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picture courtesy of NST Happy Thaipusam, from all of us at:

We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this one. Pardon me if I’m wrong…but are those Japanese characters, written above the English words? If so, this picture could have been taken during the Second World War (or a little after).

We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this picture. It is said to be the headquarters for the Perak Battalion of the FMSVF. (I wonder if the building is still around…)

We thank Chee Ong Ngai for sharing this photograph with us. He also gave us the names of the two pretty ladies in the foreground: “1 November 1953 : The attractive Naseh sisters, Dewi (nearest camera) and Jamilah, “Hello Girls” in the Ipoh telephone exchange, find little time for chit-chat in their busy six-hour day […]

Here’s another scene from an ACS play. This one is from Carousel, back in 1977. The pretty girl striking a ballerina pose is none other than Michelle Yeoh! We thank Ong Su-Ming for sharing this photo with us.

Believe it or not, these children are having a blast by the Kinta River! Yes, there was a time you could swim at this river….

This picture was taken from the ACS centenary magazine, probably before the start of the school play. We thank our donor Ong Su-Ming.

We thank our donor Ong Su-Ming for this picture, which was taken from the 100th Voyage 1895-1995 (an ACS, Ipoh magazine). Do you remember this play, back in 1952? Or, perhaps you caught the later adaptation in 1962?

Have you been to the Sinhalese Bar in Ipoh? We’d love to hear your thoughts – especially if you know something about its history 🙂 We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this picture.

According to the donor of this picture (Chee Ong Ngai), this was taken at Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh…back in 1985. Anyone here remember this promotional booth?

Some say he rode on a sleigh, pulled by reindeer. Then, there were sightings of him ‘jumping off a plane with a parachute‘. (see below) The REME men, however, said he ‘travelled by train‘. How did Santa deliver YOUR presents?

We thank Chee Ong Ngai for sharing this with us. Looks like it was part of a magazine or booklet. Do you recognise it?

Here’s a rare find. I’m sure you recognise the building the in background (left). We thank Chee Ong Ngai for this gem.

Back in 1954, there was a charity show at the Anglo-Chinese Girls’ School. It was for a good cause – to aid the educational work among the Dayaks in Borneo. Did you catch the recital and one-act play?

Do you recognise the background? If you do, you would know WHERE this wedding reception took place 🙂 We thank Nancy Ong for sharing this picture with us.

Do you remember that time when UMNO and MCA contemplated a “grand alliance”, to contest in the Town Council Elections in Perak? Well, this article might refresh your memory…

We thank Gary Au Yong for this picture. Seems like the pilot is making a final inspection before the plane leaves the airport. Yes, in case you didn’t recognise the building in the background…this is, of course, the Ipoh Airport.

This was what the Japanese Garden (sponsored by the Perak Turf Club) once looked like. Of course, this picture was taken back in the 1980s. Sadly, this lovely tourist spot fell under poor maintenance and neglect over the years. It even fell prey to vandals 🙁 I don’t know what has become of this place […]

Did your sharp eyes see that famous symbol on the hill? Look again carefully, if you missed it 🙂 We thank Edwin Seibel for sharing this photo with us.

The people of Ipoh had an opportunity to witness an aeroplane for the first time on July 1 1911! G P Kuller – one of the earliest aviators – staged a 4-day flight exhibition in Ipoh. Thousands congregated at the race course, with 150 Europeans occupying the 1st and 2nd class seats. The 3rd and […]

This was one of the pictures used in our Falim Exhibition a few years ago. Has anyone tried this – Dim Sum and F&N? I usually have my Dim Sum with hot tea….to each their own, I suppose.

Here’s another one from the Watson album. We were told that this was taken at the Ipoh Club.

Yes, believe it or not…this is an early view of Anderson Road. We believe it’s very early 1900.

Here’s another photo from Conrad Presgrave-Payne – the grandson of Sir R G Watson. We believe the lady seated extreme right is none other than Lady Watson herself. This photo was taken at the Ipoh Gymkhana Club, probably back in 1913.

We thank Shyamala Manoharan for this lovely picture. This picture was taken at a birthday party, at the Ashby Road Transit Quarters, in the 1960s. Incidentally, as our donor tells us, this ice cream seller served ice cream at many a party there.

According to Ipoh: The Town that Tin Built, this is part of the Canning Garden housing estate. Any idea which section of Canning Garden this is?

As a follow-up to our previous post, here’s another picture of the aforementioned fountain – which can be found within a locked garden, at the Ipoh General Hospital (Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun). We thank Edwin Seibel Nathan for the above picture.

