felicia | IpohWorld's World

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Datuk Seri N. S. Selvamany. May his soul rest in peace. 🙁 Here are two articles, which pay tribute to this well-loved educator. Beloved Anderson teacher N.S. Selvamany dies Remembering a great teacher, the late N.S. Selvamany UPDATE: The following is an […]

On this festival of lights, we hope that your happiness is multiplied and your sorrows divided. May this auspicious festival bring you and your family health, wealth and success. Happy Deepavali.

Murukku is a savoury, crunchy snack originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular in southern India, and Sri Lanka. The name derives from the Tamil word for “twisted”. Murukku is typically made from rice and urad dal flour. The flours are mixed with water, salt, chilli powder, asafoetida and either sesame seeds or cumin seeds. The mix is kneaded into a dough, which is shaped […]

Some time ago, we featured a wooden ice shaver. Well, here’s a picture of how one would shave ice – the traditional way 🙂

No, we’re not teaching you how to cook. Instead, we’d like to know how YOU prefer to cook rice – the traditional way (with the wooden steamer, like the one on the left) or using the modern rice cooker?

Here’s another Then & Now photo for you. Anyone here tried Heinz baby food? I only remember their rusks…

What did Nespray look like back in the day? Would you recognise it if you saw it today? Well, here’s a Then and Now photo for you – Nespray from the 80s (left) and Nespray today 😉

This photo was taken at the Asiatic Fruit Juice aerated water factory, which was in Sungei Siput. Does anyone know if the factory is still there? Perhaps abandoned, or converted into something else?

Here’s an advertisement from an Old Michaelian magazine. Most of us have heard of French Bakery. But what about Swatow & Co?

Long before the famous Milo Vans, there was the Milo Tricycle. We believe this was the brainchild of an innovative Indian gentleman in the late 1950’s. He lived in Buntong but kept his tricycle in a shop in Old Town. The picture featured on today’s blog is a replica of the Milo Tricycle, made by […]

Remember this cookbook? It’s a collection of recipes from three years work in the Domestic Science Department of the Malayan Teachers’ College of Penang. We were told that this book was intended to be used as a teaching aid in Malayan schools. Teachers out there, did you ever use such a book?

Since World Coffee Day was yesterday (1st October), we decided to feature this interesting ‘gadget’. This is a small ‘box’ style coffee grinder manufactured by T & C Clark & Company. We thank Ong Kor Leong for letting us photograph this beauty 😉

We conclude our series of rubber-related blog posts with this picture (see below). (No, it’s not part of a weapon 🙂 ) Ever seen one of these before? This is, of course, a Latexometer. This instrument (shown above) is made to measure the specific gravity of raw latex; this one in our collection is calibrated […]

For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s a carbuoy. Carbuoys are rigid containers, with a capacity ranging from 20 to 60 litres, used to transport liquid. This one in the picture was used to contain formic acid.

Kinta Rubber Works Sdn Bhd was established in the 1940s in Ipoh, Perak where it supplied conservancy buckets for the sanitary board. (read more here) Anyone recognise the building?

Letterheads usually have the company name and address; maybe even the logo / slogan. This letterhead (picture below) is rather unique, don’t you think? We were told it dates back to the 1920s. Just curious: are those former Cycle & Carriage buildings still around? I know the Ipoh building is still there (but it’s not […]

We thank Charlie Choong for sharing this photo with us.

We thank our donor Tom Turnbull for this photo. He can be seen, standing 3rd from right, with the Area Security Unit (ASU). This was taken at a rubber estate two miles south of Batu Gajah Town.

from all of us at

…what a rubber seed looks like! 🙂 Anyone used to collect them? Yes? No?

What do you think these men are up to? We thank Ann Kesselring Hamon for sharing this photograph (taken off a 35mm Kodachrome slide).

In conjunction with the birthday of His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al Musta’in Billah Shah. Daulat Tuanku!

Nope! This is actually a carbide lamp 🙂 How does it work? Well…pellets or chunks of calcium carbide are placed in the lower chamber. The upper chamber is then filled with water. A screw valve or other mechanism is used to control the rate at which the water is allowed to drip into the chamber […]

Let’s talk about money 😉 How much would 25 Katis be today?

From all of us at

Hope everyone has their tickets. Oh, and remember to be there early. Where? Why at Merdeka Stadium of course!

…when Lido Theatre had its grand opening. Thanks to Hong Soon Keong, we have here a photograph taken outside the cinema before the opening. It shows the Band of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Lincolnshire Regiment of Taiping by the kind permission of the Commanding Officer, Lt Col S G Doulson performing outside the Lido […]

74 years ago, in 1945, the Allied Forces won the Second World War (WW II). Although not taken in Ipoh, this first page of The Illustrated London News shows the The King and The Queen of England, with their princesses, acknowledging the cheers of their people on the afternoon of victory day. Can you believe it’s […]

The picture shows the Perak XI Football Team (back 1957), in Ipoh. Do you remember them?

In 1957, while we were still revelling in the euphoria of being an independent nation, another exciting event took place in Singapore. Did you attend the match? We’d love to hear from you….

Dear Collectors…do you still have your copy? 😉

Being the month of August, we shall continue with some Merdeka/Independence Day memories. We thank Alison Cotterill for this photograph. This was taken at the Oil Palm Estate in Selaba, Teluk Anson. According to Alison, the photograph was taken back in 1957.

These are the Champions and the Runners-up, the Yoke Hong Blue and Yellow teams, of the Perak Table Tennis Merdeka Trophy Tournament. The photo was taken on 22nd September 1957. Were there other such tournaments held in conjunction with Malaysia’s Independence Day?

There are many clock towers in and around the state of Perak. According to the above article from Vicinity Perak, Perak is home to three clock towers which were constructed to commemorate Independence Day. Where are these clock towers you say? Well, they can be found in Kampar (built in 1957), Parit (1959) and Sungai […]

We were told by our donor (Alan Wanless) that this photo was taken in Sungai Siput. The picture shows some of the guests which attended a Merdeka Day celebration, back in 1957. Among those in attendance was a cute doggy (bottom right) 🙂 😉

Did you own such a lapel badge? If yes, do you still have it?

We have here a lovely photo from Shuen Huey Foo, showing some of the nurses from Ward 8 of the Ipoh General Hospital. Do you recognise them? What about the person in the portrait?

We at Ipoh World congratulate DYMM Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, on being installed as the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia. Daulat Tuanku!

Where would one find such a bed? Why, at the doctor’s clinic of course! 😉 🙂

Apparently, we had a Dentists’ Association in Ipoh – along Theatre Street (from what we were told). Is the building still there? Or, have they moved? We’d also like to know more about this association…

While we’re still on the topic of jobs/occupations, here’s something that may (or may not) trigger some memories. Can you guess what it is?

No, it’s not a random khaki shirt. This is actually part of a police uniform. The whole ensemble consisted of: Cap / Cap badges with ‘Polis Diraja Persekutuan’ (Royal Federation Police) logo Short-sleeved khaki shirt Khaki bloomers Lanyard ‘Polis Diraja’ insignia (known as Titles) on the shoulders Hostop White anklet Black leather shoes We’d like to hear from […]

We thank Alison Cotterill for this photo. No, these guys are not playing around…they’re actually prospecting. In case you’re wondering, they’re at the Kramat Tin Mine (in Bidor).

Looks familiar? Then perhaps you’d know who used it…and what it was used for 😉

Forget tow-trucks, how about using an elephant? 😉 Yes, an elephant is towing this military aircraft…at the Ipoh Airport (it’s NOT a fake photograph).

Yes, women worked at the mines too…and not just as dulang washers 😉

While we’re on the theme of occupation/workers in action, here’s a different scenario. These men were apparently victims of the economic slump back in the 1930s.

Pouring out milk into containers? No, it’s actually latex from the rubber trees. Never tried it (being the city-girl that I am), but I was told it was not an easy task… We thank Ann Kesselring Hamon for this photo.

Wonder what these hard working men are up to…

I’m sure this is a no-brainer. But I’ll ask the question anyway: what do you think these men are doing? 🙂

When was the last time you saw a sign like this?

The photo on the left is from the Yeoh family album, probably from the 1940s. The one on the right is a present-day random image from Google. Seems like suspenders are back in fashion 😉

This cute photograph is from the Yeoh family album. Ladies, were you ever dressed as such for a wedding? Were flower crowns a fashion statement back then?

While we’re still on the topic of childhood memories, take a good look at this photograph. Is this a human centipede / human caterpillar? Was that what this game was called? I do recall playing such a game at school….and it was FUN 😉

Come on now, don’t be shy…I’m sure some of you had a special cup/mug/glass which you drank out of. Well then, we await for your comments… I confess that I have one – a white and blue Transformers mug 😉

Could this be the same brand “rebranded”? Or, two different brands…with the same name? 😉

How many of you remember this desk and chair from your school days? 😉

Ever visited a banana plantation? Well, these kids have 🙂 If you’re one of the kids in the photo, do you remember your time there? We’d love to hear from you…

When was the last time you saw THIS street (pictured above) so quiet? We thank the Yeoh family for sharing this nostalgic photo with us.

Selamat Hari Raya to all our followers. Have a safe drive home to your Kampong (and maybe save some Raya goodies for us?) 😀

When was the last time you had a picnic with your family/friends? Well, why not take advantage of the upcoming public holidays? These children seem to have the right idea….

We thank Ann Kesselring Hamon for the above photo. We’d also like to take this opportunity to wish our friends from East Malaysia Tadau Kaamatan & Selamat Hari Gawai. Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan & Gayu Guru Gerai Nyamai!

Imagine waiting in anticipation for your exam results – only to be told they’ve been delayed! Well, it happened back in 1954…

Anyone here a fan of spelunking? Hmm…maybe I’ve lost you guys for a minute 😉 Spelunking is the exploration of caves, especially as a hobby. So, back to the question in hand; anyone here been spelunking before? If so, have you come across this cave (picture below)? This place is somewhere in Ipoh, by the way…

Remember the time (back in school) when you received an award for excellent exam results? I remember getting an award for good PMR results (though I can’t recall what the prize was). Well, back in 1947 Dawn Kathigasu received an award for bravery! The gentleman beside her is Mr A. Aston (British Resident Commissioner for […]

This news article (dated 10 June 1985) reported that the Ipoh Municipal Council planned to turn a length of Jalan Osborne into a pedestrian mall temporarily for three months. The mall will be a permanent feature only if there is not much objection from the traders. If made into a permanent feature, the mall will […]

Do you remember this meeting? It was back in 1971. Perhaps someone out there attended the event. We’d love to know more. Oh! Here’s a photograph to help jog your memory 😉

No, we’re not talking about the movie 😉 We’re actually dedicating today’s post to a well-known and well-loved educator. I’m sure most of you will recognise him from the photograph. Happy belated Teacher’s Day…to ALL those dedicated men and women who made us who we are today!

Some forged $1 notes were found in Perak back in 1960. Do you remember that incident?

On this date, in 1948, the movie “The Boy with Green Hair” played at Ruby in Ipoh. Anyone watched this movie? Did Peter’s hair turn back to its original colour? UPDATE: The year is in fact 1949, not 1948 as stated. 13th May back in 1948 was a Thursday, not a Friday; hence, with reference […]

Remember when Perak Hydro Electric Power Co Ltd was to be integrated into the NEB? Well, here’s a press cutting to refresh your memory… I’m sure the Perak Hydro / Malim Nawar family might remember this….

Back in 1969, we bid farewell to a political giant – D R Seenivasagam. Here’s a picture showing part of the funeral procession. Do you recognise the building in the far left?

