childhood Archives - IpohWorld's World

Familiar area? Yes? No? Well, I don’t blame you if you can’t recognise this place. It is SO VERY DIFFERENT now. For those of you who know the answer, feel free to drop us a comment (or two). By the way, this place is in Ipoh…

Let’s hear from the Boy Scouts. What were your favourite memories back then? (Or, maybe you have an interesting campfire-tale or two to share?)

Thanks to our donor, we have an interesting photograph here. These boys (and their Teacher perhaps?) are in the middle of a cross-country run. Any guesses as to what building that is in the background? 🙂

Do you remember the year these Alfa Romeo cars came to Malaysia? Perhaps the car-lovers might be able to tell us more. Maybe someone out there was standing in the crowd watching this promotion. And…if you were one of these pretty girls in the photograph, we’d love to hear from you too 😉

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 […]

Yes, the building in the background is none other than the Veterinary Research Institute at Tiger Lane. Our donor estimates that this photo was taken around 1955. Have you been to this place? If so, do share your thoughts with us 🙂

How many of you out there lived / grew up in Simee? We’d love to hear some of your childhood adventures (or, misadventures…especially the funny ones 😉 ). Maybe someone out there may also know HOW Simee got its name?

No, this 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, 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 […]

We’ve all heard (and seen videos) of shopping-adventures (and misadventures too). For those of you who’ve been to Emporium Perak, do share some stories with us 😉

Where were YOU back in 1979? Did you witness the Castrol ASEAN Rally? Do you remember seeing this car (picture above) in action? Although the photo is not too clear, but do you recognise the driver? 😉

Come on, dancers…don’t be shy! Tell us ALL about your ‘fancy moves’ 😉

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 […]

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 […]

Ms Monroe once sang about diamonds being a girl’s best friend. From this photo, it seems like this lady loves the car (instead of those precious stones). But I must say, between the precious stones and a beautiful car….I would choose a car (but that’s just me!)

Some of you remember your ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels (and how HARD you worked to get good grades!) Then there are others who did the Government Examination for Chinese Schools – and received a certificate like the one shown here.

When was the last time you saw / or even used this?

As a follow up to our previous blog post, we’d like to share something Ipoh Remembered sent us. This is a Cadbury advertisement printed in 1919!

Yes, this is indeed a Cadbury tin. Have you seen it before? If you have, do you remember how much these chocolates cost back then?

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 […]

I was. What about YOU?

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.

Anyone remember this comic/magazine? Was Roy named after a famous football star? If you were one of those who followed this series, did he make it to Mexico? [ Yes, FIFA World Cup is upon us! 😉 ]

Yes, another corny pun 🙂 Remember this brand of detergent? What about the free gift that came with it? I’m sure there are some of you out there (yours truly included) who bought certain items simply because there was a free gift offer…..come on, own up!

No, we didn’t make this word up 😉 ‘Sinalco’ is said to be an abbreviation of the Latin sine alcohole, which means “without alcohol”. Sinalco is the oldest soft drink brand in Europe (it was first marketed in 1902!), and is produced by Sinalco International, Germany. Perhaps the advertisement might give you a clue as to how these […]

Yes, there was once a cinema hall named Princess Theatre. No, not in Ipoh…but in Kampar. Remember what it looked like? Here’s a picture (courtesy of Charlie Choong) to jog your memory 🙂

In this 1959 photograph, our donor (Charlie Choong) can be seen posing on the steps of the Birch Clock Tower. Note the bust in the background 😉

Calling all scouts out there! Do you remember this training booklet?

We once featured an old railway ticket. Today, we’re showcasing a platform ticket. 🙂 Yes, it cost 20 cents!

I remember picture cards, posters, and even the more modern audio/visual teaching aids. But I’ve not seen one like this (pictured below). This teaching aid was said to be used to explain the concept of pi π. Let’s hear from the teachers out there….have any of you used such aids?

Recognise this drawing? Were you any good at it? Did you have ‘flying’ competitions with your friends? Ok, own up…how many of you played with paper planes? We’d also like to hear from the model airplane enthusiasts. 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. Sybil’s grandmother – Chow Yoon Soo – was the second wife […]

Before you ask, yes…we’ve checked on Google maps, and this shop doesn’t seem to exist now. Perhaps it has been replaced by another business….or maybe it now goes by another name. If so, do you know what happened to Heng Kee Paper Merchants?

Have you ever had a musical box? This one pictured here is a Music Box Teaching Clock, which plays the tune “Grandfather’s Clock” while teaching the young ones how to tell the time the fun way!

Let’s see if the Michaelians remember this one (see pictures below): Recognise the costumes? The actors? The title of the play? I only recognise Bro Pius Kelly, standing in the back (between the ‘gentleman’ with the top hat and the ‘maiden’).

Is your teacher in this group? If yes, do point him/her out to us? The only one I recognise here is Bro Ultan Paul.

click to enlarge This photo was taken on 8th December 1954. It was taken during the Marian Year Pageant. Were you part of this pageant? Recognise anyone in the group?

click image to enlarge We thank SK for sharing these stickers with us. Familiar, aren’t they? These stickers apparently came with MAD Magazine. Did you collect them? Were they part of a series?

At one time, putting your long hair up in a bun was a popular style. Coloured pins, hair nets, fancy clips and alike were a rave. But have you ladies ever used something like this (pictured above) to secure your bun? A rather unique accessory, don’t you think?

Here’s something for our local football fans. This article is from Mingguan Malaysia, dated 9 April 1972. Perak and Selangor were set to meet at the Merdeka Stadium. Did anyone of you catch the game? Did you have a chance to meet your favourite footballers?

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 […]

This is a photograph of a pure natural bristle toothbrush, made in England by Saxony. How many of you have seen such an artifact, eh?

We thank Thomas Lee for sharing this photograph with us. These happy children seem every excited about their lanterns. Did YOU own such a lantern when you were their age?

Heard of this brand? Yes? No? These matches are locally made. Don’t believe me, check out the next picture. Yes, this brand is made in Teluk Intan.

As the story goes…… “in 1889 two brothers, Édouard Michelin and André Michelin, ran a rubber factory in 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 […]

Have you heard of the Iskandar Shah School?

This photo is from Michael Ho’s collection. Here we have a Form One class from St Michael’s Institution, back in 1980. Michaelians, do you recognise yourselves?

This camera had 4 (yes, 4) lenses, and a built-in flash too. Yes, I’m talking about the Polaroid MiniPortrait 403. Did you have your portrait taken with one of these cameras?

…you saw something like this? Some of you may already know what this is. Well, let me just say that our famed Star Barber once used this tool…

We thank Sybil for this class photograph, showing the students and teachers from the HIJ Convent (now SM Convent), Ipoh. Sybil managed to provide some names (click here); however, we still need more 🙂 Convent Alumni, you girls up for the challenge?

This NST picture shows people collecting their rice rations from one of the 19 distribution points in Sungai Siput. The gentleman in the foreground is See Khoon Lim, the then chairman of the local council; on his left is K. Sockalingam, then police chief of Sungai Siput. This picture is said to be dated 10 August […]

Does anyone recall there being a photo studio along Market Street, Ipoh?

Do you have a favourite birthday memory? We’d like to hear about it…just for nostalgia’s sake. Here’s a nice photo of Honey Lim, celebrating her 2nd birthday.

How many of you remember The Drifters? How many of you saw them perform at the Rex Cinema? How many of you remember the dragons on the walls, which ‘watched over’ the cinema goers?

Yes, you read it right! Don’t these ladies look lovely? Special thanks to Ong Wei Mei for the above photograph, which was taken in 1966.

Back in the day, many of us were ‘recycling’ old tins and boxes. Like this W&R Jacob & Co biscuit tin – which was turned into a sewing kit. What else did YOU ‘recycle’ or ‘reuse’ back then?

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 […]

Does this building look familiar? We’d like to know more about this kindergarten – especially when it began.

…a rotary dial phone? I remember having one at home….and I also remember how my small fingers kept getting stuck in those number holes 🙂 Well, here’s some nostalgia for you (see picture below).

Special thanks to Oon Eng Hock (and SK) for sharing the above photograph with us. Anderson Alumni might remember this special day…when the then Education Minister – En Mohd Khir Johari – (extreme right) visited the school for this exhibition. Oon is standing behind En Khir, and behind Oon is none other than the Principal […]

Here’s something cute for you, hope it chases away your Monday blues!

Familiar? Yes, we did have a Capitol Cinema in Ipoh once. But not anymore. However, the cinema shown in this picture does not look like the one in Ipoh. But I could be wrong. Where do you think this cinema is? Is it still there?

picture courtesy of: Mohamad Sharizan bin Mohd. Supian No, this isn’t a scene from the movie Grease…..neither is this a very young version of John Travolta 😉 We just thought of sharing this cute picture with all of you.

This steamboat is ‘powered’ by charcoal. Yes, I kid you not! This brass object is divided into the base, pot and lid. The soup is placed in the pot, which is heated by the charcoal in the base. I’ve never eaten out of one of these…have you?

Ever wondered about the origins of your favourite laundry detergent / soap? Such soaps once came in bars, before the modern powdered and liquid form. Which is why I’d like to draw your attention to the picture above. Recognise this brand? Have any of you used it before?

No, not the dessert craved by chocolate-lovers….rather the type of camera – the Brownie No.2! This one here is a special edition model, made in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Did YOU have any souvenirs from any special occasion?

How many of you remember this game? What about the rules? Care to give us a ‘demonstration’?

Believe it or not, this model dates back to the late 1800s. No, we’re NOT pulling your leg 😉 Apart from the dust and rust, it’s still functioning….even the little bell rings clearly!

How many of you have heard of Cow & Gate? Apparently it was started by two brothers from Surrey, UK.

These bulbs could be used for torchlights, radio panels and bicycle lamps too. I do wonder; were they long-lasting bulbs?

We featured Van Houten some time ago, and many of you shared your thoughts on it. Today we’d like to know if any of you are familiar with Droste Cocoa – a product by a Dutch company founded in 1863. Was it as famous as Van Houten?

