Thursday, May 29, 2008

Air raid shelters

A five storey block in Guan Chuan Street is where the air raid shelter was located during the World War II.



When the Japanese bombarded Singapore in 1942, residents in this area dashed to the shelters for cover.

(Watch the following YouTube video for more information
)




The shelter could accommodate between 200 and 300 people.

During the war, bombs were dropped and hit the roof but the shelter was not damaged beyond repair. In fact, repair works were carried out to the shelter soon after it was hit by bombs.

Today, these air raid shelters have been decommissioned. The only shred of usefulness the Tanjong Pagar Town Council could think of was to use them to store their spare rubbish bins.

What a tragedy!

Whoever is sitting at the Tanjong Pagar Town Council or the Bukit Merah Branch Office, here’s a question for you think of during your spare time.

Why not open these air raid shelters to the public? Or turn these air raid shelters into a Tiong Bahru museum to showcase the history of this wonderful housing estate?

Why should this piece of history be allowed to fade into oblivion?

Maybe it is just plain laziness that no one bothers to explore the options. Sigh.

FUN FACTS :

Did you know that these air vents could only be found along Block 78 Guan Chuan Street within the entire Tiong Bahru Estate?


These air vents are only visible from air well of the top most homes located along Blk 78 Guan Chuan Street

These air vents originates from the air shelters below. And since these air-raid shelters are only located under block 78 Guan Chuan Street, no other blocks has such a feature.

Below is a simple illustration to show the difference.


Units with windows that opens to the airwell

Units without windows as they are blocked by the ventilation shaft

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Irreversible & Permanent Change




Another of Tiong Bahru's icon has been destroyed.

The signature red gourd burner (Hong Hu Lu) has been torn apart to make way for a new 20 room hotel.

This is the aftermath.


My feeling is quite mixed at the moment.

I'm happy that hotel operators are beginning to take notice of this sleepy enclave and thinks that tourists might be interested in this area.

But at the same time, I feel sad that a Tiong Bahru icon has to be sacrificed to make way for that development.

I just hope the 5 storey hotel will not look like the Cape Inn Hotel along Seng Poh Road.

If it is like those boutique hotels like 1929 or Majestic Hotel, then I don't really mind.

But if it is some Cape Inn kinda hotel, then I think they've got the wrong place to plant that hotel.

Whatever the case, time will tell what kinda hotel Tiong Bahru Estate will be inheriting.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Copycat Lor Mee

As I was googling the website for Tiong Bahru Lor Mee, I realised that quite a number of people are actually clueless that NONE of the existing Tiong Bahru Lor Mee stalls within the new market were from the original market.

And they were making comparisons about which is better stall so on and so forth.

I’ve tried all these copycat Lor Mee not just once but many times.

My verdict, they are still the copycats....nothing like the real stuff.

Before the old Tiong Bahru market moved to the new premise, there were only two Lor Mee Stalls.

One with a very long queue and the other without having to wait.


This is the one with the long queue.
The gentleman is now operating a very succussful stall at Bukit Purmei

This is the one with no queue, She has since retired

When they relocated to the temporary market at Kim Pong Road, the one with the long queue still has the long queue even though the stallholders looked different.

The way the meal was presented was still the same but the taste differs greatly.

So why is it that a queue still exists?

Perhaps it was out of habit that people were accustomed to and the yellow bowls was something familiar and they associate it with the original Lor Mee stall.

Moreover, there were no other stall that screams TIONG BAHRU LOR MEE and since this one does it and it has the signature yellow bowls, this must be the one!

Hence the queue exists.

I have tried it a few times and have since gave up trying! Since the Ben Tin Lo Mee was the other original Lor Mee Stall from the old market, I decided to try it one day.

The taste was very familiar.

It was not that great as the ORIGNAL yellow bowl ones but it was good enough for me.

Though the noodles were great, this stall owner lacks marketing skills and she was eventually out-sold by the copycat clans.

The latest Lor Mee newbie was the Sharkies and that hurts her bottom line even more.

Within a few months at the new market, that Ben Tin Lo Mee auntie retired.

If only she had hung up a sign that says...THE ORIGNAL TIONG MARKET LOR MEE. She has the rights to that title as she was really an original.

I miss her Lor Mee very much.

Though I am residing in Tiong Bahru, I’ve never tried the copycat Lor Mee nowadays and I find it rather amusing that people actually drive all the way here to join the queue to eat some copycat Lor Mee.

