In the past, distances along the main roads were measured with milestones, originating from the General Post Office (now the Fullerton Hotel). There were actual markers at the side of the road. I remember the full milestone markers (e.g. Upper Serangoon 5 m/s – near the Upper Paya Lebar junction and the Upper Bukit Timah 10 m/s – near the Ten Mile Junction).
Does anyone remember how these markers look like? Are there any still standing today?
If you’ve moved from the house that you grew up in, you might have experienced a feeling of nostalgia every time you pass by your old house. Whether the building is still standing or not, you’d make comparisons with the surrounding landscape and try to understand what has changed – trails that you used to walk, people who were associated with street corners, stores that used to be there… It’s almost like a specific kind of nostalgia that should have its own word for it. yg experiences this kind of nostalgia when talking about his old house in Upper Dickson Road.
Which institution is responsible for popularising golfing in Singapore? Not the country clubs, says Peter Chan, which were seen as elitist and accessible to the privileged, but to the Parkland Golf Driving Range at East Coast Parkway.
Intruiged? I guess the picture say it all. There once was a castle that became a landmark of Toa Payoh. The year was 1969, and it was part of the marketing strategy of Chung Khiaw Bank (which later became part of UOB). Read the story in Jerome’s post, Toa Payoh’s fairy-tale-like castle.
How many local feature films are made in a year? Two? Three? While Singapore film has experienced a bit of a revival in the past decade, with local films hitting the big screens here and abroad, I don’t think we’ve hit the height of our previous record. During its time, one studio alone produced 160 films over a span of 20 years – that averages about 8 films a year! Which studio, and when was this?
Have you heard of Fairy Point? Today, you might have come across it while taking a weekend getaway at a chalet near Changi Village where until today it remains a popular destination for weekend gatherings. There was once a time where access to Fairy Point – and the nearby chalets – were heavily restricted, because it housed the senior members of the British military infrastructure, and then later on the holiday spot for Singaporean VIPs like members of the cabinet.
Built in 1939, we have to remember that buildings like the Old Supreme Court didn’t have the trappings of modern buildings like air-conditioning or artificial lighting – architects had to plan ways to provide ventilation and natural lighting into a building, while, in the case of Singapore, keeping out the tropical heat. In his exploration of the Old Supreme Court Building, Jerome experiences the effect of lighting and how Frank Dorrington Ward bathed the interior of the building with soft light.
This bridge brought back memories. We use it to attend events at National Stadium back in the 80s and 90s. The track, the floodlights, the Grandstands !! All are memories.
Before you shell out a hunk of cash to see Singapore’s latest tourist attraction, Universal Studios, perhaps you might want to take a ride down nostalgia studios and revisit Singapore’s first movie town, Cathay Gardens. Where?
Changi Village today retains some of its old-school charm. Located at a not-too-developed edge of the island, weekenders head to Changi Village as a gateway to Pulau Ubin, or to make a pilgrimage to the hawker centre for its famous nasi lemak. The only way to get to Changi Village is still by car or by a handful a buses that service the area. Being sparsely populated, Changi Village has a few basic amenities: a market, a food centre, convenience store, small shops and restaurants. But can you believe that in the 1970s, the village boasted its own cinema?
Changi Village Cinema by Derek Tait
