This photograph shows Fujiwara Iwaichi with Captain M. Akram, adjutant to General Mohan Singh, at Fujiwara Kikan headquarters at the Anderson School, Ipoh, on 5th January 1942. The military headquarters was established by Fujiwara Kikan, the military intelligence agency, on New Year’s Day 1942. The building also served as the headquarters of Indian Independence League […]

The month of August is usually known as “bulan Merdeka” (Merdeka/Independence Month). But did you also know that the earliest cinematograph first came to Ipoh in August 1906? Initially the cinematograph market was monopolized by one company, the Matsuo Japanese Cinematograph Company, who used to hold nightly shows in a tent for 7-weeks running, moving […]

Here’s a virtual treat for you – Van Houten’s finest milk chocolate πŸ™‚ While doing a little spring cleaning at home, I stumbled upon this tin (which my late grandmother used for her trinkets). I’m going to make a guess and say that this tin probably dates back to the 1970s. I could be wrong […]

A red envelope or a red packet (in Mandarin it’s known as hongbao) is a monetary gift which is given during holidays or special occasions such as weddings, graduation or the birth of a baby. That being said, I’m sure some of the young ones out there will be looking forward to receiving this ‘good fortune’ come Chinese […]

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Malaysian Red Cross Society, which later became the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. No, we’re not recruiting members….just wondered if anyone of you remember the badges from back then. Perhaps you were members of such clubs back in school? [As Ipoh Remembered has pointed out, the actual Red Cross badges have […]

Back in 1952, Countess Mountbatten visited St Michael’s Institution. As President of the St John Ambulance Association in London she toured Malaya, visiting centres where St John Ambulance activities were organised. In this photograph, she’s addressing an assembly at the school hall – where she declared a half-holiday (much to the students delight!).

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

No, we didn’t make this word up πŸ˜‰ ‘Sinalco’ is said to beΒ an abbreviation of theΒ LatinΒ 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 […]

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 piΒ Ο€.Β 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 πŸ˜‰

  As the story goes…… “in 1889 two brothers,Β Γ‰douard MichelinΒ andΒ AndrΓ© Michelin, ran a rubber factory inΒ 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 […]

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.Β I’ve never eaten out of one of these…have you?

…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?Β On a lighter note…were you also a recipe-hoarder? […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 themΒ on slate boards (not paper, as they were rather costly back then).Β Incidentally, I looked up ‘slate pencils’ on YouTube…and to my surprise, there were many videos of […]

…well, not really πŸ˜‰ 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 […]

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 […]

  ….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,Β OvomaltineΒ (fromΒ ovum, Latin for “egg,” andΒ malt,Β which were originally its main ingredients). Soon after its invention, the factory […]

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 […]

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?

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 πŸ˜› It didn’t put me off chocolates though…I just learnt (the hard way) to eat in moderation […]

source: Janet Ferguson & Nellie Cumming This was probably taken at a school sports day – most likely the ACGS (Anglo Chinese Girls School) Sports Day! I do wonder is the girl in the picture broke the record for the high jump event…… I vaguely remember the annual sports day at my school. But I’ll […]

  At first, it seems like a game of Tag….but I suppose this is based on a similar concept. I’m talking about Kabaddi.Β How many of you played this outdoor game during your days in school? How many of still play them now? πŸ™‚

In the photo are Marea Smith (our donor) and C.A. Thurling. This was taken at the Ipoh Airport back in 1953. We’d like to draw your attention to the wooden bracket around the racket in Marea’s hand. If I’m not mistaken, the racket was placed between the wooden brackets and the four screws at the […]

Bottle-caps or Ceper (as some call it) was quite a popular children’s game back then. I don’t know the actual rules of this game. But from what I do know, two or more players were judged by their skills at manouvering the bottle caps across a table. At the same time, they had to make […]

Click to enlarge We thank Charlie Choong for this photograph. As written on the photo itself, the year is 1970. What we’d like to know is where this photo was taken. If anyone could help us translate the Mandarin, we’d be grateful. Perhaps, some of you out there may even recognise the people in the […]