While the herd drives to Tiong Bahru, I drive to Bukit Purmei to savour the authentic Tiong Bahru Lor Mee.

The queue there is long too but it is worth queuing up for and I willingly submit to the wait.

This authentic Tiong Bahru Lor Mee stall is operating out of Block 109 Bukit Purmei Ave.

This was the same guy in the 1st picture above.




More background story from Makansutra : Good Lor!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Under Wraps


Strange, I was blogging about this corner last night and this morning, I saw the Red Gourd Burner all wrapped up.

I wonder what’s brewing around here.

What does it means when that Iconic temple relic is wrapped up all in red?

One – They are re-dedicating that Red Gourd.

Two – They are going to move it somewhere else.

Three - They are going to destroy it.

I know this piece of land has changed hands twice recently.

Perhaps the new owner has some plans for this corner and has informed the temple devotees to do the necessary rites before the final destruction.

If you have more information about this, many of us here would be happy to hear from you.

Please fill us in .....can?(We are saying it with the Bambi eyes look)

Bird Talk

Junction of Tiong Bahru Road and Seng Poh Road on 05/15/2008

This corner opposite Tiong Bahru's famed singing bird corner hardly betrays its past rich heritage.

The Red Gourd Shaped Burner is the only clue that a temple once stood here.



Junction of Tiong Bahru Road and Seng Poh Road on 09/27/2003


This defunct bird shop was built out of a car shed. If you can try recalling that structure, it does look like a simple car shed right?




Apparently it was Tiong Bahru’s 1st car garage. It later became a bird shop to supply bird feed to the uncles who brought their birds to the famed coffeeshop just across the road.

Hah? What Singing Bird Corner? Got Meh?

Here's a picture to jolt your memory


The Singing Bird Corner was located next to the Akira Japanese restaurant at the end of the Link Hotel.

The hotel management is supposed to resurrect this bird corner and it is plain for all of us to see that no effort has been spared to bring this back to life. (Read in between the lines or better still, read this report: Tiong Bahru Singing Bird Corner)


Personally, I felt that The Link Hotel should have the moral courage (a trait called “foresight” was obviously lacking back then) to swop Akira’s location with the Persimmon restaurant. Putting a Japanese restaurant next to this Tiong Bahru Iconic place was like the Starbucks thingy in the Forbidden City.

If that hotel was SINCERE about preserving this important heritage, they would have selected a more suitable restaurant like the Persimmon restaurant for that corner...or maybe even approaching Ya Kun to be a tenant would have sufficed.

Ya Kun aside, if you have even been to the Persimmon restaurant, you would know what I mean about it being the BETTER choice. The ambience and setting is just so right and this corner would have been resurrected easily by the Persimmon’s owners. (I heard that Persimmon might start one Singing Bird Corner just outside their restaurant)

And the following statement on the Link Hotel’s homepage would have been so much more meaningful and REAL:



Located at Tiong Bahru estate, you will wake up to the sights and sounds of the heartlands at the biggest boutique style hotel in Singapore. The melodious chirping of the birds at the bird arena beckons as mouth-watering local cuisines awaits you at the nearby market.



The only melodious chirping I could hear now could only be found at their homepage.

This Famed Tiong Bahru Singing Bird Corner could have been their best opportunity to differentiate themselves from the other hotels around Singapore.

History and Heritage was thrust upon them BUT instead of becoming the custodian of this privileged uniqueness, they set their sights on that boring bridge and named their hotel after that.

And they gave excuses about not being able to find a sponsor for the SGD$5000 hooks to hang the bird cages. (Maybe they are really running a budget hotel here)

Just think about this, when Ting Heng Coffeeshop started the bird singing corner, I bet it was out of an entrepreneur spirit that the corner was conceived. That bird corner eventually became famous and that attracted a lot more customers from all over and they get to serve more coffee and toast in return. (This is what I call forward thinking)

Serves them right that people still regard The Link Hotel as a budget hotel.

I always have to correct the ignorant that it is not a hotel 81....but in fact a boutique hotel that relish on the heritage and history of the Tiong Bahru estate.

Perhaps that heritage and history bit is like the facade of the hotel...it is just a facade.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

See Eng Wat

Within the Tiong Bahru Estate, there is a street where there are no parking lots for non-Tiong Bahru residents.

