The above photo was not taken by me. For the moment, I shall not reveal its source as doing so might reveal the answers to the quiz.
The owner of the photo had labelled it as a scene from Penang's Georgetown around the year 1970. I have no doubt over the purported date of the photo but I am very certain that the place was a part of old Singapore and not Penang. I am familiar with this area as I used to stay around here from birth till the mid-1970s. (Now that's a BIG clue for readers who have been following this blog since it started in 2005 or for those of you who know me personally. If you need more evidence that this is indeed an old Singapore photo, you should download and closely examine the enlarged photo. Then you might be able to see that the car facing the camera has a registration number plate that shows "SE1614". (According to this Wikipedia link, the 2-letter "S" series of vehicle registration plates ended in Jan 1972 and was replaced by the "E" series.)
If you need another clue, I can tell you that none of the buildings that you see in the photo is still standing today, if that is of any help.
Here are the quiz questions:
1. What is the name of the road in the foreground of the photo?
2. Outside what building was this photo taken from?
3. Name 2 landmarks in the photo. (To make the quiz more challenging, I have erased the name from the facade of the tall building on the left edge of the photo.)
4. Name the model of the car with the plate "SE1614". (This car model was quite commonly seen on our roads in the 1960-70s.)
5. What is the name of the street near the passenger side of the car with the plate "SE1614", i.e. near the shop where you see the "BAR" and no-entry signs.
Results and answers will be published in my blog in a week's time.
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20 comments:
as you are so familiar with the place, even knowing the exact location of the bar, it must be within walking distance from your place. i guess it must be middle road. as though identifying the road was not difficult enough, we are even asked outside which building the photo was taken. you sure you didn't take the photo yourself? the landmarks have long gone except for the building on the left. the car looks like a mini. the no-entry signs outside the bar were meant to deter people your age at that time - no admission to those below 16 years old.
I think the trishaw is the giveaway clue. The Penang's trishaws have their passengers in front whereas ours have theirs at the side.
Could it be Victoria Street?
Mini Clubman car phas prefix "SE". Modern bdlg behind Clubman like a school I seen in Middle Road area. Also Penang ppl don't use tekko to hang-out clothes to the road.
The row of old houses next to "school-like bdlg" is now Midlink Plaza. So somewhere Middle Road/Waterloo Street/Queen Street area. On the left of photo must the convent school
phil is right. in penang, the rider is behind you. here, in singapore, he is by your side. when you do't have the real thing, sometimes we resort to substitute. for example, if i am blogging about pulasan and i cannot find one to photograph, a rambutan will do.
none of the buildings that you see in the photo is still standing today
so a 'second shot' mission is out of the question. :P
IIRC, last time our trishaw rider did not have his passenger beside. I think we had the same configuration as Penang. Then due to privacy? reason, the position shifted. As to why it did not become a 'back-passenger' config, who wants to see a sweating driver and smell his sweat blown by the wind? The current config also facilitates communication.
Am I right, oldies?
That modern looking school bdlg I think is Waterloo Street Primary School - now an empty piece of land fronting Waterloo Street. "No Entry" sign = Queen Street. So Midlink Plaza is between the school and "No Entry" sign.
Photo taken from St Anthony's School I think.
I can only guess. Jalan Besar
I concur with Peter and YG. San Ma Lu must be the BAR junction. The school-like building was Stamford Primary School. It was torn down, so only Stamford Arts Centre is left.
I suspect in the photo, the school was still Waterloo Girls School. Then it merged with Stamford Girls School at now Stamford Arts Centre to form Stamford Primary School.
victor, one misrepresented photo and you pose 5 questions requiring 6 answers. you might as well ask where did most of these trishaw riders park their trishaws and what dialect group did most of them belong to. and, at the end of middle road, how many hylam streets were there? why did the hainanese call the clan association on beach road 'kheng chew hui kwan'?
Kheng Chew Hu Kwan - inside the bdlg has a Chinese temple. Rememebr seeing something like this and was surprise seeing worshipers there bcos this was an office bdlg.
YG what you said was "Yesterday's attractions". Today got new thing - more hot and pulsating - operate night and day also.
Victor, I think this quiz even tougher than my Old Pioneer Rd quiz. How about multiple choice question instead?
I second Chun See's suggestion.
But let's hope it won't be:
1. Middle Road
2. Queens Street
3. Waterloo Street
4. All of the above
5. None of the above
Hey fren, unable to name the road but looks like Tiong Bahru area leh, based on the building on the left... oops, sorry, but suddenly don't remember where you stayed in your childhood, although you'd definitely have told me! :P Have never been to Penang so have even less to guess about!
You removed the name of the other building, but did you notice that "Eastern Shoe" was an artificial limb maker? Hahahaha!!!
My guess: Bencoolent Street
Hi!
My guess is that the main road is Middle Road. Stamford Girls' Primary School was situated at the junction of Middle Road and Waterloo Street. The street facing the car is Queen Street. I believe the photo was taken outside St. Anthony's Convent.
I recall the many shoe retail shops along Middle Road.
Cheers,
Today I went to check out the place. The plaque at Stamford Arts Center says "Stamford Primary School (1955 - 1984), IIRC.
There is another clue. In the photo, Eastern Show Co. is at No.106. Today ICB Enterprise House is No. 116.
There is yet another clue, maybe we will read that in his answer. I hope Victor will surprise us with a second shot in his answer.
Middle Road stretched from beach Road to Selegie Road. There were many shops selling shoes - men and ladies. There were also watch shops and one photographer supplies shop (Tithes Dental Supplies - funny name for the Yashica distributor in Singapore. One time I went to the shop and asked the female receptionist, "Is this Tits" Dental....").
Maybe Victor can help me with this one. There used to be a row of steam-boat hawkers on a back street next to some community center which had a baseket-ball court. I went there a couple of times in the 1960s for a meal. of course Swee Kee Chicken Rice had 2 shops then.
I remember a community center at Manila Street, I think it is where Iluma is now.
Yes..I think it's Victoria Street...near Cheng Yan Place.
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