Farewell Party for Fr Ciatti, April 1970 (click to enlarge) Christmas Party, Nazareth Kindergarten. Catholic Centre, Ipoh. 10th November 1970 (click to enlarge)   These photographs were taken from Michael Ho’s collection. It wasn’t that long ago, so I’m sure some of you might remember this kindergarten. Today, this building is still standing….but it’s no […]

Are you a fan of comics? Perhaps even an avid collector – especially of vintage editions? Do you remember Beano (picture above)? I don’t recall Beano, but I do remember those Donald Duck comics (sponsored by Maggi, if I’m not mistaken). I also enjoy reading Marvel comics, but I’m not a collector. Nowadays, many famous […]

It is said that the story of Horlicks began with James & William Horlick from Glouscestershire, who came up with the idea of a malt milk drink (as an artificial infant food). History aside, what was YOUR Horlicks memory like? I remember drinking this during my pre-school years. Later, this malt drink (and the famous […]

  Over many weeks Larry has sent us a host of photographs. So many that they willΒ be a great addition to our database recording his childhood life and times with Perak Hydro in Batu Gajah. You have probably seen memories from him and his young friends on our blog where young friends from 50+years ago […]

Wendy Lewis tells us that this holiday resort was in Pangkor Island. Back then (probably the 1950s) there was no air-condition – only fans and mosquito nets! I wonder if this resort is still there….perhaps it has been upgraded with more modern facilities (besides air-condition, perhaps free wi-fi too?). Any frequent visitors to Pangkor? Do […]

I remember the first time I tried to ride a bicycle – and failed miserably πŸ™ My bicycle was a small red one, with an adjustable seat. I never quite managed to ‘master’ not falling off while riding the bike….sadly, I gave up. (so today, I still don’t know HOW to ride a bicycle…which is […]

We received this from Ruth Iversen Rollitt. Based on previous pictures, I’m guessing that the girl on extreme left is Ruth herself. The children seem to be playing with make-shift bows and arrows.I confess trying to make one too, when I was a kid…this was after reading about Robin Hood – The bow didn’t quite […]

Are you in this photo? Or, perhaps you knew some of the players in this soccer team. Did any of them end up in our national football league? If you look closely, there is a trophy at the bottom of this photo…which made me think that this was probably taken after a soccer match. I’ll […]

I’ve played it before, although I rarely won (perhaps, there’s a trick in throwing the dice in order to get the right number πŸ˜‰ ) Anyway, LUDO seemed like a popular board game at one time. Then there was MONOPOLY. Wonder what’s the latest popular board game today! On that note, what was YOUR favourite […]

Ah yes, the once popular Rediffusion Loudspeaker! Some of you may have seen (or owned) one in your younger days. I confess that I haven’t (probably born too late! πŸ˜‰ ) but I do recall in past blog posts that some of our Readers speak rather fondly about Rediffusion. Anyone care to share some memories?

Don’t know about you, but milk is one of my favourite beverages – I especially love Dutchlady’s chocolate flavoured milk πŸ˜‰ I vaguely remember growing up on Dumex. Can’t recall if there were any other famous milk brands in the 80s. From what I’ve heard, Lactogen was quite popular some years ago. Is this brand […]

…St Bernadette’s Convent (in Batu Gajah) had a charity event for the victims of the Turkish earthquake? Here’s a photograph to jog your memory (see below) We were told that this replica of the Malaysian flag was made entirely of JELLY! Can anyone tell us more about this event? Do you recognise the official cutting […]

This is part of a matchbox collection emailed to us by ‘Stex Stev’. Do you remember the Chicago Coffee House? I don’t…perhaps it was gone by the time I was born. Or maybe it changed its name? You tell us πŸ˜‰ However, as the discussion grew it reached the mystery of a bread also named […]

