here is a nostalgic photograph taken during the sports day. The guest of honour is none other than Mrs Florence Kesselring.
I'll admit I had paper dolls once. Spent hours designing, colouring and cutting out clothes for them ;)
Today’s blog picture is from Sybil de Roquigny (via email). She tells us that this is the embankment (with a flight of steps) in front of her grandmother’s house; if you stand at the top, you get a good view of the Kinta River.Β Sybil’s grandmother – Chow Yoon Soo – was the second wife of Leong Eng Khean, and she lived at No. 8 Clayton Road. The house of course is no longer there. It was demolished and now standing in its place is Cititel Express. This picture was taken in 1950.
I only recognise Bro Pius Kelly, standing in the back (between the ‘gentleman’ with the top hat and the ‘maiden’).
Yes, one look at this machine and all that comes to my mind is: a bowl of shaved ice, drenched in brown sugar syrup and topped with jelly (of various shapes, sizes and colours), kidney beans, sweet corn and peanuts. Oh, and not forgetting a dash of santan too!
Ah, bet some of you are already salivating π
What better way to cool down on a hot day, eh?
As the story goes…… “in 1889 two brothers,Β Γdouard MichelinΒ andΒ AndrΓ© Michelin, ran a rubber factory inΒ Clermont-Ferrand, France. One day, a cyclist whose pneumatic tire needed repair turned up at the factory. The tire was glued to the rim, and it took over three hours to remove and repair the tire, which then needed to be left overnight to dry. The next day, Γdouard Michelin took the repaired bicycle into the factory yard to test. After only a few hundred metres, the tire failed. Despite the setback, Γdouard was enthusiastic about the pneumatic tire, and he and his brother worked on creating their own version, one that did not need to be glued to the rim. Michelin was incorporated on 28 May 1889. In 1891 Michelin took out its first patent for aΒ removable pneumatic tireΒ which was used byΒ Charles TerrontΒ to win the world’s first long distance cycle race, the 1891Β ParisβBrestβParis” (read more here)
Thanks to persistence and hardwork (and creativity too), we now have a famous name in the world of tyres. As for the mascot shown…yes, his name is Bibendum…but we usually call him the Michelin Man π
courtesy of: Sybil de Roquigny
How many of you remember The Drifters?
How many of you saw them perform at the Rex Cinema?Β
How many of you remember the dragons on the walls, which ‘watched over’ the cinema goers?
Does anyone remember these lovely ladies and their hula hoops? Well, I’m sure some of you do.
These ladies performed at the Lido Theatre; at one time, it was common to see such performances at cinemas.
I wonder how many of you remember this advertisement. We got this off the back back of an old exercise book.
What other products were advertised on the back of exercise books during your school days?
During my school days, the backs of our exercise books had no adverts – just the Rukunegara and probably the school song π
How many of you have heard of Cow & Gate? Apparently it was started by two brothers from Surrey, UK.
I’m sure everyone recognises the gentleman seated in the middle. π
Yes, he’s none other than Rev Bro Vincent Corkery – of St Michael’s Institution. The photograph was part of a tribute to Bro Vincent, congratulating him on his award (he was conferred the title ‘Dato’ back in 2014). In this same tribute were some of the names of the students:
Sivagami; Askari Badsha; Winnie Te; Khoo Kay Hock; Beatrice; Mary Ann; Lim Jo Hock; John Wai; Raja; and Telk Raj Sharma
SMI Alumni, are you in the photograph? Or, perhaps you know someone in the photograph?
(Note: This photograph was scanned off an article, hence the poor quality)
Looking at this picture (from Lay Jin Chew), I couldn’t help but wonder how much Ipoh’s landscape has changed over the years. Could that bridge (far left) be part of the Hugh Low Bridge, or part of the Birch Bridge? I would also like to draw your attention to the area on the left of the shop houses (other side of the bridge). Any idea what that building is?
The photo doesn’t really show this once famous bakery, but you can see the sign on the wall (extreme right). I vaguely remember this bakery, which was a family-run business. One of the daughters (or maybe the grand daughter) was my classmate in primary school. Sadly, we lost touch in later years. I never got a chance to ask her about the history of this bakery. Does anyone know the story behind this famous shop? We thank Lay Jin Chew for this photograph.
We also received this photograph from Ruth Iversen Rollitt – showing the Paris Bakery Factory.
We took this off the 1977 edition of the AMCIAN – the Ave Maria Convent school magazine. This is an aerial view of the school building and the surroundings.
We’ve had a lot of feedback from SMI, ACS, NTPS, and even HIJ Convent Alumni over the years…but not much from the Ave Maria Convent girls. So, here’s a shout-out to you young ladies out there!
This sundry shop was once at 40 Jalan Lee Kwee Foh, in Canning Garden. But that was back in the 1960s – 1970s. This shop was later taken over by a book store.