Where were you in May 1974? Do you remember an incident, whereby a hundred members of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) guerillas gathered and planted explosives which blew up earth-moving equipment along the East-West Highway at Grik, North Perak? Well, we’re not going to show you some graphic photos of what happened; instead, we […]

Did you know that Ipoh was declared a municipality back in 1962? And, that the official declaration of Ipoh’s status as a Municipality was officiated by the Sultan of Perak on the 31st May 1962, on the Ipoh Padang? Well, now you know 😉 Here’s a picture (from Mohd Taib) showing an archway decorated to […]

Does the name ring a bell? I’ve never heard of Socony…perhaps some of you out there may know this brand. On the back of this photo are the words “RP Co Ltd, Ipoh”. Any idea where (in Ipoh) such a petrol pump may have been?

Remember the time you received your probationary driver’s license? Did it look like this (picture below)?

Heard about the Ipoh Food Festival? Check out the posters below: Here’s a message from the organisers: We have many exciting workshops and experience for tourist to sign up. Some are also free. Including 1) Dine in the Dark (rm15 per pax) Register via WhatsApp name > 012-4128038 Rattan Basket Weaving Workshop [1 seat left] […]

What’s this you ask? Well, it’s a cast iron cycle stand. This stand holds the cycle off the floor, with the pedal hub resting on the support. The front wheel goes between the two prongs while the main frame clamped in the mount. This stand pictured here is an original model, and is also in […]

No. This is actually a single bullock power wooden bullock cart. When was the last time you saw something like this?

Here’s a nice one from Charlie Choong. Beautiful car, isn’t it? Did YOU ever try to get a nice car/motorcycle to impress your date? Don’t be shy…I’m sure you may have a story or two to share with us 🙂

I remember when I took driving lessons, I practiced on a small Kancil ( with no power-steering….oh how my arms ached :O ). This picture here shows a Morris Minor with an “L” sign. How many of you out there learnt driving on such a classic car? 🙂

No, we’re not talking about the movie. Rather we’re talking about this once common mode of transport (see picture below). From what we found out, this was probably the last rickshaw made in Ipoh for service in the streets :O

We’ve heard of private planes, private yachts…what about private ferries? There was once an article (back in 1960s) which talked about a road trip. It is said that while passing through Slim River (before heading towards Kampar), there is a branch road at Teluk Anson (not Teluk Intan). About 3 km upon taking this branch […]

Here is Percival Moss, with his ‘faithful ride’. Moss was a tailor who sewed uniforms for the Malay States Guides and other military organisations, back in the early 1900s. We thank his grandson Bernard for sharing this photograph (along with many others of the Moss family, who once lived in Taiping). Any guesses as to […]

Here’s a cute photo (courtesy of Mei Baker, from the UK), of a girl and her car. Yes, boys….girls love their cars too 😉

This is a souvenir programme from 1938 – the year Ruby Theatre was opened. What’s so special about the Ruby Theatre? Well besides being built by Lau Ek Ching, it was also known as Ipoh’s Ultra Modern Talkie Palace! What’s a ‘talkie’ ? A film with sound, of course 😉 As Wikipedia states: “The primary […]

Well….not quite. But forget the circus for a while; do you remember the days when advertising was done via vehicles? Like this photograph below (from Hong Soon Kheong): Do you remember those decorated vans, which advertised movies at the local cinemas?

Is she a local actress? Perhaps a singer? We don’t know, so we’re hoping you could shed some light on this. I’m sure this pretty face is familiar to some of you… 😉

When The Falcons had to end due to their manager quitting, the band members, Joe Chin, Michael Ho, Christopher Choong and Thomas Ham decided to concentrate on their education, leaving the stuffed Falcon (the band’s mascot) with Christopher. But not long after that, Joe and Michael found two other guys, (Kenny Ham, Thomas’ brother and […]

Audiences said what set her apart was her complete immersion into the emotion of her songs. Most of her songs are sentimental love ballads, wistful, nostalgic melodies, and her entire composure and movements would reflect the mood of her music. She often cried as she sang on stage…. (read more here) This time, we’re featuring […]

Continuing our ‘Then & Now’ series, here we have a comparison of two movie posters. Both were action/adventure films from different years. On the left (courtesy of Edwin Seibel) is a 1957 poster for Moby Dick; on the right is none other then the poster for Avengers Assemble. Anyone know how movie posters were made […]

On the left (courtesy of Ruth Iversen Rollitt) is a 1st Class ticket stub from Sun Cinema, from 1958. On the right is a Google image of a Gold Class ticket stub (2015). How times (and ticket prices) have changed….

“16 mm refers to the width of the film; other common film gauges include 8 and 35mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, educational) film-making, or for low-budget motion pictures. It also existed as a popular amateur or home movie-making format for several decades, alongside 8mm film and later Super 8 film.” – Wikipedia […]

This play opened in 1938. Some of you may be too young to recall this…or were not even born yet. Then, there was a 1952 film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille. A similar production came out in 2017 (titled “The Greatest Showman”), which also revolved around the famed duo Barnum & Bailey. For […]

Since we’re still on the topic of famous names, how many of you remember Harold Jansz? And how many of you have seen him in action?

In the 1960s, a magician by the name of John Calvert drove from the Ipoh Airport to Lido Cinema…blindfolded! No, I’m not kidding; the above picture was taken at Cockman Street showing Calvert in an Austin Gypsy..with his eyes covered. We’re not encouraging you to try this stunt…but we’re wondering if anyone out there remembers […]

These brothers need no introduction. The very fact that they are standing in front of a famous landmark already gives it away. Yes, in the background is part of the parking lot of Jubilee Park.

Some time ago we featured a calendar girl, and many of you guessed her name. Well, here’s another beauty…featured for the month of March. Can you guess her name?

When was the last time you saw these objects in action? This was before those fancy coffee-making machines became popular, of course. However, some local coffee shops still stick by this method of brewing your perfect cup of java. Here’s a Google photo of how these objects go together.

The above menu was chosen for Mr & Mrs Michael Lim’s Golden Anniversary. Judging from the list of dishes, I dare to say no one went home hungry that night 😉 Let’s ask the “married ones”…what was YOUR wedding menu like?

I’m sure some of you already know what the above picture is. Yes, this is a kuih bahulu mould. Anyone wants to share a good kuih bahulu recipe here? 🙂

This picture needs no introduction. If anyone of you has ever tried cooking in one of these clay pots, do share your experience with us (and maybe some recipes too?).

We know that YOU know which road this is. As our donor told us, we’ll make it a little harder this time: can you guess what time of day this photograph was taken? Morning? Noon? Evening?

Yes, here’s another aerial view of Ipoh. This time, we have Brewster Road and of course the iconic Odeon Cinema. ps: Did you know that this cinema was once called “Rex Theatre” ? 🙂

We have here two views of Belfield Street, with the HSBC building in the background. The one on the left (from Ruth Iversen Rollitt) dates back to 1958; the one on the right (from SK) was taken recently.

It is said that today – being the 7th day of the Lunar New Year – is ‘Yan Yat’ or ‘Renri’. According to Chinese customs, Renri was the day human beings were created. I’m sure there is a story or two behind this belief; we’d love to hear your thoughts 🙂 On another note, here is […]

Have you heard of Aylesbury Street? What about Chee Tuck Medical Hall?

Some of you may be able to guess WHERE this place is. So don’t keep those guesses to yourselves. On another note, what did YOU do during your younger days…when you had a Boys/Girls Night Out?

….that Alfred Bird invented this product (pictured above) because his wife was allergic to eggs? Since this product has been around for quite a while, has anyone tried this? What does it taste like?

How sharp are your eyes? Can you identify some of the familiar/popular buildings in this aerial view photograph? Some of you experts out there may already know which part of Ipoh this is too 😉

Could it be Gopeng Road? Tapah? Batu Gajah? Or…nowhere near Ipoh? You tell us 🙂

Does this place look familiar? We have no idea where it could be, and we’re hoping someone could tell us. Notice the Esso sign (extreme right). It was probably part of a garage. There’s also the decorated arch.

Thanks to Ipoh Remembered, we have the above photo to keep you entertained this weekend. Some of you may have already guessed WHERE this place is. Can you also guess the year? And just for fun, we’ll let Ipoh Remembered keep tally of your score….. 😉

Don’t know what to do the coming long weekend? Well, why don’t you head on out to Ipoh Old Town. Lots of exciting events will be happening on the 19th and 20th of January 2019 – you wouldn’t want to miss it! Curious? Want to know more? Visit the Sama Sama Perak Facebook […]

In June 1957, there was the Perak Derby. Here are some photos (from Nick Band) which were taken at the Perak Turf Club. Anyone remember the Perak Derby?

As stated in the bottom left, this is a postcard of a Chinese Temple. Does it look familiar? Can you guess which temple it is?

“..Besides their intended use, they could be used for cleaning equipment, polishing shoes, cleaning hands and face, signalling for attention, as a sweat band, neckerchief, as protection from dust inhalation, to repair footwear, cut out pieces to patch clothes, cut up as emergency firearms cleaning patches, Molotov cocktail wick (fire-bomb), hot cooking utensil holder, a […]

We’ve heard from the fans of model aeroplanes and model cars. Now we’d like to hear from those who played with model ships. Did you have your own fan club?

We were told that this photo was taken at Jubilee Park. Could it be so? You tell us 🙂 In the meanwhile…does anyone know WHO this pretty lady is?

Special thanks to SK and Ooi Kean Chye for these photos. On the left is NTPS Pasir Puteh back in 1962, on the right is the same school today (2019). SK also shared with us: “In the 1962 picture, in between the buildings in the middle was where we took our pictures. On the left of […]

Students from NTPS Jalan Pasir Puteh are probably grinning at the screen now. As for the former students…has the school changed much over the years? Maybe some of you have old photos of the building back then…do share them with us. On that note, how many of you remember YOUR first day at school? Was it […]

Ever had one of these in your home? This one shown above is of course for children; the adult-sized ones are larger. I do wonder if such an object is common in modern homes today….

If they ever came to life (like in those Disney cartoons), perhaps these vehicles would have been good friends 😉 Here we have a bicycle, a car and a van; all three of them ‘worked’ for Ho Yan Hor. We’d like to hear from the car-lovers out there – can you identify the type of […]

You’ve seen multilingual signboards; what about multilingual greeting flyers? Here’s one from Kailey Associates Pte. Ltd. Can you identity the various languages? 🙂

Believe it or not, Mercantile Bank existed in Taiping too 🙂 Does anyone know if this bank is still in business? Or…maybe it goes by another name now?

Many of you managed to ‘solve’ our Monday puzzle. Let’s see how many of your can guess THIS one. Ruth, if you are reading this…don’t give up the answer too soon 😉

Familiar area? Yes? No? Well, I don’t blame you if you can’t recognise this place. It is SO VERY DIFFERENT now. For those of you who know the answer, feel free to drop us a comment (or two). By the way, this place is in Ipoh…

Let’s hear from the Boy Scouts. What were your favourite memories back then? (Or, maybe you have an interesting campfire-tale or two to share?)

Remember this school? It started out as a primary branch of ACS. The building is still there today, in Canning Garden. You may know it as SK Ho Seng Ong Methodist.

We’ve had lots of similar advertisements over the years. But what I would like to draw your attention to is the fine line below the picture of the camera – “Prices: Singapore $ 24.75; Penang $ 25.50; Malaysia $ 30.45” Did we always pay a few dollars more than folks from Penang?