This is from Tony Ooi and according to him, this group is the Form 3 class from Sri Kepayang. Any Sri Kepayang boys out there? We’d like to know more about your school days (as well as stories of your fellow classmates and teachers!) πŸ™‚

Remember him….your friendly neighbourhood Postman? He used to go around on a bicycle with a large brown bag full of mail. Take note of his uniform too! What else do you remember about him? We’d love to read your comments and memories – especially those (like me!) who are more familiar with electronic mail πŸ˜‰ […]

This was Jubilee Park then….when they first started business. Later, the Shaw Brothers gave it a ‘facelift’ (see picture below). Today, a night club has opened at the corner of Brewster Road and Cowan Street. But this side of Jubilee Park still remains. Anyone knows what’s going on inside? Are the stalls still there? We […]

Whether they’re quiet, noisy, cheeky, hyperactive, or even the book-worm types…..kids will always have a special place in our hearts πŸ˜‰ Today, we’d like to share this photograph with you. We don’t know what these boys were up to when this was taken, but I would like to guess that they were probably playing hide-and-seek […]

We’ve had posts where we’ve asked you to guess the street/event/person/ etc. This time, we’d like you to guess the movie πŸ˜‰ Yes, take a good look at the advertisement on the outside of the cinema – do YOU know this movie? If you do, don’t be shy about leaving us a comment or two. […]

Here’s a nice one from a family album. We thank Alexander for this gem. According to him, the girl (standing) is his grandmother Madam Ursula. Behind her are her parents Mr Arokiasamy and Mrs Iruthayamary. The little one on the car is Ursula’s sister Kolanda Theresa. Incidentally, Mr Arokiasamy was involved in the textile & […]

I’m making a rough guess and stating that this picture is from the 1960s (if I’m wrong, let me know). I found the designs of these cheongsams quite interesting. Personally, I’ve tried looking around for a simple one at the malls…..and found that the ones sold are rather costly (especially since they are embroidered or […]

Before the present wonder of CGI of today’s movies, there was the ‘Anamorphic Camera Lens’. The first movie shot with this lens is said to be Broken Lance (see poster above). Anyone seen the movie? While is was no Lord of the Rings or Avatar, I’m sure it had its special features which left the […]

Ask me what SEAL is, and I’ll relate it to the US Navy SEALs πŸ˜‰ But, here we have another type of SEAL – apparently this SEAL is a name of a factory (picture above). This was sent to us from Ko-chi Wai, along with this message: School Visit to S.E.A.L Corporation Ltd factory – […]

  The Grandchildren of Chong Soon Fan’s eldest daughter lived in theΒ  β€œold house” at Main Road, Menglembu.Β  They were all studying in the English schools in Ipoh.Β  At the break of dawn, they all got up, brushed their teeth and started to walk towards the Chong Family bungalow opposite the Wan Hua Primary School.Β  […]

Here’s the 4th installment in IpohBornKid’s series. The picture (circa 1958)Β shows a little boy in brand new clothes – specially worn for Chinese New Year. In the background is the Man Hua Primary School. Episode 4 -The 12 Grand Children of Chong Soon Fan Celebrating Chinese New Year & the Ang Pow trailΒ  By IpohBornKidΒ  […]

IpohBornKid shares his 3rd installment with us. Happy reading πŸ™‚ The picture showing the first 12 grandchildren of Chong Soon Fan was probably taken in 1957, during the Chinee New Year. The location is the bungalow, the family residence of Chong Soon Fan.Β  The background building with the tin roof is the Nanyang Picture Theatre […]

This photo was taken on 17 December, 1967 during SMJK Poi Lam’s school visit to Nanyang Siang Pau office. The two lady teachers were dressed in their traditional Chinese cheongsam. The girls were wearing their white sleeveless blouse and black skirt uniform while the boys were all attired in their white short-sleeved shirts and shorts. […]

This isΒ Mano, withΒ part of the cast from the movie ‘Anna and the King’. (Mano played ‘Moonshi’ in the movie) This picture was taken on location, back in 1999, and we were wondering: WHERE are the ‘Royal Children’ now? Recognise any of them? Or maybe you recognise yourself here? We’d love to hear from you!