All the parking lots are painted red there. (Red coloured lots are meant for residents with a valid parking label)

This has perhaps made that street a little more "exclusive" as it seems like there are more parking lots available here than the residents who drives.

Here's the history bit :

Eng Watt Street is named after See Eng Wat, a Malacca-born merchant.

A native of Zhangpu, Fujian, he was the second son of Si Hoo Keh.

He founded Eng Wat, Moh Guan & Bros Co in 1859 with ships plying between Singapore and Xiamen.

He was a Chinese pioneer in shipping line.

He was also one of the founders of a Chinese free school known as Chui Eng Si E in Amoy Street.

A Fujian community leader, he died in 1884.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

MM Lee's wife in serious condition

Just saw a report that Mdm Kwa Geok Choo is in a serious condition after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

For those who were unaware, Mdm Kwa Geok Choo used to live in the Tiong Bahru Estate and MM Lee Kuan Yew would cycle to Tiong Bahru to meet Choo, a name he affectionately called her.

Here's the part of the memoir that mention the Tiong Bahru bit : Story


Lee Kuan Yew & Kwa Geok Choo during their courting days

Monday, May 12, 2008

Tiong Bahru Housing Estate

Some weeks ago, I was assigned by River Valley Primary School to do my "parents' volunteer" thingy at their school library.

While "shelving" the books, I came across this book.


I wished I could hide myself in a corner and read all these books but I cannot let my son down.

So the next best thing was to take my phone out and snap some quick pictures for future reference.


Here's the reproduction of the article:

The Singapore Improvement Trust was officially formed in 1927 and continued until 1959 when the Housing and Development Board was established.

The flats in this estate were built between 1936 and 1954.

The buildings are set within generous and well planned public open spaces and, as such, represent one of the most successful community developments in Singapore. The 3- and 4- storey flats are reminiscent of much European public residential architecture of the time, with their simple, clear facades and well proportioned stairs and windows.

The estate contains a mixture of 1- to 5-room dwelling units. shophouses, lock-up shops and garages; a total of 2243 units.

The most extensive building programme was in 1950 when 460 units and 66 lock-up shops were erected.

The 4-storey buildings in Boon Tiong Road (and the “Red Flats” in Tiong Bahru Road, attributed to Lincoln Page, Senior Architect, were built from 1948 to 1950.Those in Kim Poh (sic) Road were designed by Robert F.N. Kan; other buildings (1940) are attributed to A.G. Church (Could this be the guy who designed the Pre-War Section?). Curved forms are used freely in the best 1930s manner.


The 4 Storey Flats along Boon Tiong
(Now known as Global Residences at Tiong Bahru)
Designed by S.I.T. Senior Architect : Lincoln Page

The Post War 4 Storey Flats in Tiong Bahru Estate

Probably designed by S.I.T. Senior Architect : Lincoln Page


The Red Flats (Now known as the Link Hotel)
Designed by S.I.T. Senior Architect : Lincoln Page

Flats along Kim Pog Road (Demolished)
Designed by S.I.T. Architect : Robert F.N. Kan


Other street which contain some very good buildings are Eng Hoon Street, Seng Poh Lane, Eng Watt Street and Guan Chuan Street. Seng Poh Lane and Seng Poh Road are named after Tan Seng Poh, who was born in Perak c. 1930 and became a City Councillor in 1870.

Eng Hoon Street is part of the Tiong Bahru Housing Estate and, like its neighbours, is a straightforward solution to the housing needs of the day; therein lies its importance, architecturally and socially.

It is obvious that, even today, this estate accommodates the diverse demands of the local population and functions well as a human settlement. It also responds well to the equatorial climate.

Between Tiong Poh Road and Seng Poh Road is a large public open space onto which the houses back; this contains a playground (converted into a carpark) and some shops and restaurants.

The excellent market, the bird singing contest and the small, old Chinese temple (We Tin Beo, reputedly over 150 years old) all contribute to the success of this fine community development.

Tiong Bahru Regional Park is situated between Tiong Bahru, Henderson and Delta Roads adjacent to the Tiong Bahru Secondary School. It is one of older parks in Singapore (built by the Parks & Recreation Department in 1968) and today serves the recreational needs of the expanding population of the Tiong Bahru area.


The park is planted with Casuarina equisetifolia, Fagraea crenulata and Megaskepasma erythrochlamys and many varieties of Bougainvillea; it also has a small pond, seats ad swings.