Does anyone remember the sundry shop…or even the owner?
Imagine this: you’re travelling along a random road in Ipoh, and you encounter a car, a bullock-cart and bicycle moving one behind the other in the opposite lane! It might have been a familiar sight back in the 1960s, but not today.Β We thank Alan for the above photograph.
Have you used these to write? Perhaps not…maybe your parents or grandparents did? Anyhow, these were what I would call the ‘early pencils’. And of course, you used themΒ on slate boards (not paper, as they were rather costly back then).Β Incidentally, I looked up ‘slate pencils’ on YouTube…and to my surprise, there were many videos of people EATING slate pencils!
…well, not really π
But do YOU remember what your examination paper looked like when you were in school? Here’s one from 1928, the English Grammar paper from Cambridge for the Junior Local Exam.
What kind of student were you back then:
a) the ever-ready student, eager to perform well?
b) the one who constantly burnt the midnight oil, and crammed as much as possible before the test?
c) the ‘gifted’ one who never really studied, but got top marks all the same?
d) the one who panicked and broke into a cold sweat before the exam, fearing the worst?
e) the one who was as cool as a cucumber?
Here’s a nice one of happy faces, taken at the Main Convent (HIJ Convent) back in the late 1940s. We thank Marea Smith for sharing this lovely photograph with us. Incidentally, Marea is the girl standing in the back row, third from the right.
I was staying in Greentown then and used to go to a classmate house in Fair Park where we all learn to dance the A Go-Go , The Shake and Off Beat Cha Cha!Β
Convent Girls, do you recall what your classroom looked like? Well, this was a typical classroom at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (or Main Convent) back in the late 1940s / early 1950s. We thank Marea Smith for sharing this nostalgic photograph with us. Looking forward to hearing from any CHIJ Alumni π
Ovaltine was developed in Berne, Switzerland, where it is known by its original name,Β OvomaltineΒ (fromΒ ovum, Latin for “egg,” andΒ malt,Β which were originally its main ingredients). Soon after its invention, the factory moved out to the village ofΒ Neuenegg, a few kilometres west of Berne, where it is still produced.
Ovomaltine was exported to Britain in 1909; a misspelling of the name on the trademark registration applicationΒ led to the name being shortened toΒ OvaltineΒ in English-speaking markets. A factory was built inΒ Kings Langley, which exported it to the United States as well. By 1915, Ovaltine was being manufactured inΒ Villa Park, Illinois, for the US market. Ovaltine was later manufactured inΒ Peterborough, OntarioΒ for distribution in Canada.
Originally advertised as consisting solely of “malt, milk, eggs, flavoured with cocoa,” the formulation has changed over the decades, and today several formulations are sold in different parts of the world. [click here for more!]
From past blog posts, we’ve had Readers sharing their memories about some of the many smaller departmental stores in Ipoh. With the coming of hypermarkets and malls, these small businesses eventually folded. On that note, does anyone remember Angel Departmental Store? Do you remember where it was located?
HIJ Convent girls, this one’s for YOU! Do you remember this badge? Did you have trouble remembering the lyrics of the school song? Do you recall the motto? Come on, girls…we want to hear from you π
Sometimes, families make day trips / weekend trips during school holidays and such. I wonder if this how these children found themselves posing next to the canon (picture below).
Do you recognise the building in the background? I’m making a wild guess and saying it’s probably part of a museum. But I could be wrong though.
We thank Rosemary Palmer for the above photograph π
Since it’s Teacher’s Day today, we decided to feature a very prominent figure in our education’s history – Aminuddin Baki. Born in Chemor, he began his early schooling at Chemor Malay School and later at Anderson School. During his school days, he participated in student organisations championing the lot of Malay students, as he felt the indifference shown by colonial authorities towards Malay education had brought about the backwardness and provincialism of the Malay community. He believed that education was the means to inculcate national aspirations and improve the economic prospects of the Malays…(read more here).
While we’re still on the topic of education and teachers, do you remember someone from your childhood who was a positive influence in your life? Do share your memories with us.
picture courtesy of Gary Lai (via SK)
We received this photo and description from SK:
This picture was send to me by Gary Lai from Anderson School, Ipoh. I have his consent to use the picture & story. He joined the Police Volunteer Reserve back in 1970s when he left Ipoh, in KL. Gary is pictured on the left & he lost touch of his friend in 1975. Hope Ipohworld can Β publish this & also at the same time to look out for Gary’s friend. Gary told me he joined the PVR as a duty to the nation. Both of them patrolled the street with a regular policeman and enjoyed their task. They were also paid by their employers while performing their duties or when they took 2 weeks off for training.