Do they look familiar to you? (Or, perhaps you may be one of the children in the picture?) This picture was said to be taken in Kampar. In the background is Weng HengΒ Aerated Water Factory. Is the factory still there, maybe under a different name? Or, has the premises been bought over by another company? […]

In a previous blog, we featured an ‘old’ merry-go-round. Well, here is what a see-saw looked like back in the 50s. This picture (sent a long time ago) is from Anne and Dennis Marsden of the UK. It was taken at a Christmas Party at an orphanage somewhere in Ipoh.

TheΒ  Americans termed it “The Witches Hat” Β Β byΒ  IpohBornKid Introductory quote from:http://tstbob.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/walk-down-memory-lane-to-dangerous.html “No; I’m not talking about those sterile plastic lysol-sprayed hunks of crap nestled in a bed of rubbery soft nerfy flooring. I’m talking aboutrealΒ playgrounds. The kind we grew up with, the kind that mangled us and taught us life lessons. Playgrounds deemed too […]

We have here Nigel Jennings, together with Cedric, Harold, his mother and aunt. What we’d like to draw your attention to are the toys at the bottom of this picture! Notice the pedal-car, the steam engine and the Meccano set πŸ™‚ I confess to having played with a pedal-car in my younger days; what was […]

The Konkey Game played in Ipoh & Surrounds By IpohBornKid Introduction:Β  When the X generation was growing up, they did not have affluent parents who would buy them toys, hi-fi sets or computer games.Β  They relied on their ingenuity and played games that cost nothing.Β  These games were usually played in the open air about […]

This picture (from Thomas Lee) needs no explanation. Steamboat restaurants have mushroomed around the place (there is one barely 1 km from my house!) and at a glance, these restaurants are often packed. What I’m curious about though is HOW/WHEN this dining experience began in Ipoh.

Remember these tiles and the hours of fun you could have with them? It is believed that this game originated in China, during the 12th Century. In the early 18th Century, it was introduced in Italy and eventually the rest of Europe became engrossed in the game. Dominoes are played today all over the world […]

…pictures such as this one make your mouth water! πŸ˜‰ Yes, these people are ‘paying tribute’ to the King of Fruits in their very own kitchen. On a different note, observe the background – the different containers/jars which were once found in (almost) every local home. We thank Charlie Choong for this picture.

Not too long ago, I received an e-mail which talked about the simple things in life. The e-mail ended with the phrase “Life was simple when Apple and Blackberry were names of fruits”. Hence, when I saw the following pictures (below) from Charlie…. …..I began to wonder: what was life like back then? Do boys […]

We know him as Rocky Teoh – a Taiping-born lad who loved singing and entered many talent contests. Shown here is the front cover of his album, which features two of Rocky’s famous songs: ‘There’s Always Me’ and ‘Crying In The Chapel’. Rocky and the Fabulous Falcons have performed in Cathay Organisation Theatres throughout the […]

We received these interesting pictures from Ralph Khaw (from Perth, Australia). He also emailed us a short explanation for the above pictures: “I can’t remember the date of the singout organised in MGS , involving students from MGS,ACS,SMI. I played a small part as a member of Choir. The teacher singing is Eddie Chin,teacher of […]

What is so special about the GLCM that it deserves a write up?Β  Well, among the Christian churches in Ipoh, the Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, and other denominations all have Anglo-Celtic influence but the Lutheran has German influence.Β  Secondly, GLCM carried out its missionary work in the tin mining villages south of Ipoh.Β  Thirdly, they […]

IpohBornKid shared this little story with us through email. Here’s his take on a memorable outing. Happy reading πŸ™‚ Β  Convent Girls by demand – at Kledang Hill Β  Many teenagers walked up the Kledang Hill in the 1950s (see previous blog). Β It was a good natural outing where a big group of Menglembu neighbours […]