courtesy of: Ang Eng
Remember the Times of Malaya? Well, here’s a photo of their second building; probably around the 1930s (we could be wrong though). Last we heard, this building was rented out to the Yayasan Perak company.
Looking at this picture (from Lay Jin Chew), I couldn’t help but wonder how much Ipoh’s landscape has changed over the years. Could that bridge (far left) be part of the Hugh Low Bridge, or part of the Birch Bridge? I would also like to draw your attention to the area on the left of the shop houses (other side of the bridge). Any idea what that building is?
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!
Yes, this is indeed a Malay Funeral procession. This was taken, with kind permission, from the Imperial War Museum London. The photo was taken from a colour transparency, back in the 1950s. If you look closely you can see the Ipoh East Post Office in the background – that should give you a clue about the location.
We thank Mario Francis Armadass for giving us the link.
Study the picture below….carefully….. 😉
A signboard was supposed to have been erected above the shop house – 147, Brewster Road. Our question for YOU is: did the signboard go up at all? If so, what did it advertise?
As mentioned previously, we have a postcard with ‘Ipoh East’ stamped on the top left corner.
The date is stated as 1934 – meaning the Post Office concerned has been around for some time. When did they close then?
According to Nick Band (our donor), the caption for this 1957 photograph reads as Post Office, Brewster Road, from the Eastern. If you zoom in on the ‘Pejabat Pos’ signage, the smaller street sign (left) reads as Cockman Street. THIS is what’s confused us 😉
Ipoh-experts out there, can you help us? Is this really the junction of Brewster Road and Cockman Street?
For those of you who’ve already guessed this building, give yourself a pat on the shoulder. Yes, this is none other than St Michael’s church – which is along Brewster Road, behind the former Odeon Cinema. What I’d like to point out is the road leading towards the church itself. Notice how it seems almost flat! For those who are familiar with this church would know that the present road slopes upwards. Also notice that there is no wall surrounding the cemetery. Anyone know WHEN these changes happened?
This picture is from John McAuley’s collection.
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 of John McAuley’s collection. McAuley served in Ipoh in the mid 1950s.
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 thank Ruth Rollitt for these two photographs.
This picture, courtesy of Ruth Rollitt, was taken in 1979. We’d like to draw your attention to the white building (far left). If you squint, you can make out the words ‘Good Luck’ on the wall. Anyone have any idea what this building was? Take a closer look…
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 you frequent the amusement park? Or, were you one of the many movie-goers?
We thank Edwin Seibel for this picture.
We thank Edwin Seibel for this rare picture of the former Sun Cinema. Can anyone make a rough guess as to which year this picture was taken?
This arch was put up by the Perak Chinese Celebration Committee (you can vaguely make out the fine print if you zoom in).
Today, there’s still an arch above Brewster Road (roughly the same location as the above picture states). I wonder who decorates it now? Does the Celebration Committee still exist?
We’ve put up quite a few pictures of Brewster Road in the past. But this one caught our eye – notice the words Lam Looking Building written above the entrance.
I wonder how many building Towkay Lam Looking owned here in Ipoh….
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 audience in awe 🙂 If you’ve seen the movie, do tell us about it!
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 of the photo.
Well, Convent Girls….anyone of you in the picture? For those who were part of the hockey team, do you remember the teacher/coach?
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?
This was taken off a postcard; the date on the stamp says 1938, so we think the picture was taken a few years earlier.
Nevertheless, on the far left of the picture is the sign that reads as Huttenbach, Lazarus & Sons Ltd. Did any other business take up residence at the Chua Cheng Bok building?
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.
…that Brewster Road was this ’empty’ back in 1959?
From the traffic I see today, I can hardly believe it myself!
This picture is courtesy of Keith Nelson, a former British National serviceman.
These pictures were taken from the St Michael’s Church Centenary Magazine. Shown below are members of the church choir – from the 1930s and 1990s.
The Choir, way back in 1935.
A 1990 picture of the new Choir.
