Jackie Bowl at Orchard & East Coast Rd

[Merl Haggard]

Jackie's Bowl at Orchard & East Coast was set up in 1963 by Herbie Lim, son of Lim Chong Pang & grandson of Lim Nee Soon.

On one of Herbie's trips to the US he discovered ten-pin bowling and he secured the agency to operate it in S'pore. At that point of time Herbie was going through very traumatic time because his beautiful wife, Mavis was hijacked by Cathay patriach, Loke Wan Tho.

To make up to Herbie's devastation, Loke Wan Tho was very kind & generous to Herbie by offering him 50,000 sq ft of space at Orchard Cinerama at 10c psf rent for 50 years and gave him one acre of freehold land at Ocean Park, East Coast Rd to operate his two bowling alleys.

For start-up capital of $3m to bring in the bowling equipments, Khoo Teck Puat & Jackie Oei (grandson of Oei Tiong Ham, LKY's grandfather's employer) came forward to support Herbie & that's why the Bowling Alleys were named Jackie's Bowl and Herbie was the CEO until it ceased operations.

Unfortuaely for Loke Wan Tho one year after he married Mavis Chew, he and his wife perished in an airplane crash in Taiwan in1964.

All the land in Yishun and Chong Pang Estate where more than 1.5 million people are residing was owned by Herbie's father & grandfather.

Father of S'pore ten-pin bowling, Herbert Lim Eng Kwan, the eldest son of Lim Chong Pang and grandson of Lim Nee Soon, passed away at age 75 in 2002.

 

[dredd]

Jackie's Bowl at East Coast was a favourite haunt for Katong Concent girls and St. Pat's boys. Held many fond memories for me.

 

[Merl Haggard]

Jackie's Bowl at East Coast was a favourite haunt for Katong Concent girls and St. Pat's boys. Held many fond memories for me.

Behind the present day Esso gas station all the way towards the sea was Loke Wan Tho pet project, The Cathay Kris movie studios and behind Jackie Bowl was the 5 star Ocean Park Hotel.

Until Wan Tho's death in 1964 in the 50's together with Shaw Brothers movie studios at Jalan Ampas at Balestier, S'pore was producing more movies than HK.

After Wan Tho's death, Cathay shut down Cathay Kris Movie Studios and started to sell all the East Coast land to property developers.

 

[dredd]

Behind the present day Esso gas station all the way towards the sea was Loke Wan Tho pet project, The Cathay Kris movie studio and behind Jackie Bowl was the 5 star Ocean Park Hotel.

Until Wan Tho's death in 1964 in the 50's together with Shaw Brothers movie studios at Jalan Ampas, Balestier we were producing more movies than HK.

After Wan Tho's death, Cathay started to sell all the East Coast land to property developers.

Wasn't there another hotel called Sea View Hotel?

 

[Merl Haggard]

Wasn't there another hotel called Sea View Hotel?

Seaview Hotel was next to Amber Rd and owned by a prominent Hokkien, Lim Kok Gin.

BTW Lim Nee Soon & Lim Chong Pang were Teochews.

 

[SBFNews]

Seaview Hotel was next to Amber Rd and owned by a prominent Hokkien, Lim Kok Gin.

BTW Lim Nee Soon & Lim Chong Pang were Teochews.

I remember Seaview hotels. Last time, there was an Ikea beside it. Correct?

 

[laksaboy]

I miss those vintage hand-drawn movie posters.

 

[eatshitndie]

….At that point of time Herbie was going through very traumatic time because his beautiful wife, Mavis was hijacked by Cathay patriach, Loke Wan Tho.

mavis not so beautiful lah. loke’s 2nd wife christina much more beautiful.

christina (left)

mavis (right)

 

[Balls2U]

Loke Wan Tho was a nerdy looking fuck face. Yet, he's one lao tiko who had tasted so many young abalones. The power of wealth.

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

View attachment 183695









View attachment 183694



View attachment 183696



Jackie's Bowl at Orchard & East Coast was set up in 1963 by Herbie Lim, son of Lim Chong Pang & grandson of Lim Nee Soon.

On one of Herbie's trips to the US he discovered ten-pin bowling and he secured the agency to operate it in S'pore. At that point of time Herbie was going through very traumatic time because his beautiful wife, Mavis was hijacked by Cathay patriach, Loke Wan Tho.