They had also opportunity to practice shooting with Β wesson smith pistols in 6 bullets chamber & Mark 5 bolt action rifle (10 or 12 bullets ) in sniping, squatting & sitting positions but missed the M16 practice as it was then newly issued. Gary recalled it was fun time walking the streets twice or thrice a week 6 pm to 11 pm at 40 sen an hour. It was not about money as they spent more than the stipend paid but the experience & the duty to the country. Well, Ipohworld, hope you will publish this for awareness in the Police Voluntary Reserve Unit. We have also other voluntary units like Civil Defence & Rela. The other unit is Polis Bantuan.
In a subsequent email, SK told us that Gary’s friend went by the name of Chuah (Gary doesn’t know the full name). If Chuah, or any of his family / friends, are reading this, we’d love to hear from you!
I remember the first time I tried Cadbury’s chocolate. At that time, it seemed like the most delicious snack for a 5 year old. I also remember eating more than half the bar, and then being really ill π It didn’t put me off chocolates though…I just learnt (the hard way) to eat in moderation π
We’d like to hear from the chocolate lovers out there…where ever you may be!
Dear Ipoh-ites…..was there a hill named after Sir Hugh LowΒ somewhere in Perak? We were wondering based on the picture below.
On that note, do you recognise the young men in picture? Are YOU one of them? If you are, we’d like to hear more from you π
We were told that this was the Form 3 Class of 1967 at Methodist English School (later known as Methodist High School or MHS). Our source also mentioned the teacher’s name – Mr Thanarajan. Do you recognise any of the faces in the picture below?
“Remember the ’50s when you can get a bun with scraped coconut in brown sugar as fillings costing only 5 cents to 10 cents? For those interested in buns with scraped coconut fillings, there is a shop in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh selling them for 80 sen each. Besides those with coconut fillings, they also sell buns without fillings and also those with kaya (egg jam). They also have the regular size loaf. If you think 80 sen is expensive, try going to the cake shops in the shopping complex. Anyway, this shop is only open from Mon to Fr at 6.00 pm and on Sunday at 2.00 pm. It is closed on Sat. I went once at 2.30 pm on Sun. and found that the buns with coconut filling was sold out. The shop is Ban Guan Foong Bakery. The signboard in inside the shop and you will not be able to locate it until you are in the shop. The address is 50, Jalan Sultan, Pasir Pinji, Ipoh (near the market). The difference between the buns sold and those sold in the local bakeries and cake shop is that you buy it fresh from the oven and they are still hot and smells good. The oven is at the back of the shop and it does not look like it is run by electricity. The queue is long and you find people buying as many as 25-50 buns though you may buy one. From the signboard and the premises (single storey semi concrete and wooden walls and zinc roof) it looks as if this bakery (family run) has been around for over 50 Years.”
source: Janet Ferguson & Nellie Cumming
This was probably taken at a school sports day – most likely the ACGS (Anglo Chinese Girls School) Sports Day! I do wonder is the girl in the picture broke the record for the high jump event……
I vaguely remember the annual sports day at my school. But I’ll never forget the good ‘ol Milo van with the free Milo in paper cups (yummy!).Β What were YOUR school sports memories like?
This is what our donor – KT Pillai – had to say about this photograph:
In the photo are Marea Smith (our donor) and C.A. Thurling. This was taken at the Ipoh Airport back in 1953.
We’d like to draw your attention to the wooden bracket around the racket in Marea’s hand. If I’m not mistaken, the racket was placed between the wooden brackets and the four screws at the corners were tightened to hold the racket in place. One of my uncles used to store his badminton rackets this way – before specialised sports bags were made.
Do any of you remember this old fashioned way of storing rackets? π
Bottle-caps or Ceper (as some call it) was quite a popular children’s game back then. I don’t know the actual rules of this game. But from what I do know, two or more players were judged by their skills at manouvering the bottle caps across a table. At the same time, they had to make sure that the caps don’t fall off.
Xiangqi is played on a board nine lines wide and ten lines long. As in the game ‘Go’, the pieces are placed on the intersections, which are known as points. The vertical lines are known as files, and the horizontal lines are known as ranks.
Centered at the first to third and eighth to tenth ranks of the board are two zones, each three points by three points, demarcated by two diagonal lines connecting opposite corners and intersecting at the center point. Each of these areas is known as gΕng –Β a “palace” or “fortress”.
Dividing the two opposing sides, between the fifth and sixth ranks, is the “river”. The river is often marked with the phrasesΒ chΗ hΓ©, meaning “Chu River”, and hΓ n jiΓ¨, meaning “Han border”, a reference to the Chu-Han War. Although the river provides a visual division between the two sides, only two pieces are affected by its presence: soldier pieces have an enhanced move after crossing the river, and elephant pieces cannot cross it. The starting points of the soldiers and cannons are usually, but not always, marked with small crosses. – extract from Wikipedia.
Here we have a picture showing a game of Xianqi or Chinese Chess in progress. Note the placement of the tokens.
