Bomb Sites

[Gee Gee]

HIya Trapio,
No I never served with the Commonweath Bde,however,we did have a great deal of contact with the Bde. I served in a small Malay village called Kluang, about sixty miles north of Jahore Bahru.

[trapio]

Hi Gee Gee,

Thanks for that - I was never stationed on Malaysia Peninsula but 'passed through' en route for Borneo - after 2nd trip went up to Bangkok as a en ex fellow cadet was already a major in the army - dad was a general.  Then flew over Burma to India and overland home - 6+ weeks leave (was technically awol for last few days) 

Many years later had a holiday in Penang going to snake temple to get 'festooned' - it was a bit more fun than those in Borneo - as they seemed to be  ''drugged'', very slow movers. For me the street food in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand is the best in the world - what do you reckon?

trapio

[Gee Gee]

I have many fond memories of Malaya,Singapore and Brunei.I agree with you entirely the food that was served in steets and kampongs of Malaysia was indeed a meal to behold.

[trapio]

Gee Gee,

I 'knew' Singapore a bit in the 60's, Bugis St et al, went back on business a few times in 70's and 80s, and even by then it had become awfully 'circumscribed' by minor laws with an 'antiseptic aspect'......and so had lost much of its attraction for me.   

Have you been in that neck of the woods again since army days?  Singapore now has the best transport system in the world and the most expensive cars too - if you can get a permit to buy one!

trapio

[roy one]

some of the old bombed out housing had a lofts and us kids we would try and get in to them by hook or by crook and the things we found one of our gang found a small tin that was used for gramophone needle' and it was full of silver 3ps

[Gee Gee]

Hiya trapio,
               Sorry I did respond to your last question it has gone amiss somwher. Yes I have returned to Sinapore on a nunber of occasions and witnessed the many changes that you have previously identified.
My last visit was in 2003.I stayed in the Raffles Hotel and visited such  places as Tiger Balm Gardens, (now Haw Par Gardens) Serragoon Gardens, Kuching Racecourse, used to be known as the Bucha Tima.
I never made it to Boogei Street,had the wife with me .

[trapio]

Hello Gee Gee,

The Long Bar Raffles, home of the Singapore Sling - by 2003 the scale of change outside the hotel may well have been quite surprising.  The Kuching I knew was in Sarawak - changing names never really gains acceptance for many years - it is done a lit here.  A road near here has 5 names spread along less than a mile - everyone calls it by the original, over 30 years later....there are many like that one.

I knew 3 men from Singapore in NZ in late 80s, just after my last visit.  They were in their late 20s/early 30s and had never known it before independence, but they did not like the  state ''control'' of so much of daily life that Lee Kwan had introduced - all (legally) stayed in NZ after their job postings were finished.

trapio

[ascspeaker]

My favourite bombsite? never thought along such lines before. but having done so, really it would have to be the one right in front of our house. We the Fitzpatrick's lived at No 8/127 (8 the back of 127). The Hobby family lived on one side of us and the Stautons' (not sure of the spelling on the other). This bombsite was between Balfour St and Edward Rd It was just passed the Bath Tavern on the same side of the road. It was our playground. And our bonfire site.
Any one remember it?
JimF

[Phil]

Hi Jim
 
Welcome to the forum officially and I'm glad you have been able to sort the method of posting out. Are we taking about you living on Mary St or Balfour St?. We have a few members on the forum who lived quite close to you that may remember you. I can only remember the one lad called Fitzpatrick who was known universally as Fitz (of course).
 
What years are we talking about, and where did you move out to, or do you still live local?
 
Phil

[ascspeaker]

Hi Phil,
I did write an answer to your welcoming note yesterday, but it just disappeared on me. I think it may have been the 'time out' thing before I discovered the 'stay on here' button.
 
We lived on Mary Street. From Belfour Street walk towards Edward Rd, pass the Bath Tavern on your right (any photos?) pass where the Cannon Family lived and the Dods family on the other side of the road. Passed the gully where Montys the clothes manufacturer was. On the right you come to a bombed building, thats where we lived ( what is that term for a bombed site that you're using?). Sorry can't go back and look it up in case I lose what I'm writing now.
 
We Fitzpatricks' comprised Mom Sarah, Dad Paddy (would have to be wouldn't it?)
Jim (me 1942), Michael, Mary, Anne, Patrick, Margaret, and Eileen ('51). Patrick is the most likely 'fitz' but I was called that too. We moved to Sherbourne Road approx '55, and from there to Weoley Castle in '68, that is Mom and dad did. Not all of us moved with them. I was one that did, finally moving out when I got married to Bordesley Green girl, Rose, in '69.
 
We all still survive, Michael, Patrick, Eilleen and myself are all in Redditch. Mary and Margaret in Weoley Castle, and Anne in Bartley Green.
Jim

[Phil]

Jim
 
Did one of your brothers marry a girl called Phyllis from Sparkbrook, because the Fitz that I recall did? As for Mary Street you need to speak to Mikejee who has a wonderful collection of photos of Mary Street and around there when it was being demolished.
 
These are the closest I can get you to where you used to live, most of my other photos of Mary Street are up the posh end the other side of Edward Rd.
 
Phil