It’s not Universal Studios…rather Universal Cars Ltd. Yes, I’m sure some of you remember this building. Last I heard, it functioned as a nightclub for a while. Now, it seems to have been abandoned. Unless…there is something going on behind the scenes, which we don’t know about; in which case, we’d like to hear from […]

Take a good look at the building in the picture below. Looks familiar? They used to be at No. 84 Hugh Low Street. Anyone know what they traded? 😉

Thanks to our donor, we have an interesting photograph here. These boys (and their Teacher perhaps?) are in the middle of a cross-country run. Any guesses as to what building that is in the background? 🙂

Some of you may already recognise this person. For those who don’t, here are some fun facts about him: he was an architect and developer he once worked for the Ipoh Town Board as a draughtsman he also owned Caxton Press (along Belfield Street) he and his family lived at Dulcieville Lane Yes, he is […]

Do you remember the year these Alfa Romeo cars came to Malaysia? Perhaps the car-lovers might be able to tell us more. Maybe someone out there was standing in the crowd watching this promotion. And…if you were one of these pretty girls in the photograph, we’d love to hear from you too 😉

After all those photos of the city, we thought of showing you something from a village instead. If you’ve ever lived / visited such a village before, do share some of your experiences with us 🙂 pictures courtesy of Ann Kesselring Hamon

…in Taiping. These were taken by Percival Moss, a tailor who sewed uniforms for the Malay States Guides and other military organisations. We thank his grandson Bernard for sharing them with us. We estimate the date to be early 1900s.

No, we’re not being ‘bitter’ about it…but did anyone realise that this beautiful floral clock is no more? For those who’ve never had the chance to see it, here are two pictures for you; both are from Ann Kesselring Hamon. The lady in white (left image) is Ann’s mother Florence Kesselring. As for the right […]

Remember this memorial? Any idea where in Ipoh Town it stood? Or…maybe you might know WHO built it?

Ever wondered what was at the back of the Ipoh Railway Station? Well, here’s a late 1930s view (picture courtesy of Winson Saw):

Remember the Times of Malaya? Well, here’s a photo of their second building; probably around the 1930s (we could be wrong though). Last we heard, this building was rented out to the Yayasan Perak company.

Anglo Chinese Girls School? Well, if you didn’t know what the ACGS building looked like here’s an old photo. Looks like the Methodist Girls School building? That’s because it IS the MGS building 🙂 ACGS was named MGS back in 1959.

Yes, the building in the background is none other than the Veterinary Research Institute at Tiger Lane. Our donor estimates that this photo was taken around 1955. Have you been to this place? If so, do share your thoughts with us 🙂

Yes, folks…believe it or not, this is what the YMCA building looked like back in 1954. Pity the beautiful garden is no longer there today 🙁

How many of you out there lived / grew up in Simee? We’d love to hear some of your childhood adventures (or, misadventures…especially the funny ones 😉 ). Maybe someone out there may also know HOW Simee got its name?

No, this was said to be the temporary building for the Anglo Chinese Girls’ School, back in the 1950s. For those of you who don’t know, Anglo Chinese Girls’ School (or ACGS Ipoh) later became Methodist Girls’ School (MGS). Of course, the MGS building now looks nothing like this one pictured above. MGS Alumni, we’d love to […]

We’ve all heard (and seen videos) of shopping-adventures (and misadventures too). For those of you who’ve been to Emporium Perak, do share some stories with us 😉

Perhaps this was once a familiar sight in Ipoh town – dulang washers walking through the town, either going towards or coming back from the river. Anyone wants to guess which part of town these ladies are passing through?

We know you lot are good at puzzles 🙂 So here’s one for you – We believe this building is somewhere in Ipoh, since our donor was a former British serviceman who served here from 1958-59. Well, put those thinking caps on, folks!

Many of you may have seen the Kuomintang Parade photos on our database. Here’s another one, from Ann Kesselring Hamon’s collection. What’s so special about this, you ask? Well, it’s in colour! ps: Recognise the street?

Hypothetical scenario: Imagine you’ve just inherited a LOT of money…and you’ve decided to build a beautiful mansion. Well, let us ‘help’ you with some interior decoration ideas 😀 We have here some photographs of what the inside of the Kinta Kellas Estate bungalow once looked like. Yes, this wooden bungalow once belonged to none other […]

We’ve had this photo in our archive for some time now. But we don’t know much about it. The estimated year is around 1935, and we think this is part of a market. Would anyone like to help us out?

We believe these musicians were part of the Perak Hui Zhou association. While we try to find out more about this, perhaps someone out there could help us out. Does anyone remember this public performance? And if you do, do you recognise the buildings in the background?

Where were YOU back in 1979? Did you witness the Castrol ASEAN Rally? Do you remember seeing this car (picture above) in action? Although the photo is not too clear, but do you recognise the driver? 😉

Some of you may recognise it. Some of you are still scratching your heads. Worry not, this is in fact the ruins of a brick bungalow built by none other than William Kellie Smith. Last I recall, these ruins were within the grounds of the famed Kellie’s Castle (hope they haven’t disappeared or made way […]

Today’s puzzle is brought to you by Ipoh Remembered. Can you guess what the green, blue and orange sections are in the photograph? And while you’re at it, can you also guess the year?

Yes, you read it right. This is the old Town Hall…in Taiping 🙂 We think this photograph was taken in the early 1900s (we could be wrong). Anyone from Taiping reading this? We’d like to know what’s become of this building.

In the back row, right, is a gentleman by the name of Charles Green. History-buffs may tell you that ‘Greentown’ was named after him. This photograph was taken in 1902, after a cricket match. Do you recognise anyone else in this photograph?

Come on, dancers…don’t be shy! Tell us ALL about your ‘fancy moves’ 😉

Here’s a sample of sports medals from the 1970s. Have you seen similar ones? Have you won such medals before?

What’s so rare about this one? If you look closely, you can see the words “Chan Sam Lock Photo Service” on the blinds (below the large Chun Mee signboard). Yes, Chan Sam Lock started out as a half-shop along Brewster Road once upon a time….

We received this via email from SK (who sent it to us on behalf of the donor). According to SK, Gurpal is looking for his former classmates. Anyone out there from Lower Six Science 2? Gurpal is looking for you. Incidentally, SK told us that this picture was taken in April 1967 – Gurpal’s last […]

Yes, “Visit Malaya” posters existed back in 1961! Here’s one which some of you may have seen… (you can read more about this poster here).

Yes, we have a few new additions to our ipohWorld collection. Here’s one of them: folks, say hello to Penny!

Chettiar (or Chetty) is a title used by various mercantile castes and social levels in South India – especially in the state of Tamil Nadu. They claim a legendary relationship with the Hindu God Murugan; according to the legend, Murugan married Valli (who was from a tribal group), hence her tribe was later called Chettyars […]

“Fancy travelling down the memory lanes in Ipoh? Commander Ian Anderson would bring you through the tourist trails of Old Ipoh, to allow you to relive the good old glorious Ipoh. The speaker will guide the audience along the first published tourist trails of Ipoh in 1914, continuing with a look at the differences created by […]

We thank Lennie Brooks for these pictures. Her father once served in the 15/19 Hussars as their Company Sergeant Major Instructor. Back in 1955, they lived at No. 20, Chung Thye Phin Road – yes, at Chung Thye Phin’s mansion nonetheless. These pictures show a mosaic of Chung Thye Phin and also an interesting marble […]

Ms Monroe once sang about diamonds being a girl’s best friend. From this photo, it seems like this lady loves the car (instead of those precious stones). But I must say, between the precious stones and a beautiful car….I would choose a car (but that’s just me!)

According to the writing on the back, this postcard dates back to 1930. Quite a view, eh?

Some of you may remember Fung Lum Restaurant – at 118 Brewster Road, Ipoh (they also had a branch KL). But what about Maple Leaf Coffee Court? Have you been to this cafe? Was it run by the same people who ran the Fung Lum Restaurant? Or, maybe it was part of Rendezvous?

Some of you remember your ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels (and how HARD you worked to get good grades!) Then there are others who did the Government Examination for Chinese Schools – and received a certificate like the one shown here.

Here’s a photo taken in Kampar. Recognise the car? By the way, the lady leaning against the car is our donor’s mother.

Here’s a picture of the FMSR Locomotiv Class G. The locomotive was built by R. Stephenson. It was placed in Perak Railway with the name FMSR 47 in July 1901. It was scrapped on November 1931. A series of 34 4-6-0 locomotives were built by Kitson (16), Hunslet (5), Neilson Reid & R. Stephenson. And […]

No, we’re not ‘collecting’ on behalf of LAP (Lembaga Air Perak). Instead, we’re featuring a Then & Now comparison of two water bills; on the left is a bill from 1970, and on the right is a bill from 2016.

Yes, folks. This is Ipoh back in the early 1990s. Compared to the skyline of today, not many tall buildings were around back then.

When was the last time you saw / or even used this?

This is an aerial view of Market Street. No, not Market Street in Ipoh…rather this is Market Street in Teluk Intan 🙂 This is a view from the famous water tower.

Ever wondered what happened to the building that housed the first Post & Telegraph office back in 1883? Yes, I’m talking about that building in Jalan Stesen, Taiping. Well, it is now a Telegraph Museum!

Did it always come in 32 lb cylinders? How much did they cost? Was it delivered to your house, or did you have to get it from a supplier?

As a follow up to our previous blog post, we’d like to share something Ipoh Remembered sent us. This is a Cadbury advertisement printed in 1919!

Yes, this is indeed a Cadbury tin. Have you seen it before? If you have, do you remember how much these chocolates cost back then?

This coach was said to have ferried passengers between Taiping and Padang Rengas before the completion of the railway. And yes, this is a Kaulfuss postcard 🙂

Could this have been a branch of Cold Storage? Or, perhaps Cold Storage’s competitor? We don’t know, so we’re hoping someone out there could help us out. Our anonymous donor didn’t say much about this photograph (and unfortunately, we are no longer in contact with this person). I’m sure someone out there visited 47 Cockman […]

I was. What about YOU?

According to the article, many of the wooden houses in Greentown would have to make way for development. About 16 houses would be demolished and the area would then house the ‘new’ municipal council building (present Majlis Bandaraya Ipoh building). Anyone remembers the ‘new’ municipal council building?

Following your enthusiastic comments on an old blog post, we decided to put up something else from the Triumph Owners Club (Perak) Magazine. These are from the Driving Tests at the Military Square, Ashby Road, Ipoh (back in 1975). The car on the right was said to be a Triumph Herald 1200 saloon. Car lovers care […]

Heard of Hotel Bali? It was located at Jalan Ali Pitchay. This picture was taken from their business card. On the back of the card is the following description: “Stylishly furnished modern hotel; all rooms with telephones and bathrooms; ample parking space; air conditioned bar and restaurant with beautiful waitresses in attendance; excellent Chinese and European […]

…you saw a Malayan Money Order stub? Bring back memories? We’d like to hear about it 🙂

Here’s another one from the Yeoh Family album. I know…it’s a funeral procession (no, we’re not feeling morbid today). What caught my eye was the signboard on the extreme right – ANY Co Gift House. I’ve certainly never heard of it (perhaps too young to remember… 😉 ). Do any of YOU remember this shop?