For those of you who want to see a real Xianqi board, visit our exhibition at Han Chin Villa!Our donor Richard Saxey tells us that this was taken around 1959-1960. He also mentions his teacher Mrs Kumar. So today we’d like to ask the ‘members of the Malim Nawar family’ – do you remember the Methodist School in Malim Nawar?
ps: In a recent email, Richard talked about his childhood friend Cynthia Hunter. Cynthia’s father William Hunter worked for Anglo-Oriental (Malaya) Ltd. If anyone out there remembers them, do leave a comment or two on this post π
Picture from Ruth Iversen Rollitt
“Rental was $60 a month, a bargain in the immediate post-war years with the shortage of housing. Each house had 3 bedrooms upstairs; and downstairs. a living room, dining room, a modern flush toilet (very rare for Ipoh at that time), a small kitchen and backyard. There was a built-in wood fired stove….A concrete stairway near the front door took you up to the first floor bedrooms and bathroom. There was an under-stairs storage area and next to it the toilet. All the windows were of the steel casement type…..The houses were built in 1937 by Loke Wan Yatt….The architect was the well known Berthol M. Iversen.”
The extract above is taken from the book “Ipoh – My Home Town”. Remember these houses (picture above)? It’s a pity they’re gone now – demolition began in 2009, around the same time the Fair Park shop houses (across the road) were knocked down.
Here’s another blast from the past from Richard Saxey. He tells us that this is “the picture of the badminton team, showing my elder brother Mr. E.H.White (know as Mick), I cannot remember if the team was a Malim Nawar team or a Perak River Hydro team (Malim Nawar)”.
Can’t wait to hear more from the you folks – who were once part of the Perak Hydro / Malim Nawar gang!
We thank Charlie Choong for this photograph. As written on the photo itself, the year is 1970. What we’d like to know is where this photo was taken. If anyone could help us translate the Mandarin, we’d be grateful. Perhaps, some of you out there may even recognise the people in the photo?
picture from Mr & Mrs Rasiah Anakili – click to enlarge
We recognise Bro Pius Kelly, who was the 9th Brother Director of St Michael’s Institution, seated in the centre. Do you know who are the teachers on his left and right? Were you in Standard 2B, class of 1956? If so, where are YOU in the photograph?
picture from: Leong Kai Loong, Ipoh
Did you own a Mobo horse when you were young? My cousins and I used to play on a Triang car – which was passed down to us from our uncles.
We had great fun with that car, pretending we were adults driving through town (but in fact, we only circled the garden!).
What were YOUR favourite toys growing up?
picture from: Ho Hoo Wan, Ipoh
These lovely ladies are part of the Form V batch of 1958 – from Sultan Yussuf School, Batu Gajah.
They were some of the many youngsters who attended theΒ Farewell Dinner.
We have the names of these beauties….
Standing from left to right they are:Β Thong Mee Len, Poh Ching, Nelly Maniksha, Leelavathy, Tessie Perira, Anna Yoong.
Sitting from left to right:Β Lim Yoke Siew, Ho Kuan Thye, Cheah Soo Har, Chan Yoke Heng, Choong Chin Choo, Wong Choong Yoon and Loh.
If you are one of the above ladies in the picture, do share your memories with us!
Farewell Party for Fr Ciatti, April 1970 (click to enlarge)
Christmas Party, Nazareth Kindergarten. Catholic Centre, Ipoh. 10th November 1970 (click to enlarge)
These photographs were taken from Michael Ho’s collection. It wasn’t that long ago, so I’m sure some of you might remember this kindergarten.
Today, this building is still standing….but it’s no longer the Catholic Centre; it’s now a thrift store, where most items are sold for RM 2.
Are you a fan of comics? Perhaps even an avid collector – especially of vintage editions? Do you remember Beano (picture above)?
I don’t recall Beano, but I do remember those Donald Duck comics (sponsored by Maggi, if I’m not mistaken). I also enjoy reading Marvel comics, but I’m not a collector. Nowadays, many famous comics have been turned into movies. The one above – Dennis the Menace – was also turned into a movie! I wonder when this trend (turning comics into live action movies) began….
Have you played ‘Happy Families’? Well, this game used to be known as ‘Jovial Families’ a long time ago. Here’s a picture to refresh your memory.
From what we were told, this set was manufactured by A. Collier (which was established back in 1863, in London). I’m guessing the ‘Happy Families’ cards are now printed locally….but I could be mistaken.
Mano sent us this a while ago. He also included the following words: “…a photo of the school prefects of NTPS Pasir Puteh in 1967. Standing behind the headmaster, Mr. Bhagwan Singh, is none other then DCP Perak, Datuk Paramasivam!”
So NTPS Pasir Puteh Alumni….what do YOU remember about this group photograph? Are you in there somewhere?