Posts

Wherever We Called Home

-
Image
1963. On his off-duty days, our father would sometimes borrow a camera to photograph his young family. This simple picture was taken in the garden of our Bedok kampong house, but it also captured something unexpected in the background, a block of flats where several RAF families lived (the other building “Sar-chan- lau” located just behind the rest house and other adjacent bungalows and not featured here also had RAF families living in them). While we were creating memories in our little corner of Bedok, other families from the United Kingdom were doing the same nearby. Many had travelled thousands of miles to Singapore with their spouses and children while serving at RAF Changi. While some personnel lived within military barracks, others rented homes and flats around Changi, Bedok and the surrounding areas. Readers such as Michael Hall, Jackie Munro and Ann Froud have fondly recalled those years, remembering not only their time in Singapore but also the friendships, neighbourhoods...
Post a Comment
Read more

Light over Bedok coastline

-
Image
1968. Dawn breaks over the Bedok coastline, slowly revealing the many kelongs on the horizon. As the first rays of sunlight dance upon the sea, a lone rower makes his way ashore after a night's catch, returning to the warmth of his kampong home. As light ushers in a new day, may this Deepavali bring hope, peace and joy to you and your loved ones. Wishing one and all a blessed Festival of Lights. Many thanks to Jackie Munro for usage of this 1968 photo taken by her/her family
Post a Comment
Read more

A Rainy Afternoon in Bedok Kampong

-
Image
Whenever it rains, our minds drift back to the days of our kampong in Bedok. We always knew when the rain was coming. The first drops would begin drumming on the corrugated zinc roofs, growing steadily louder as the shower swept across the kampong and reached our home. At first, the pelting rain seemed noisy and disruptive. Yet after a while, it would blend into a familiar rhythm, becoming a form of white noise that was surprisingly soothing. Few things were more therapeutic than stretching out for an afternoon snooze while listening to the rain beating gently on the zinc roof overhead. The sound became such a natural part of our lives that when we eventually moved into our HDB flat in 1974, we often did not realise it was raining outside at all – until when we happened to glance out of the window. For those of us who grew up in kampong houses with zinc roofs, the sound of rain was part of everyday life, woven into our memories of home. How many of our fellow former kampong dwell...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Showcase of Treasured Possessions

-
Image
Many thanks to Marhamah Sapandi and Saadiah Ahmad for welcoming us into their home at 35M Jalan Greja, before it became a remnant of our memories. Posing proudly beside this display in their kampong house are Marhamah's cousins, Saadiah's sisters. As we admire their glass-fronted display cabinet, we see carefully arranged sets of Pyrex glass containers, tea sets, dinnerware and other household wares behind the sliding glass doors. Reserved for Hari Raya and other special occasions, these items were brought out only when the occasion called for them. This was truly a showcase of treasured possessions. Above the cabinet, decorative items add warmth and personality to the room. The vintage artificial floral sculptures perched on pedestal planters bring back waves of memories from the 1960s and 1970s. Then there is the wall calendar, another familiar fixture in kampong homes. Here, it features a portrait image that serves as both decoration and daily reference. Hanging ab...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Note of Gratitude

-
Image
Our blog has surpassed the 50,000 blog pageview milestone! And we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has joined us on this journey down memory lane. What began as an effort to document the memories of one Bedok kampong house has grown into something far more meaningful: a shared celebration of family, friendship, community, heritage and the Singapore many of us remember so fondly. To every reader, follower, contributor and supporter, thank you for your encouragement, your memories and your continued companionship on this journey. Every visit, comment, share and story contributed has helped keep a small piece of our kampong spirit alive. After all, memories only truly endure when they are shared. Once again, our heartfelt thanks!
Post a Comment
Read more

The Soundtrack of our Bedok Kampong

-
Image
The euphoria that surrounded Singapore's iconic 1960s group, The Crescendos, resonated far beyond the radio waves and concert halls of the day. It reached deep into our Bedok kampong, where the humble Ho family home at 6C became an unlikely centre of musical history. It was here that founding member Raymond Ho and his bandmates regularly gathered to rehearse before performances across Singapore, filling the kampong with the sounds that would later captivate a nation. Fans eagerly bought their records, played them repeatedly on home turntables, and carefully preserved them over the years as cherished reminders of a special era. The unmistakable voice of Susan Lim, together with the band's infectious melodies, provided the soundtrack to many youthful memories, especially after the success of their early hit recordings. One such admirer was Maurice Fernando, who purchased these two EP records in 1965 when he was just 21. As the eight songs played one after another on his recor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Koh Sek Lim Sand Quarry Memories

-
Image
Jorge Jose, a former resident of Koh Sek Lim Road, can perhaps be envied for one experience that many of us kampong children never enjoyed: having a swimming spot practically at his back door. In the 1960s, just a short distance from his home, stood what was affectionately known as the "beautiful blue lake" - a large body of crystal-clear water formed from a disused sand quarry on land belonging to the Koh Sek Lim family. Over time, nature filled it with rainwater, creating what felt like a hidden paradise. The lake teemed with fish and became a popular haunt not only for neighbourhood youngsters seeking relief from the tropical heat, but also for local anglers hoping for a good catch. Jorge, then a young teenager, remembers those carefree days with great fondness. After school and during weekends, he and his friends would gather by the water's edge, plunging into the cool lake with unrestrained excitement. Shouts of delight echoed across the water, accompanied by lau...
Post a Comment
Read more