We thank Anthony H S Law for sharing this picture on Facebook. He also added: “Water Fountain …. This must be the forgotten Ipoh’s oldest, the rare and perhaps the only fountain of Ipoh city. Dated 1900 or 122 years old, the fountain was “PRESENTED BY LOW FOO ESQ TO THE IPOH HOSPITAL” Maker : […]

…the Old Michaelian’s Association (OMA) was first formed. Yes, way back in 1933. The picture featured below, however, was taken a year later – on the occasion of the opening of the Association’s premises.

Here’s an interesting find – a membership card for the People’s Progressive Party! Also note the signature of a VERY prominent historical figure….

We received this lovely photo from Eric Low. He’s hoping for any information regarding the young people in the above photo. In his own words: Once upon a time there was this band in Ipoh who called themselves “The Rain People” (**) … The 1968 or 1969 picture below was taken in one of the […]

Would anyone like to identify this black beauty?

This year on 21st March 1989 marks another milestone in the history of Perak. It was the signing of the declaration to accord twin-city status to Ipoh and Fukuoka of Japan. The declaration is expected to strengthen the bonds of friendship between Japan and Malaysia. It paves a new era of strong economic and industrial cooperation […]

Here’s another picture from a magazine. This was taken during the Triumph Owner’s Club AGM, back in 1966. The meeting was held at the Century Motors Ltd Showroom in Ipoh. Do you recognise anyone here? Guests aside, what really caught my eye were the chairs; they don’t make chairs like these anymore, do they?

This photo was taken during the 1980 HRH Sultan of Perak’s Castrol-TOC Motorkhana. The ‘stuntman’ is none other than Adrian Boudville, who drove his Citroen BLINDFOLDED! For those who a suffering from boredom during this MCO, PLEASE DO NOT try this.

Here’s an advertisement from Charles Grenier & Co Ltd. Are you an avid reader? What was the last book you read? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction? I personally enjoy fiction 🙂

Here’s another photograph from Ruth Iversen Rollitt’s collection. This 1950s photo shows “Margaret Ladies Hair Dressing Salon”, which was said to be in Canning Estate. Does anyone remember this house/salon?

This is a photograph of Maxwell Kenion Cowdy and Jones Staff, a famous legal partnership, taken on the 23rd of March 1953. Do you recognise anyone? 🙂

Here’s something we may have missed this Chinese New Year, due to the MCO. We thank Ann Kesselring Hamon for these pictures.

Believe it or not, this was the first church building for Our Lady Of Lourdes Church, Ipoh. This photo dates back to 1905.

He had been part of the SMI family since 1939 and had helped to rescue vital equipment before the Japanese took over the school buildings. As a musician himself he gave personal encouragement to the Military and Cadet bands, as well as to stage productions. For more than 40 years, he served the students, the […]

Remember this play? Perhaps the next picture might jog some memories. This second picture shows part of the cast. We thank Michael Ho for the above pictures.

Remember when the Perak Postal Service started a special express letter service between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur? It wasn’t that long ago; apparently, there were two dispatches daily (except Sunday and Public Holidays). And the letters would reach the SAME DAY!

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!).

Here’s a rare find: note that the name and address of Mr & Mrs Baird are written in both English and Mandarin! Perhaps someone out there knew the Bairds?

When the 1939-45 war in Europe ended, in which Police Lieutenant Dick Villiers had visited the continent more times than a peacetime tourist, he was dropped into Malaya as a member of Force 136. When the Japanese capitulated in 1945, Dick left the jungle in Lower Perak and by accident met the Loh family at […]

This photograph was taken during the official opening of the new ACS Library and wing, on 11 June 1955. The gentleman unveiling the tablet is said to be the Perak Deputy Menteri Besar. Does anyone know who he was? Also in the photograph are: Methodist Bishop Raymond Archer (left) and school Principal Ralph Kesselring (right). […]

Have you heard of the Birch Club? The Birch Club was sited on Connolly Road, adjacent to the first railway station and the Government Rest House. Anyone seen the inside of this building? Perhaps you have a picture or two?

The characters across the top simply read “Chinese Sinseh” while the central panel provides the doctors name as “Zu Yong Chu” in red and his specialities below in black. These include “Physician, Pediatrician/Gynaecologist and Pulse”! Down the left hand side the patients are assured of of “Accurate Prescriptions”, while on the right “Careful Diagnosis” is […]

Remember Mohamed Ghazali bin Haji Jawi? He took over as Mentri Besar of Perak back in August 1957 (after Dato Panglima Bukit Gantang resigned). This newspaper cutting was taken from The Straits Times dated Tuesday, 1st of March 1960. According to the article, Mohamed Ghazali was appointed Malaya’s Ambassador to the UAE.

This photograph was taken on 3 March 1934. It records the members of the Old Michaelian’s Association (OMA), first formed in 1933, on the occasion of the opening of their Association’s premises – located directly behind the group.