Tiong Bahru means New Cemetery; Tiong is Chinese for cemetery and Bahru is Malay for new.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Was it Worth it?

Click on the image to enlarge it

I was walking home to get something when someone asked me to look up.

“Very dangerous!” he said.

“That guy is just holding on to the steel grid...I wonder what is he is doing there.” He added.

“Aiya...working lah, you think he playing catching meh”

“That’s not what I meant lah!” he said.

“Why would his boss send him there to do some welding in that precarious position?” he said in Hokkien.

“Yah hor...quite dangerous leh....but I’m sure he has some safety harness strapped on lah” I reassured him.

As I am writing this entry, it made me dwell deeper about the contributions of these construction workers and how much we have taken them for granted.

Immediately my thoughts went back to the 10pm news I was watching just now.

They reported that some workers’ quarters were so overcrowded and stuffy that the workers resorted to sleeping along the streets. The LUCKIER ones actually slept on the back of lorries.

These folks have contributed significantly to our economy and they certainly deserve better treatment!

They left their families behind to come to this strange UNFRIENDLY land to do what we do not want to do.

And instead of appreciating them, we despise them.

We complain without restraint that they stink up the buses and MRT trains during their OFF-DAYS and we call the police and accuse them of doing all the bad things that happen in the neighbourhood etc etc.

Sure, there are some bad hats around...some may be driven to crime by desperation. But which society doesn’t have their fair share of bad hats.

When I was working for an MNC, we get applauded when we do some gravity defying antics in some outward bound school. But that guy who went up to do his work in the yet to be completed Regency Suite condo will probably get nothing more than his wages after he is done with his work.

And the sad thing is that all these workers may be risking their lives for a condo that may not be around 20 years down the road.
Why I say that? Here's my case :


Regency Suites is standing where Kim Tian Plaza used to stand.

And Kim Tian Plaza was standing where the Kings Theatre used to stand.

And mind you, King's theatre is not some grandpa or grandma's hangout from a century ago. I actually managed to watch some sob sob movies in that theatre when I was still considered a child. And I have not hit the FOUR-O yet.

However, I've forgotten when King's Theatre was demolished. I don't even remember when Kim Tian Plaza was built. But when I eventually took notice of it, her days were already numbered.


See what I mean about buildings not being around for more than 20 years.

I rest my case.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Desensitized

I was so close to the action and yet I missed the best part! Damn.

I parked next to this scene to go and pick up some grubs and coffee.
Thinking that it was some school girls being filmed by Mediacorp, I just went about doing my thing. But since I had a camera with me, I snapped a picture thinking it may come in handy in future.

My action attracted some nasty stare from the crew.
"This guy damn Suaku one ah" they might be thinking......



I actually saw many of them running around in their jogging suits while I was buying the famous Tiong Bahru "Pau".

One reason why I was nonchalant about the filming could be because we are rather fatigued by the constant filming done here that we become desensitized to it.

Just a few days ago, Zoe Tay was filming outside Centre PS. I snapped a picture on my lousy handphone and the crew politely ask me to get lost.




And I saw them again the next day. This time, I asked my wife to snap. But she felt sheepish and haphazardly took a shot from a moving car.


Stares, glares as sexy stars bare

The New Paper
By Chang May Choon
09 May 2008


After all, it's not every day that women bounce into Tiong Bahru market clad only in bikinis

SHE was once voted by netizens as the flattest of them all among MediaCorp actresses.

But Joanne Peh's small assets have since grown - quite miraculously.

Just check out the cleavage when she wore her string bikini - it stunned many onlookers at Tiong Bahru Market yesterday morning.

Joanne was there to film her new drama Beach.Ball.Babes, together with co-stars Jesseca Liu and Jade Seah.

In one of the storylines, the girls, who are part of a volleyball team, lose a bet and are made to strip to their bikinis outside a wet market as a forfeit.

They have to run in to buy items such as flowers, watermelon, carrots, frogs and squid.

It's a scene that brings to mind Fiona Xie bouncing down Orchard Road in her bikini in 2004, for the drama The Champion.

FLAUNT ASSETS
Obviously, Joanne is now the new Fiona, flaunting equally impressive assets.

So, what is Joanne's secret?

Could it be push-up padding, or breast implants?

Neither, the 25-year-old insisted.