Could this have been one of your well-loved toys as a child? Or, maybe you prefered model aeroplanes? I recall ‘falling in love’ with LEGO, as a child. Before that, my brother and I fought over Hot Wheels toy cars 😉

click to enlarge We thank Steven Kan for the above photograph – showing Form 5 Science 3, of Anderson School, back in the mid 1970s. And just in case some of you can’t recall the names of the people in the above photograph, here are their names:

We thank Ian for sharing these photos with us. Ian Sheldrick used to study at BACS Ipoh from October 1962 – October 1964. The photos he shared with us were taken during the school’s Sports Day. Any BACS Alumni out there? Are you in any of these pictures?

No, I didn’t make that up! Apparently (as stated in good ‘ol Wikipedia), the ‘HP’ in this popular brand actually stands for Houses of Parliament! Just a show of hands – how many of you knew this little trivia? 🙂

…a collector of those Nestle labels? The one we have below had a simple recipe printed on the back. My aunt and I used to collect some of these back then. Then I decided to paste them in an old diary. Do they still print such things today? On a lighter note…were you also a recipe-hoarder? […]

I’m sure everyone recognises the gentleman seated in the middle. 🙂 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 […]

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 […]

Have you seen such a uniquely shaped spoon? I wonder if that little piece jutting out is meant to rest on the rim of the tea cup…

How many of you remember this guide book? Was it a must-have among students back in the late 1950s / early 1960s?

We’ve heard from the car lovers, the food lovers, the history buffs too. Now, we’d like to hear from the music lovers…have you ever played the mandolin? The one shown here is said to be from the 1930s.

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 […]

We thought we’d tease you all today…with this little artifact. Do you know what this is? Apparently, it’s a ‘modesty cap’ for little boys? Don’t believe us, look at the photo below!

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. […]

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. We thank Alan for the above photograph.

They say chocolate is comfort-food. Well, as a chocoholic myself I agree with that statement. It’s either a few pieces broken off a big bar, or even good ‘ol chocolate ice cream. Sometimes, it’s a nice cup of rich, hot cocoa (with some marshmallows, if I can find them at the store!). How do YOU […]

Some of you may recognise the street. It may or may not be Ipoh…but that’s not important. What we would like to know is, do any of you remember the brand Dutch Baby?

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 them on slate boards (not paper, as they were rather costly back then). Incidentally, I looked up ‘slate pencils’ on YouTube…and to my surprise, there were many videos of […]

…well, not really 😉 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 […]

Did you own a Brownie Reflex? Do you remember the very first camera you owned? If you’re one of those who took up photography as a hobby, we’d love to hear from you too 🙂

The music fans have had quite an interesting discussion on our blog lately. So, we decided to put up this picture – just to see if it jogs any memories 🙂 I remember having one like this, but a different model. I also remember trying to record songs onto a cassette, and this dual-deck made […]

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.

Courtesy of: Darren Teh We thank Darren Teh for the above picture. He also shared the following with us via email: 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! […]

…even before those smaller Nokias too, THIS was what a hand phone looked like! Yes, it was heavier than a bar of chocolate. No, it didn’t have a tiny camera 😉 Do you remember this model?

picture courtesy of: Ruth Iversen Rollitt How many of you remember Rowley Kindergarten? Was it a big school? Do you have pictures from those days? We’d love to hear more…

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 🙂

No, it’s not another racket (or racquet, if you prefer). What do you think it is? STOP PRESS: We thank Ignatius Chiew for sending us these pictures – of a back beater! This object has a rattan handle and round, vinyl ‘ball’ which is stuffed with cotton. The second picture is a […]

No, we’re not kidding….these are actual wooden badminton rackets! Did any of you own one of them?

…about the Darkie evolution? How many of you were (and maybe still are?) faithful consumers of this Hawley & Hazel product?

picture from: Gogan Singh According to our donor, he and his friends were part of the few non-Chinese devotees who took part in the 9 Emperor Gods festival back in 1970. If you remember this particular event, did you meet them at the procession?

Here’s something for the ‘Milo babies’ 🙂

picture from: Gogan Singh; click to enlarge We know old school photographs are rather popular on our blog. So here’s another one. Were you one of these handsome young men? Or, maybe you recognise a former school mate? We’d love to hear from you!

Remember these? How many of you recall those days at the barbers, while the Indian uncle patiently snipped at your hair?

….that Ovaltine was actually Ovomaltine? And that the name changed because it was spelt wrongly when the trademark was registered? Here’s a extract from Wikipedia: Ovaltine was developed in Berne, Switzerland, where it is known by its original name, Ovomaltine (from ovum, Latin for “egg,” and malt, which were originally its main ingredients). Soon after its invention, the factory […]

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 🙂

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 […]

photo courtesy of: Duncan Paterson How many of you enjoyed a good game of tug-o-war? I loved the ‘rush’ of pulling the other team over the line…thus winning. The downside would be the rope-burn 🙁 But it was a fun game all the same.

A few blogs ago, we featured some members of the St John’s Ambulance brigade marching in front of some shop houses. Well, this time…the members seem to be assembling a first aid kit. Do you know who the man in the bow-tie is? For that matter, does anyone recognise the interior of the building?

We thank Duncan Paterson for the above photograph. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell us where in Ipoh this place is? Do the buildings look familiar? What about the street?

These young men belong to the St John’s Ambulance brigade. Do you recognise them? Or, can you identify the shop houses in the background?

click to enlarge Do you recognise this panorama? Can you guess which part of Ipoh this is? While you’re trying to name the buildings and streets, can you also give us a rough date? We look forward to your comments 🙂

Have you ever come across this brand? I’ve never heard of the brand, but the bull dog (in the logo) is similar to the one used by Guinness 😉

Anyone remember this store? According to the label, Hup Hing Shoe Store was along Laxamana Road. I wonder what happened to the place….

Yes, for those of you who didn’t know…..flour actually came in linen bags in those days! Do you remember those linen flour bags? Did you keep those bags once they were emptied?

I’m sure everyone recognises this lady from Lat’s comics! She’s none other than Mrs Hew. Ever wondered what she looked like back in the day? Check out the picture below, taken from the NTPS Jalan Pasir Puteh 1962 year book. picture courtesy of: Ooi Kean Chye For those who still can’t identify her, look closer […]

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 […]

What could one do with: an ice cream stick, a satay stick, a rubber seed and some string? Well, make a toy propeller of course! How many of you remember this simple toy – which went on to give a child endless fun? What other easy-to-make toys do you remember from your childhood?

How many of you remember this comic book? It wasn’t that long ago…..this edition also featured a picture of a WW2 aircraft – the Hawker Typhoon. So, can we hear from the comic fans?

Remember these fruit-flavoured sweets? I’ve never heard of this brand though…more familiar with Foxes and Sugus 😉 If you were a fan of these sweets, do share some of 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 […]

….there was the ever useful Mortar & Pestle! Yes, I’m sure you all remember pounding away those herbs and spices in these 🙂

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 😛 It didn’t put me off chocolates though…I just learnt (the hard way) to eat in moderation […]

Yes, this is what a Malayan Airways airline ticket looked like back then! 🙂

Has anyone tried this brand of butter? I wonder if this brand costs as much as Golden Churn. Or, perhaps this was a cheaper alternative to Golden Churn?

Remember this brand of oats? I never knew Uncles Tobys sold oats…I only remember their muesli bars 🙂 Did anyone try this brand? Was it as good as Quaker oats?

I doubt this brand needs an introduction. How many of you remember these jujubes? Were they really effective for sore throats and such?

I’ve been living in Greentown all my life…but I have to admit, this building (picture below) does not ring any bells 😉 Can our Greentown-experts help us out please?

Remember this brand of perfume? It’s alcohol free. Does the brand ring a bell?

Any SMI Alumni remember this? Why were the buses parked in the compound? Were the students on their way to a field trip? Take a good look and give us your thoughts 🙂 source: Charlie Choong

Dear Ipoh-ites…..was there a hill named after Sir Hugh Low somewhere in Perak? We were wondering based on the picture below. picture from: Charlie Choong 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 🙂

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? picture courtesy of Gogan Singh, click to enlarge

picture courtesy of: Kalwant Singh Remember the milkman from days of old? Well, this milkman looks rather young…and here he is at his bicycle (the milk churn is hidden, on the back of his bicycle). This picture was taken at the Malay kampong at Lahat Road.

Once a famous grooming product for men, Potter & Moore’s Solidified Brilliantine is said to soften hair (including facial hair). Anyone remember this product?

Were you a fan of the famed cat eye lens glasses / sunglasses? (picture below) It is said that this style was made popular by stars like Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly… ….so, how many of you once owned a pair of cat eye glasses? Come on, own up….. 🙂

source = Charlie Choong Do the shops look familiar to you? Yes, this is none other than Brewster Road. Note that traffic was not as heavy as it is now….back then you could still have parades and processions on the streets!

How many of you ‘swear’ by this brand of polish? Is Brasso still in production?

Our donor (Lee Seong Yan) shared this little story with us: “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 […]

Source: Janet Ferguson & Nellie Cumming Have YOU rode an elephant? I haven’t…only been on a pony and an ostrich. We’d like to hear from you – Elephant Riders! 🙂

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 […]

This is what our donor – KT Pillai – had to say about this photograph: Taken in year 1966 as the baby my Mum is carrying is my younger sister. I am the third from left standing at the front row….sort of a frowning face kid. My eldest sister is beside me followd by my two […]

Our donor Marea Smith tells us that this was what Malim Nawar looked like in 1981. Been to Malim Nawar lately? Has the place changed much over the years…or is it still the same?

Here’s another one from Janet Ferguson and Nellie Cumming – showing a school play. Recognise anyone?

Special thanks to our donors – Janet Ferguson & Nellie Cumming – for the following picture. Somewhere in the above photograph is Nellie Cumming, who was a student at Anglo Chinese Girls’ School (ACGS). Nellie did her Std VII back in 1949….what about you? Are YOU one of the girls in this picture?

At first, it seems like a game of Tag….but I suppose this is based on a similar concept. I’m talking about Kabaddi. How many of you played this outdoor game during your days in school? How many of still play them now? 🙂

Any Yuk Kwan School alumni out there? Were you in the Form II B – 1 Class back in 1977?

