Then And Now (2)

I had been very busy lately as I was attending a 2-month part-time course at the Singapore Polytechnic. As this course was sponsored by my office, it was important that I pass it otherwise I don't know where to hide my face. Hence, please accept my sincere apologies for having disappeared for some time.

To hold the fort for a while, here is another "Then And Now" post. The following photo, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore, shows the junction of Rochor Road and North Bridge Road in 1986:

It shows the 7th Storey hotel which I blogged about here and here. This old hotel was demolished in 2009 to make way for the Downtown MRT Line. This location was also where the DHL balloon was sited. The bubble was burst balloon was taken down sometime last year too.

The photo below shows how the same junction looked like a few months ago. You can see the ongoing construction work being carried out on the right side of the photo. (I have placed the old photo of the junction directly below the newer one for comparison purpose.)

Then And Now (1)

I am starting a new series called "Then And Now". Wherever possible, I will try to attempt "second shots", although I know mine will never be as precise as those captured by Icemoon.

To start off this series, what could be more meaningful than to show you what my secondary school used to look like and how it looks like today:

Today, the old Victoria School building is occupied by People's Association HQ. The newer science block behind the main block was demolished to make way for a new tall block that you see now. Somehow, I find that the new building does not blend well with the old facade of the building. But still, I am very grateful that the old building, which dates back to the 1930s, has been conserved.

By the way, did you know that the old building was designed by the same architect who designed the old Kallang Airport building which by some strange coincidence, was the old PA HQ? Do you know who is he? (Note: This is not a quiz because I don't know the answer myself.)

To round off this post, I would like to show you a panaromic view of the Jalan Besar area as seen from the same spot. You could see Jalan Besar Stadium on the right. (Click on the photo to get a clearer view.)

Oh my, how lucky the residents of this HDB block are - they could watch every football game held at the stadium from their homes!