'Have your period, lor!' the outspoken actress exclaimed, pinning the cause to hormones.

She claimed that her breasts always swell up one cup size bigger when it's 'that time of the month for me'.

She insisted that she did not get any implants.

'It's something I can't accept and I feel I don't need,' she said.

Director Christopher Lim also noticed the difference.

'Joanne really does have the assets,' he concluded after comparing the footage yesterday with a previous photo of the actress in a bikini.

'But I don't know if it's because of the bikini, or because she had some kind of nourishment,' he added in jest.

Jesseca, 29, also said that Joanne has the best figure among them, although none of them can beat Fiona.

'She has the best figure. None of us can make as strong an impact as her, but we have strength in numbers - there are 12 of us.'

It was a gawk fest at Tiong Bahru Market when the entire volleyball team of 12 bikini-clad girls made their entry around 10.30am yesterday, led by Jesseca, who plays the captain.

A crowd of 30 to 50 - mostly middle-aged men and women - followed the cameras, with some people staring in disbelief while others looked on curiously.

Fruit-stall owner Nai Yong Chew, 50, said it feels 'weird' to see the bikini babes running about.

'They're more suitable for the beach and not this market. It's not very good for the conservative older folk to see them like this.'

But, a second-hand goods dealer in his 50s, who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, felt that it was 'very special' occasion.

'I'm surprised to see them wearing bikinis, but since they're filming, it's okay.'

Administrative officer Tammy Tan, 60, who was having lunch in the area, said it was a 'novelty' to see the girls filming.

'I think the guys will like it,' she added jokingly.

Some onlookers, such as housewife Teo Yue Choo, 52, criticised that the scene is too much of a copycat of The Champion.

Madam Teo said: 'It's the same storyline with a different cast. That's not good. There's nothing new in it.'

But Joanne argued that the forfeit is crucial to the plot development - it breaks up the team and forces some of them to play beach volleyball instead.

Jesseca added that their version is more embarrassing to deliver, as they not only have to run among older people who might disapprove of their dressing, but also have to buy fresh goods.

UNENVIABLE TASKS
Jade and Joanne had the most unenviable tasks - Jade had to scoop up squid while Joanne had to nab a live frog. Both ended up tripping and falling at the end of their mission.

Jade, 24, looked absolutely terrified when asked to pick up the squid - until the stall owner had to assure her that it was dead and wouldn't bite.

The former beauty queen, who is acting in a drama for the first time, admitted that she is 'genuinely squeamish' and has a 'slight phobia' of raw seafood.

She doesn't dive, because she is 'very fearful' of being surrounded by marine creatures in the waters.

'Honestly, I am scared, and I hammed it up for the show. Usually, I would somehow try to cover up and pretend (I'm not scared), but I'm quite affected by it.'

As for Joanne, she let out a piercing scream when grabbing the frog and squirmed so convincingly that she completed the scene in one take.

But she later confided in us that she finds it harder to wear a bikini in public than touch the slimy creature.

'I'd rather swim with the frog!'

From her hesitant voice and how she keeps covering herself up, you can tell she felt self-conscious about wearing so little in public.

It has been more than a year since she last donned a bikini.

Coincidentally, Joanne also wore two bikinis like Fiona did - for extra protection.

Joanne also added tape and a padding to make sure she won't accidentally expose herself.

'This is the most difficult scene I've done in my entire life,' the former Singapore-Universe finalist said.

'Even a pageant is not so unnerving.

'This is, gosh, a nightmare come alive. I want to wake up! Everyone's waiting for you to strip (to the bikini) and you can hear all these cameras clicking away. I feel stressed, especially with so many people watching.'

Thursday, May 8, 2008

What is Joanne doing in a bikini with a frog?

Thu, May 08, 2008
Just Woman @ AsiaOne
AsiaOne

What is Joanne doing in a bikini with a frog?

It's the Tiong Bahru market, but instead of the usual assortment of neighbourhood folk, a bevy of Mediacorp actresses were parading around in their bikinis instead.

It's the Tiong Bahru market, but instead of the usual aunties, uncles and assortment of neighbourhood folk you would expect to find at a wet market on a typical weekday morning, a bevy of Mediacorp actresses were parading around in their bikinis instead.

A New Paper report today featured Joanne Peh, Jade Seah and Jesseca Liu in a photo spread as they flaunted bare skin and lots of cleavage. But it was all in the name of filming for their upcoming new drama, Beach.Ball.Babes.