Ipoh-ites reminiscing the good ‘ol days when Jubilee Park was an entertainment hub – back in the 60s and 70s 🙂

We thank Marea Smith for this picture. She told us (via e-mail) that she was once a student of the HIJ Convent (now Main Convent) in Ipoh. Here’s a shout out to all the Convent Alumni – do you girls recognise this picture? What was the special occasion?

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 […]

We thank Marea Smith for sharing this photograph with us. Incidentally, this view is from a car which was following an armed vehicle. Driving on Brewster Road back then seemed to be a breeze…..

I do wonder why such a beautiful, serene place (above) was named Python Lagoon. Anyway, this 1948 picture (from Marea Smith) was taken at the Kuala Kampar Tin Fields. Marea is the pretty girl in the canoe 😉

courtesy of Charlie Choong Whenever the subject of cafes and coffee houses enter our blog-sphere, many of our Readers mention Green Fern. Well, here’s an old receipt from Green Fern. Does anyone remember their signature dish/dishes?

picture from: Danial Doutriaux Some school canteens sold food which were a crowd favourite. Some were known for their cheerful hawkers. Food aside, some canteens became a ‘meeting place’ for friends (and enemies too!). The picture shown is that of the Batu Gajah Convent’s canteen, back in 1956.

Some call it Hopscotch; some call it Ketinting. Whatever it was called back then, I know some of you had HOURS of fun playing this game!

Since we had such an interesting discussion about The Nautilus Inn (our previous blog), we decided to put up another receipt from yet another cafe in Ipoh. How many of you remember Long John’s Tavern? It used to be along Jalan S.A. Lingam (in Ipoh Garden South).

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 […]

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 […]

We believe this to be the family of Richard Saxey (our donor) and Wendy Lewis – in Malim Nawar. I’d like to draw your attention to the unique furniture… By popular demand, we’ve included the second photograph from Richard Saxey’s collection.

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

Thanks to Alan, we’ve managed to find out what those Mandarin words meant. This time, we don’t have any words…but I’m sure there’s a clue in those shop houses in the background. Can anyone venture a guess as to which school this is?

Click to enlarge 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

picture from: Leong Kai Loong, Ipoh This is the Sam Tet School Basketball Team. We’re guessing the date to be somewhere in the 1960s. Were you one of the players? Did your team win any trophies that year?

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 the Farewell Dinner. We have the names of these beauties…. Standing from left to right they are: Thong Mee Len, Poh Ching, […]

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 […]

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 […]

Keith Nelson sent us these a couple of years ago. We thought we’d share them with you, since we’re still in the season of Chinese New Year. We’d love to hear your memories about the ever famous Lion Dance; it would be a bonus if we heard from someone who was part of the dance […]

click to enlarge I’m guessing the year to be around 1960 (could be wrong, though). Can anyone put some names to these lovely faces?

click photo to enlarge Special thanks to Danial Doutriaux for this photograph. This the Staff of 1956 – of the St Bernadette’s Convent, Batu Gajah. Dear Convent girls, do you see any of your teachers here? 😉

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 […]

picture courtesy of: Mano 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 […]

We were told that Anderson School once put up this play. Well, so did St Michael’s Institution. We present to you the cast of ‘Lady Precious Stream’ – back in 1980!

There was a time when you needed a visiting card to enter the hot springs in Tambun. Besides the pool and egg boiling, apparently there was also a bowling alley! I don’t recall this (probably before my time 😉 ) but I wonder if YOU remember this.

We all know Elvis Presley had his share of impersonators; some were almost as good as the ‘King’ himself – with the deep voice AND the gyrating hips! Frank Sinatra (or Ol’ Blue Eyes, as some know him) had his share of impersonators too. Speaking of which, does anyone remember the Frank Sinatra singing contest […]

If you don’t, let us refresh your memory! I wonder if any one of you kept the old ones as a keepsake 😉

Yes folks, THIS was how they made copies of keys in those days….

If this looks ‘foreign’ to you, then you’re probably very young 😉 Yes folks, this is indeed a train ticket! Whoever bought this was taking the train from Tanjong Malim to Ipoh. And (believe it or not) the fare was only $2.10

Ever use one of these? Some of you might have. I for one have never come across such a flask; the ones I’ve used didn’t have such a locking mechanism 😉 The one above even has a vent on top to adjust temperature. Wonder if it came in a variety of colours…..

At one time, you could buy this for 42 cents……of course the coupon was only for ONE dance. However, it came in a booklet of five coupons. This sample here is from Robin James (from London). Anyone remember this Dance Coupon? Did YOU ever buy/use such a coupon at the Jubilee Cabaret?

Just in case you didn’t know, today is Boxing Day – nothing to do with the actual sport, but rather it’s the day where gifts are exchanged and opened. In some countries, today is an official holiday too! The picture above, from Ruth Iversen Rollitt, was not taken on 26th December…but I think fits well […]

With Christmas just around the corner, we thought we’d share this picture (from Larry Sawyer) with all of you. This is a scene from Kampar – where Santa came to town in a bullock cart instead of a reindeer-driven sleigh! I’m sure the children must have been really excited to see this! 🙂

Don’t know where to go during this long break? How about Kellie’s Castle? No, we’re not advertising for this place. Rather just showing you what this iconic landmark looked like – way back in 1957! This is a photograph of Ho Hoo Wan with his siblings and friends, posing just outside the famed Batu Gajah […]

We’ve had past comments about Beauty Supermarket, which was once a famous shopping centre in Ipoh. The picture below show a pair of anniversary souvenirs from Beauty. Any collectors remember these?

It is said that the story of Horlicks began with James & William Horlick from Glouscestershire, who came up with the idea of a malt milk drink (as an artificial infant food). History aside, what was YOUR Horlicks memory like? I remember drinking this during my pre-school years. Later, this malt drink (and the famous […]

Our Facebook-fans have been going wild over our previous posts. So here’s another well-known brand to tease you lot 😉 This tinplate dates back to around 1950. Oh, WHO does not know Brand’s Essence of Chicken?!

advertisement taken from Times of Malaya, 6 August 1959 From what I found out, the Zam Buk company came into existence in the early 1900s – in Yorkshire. This balm became “an essential item for the home” before modern medicine took over. (more can be read here) I don’t know when Zam Buk became popular […]

This was taken off the souvenir programme of “Fiddler on the Roof”, back in 1974. Wasn’t that long ago…I wonder how many of you remember this 🙂 Maybe some of the actors are reading this – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Back then, some folks in Ipoh counted the cinema halls and the famous Ipoh Race Course as part of their usual hang-outs (of course this was before Parkson and Aeon/Jusco came about!). What I found interesting about the above photo – of the race course nonetheless – is the outside of the Grand Stand. Note […]

Nicholas Jennings sent us this – with the title Ipoh Swimming Club 1962 original. Could this really be the original club – before the renovations took place? Also, notice the small balcony on the far left..could it be part of the dining area?

picture from: Ruth Iversen Rollitt What I found interesting about this one is the local boy’s clothing – a pair of long pants, pulled up to his stomach 😉 This boy was probably one of the many children who ran around the estate back then. Wonder what’s become of him…..

With technology advancing everyday, I wonder how many of us can actually claim to have used a good old fashioned typewriter! This advertisement (sent to us by Nicholas Jennings) is for Royal Typewriters. Was this a very popular brand back then? Did any of you own one (or any other typewriter brand)? On that note, […]

We received this from Daniel Doutriaux (part of a series of photographs from an album). These are the girls from Batu Gajah Convent – excited as they explore the new science lab. The year was 1956….do you recognise any of them in the photo? (Or, maybe YOU are in there?) We’d love to hear from […]

advertisement courtesy of: Nicholas Jennings Philco Radios were around as early as 1928. However, the company almost went bust and was later bought over by Ford Motor Company (in the 1960s). These radios must have had a special place in their owners hearts – Ron Ramirez even has a book dedicated to this radio! (more […]

Nicholas Jennings (our donor) tells us that: the boy standing on the running board is his uncle Nigel (the third son of J A S Jennings). At the wheel is Eric Jennings (the eldest son), and seated beside the driver is Rose Winnifred (Freda) Jennings. In the background is the family home (No. 50 Gopeng […]

We received the following email from Kong Khen: “Recently, I found a class photograph of my dad taken in 1940. I’ve identified it as the remedial class of English lesson, from what was mentioned by my dad. Could IPOHWORLD help to confirm if the teachers were from ACS school. Dad mentioned that he attended English […]

Over many weeks Larry has sent us a host of photographs. So many that they will be a great addition to our database recording his childhood life and times with Perak Hydro in Batu Gajah. You have probably seen memories from him and his young friends on our blog where young friends from 50+years ago […]

picture from: Larry Sawyer I don’t remember this design on our Malaysian planes (long before my time anyway 😉 ) but I’m sure some of you out there do remember this. I’m curious to know what image that is – on the nose of the plane. Is it some kind of bird? Or just a […]

picture courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt Some of you Anderson School Alumni may remember this building. The younger ones may have seen it in their school magazine. Well, this was once Anderson School – before the present building was built.

Wendy Lewis tells us that this holiday resort was in Pangkor Island. Back then (probably the 1950s) there was no air-condition – only fans and mosquito nets! I wonder if this resort is still there….perhaps it has been upgraded with more modern facilities (besides air-condition, perhaps free wi-fi too?). Any frequent visitors to Pangkor? Do […]

(courtesy of Larry Sawyer) All you Philatelists out there may remember this First Day Cover (or even have it in your collection!). Yes, this one came out back in 1957 – when Malaya received her Independence. Just wondering: were there OTHER such souvenirs made for this momentous occasion? (like mugs, badges, t-shirts, etc.)

I know we’ve featured this house before. But this photo (from Larry Sawyer) is a coloured version- yes, it’s the same beautiful house which is now (sadly) abandoned along Tiger Lane. The Sawyers lived here for a while, from what Larry told us.