At least that’s what I think it says on the signboard. Does anyone know which restaurant this is? Wonder if it’s still there…

The picture is not that clear, but I’m sure you can more or less see what our featured celebrity looks like. Born in 1884, he joined the Malayan Civil Service as a cadet in 1907. In 1932 he was appointed British Resident of Selangor and the following year as British Resident of Perak, a post he […]

Yes, those in the leading car in this parade were the Perak State Table Tennis Team. Incidentally, the team won the National Table Tennis Championship back in 1967. The winners went on parade through Hugh Low Street – passing the premises of the Oversea Chinese Banking Corporation. The President of the Perak Association, Towkay Chong […]

Yes, you read it right – Anglo-Chinese Girls’ School. Maybe you’re more familiar with its current name – Methodist Girls’ School (MGS). Anyway, here is a nostalgic photograph taken during the sports day. The guest of honour is none other than Mrs Florence Kesselring.

Anyone remember this comic/magazine? Was Roy named after a famous football star? If you were one of those who followed this series, did he make it to Mexico? [ Yes, FIFA World Cup is upon us! 😉 ]

Synopsis GE14 marked an end to half a century of a “one-party state” paradigm, which started with a Malay Tsunami (not a Chinese Tsunami!) in 1969. Tun Razak’s “one-party state” paradigm came with two heavy drawbacks. First, UMNO/BN’s unchecked power bred corruption and abuse of power, which culminated in the 1MDB global scandal. Second, by […]

This was once a common sight in the tin mines. When was the last time you saw THIS object (below)?

Yes, there was such a place called Perak Club. It was founded in Taiping, in 1880. Thanks to Bernard Moss, we have some pictures of it on our database. Here’s one of the pictures – just to show you what the building looked like.

I’m no car expert…but I’m pretty sure this car is a Mercedes (I could be wrong though). Anyone care to guess which part of town this is?

I’m sure you’ve seen this before. The question is, have you seen one with the words “E II R”?

Yes, another corny pun 🙂 Remember this brand of detergent? What about the free gift that came with it? I’m sure there are some of you out there (yours truly included) who bought certain items simply because there was a free gift offer…..come on, own up!

No, we didn’t make this word up 😉 ‘Sinalco’ is said to be an abbreviation of the Latin sine alcohole, which means “without alcohol”. Sinalco is the oldest soft drink brand in Europe (it was first marketed in 1902!), and is produced by Sinalco International, Germany. Perhaps the advertisement might give you a clue as to how these […]

Yes, this IS Peoples’ Park…with part of Hugh Low Bridge on the right.

No, we’re not trying to scare you 😉 Although not strictly a Psychological Warfare tool, like the air-dropped leaflets, this brochure certainly formed an early part of the psychological fight against the communists. For those of you who remember the Malayan Emergency, have you seen similar posters in and around your neighbourhood?

Synopsis In the best of philosophical tradition, the speaker is not an academic philosopher, and he is not in academia. He is, however, a philosopher in the sense that he is extremely curious and inquisitive about the vast diversity of human nature, the concern and search for a meaningful and purposeful life, and the varieties […]

Yes, pun intended 😉 How many of you remember THIS product?

This picture was taken from a postcard, which was sent in 1936. Of course, this may not be the exact year the picture was taken. What drew my attention to the picture was the person sitting on the river bank – wonder if he/she was fishing…or simply appreciating nature?

Here’s another Kaulfuss postcard for you. Do you recognise the building in the background? Wonder if it’s still there in Gopeng…

Keep calm and vote wisely!

No, we’re not predicting the coming election results 😉 This is an article from 1963, from the Straits Times, which reported that PPP (People’s Progressive Party) retained Ipoh.

Not quite. This picture was taken at an actual event, which was held at the Lido Theatre in Ipoh! Does anyone remember this event? If you are this 12 year old who won this competition…we’d LOVE to hear from you too! 😉

As you can guess, the tall gentleman in the middle is none other than D R Seenivasagam. Do you recognise the others in this picture?

We can’t offer you flowers from this famous florist…just a receipt 😉 On another note…did you notice the 6 cents stamp?

Yes, there was once a cinema hall named Princess Theatre. No, not in Ipoh…but in Kampar. Remember what it looked like? Here’s a picture (courtesy of Charlie Choong) to jog your memory 🙂

In this 1959 photograph, our donor (Charlie Choong) can be seen posing on the steps of the Birch Clock Tower. Note the bust in the background 😉

Back in the day, if you didn’t know what to eat on a Saturday night you could just head to the Station Hotel. Their dinner menu on 15th October 1955 would definitely NOT leave you hungry 😉

Anyone remember this parade? Special thanks to Charlie Choong for these photographs.

It’s not a very good picture, as it was taken from a scan of the Voyager Magazine (thank you SK!)….but the gentleman here is none other than Rev Dr Ho Seng Ong. He was once the Principal of ACS, Ipoh – as well as a pastor of Wesley Church.

We mentioned before about a Lido Cinema in Taiping. Here’s another view of the same building (which, according to Ruth Iversen Rollitt, is now a Karaoke Hall :O ).

On the left is a picture of Ngah Ibrahim’s fort, which was built in 1865 (picture courtesy of Ipoh Remembered). On the right is a picture of the same building, taken in 2009 by Ian.

Toolbox? Not quite…it’s actually a set of instruments used by draughtsmen. Yes, before computers took over, building plans and such were drawn by hand! This Rotring set is boxed in a leatherette case with a velvet lining; incidentally Rotring is a German technical writing and drawing instruments company based in Hamburg.

According to the business card (above), this photo studio operated from No.7 Chamberlain Road, Ipoh. Does anyone remember this studio?

Yes, you read it right. For those ( like me 😉 ) who have never heard of such a thing, well check out the picture below.

This is indeed a driver’s license. It was said to be from 1987. Did you own such a license? I wonder when this was replaced with a laminated card (as in the driver’s license of today).

A long time ago, a featured two sketches from a local artist (who’s also an alumni of ACS). Some of you may recognise his work (see picture below). Yes, this is another drawing from Amiruddin Mohd Daud’s collection. Together with his wife, they are quite involved with charity and fund raising activities; 10% of the sale […]

This photograph was taken high up from a nearby building. Yes, it’s the Yau Tet Shin Market. You can also see some of the shophouses in Cockman Street.

Calling all scouts out there! Do you remember this training booklet?

We once featured an old railway ticket. Today, we’re showcasing a platform ticket. 🙂 Yes, it cost 20 cents!

Yes, that’s what it says on this advertisement! Have you come across similar advertisements in the past?

How much did YOU pay for electricity back in 1977? Well, according to this bill (below) Madam Koo paid $ 4.67 (June-July 1977). Imagine paying only this much today… 😉

While sorting through our collection of photographs, artifacts, documents and such, sometimes we come across ‘mysterious’ things – such as this metal badge. Have you heard of the Crusader Magazine?

I can’t help but wonder if the label was meant to say ‘lychee’ instead of ‘lichee’. But then again, I could be wrong…maybe ‘lichee’ was the type of leaf / herb added to the tea? I’m sure the Chinese tea lovers out there would know better 😉

We believe that this was the Ipoh Federal Building on Club Road (now Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang). Would anyone happen to know more about this place?

This picture is a follow up to a previous blog entry. We thank Ipoh Remembered for his untiring efforts (and creativity!) in producing this picture – complete with labels of the various landmarks in Ipoh Old Town. More details (also provided by Ipoh Remembered) can be found on the database entry.

When was the last time you saw THIS coin?

Our donors told us that this was taken in the 1950s, outside the Perak Education Department offices. Seated 4th from the left is Sinniah S/O Sinnathamby (Inspector of Indian Schools, Perak).

Remember the time when palm trees lined up Club Road? Neither do I 😉 Jokes aside, I’m sure those trees stood there for quite a while, before bowing to ‘development’. Since the Town Hall can be seen in the background, I’m making a wild guess as to the date of this postcard; I’m thinking…1920? Perhaps […]

Those flats look familiar, don’t they? Also note the river…back in the late 1980s, the water was still clear 😉

Yes, we’ve featured calendars with pretty women before. No, we’re not selling this particular calendar. What we’d like to know is: have any of you seen this calendar, which was printed for G.E.C.? If so, do you recognise the famous face gracing the month of July?

from all of us at

I remember picture cards, posters, and even the more modern audio/visual teaching aids. But I’ve not seen one like this (pictured below). This teaching aid was said to be used to explain the concept of pi π. Let’s hear from the teachers out there….have any of you used such aids?

Recognise this drawing? Were you any good at it? Did you have ‘flying’ competitions with your friends? Ok, own up…how many of you played with paper planes? We’d also like to hear from the model airplane enthusiasts. I’ll admit I had paper dolls once. Spent hours designing, colouring and cutting out clothes for them 😉

At 18 years old, this gentleman started working in a tin mine under the guidance of his uncle. Years later, using his accumulated savings, he managed to buy the Chung Thye Phin Villa and helped convert it into a private hospital. Ever the philanthropist, this same gentleman also set up Shen Jai High School. I […]

I’m sure many of you can guess what this is 🙂 Yes, these are cake pans used to make the famous Nian Gao – which is made from glutinous rice. While it can be eaten all year round, traditionally it is most popular during Chinese New Year. It is considered good luck to eat nian gao during this […]

Here’s another photo from Michael Ho’s collection. This one was taken on 14th July 1966, during a dinner held in honour of Rev Bro Assistant Superior General. We think this was probably held at the school hall of St Michael’s Institution. Do you recognise any of the gentlemen in this group?

Yes, we’ve featured this famous bridge and street numerous times. But what I’m curious about is the building next to the Lam Looking building. In the tinted photo, it looks like just another shophouse. In the 1989 photo however, this same building seems to have undergone a massive makeover. Can anyone tell us more about […]

Enjoy this nostalgic photo from 1957. Happy Thaipusam from all of us at:

Today’s blog picture is from Sybil de Roquigny (via email). She tells us that this is the embankment (with a flight of steps) in front of her grandmother’s house; if you stand at the top, you get a good view of the Kinta River. Sybil’s grandmother – Chow Yoon Soo – was the second wife […]

Before you ask, yes…we’ve checked on Google maps, and this shop doesn’t seem to exist now. Perhaps it has been replaced by another business….or maybe it now goes by another name. If so, do you know what happened to Heng Kee Paper Merchants?

No, not another Royal…not the King of Rock & Roll either. We’re talking about the King of Fruits! Yes…the DURIAN! This photograph was taken in 1995, according to our donor. From the buildings in the background, can you guess where this place is?

Have you ever had a musical box? This one pictured here is a Music Box Teaching Clock, which plays the tune “Grandfather’s Clock” while teaching the young ones how to tell the time the fun way!

…from tomorrow, anyway. Yes…tomorrow – 20th January – will mark 144 years since the Treaty of Pangkor was signed. Unfortunately we do not have a photo of the Treaty signing. This photograph was taken on Pangkor Island, 9 months after the treaty was signed, in September 1875 when Sir William Jervois visited Perak. At that time Perak […]

Do you know these VIPs? Ok, we’ll make it easier for you 😉 Seated on the extreme right is none other than S P Seenivasagam. Next to him is of course Sultan Idris and the lady beside him is his Consort (Che Puan Negara Aminah). And how can we forget Lau Pak Khuan – […]

Let’s see if the Michaelians remember this one (see pictures below): Recognise the costumes? The actors? The title of the play? I only recognise Bro Pius Kelly, standing in the back (between the ‘gentleman’ with the top hat and the ‘maiden’).

Is your teacher in this group? If yes, do point him/her out to us? The only one I recognise here is Bro Ultan Paul.

Yes, this IS Clayton Road – named after Mr R J B Clayton who retired as British Adviser in Kelantan, in November 1930. He was also the brother of Tubby Clayton, founder of Toch H during the Great War.