Lieutenant Benson’s platoon finds itself isolated in enemy-held territory after a retreat. Soon they are joined by Sergeant Montana, whose overriding concern is caring for his catatonic colonel. Benson and Montana can’t stand each other, but together they must get the survivors to Hill 465, where they hope the division is waiting. It’s a long, […]

Mark your calendars, folks. Come witness the launching of a unique book by H. Berbar on 21st March 2020, at Tin Alley (3 Lorong Bijeh Timah, 30000 Ipoh).

Believe it or not, this was the first all-women Constable trainees who arrived in Ipoh back in 1957!

We came across this article in the Star newspaper. If this plan goes through, perhaps we’ll be able to see the once iconic Station Hotel back in all its glory. Here’s a recap of the inside of the Station Hotel, from the early 1920s, when a retirement dinner was given to the 14th British Resident […]

The gentleman in the centre (with glasses) is none other than His Majesty Sultan Idris. The lovely lady is His Majesty’s Consort – YTM Che Puan Negara Aminah. We believe this photograph was taken at a factory, probably sometime in the 70s. Could anyone tell us more please?

Zunar’s session in January was just as exhilarating and we have a full crowd to start the new year. Taking about star power ! Not to be outdone, our theme for February will be equally exciting i.e. Local Animation. Sharpened Word is proud to bring in the creator and director of the multi-award winning […]

Not quite 😉 This photograph was taken at Ave Maria Convent. The lady in the centre is Mdm Poon Kim Chin (aka Poon Ah Thye), together with the girls from her homescience class. Anyone from Mdm Poon’s class here? We’d love to hear about your “adventures” from the homescience class…

We thank Lim Bor Seng for the above photos. Any members of St John’s Ambulance reading this? We’d love to know more about this royal visit…

That’s what I thought at first. But actually, this is a greeting card for Christmas and New Year – from The Season Store Ltd. We thank Wendy Dowell (nee Harley), from the UK, for sharing this with us.

Hello there, Andersonians! Do you remember this letterhead? Note the address of the school – Ashby Road. That should give you a clue as to which year this was…. We thank Barat Kumar for sharing this with us.

Did you know…that the foundation stone for the present building of St John’s Church was laid on 15 December 1910? Here’s a picture of the church when it was just completed (in 1912).

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

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?

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?

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…

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).

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…

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 😉

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?

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?

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 […]

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?

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?

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? 🙂

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 😉

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 […]

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 […]

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’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?

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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…

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?

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?

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! 😉

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

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?

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).

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?

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’).

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 […]

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.

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.

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)

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 […]

…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 […]

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?

…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…

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?

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 […]

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 […]

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.

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 […]

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 […]

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?

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?

….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….

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:

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 […]

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 🙁

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. […]

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?

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.

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

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, […]

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 […]

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 🙂

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!

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 🙂

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 🙁

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 […]

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 🙂

We were told that this was the Form 3 Class of 1967 at Methodist English School (later known as Methodist High School or MHS). Our source also mentioned the teacher’s name – Mr Thanarajan. Do you recognise any of the faces in the picture below? picture courtesy of Gogan Singh, click to enlarge

source: NSTP Back row, L-R: T.John, Foong Kam Choy, Ahmad Nazari Centre row, L-R: Chan Tuck Choy, R. Anthony, Wong Kim Seng Front row, L-R: Liew Fee Yuen, Loh Kam Fook, Ramadas Rao, Wong Kong Leong and Cheong Weng Leong Remember these young men? It was October 5th 1957 when this team – Perak XI […]

Our donor (Lee Seong Yan) shared this little story with us: “Remember the ’50s when you can get a bun with scraped coconut in brown sugar as fillings costing only 5 cents to 10 cents? For those interested in buns with scraped coconut fillings, there is a shop in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh selling them for […]

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve been featured on Time Out Malaysia Kids! Yes, you’ve bought this magazine do turn to page 59 (highlighted area shown above). We thank the Editor – Leah O’Hearn – for helping add another feather to our cap!

We’re all very familiar with the sweet and tasty ang ku. The one shown above comes red AND green – giving it a more interesting taste to compliment the green-pea filling. It costs anywhere between 60-80 cents a piece (if you can get it cheaper, let us know!).

picture from: Star Newspaper Recently, there was a report about the public pool (near the Perak Stadium) being closed for renovations. From what I’ve observed before it closed, this pool is rather popular among Ipoh-ites – especially the little ones. Just out of curiosity, does anyone know WHEN the pool was built?

I’m sure many of you recognise the gentleman in white (with a walking stick). Yes, it’s none other than Bro Vincent Corkery! He recently celebrated his 70th anniversary as a La Salle Brother at St Michael’s Insitution, Ipoh. To read the full article published by The Star Online, click here

Any Sam Tet alumni reading this? Well, I’m sure you recognise this building. According to our donor, Ruth Iversen Rollitt, her late father – B M Iversen – designed it!

