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Our neighbour from across the Sungei

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He used to walk about 2km to school every day — Bedok Boys — from his home at Padang Terbakar (later renamed Siak Kuan Road in the 1970s). His house was the second one next to the old Sungei Bedok bridge, looking out toward the British pillboxes guarding the river mouth. And of course, another 2km home again after school. On those daily walks, he would have passed right by our Bedok kampong house at Kampong Laut, making his way out toward Bedok Corner before turning right. We were just babies and toddlers then, but how lovely that all these years later, we’ve connected with this neighbour from across the sungei — Daniel. Daniel shared with us this precious family photo taken around 1960, with him at the extreme right. Behind them, you can see the Bedok beach where the river met the sea, and at the right corner, the familiar silhouette of the pillboxes. He also remembers a huge, rarely-seen butter fruit tree in his compound — bearing striking red fruits the size of big oranges, swee...
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A Tempayan of memories

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This 1968 photo of the back of our Bedok kampong house brings back memories indeed. This was the yard where laundry was hand-washed every morning then hung to dry.  Kak Min our neighbour at 4E, is to the left of the photo (and strangely our back is facing her front). That closed door ahead opens to the outside. And that open door you see on the right was the entrance to our uncle’s bedroom cum store. Foreground next to the belimbing tree (not that in-season here) is what both Malays and we Peranakan Babas call a ‘Tempayan’ or large urn. It stood under a rain gutter ending directly above to catch rain water used mostly for watering the garden (with a safety netting over it since we have little kids around). The thing about this tempayan, it reminded this writer, the older of the boys, on how our mother used to discipline me due to some disobedience issue. Picture this: I was running around the tempayan with her chasing but unable to catch me and strike (with the rotan or cane). Even...
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Bedok Rest House in 1993 when it closed for good

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Bedok Rest House, probably the most famous landmark at Bedok corner and most familiar to so many of us. It frequently served as a reference point when we needed to let people know where to meet or to point out where we used to stay (yes just after this building, the 3 Storey Sa-chan-lau (or 2B Bedok Road), then Kak Min’s residence at 4E (the Indian Muslim family), and then us at 10J. Our family went back in October 1992 (we moved out of the kampong in October 1974) to have dinner there and celebrate our late father’s then 62 nd birthday before it closed in end 1992. And in March 1993 on a trip back to Singapore to trace her former residence at 2B, Mrs Jackie Munro and family visited her neighbour next door – before it was demolished completely. Thanks for this memorable photo, Mrs Munro - for a memory keepsake. It was funny to see this huge sign here! Celebrating our father's 62nd birthday then with the family, a few months before they closed for good
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Our gentle and winding Bedok kampong road

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Thanks again to Mrs Jackie Munro, who took this early 1968 photo from her home at 2B Bedok Road (the 3-storey building or sa-chan-lau), we are now able to have a glimpse of our Bedok Kampong then with the Masjid Bedok Laut in the centre. On the right the metal railings that served as the moat bridge led up to the Sultan of Pahang’s holiday home, and on the left a tiny glimpse of our neighbour Kak Min’s house at 4E with a small attap structure within her compound. Our own house at 10J is on the left but out of range and not seen here. Also out of range but to the right are the police quarters, after the Sultan’s home (or Istana) The kampong gravel road you see here winds gently (from Bedok corner on its left, towards the Sungei Bedok bridge on its right) between the houses and coconut trees, dry and dusty when it was sunny but turning orangey when it rained with its shallow ruts filled with rainwater and the road sides turning into small torrential streams of water flowing through the...
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Beloved Bus 10

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Our mother reminded us recently that the current bus 10 plies the exact portion of the route taken by the old Katong-Bedok bus when it travelled past Simpang Bedok, down Bedok Road, and on to Upper East Coast and East Coast Road, passing Katong before going on to its final destinations. And the bus number for that same route in those days was also 10! This circa 1956 photo shows such a bus coming from the Bedok corner depot – a British AEC Regal III with its bus body most likely built by Hock Lee Coachbuilders, circa 1953-1956. And well into the early 70's we did take this same bus 10 from the bus stop (same location as Cold Storage now) to our school at St Patrick's and back again...
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Quiet rowing off Bedok Beach, early 1968

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Quiet rowing in the sea off Bedok beach, early 1968 – taken from the reclaimed land just outside Bedok (army) Camp 2 and near Bedok corner. See the many kelongs in the distance! Thanks again to Jackie Munro for this. Perfect photo for a restful weekend for all followers! 
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Our grandfather and his role in the first World War (1914 to 1918)

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Our late father cut out this 1995 report of a Chinese-language book “Who’s Who In The Chinese Community” launched at that time by Acting Environment Minister Mr Teo Chee Hean - because he believed his father was mentioned within its pages. We have now been able, with the great assistance from the National Library Board staff, to procure a page that mentions our grandfather, Mr Tan Piah Eng, one of the 1,175 listed Chinese community leaders in Singapore then. With the aid of DeepSeek AI, and thanks to our cousin’s husband, we were able to have page 418 which mentions him, highlighting his contributions during World War I (1914 to 1918) translated and transposed into a tribute for him, on the 71 st anniversary of his death on 27 February 1955.  Tan Piah Eng and his legacy During the challenging years of the First World War which started in 1914, Tan Piah Eng, who was 36 years of age then, played a vital yet often unseen role in supporting the community through one of the most di...
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