Well, the pictures I have today were taken around the Sarawak Museum grounds. A favourite haunt for some of us during our younger days perhaps?
The first structure that caught my attention was the old band stand ...
This brought back for me memories from a time much earlier than the 70s. As a young boy - perhaps aged 7 or 8 - I remember going with my aunts to watch the Police band performing there on Sunday evenings around 4 or 5pm. I think these visits nurtured in me a liking for such band music, which I still enjoy listening to today. Of course, these weekly outings also included the added pleasure of savouring an ice cream cone - or ice cream tucked between two slices of bread - from the tricycled ice cream seller. Usually there would be many other kids around too. Nearby were the wooden swings and see-saws which we would all scramble onto (sometimes pushing and shoving to be first) and invariably I would end up soiling my clothing, much to the chagrin of my aunts. Nice memories ...
Then there was the famous "Pavilion" which in those days served great ang tau peng (or iced kacang). I'm sure they served other delicacies too, but I really can't remember any except for the ang tau peng. I guess everything else paled in comparison with their signature dessert. I didn't have a chance this time to go sample their current fare ... certainly an item to put on my "To do" list for the next trip home. Of course this was also the scene of a gruesome murder in the 60s which shocked Kuchingites.
On the other side of Reservoir Road (at least it used to be called that), I could see the site where St Michael's Club and Canteen once stood. Now it's a fenced off carpark area.
And towards the back of what used to be St Mike Canteen, there are some buildings which I believe used to be part of St Bernadette's School.
Now the buildings are used by the St Joseph's Parish Tuition Centre and St Jude Kindergarten.
Looking at the space in front of me, I recalled that back in the 70s, this was where rows of temporary little wooden sheds were erected every year to house various stalls (eg hoopla, mechanical horse racing, darts, fishing, etc) for the St Joseph's annual funfair. Those were happy days indeed.
Well, those are all the photos that I have for now. If any of you have nice pictures of the area, do send them to me (jslyong@hotmail.com) & I'll be sure to add them to this post.
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I think a friend of ours used to live around here.
ReplyDeleteWhere did the fights usually take place on the museum grounds?
ReplyDeletethere are some graves around. stories abound ...
ReplyDeleteGhost stories! Love 'em. Pray tell.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone has those really old photographs of the St Joseph's annual funfairs. If so, can share them?
ReplyDeleteIs St Bernadette's Schools still there?
ReplyDeleteYa, I think Norbert stayed nearby. Also Gerard Harry. Who else?
ReplyDeleteYup! I stayed about 150m from the museum garden. I used to frequent the area and also visit the museum. The museam was voted the best museum in South East Asia. I wonder whether it is still the best?
ReplyDeleteOne particular area of the museam I like most was the big ship placed in a glass. There is a timer swith (about a minute) where one can play with it. I would stand there and swith it on everytime the lights went off. LOL
James, I do remember the gruesome murder. I went there the very next day just to check on it. Saw blood stained and trying to play detective. Was so proud to tell my old folks how the thief came to the building through a hole at the roof top and later been rotan by my dad for playing sherlock Holmes. He told me you are leaving finger prints behind and they could charge you.
Those were the days.
I think St Bernadette, which was a private scool, closed down about ten years ago.
ReplyDeleteGood sharp shots, WJ. What camera was used?
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly do you remember of the Museum murder case, Gerard "Sherlock Holmes" Harry ?
ReplyDeleteWhat is striking in all these shots is the sheer greenery. In Perth, especially in summer, it's a desert in comparison.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to the tropics, Aussie boy!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was really lush and green! Darn humid too tho' .
ReplyDeleteI recall there was some tribal monument in the Museum Grounds as well ... memory not so good, not sure what it signified. Could someone take some pictures of that and WJ can include?
Maybe also snap photo of the swings and see saw for WJ's childhood memory. LOL
Hi Dr Watson! Am just a little boy at that time. LOL. Just curious and naughty! haha...
ReplyDeleteI think the old man and his wife were murdered there. It was big news at that time.
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I remember I was punished by my parents on one particular day when I came back from the museum garden. I was supposed to take care of my bro and sisters but my brother (Julian ex-Josephian) was knocked by one of the swing that I was playing. He tried to get near to it and I could not control the swing and knocked his head. There was a cut and he was bleeding. Luckily the house was a stone throw. Dad came to the rescue and Julian was sent to the clinic. To this day I am thanking God that the swing did get to his eyes.
I think the museum garden was also famous for transvetites (cha-bo-hia) during those days. I wonder is it still? LOL
Cheers!
Gerard, you said 'To this day I am thanking God that the swing did get to his eyes.'
ReplyDeleteWHAT!!!!! You are thanking God that the swing did get to his eyes.
Surely you don't meant that Gerard.
˙pɹɐɹǝƃ ʇɐɥʇ ʇuɐǝɯ ʇ,uop noʎ ʎןǝɹns
˙sǝʎǝ sıɥ oʇ ʇǝƃ pıp ƃuıʍs ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʇ poƃ ƃuıʞuɐɥʇ ǝɹɐ noʎ ¡¡¡¡¡ʇɐɥʍ˙sǝʎǝ sıɥ oʇ ʇǝƃ pıp ƃuıʍs ǝɥʇ ʇɐɥʇ poƃ ƃuıʞuɐɥʇ ɯɐ ı ʎɐp sıɥʇ oʇ, pıɐs noʎ 'pɹɐɹǝƃ
OK everybody,I'm the one staying nearest to the Museum Ground, only a stone's throw away. Nearer than Gerard.