Anyone familiar in either of the groups? Perhaps some of you may know them; maybe there were/are some famous Ipoh-folks in the pictures?
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?
…when you could buy a Chevy in Ipoh 😉
As some of you may have guessed, the building on the far left – with the large ‘Chevrolet’ sign – is none other than Borneo Motors. Next to Borneo Motors is Ipoh Motors (formerly Cycle and Carriage Co, Ltd.) and across the road is the Brewster Road Fire Station.
Note that: Yik Foong Complex is NOT in the pictur; which means this was definately taken before the 1960s. Also observe that Brewster Road was still a two-way street (and almost FREE from traffic jams!). Could it have been the 1940s? Or earlier? You tell us 🙂
We thank Dr Ho Tak Ming for this picture.
Here’s a photograph of Ipoh Motors – yes, the same Ipoh Motors which was once a familiar sight along Brewster Road. It is said that the building was previously the premises of Cycle & Carriage Co. Ltd.
Any idea as to WHEN this photograph was taken. We think it’s the 1950s – since Ipoh Motors did move off to another premise, leaving the building empty for some time…
This is the other end of Leech Street. On the left is the Sun Cinema (yes, the SAME Sun Cinema that our local cartoonist Lat drew in his cartoons!). Does anyone know the building on the right?
We thank Ruth Rollitt for this rare gem 🙂
Yes, this archway was decorated specially for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Notice the building that says ‘Borneo Motors’ (which is now a restaurant/pub called ‘OverTime’). Brewster Road was rather quiet in those days, wasn’t it? 😉
I wonder…..when was the facade of this archway renovated to it’s present design?
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) ?
The quality of the picture may not be that good….but I’m pretty sure that the building in the far right is the back portion of the Grand Theatre (which once stood at Brewster Road and Cowan Street).
Of course many of us remember that the Grand Theatre was also part of Jubilee Park; with that in mind….I’m taking a wild guess as to the date of this picture – perhaps 1930/1931? Keeping in mind that the Shaw Brothers began Jubilee Park around 1932, hence I feel that this picture was before the Jubilee Park was built.
Anyone with other theories? Perhaps someone out there could tell us MORE!
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.
I’m sure some of you remember what this part of Ipoh looked like – way back in 1967/68.
Of course, now….a LOT has changed! The SHELL station has been renovated a number of times. As for the row of shop houses beside the SHELL station; well the half nearer to the junction is now Maybank, while the other half has been demolished (sadly). Across the road is Jubilee Park, which seems to be a shadow of its former self. 🙁
So, what was it like in the late 1960s? We’d love to hear your many stories!
…there was this corner shop (see picture below).
Your task for today: tell us a little more about this shop. Is it still there? Perhaps it’s been turned into something else?
There also seems to be a tiny booth just outside the shop. I wonder what the booth was for…..
Remember the old fire brigade at Brewster Road? Here we have two pictures of the fire brigade’s compound – showing the girls from the Main Convent.
These girls were part of the Firefighter Cadets Club, which was established in the school in the 1980s.
The fire brigade has moved to another premise (opposite the Perak Stadium), but the old building still remains. Anyone know what’s become of the old building?
Thank you to Puan Zora, a former student and teacher from the Main Convent, who lent us these pictures!
This is the first Times of Malaya building, which was along Post Office Road. The first issue of Ipoh’s first newspaper was published on 9th March 1904. 2 years later, the newspaper was taken over by J A S Jennings – who remained the paper’s most influential editor for a good 30 years!
In the early 1930s, the Times of Malaya moved to a new building, along Brewster Road (see picture below).
After the war (after 1945), this building was used by the Public Works and the Department of Drainage and Irrigation. What’s become of it now? Can anyone fill us in on the latest?
We thank Nicholas Jennings – the grandson of J A S Jennings – who sent us a copy of these rare pictures.