Our photographer found this dish at Wah Nam Coffee Shop. At RM 4.30, it was quite tasty. We’d like to know from the Fish Paste Noodle lovers out there….where is the best place to find YOUR favourite dish?

source: Alexander We received this photo from Alexandar, the curator of the Heritage Gallery of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes (OLOL), in Silibin. According to an article from the Straits Times, heavy rain caused the banks of the Pari River (or Sungei Pari, as it’s more popularly known as) to overflow. The flood […]

courtesy of: Charlie Choong I’m not familiar with the restaurant names along Kampar Road, so I wouldn’t know where Golden Jubilee Restaurant is. Is it still there? Or, perhaps it’s changed its name?

We thank Marea Smith for this picture. She told us (via e-mail) that she was once a student of the HIJ Convent (now Main Convent) in Ipoh. Here’s a shout out to all the Convent Alumni – do you girls recognise this picture? What was the special occasion?

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 […]

Yau Char Koay Chee Cheong Fun – yes, that’s what this dish is called! Unique isn’t it? For those who want to give it a try, you can find it at Kedai Kopi Enam Belas (near Eu Yang Sang in old town)….the cost? RM 4.50 🙂

courtesy of: Charlie Choong Does anyone remember Olympic Inn? Could it have been the old name of ‘Tambun Inn’? Or, was it at another building along Tambun Road?

receipt from Charlie Choong The last I checked, Tambun Inn seemed to be undergoing renovations…perhaps a new management has taken over? Well, we hope someone out there can tell us more. We’re also curious to know WHO ran the Cafe back then (when it first opened). Remember the time when a bowl of chicken […]

Well, I certainly do……(But my weakness lies in anything containing chocolate!) This delectable dish comes from Thean Chun restaurant (in Old Town, Ipoh). Our photographer paid RM 2.60 for this plate of caramel custard. The custard is served with a glass of water too 😉

For those of you who remember, we featured this photo in our Falim Exhibition two years ago. What’s fascinating about this hawker on wheels, in that he’s determined to peddle his wares – in spite of the traffic along the road 🙂 I wonder what he was selling. On another note, does anyone recognise the […]

This dish is from Kedai Kopi Enam Belas (near Eu Yan Sang in Old Town). Our photographer had this char siew and prawn combination for Rm 3.50. Usually, Chee Cheong Fun is served with mushroom and sweet sauce whereas some places give you the option of curry instead of mushroom sauce but the one in the […]

Since we had such an interesting discussion about The Nautilus Inn (our previous blog), we decided to put up another receipt from yet another cafe in Ipoh. How many of you remember Long John’s Tavern? It used to be along Jalan S.A. Lingam (in Ipoh Garden South).

This was formerly the headquarters for the Dunlop Rubber Company in Ipoh, which was behind the railway station. As you can see in the pictures (above and below) this building has long been abandoned. These pictures (donated by Kinta Heritage Group) were taken back in 2009; from what we were told this place has been […]

picture from: Leong Kai Loong, Ipoh This is the Sam Tet School Basketball Team. We’re guessing the date to be somewhere in the 1960s. Were you one of the players? Did your team win any trophies that year?

This is not part of our food-column….rather, we’re just curious to know more about Hoong Tho Restaurant (see picture below). picture courtesy of: Yuen Chie Onn This picture was taken on 8th September 1957 – when the restaurant was decorated to celebrate the Mooncake or Mid-Autumn Festival. From what we were told, this business (whose […]

To all our fans, thank you for being so patient with us 🙂 Here we have the e-flyer of our latest project – ipohWorld @ Han Chin Pet Soo! This private exhibition opens on Thursday 5th February, by appointment only. Reservations may be made at www.ipohworld.org/reservation We look forward to welcoming you to […]

Yes, this was once known as Kesselring Methodist Girls’ School – dedicated in memory of Ralph Kesselring, on the 10th of April 1968. It later became Methodist High School (MHS). It is now the home of Wesley Methodist School. We’ve had ACS, Anderson, Convent, and other Alumni dropping us a line now and then….how about […]

picture courtesy of: Harold Sevanesam No prizes for guessing WHERE this place is, but I’m sure some of you out there are grinning widely 😉 What I found rather interesting is the shape of the of the roof. Anyone know the architect who designed this?

There was a time when you needed a visiting card to enter the hot springs in Tambun. Besides the pool and egg boiling, apparently there was also a bowling alley! I don’t recall this (probably before my time 😉 ) but I wonder if YOU remember this.

