Mobile Food Sellers of Yesteryear

[AhBengBoyBoy]

My old uncle also say the Dutch guitar group "The Jumping Jewels" performed at Odeon Cinema with Johnny Lion singing "Blame It On The Bossa Nova".

The also got Elvis Presley's movie show in Cathay Cinema called "Follow That Dream", singing "I'm Not he Marrying Kind".

 

[johnny333]

And Arcade ( new) HANS....the egg sunny side up with butter toast & coffee ofr breakfast, the fried rice or fish & chips or the chocolate eclairs for tea... etc..at affordable prices... if I am not mistaken Bagawan Solo started there too... with their kueh tilam...etc..

There was a snack shop at the orginal Arcade that had great chendol & egg ham sandwiches. Do you know if they're s still around

Been a long time but maybe they're descendants are still around & carrying on the business

 

[postnew]

Ocean Building

Ocean Building being demolished.
​

 

[johnny333]

I have a faint memory of eating in the car park next to Clifford Pier.

Remember that by day it was a car park & at night it became a food court similar to the one in front of the one at Orchard Rd.

I think it was when YWCA was still there

However can't remember if the food was good or not. Only remember a roving searchlight probably from Fullerton Building

Ocean Building

​

​

 

[halsey02]

There was a snack shop at the orginal Arcade that had great chendol & egg ham sandwiches. Do you know if they're s still around

Been a long time but maybe they're descendants are still around & carrying on the business

They are gone...that place had undergone some changes, Han, Bangawan Solo..still there...Chuan Cafe has moved To International Plaza, for The Arcade up their rental...

 

[halsey02]

Ocean Building
Ocean Building being demolished.
​

Great Photos , bro Postnew...would be nice if you can continue with the addition of The New Ocean Towers & Ocean Building the newest one ( now demolished)...

I sure know this corner...& many corners of this are from Fullerton ( GPO) up to Trade Union House....!!!

Sure bring back memories....

 

[halsey02]

I have a faint memory of eating in the car park next to Clifford Pier.

Remember that by day it was a car park & at night it became a food court similar to the one in front of the one at Orchard Rd.

I think it was when YWCA was still there

However can't remember if the food was good or not. Only remember a roving searchlight probably from Fullerton Building

YWCA was there? I thought they were at Fort Caning for ages?...the car park hawkers I do not quite recall?, was there one there?

There was a lighthouse on top of the GPO , Fullerton Building, that lighthouse housing is still being displayed in THE FULLERTON. Opposite Fullerton Building was The Harbour's Master's Office..in the small unique looking building..I think it is still there or have they demolished also?

Fullerton Building the musky smelling dark & dank looking, with the General Post Office on the left & Centre, Post Office Savings Bank had one of their earliest MODERN branch in there, and The Inland Revenue is on the South Wing towards the right...where every April, harried looking people, will rush to submit their Income Tax Returns by HAND...

:p

 

[halsey02]

Please I wanna cry....saw many bands there in my time...names like Black Dog Bone, Western Union, Tokyo Square, Pest Infested, many others that now slip my brain...the local talents of SINgapore that weren't appreciated...



And Fried Ice; also saw the Hollies concert.

Ahh!!! yes! Fried Ice & many others strappling, struggling local bands, some never made it....but at The National Theatre, it gave many of them the opportuity to perform & hone their playing skills etc...

To their credits many of them were good...really good!! THE HOLLIES..yes I forgot!

 

[lee6100]

Ahh!!! yes! Fried Ice & many others strappling, struggling local bands, some never made it....but at The National Theatre, it gave many of them the opportuity to perform & hone their playing skills etc...

To their credits many of them were good...really good!! THE HOLLIES..yes I forgot!

Do you recall where the New Photo Store was located? I think it's somewhere along Orchard Road but the exact whereabouts escapes me. Been so long. They would sell Airfix, Revell model kits, Scaletrix slot car sets as well as Corgi and Dinky toys. Maybe near the Mont D'or cake shop where Ngee Ann City now stands?

 

[HTOLAS]

A few years back a younger person asked me if Singapore ever had a national theatre. A little surprised at the question I went online to look. To my greater surprise, there were then (about four 4 years ago) very few pictures of that former icon. In fact, the only pictures I could find were from blogs of expats who spent their childhoods here and had had gone there for school ceremonies like graduations or our equivalent of speech days.

The NT was not a great looker but a very interesting response to our environment and resource limitations. It was one of our first architectural attempts at a Singapore style, and it's gone.

Another icon of yesteryears ..... where the national day rallies were held in the 70s, University of Singapore Graduates & Singapore Poly graduates held their graduation convocation here .... families take photos at the iconic fountain, then visit Van Kleef Aquarium ..... dismantled in 1985 supposedly due to structural risks ... plot left empty to this day .....

Aerial view ....

Open air theatre with seats along the Fort Canning hill slopes ... venue of many music concerts as well ....

 

[kingrant]

His name was Hassan.

Darn it!... I didnt go Tiong Bahru Pr Schl, like I had said, I spent two glorious years there...I knew the caretaker of the school there, they welcome me & introduced me to the delights of Punjabi Food, Chepatis etc...