Fellow Main Convent Alumni……….recognise this? It is said to be the kitchen. I don’t recognize it……this was WAY before my time 😉
Maybe some of you out there know which part of the Main Convent building this is……do let us know. And do tell us if this building is still there today (perhaps it has been restored / renovated?).
We await for some good news……….
Clearly the ‘old’ and ‘new’ don’t match here…..one looks like it may fall apart anytime soon, while the other has been left uncompleted!
These two ‘neighbours’ live at Brewster Road, Ipoh. We do wonder what the modern building is. Also, we noticed that the building has been ‘windowless’ for some time now!
Any ideas? What was there BEFORE the modern structure came up?
…the Sun Cinema was still in one piece!
This picture we have here is from around 1985, a little after the Sun Cinema closed its doors to the public. It was located at the corner of Brewster Road and Hale Street (behind the building was the Kinta River). Incidentally, sketches of this cinema were done by our very own cartoonist Lat (in ‘Town Boy’).
Built in 1917 as the Oriental Cinema, by Leong Eng Khean (the son of Towkay Leong Fee), it was leased in 1920s to Run Run Shaw (of the Shaw Brothers). Shaw renamed it the Sun Cinema. Meanwhile, the Oriental Cinema rented the Harima Hall (1910-1917).
Sun was managed by Ho Ah Loke and in November 1929 showed ‘The Rainbow Man’ – the 1st of the “talkies” (movies with sound). ‘The Rainbow Man’ used a travelling movie company; after its success, Ho Ah Loke installed his own equipment. By the 1930s, Sun was deemed the most modern “talkie” theatre in Malaya!
Sadly, it closed down in 1983 – only to be replaced by a car park…..
This road block was at the junction of Brewster Road and Cockman Street. Judging from the uniforms, we think this happened in 1975 – if we’re wrong, let us know!
In the picture, there is the famous United Optical Company and the Ipoh branch of Straits Echo.
We’re looking forward to your comments…..
The location was good; at the heart of town, with neighbouring banks, theatres, commercial buildings and within easy communication. Back in the 70s, the room rates were quite affordable – $55 for a Twin-sharing De Luxe room! The air-conditioned rooms even had TV sets installed!
Besides the luxuries it offered, there was also a restaurant and dining room which served both Chinese and European food. I remember it as ‘Rondezvous’ and it was on the ground floor of the hotel. Last I checked, the restaurant was gone – anyone know what it’s called now?
This cinema was built in the 1930s, adjacent to a Christian graveyard – rumour has it that if you took off your shoes inside, you might not find them again when the lights come on! The picture shown here was taken in 1971, after the cinema was renovated.
I’m sure most of you know this Brewster Road cinema! Wonder what’s become of it now? After the fire in 2007, it seems to have just ‘stood still’……..
This little girl is standing by the famous Sultan Yussuf Fountain. This fountain is at a roundabout; which connects Brewster Road, Tambun Road, Gopeng Road and Hugh Low Street. The fountain was donated by the Turf Club, as part of their attempts to beautify Ipoh. The Turf Club also came up with the Japanese Garden – which is along Tambun Road.
Jubilee Park was once Ipoh’s foremost entertainment centre. Built by the Danish architect BM Iversen, some of the attractions within this 4-acre park were the Grand Theatre, the Chinese Concert Hall and the Jubilee Cabaret. Interestingly, it was originally called the ‘Ipoh Amusement Park’, but later the owners (the Shaw Brothers of course!) renamed it ‘Jubilee Park’ in 1935 – in honour of King George V’s Silver Jubilee.
Sadly, the Jubilee Park of today is but a shell of its former self. I do wonder what has become of it…
Well he would be in danger if he was to try and take the same photograph today as he was standing in the centre of the Birch Bridge in Brewster Road, but of course in 1952 life was different in Ipoh, Brewster Road took two-way traffic and as you can see the road is almost empty. Compare that to today if you will.
But as you can see, despite the fact that the photograph has suffered with age, there were so many trees, big trees not some miniatures, overtrimmed, dusty and dry that we are so used to today. Also, some of today’s buildings have not yet been built and the Odeon Theatre stands out in the distance.
