Bedok River creek memories

One of the wonders of starting this blog and FB page is being able to connect with former neighbours who were older than us and thus had experienced our Bedok kampong living in a different manner. Mr Ronald Ho, 13 years our senior, who lived across from our house (near the kapok tree), has kindly given us insights into a small river creek that flowed right up to where our house was (we can see a concrete embankment around the house in some early photos).

This creek connected to the actual Bedok River, passing by the Sultan of Pahang’s holiday home, the Police quarters and several government black and white holiday bungalows. He recalls that around 1958 the creek became a rubbish and trash landfill that gave out a putrid smell in the air, which our family and those living nearby had to endure during those times. Earth was poured over the landfill and thankfully by 1959 the work was done, looking at some photos of our young mother posing in the house garden, standing in front of the area.

Several bridges used to cross this creek to allow for access towards the larger bridge across the Sungei Bedok river mouth (leading to Padang Terbakar and Koh Sek Lim). Here is one of them which our mother, paternal and maternal aunts happily pose by in late 1959 after their swim at Bedok beach.

1959 colourised photo showing our young mother posing in the garden of the house facing it and back in front of the rubbish landfill behind her (now with overgrown undergrowth)

Late 1959 photo with our young mother, and paternal and maternal aunts just after a swim at Bedok beach nearby - posing on one of the bridges that was over the creek. Police headquarters are behind them.