“Speech contests are an important part of Toastmasters education program. They provide an opportunity for Toastmasters to gain speaking experience as well as an opportunity for other Toastmasters and Guests to learn by observing proficient speakers.” Venue : YMCA Ipoh ,No 221 Jalan Raja Aziz Time: 7.45 pm Day /Date : Wednesday 14 January […]

At one time, you could buy this for 42 cents……of course the coupon was only for ONE dance. However, it came in a booklet of five coupons. This sample here is from Robin James (from London). Anyone remember this Dance Coupon? Did YOU ever buy/use such a coupon at the Jubilee Cabaret?

We at ipohWorld are proud to announce our latest photographic exhibition – at 12, Lorong Cheah Cheang Lim, Ipoh (opposite Secret Garden). This is part of the Family History Week organised by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This exhibition will be from 2 – 6 December 2014, from 10am till 6.30pm at […]

Nicholas Jennings sent us this – with the title Ipoh Swimming Club 1962 original. Could this really be the original club – before the renovations took place? Also, notice the small balcony on the far left..could it be part of the dining area?

We received the following email from Kong Khen: “Recently, I found a class photograph of my dad taken in 1940. I’ve identified it as the remedial class of English lesson, from what was mentioned by my dad. Could IPOHWORLD help to confirm if the teachers were from ACS school. Dad mentioned that he attended English […]

From what we were told by the donor of this photograph (Larry Sawyer), this man was something of a side-attraction at the Ipoh Swimming Club – way back then 😉 Does anyone remember seeing him there? Apparently, the manager of the Club was not too happy about this man’s ‘business’…..

(click to enlarge) Here’s another group photograph – this time from Anderson School, Ipoh. This was taken back in 1955. Recognise yourself somewhere in the group, Anderson Alumni? Fortunately, we also have the back of this photograph…filled with the signatures of those in the above photo.

Some of the Foodies out there may have heard of Cheong Kee, in Buntong. We’ve also had Blog Readers mention it. This is a family firm that has been running for many more years; and as family members have passed away, the children simply step up one position in the production line to keep the […]

Quite sure many of you know which park this is. But what we’re curious to know is: what are those buildings in the background? picture courtesy of: Angie Yeow

(click to enlarge) Attention all Philatelists! There will be a Perak Stamp Fair & Exhibition from 20th – 22nd June 2014 at UTC (former Super Kinta), Ipoh. Opening hours are from 9am – 10pm. There’s also a chance for you to vote for your favourite One-Page Exhibition 🙂 Don’t miss out on this exhibition.

This stall is at Soon Hoong Restorant (Lebuh Bercham Selatan). According to our photographer, this dish tastes lovely. Is seafood noodles an Ipoh specialty? Or, could it have been ‘adopted’ by the Ipoh folks as part of their menu? Foodies out there, you tell us 🙂

The AJS 350cc was my dad’s. This was taken back in 1956 and this time, the toddler is me! The photo was taken at the end of the block of houses in New Pasir Puteh where the Fabulous Thunderbirds were from as well. We thank Mano for the picture and the above quote. I do […]

No prizes for guessing what this man is up to! I’m sure some of you are already salivating at this picture. Yes, folks…this is the one and only Cendol! Perhaps not the most famous one in Ipoh, but this stall is quite popular – judging by the crowd (see below). What we’d like to know […]

For today’s food-blog, we’re featuring the ever popular Popiah. Does anyone know the origins of this delicious dish? Is it uniquely Malaysian? On that note, do you know the best place (in Ipoh) one might find this dish?

Situated at 2A Market Square, Taiping, this is the project of Tan Kok Siew (Kapitan Antiques) who has leased this old house and filled two floors with antiques and collectables from days gone by. Entrance is RM5.00. The museum is opem every day from 10.00 am to 7.00 pm. Apart from the items on display, […]

27 April to 25 May at 16 Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Hugh Low Street) – next to Lim Kopi. Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm. Closed om Mondays. Entrance is FREE

Mr Wang Min-Hua is. This was taken in October 1981 on the day he retired. From what we know: The car a 1954 Ford Popular Saloon registered number AA 8835, was bought new by his father and first registered in Ipoh on 8 April 1954. It has received loving care from both father and son […]

We were told by our donor (Angie Yeow) that she thought this was part of the Japanese Garden. But, when you take a closer look…it seems to be part of a cave temple. Now we’d like to know which cave temple this is 😉 Anyone care to guess?

