Old Singapore Quiz (25) - Old Road in 1930s - Answers

24-year-old n.i.C first got the answer to the main question Q1 correct. Pastimes got 3 out of 4 answers correct (for Q1 to Q3). FL who put in a last-minute entry concurred with Pastimes. FL also remembered an air-conditioned cafe which he believed was called Les Bistro located near the piano shop. He had visited this cafe with his NS friends in the early 1970s.

Q1. What is the name of the road in the photo?
Ans: Orchard Road. (This is the end of the road which is near the Cathay Building.)

Q2. What is name of the building shown on the left side of the photo?
Ans: Amber Mansions.

Q3. From 1930s - 1970s, what goods was sold in the 2-storey building which is partially shown near the right edge of the photo?
Ans: Pianos.

Q4. What is the name of the road (where the premises of Peter's father was located) that runs to the right of the photo?
Ans: Dhoby Ghaut. (This road name is no longer in existence today but there is an MRT station with this name.)

More Information / Further Reading:

Comparing the old photo (top) with one that is taken recently (bottom), one realises the extent of transformation this area of Orchard Road has undergone in the last few decades. Only 3 or 4 buildings on the right of the old photo still remain today.

1963 street map of the area (top). The red arrow shows the direction in which the old photo was taken. Compare it with a 2007 street map of the area (bottom).

1. Similar photo circa 1928 taken from the book "Singapore - 500 Early Postcards".

The book was published by Editions Didier Millet in 2006 and was written by Cheah Jin Seng. The photo in the postcard provided the answers to Q2 and Q3.

2. Amber Mansions was built between 1922 and 1928 by renowned colonial architectural firm Swan & Maclaren and was one of Singapore's first shopping centres. Owned by Joseph Elias, a prominent Jewish businessman, it was demolished in 1984 to make way for the Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.

2a. My blogger friend Andy's post about his 1960s experience in performing at tea dances with the Silver Strings in the Celestial Room located on one of the upper floors of Amber Mansions.

2b. Daisy Flower Shop in Amber Mansions. Straits Times advertisement dated 3 Aug 1934 taken from National Library's newspaper archive. Note that Amber Mansions' address was 15 Orchard Road and the telephone number had only 4 digits then. (The SMA House, where Morris Motor Vehicle shop was located in the olden days and where MDIS is now, has the address of 14 Orchard Road.)

2c. National Library's article about Amber Mansions in its picture archive.

2d. Infopedia's article on Amber Mansions.

3. Photos from the National Archives showing Keller Piano Co Pte Ltd. The company, founded by the late Chiu Seck Joo in 1944, occupied the 2-storey building till the 1980s. Besides pianos, the company also sold other music instruments, music scores and records. (The company is now operating at 176 Orchard Road #04-01 Centrepoint, Singapore 238843.)

4. Aerial photo from the National Archives showing the same row of shophouses in the 2nd street level photo in Para 3 above.

Two of shophouses (circled red), at 2 to 4 Orchard Road, are likely to have been occupied by Radio Service Malaya Co where Peter Howard's father James Howard worked as a electrical/radio engineer in the 1930s.

James sailed from England for Singapore in 1934. Peter believed that his father worked for the British Government. During the years leading to World War I, his work involved checking the houses of people under suspicion by the British to see if their premises had transmitters capable of sending information to Japan. (Such interesting work! The modern-day term for this kind of work is called electronic countermeasure.)

Old Singapore Quiz (25) - Old Road in 1930s

I received this email on 24 Oct 2012 from a UK gentleman by the name of Mr Peter Howard:

Hi Victor,

I stumbled across your blog when looking for old photos of Singapore. My father went to work in Singapore in the thirties before the Second World War, for the British government I believe.

I have found a post card, which I have attached [above], that he sent to my grandmother of [place name deleted by blog author] Singapore, and on the back he has written, "This photo is of [place name deleted by blog author] our premise (sic) are unfortunately around the corner on the right hand side of the picture."

Do you recognise this from the photograph and do you know the name of the street to which he refers?

While I am asking you all these questions, can you tell me if there is anyone or any organisation I can contact who would hold records of this period and enable me to find out more information concerning his stay in Singapore?

He loved living there and had to return to England when he contracted Yellow Fever.

I would really appreciate you sending me an email with any information you might have.

Best wishes

Peter Howard

I did a bit of research and found the answers to Peter's question quite easily. However, I suggested to Peter to put up his questions as an Old Singapore Quiz. I am confident that this quiz is easy and senior persons old-timers will have no problem providing the correct answers.

Q1.   What is the name of the road in the photo?

Q2.   What is name of the building shown on the left side of the photo?

Q3.   From 1930s - 1970s, what goods was sold in the 2-storey building which is partially shown near the right edge of the photo?

Q4.   What is the name of the road (where the premises of Peter's father was located) that runs to the right of the photo?

As usual, complete answers to the above quiz will be revealed in a week's time.