 

[johnny333]

That Cliifford Pier area has undergone alot of change. Must have been the 1st victim of gov't renovations.

YWCA & YMCA "had" many locations.
YWCA was unfortunate in that it occupied prime space
Still remember the huge YMCA's at Palmer Rd before the gov't started cutting it down to size. :( Went there many years ago & notice that the tennis courts were gone, remember that they had a couple of those in the 70's.

People who wanted to make long distance calls would go to the Fullerton. They had those enclose booths. After the call you paid at the counter. If you received parcels from oversease, you had to go to the general to pick them up & pay import taxes.

Back in the old days remember going to Clifford Pier to catch a bum boat to the islands. Really sad about what they are doing to that area. All the development is "commercial" and only targetted at tourists. I guess citizens don't matter anymore.

YWCA was there? I thought they were at Fort Caning for ages?...the car park hawkers I do not quite recall?, was there one there?

There was a lighthouse on top of the GPO , Fullerton Building, that lighthouse housing is still being displayed in THE FULLERTON. Opposite Fullerton Building was The Harbour's Master's Office..in the small unique looking building..I think it is still there or have they demolished also?

Fullerton Building the musky smelling dark & dank looking, with the General Post Office on the left & Centre, Post Office Savings Bank had one of their earliest MODERN branch in there, and The Inland Revenue is on the South Wing towards the right...where every April, harried looking people, will rush to submit their Income Tax Returns by HAND...

:p

 

[halsey02]

Do you recall where the New Photo Store was located? I think it's somewhere along Orchard Road but the exact whereabouts escapes me. Been so long. They would sell Airfix, Revell model kits, Scaletrix slot car sets as well as Corgi and Dinky toys. Maybe near the Mont D'or cake shop where Ngee Ann City now stands?

I have a vague memory of the new Photo Store...I think I know what you talking about, but have forgotten the location...I buy my airfix, Revell, matchbox..dinky corgy later tamiya from a dear old man near where I live...I make downpayement for what I want...he keeps it for me for a month...

 

[halsey02]

That Cliifford Pier area has undergone alot of change. Must have been the 1st victim of gov't renovations.

YWCA & YMCA "had" many locations.
YWCA was unfortunate in that it occupied prime space
Still remember the huge YMCA's at Palmer Rd before the gov't started cutting it down to size. :( Went there many years ago & notice that the tennis courts were gone, remember that they had a couple of those in the 70's.

> yeah! Palmer Rd....YMCA sure a memory & Finger Pier also...

People who wanted to make long distance calls would go to the Fullerton. They had those enclose booths. After the call you paid at the counter. If you received parcels from oversease, you had to go to the general to pick them up & pay import taxes.

> That was when we have STB, and Post Office Department Singapore not SINGTEL & SINGPOST...

Since you reminded me of those old days...you go to GPO & at the booth you can this Indian man talking to his whomever in India..loudly "hello hello hello...and snactches of ai yo yo...ha ha h we did not have mobile phone then & we have to reply on expensive IDD & STD...not many can afford to call...

Then we have the telegram office...remember the old one opposite Lau pa Sat Mkt at Robinson RD?, the building is still there today..

We didn't have the internet or email..telegram was the thing.. STOP YOUR WIFE GAVE BIRTH STOP COME HOME QUICKLY STOP...or STOP YOUR MOTHER SERIOUUSLY ILL STOP COME HOME NOW" STOP YOUR DAD STOP...

ha ha ha

Back in the old days remember going to Clifford Pier to catch a bum boat to the islands. Really sad about what they are doing to that area. All the development is "commercial" and only targetted at tourists. I guess citizens don't matter anymore.

Of of the thrills in school days, was to go on a day tour by the bumboats just to sail around Singapore, and take one to St John's Island...during the month when devotees goes to Kusu islands...best to avoid Clifford Pier, the bus stop & the taxi stand...it would be packed with devotees, going there & coming back with the joss sticks still burning, yellow threads on the hands...people selling joss sticks etc...it would be nosiy, smokey, crowded...

I miss Clifford Pier...as it was..

 

[halsey02]

His name was Hassan.

Hassan? no..it was Indian family...maybe yours was later...:p

 

[postnew]

Construction of Aerial Plaza and revolving restaurant.

 

[kysrn2000]

psst plus those naked ones with the various positions in B&W from the under the table...at a cost of course from the sneaky Indians...

that was before the internet....and also Hustlers...and what else.. no Sammyboy also...

...and the XXX Liverpool series

 

[halsey02]

...and the XXX Liverpool series

The Ministry of Culure definitely did not approve all these ha ha ha but we grew up proper....

 

[johnny333]

...and the XXX Liverpool series

For the uninitiated , it had nothing to do with football

Those books were written by anonymous authors who knew how to titllate :p

 

[halsey02]

For the uninitiated , it had nothing to do with football

Those books were written by anonymous authors who knew how to titllate :p

That is why I say, THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE would not approve!!:p fortunately we did not have the internet back then...