This photograph is from Ron Lee (from Australia), sent through SK – who then forwarded it to us. (click to enlarge) So, Cator Avenue boys…do you see yourself (and/or your friends) in this photograph? Do you remember the teacher? I can’t help but admire her sense of fashion…she must have been quite a character too […]

Mano asked if we could start a food blog page and after discussing it we have decided to intersperse our traditional style heritage photos with some food photos and invite comments on certain well-known local foods. If there is sufficient enthusiasm from our readers this will become a regular feature of ipohWorld’s World. So what […]

(picture courtesy of Nicholas Jennings) Whenever I see someone smoking a pipe, I keep thinking about Sherlock Holmes (perhaps it’s because I’m a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective). 🙂 The man in this photograph is actually Eric Jennings. This was taken in Ipoh, sometime in the 1930s, when Eric worked with his father […]

(click to enlarge) Yusof sent us these wonderful photos. From his email, we know that he lived in Greentown from 1969-1981. Yusof also had this to say: “The house is one of six detached govt quarters surrounding a palm tree lined field within a circular lane off Jalan Iskandar, named Lorong Said Tauphy. As depicted […]

Calling all Tarcisian Convent (Ipoh) Girls! Remember what your school library looked liked in the 1960s? Well, here’s a little clue for you. I’m sure much of the interior has changed over the years. For the present generation of Tarcisian Girls, DO tell us about the ‘new additions’ to your school library 🙂

From the second picture, we know that this building is about 105 years old! So, Buntong folks (and those familiar with the area) do you know WHAT this building used to be? We thank Alexandar for submitting these photos.

Remember this group photo? It was taken in 1972, when the Superior General visited St Michael’s Institution. Do you recognise the smiling faces? We thank Charlie Choong for this photo.

We’ve heard about and have even watched many famous operas. To some fans, it doesn’t matter what if said operas were not in English! Today, we’d like to know if any of you remember the Chinese Operas. From what we know, they began in Ipoh when Yau Tet Shin built the New Town Complex in […]

This great old photo came with the following message: “Picture of me with the team 4x100m relay Cator Avenue school ipoh 1968. Hope my old friends in the picture memory of our history together. from: Alaudin”. So come on friends, tell which one is you. And for those not in the picture, we always […]

I was about 8 years old when I took part in a school concert (in the early 90s). The concert was for the Hari Anugerah (Prize Giving Day), and I recall being absolutely exhausted after every practice. I had to wake up early since practice started at about 8 o’clock in the morning. It went […]

Yes, they are back! To avoid disappointment, please make your bookings at the PSPA office or contact them at : PSPA : 05-5487814 Witzi Leong : 012-5088818 ******** Emails : pspaipoh@gmail.com , inquiries@pspaipoh.org Website : www.pspaipoh.org Visit them on facebook : www.facebook.com/pspaipoh

According to our donor (Tony Ooi) this photograph shows the Form 4 Class of Anderson School. Anyone remember who the class teacher was? Was this the Science or Arts class?

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 😉 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!) 🙂

The picture is not that clear, but this is what the Kampong Simee Police Station looked like back in 1948. Kampong Simee was one of the Chinese villages which came about during the Malayan Emergency as part of the New Village programme. Just wondering: is this the same police station which is now next to […]

Our thanks goes out to Ruth Iversen Rollitt for this one. Yes, it’s a barbeque party. And for those of you who can identify the venue, you’ve probably guessed it right! This was taken around 1965. As a food lover (especially when it’s barbeque!), I do wonder if such parties still go on. When was […]

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 […]

Richard Lee sent us this one via email. This was taken in 1965, during the Sports Day. Any idea what race these boys took part in? Maybe some of you out there are in this very picture 😉 If so, do tell us more about your memorable sports day!

No, it is not the Beatles nor is it the Famous Falcons. It is actually 3 generations of one family visiting our exhibition. These are truly my favourite as Grandpa tells the grandchildren all his old stories and the children listen and learn. And that is what we strive for, the children to learn a […]

Does anyone remember this band? They used to entertain the patrons of the Ipoh Club at one time. I’m sure some of you out there recall the songs they used to play – perhaps you might have known the band members too! We thank Ruth Rollitt, the donor of this photograph.

Here’s a coloured picture of the Ipoh Swimming Club. I do wonder: was the taken before or after they renovated the pool? Our thanks goes out to Ruth Rollitt for sharing this photograph with us.

Not that I’m suggesting anything (from the title), but this picture may just tickle the interest of some of our fans. We’ve had some mention about certain cinemas having an open bar, where patrons hung out before the show or during the intermission. Take a closer look at this one… Know where this is place […]

This photo was taken about two weeks ago and it is one very small corner of the whole exhibition. Today, now that the remedial work is done to this particular display it is a great place to record your visit to this famous house. It is just one such photo-spot of many. Found in Falim, […]

We’re pleased to have received a nice set of photographs from John McAuley – who served with the British Army in Ipoh from 1956-57. The picture below is from his collection. Take a good, long look at it and tell us if you recognise this place. The only clue John gave us was that many […]

Dur to the selected date of the long awaited GE13 we have decided to delay the opening of our exhibition at Falim House (pictured) until Sunday 12 May. It will run for the same three months closing on Sunday 11 August. More details nearer the date so watch this space! We apol;ogise for any […]