To make up to Herbie's devastation, Loke Wan Tho was very kind & generous to Herbie by offering him 50,000 sq ft of space at Orchard Cinerama at 10c psf rent for 50 years and gave him one acre of freehold land at Ocean Park, East Coast Rd to operate his two bowling alleys.

For start-up capital of $3m to bring in the bowling equipments, Khoo Teck Puat & Jackie Oei (grandson of Oei Tiong Ham, LKY's grandfather's employer) came forward to support Herbie & that's why the Bowling Alleys were named Jackie's Bowl and Herbie was the CEO until it ceased operations.

Unfortuaely for Loke Wan Tho one year after he married Mavis Chew, he and his wife perished in an airplane crash in Taiwan in1964.

All the land in Yishun and Chong Pang Estate where more than 1.5 million people are residing was owned by Herbie's father & grandfather.

Father of S'pore ten-pin bowling, Herbert Lim Eng Kwan, the eldest son of Lim Chong Pang and grandson of Lim Nee Soon, passed away at age 75 in 2002.

worth it leh.................no woman is worth that much land.................

 

[GOD IS MY DOG]

Loke Wan Tho was a nerdy looking fuck face. Yet, he's one lao tiko who had tasted so many young abalones. The power of wealth.

maybe he tasted Lee KILL You's wife also ?

 

[Merl Haggard]

I remember Seaview hotels. Last time, there was an Ikea beside it. Correct?

Besides Ikea, Japanese Yaohan supermarket & department store was there too.

 

[Merl Haggard]

mavis not so beautiful lah. loke’s 2nd wife christina much more beautiful.

christina (left)
View attachment 183732

mavis (right)
View attachment 183733

Christina was Wan Tho's first wife. He divorced her to marry Mavis.

Christina received a couple of millions for alimony & she made headlines when she bought an island next to Pulau Blakang Mati (Sentosa) called Pulau Selegu.

She developed Pulau Selegu into an island of paradise called Sarong Island.

 

[eatshitndie]

Christina was Wan Tho's first wife. He divorced her to marry Mavis.

Christina received a couple of millions for alimony and she made headlines when she bought an island next to Sentosa called Pulau Brani.

She developed Pulau Brani into an island of paradise called Sarong Island.

christina lee was his 2nd wife. mavis was his 3rd wife. his first wife was kay white, a white lady from europe more like uk as he studied at cambridge in late 1930s. with a chick magnet like a mercedes open top at that time how not to be attracted to him even for an amdl?

 

[eatshitndie]

Loke Wan Tho was a nerdy looking fuck face. Yet, he's one lao tiko who had tasted so many young abalones. The power of wealth.

at an angle he looked like a cross between dr goh and loong. mai siao siao. he was a champion athlete (long jump) at not only his boarding school in switzerland but also the swiss county of vaud.

 

[laksaboy]

There was a bowling alley at Kim Seng Road. Just north of the river and east of Great World City.

 

[tobelightlight]

1965? more than half a century ago.

 

[Balls2U]

There was a bowling alley at Kim Seng Road. Just north of the river and east of Great World City.

Kim Seng Shopping Centre. My regular hangout. Many chio ah lians like to go there. Fought some chow ah bengs there too.

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

Jackie's Bowl at East Coast was a favourite haunt for Katong Concent girls and St. Pat's boys. Held many fond memories for me.

TKSS TOO

 

[Merl Haggard]

mavis not so beautiful lah. loke’s 2nd wife christina much more beautiful.

christina (left)
View attachment 183732

mavis (right)
View attachment 183733

Thank you for the correction.

Wan Tho's desire for pretty women was legendary.

His hobby was photography & movie making. One day he visited Christina's father photo shop at High St to develope some photos and there he saw Christina.

He offered a large sum of money to the old man for Christina's hands; the amount was so huge that the old man could not refuse.

His mother's story was more controversial. She was keeping Lien Y C who was 30 years plus younger than her as her lover and when OUB started business she provided the initial capital. Maybe that's why Lien influenced Ngee Ann Kongsi to carve out that piece of land for Cathay's Orchard Cinerama.