Ruth Iversen Rollitt (our donor) tells us that there was a time when F&N supplied swings and slides for birthday parties! I didn’t know this, did YOU? Did F&N bring such joy to your birthday parties? We’d like to know your favourite F&N memory 😉 If Ruth is reading this, do tell us more about […]

From what we were told by the donor of this photograph (Larry Sawyer), this man was something of a side-attraction at the Ipoh Swimming Club – way back then 😉 Does anyone remember seeing him there? Apparently, the manager of the Club was not too happy about this man’s ‘business’…..

This is NOT in Ipoh, but do take note of the shape of the building – reminds me of our Ipoh New Market! We believe this to be part of the Taiping market. Dear Taiping-folks, has this place changed much over the years? picture courtesy of Larry Sawyer

Ruth Iversen Rollitt sent us this some time ago. It shows part of a funeral procession near the Ipoh Club. It must have been a funeral of someone important – judging by the large crowd. Does anyone remember this?

I wonder if anyone out there remembers this young man (first picture). These pictures were part of an article which appeared in the Star (26th July 2014); according to the writer, this white van (second picture) was usually parked under a tree (around Canning Garden) while the many customers waited in line to be served. […]

I remember the first time I tried to ride a bicycle – and failed miserably 🙁 My bicycle was a small red one, with an adjustable seat. I never quite managed to ‘master’ not falling off while riding the bike….sadly, I gave up. (so today, I still don’t know HOW to ride a bicycle…which is […]

(click to enlarge) Here’s another group photograph – this time from Anderson School, Ipoh. This was taken back in 1955. Recognise yourself somewhere in the group, Anderson Alumni? Fortunately, we also have the back of this photograph…filled with the signatures of those in the above photo.

Since Hari Raya is almost here, some of you might be thinking about your Kampong – this photo (from Michael Ho) may not depict your actual kampong, but I’m sure it may bring back some fond memories of life back then. For those of you non-city folks, what was life like back then in your […]

Quite sure many of you know which park this is. But what we’re curious to know is: what are those buildings in the background? picture courtesy of: Angie Yeow

According to our donor, Angie Yeow, these girls were in Form V back in 1960. Recognise any of them? Notice the old-style uniforms? 😉

We received this from Ruth Iversen Rollitt. Based on previous pictures, I’m guessing that the girl on extreme left is Ruth herself. The children seem to be playing with make-shift bows and arrows.I confess trying to make one too, when I was a kid…this was after reading about Robin Hood – The bow didn’t quite […]

No, we’re not talking about those jungle-cats…we’re talking about the inflatable ones from Esso (see below). We also have a little story about this on our database – it’s not this (above) ‘tiger’ but of a similar one. So, like we mentioned in the title: Did any of you own such a toy? I don’t […]

The AJS 350cc was my dad’s. This was taken back in 1956 and this time, the toddler is me! The photo was taken at the end of the block of houses in New Pasir Puteh where the Fabulous Thunderbirds were from as well. We thank Mano for the picture and the above quote. I do […]

Does anyone remember this? I was surprised myself when I saw it – the Planta Margarine I know always came in plastic tubs 😉 Perhaps someone out there remembers this brand of margarine – when it used to come in tins.

That’s what we’d like to ask you experts out there – especially the St Michael’s Institute Alumni. Was this the First School Badge? Take a closer look (picture below). So ‘experts’, what do YOU have to say? We’d love to hear from you 🙂

We thank Angie Yeow for this “blast from the past”. This 1964 photo, taken at the Town Padang, shows Angie and Lee Hock Mee – the Municipal Sports champions for Badminton (mixed doubles). Of course, the gentleman presenting the award is none other than the late S P Seenivasagam.

Our donor Mano told us that: “The three wheeler is the Piaggio Ape. Unfortunately, it’s not a full picture of the scooter with the ‘Ovaltine’ as the subject was the toddler, my brother. The photo was taken in 1965. He had recently wrecked his tricycle and rolling one of it’s wheels, ‘parked’ it against the […]

Those of you who remember them, did you cheer for the B Team? Or, perhaps someone reading this was one of the members of the B Team 😉 On that note, who was the gentleman in white (extreme left) – was he the Teacher-in-charge or maybe the team’s Coach? We thank Chooi-Hoong Foong for this […]

Chooi-Hoong Foong’s father was one of the Volunteer Police back in the 1950s (see picture below). Do you recognise the handsome young men in the above photograph? Any former members of the force reading this, we’d love to hear from you – especially if you have the names of the gentlemen above 🙂

This is one dessert Ipoh has long been famous for……Tau Foo Far for those feeling a little peckish, and Soya Bean Milk for those who want something cold on a hot day. We wonder if Funny Mountain’s tau foo far is as good as the one Ipohgal’s father used to make 😉

Some of you may have met me before. Some of you may remember me ‘singing’ during the war. Some say my ‘voice’ made quite an impression on the young ones too! For those of you who don’t me, I’m a WW2 Civil Defence Siren 😉

At first glance, it probably looks like a stool. But it’s really an ice shaver – look closely and you can see the blade 😉 An ice block is run over the blade repeatedly while the shavings are collected into a bowl underneath. Have you seen your ABC / Cendol seller use this? Or, have […]

YK Choong sent this to us. He’d like some help with ‘When’ and ‘Where’ this picture was taken. ps: YK Choong thinks it’s 1966…so there’s a little clue for you Anderson Boys!

We were told by our donor (Angie Yeow) that she thought this was part of the Japanese Garden. But, when you take a closer look…it seems to be part of a cave temple. Now we’d like to know which cave temple this is 😉 Anyone care to guess?

Take a good look the postcard below 😉 Could this be the old Ipoh Market? I’ve never seen the old market, but I know some of you out there remember what it looks like.

That’s what our donor Graham Barton said in his description of this photo (see below). Well, what do YOU think? On that note, see the hill in background? Could that be part of that famous hill along Tambun Road?

We were told by Ruth Iversen Rollitt that these houses were designed by her father B M Iversen. click to enlarge Yes folks, these houses are STILL THERE – at the compound of the Perak Hydro Power Station in Malim Nawar! Those of you who once lived here, do you see YOUR former home in […]

This photograph is from Ron Lee (from Australia), sent through SK – who then forwarded it to us. (click to enlarge) So, Cator Avenue boys…do you see yourself (and/or your friends) in this photograph? Do you remember the teacher? I can’t help but admire her sense of fashion…she must have been quite a character too […]

Mano asked if we could start a food blog page and after discussing it we have decided to intersperse our traditional style heritage photos with some food photos and invite comments on certain well-known local foods. If there is sufficient enthusiasm from our readers this will become a regular feature of ipohWorld’s World. So what […]

Anyone remember this parade? Can you guess WHO the children are waving at? I’m sure this was not too long ago… We thank Alison Caldwell for this photograph.

We thank Ruth Rollitt for sending us this photo of her and her brother Per. According to Ruth, this was taken in 1950. The siblings are wearing local national costumes. I’m sure there’s an interesting story behind this. On that note: what did you and your siblings get up to in your younger days?

(click to enlarge) Yusof sent us these wonderful photos. From his email, we know that he lived in Greentown from 1969-1981. Yusof also had this to say: “The house is one of six detached govt quarters surrounding a palm tree lined field within a circular lane off Jalan Iskandar, named Lorong Said Tauphy. As depicted […]

(click to enlarge) KC sent us this cute one via Facebook. We thought we’d share it with all of you – especially with the Cator Avenue Alumni 🙂 KC shared a little bit about this photograph with us: This photo was taken when I was in Standard-2 at Cator Avenue Primary School. Some of us […]

Here’s a cute one from Sally Everist. According to her, the Japanese lady is John Friedlander’s nurse. Do you recognise anyone else in this photograph?

This was among the lot sent to us from Nick Band. His father Albert Roy Band was part of the Malay Tin Dredge Co. in Batu Gajah. He had two stints there: 1954-57, where he stayed at Bungalow A11 & 1958-61, residing at Bungalow A13. As Nick explains, his father was known as ‘Roy’ and […]

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 🙂

Here’s a gem from Ruth Rollitt. The little boy is her son, all anxious about his new hair cut 🙂

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 🙂

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?

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.

(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, […]

[ 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 […]

Here’s something to put you in the Christmas mood! We thank Alison Cotterill (nee Caldwell) for this one. According to Alison, this was taken in 1962 at the Lower Perak Club in Teluk Anson. On the far left is Trisha Caldwell, holding Fiona. Well folks, it looks like Santa arrived on foot instead of coming […]

Are you in this photo? Or, perhaps you knew some of the players in this soccer team. Did any of them end up in our national football league? If you look closely, there is a trophy at the bottom of this photo…which made me think that this was probably taken after a soccer match. I’ll […]

I’m sure the NTPS boys will be excited about these (see below) It was back in 1964, according to our donor Zahar. Well, does anyone know who won the sack race? (I think the Prefects were competing) Which house was the overall champion that year?

We received these from Vince Cooper. Taken in 1948, these are scenes from the Taiping Jungle Pool. Do any of you remember this place? We’d love to hear from you – especially the Taiping folks!

We got this from Charlie Choong some time ago. Was this a dance competition? Was it part of some school event? Well, if any of you can remember this, do tell us. (We’d also like to know WHERE this event took place)

I’ve played it before, although I rarely won (perhaps, there’s a trick in throwing the dice in order to get the right number 😉 ) Anyway, LUDO seemed like a popular board game at one time. Then there was MONOPOLY. Wonder what’s the latest popular board game today! On that note, what was YOUR favourite […]

Yes, this is indeed a beautiful pair of beaded slippers. So, ladies…do any of you own such a pair? Or perhaps, you know someone who (still) makes such pretty footwear? These Baba-Nyonya style slippers were once a rage – are they still in fashion? You tell us 🙂

Ah yes, the once popular Rediffusion Loudspeaker! Some of you may have seen (or owned) one in your younger days. I confess that I haven’t (probably born too late! 😉 ) but I do recall in past blog posts that some of our Readers speak rather fondly about Rediffusion. Anyone care to share some memories?