Attention to ALL EX Rpsians (Teachers & Students 60s/70s/80s/90s/20..) Hope all of u will join this event -Date & Time 18/5/2013 at 2.00 p.m.Venue SMK Raja Perempuan, Ipoh (Jln Batu Bungkal) Interested Pls contact Wong 0125282196

We are currently planning to run an exhibition called “A Mining Family” at Falim House. This is not about one family, but an amalgam of more than 200 photographs and a large number of artifacts that show the lifestyle and labours of several of Ipoh’s Mining Towkays. The exhibition is targeted to open on 1st May 2013 […]

Despite Ipoh’s long romance with all things food-related and the abundance of hotels, restaurants and clubs in town, Ipoh has never before taken part in the international tradition of the waiters’ race. On the 25th of May 2013, that is about to change. Organised jointly by the Ipoh City Council (MBI), Perak Tourism Association […]

In June/July 2012, twenty students from University Malaya and the National University of Singapore embarked on a two-week long learning journey…of IPOH! Their discoveries prompted this much awaited publication – Familiar Spaces, Untold Stories; Encounters with Ipoh – as well as an exhibition. To know more, do visit this exhibition at: Gallery Lim Ko Pi, […]

Is it a stadium a school field or a swimming pool? You tell us please.

Once again, we’re stumped with this 1980s picture. Do the houses look familiar to you? Could it be part of the new villages? Could it be the other side of Greentown, as mentioned by some of our previous Readers?

Could this be part of the Perak Chinese Amateur Dramatists Association (PCADA) building? To what we know, the top floor of the building used to be a hall. With that in mind, we believe that the gentlemen in the front row (all in white shirts and narrow, black ties) are part of the PCADA String […]

Nicholas Jennings sent us this 1962 picture of a random street scene in Ipoh. From what we managed to find out, the sign at the top of the three-storey building reads as “Hollywood Hotel”. So, where was this hotel? Is it still around?

We were told that this is part of Greentown. But where exactly is it? Is this building still there…or is it gone?

This came to us via Ruth Rollitt – showing what we believe to be the living quarters for the staff who worked at the Geological Museum along Tiger Lane. The house was either down the road from the museum or behind it. Not sure if this place is still there today. What say you, dear […]

This was taken off a postcard, which describes this place as a “monastery of ‘The Heart of Great Sympathy’”. Do you know where in Ipoh this place is? Is it still there?

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 […]

The above photo, from Sybil, was taken in the front porch of No.8 Caldwell Road back in the late 60s (note the Mercedes on the left!). 4 or 5 years ago, Sybil came back for a visit and this (picture below) was what the house looked liked. Besides No.8 Caldwell Road, Sybil’s family had another […]

Yes, Eu Tong Sen’s chateau used to be a vocational school at one point. Anyone know if the school is still there? Or, have they moved to another premise?

From what the Star tells us, this is the proposed design for the new Yau Tet Shin Bazaar (see picture below). This new building will be called ‘The Octagon’, and construction of this landmark will be undertaken by One Octagon Sdn Bhd (a private company, which was formed by the Perak Chinese Chamber of Commerce […]

Ko-chi Wai had this to say, when he sent us this picture: Ipoh Main Convent XI Hockey Team 1960 – Photo of the Main Convent hockey team which my aunt (front row, 2nd from left) was part of, taken within the grounds of the school. It was marked as XI Hockey, 1960 at the back […]

According to the signboard, Lindeteves-Stokvis was an importer of mine and estate supplies. This picture taken in 1929, roughly about a year after Lindeteves opened its branch in Ipoh. Besides Ipoh, they also opened in Penang; however their first set up on this side of the globe was in Surabaya, Indonesia. Anyone know which part […]

Yes, you read it right! The above picture, taken in 1973, shows a couple at D R Seenivasagam Park. Through email, Ko-Chi Wai tells us that: the rocks at the far side of the lake are still there today. however, the wooden platform where they are standing, and the wooden zigzag bridge across the lake […]

This is another landmark in Ipoh, designed by none other than B M Iversen. Yes, it is the Geological Survey department. Can you guess the year this picture was taken? Here’s a clue: the car facing the camera bears the number plate AA 3636. Here’s a photograph of the foundation stone, sent to us by […]

Ipoh was clearly more green back then. And there was less traffic too. Here we see a lone figure with two baskets balanced on a coolie pole, walking towards a bridge. Which bridge was this? What about the shady trees – are they still there? We thank Alan for this 1960s picture.

This was donated to us by one of our supporters – Chan Kok Keong. From what we know from the Chinese sign above the door this wedding photo was taken outside the Employee’s Association building. Does the building seem familiar to you? The letters KCCSA Ipoh under the Chinese characters may also help. Do you […]

We’ve noticed that the past few blogs have prompted our fans to talk about the good food in Ipoh. Artistic angle aside, if you look at the above picture closely you can see some ‘work’ in progress – yes, folks….the man is making Popiah! There isn’t much background in the picture, but perhaps someone recognises […]

Here’s another picture sent to us from Alan. Do these buildings seem familiar to you? I wonder where the photographer was standing when this picture was taken….