Yes, that’s what I’d like to ask our local coffee drinkers out there. How come this particular bag of coffee came in 11 kilos? I always thought such goods were packed in either even numbered weights or in multiples of 5 (or basic 1 kilo or 1/2 kilo). Could it be a misprint? Or, did this […]

This was not a posed photograph. In fact, this was a common scene during the Second World War – when expatriates stopped at the Ipoh Railway Station, on their way to Singapore. When Penang was invaded by the Japanese in 1941, all European Service Families had to be evacuated. It may not be clear, due […]

Yes, this was taken at a funeral…no, we’re not in a morbid mood this Wednesday 😉 We’d just like to draw your attention to the building in the background (behind the bus and cars). Familiar?

click to enlarge This photo was taken on 8th December 1954. It was taken during the Marian Year Pageant. Were you part of this pageant? Recognise anyone in the group?

This was not taken in Ipoh, but we thought of sharing this rare find with all of you. These photos were part of a series, taken back in 1956 (some were faded, some were damaged). Here we have HRH the Duke of Edinburgh visiting a dredge in Jinjang. The gentleman in the dark sunglasses […]

A rechargeable battery, storage battery, secondary cell, or accumulator is a type of electrical battery which can be charged, discharged into a load, and recharged many times, as opposed to a disposable or primary battery, which is supplied fully charged and discarded after use. It is composed of one or more electrochemical cells. The term “accumulator” is used as it accumulates and stores energy through a […]

That’s what I used to call this ‘gadget‘. Have you used something like this for presentations? This was BEFORE everyone mastered MS PowerPoint 😉

click image to enlarge We thank SK for sharing these stickers with us. Familiar, aren’t they? These stickers apparently came with MAD Magazine. Did you collect them? Were they part of a series?

Looks like the grand opening of a store in Ipoh. The back of these photographs say it’s the Premier Store, Ipoh (dated 11 Jan 1968). Any idea where in Ipoh this place was? The gentleman cutting the ribbon is none other than Sultan Idris Al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah, and the lady beside him is his consort […]

Back in the day, a cup of coffee at your local kopitiam didn’t cost that much. Neither did bottle of beer.

We’re talking about the lady on the left (in the glittery outfit). Recognise her? She’s none other than Sakura Teng – the Go-go Queen from the 1970s. Do you remember her? Were you a fan?

Anyone want to make a guess as to what this is?

Heard of a place called Pekan Getah? It is said to be about 2km from Tapah town. I’m sure some of you out there have a story or two to tell us about Pekan Getah. This photo shown above was probably taken in 1958, during the time the New Village was set up.

At one time, putting your long hair up in a bun was a popular style. Coloured pins, hair nets, fancy clips and alike were a rave. But have you ladies ever used something like this (pictured above) to secure your bun? A rather unique accessory, don’t you think?

After the Second World War and the Japanese occupation, parts of Malaya were devastated and the need for a similar organisation spawned the introduction of the British Red Cross into Malaya. The earliest Branches were set up in Sabah (then North Borneo ) in 1948. The first Red Cross Branch in Peninsular Malaysia was established […]

Here’s something for our local football fans. This article is from Mingguan Malaysia, dated 9 April 1972. Perak and Selangor were set to meet at the Merdeka Stadium. Did anyone of you catch the game? Did you have a chance to meet your favourite footballers?

Do you remember the old Tenby School building? The school once used the vicarage of St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. For those who are curious, you can visit the school’s current website here.

I think this street sign speaks for itself, don’t you think? 🙂

The photo on the left was taken back in the 1940s, showing St Joseph School in Batu Gajah. The one on the right was taken from the Star Metro (dated 4 November 2017). This building was built as early as 1928, believe it or not. According to Star Metro, efforts are underway to restore this […]

We’d like to thank Vivien Lian for this photograph. She found it at an abandoned building along Tambun Road (a stone’s throw away from Sekolah Raja Perempuan Taayah). Do you recognise the people in it? Or, perhaps you recognise the building in the background? We’d like to hear your thoughts…

No, they are not part of the cast from the Whoopi Goldberg movie 🙂 The only thing we know about these nuns is that one of them is Rev. Mother St. Jeanne. The question is which one is she? This picture was taken in the 1950s at Batu Gajah Convent…we need your help, Convent Girls!

Yes, one look at this machine and all that comes to my mind is: a bowl of shaved ice, drenched in brown sugar syrup and topped with jelly (of various shapes, sizes and colours), kidney beans, sweet corn and peanuts. Oh, and not forgetting a dash of santan too! Ah, bet some of you are […]

The year was 20 June 1962, when King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit arrived in Kuala Lumpur. This was part of their state long visit. On 24 June, the Royal couple stopped by Ipoh. (pictures below taken from New Sunday Times, 22 October 2017)

That’s what the caption of the photograph said. This is a rather interesting view of the Kinta River, with the houses on both sides of the bank. If you squint, you can see the bridge too. Which bridge this is, your guess is as good as mine 😉 Special thanks to the National Archives, […]

Here we have the living room of Charles Alma Baker’s residence (once upon a time) in Batu Gajah. This large space included a 12-seater dining table, several sofas and easy chairs, and Chinese antiques. The Master of this house and his guests were kept cool by a punkah. If you look closely, you’ll also notice […]

This is a photograph of a pure natural bristle toothbrush, made in England by Saxony. How many of you have seen such an artifact, eh?

Heard of the Grand Hotel? It opened on 16th December 1909 and was Ipoh’s first European style hotel. But who was the Founder of this hotel? None other than Mr Pierre Z Creet. Here he is pictured with his daughter, Mignon Betty, in the early 1940’s.

We thank Thomas Lee for sharing this photograph with us. These happy children seem every excited about their lanterns. Did YOU own such a lantern when you were their age?

This postcard, from the J. J. Series, shows Selibui Road in Ipoh. We believe the postcards from this series ranged from 1905 – 1910. From what we found out from the book ‘Perak Postcards: 1890s-1940s‘, this photo probably shows the early intake dam and waterworks in Selibin (Silibin today). To quote from the book: “Water […]

Heard of this brand? Yes? No? These matches are locally made. Don’t believe me, check out the next picture. Yes, this brand is made in Teluk Intan.

We’ve all heard the usual salesmen rhetoric about ‘magical’ products. But have you heard of Miraculous Insecticide Chalk? If you’ve used it before, we’d like to know if it works. Also, do you use it like regular chalk?

Not to be confused with the German composer Wilhelm Richard Wagner, this souvenir is from Wagner Piano – a local company set up by A C Hoe and his wife. Now, the mystery: if you look at the picture closely, you’ll notice the words “established since 1920”. But according to the Wagner Piano story, this […]

As the story goes…… “in 1889 two brothers, Édouard Michelin and André Michelin, ran a rubber factory in Clermont-Ferrand, France. One day, a cyclist whose pneumatic tire needed repair turned up at the factory. The tire was glued to the rim, and it took over three hours to remove and repair the tire, which then needed to be […]

When was the last time YOU saw such a suitcase? I do wonder how much one could put in one of these…

…the Ipoh Trade School? It was founded in 1930, to what we know. The initial intake was 25 young men of which 23 were Malays with 1 Chinese and 1 Indian. The Chief Instructor was transferred from the Federated Malay States Railways Central Workshops and his assistant from the Kuala Lumpur Trade School. The students’ […]

Thanks to SK, we have the following photograph – which was taken at the BWF World Senior Badminton Championships 2017. From left to right: Foo Lai Loon (MS 70+ ); Chan Wan Seong (MS60+); Loo Ah Hooi & Ching Kon Kong (MD70+) SK also shared the following message from Chan Wan Seong: BWF World […]

Have you heard of the Iskandar Shah School?

No, we’re not joking. This delicacy can be found right here in Ipoh – at Restoran Nasi Lemak Ayam Kampung, Jalan Ali Pitchay. Have any of you tried this? Do tell us about your culinary adventure!

This photo is from Michael Ho’s collection. Here we have a Form One class from St Michael’s Institution, back in 1980. Michaelians, do you recognise yourselves?

This camera had 4 (yes, 4) lenses, and a built-in flash too. Yes, I’m talking about the Polaroid MiniPortrait 403. Did you have your portrait taken with one of these cameras?

We’re not encouraging you to take up smoking; we’re just curious to know if any of you remember Lucky Strike Filters 😉 Could you buy these tins off the rack at your local grocery store? Or were they sold by the man who rode on a cigarette tricycle? Should you wish to see a real cigarette […]

Come visit us at Sarang Paloh. Our exhibition will be from today 5th Sept till 10th Sept 2017, 5pm – 9pm. This exhibition is part of the festivities of The Other Festival, organised by Kakiseni. ps: bring along your cameras 😉

Here’s a picture (from Mohd Taib) of Hugh Low Street, back in August 1957, all decorated for the occasion. wishes all of you Happy Merdeka! Can you believe it’s been 60 years already?

Have you seen the Federation Flag? Do you remember what it looked like? We have one in our collection (see below) Notice the difference between this flag and our present one?

…you saw something like this? Some of you may already know what this is. Well, let me just say that our famed Star Barber once used this tool…

Have you heard of the Perak Institute of Electronics (PIE)? We’re hoping someone out there can help us out with this little mystery…

We thank Sybil for this class photograph, showing the students and teachers from the HIJ Convent (now SM Convent), Ipoh. Sybil managed to provide some names (click here); however, we still need more 🙂 Convent Alumni, you girls up for the challenge?

Basket? Tray? Bowl? No…this is actually a shield! Yes, I kid you not…..see a picture of this item in use here!

Here’s another NST picture, showing the ‘hello girls’ (as they were called). These girls worked at the Ipoh Telephone Exchange once upon a time. Dewi (wearing a checkered dress), and her sister Jamilah (face towards to camera) both worked 6-hour shifts at the Exchange. This picture is dated 1st November 1953.

This NST picture shows people collecting their rice rations from one of the 19 distribution points in Sungai Siput. The gentleman in the foreground is See Khoon Lim, the then chairman of the local council; on his left is K. Sockalingam, then police chief of Sungai Siput. This picture is said to be dated 10 August […]

Does anyone recall there being a photo studio along Market Street, Ipoh?

This lady needs no introduction….I think EVERYONE knows who she is 😉 Rose Chan was born Chan Wai Chang in Soochow, China, in 1925 to acrobat parents. She arrived in Kuala Lumpur at the tender age of six. Despite having no formal education, she demonstrated her entrepreneurial spirit at an early age of 12 by […]

Do you have a favourite birthday memory? We’d like to hear about it…just for nostalgia’s sake. Here’s a nice photo of Honey Lim, celebrating her 2nd birthday.

How many of you remember The Drifters? How many of you saw them perform at the Rex Cinema? How many of you remember the dragons on the walls, which ‘watched over’ the cinema goers?

Today’s famous person was also known as the ‘Protector of Chinese’. One of his main duties was to monitor the Chinese Secret Societies. The Protector also held the responsibility for the registration of Chinese brothels, the owner, the Mamasan and the working girls, and inspecting the premises to maintain laid down standards of hygiene and accommodation. Still […]

When I visit the local kopitiam, I can’t help but stop and stare at such hawkers (like in the above photo). It’s fascinating to watch them cut up the meat with their ever-sharp cleaver, and they are really quick (I wouldn’t dare attempt such a feat at home, lest I loose my fingers!). Is it […]

Yes, you read it right! Don’t these ladies look lovely? Special thanks to Ong Wei Mei for the above photograph, which was taken in 1966.