In our previous post, we had a reply from the brother of the pretty lady sitting on the sports car. We now know her as Joan Lau. After some searching, we found a picture of Lawrence Lau (see below). The caption for the above picture is as follows: “Adrian Boudville looking on, Barry Jansz acting […]

…there were the galvanized tubs! Remember them? We thank Shuen Huey Foo for this gem 😉

Yes, folks…this is none other than the Philips Mechanical Engineer Construction Set! Did you have one of these? Or, perhaps you saw it on display in the shops and wished that some day you could own it? Do tell us YOUR childhood ‘toy-story’ 😉

Do you recall the days when you could by an ice-cream sandwich for “satu kupang” (10 cents)? It was big money then, but today you hardly get a handful of sweets for that price. The donor of this photograph says that the location is somewhere up north – Was “kupang” a common phrase used for […]

Foo Pak Khean (Standard 1 C) and Foo Leong Khean (Primary 2 A) built this model of the Shum Cheong Fook Circus. These students of ACS Ipoh built this as part of a school project back in 1949. Does anyone remember this circus? Did this circus frequent our shores yearly?

Don’t know about you, but milk is one of my favourite beverages – I especially love Dutchlady’s chocolate flavoured milk 😉 I vaguely remember growing up on Dumex. Can’t recall if there were any other famous milk brands in the 80s. From what I’ve heard, Lactogen was quite popular some years ago. Is this brand […]

This photograph (from Charlie Choong) was taken in the early 1960s. We think it was at one of the car shows by the Triumph Car Owner’s Club. Do you remember the car show? Do YOU own a Triumph? This is the Triumph that Dr Jeya was referring to. We are not normally into car sales […]

Remember this group photo? It was taken in 1972, when the Superior General visited St Michael’s Institution. Do you recognise the smiling faces? We thank Charlie Choong for this photo.

This picture is from Keith Nelson’s collection. It’s not Ipoh, but we thought we’d share it with you all the same. Perhaps, someone out there grew up in or visited a fishing village. We’d love to read about your experiences 🙂

…that there once was a cinema in Buntong? Don’t believe me, then take a good look at the picture below 😉 Does this bring back any memories? Can anyone guess the year this was taken? I do wonder what’s become of this place…

Yes, folks…this seems to be the Standard 3 Class of Cator Avenue School. Do you see yourself in the photograph? Do you remember your class teacher’s name? Was he a much feared, strict man…or a warm friendly mentor? Be it fond or horrific, we welcome all sorts of recollections – and we’d also like to […]

…St Bernadette’s Convent (in Batu Gajah) had a charity event for the victims of the Turkish earthquake? Here’s a photograph to jog your memory (see below) We were told that this replica of the Malaysian flag was made entirely of JELLY! Can anyone tell us more about this event? Do you recognise the official cutting […]

Have you been to the Perak Emporium? Was it one of those high-end places like Whiteaway Laidlaw? Did it have an escalator/elevator? We’ve had Readers talking about this place, now we’d like to know MORE 😉 Picture courtesy of Stex Stev.

I was about 8 years old when I took part in a school concert (in the early 90s). The concert was for the Hari Anugerah (Prize Giving Day), and I recall being absolutely exhausted after every practice. I had to wake up early since practice started at about 8 o’clock in the morning. It went […]

Here’s another one from Tony Ooi’s batch of photographs. Well, NTPS boys…..this should keep you excited over the weekend 😉 Anyone remember what game this was? How about who won Best / Overall Champion House that year?

According to Tony Ooi, this is the Std. 4 class from Cator Avenue School. Like we mentioned in the title of this post – where are there boys now? Any of you in this photograph? By the way, Tony if you’re reading this….do you remember the teacher’s name?

Here is a bit of nostalgia if ever there was one! Sent in by Mano it is a photo taken on a bus on the way to Penang from the famed NTPS Jalan Pasir Puteh, Ipoh in 1967. Mano tells us: At the rear is Semret Singh, SEA Games Gold medallist at the Hammer […]

As can be seen in the photograph below, the Ipoh Boys are just as stylish! According to the donor of this photograph (Nick Coffil), these boys were apparently going home for the holidays. Well, Readers…..are YOU somewhere in this photograph? 😉

Here’s another one from Stex Stev’s collection of matchboxes. Your ‘mission’ (should you choose to accept it) is to tell us MORE about this place – Latin Quarter. Was it a bar? A Hair Saloon? Perhaps a tailor? Good luck, folks! 🙂

One look at this photograph and you will notice that not only were the Ipoh Girls pretty, they also dressed in style 😉 If you look close enough, you can probably deduce where in Ipoh Town these buildings are. But we’d like to draw your attention to the sign behind the lady with the handbag […]

Sometime ago, someone mentioned the Green Fern Coffee House as one of the places Ipoh’s (then) youngsters used to frequent. Here’s a little ‘advertisement’ from Stex Stev. Anyone know what’s in place of the coffee house now?

According to our donor (Tony Ooi) this photograph shows the Form 4 Class of Anderson School. Anyone remember who the class teacher was? Was this the Science or Arts class?

We thank John McAuley – who was once part of the British Military serving in Malaya, back in the 1950s – for this photograph. Yes, folks it’s none other than the Majestic Cinema :). Although it doesn’t show up clearly, but if you zoom in you can actually see some vendors just outside the entrance […]

This is part of a matchbox collection emailed to us by ‘Stex Stev’. Do you remember the Chicago Coffee House? I don’t…perhaps it was gone by the time I was born. Or maybe it changed its name? You tell us 😉 However, as the discussion grew it reached the mystery of a bread also named […]

This is from Tony Ooi and according to him, this group is the Form 3 class from Sri Kepayang. Any Sri Kepayang boys out there? We’d like to know more about your school days (as well as stories of your fellow classmates and teachers!) 🙂

Remember him….your friendly neighbourhood Postman? He used to go around on a bicycle with a large brown bag full of mail. Take note of his uniform too! What else do you remember about him? We’d love to read your comments and memories – especially those (like me!) who are more familiar with electronic mail 😉 […]

The photo may not be that clear, but I’m sure you notice the wire fence in front of the station. This is similar to the perimeter fencing which was a common sight at the New Villages during the Malayan Emergency. Those of you who are familiar with Tapah – is this building still there or […]

This photograph is from Ko-Chi Wai. Do you recognise the building in the background? At one glance, I’m guessing it’s probably a school, but which school is it? And to the motorbike experts, correct me if I’m wrong – but is this young lady riding a Vespa?

Here’s something for all you NTPS Pasir Puteh boys out there! Like most school badges, this one has its own special meaning – especially in the picture and motto. Well NTPS boys, care to explain to the rest of us? 🙂

Our thanks goes out to Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this one. Yes, it’s a barbeque party. And for those of you who can identify the venue, you’ve probably guessed it right! This was taken around 1965. As a food lover (especially when it’s barbeque!), I do wonder if such parties still go on. When was […]

Ring any bells? According to Richard Lee, these were NTPS Prefects. Not really sure which year though. Maybe some of you out there might recognise yourself/your friends? We’d love to hear from you.

Yes, here is the latest attraction to arrive at Falim House Exhibition “A Tin Mining Family”. It is the Mobo Pony Express, a dual purpose toy that can be used as a baby’s push cart and a pedal car, And there are more good things to come. So if you have been to see us […]

This isn’t a hard one to guess. Yes, it’s another photograph of Ipoh Motors Ltd. What I’m curious about is the street vendor – far right of this photograph (click to enlarge). What was he selling at that time? Can you also spot the petrol pump (below the sign Fargo Truck)? This photograph is part […]

This was Jubilee Park then….when they first started business. Later, the Shaw Brothers gave it a ‘facelift’ (see picture below). Today, a night club has opened at the corner of Brewster Road and Cowan Street. But this side of Jubilee Park still remains. Anyone knows what’s going on inside? Are the stalls still there? We […]

Richard Lee sent us this one via email. This was taken in 1965, during the Sports Day. Any idea what race these boys took part in? Maybe some of you out there are in this very picture 😉 If so, do tell us more about your memorable sports day!

According to Wendy Lewis (the donor of these photographs), her father Alfred Simon (left) was the Superintendent of the Perak Hydro Power Station in Malim Nawar. On his right is none other than the Sultan of Perak. These 1966 photographs bring back lots of memories – especially for Wendy and her sister, since they stood […]

Whether they’re quiet, noisy, cheeky, hyperactive, or even the book-worm types…..kids will always have a special place in our hearts 😉 Today, we’d like to share this photograph with you. We don’t know what these boys were up to when this was taken, but I would like to guess that they were probably playing hide-and-seek […]

Here’s a coloured picture of the Ipoh Swimming Club. I do wonder: was the taken before or after they renovated the pool? Our thanks goes out to Ruth Rollitt for sharing this photograph with us.

On the far left is a provision shop. Across the road is a photography studio. Anyone know where in Ipoh these shops are? I admit I’ve never really seen this side of Ipoh before… We thank John McAuley for this photograph, which was probably taken somewhere in 1956/57.

We’ve had posts where we’ve asked you to guess the street/event/person/ etc. This time, we’d like you to guess the movie 😉 Yes, take a good look at the advertisement on the outside of the cinema – do YOU know this movie? If you do, don’t be shy about leaving us a comment or two. […]

I know it’s not even close to December yet…but all the same, I’d like to share Ruth Rollitt’s photo with you. This was taken at St John’s Hall back in 1958. According to the programme, those on stage were probably from the Ipoh Musical Society. The singers were accompanied by the band from the 13th/18th […]

This photo was taken about two weeks ago and it is one very small corner of the whole exhibition. Today, now that the remedial work is done to this particular display it is a great place to record your visit to this famous house. It is just one such photo-spot of many. Found in Falim, […]

Today’s blog we’re featuring a picture from Ruth Rollitt. According to her, this was part of the Batu Gajah hospital. Recognise it? Folks from Batu Gajah might be able to tell us more 🙂

This is none other than the Grand Theater & Jubilee Park – before the Shaw Brothers renovated it. From the clues in the picture, some of you may be able to roughly guess the year this was taken. What was YOUR early memory of this famous landmark? Were you a patron of the Cabaret? Did […]

Calling all alumni of Yuk Kwan Chinese School – especially those from 1977: Where are YOU in this happy group? 🙂

Sometimes we’re so caught up with ourselves that we don’t ‘stop to smell the roses’ 😉 Here’s a look at what used to be a common sight in Ipoh – probably in the 1950s or 1960s. I do wonder if such a sight is present in this day and age…..but, like many of us I […]

Here’s a nice one from a family album. We thank Alexander for this gem. According to him, the girl (standing) is his grandmother Madam Ursula. Behind her are her parents Mr Arokiasamy and Mrs Iruthayamary. The little one on the car is Ursula’s sister Kolanda Theresa. Incidentally, Mr Arokiasamy was involved in the textile & […]

Looks like a fun fair. Or could it be a day at the Farmer’s Market (Pasar Tani)? We don’t know…but we’re hoping someone out there might tell us. Maybe you’re one of the little boys in the picture? 😉

I’m making a rough guess and stating that this picture is from the 1960s (if I’m wrong, let me know). I found the designs of these cheongsams quite interesting. Personally, I’ve tried looking around for a simple one at the malls…..and found that the ones sold are rather costly (especially since they are embroidered or […]

Remember these buses? Wonder what’s become of them. What drew my attention were the unique signal lights – notice the left and right arrows below the windshield! I’ve not come across such a sight before…. 😉 For those of you who rode such buses around town, how much was the fare?