ReplyDeleteStudent fights are usually held up at the highest point/ground, directly fronting Tan Sri Datuk William Tan's residence.
Old and ancient graves and tombs are still around, quite a number of them.Sometime ago there's one old chinese coffin sort of 'sticking out'from the ground, well, only about a quarter, beside the sloping footpath, near the public toilet.Too bad the guys from the association covered it up already.
St. Bernadette School buildings are still standing there. One block now being use by St. Joseph Parish Tuition School, the other by St Jude Kindergaten.
Murder? Sorry, I was prevented from going over to see by my mother. Can only see police around.
St. Ber School closed down more than 20 years ago, Kopi-Si. Anybody's wife from St. Ber?
All the swings and see-saws are gone, removed. It's now a Memorial Ground for our fallen heroes, shifted over from the fountain infront of Aurora building?
No more transvetites(pondans) at the Museum Ground I think. They moved to GPO since, I may be wrong. Don't get any wrong ideas, I do NOT seek for their services.
Cherrio!
So what are the grave / ghost stories ?
ReplyDeleteOoops! sorry ...did not get to his eyes. Thanks upside down.
ReplyDeleteThere is a path (short cut) leading to St Thomas School around the museam area. On the left and right of the path are grave yards. Sometimes I had to accompany mom to watch movie at Rex theatre and had to use that path. It could be quite eerie after the midnight movie.
ReplyDeleteStill remember the names of all the movie theatres those days? I remembered Michael Yeo Kheng Choon's shop was nearby Cathay cinema. When we were classmates I used to pop up at his shop just to say hello before going to Cathay cinema.
Cathay showed mainly Malay and Hindi movies. Miramar had one biggest hit that was "Bambi". The Walt disney cartton and it was full house for almost one month.
I love Rex and Capital cinema those days because that was where I watched all the Wang Yu, Loh Lie, Chen Kwang Tai, and David Chiang movies. I would imitate them and make believe that I am the 'Tu Pi Tau' (One arm swordman). hahahaha...
Rex also showed many cowboy and war movies and I enjoyed watching them. Those days there were NO televisions, so cinema was the source of entertainment.
Those days movies cost only 50 cents (front row) and sometimes I masuk free because when I meeet some elder man I will say "Ah Chek can I enter the cinema with you". Sometimes I was lucky and entered the cinema for free. Once inside,I had to go to the jamban and waited until the movie began coz I need to get away from the usher. LOL.
Those were the days....
The Museum grounds was also "famous" for night time activities, where a whole line of cars would be parked along the lane by Reservoir Road. Anyone have stories to tell about that period of their youth? Hehehe.
ReplyDeleteWhat about memories of the Reservoir Park further up the hill?
ReplyDeleteGerard, Cathay had its own blobkbuster Disney cartoon in "The Jungle Book". I really loved the songs like "bear necessities".
ReplyDeleteJungle book was a classic. Love the bear "Baloo" who was Mowgli's best friend. Beside the classic story lines, Disney would always come with great songs for their movies.
ReplyDeleteI had some video (VCR) collection of Disney's animated classics which my children love to watch during their younger years. I think their daddy got carried away too. haha.. Anyway, I love watching cartoons esp Disney's.
Same here, Gerard. When my daughter was younger, we practically had the whole Disney cartoon movie collection. Knew all the characters and could even sing some of the songs. LOL.
ReplyDeleteI remember Reservoir Park as a bit of a "uppity" area. I used to cycle over the hill on the way home and I think the downhill road has a bit of a bend. I have vague memory of someone very related to me in the longkang beside the road, around the bend still more or less mounted on his bike. :-)
ReplyDeleteA thousand apologies Anon 8 Jan. 10.49PM for I haven't had the time to snap the old jukebox yet. Will try next week.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder I"m feeling something IS bugging in me ass, WJ, was that you or somebody doing the job for you?
Wasn't me, Norbert. Must be someone else keen to see the jukebox again ;-)
ReplyDeleteIt was me Norbert. Now get it real fast. I am dying to see it.
ReplyDeleteI think the Museum standard has dropped. Both in the content of the museum and also in its grounds. Someone must do something about this.
ReplyDeleteOK 'me' I'll do it during the weekend, going travelling day after tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteYes,the Museum, inside and outside, are quite lousy now. 'Items' in the Museum building are getting less and less, ran away after 'growing' legs.
Outside, well, nothing much to see or do anymore, unlike in the old days. Even the children's playing equipments are removed instead of replacing with new ones.
Oh yes, there's a tomb 'marker', an old old ancient piece of belian, very short already, shown in 2nd photo above. Bottom of the photograph, just above the words 'As a young boy..' Can you all see it?
ReplyDeleteIf fact there are two of them, about ten feet from each other, think the other one somehow kind of 'broken' off. Another one chinese tomb to tell to you all when I'm free la. Gotta go now.
Hi Batman, it seemed that the nocturnal escapade
ReplyDeletealong the lane by Reservoir Road was legally and socially sanctioned. My buddies and i, after getting bored with our revision in the school library, used to deliberately ride our motorbikes along that stretch of road with the high lights on, feasting ourselves on the illusive display of unbridled passion. Illusive because most of the time we couldn't see clearly
what was going on as car seats were usually lowered. Only one time we saw one leg point upwards. No wonder i almost flunked my final exam.