Old Singapore Quiz (24) - Old Car - Answers

Hmm... what was my last blog post about? Sorry, it was so long ago that this old memory of mine could hardly remember.

Oh yes. It was about an old car quiz. Now the answers.

Answers to Quiz Questions:

Q1. What is the make and model of this car?

A1. Ford Y8. The emblem "Y8" on the following photo says it all.

Q2. When was this car manufactured?

A2. 1932 to 1937.

The car was probably imported from the United States as the metal holder for the number plate at the back (blacked out in the above photo) says "FLORIDA - LAND OF SUNSHINE".

Only Joshua Ng got part of the answer to the first question correct, i.e. it is a Ford. And he did it on 13 Mar 2011. Well done, Joshua.

Anonymous and YG both on 15 Mar 2011 gave the year 1937 which is in the correct range.

R. Burnett Baker's answer 1934 is also in the right range.

You can refer to more details on this Wikipedia link. The following passage is extracted from the link:

"For the first 14 months the original model with a short radiator grille was produced, this is known as the "short rad". After this in October 1933 the "long rad" model, with its longer radiator grille and front bumper with the characteristic dip was produced. By gradually improving production efficiency and by simplifying the body design the cost of a "Popular" Model Y was reduced to £100, making it the cheapest true 4-seater saloon ever, although most customers were persuaded to pay the extra needed for a less austere version."

The "front bumper dip" manifests itself as a slight "V" shape in the front bumper. (It is an original characteristic of the car and is certainly not caused by an accident or a careless knock.) You can see the "front bumper dip" in the photos of the car below:

Wikipedia photo of the Ford Y

Just imagine, the car is only powered by a 933 cc, 8 hp engine. Perhaps, the best part is that it costs only £100 in the 1930s, which is probably less than the equivalent of S$1,000 even when the pound is at its strongest. No such nonsense as COE (Certificate Of Entitlement) some more. Moreover, the price of petrol in those days was less than 20 old pence an imperial gallon. Based on the conversion rate of 1 imperial gallon = 4.55 litres and 240 old pence = £1, the price of petrol then was probably only a few cents per litre!

Oh, how I wish I was living in the 1930s! Do you?

Old Singapore Quiz (24) - Old Car

Today, I was at an old part of Singapore. To be precise, I was walking along Dickson Road.

Dickson Road - The tower in the centre of the photo is the Church of the True Light

Most older Singaporeans know that this area has many shops that sell second-hand goods. It may be a misnomer to call them second-hand goods for some of the goods might have passed through many hands. Some of these "multiple-hand goods" are even sold from lorries by enterprising business people.

 

Suddenly, something old and deliciously chocolaty caught my eyes. No, it was not some mouldy Valentine's Day chocolates which were rejected by a disinterested lover. Neither was it for sale...

It was a chocolate car!

The car did not have a classic number plate but a new one that starts with "SJS". (I am quite sure that it would have easily qualified to be registered as a classic car as the rule only requires that the car be at least 35 years old. This car is definitely way, way older than that.)

The car is probably not a vintage that is first registered here but rather, one that is imported from elsewhere. Why do I say so? You see, the car is a "left-hand drive" while we all know that cars registered in Singapore are "right-hand drives".

And it was probably driven by someone who had just migrated here. Why? Because he left all the windows down (and windscreen up - something which is impossible to do for modern-day cars). I didn't check if the doors were locked though - they probably weren't. Although Singapore is generally considered a safe place with a low crime rate, the authorities do not recommend such a cavalier attitude.

Or maybe, the car owner thinks that any potential car thief will have a real problem disposing of the car? Anyway, who would want to buy a stolen car which turns head at every street corner? To add to the buyer's woes, he would likely also find it difficult to find the required spare parts to maintain the car in good running condition.

Quiz Questions

1. What is the make and model of this car?

2. When was this car manufactured?

Old Singapore Quiz (23) - Old Petrol Station - Answers

Happy Chinese New Year to all of you. Sorry for having kept you waiting so long for the answers. Chun See, Peter, YG and Walter knew the answers but not all of them answered directly.

Answers to Quiz Questions:

Q1. What brand of petrol does this petrol station sell?

A1. Caltex

Q2. Where is this petrol station located? Give the road name.

A2. Woodlands Road. (The address is 337 Woodlands Road and the company name is Hup Soon & Co. It is located near Stagmont Ring.)

 

 

 

Notice that as if in keeping with the old world charm of the petrol station, the staff is using a traditional "sapu lidi" broom (made from the spines of coconut leaves) to sweep the floor. Also, the standalone diesel pump in the background seems to be deliberately left in a state of disrepair.

But nothing can compare with this old staff who appears to have aged gracefully together with this petrol station through all these years.

Old Singapore Quiz (23) - Old Petrol Station

Chun See commented that my quizes are "a bit too tough" for him these days. So for his sake, I am giving an easy one this time. Should be a piece of cake. No clues needed.