In the background is none other than the Fraser & Neave Ltd Aerated Water building. At the bottom right, there are railway tracks leading towards the F&N building. We don’t know who the gentleman on the bicycle is…neither do we know the date this photograph was taken. We look forward to your comments – especially […]

We’ve had quite a few readers on the blog talking about this school, hence today’s blog post. This picture is from Nicholas Jennings’ sister; and according to Nicholas, this building was “one of the two (or more) barrack-like structures” which were used as class rooms for this school. From the descriptions we’ve been given, this […]

No, your eyes are not playing tricks on you – this picture IS from 1928! In fact, ACS Kampar was founded back in 1903 by none other than Rev Horley himself. Has the uniform changed that much over the years? Come on Scouts (past & present), we’d like to hear from you!

Before the present wonder of CGI of today’s movies, there was the ‘Anamorphic Camera Lens’. The first movie shot with this lens is said to be Broken Lance (see poster above). Anyone seen the movie? While is was no Lord of the Rings or Avatar, I’m sure it had its special features which left the […]

The above photo, from Sybil, was taken in the front porch of No.8 Caldwell Road back in the late 60s (note the Mercedes on the left!). 4 or 5 years ago, Sybil came back for a visit and this (picture below) was what the house looked liked. Besides No.8 Caldwell Road, Sybil’s family had another […]

From what our donor (Ko-chi Wai) tells us, this is a “view from inside Choon Seng shop house along 156 Hugh Low Street, ground floor front. Shows the structure of the horizontal sliding metal grill/shutter door, and an old heavy-duty weigh (in green, left bottom). My brother, sister and myself on the old Honda cub.” […]

Ko-chi Wai sent us this one – showing his aunt (back in 1964) posing with one of the mini rock pagodas at the Japanese Garden in Ipoh. Are these pagodas still there? I admit I’ve not seen one since I last visited the garden…maybe someone out there could tell us more!

Ask me what SEAL is, and I’ll relate it to the US Navy SEALs 😉 But, here we have another type of SEAL – apparently this SEAL is a name of a factory (picture above). This was sent to us from Ko-chi Wai, along with this message: School Visit to S.E.A.L Corporation Ltd factory – […]

The Grandchildren of Chong Soon Fan’s eldest daughter lived in the “old house” at Main Road, Menglembu. They were all studying in the English schools in Ipoh. At the break of dawn, they all got up, brushed their teeth and started to walk towards the Chong Family bungalow opposite the Wan Hua Primary School. […]

Ko-chi Wai had this to say, when he sent us this picture: Ipoh Main Convent XI Hockey Team 1960 – Photo of the Main Convent hockey team which my aunt (front row, 2nd from left) was part of, taken within the grounds of the school. It was marked as XI Hockey, 1960 at the back […]

…such a scene (picture above) was a common sight around Ipoh Town. I never had a pair of striped pajamas, but I do remember (as a child) walking about in cartoon-themed pajamas and bed-hair! This cute picture was sent to us by Ko-chi Wai, who also included this message: My mum (Lau Siew Hwa), my […]

Since this fountain was erected, many Ipoh-ites have posed for pictures at this very roundabout. I suppose it was possible back then when there wasn’t much traffic – imagine doing photo shoots here in this day and age! And what about those buildings in the background? Any idea what they are?

Yes, you read it right! The above picture, taken in 1973, shows a couple at D R Seenivasagam Park. Through email, Ko-Chi Wai tells us that: the rocks at the far side of the lake are still there today. however, the wooden platform where they are standing, and the wooden zigzag bridge across the lake […]

The girl in the picture seems overjoyed as she poses with her birthday cake and presents. Notice the presents on the table: biscuits, prunes and a mock iron. I vaguely recall posing for similar pictures during my early birthdays. I didn’t receive biscuits….instead I had dolls, a large LEGO set (which I still have and […]

After WW2, Carradino D’Ascanio – the designer for the Piaggio Company – came up with a “simple, sturdy, and economical vehicle” which was also comfortable. This elegant design was named Vespa! Here’s a row of Vespas, looking ‘pretty’ outside the shop houses. Recognise the street?

This was sent to us by Keith Nelson. Are those government quarters in the background? If so, where is this place?

We have here a photograph from Chan Kok Keong. Anyone recognise the model of the motorbike? If you look closely, you can see the number plate – PK 57 – which would give you a hint as to the year. Did any of you/your family own a vehicle with a PK number plate?

Ipoh was clearly more green back then. And there was less traffic too. Here we see a lone figure with two baskets balanced on a coolie pole, walking towards a bridge. Which bridge was this? What about the shady trees – are they still there? We thank Alan for this 1960s picture.

Nicholas Jennings sent us these – showing Freda, the wife of J A S Jennings (Editor of Times of Malaya). Freda with her friends at the Ipoh Race Course Freda playing billiards at the Crag Hotel, Penang What fashion trends were popular during YOUR time? Did you attempt the ‘Jackie Kennedy’ look? Or perhaps you had […]

Here’s the 4th installment in IpohBornKid’s series. The picture (circa 1958) shows a little boy in brand new clothes – specially worn for Chinese New Year. In the background is the Man Hua Primary School. Episode 4 -The 12 Grand Children of Chong Soon Fan Celebrating Chinese New Year & the Ang Pow trail By IpohBornKid […]

[click to enlarge] Familiar? Looks like a street near your neighbourhood? Could this place be outside Ipoh? You tell us. We thank Nicholas Jennings for sharing this photograph with us.

We’ve noticed that the past few blogs have prompted our fans to talk about the good food in Ipoh. Artistic angle aside, if you look at the above picture closely you can see some ‘work’ in progress – yes, folks….the man is making Popiah! There isn’t much background in the picture, but perhaps someone recognises […]

Being an alumni of the Main Convent, Ipoh, I was surprised to note that there was once a kindergarten within the premises. Do any of the Convent alumni remember it? Is the building still there…or has it been converted into something else? The above picture is from Dr Ho Tak Ming.

As a kid, I remember the ice cream van driving around my neighbourhood on certain evenings. You know the ice cream man is coming just be keeping an ear out for the distinct music which plays on a loop. Oddly enough, I was actually afraid of the music….and if I were out in the garden, […]

Our thanks goes out to Alan, for sharing this picture with us!

Remember him? He probably sold snacks and other odds & ends. I wonder where he is now? Perhaps he has a proper stall somewhere else in Ipoh? Hmm….maybe one of our fans knows more 🙂

IpohBornKid shares his 3rd installment with us. Happy reading 🙂 The picture showing the first 12 grandchildren of Chong Soon Fan was probably taken in 1957, during the Chinee New Year. The location is the bungalow, the family residence of Chong Soon Fan. The background building with the tin roof is the Nanyang Picture Theatre […]

Nicholas Jennings sent us these pictures some time ago. They were said to be taken around the early 1960s. Nicholas (with Bintang, the family pet), together with his mother Joyce, his sisters Alison and Christina, and Ramah the nanny. The Amah and her 3 children Nicholas, who once lived at 141 Jalan Abdul Jalil had this […]

Is this place part of one of the famous parks in Ipoh? Do you know where it is? Is this place still there?

This picture is from Ralph Khaw, who was the drum major in the SMI Cadet Band. This was taken in 1970 at the Perak Stadium – the Ipoh Combined School Bands. Among the schools which participated were SMI, MGS, and Perak Girls’ School. According to Ralph, either Raja Perempuan School or Poi Lam took part as […]

Keith Nelson, a former British National serviceman, sent us this picture. This was taken in 1959. Do any of you recognise this coffee shop? Is it still around?

This photo was taken on 17 December, 1967 during SMJK Poi Lam’s school visit to Nanyang Siang Pau office. The two lady teachers were dressed in their traditional Chinese cheongsam. The girls were wearing their white sleeveless blouse and black skirt uniform while the boys were all attired in their white short-sleeved shirts and shorts. […]

Chapter 2: The Children of Chong Soon Fan – by IpohBornKid In a previous Ipoh World blog which I now called Chapter 1, (http://www.ipohworld.org/?p=3342), I wrote a short biography of the late Chong Soon Fan, JP, who was the Penghulu of Menglembu. As a Menglembu village headman, he was well respected and despite his wealth, […]

This is Mano, with part of the cast from the movie ‘Anna and the King’. (Mano played ‘Moonshi’ in the movie) This picture was taken on location, back in 1999, and we were wondering: WHERE are the ‘Royal Children’ now? Recognise any of them? Or maybe you recognise yourself here? We’d love to hear from you!

IpohBornKid would like to share something about the Cole Family, who lived in Ipoh in the early 1950s. Happy Reading! 🙂 Left to Right: L/Corporal Cole; the members of the Cole Family (the dark-haired boy is probably Brian) L/Corporal Cole was a British Servicemen stationed in Ipoh and his family was given living quarters in […]

Dr Ho shared this picture with us, and we’d like to share it with you guys – especially the Alumni of the Main Convent! Convent Girls, do you recognise this part of the school?