Here’s a fun fact: This building was opened by the British Resident of Perak, Mr R W Thomson, in 1928. This building was also the 3rd Ipoh Court House (read about the others here).

Back in the day, many of us were ‘recycling’ old tins and boxes. Like this W&R Jacob & Co biscuit tin – which was turned into a sewing kit. What else did YOU ‘recycle’ or ‘reuse’ back then?

Does anyone remember these lovely ladies and their hula hoops? Well, I’m sure some of you do. These ladies performed at the Lido Theatre; at one time, it was common to see such performances at cinemas.

Not a fashion-buff, but perhaps Kian Fatt was one of those modern-day clothing stores back then. Does anyone remember this place?

Have you heard of ‘Bullock Park’. No, I’m not making it up…this is what it says on the back of this photograph.

Before the invention of stainless steel, knives were very hard to keep clean and shiny. If they got too wet, they would get rusty and water could leak down into the handles, which were made of wood or bone. After simply wiping the knives after use, Victorian maids would use this special knife-cleaning machine to […]

I wonder how many of you remember this advertisement. We got this off the back back of an old exercise book. What other products were advertised on the back of exercise books during your school days? During my school days, the backs of our exercise books had no adverts – just the Rukunegara and probably […]

Does this building look familiar? We’d like to know more about this kindergarten – especially when it began.

…a rotary dial phone? I remember having one at home….and I also remember how my small fingers kept getting stuck in those number holes 🙂 Well, here’s some nostalgia for you (see picture below).

Today, if you want to know the schedule at your local cinema all you need is the Internet 😉 Yes, everything is available online now – you can even buy your tickets online too! What about back then in the 1930s? Here we have a flyer from 1938, advertising movies showing at the Sun Cinema […]

PS: Those of you heading back to your home town, drive safely…

Here’s a question for our Teluk Anson readers: Do you remember when these trucks were first used? For those of you who didn’t know, Teluk Anson (now known as Teluk Intan) was originally Teluk Mak Intan (Mak Intan Bay), named after a widowed trader (Mak Intan) who was trading across the Straits of Malacca. [you can […]

click to enlarge We thank Ruth Rollitt for this 1957 photograph. The lady in the trishaw is Mrs Iversen – yes, the same Iversen who built a number of iconic buildings in Ipoh (like the Telekom building along Cockman Street, the Geological Museum, as well as quite a few cinemas). Do you see the […]

Special thanks to Oon Eng Hock (and SK) for sharing the above photograph with us. Anderson Alumni might remember this special day…when the then Education Minister – En Mohd Khir Johari – (extreme right) visited the school for this exhibition. Oon is standing behind En Khir, and behind Oon is none other than the Principal […]

Here’s something cute for you, hope it chases away your Monday blues!

We thank Graham Barton for sharing this picture with us. He was once part of the 12th Infantry Regiment Workshop REME, at Gunung Panjang, Ipoh. Is that a ‘Beetle’ in the background, or do my eyes deceive me?

The Dingo Scout Car was a light armoured car built in Australia during Second World War. They were produced by the Ford motor company during 1942. (read more here) Have any of you seen one of these vehicles up close?

Here’s another photograph from Mohamad Sharizan’s collection. Do you recognise the building in the background? Where do you think it is…and, is it still there?

Familiar? Yes, we did have a Capitol Cinema in Ipoh once. But not anymore. However, the cinema shown in this picture does not look like the one in Ipoh. But I could be wrong. Where do you think this cinema is? Is it still there?

Today’s celebrity was born in 1880 in Fuzhou (Fujian Province, China). Considered to be one of the elite Chinese in Ipoh, he became the Secretary and Attorney of Towkay Foo Choo Choon. He was also very influential in the Perak Chamber of Commerce. In 1924 he joined the Kinta Sanitary Board; 3 years later he […]

When was the last time you saw THIS thing? Those who do remember are probably eager to share a comment or two…

…a British Army Field Phone, dating back to WW II? Well, feast your eyes on these pictures below!

According to the caption of this photo, the man being rammed by a tree trunk (right) is Khoo Way Poon. Perhaps this was a martial-arts demonstration. Do you remember the event? More importantly, do you know Khoo Way Poon?

Car-lovers, can you guess what type of car this is?

Any Alumni from the Malayan Teachers’ College – Brinsford Lodge out there? If you’re reading this, do you recognise these gentlemen? We thank Mohamad Sharizan for the above photograph.

picture courtesy of: Mohamad Sharizan bin Mohd. Supian No, this isn’t a scene from the movie Grease…..neither is this a very young version of John Travolta 😉 We just thought of sharing this cute picture with all of you.

Our featured Celebrity was born in Wuhua, Guandong, China. He began as an apprentice in the Menglembu Tin Mines. His hard work eventually paid off when he could afford to run his own tin mines. He was also quite a philanthropist. Among his many good deeds include: Treasurer of Yuk Choy High School, and […]

I’ve visited a few of the cave temples in Ipoh…but I must say I’m stumped with this postcard. Do you recognise which temple it is?

In 1893, an actual Merryweather was ordered from London and delivered to Ipoh. Horse-drawn and manned by Sikhs (under Police supervision), it was capable of pumping up to 600 gallons of water per minute. It was also said to be the fastest vehicle (at that time) in the country! What does a Merryweather look like? Well, […]

This steamboat is ‘powered’ by charcoal. Yes, I kid you not! This brass object is divided into the base, pot and lid. The soup is placed in the pot, which is heated by the charcoal in the base. I’ve never eaten out of one of these…have you?

Ever wondered about the origins of your favourite laundry detergent / soap? Such soaps once came in bars, before the modern powdered and liquid form. Which is why I’d like to draw your attention to the picture above. Recognise this brand? Have any of you used it before?

No, not the dessert craved by chocolate-lovers….rather the type of camera – the Brownie No.2! This one here is a special edition model, made in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee of King George V. Did YOU have any souvenirs from any special occasion?

Calling all you nimble-feet folk! How many of you remember the Celestial Dance Bar?

How many of you remember this game? What about the rules? Care to give us a ‘demonstration’?

No, not our website….but this beautiful icon of Ipoh is said to be turning 100 years old this year! This special heritage building was even mentioned in the Star recently (read the article here).

We have here a postcard from V. Radnell, showing an Indian trader at the wet-market, former Super Kinta. Anyone remember him..or this stall?

These two postcards show a Then and Now view of the famous Hugh Low Bridge, which connects New Town and Old Town in Ipoh. We know such pictures often lead to a debate between preserving the ‘old’ and embracing the ‘new’. However, we’d love to hear your thoughts on this 🙂

Here we have the entrance to the Tronoh Mines, all decorated for the National Day celebrations. Have any of you visited this mine?

Ever seen something like this? It’s a collage made from Japanese Occupation stamps! We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for sharing this with us. Incidentally, this souvenir was made by one of Ruth’s late father’s draughtsmen.

We thank Ann Kesselring Hamon for this photo – taken at an alumni gathering of ACS boys. The gentleman in the centre is none other than Ralph Kesselring! According to Ann, this photograph was taken in 1956. Do you recognise some of the faces?

I’m sure you’ve heard of Robin Hotel. Do you know the history behind this place? Looking forward to reading your comments 🙂

Believe it or not, this model dates back to the late 1800s. No, we’re NOT pulling your leg 😉 Apart from the dust and rust, it’s still functioning….even the little bell rings clearly!

We thank Ruth Iversen Rollitt for the photograph (below). She told us that her late husband Donald Baxter was rather fond of the game of golf. We believe that the gentleman posing with the golf club is Donald. Now, does anyone recognise the others in the group?

How many of you have heard of Cow & Gate? Apparently it was started by two brothers from Surrey, UK.

….with a tin mine in Tambun! According to our picture-source (Heritage Asia, Feb-Apr 2008), the above mine was opened by Leong Fee in 1902. Leong Fee of course was also the founder of Han Chin Villa (Han Chin Pet Soo). Pssst…despite Han Chin Pet Soo being a gentlemen’s club back then, you can actually visit […]

picture source: Heritage Asia magazine, January-March 2007 The first headquarters of the British in Kinta was Kota Bharu, the lowest landing stage on the Kinta River, and also the river port for the important mining centre of Gopeng. However, Kota Bharu was so malarial that it had to be abandoned, and in 1884 the capital […]

This picture was taken off Heritage Asia magazine, back in 2004. The description reads as: Perak, as in many parts of Malaysia, has a large number of pre-war and colonial shop-houses. Distinctive in their decorative sturdy look with sculpted openings and large columns guarding the shaded five-foot ways, they were the mainstay of retail business […]

“Hassan Abd. Muthalib, Toko Seni and Bapa Animasi, was with SW last August,and he agreed to come back and conduct a workshop on movies in Ipoh. This is also the first workshop conducted by SW and if the response is good,Pak Hassan has agreed to conduct five more, as an extension to the first […]

These bulbs could be used for torchlights, radio panels and bicycle lamps too. I do wonder; were they long-lasting bulbs?

We haven’t had a guessing-game in a while. Does anyone recognise this object? If you do, then perhaps you could also tell us what it was used for…

We featured Van Houten some time ago, and many of you shared your thoughts on it. Today we’d like to know if any of you are familiar with Droste Cocoa – a product by a Dutch company founded in 1863. Was it as famous as Van Houten?

I’m sure many of you are familiar with this gadget…

Ian Horgan is trying to reconnect with a long lost mate, whom he shared a room with back in 1979/1980 in England. Here’s what he wrote: I am writing to you to ask for your help in finding an old room-mate, Alan Tan. I shared a room with Alan back in 1979/80 in a house […]

It’s obvious that the writer of the above article had a good time in Perak recently. We’re glad he and his friends enjoyed themselves. We’re also glad that they visited our Hakka Museum (ref. to the area highlighted in blue). ps: Have YOU visited the Hakka Museum lately? If not, what are you waiting for?

Could this have been one of your well-loved toys as a child? Or, maybe you prefered model aeroplanes? I recall ‘falling in love’ with LEGO, as a child. Before that, my brother and I fought over Hot Wheels toy cars 😉

….when the Royal Ipoh Club celebrated its 100 year anniversary? It wasn’t that long ago – 1995 to be exact. I’m sure some of you members out there remember something….

Looks like a wooden bird, but it’s not quite a wooden bird. This is said to be a tool used in paddy planting. Does anyone here know HOW it’s used? UPDATE: We received this from our reader Ngai, who recently visited the Rice Production Museum in Kedah. Apparently this tool pictured above is known as […]

click to enlarge We thank Steven Kan for the above photograph – showing Form 5 Science 3, of Anderson School, back in the mid 1970s. And just in case some of you can’t recall the names of the people in the above photograph, here are their names:

We thank Ian for sharing these photos with us. Ian Sheldrick used to study at BACS Ipoh from October 1962 – October 1964. The photos he shared with us were taken during the school’s Sports Day. Any BACS Alumni out there? Are you in any of these pictures?

No, I didn’t make that up! Apparently (as stated in good ‘ol Wikipedia), the ‘HP’ in this popular brand actually stands for Houses of Parliament! Just a show of hands – how many of you knew this little trivia? 🙂

“Commonly made of bamboo, plastic, wood or stainless steel, Chopsticks were first used by the Chinese. This later spread to various parts of the world through cultural influence or through Chinese immigrant communities. How does one use chopsticks? Well, the lower chopstick is stationary, and rests at the base of the thumb, and between the ring […]

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This photograph – from Sybil de ROQUIGNY-IRAGNE – was taken at Kam Loong Restaurant, back in the 1960s. They were celebrating a relative’s 60th birthday! Yes, the Year of the Rooster is upon us…and some of us are already in a party-mood 🙂 Does anyone have a funny story to share…about something that happened during […]

Have you heard of this company before – Sharikat Sim Lim (M)? It used to be along Brewster Road (as seen in the picture above). For those who are still staring at this picture in disbelief, yes…Brewster Road used to be a two-way street once…. We thank Chan Kok Keong for the above picture.