The petrol station in the photo looks like a typical one in rural Malaysia, doesn't it? Well, it is not. Nowadays, I believe even some petrol stations in rural Malaysia look newer than that.

Would you believe that this "remnant from a bygone era" is in Singapore? It has got to be one of the oldest, if not the oldest petrol station in Singapore. No supermarket or convenience store in this outlet, only a car wash.

It probably dates back to the 1950s. Don't expect it to charge 1950s prices for petrol though. For cheap petrol, you still have to go further up north where the petrol stations are newer.

The petrol station badly needs a paint job and I have done just that. That is painting over the essential bits so that the quiz won't be too easy.

Quiz Questions:

1. What brand of petrol does this petrol station sell?

2. Where is this petrol station located? Give the road name.

Old Singapore Quiz (22) - Old Building - Answer

Nobody gave the correct answer for this quiz although YG did make an intelligent guess, as always, by saying that the building must be near my place of work. I don't think the quiz was too difficult but rather, there seems to be very few visitors to this place - Labrador Villa Road in Labrador Park and hence not many people know what it has to offer. Why do I say that? Well, I visited Labrador Park on the morning of 29 Dec 10, a Saturday and there was not a single soul in sight!

Almost all the facilities in the park were closed. They include the old building which, according to a location map in the vicinity, was originally designated a boutique hotel. I do not know whether the hotel business actually did materialise or not.

Other facilities that were closed include:

 

The secret tunnels.

The tunnels were "rediscovered" only in 2001 and officially opened by Minister for National Development Mr Mah Bow Tan not too long ago in March 2005.

Now they are "closed for maintenance".

The Villa Raintree Resort and Spa, which used to house the Pasir Panjang Boys' Hostel from 1980s till the early 1990s and then Breakthrough Missions till the early 2000s.

The creepers on its signboard look creepy.

The Olive Ristorante.

Even the toilets were closed. And definitely not for cleaning.

This statue in Labrador Park seems to be on the constant lookout for the precious and elusive visitor.

Considering the dearth of visitors, why do you think Labrador Park is now undergoing "maintenance"? Surely cannot be due to wear-and-tear because of heavy human traffic, right? And how come the supposedly "maintenance" does not have an expected completion date? Like Mandai Orchid Garden which "has been losing money from Day 1", according to its owner Mr Heah Hock Heng, I believe Labrador Park is suffering the same fate. Only difference is that Labrador Park is losing Government's, or more rightfully, taxpayers' money. Mr Heah continues to operate the Mandai Orchid Garden at a loss because of his passion for orchids. However, the same cannot be said for Labrador Park visitors. I don't think visitors are passionate enough about history and heritage to be willing to fork out $8.60 just to explore the secret tunnels at the park. Thus, the tunnels are likely to remain secret... or be "closed for maintenance" indefinitely.

What do you think?

Old Singapore Quiz (22) - Old Building

Just like Icemoon who gave an Old Building Quiz before going on holiday, I will do the same. That is, give an Old Building Quiz, not go on holiday. So the clue for this quiz is a photo which I took in August 2009 of an old dilapidated building - one that would make an ideal backdrop for a sequel to a movie like Haunted Changi. I don't know how this building looks like today as I have not visited it since then.

Quiz Question:

Where is the location of this building?

Old Singapore Quiz (21) - Another Pair Of Old Cannons Again - Answer

The two old cannons are located inside Changi Naval Base. Since they are sited near the sea, you should be able to see it if you pass by on a vessel. However, I was not in the sea but on land. To be precise, I was on the grounds of the Navy Museum next door which is not a restricted area.

 

Nobody got the answer to the location correct although YG did come up with a good guess, i.e. Cliff House at Bukit Chermin Road.

Peter Stubbs was probably right when he said that the cannons looked very much like 68-Pounder Smoothbore cannons. Compare the cannons with the one in the photo below which is reproduced from the Wikipedia link on the 68-pounder gun:

The following passage of the 68-pounder gun is extracted from the Wikipedia link:

The 68-pounder cannon was an artillery piece designed and used by the British Armed Forces in the mid-19th century. The cannon was a smoothbore muzzle-loading weapon that weighed 95 long cwt (4,800 kg) and fired projectiles of 68 lb (31 kg). Colonel William Dundas designed the gun in 1846 and it was cast the following year. It entered service with the Royal Artillery and the Royal Navy and saw active service with both arms during the Crimean War. Over 2,000 were made and it gained a reputation as the finest smoothbore cannon ever made.


The gun was produced at a time when new rifled and breech loading guns were beginning to make their mark on artillery. At first the 68-pounder's reliability and power meant that it was retained even on new warships such as HMS Warrior, but eventually new rifled muzzle loaders made all smoothbore muzzle-loading guns obsolete. However, the large surplus stocks of 68-pounders were given new life when converted to take rifled projectiles; the cannon remained in service and was not declared obsolete until 1921.