Incidentally, the Odeon Theatre in Ipoh seated 850 on its main floor and in the balcony and was built in the 1930’s. Triangular in shape it is adjacent to St Michael’s Cemetery and like the Rex Theatre, Ipoh, rumours of ghostly happenings, spooks and terrifying visions abound. One popular rumour was that if you ever took off your shoes inside, you would never find them when the light came on – even if nobody had sat in front, behind or next to you.
The theatre closed in 1986 and several nightclubs have tried to make a success of it but either because of bad ‘feng shui’ or the ghosts, they have all failed. Today it stands as a marker of failure and ready for demolition unless some serious entrepreneur is prepared to try and change the building’s luck.
From time to time (but with monotonous regularity) Ipoh suffers a mysterious fire in one or other of the old buildings in Old or New Town. This one in Brewster Road happened on the eve of Chinese New Year 2009. The building had been out of use for years. How did the fire start we wonder?
Does anyone know who owns this building as there could be someone we know interested to buy and restore it?
“To eat durian is a new sensation worth a voyage to the East to experience.”
Alfred Russell Wallace, The Malay Archipelago.
Despite being written almost 150 years ago, that is one of the nicer quotations describing the King of Fruits. More modern critics are likely to use descriptions that vary from being simply rude to downright obscene. All are unprintable in a volume such as this. Personally, the author being a keen supporter of the Durian prefers to describe its special taste and aroma as “Tastes like Heaven, smells like Hell”. Nonetheless, no matter which side of the Durian fence you sit, lover or hater, the King of Fruits, either fresh or in any one of its many guises, is still popular with many citizens in South East Asia, young and old.
Apart from the obvious tasty snack of the raw, soft, yellow flesh, found inside that prickly exterior one longstanding Durian treat is the Durian cake or Dodol (in local parlance), not cake in the form that Caucasians would expect, but more a rubbery texture more akin to a toffee than a cake.
Anna Down, locally born but now a UK resident, has very pleasant memories of her childhood in Ipoh during that special time of the year when Durians were in plentiful supply – and cheap!
She recalls that the best place to buy Durians in the season was at the roadside around the old children’s playground at Brewster Road. Here there were always plenty of hawkers competing for trade and for bulk buys, prices could be haggled down to a level which made the subsequent effort well worth while. Such buying sprees were never made alone as the best prices could be obtained if a group was to buy together with the best bargainer appointed to lead the expedition. In Anna’s case her mum always went with a group of friends and after selecting the best bargains and employing her best and most persuasive haggling technique, she would hail one or two trishaws or rickshaws where the ripe and prickly fruit would be loaded aboard and the unfortunate rickshaw puller/trishaw man would be directed to her home address where the next stage of the process was to begin. For these Durians were destined to become home-made Durian cake.
Once unloaded and transferred to the back yard, the Durians were prised open with difficulty and the assistance of a butcher’s cleaver. The aromatic (some would say ‘smelly’) yellow flesh was separated from its seeds and scraped into a big multi-coloured bowl from China. Once all the Durians had been stripped of their delicious contents, the shells and seeds were discarded and the precious flesh transferred into a big copper container. Sugar was added and the mixture was stirred constantly with a large wooden paddle over a low heat until the correct consistency was reached. By this stage the mixture had become dark brown. To test the consistence Anna would take a spoonful of the mixture taste if if she could get away with it and see if it another spoonful could successfully be rolled into a shape like a Swiss roll. Once that was achieved, the entire contents of the copper container were removed from the heat and the mixture formed into as many rolls as could be made. Once cooled the rolls were then wrapped and distributed to the families involved and the copper container could be scraped clean by Ann as a reward for her help..
Anna ends this tale by reminding us that commercial Durian cake is readily available in Malaysia today, but bears little resemblance to that home-made treat from years gone by.
Do you have any memories of days gone by that you would like to share with us please?