…a collector of those Nestle labels? The one we have below had a simple recipe printed on the back. My aunt and I used to collect some of these back then. Then I decided to paste them in an old diary. Do they still print such things today? On a lighter note…were you also a recipe-hoarder? […]

We thank Pat Price (from Sydney) for this picture. Price was formerly an engineer with Anglo-Oriental. This dredge was said to be in Kampong Gajah, Perak. Perhaps you’re wondering why the dredge buckets are all lined up on the extreme right. Back in 1976, one of the dredge buckets broke; hence, fixing the problem was […]

…that the YMCA Ipoh building used to be along Cockman Street? Check out the pictures below 🙂 Apparently, this premise later became the home for Lido Cinema. Does anyone remember this building? Here’s a group photo of the YMCA members, taken outside the Cockman Street building.

Here’s a multilingual sign to keep you guys busy…

photo from: Lay Jin Chew Here’s another river scene, from one side of the Hugh Low Bridge. Can you see the wooden bench near the lamp post? I doubt there’s such a thing there today. Even the bridge is different now. But don’t let all the changes discourage you from enjoying this nostalgic photograph.

Drop us an e-mail at info@ipohworld.org if you are interested in joining our team of part-time guides at Ipoh World at Han Chin Pet Soo

I’m sure everyone recognises the gentleman seated in the middle. 🙂 Yes, he’s none other than Rev Bro Vincent Corkery – of St Michael’s Institution. The photograph was part of a tribute to Bro Vincent, congratulating him on his award (he was conferred the title ‘Dato’ back in 2014). In this same tribute were some […]

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Looking at this picture (from Lay Jin Chew), I couldn’t help but wonder how much Ipoh’s landscape has changed over the years. Could that bridge (far left) be part of the Hugh Low Bridge, or part of the Birch Bridge? I would also like to draw your attention to the area on the left of […]

Here’s another postcard picture from the early 1900s. Does anyone recognise the bridge? I also see rickshaws in a distance, but no other clues as to WHERE this place is. Could it be the outskirts of Ipoh, if not the town itself?

That’s what it says on the back of this postcard. So, ‘detectives’…can you guess which road, or where this place is? I’ll admit I’m stumped 🙁

…when many a shop used doors like these (picture above). Remember them? Reminds me of those saloons in Western movies. 😉

I’ve never heard of such a thing, but apparently it did exist once. I’m talking about paraffin gauze. Any First-Aid experts out there? Perhaps you could share more details about this product. From what I found out, the paraffin prevents the gauze from sticking to the open wound…

Yes, Ipoh streets today are not as quiet as they used to be…as you can see in the picture below (from Lay Jin Chew). Care you make a guess as to WHERE this street is?

Have you seen such a uniquely shaped spoon? I wonder if that little piece jutting out is meant to rest on the rim of the tea cup…

Rather BIG for an egg beater, don’t you think? Or, maybe just to fold egg-whites into the batter..in really large bowls! But I haven’t seen pastry/cake shops use these. What do YOU think?

How many of you remember this guide book? Was it a must-have among students back in the late 1950s / early 1960s?

No, we’re not exposing any celebrity or political scandal 😉 Instead, we have here original press photographs from The Telegraph Newspapers Co. Ltd. These photos date back to 1950, during the fight against Communists. Flight Lt. A J De Saville and co-pilot P3 W J Sullivan, flying over Ipoh just before the bombing run A […]

From what we know, these stamps were once famous in Britain (not sure about now though). Did they have something similar here in Malaya back in the 60s and 70s?

How many of you remember Osram light bulbs? Are they still in production? This advertisement came with fuse wires (for 5 Amp and 15 Amp).

We’ve heard from the car lovers, the food lovers, the history buffs too. Now, we’d like to hear from the music lovers…have you ever played the mandolin? The one shown here is said to be from the 1930s.

The photo doesn’t really show this once famous bakery, but you can see the sign on the wall (extreme right). I vaguely remember this bakery, which was a family-run business. One of the daughters (or maybe the grand daughter) was my classmate in primary school. Sadly, we lost touch in later years. I never got […]

Of late, Ipoh old town has been getting increasingly popular — it’s great, but everyone also goes to the same spaces for the same experiences.We know there is plenty to learn of Ipoh old town, many more places and stories to explore and uncover. So we’ll be working with Doodle Malaysia to draw out a […]

We thought we’d tease you all today…with this little artifact. Do you know what this is? Apparently, it’s a ‘modesty cap’ for little boys? Don’t believe us, look at the photo below!

We took this off the 1977 edition of the AMCIAN – the Ave Maria Convent school magazine. This is an aerial view of the school building and the surroundings. We’ve had a lot of feedback from SMI, ACS, NTPS, and even HIJ Convent Alumni over the years…but not much from the Ave Maria Convent girls. […]

On the occasion of HRH’s birthday, DYMM Paduka Seri Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Al-Maghfur-Lah from all of us at:

From what we know, there was a parade in Ipoh town back in 1947 – in support of the Kuomintang. We believe the above picture (from Lay Jin Chew) was taken at the same parade, which ran through the streets of Ipoh. Can anyone guess which street this is? On that note, do you know […]

This sundry shop was once at 40 Jalan Lee Kwee Foh, in Canning Garden. But that was back in the 1960s – 1970s. This shop was later taken over by a book store. Does anyone remember the sundry shop…or even the owner?

May the joy, cheer, mirth and merriment of this divine festival surround you forever. May the happiness, which this Deepavali season brings lasts forever. From all of us at:

Texas Instruments made a line of laptops called “Travel Mate”. The 4000E meets the system requirements for DOS, Windows 3.x and 95, but not Windows 98. According to the manual, it came with 4MB of memory, which could be upgraded to as much as twenty megabytes. (read more here) Could this have been one […]

Imagine this: you’re travelling along a random road in Ipoh, and you encounter a car, a bullock-cart and bicycle moving one behind the other in the opposite lane! It might have been a familiar sight back in the 1960s, but not today. We thank Alan for the above photograph.

They say chocolate is comfort-food. Well, as a chocoholic myself I agree with that statement. It’s either a few pieces broken off a big bar, or even good ‘ol chocolate ice cream. Sometimes, it’s a nice cup of rich, hot cocoa (with some marshmallows, if I can find them at the store!). How do YOU […]

Media Masters will be organising a book sale next week. Check out the poster below. Do mark these dates on your calendar!

Anyone remember this wine merchant from Clare Street? Is this shop still in business?

Shocking but true. While we’re busy building new structures, our heritage sites are paying the price. Some are either ignored or just left to ‘fend’ for themselves. One such place is the famed Tambun Caves which recently fell victim to vandals. As the Star Metro report states: ” The prehistoric cave drawings are still there, […]

This was taken during the 4th AGM of Shaw Organisation’s Employees Welfare Association (Ipoh branch). Do you recognise anyone in the photograph? Were you once part of the Shaw ‘cinema family’? If so, we’d love to hear from you….

Recognise this place? Familiar, right? Perhaps the next two pictures will give you more clues. In case you’re wondering why we put these up, this is just to show you what’s become of those food stalls in the area. They have their very own food court now….and as you can see, the area […]

Some of you may recognise the street. It may or may not be Ipoh…but that’s not important. What we would like to know is, do any of you remember the brand Dutch Baby?

Stuffy noses ‘fear’ this very potent rub….I wonder if their original formula has changed over the years. I recall a recent purchase of a small bottle of Vicks which was made in India. I don’t know what was added to the original formula, as I found the scent was different from the usual bottles […]

Feeling tired? Need a pick-me-up? Take Yeast-Vite! From what we found out, these tablets contained not only caffeine but also Vitamin B1 and B2. Looks like they had Vit.B supplements back then too 🙂

Have you used these to write? Perhaps not…maybe your parents or grandparents did? Anyhow, these were what I would call the ‘early pencils’. And of course, you used them on slate boards (not paper, as they were rather costly back then). Incidentally, I looked up ‘slate pencils’ on YouTube…and to my surprise, there were many videos of […]

These look familiar, don’t they? You can always find them during the Nine Emperor Gods festival. What I’d like to know is, what do those Chinese characters printed on the bun mean? Could it be the name of the bakery?

No, I’m not joking! This liniment was once used on horses with stiff shoulders…before humans discovered that it worked on their shoulders too 🙂

We don’t go around blowing our own trumpet…but this is something we’re really proud of, and it’s worth shouting out from every roof top in Ipoh town! picture from: Ipoh Guide Thank you for your reviews / comments, which helped us stay within the top page of Trip Advisor – and thus being awarded the […]

No, we’re not selling these! But do any of you remember the time when such souvenirs were popular? I once saw a souvenir plate / saucer (somewhere in my grandfather’s cupboard) with a picture of Prince Charles, Princess Diana and little Prince William (issued at the time of Prince William’s birth). I do wonder if […]

I’ve heard of Maggi and Knorr chicken flavoured stock cubes, but I’ve not heard of Oxo cubes. Have you? What did they taste like? We would like to share the following photo – from Ngai – taken at a store, showing the various Oxo products.

Some call it a tea / wine warmer. What do you think it it? And this is what the detachable inside looks like.

…well, not really 😉 But do YOU remember what your examination paper looked like when you were in school? Here’s one from 1928, the English Grammar paper from Cambridge for the Junior Local Exam. What kind of student were you back then: a) the ever-ready student, eager to perform well? b) the one who constantly […]

Did you own a Brownie Reflex? Do you remember the very first camera you owned? If you’re one of those who took up photography as a hobby, we’d love to hear from you too 🙂

Everyone had a favourite hairstyle that they stuck to when they were younger….what look did YOU prefer? On that note, do any of you remember Hoong Ying Hair-Waving Saloon?

…a wooden tiffin carrier? Something rare, isn’t it? I wonder what one could put inside…candy perhaps?

The music fans have had quite an interesting discussion on our blog lately. So, we decided to put up this picture – just to see if it jogs any memories 🙂 I remember having one like this, but a different model. I also remember trying to record songs onto a cassette, and this dual-deck made […]

How many of you can guess what this is? What was it used for…and perhaps, which year this was from?

Selamat Hari Merdeka ke-59!

Here’s a nice one of happy faces, taken at the Main Convent (HIJ Convent) back in the late 1940s. We thank Marea Smith for sharing this lovely photograph with us. Incidentally, Marea is the girl standing in the back row, third from the right.

Courtesy of: Darren Teh We thank Darren Teh for the above picture. He also shared the following with us via email: I was staying in Greentown then and used to go to a classmate house in Fair Park where we all learn to dance the A Go-Go , The Shake and Off Beat Cha Cha! […]

…even before those smaller Nokias too, THIS was what a hand phone looked like! Yes, it was heavier than a bar of chocolate. No, it didn’t have a tiny camera 😉 Do you remember this model?

picture courtesy of: Ruth Iversen Rollitt How many of you remember Rowley Kindergarten? Was it a big school? Do you have pictures from those days? We’d love to hear more…

I don’t know if any of you remember this, but back in 1955 we had a visit from a famous Olympian – Jesse Owen! picture courtesy of: Dato Pu Facing the camera, on the extreme left, is Mr Kandvanam. Next to him is Mr Bulwant Singh. Jesse Owen (winner of 4 gold medals at […]

Convent Girls, do you recall what your classroom looked like? Well, this was a typical classroom at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (or Main Convent) back in the late 1940s / early 1950s. We thank Marea Smith for sharing this nostalgic photograph with us. Looking forward to hearing from any CHIJ Alumni 🙂

No, it’s not another racket (or racquet, if you prefer). What do you think it is? STOP PRESS: We thank Ignatius Chiew for sending us these pictures – of a back beater! This object has a rattan handle and round, vinyl ‘ball’ which is stuffed with cotton. The second picture is a […]

No, we’re not kidding….these are actual wooden badminton rackets! Did any of you own one of them?