We thank IpohBornKid for the above picture. In his email to us, he mentioned that this picture was from Brian Cole of Bath Spa (UK). The picture belonged to the Cole family patriarch who served as a British Army personnel (in Ipoh) in the early 1950s. The movie being advertised (see the board outside the […]

While we’re still on the topic of movie theatres/cinema halls, do you recognise the building in the background? Can also guess what year this picture was taken? If YOU are the guy posing in front of the cinema, we’d really love to hear from you! 🙂

Do they look familiar to you? (Or, perhaps you may be one of the children in the picture?) This picture was said to be taken in Kampar. In the background is Weng Heng Aerated Water Factory. Is the factory still there, maybe under a different name? Or, has the premises been bought over by another company? […]

Nostalgic flash back in Ipoh ACS – The little park in the site of the current Carpentry Shed 1953 by IpohBornKid Prior to the erection of the Carpentry Shed, there was a little park of green grass with a middle line of trees, one of which was a frangipani tree of nearly 12 feet tall. […]

In a previous blog, we featured an ‘old’ merry-go-round. Well, here is what a see-saw looked like back in the 50s. This picture (sent a long time ago) is from Anne and Dennis Marsden of the UK. It was taken at a Christmas Party at an orphanage somewhere in Ipoh.

The Americans termed it “The Witches Hat” by IpohBornKid Introductory quote from:http://tstbob.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/walk-down-memory-lane-to-dangerous.html “No; I’m not talking about those sterile plastic lysol-sprayed hunks of crap nestled in a bed of rubbery soft nerfy flooring. I’m talking aboutreal playgrounds. The kind we grew up with, the kind that mangled us and taught us life lessons. Playgrounds deemed too […]

Here’s another set of photographs from the Macduffs, taken in the 1950s (before they left Malaya). This one shows the boys’ handicap race; Ian is said to be the boy standing 3rd from the left, while Ian and Sheila’s father – Ken Macduff – is the official in the far right (the one with the […]

These were sent to us by the Macduffs (Ian and Sheila), who also shared some memories of what the Ipoh Swimming Club was like back in the 50s. Sheila tells us that the sketch of the four boys on the programme cover was done by Pat Power. We are not too sure of the identity […]

This was sent to us some time ago by Sybil de Roquigny-Iragne. I must say, those shop houses in the background seem familiar! Recognise them? On a different note, taking a break and relaxing (like the youths in the picture) at parks/open spaces in Ipoh was once a luxury…..sadly, some of our parks/gardens are now […]

We have here Nigel Jennings, together with Cedric, Harold, his mother and aunt. What we’d like to draw your attention to are the toys at the bottom of this picture! Notice the pedal-car, the steam engine and the Meccano set 🙂 I confess to having played with a pedal-car in my younger days; what was […]

Here we have a picture of Nigel Jennings on the verandah of Rose Cottage in the Cameron Highlands. He is wearing a green blazer and cap both sporting a school badge. We would love to know which school this was. Inserted in the picture bottom left you can see the badge is an “S” and […]

The Konkey Game played in Ipoh & Surrounds By IpohBornKid Introduction: When the X generation was growing up, they did not have affluent parents who would buy them toys, hi-fi sets or computer games. They relied on their ingenuity and played games that cost nothing. These games were usually played in the open air about […]

This picture (from Thomas Lee) needs no explanation. Steamboat restaurants have mushroomed around the place (there is one barely 1 km from my house!) and at a glance, these restaurants are often packed. What I’m curious about though is HOW/WHEN this dining experience began in Ipoh.

As we do not have any photos of Ipoh youngsters playing marbles to illustrate the following text from ipohbornkid, I have used this one courtesy of wwwyeohongeng.blogspot.com. Perhaps some of our readers can help us out with similar photos from Ipoh or Perak. And how about some stories about other childhood games please. Definitions […]

Remember these tiles and the hours of fun you could have with them? It is believed that this game originated in China, during the 12th Century. In the early 18th Century, it was introduced in Italy and eventually the rest of Europe became engrossed in the game. Dominoes are played today all over the world […]

Lam Lai Meng sent us this 1967 picture of some MGS girls painting a 3-panel mosaic like mural, on the wall above the Principal’s office. The mural is said to depict women in various occupations. The Teacher standing on the far left is none other than Mrs Vivian Chong. To the MGS Alumni reading this: […]

…that this was Pasir Puteh back in the 1960s? Yes, take a GOOD LOOK at the pictures below 🙂 Shops with zinc roofs. Mercedes Benz Bus, Ipoh Omnibus Co. These pictures were provided by Mano, while SK gave us a little write-up: Mano stayed at No 7, New Pasir Puteh & LMS 136 further […]

…pictures such as this one make your mouth water! 😉 Yes, these people are ‘paying tribute’ to the King of Fruits in their very own kitchen. On a different note, observe the background – the different containers/jars which were once found in (almost) every local home. We thank Charlie Choong for this picture.

Not too long ago, I received an e-mail which talked about the simple things in life. The e-mail ended with the phrase “Life was simple when Apple and Blackberry were names of fruits”. Hence, when I saw the following pictures (below) from Charlie…. …..I began to wonder: what was life like back then? Do boys […]

We know him as Rocky Teoh – a Taiping-born lad who loved singing and entered many talent contests. Shown here is the front cover of his album, which features two of Rocky’s famous songs: ‘There’s Always Me’ and ‘Crying In The Chapel’. Rocky and the Fabulous Falcons have performed in Cathay Organisation Theatres throughout the […]

This picture was taken back in the 1950s – around 1952/53. I wonder how many of our Readers out there remember this antique radio. Don’t forget the cabinet which this radio is sitting on! I’ve been to houses where such cabinets are still in use; also take note of those miniature liquor bottles too 🙂 […]

This cute picture is from Shuen Huey Foo, of Ipoh. Recognise this place? The signboard in the background says “Taman Didekan Kanak2 Wesley, Pasir Pinji, Ipoh”. I’m guessing this was probably in the early 1980s (could be wrong, though). Is this kindergarten still around? Was it another branch of the Wesley Kindergarten along Lahat Road? […]

The top picture is said to be Form 5 Science, back in 1967. The bottom one is the Anderson School Library Prefectorial Board, also from 1967. Do you see yourself in any/both of these pictures? We’d like to hear from you – perhaps tell us a tale or two about your years at Anderson School, […]

We received these interesting pictures from Ralph Khaw (from Perth, Australia). He also emailed us a short explanation for the above pictures: “I can’t remember the date of the singout organised in MGS , involving students from MGS,ACS,SMI. I played a small part as a member of Choir. The teacher singing is Eddie Chin,teacher of […]

Our donor Chooi Lau Fai had this to say, regarding these pictures: “Both photos were taken in either 1952 or 1953. The scout master was Mr Sohor. The first photo was taken on the Iskandar Bridge on our way to the Istana Kuala Kangsar. The second photo was taken in the grounds of the Istana. […]

This one should bring back some memories 🙂 Can any of you guess what year it is? What about those in the picture? Were they your teachers? (click to enlarge) We’d like to thank Shuen Huey Foo, from Ipoh, for this picture.

This picture here was probably taken in the late 1960s or so. I’m just curious: did the clock (behind the little boy) actually work or was it just part of the garden’s landscape? If it did run, is it still there now? Anyone been to the Japanese Garden lately? Do let us know 🙂

Yes, you read it right! These are the kiddies from the Sam Tet Kindergarten – back in 1980 🙂 See yourself in the group? Maybe you were one of the teachers? We can’t wait to hear from you 😉

What is so special about the GLCM that it deserves a write up? Well, among the Christian churches in Ipoh, the Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and other denominations all have Anglo-Celtic influence but the Lutheran has German influence. Secondly, GLCM carried out its missionary work in the tin mining villages south of Ipoh. Thirdly, they […]

…seen the inside of the Projector-Room? Perhaps someone out there knows which cinema this is? If YOU are the gentleman in this picture, DO tell us about your experience! We thank Shuen Huey Foo of Ipoh for this picture.

Come on Sleuths! I’m sure some of you have seen this unique traffic light (far back) SOMEWHERE in Ipoh 🙂 Know the place? It is at a park? You tell us 😉

IpohBornKid shared this little story with us through email. Here’s his take on a memorable outing. Happy reading 🙂 Convent Girls by demand – at Kledang Hill Many teenagers walked up the Kledang Hill in the 1950s (see previous blog). It was a good natural outing where a big group of Menglembu neighbours […]

Ah yes! MORE pictures showing Ipoh’s pretty lasses 🙂 For those of you who are wondering, this picture was taken at the Tambun Hot Springs – sometime in the early 1970s. A special thanks to Sophie for this picture. Sophie, if you’re reading this: are you in this group? Could you tell us the names […]

We have here the PCADA String Orchestra. Do you remember them? Perhaps they performed for the public (something like our Malaysian Philharmonic althouh a little smaller)? What’s become of them now?

Any idea WHO is the gentleman giving a speech (picture above)? What about the other man next to him? I’m sure we have some scouts who are reading this now…..were there frequent gatherings like these in Ipoh? If so, do tell us more. What about the building in the background? Was it a common meeting […]

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you the 1969 cast of ‘My Fair Lady’ – a Michaelian Production of course 😉 Did any of you catch this play? Give us a little review…. Better yet: Were you one of the actors? Or, were you one of those involved in the production (doing the Set / […]

Calling all alumni of ACS Kampar!!! 🙂 When did THIS happen? Are YOU in there somewhere….? For those of you who recognise the uniform, yes….this is indeed part of the ACS Kampar school band!

