A visit to Memories at Old Ford Factory
Posted by oceanskies79 under Museums/Heritage Galleries
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On a sunny afternoon in March 2006, I visited the Memories at Old Ford Factory to gain a better appreciation of the historical events that had taken place there.
(Note: This post is an adaptation of a post that I have written on my own blog.)
Situated at 351 Upper Bukit Timah Road, the Memories at Old Ford Factory, it is located quite nearby the Bukit Timah Hill, Singapore’s highest hill.
Even before I entered the gallery, my eyes were already treated to a few works that set a poetic mood to my visit.
In the photo above, you would see the building of the Memories at Old Ford Factory. At the bottom corner of this photo, you would see a granite stone with words ‘Taking History as a Lesson’ inscribed on it. The words were calligraphed by Mr Choo Thiam Siew. Please refer to this URL for more information: http://www.s1942.org.sg/bukit_chandu/FordFactory.htm.
Nearby, you would see this sculpture. If you are able to read Chinese characters, you might be able to make out that the sculpture above represents the words “Peace”. Titled “Peace”, this is a work by Mr Chua Boon Kee. It reminded one of the value of Peace.
Outdoors, there were plaque-like display-boards that depict the historical events that have taken place before and after the Japanese Occupation. Reading the accounts on these display-boards helped me gain a better appreciation of the strategic location of the Ford Motor Factory and the Bukit Timah Hill.
The Ford Motor Factory was built in 1941. I read that it was the first Ford vehicle assembly plant in Southeast Asia. If I understood correctly, in those times, it stood at a very good location. It was situated close to the Malayan Railway line, and Bukit Timah Road (the main road that linked Singapore to Malaya then).
I saw these photos being displayed on the boards outside the gallery.
After reading the displays outdoors, I went into the gallery.
The boardroom captured my attention. In this room, the historical surrender took place. During my visit to Memories at Old Ford Factory, I noticed that there were two buttons in front of this room. If visitors were to press on any of the buttons, black-and-white video clips of what had taken place on the historic day of the British surrender would present itself.
This URL offers an account of the British surrender: http://www.s1942.org.sg/dir_defence6.htm. Check out the video clips found at the above URL.
These were displayed near the entrance to the gallery.
Nearby the boardroom, there were two sculptures put on display. One was the sculpture of Lt General A.E. Percival, Commander of the British Forces in Singapore and the other was Lt General Yamashita Tomoyuki, Commander of the Japanese 25th Army.
There was a display about the lives of the Prisoner-Of-War. It reminded me of the exhibitions that I had seen when I was at the Changi Chapel & Museum a few years ago.
The visit ended rather abruptly with a quick reflection over this display:
I had yet to view a number of the exhibits and the AV Theater, but I had to leave the gallery. The friendly staff informed that it was actually one hour past the gallery’s closing time.
It was my mistake for assuming that the place would have opened till longer hours on Saturday. I was proven wrong. The moral of the story is to check the visitor’s information before going to any place of interest.
I should count my blessings that there was a tour group earlier such that I was allowed to enter the gallery even though I had entered the gallery just after the gallery’s closing time. But the tour group left at about 2.20 p.m., and there were only myself and two other visitors left in the gallery by then.
In order that others don’t repeat my mistake, here is a link to the visitor’s information of Memories at Old Ford Factory: http://www.s1942.org.sg/bukit_chandu/FordFactory.htm
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If you would like to read more about the Memories at Old Ford Factory, there are some good posts by fellow bloggers that have been mentioned or have been posted on Yesterday.sg:
- The Place of Surrender
- Lest we forget
- Moved by Memories
Do check them out.
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