palace theatre, bright cinema, seaview hotel, ambassador hotel...both with their coffee houses and lounges.
I used to go to seaview hotel to watch the X-periments perform.
Bright Cinema brings back fond memories. A cheap cinema offering lots of privacy for young ppl like us then.
I watched Gunfight at OK Corral, Mist Over Dream Lake and other shows starring Wang Yu, Lo Lieh, Peter Cheng Ho. Old color films like ASIAPOL, INTERPOL and Heroes of Telemark
I remember this Chinese usher with long hair and gruffy looks and the Malay family (watchmen) of the premises. All of them spoke good Hokkien.
My favourite hawker was a tiny lame Chinese hawker who used to sell Yong Tau Hoo. He used to carry his wares on his shoulders and set up his stall at the front empty land. Acoss the road was the famous Porridge shop and a shop selling turtle soup. You may also recall Jalan Telaga and the old Lorong Tai Seng Market
Next to the cinema was a couple selling mee-soup (opposite the SWEE construction godown along Irving Road just behind the ESSO petrol Kiosk). This led to Playfair school and Khong Guan Biscuits Factory and into Lorong Koo Chye.
Opposite Harper Road was an empty space where you could get the best char-kway teow for 30 cents (had to bring along your own egg), Chng-Tng and much more.
You may also recall the former ROSE Cinema (an open-air cinema amidst coconut trees and ponds) along Kim Chuan Road opposite the former Primary Production Abbatoir and the old Bethany Church close to Kim Chuan Avenue.
At Lorong Bakar Batu there was these Peking Theatre (open-air) where Indian pai kias from Kolam Ayer would gather when it screened Tamil shows starring their idol, MGR. After the show there will be fights and bottles would fly.
Oh blimey, those good ol days when we were young, happy and contented. When 10 cents a day could buy us lots of things. When I could bring Ah Huay, my girlfriends out with only a dollar.
Those blurring days when British military trucks and Royal Navy buses rolled down the road.
Let me share this with you good folks:-
Reminds me of a gangster/thug by name of Mani
Whose live was always sunny
Mani, an extortioner, had lots of money
For wine, women, milk and honey.
One day he had a clash with Sani
Who said something funny.
About Mani and his love for Lallang-Tani (Chinese samsu).
Both landed behind bars at Changi.
Joe and the X-periments
Oh Jungle People we hare happy people.
Use to watch the group in Shangrila Hotel in the 80's
Joe was then a devout Hindu.
His wife and he then opened the House of Israel.
There was a big court case.
Never heard of him anymore.
Have a good day mates.