Enjoy the long awaited Episode 4 recalling UV’s many ‘adventures’ during his career as a teacher! EPISODE 4 – TEACHING IN AND AROUND IPOH Teaching is not essentially academic in nature. It involves an overall development of the child. A teacher is not only expected to teach subjects offered by the school but also to […]

click on picture to enlarge Today, we’re featuring the Form 5 Class of 1966 – from Ave Maria Convent, Ipoh. Do you recognise them? Are YOU in this group? I’m sure we have some former students reading this 🙂

Somewhere along Chamberlain Road, Ipoh…..there is a Post Office. The picture here is what the post office looked like in the 1960s – we think it’s the 1960s, since there is a car parked on the far left, bearing the number plate AC 8426 🙂 From the picture, the main mode of transport in those […]

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you 99 Anderson Road, Ipoh! This building was originally owned by Foong Seong. Later, the Cheong family bought it. When the Cheongs lived here, the front part of the building was a men’s hairdressing salon while the back portion was a famous tailors shop from where hundreds of made-to-measure […]

Today, we’ll try something different. Take a look at the picture (below) and tell us what you think! Just out of interest…. the words on the cart say “Japanese Doby FMS Laundry Ipoh”.

Yes, this is a 1963 picture of Shen Jai Secondary School. This picture was taken from a book which recorded the 1st batch of students who sat for their LCE!

Here we have Form 5 Arts 1, of Anderson School Ipoh. The year was 1975, and their Form Teacher was Puan S Koshy (seated, centre). The donor of this picture is Othman Sabirin (seated, second from left). Here’s a list of names….just to help you out (click to enlarge). Calling all Andersonians! Do you recognise […]

We have here the 3rd installment of UV’s account….about his teaching experiences in and around Ipoh. Happy reading 🙂 the waterfall at Buntung Teaching In and Around Ipoh Episode 3 Teaching is not merely the passing on of knowledge to students. It involves and interaction that is rather complicated. A student learns through various ways. [This […]

Familiar? Well, we believe that this was part of the Jubilee Park ……..yes, the FUN-Section where there were carousel rides, game stalls..etc. How much did such a ride cost? Did they have a day-pass or something similar (as what Lost World of Tambun has today) ?

Know this road? Way back in 1945, this was part of the Singapore-Penang route. This picture shows the road passing through Ipoh (although, we don’t know which part of Ipoh this is). Yes, there weren’t many cars on the roads in those days; in the picture are a couple of bullock-carts. Must have been a […]

According to the donor of this photograph – Sybil de Roquigny – this was taken in 1945, sometime after the war. Seated on the left of the Indian girl (wearing a plain samfoo) is Sybil’s aunt Linda Leong Kam Leng (daughter of Leong Eng Khean and granddaughter of Towkay Leong Fee). Seated on the far […]

We have here a picture from Helen Philip (who’s in the far right, with her partner Teh Jung Siang). Also in the picture are: Rosalind Goh (4th from right), and Teng Yoke Leng (10th from right). This event is said to be the ‘most exciting’ event during the RPS annual Sports Day. (Some of you […]

We thank Howard Tang Hoy Wah (from Falim, Perak) for this picture. Howard now lives in the US, and was formerly a student of ACS Ipoh. He was also well connected to the Wesley Methodist Church – his brother, Tang Kin Wah, once served as a Methodist Pastor before he too left for the States. This picture was […]

We received this from Sophie via email. This was taken during Chinese New Year in 1969 – showing the Class of Form 3C of RPS. Sophie has, unfortunately, lost touch with her friends (those in the picture) since she left school. Are you one of those in the picture? Do let us know…..and Sophie if […]

We’ve had the great fortune of receiving some lovely photographs from the collection of the late Percival Moss (which can be found on our database, under the title ‘Moss Collection’). Mr Moss was a tailor who was stationed in Taiping from about 1890 to 1910. He was a tailor who sewed uniforms for the Malay States […]

We received this photograph from Sophie. It was probably taken in 1969 and those in the photograph (left to right) are Sophie’s brother, cousin and neighbour. She also told us that: “The boys are standing facing my house in Jalan Pasir Puteh…..the building behind them used to belong to the late Dato Cheah Fah”. And […]

This was sent to us by YKChoong, via email. He also had this to say… ….not sure if it was a Ford or a Peugeot. I think the foto taken around 1953-54, car was parked beside my parents home in Pasir Pinji (No. 267, Queen Street to be exact). I remembered clearly the front portion […]

We’ve had comments about the (sadly) forgotten cinema at Kampong Simee….here’s a recent picture of the building (see picture below). Anyone know WHEN this place closed down? What is it used as now? Perhaps some of you out there could share with us some of the better memories of this place……

I remember playing with lanterns such as the one this lovely lady is holding. It was one of the things I looked forward to during the Mid Autumn Festival…..other then eating mooncakes 🙂 But our question for you guys out there today is: What is the building in the background? Where in Ipoh is it? Or, […]

These pictures were sent to us by IpohBornKid. IpohBornKid also wrote the following: The attached photos were taken in the late 1950s, during the local primary school’s song and dance performances. It is a tradition in Chinese schools to perform traditional song and dance as opposed to the Western arts performed in English schools.These performances […]

Yes, at last Ipoh, My Home Town has gone to the printers. As you may know, I have been working on a new book for the past 20 months or so, editing and compiling original stories of people growing up in Ipoh over the last 90 years. It is entitled “Ipoh, My Home Town: Reminiscences […]

(This was sent to us by IpohBornKid) This picture was taken way back in 1961. That’s about the only thing we’re sure of. Maybe someone out there could help us with the following questions: Was this taken at the Ipoh Padang? Who are these pretty girls? What was the occasion for the costumes? Come on! […]

Yes, these boys seem to have found a solution for the hot weather 🙂 This picture was sent to us by Edwin Siebel. Apprently, this was taken at Teluk Anson (Teluk Intan). Anyone know WHERE in Teluk Anson this is? Was it taken at a swimming club? Note: This picture was taken on 31st May 1956 😉

Here’s another little sharing by IpohBornKid, about a school trip to Penang with his friends! This picture was taken in the 1950s where Mr Quah Kuan Teik took a bus load of ACS boys to Penang. It was a most memorable trip and of course, we gave the old boy heaps but he remained firm […]

Here’s a little nostalgia from IpohBornKid, about a trip to the famous Kledang Hills. Happy reading 🙂 A Nostalgic Climb up The Kledang Hill circa 1950s. Dear Ipoh and Menglembu Old Timers Everyone has heard of Cameron Highlands (off Tapah), Frazer Hill (Off Taiping) and later on Genting Highlands but not many have […]

We have yet another school picture here – but we don’t know the year nor the school. Care to give us a hand? 🙂

I wonder how many of you saw Rhett and Scarlet at this cinema! Sadly, such experiences are only memories now…..since the cineplex-craze began 🙁 Like other cinema halls, Ruby has also seen better days……

We present to you a little tribute to Mr NC Thomas – a man who was both Friend and Mentor to many a youth in Ipoh in the 1950s. We thank IpohBornKid for this write-up! A Tribute to Mr NC Thomas – Pioneer in Youth work Mr NC Thomas came to Malaysia in […]

Familiar? Well, those of you who followed the fashion trends of the different eras would know this look 😉 Fashion aside, do you recognise the place? Where is this fountain, where the lovely ladies are standing next to? Judging from the school buses in the background, this was probably a school field trip….

Yes, we have another class photo! This time, we’re clueless about the year; all we know is these smiling faces seem to be Prefects from St Michael’s Institution. Are you in this photo? Or, do you know anyone in this photo? Looking forward to your comments 🙂

For those who have been waiting patiently, here is UV’s Episode 8 of ‘Schooling in Ipoh’! 🙂 Episode 8: Schooling in Ipoh Life in Lower Six quickly went by. Soon we became the seniors and new Lower Six students were coming in. Many of those, especially those from MGS Ipoh were my friends from […]

Calling all Sam Tet alumni! Can you guess the year this picture was taken? Do you know WHO they are? Maybe someone out there was once in this happy group…. 🙂 And, what about the flags? We look forward to hearing from you.

Yes, there was a Rex cinema in Kampar! Of course, it’s not in use now….last I checked it was boarded up. Anyone care to tell us MORE about this place? We look forward to your comments!

Those of you who grew up in Kampar might recognise this landmark. Yes, this is the Great World amusement centre – almost like Ipoh’s Jubilee Park! We’d like to hear stories (as many as possible, of course!) about this place….I’m sure some of you out there have fond memories……

We have here a 1966 class photo from the National Type Primary School of Jalan Pasir Puteh (NTPS JPP). Our donor, Rosebud, told us that Chan Wan Seong (featured in a previous blog – ‘Badminton Hero from Ipoh’) can be seen standing in the back row, 6th from the left. Can you spot anyone else […]

We have here a picture taken outside the Grand Hotel, Ipoh. This picture was taken on Christmas 1917, according to our donor Nicholas Jennings. Recognise anyone in the picture? A relative perhaps? Do let us know. We thank Nicholas for this picture via email.

Here’s part 5, from UV. Episode 5 – Schooling in Ipoh After two years with the brightest of ACS for this batch of students which included Yee Woon Chee, Nga Tung See and others who constantly hogged the first and second place in the form, my various extra-curricular activities took its toll on me. […]

Here’s part 4 of our series, written by UV. A photo of the Author, in a Boys’ Brigade uniform during a Methodist Intermediate Fellowship programme. The American boy in the picture is the son of Bishop Lundey (Lundey was the pastor of Ipoh Wesley Church then). Episode 4 – Schooling in Ipoh I crossed over into secondary school education at […]

Aren’t they cute? Well, this adorable pair are the de Lucy twins (once featured in our blog). When was the last time YOU played dress-up? I’m sure you have some fun stories to share!

Today we’re featuring the 3rd installment of UV’s Schooling Days. Picture of the ACS Primary Building (from the 1800s), taken from the Kinta Valley book. Episode 3 I didn’t do too well in my first year in ACS Ipoh. I was placed in the ‘B’ class the following year. It knocked the pride out of […]

Here’s the 2nd Episode from UV-Valiant Knight. Episode 2 The Central Mental Hospital, TR. This picture was taken in 1952; the Writer’s mother is seated next to the Matron (an English Lady). Aerial view of the ACS School, Ipoh Transferring to another location is usually traumatic for some people. I had to […]

We have here a contribution by one of our readers – UV -ValiantKnight. He would like to share with us his childhood memories, especially from his schooling days at the Primary branch of ACS (in Ulu Kinta). Below is his story, together with a couple of pictures. Happy reading! S.K. Methodist, Tanjong Rambutan T.R. Methodist Church […]