One of the story plots call for the girls, who are part of a volleyball team, to strip down to their bikinis outside a wet market after they lose a bet.

The squeamish girls had to perform stunts such as picking up live frogs and scooping out dead squid from a tank. Joanne let out a scream when she grabbed the frog and squirmed so convincingly that she completed the scene in one take, while Jade had a lot of difficulty handling the squid until the stall owner assured her that they were dead and will not bite.

But that, the girls insisted, was not the toughest part of the job. Jesseca told The New Paper that the scene was embarrassing to deliver, having to not only run among older people who may not approve of their dressing, but also to buy fresh goods.

But administrative office Tammy Tan, 60, who was having her lunch, said it was a "novelty" to see the girls filming.

Joanne wore two bikinis and added tape and a padding to make sure she did not expose herself.

The former Miss Singapore-Universe finalist later told The New Paper: "This is the most difficult scene I've done in my entire life."

Fruit stall owner Nai Yong Chew, 50, told The New Paper: "They're more suitable for the beach and not this market. It's not very good for the conservative folk to see them like this."

For more details, grab a copy of today's The New Paper at all newsstands.

For photo gallery, click here.
(I've added it into a flickr account)

Copyright ©2007 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn. No. 198402868E. All rights reserved.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Yeah Baby & Opps!

This Alexandra brick thingy is getting more and more interesting.

Thank you very much for the emails that came.

Wombat sent me 2 emails about those Alexandra Bricks :

Just to add on to the use of bricks made by the old Alexandra brick factory, the original Alexandra Hospital used them too. I know cos I saw the bricks in one of their tunnels beneath the hosp building and they bear the same name. Yes, AH is indeed rich in history and if walls could talk, they will tell you great tales of yester-years. We shld rally to save the bldg fm the bull dozers when the govt no longer has use of it as a hosp building.

And another :

Sadly, the tunnels are not opened to the public. It was a very special arrangement to view the tunnels. Very awesome! There were rows of what looks like bunks made of a lower brick wall, wide enuf for one person to lie down. I supposed the bunks were constructed for patients in case of an air raid. AH was formerly the British Military Hosp, the largest in Asia in fact and built to cater to the British troops during the colonial period.

The air in the tunnel was cold and musty but the walk thru the tunnels was truly an unforgettable experience. You even have to crouch real low to get thru some parts of the tunnel. The tunnels were blocked after a short dist I think were for safety reasons. Few know abt the tunnels as the current mgt does not want ppl to rmbr its tragic past for fear of scaring the patients away. There was a massacre incident in the hosp during WW2. Damn e tyrannical Japanese! But look at the restored hosp now... it's splendid!

Sadly I did not take pics. You can read more abt AH's history & the tunnels in a history book commemorating the hosp's 75th anniv, I think. Rumor has it that the tunnels used to link all the way to Labrador Park and even to Sentosa!

Heard the Alexandra bricks were made in a brick factory nearby in Brickworks. Whet your appetite for more on AH? Perhaps you want to post a new link all abt AH.

Wombat, indeed you have arouse my curiosity about AH. My radar will be tuned on to AH and I will jump at any opportunity to get more information about this historic place.



I also discovered that Pinto also put up a post about this Alexandra Brick at The Pasir Panjang Heritage blog. That posting gave me a little more insight into the history of the former Alexandra Brick Work.

Here are some more pictures to fill in the information gaps :


From on the Map, Alexandra Brickwork should be standing where the PSA building is standing now.

This was how the Alexandra Brickwork could have looked like :

Alexandra Brickworks by Ng Eng Teng (nationality: Singaporean).
Year: 1959. Medium: Oil on board. Size: 41 x 50.5cm.

The owner of the exposed brick wall "text/sms" me to tell that there were some JBW bricks amongst the Alexandra bricks.

See pictures :



Pictures provided by THE OWNER

I googled to find out more about the JBW or Jurong Brick Works and I was disappointed to find out that Jurong Brick Work had been demolished in 2005.
See Link here : Singapore Then and Now





Pictures by REDSTONE

I think I will go back to that empty flat to get those Jurong Bricks below the washing machine before someone throws them away.

Pardon my ignorance when I joked about the possibility of a Jurong Brick Wall in the Tiong Bahru Estate.

Truly I did not know what nonsense I was sprouting in my last post.