…about the Darkie evolution? How many of you were (and maybe still are?) faithful consumers of this Hawley & Hazel product?

picture from: Rosemary Palmer Remember the Home Guards? Here we have troop-in-training. The gentleman in white shorts is our donor’s father – M L Bernacchi. I’m sure some of you remember seeing the Home Guards on patrol, especially if you were one of those who lived in the New Villages during the Malayan Emergency.

picture from: Gogan Singh According to our donor, he and his friends were part of the few non-Chinese devotees who took part in the 9 Emperor Gods festival back in 1970. If you remember this particular event, did you meet them at the procession?

Here’s something for the ‘Milo babies’ 🙂

picture from: Gogan Singh; click to enlarge We know old school photographs are rather popular on our blog. So here’s another one. Were you one of these handsome young men? Or, maybe you recognise a former school mate? We’d love to hear from you!

Mark this date – 20th August 2016 – in your calendars. Be at the Old Andersonian’s Club from 2-5pm to meet the Godfather of the Malaysian film industry!

Remember these? How many of you recall those days at the barbers, while the Indian uncle patiently snipped at your hair?

picture courtesy of: Harchand Can anyone guess where this was taken? Maybe the shops look familiar…was this somewhere in Ipoh? Or could is be in another town in Perak?

Does anyone remember Hung Wang Restaurant? The address says it was along Leong Sin Nam Street…but for the life of me, I can’t seem to place where exactly it was! Perhaps the Foodies might know better 🙂

We received this photograph from Harchand (one of our Readers) some time ago. However, we do not know the names of these gentlemen. Do you recognise them? We were told that this photograph was taken somewhere in Perak (where in Perak, we haven’t the faintest idea 🙁 ). Come on, History-buffs….put those thinking caps on! […]

….that Ovaltine was actually Ovomaltine? And that the name changed because it was spelt wrongly when the trademark was registered? Here’s a extract from Wikipedia: Ovaltine was developed in Berne, Switzerland, where it is known by its original name, Ovomaltine (from ovum, Latin for “egg,” and malt, which were originally its main ingredients). Soon after its invention, the factory […]

From past blog posts, we’ve had Readers sharing their memories about some of the many smaller departmental stores in Ipoh. With the coming of hypermarkets and malls, these small businesses eventually folded. On that note, does anyone remember Angel Departmental Store? Do you remember where it was located?

HIJ Convent girls, this one’s for YOU! Do you remember this badge? Did you have trouble remembering the lyrics of the school song? Do you recall the motto? Come on, girls…we want to hear from you 🙂

picture courtesy of: Star Online Lemang Kelamai is said to have originated from Pagar Ruyung, Indonesia. What gives it this lovely shade of brown? Gula Melaka, of course! The other extra ingredient is kerisik (toasted coconut). This variant of Lemang is also quite popular in the villages of Gopeng. Have you tried this variant before? If you […]

Here’s wishing all our followers a joyous and peaceful Raya; Maaf Zahir & Batin! from us at:

picture courtesy of: Duncan Paterson Look carefully…THIS is how you feed a baby elephant! 🙂 We thought we’d share this cute picture with all of you this Monday, just to take a break from the monotony.

Sometimes, families make day trips / weekend trips during school holidays and such. I wonder if this how these children found themselves posing next to the canon (picture below). Do you recognise the building in the background? I’m making a wild guess and saying it’s probably part of a museum. But I could be wrong […]

We featured the above picture in a previous blog. Do you know what this looks like today? The pictures below are courtesy of Charlie Choong. Here’s more proof…that with a little hard work and determination (and love for heritage as well!), historical buildings like these CAN be restored (instead of being demolished).

We know you like puzzles and mysteries. So, this picture should intrigue you further. Can you guess the name of the street shown in the picture?

This is said to be the original building of the Batu Gajah Police Station. Our donor, Daljit Singh Guram, told us that his late grandfather is in this very photograph (back row, 11th from the left). Daljit’s late grandfather – Gurcharan Singh Guram – was in the Malaysian Police Force from 1920 to 1945.

This photo was taken in the late 1950s / early 1960s. Yes, it’s none other than the Straits Trading Building, in Ipoh!

photo courtesy of: Duncan Paterson How many of you enjoyed a good game of tug-o-war? I loved the ‘rush’ of pulling the other team over the line…thus winning. The downside would be the rope-burn 🙁 But it was a fun game all the same.

A few blogs ago, we featured some members of the St John’s Ambulance brigade marching in front of some shop houses. Well, this time…the members seem to be assembling a first aid kit. Do you know who the man in the bow-tie is? For that matter, does anyone recognise the interior of the building?

This was sent to us via email from Ann & Mano. According to them, the owner of this driver’s license was an RAAF personnel, and would have worked on aircrafts almost daily. The Singapore-issued license (1955) is the picture on the left. The picture on the right, however, is a photo of a particular airplane […]

We thank Duncan Paterson for the above photograph. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell us where in Ipoh this place is? Do the buildings look familiar? What about the street?

These young men belong to the St John’s Ambulance brigade. Do you recognise them? Or, can you identify the shop houses in the background?

click to enlarge Do you recognise this panorama? Can you guess which part of Ipoh this is? While you’re trying to name the buildings and streets, can you also give us a rough date? We look forward to your comments 🙂

Have you ever come across this brand? I’ve never heard of the brand, but the bull dog (in the logo) is similar to the one used by Guinness 😉

picture courtesy of: Ruth Iversen Rollitt Remember these shop houses? Yes, this was Fair Park back in 1938. These shops were Iversen’s designs nonetheless. Sadly, they’re no more 🙁

Anyone remember this store? According to the label, Hup Hing Shoe Store was along Laxamana Road. I wonder what happened to the place….

Yes, for those of you who didn’t know…..flour actually came in linen bags in those days! Do you remember those linen flour bags? Did you keep those bags once they were emptied?

I’m sure everyone recognises this lady from Lat’s comics! She’s none other than Mrs Hew. Ever wondered what she looked like back in the day? Check out the picture below, taken from the NTPS Jalan Pasir Puteh 1962 year book. picture courtesy of: Ooi Kean Chye For those who still can’t identify her, look closer […]

Since it’s Teacher’s Day today, we decided to feature a very prominent figure in our education’s history – Aminuddin Baki. Born in Chemor, he began his early schooling at Chemor Malay School and later at Anderson School. During his school days, he participated in student organisations championing the lot of Malay students, as he felt […]

What could one do with: an ice cream stick, a satay stick, a rubber seed and some string? Well, make a toy propeller of course! How many of you remember this simple toy – which went on to give a child endless fun? What other easy-to-make toys do you remember from your childhood?

Kultar’s Mime is a devised play that blends painting, poetry, theater, and music to tell the stories of Sikh children who survived the 1984 Delhi massacre organized in the wake of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination. As part of their Malaysian tour, the troupe will be performing in Ipoh on 25th May 2016, at the […]

On the morning of 30th April 2016, Treacher Street was all abuzz with activity. That day marked the grand opening of the Ho Yan Hor Museum – a museum which tells the story of Ho Kai Cheong, who began as an operator of a humble tea stall and later became a famous entrepreneur and philanthropist. […]

How many of you remember this comic book? It wasn’t that long ago…..this edition also featured a picture of a WW2 aircraft – the Hawker Typhoon. So, can we hear from the comic fans?

Remember these fruit-flavoured sweets? I’ve never heard of this brand though…more familiar with Foxes and Sugus 😉 If you were a fan of these sweets, do share some of your memories with us.

picture courtesy of Gary Lai (via SK) We received this photo and description from SK: This picture was send to me by Gary Lai from Anderson School, Ipoh. I have his consent to use the picture & story. He joined the Police Volunteer Reserve back in 1970s when he left Ipoh, in KL. Gary is […]

….there was the ever useful Mortar & Pestle! Yes, I’m sure you all remember pounding away those herbs and spices in these 🙂

On a car-free morning in Ipoh, I just happen to pass through Hugh Low Street and noticed this building. It’s at the corner of Hugh Low Street and Jalan Che Tak. I’m not sure what building this is…but I’ll say kudos to their restoration work! Does anyone know who / which company owns this building? […]

Did you know about this unique style of embroidery? I’m sure it’s no easy task – sewing such intricate patterns on velvet cloth! Let’s hear from the arts and crafts lovers out there. [I’ve only gone as far as sewing loosened buttons….no where near this level of creativity ;)]

click to enlarge We mentioned the Bougainvillea Parade a long time ago on our blog. Here are MORE photos from that same parade, back in 2004. I don’t recall ever seeing these floats along Jalan Abdul Jalil….did any of the Greentown folk witness this back then?

Our photographer recently visited Kedai Makanan Rasa Lain, in Bercham, where he sampled the above dish. The dish is none other than Claypot Glass Noodles with Crab. Have any of you tried this dish? Do share your thoughts with us 🙂

I remember the first time I tried Cadbury’s chocolate. At that time, it seemed like the most delicious snack for a 5 year old. I also remember eating more than half the bar, and then being really ill 😛 It didn’t put me off chocolates though…I just learnt (the hard way) to eat in moderation […]

Yes, this is what a Malayan Airways airline ticket looked like back then! 🙂

The last time I went to the mall, I noticed that such purses / clutches / handbags with beads and sequins are back in fashion. And they don’t come cheap either! :O So we’re posing this question especially to the ladies out there: did you ever own such a beautiful accessory? Did it look like […]

Has anyone tried this brand of butter? I wonder if this brand costs as much as Golden Churn. Or, perhaps this was a cheaper alternative to Golden Churn?

Have you heard about the ‘King of Trishaws’? We’re talking about Boon Eng Keat, who was born in Sumatra in 1928 and came to Malaya in 1933 with his family. His early years were spent working at ‘Sin Meng Hong’, a bicycle shop at No. 8 Anderson Road, Ipoh. In the years following the Second […]

Remember this brand of oats? I never knew Uncles Tobys sold oats…I only remember their muesli bars 🙂 Did anyone try this brand? Was it as good as Quaker oats?

Do you recognise these panels? They can be found on the four sides of the Birch Clock tower. Still wondering what I’m talking about? Well, the next time you pass by the clock tower, take a closer look 🙂 THE J W W BIRCH MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER PANELS The Growth of Civilization. The following is […]

I doubt this brand needs an introduction. How many of you remember these jujubes? Were they really effective for sore throats and such?

Some go for sweets, some go for salty snacks. Yet there are others who crave something like this (picture above) – Dry Curry Noodles! Our photographer had this (at RM 5.30 per serving) from the Ma Jie curry mee stall in Restoran Yee Lock, opposite Bridal Collection along Anderson Road. So, dear Readers……what’s YOUR […]

Yes folks…this building is now home to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). This photograph was taken in the 80s. I wonder if much of the outer facade has changed over the years….