Know this street? Recognise the buildings? We await your comments! 🙂

Being an alumni of the Main Convent, Ipoh, I was surprised to note that there was once a kindergarten within the premises. Do any of the Convent alumni remember it? Is the building still there…or has it been converted into something else? The above picture is from Dr Ho Tak Ming.

Our thanks goes out to Alan, for sharing this picture with us!

THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF EU TONG SEN – A PERAKIAN PIONEER A public exhibition in conjunction with Visit Perak Year History & Heritage at the lobby of Syuen hotel from 30 August till end of October Eu Tong Sen was born in Penang 23. July 1877, the year of the Ox. In 1898, […]

Remember him? He probably sold snacks and other odds & ends. I wonder where he is now? Perhaps he has a proper stall somewhere else in Ipoh? Hmm….maybe one of our fans knows more 🙂

Recognise the street? What about the building – Sun Kong Ah Coffee Shop & Hotel? The above photograph is from Keith Nelson.

Nicholas Jennings sent us these pictures some time ago. They were said to be taken around the early 1960s. Nicholas (with Bintang, the family pet), together with his mother Joyce, his sisters Alison and Christina, and Ramah the nanny. The Amah and her 3 children Nicholas, who once lived at 141 Jalan Abdul Jalil had this […]

Here’s to all of our fans out there – regardless of the trials and tribulations we’ve faced as a nation, we’ve pulled through and have come out stronger! Happy Merdeka 🙂 The above picture is from Alan Wanless. This was taken at the Ipoh Padang back in 1957 (about the same time Tunku made his […]

…..Southern Motors? Which part of town was it? I do wonder if the shop is still there. On an aesthetic note, I do like how the motorcycles have lined up in front of the shop….

Is this place part of one of the famous parks in Ipoh? Do you know where it is? Is this place still there?

We thank Ruth Rollitt for these pictures. The first picture (top) shows the quarters, back in 1931. The bottom picture shows the stables. I’ve never seen the inside of the turf club, but I’m sure those of you who have can tell us if much has changed.

Recognise this church? Do you know where it is? Is it still there? Judging from the response to our previous posts, I’m sure you observant lot have NO problem guessing this one! 🙂 This picture was taken back in 1959 by Keith Nelson.

We thank Keith Nelson for this gem. Just a thought: these young men were obviously checking out the sites of Ipoh Town during that time…..where were YOU back in 1959? 😉

This picture is from Ralph Khaw, who was the drum major in the SMI Cadet Band. This was taken in 1970 at the Perak Stadium – the Ipoh Combined School Bands. Among the schools which participated were SMI, MGS, and Perak Girls’ School. According to Ralph, either Raja Perempuan School or Poi Lam took part as […]

This is a special announcement from Dato Datin Seri Dr Yim Poh Wah – the Vice Chairman of the Malaysian MENSA Society (MMS). The aims of Mensa is to foster intelligence, conduct research on intelligence and to provide a stimulating social environment for its members for networking both locally and internationally. I seek your help […]

Keith Nelson, a former British National serviceman, sent us this picture. This was taken in 1959. Do any of you recognise this coffee shop? Is it still around?

Keith Nelson, an ex British National serviceman stationed in Ipoh (1959-1960), sent us some pictures of Ipoh recently. Today, we’re featuring the Star Cinema. For those who don’t know, this cinema was built below the road access (and in an ex graveyard!) sometime in the late 50s. The Star Cinema was a single-screen cinema and […]

This photograph is marked 1966 on the reverse but, When was this hotel built? Who owned it? What’s become of it now? Yes, we have SO many questions about this place……that’s why we’ve turned to YOU – our Readers – to help us out. 🙂

I’m refering to this black-beauty……this classic Mercedes (yes, it IS a Mercedes; if you look closely you can see the sign on the hood). This picture is taken from the Yeoh Family album. Judging from the car’s number plate, I’m guessing that this was taken in the early 1940s. I could be wrong though…..you experts out […]

While we’re still on the topic of movie theatres/cinema halls, do you recognise the building in the background? Can also guess what year this picture was taken? If YOU are the guy posing in front of the cinema, we’d really love to hear from you! 🙂

We thank Merrill Leong for these pictures 🙂 Anyone remember this food stall? To what we know, it was somewhere in Ipoh Garden South – but the question is WHERE! To the food-lovers: I know you’re dying to tell us about your culinary-adventures…..so feel free to ‘make our mouths water’ 😉

As part of the promotion for the movie ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’, the Lido Cinema featured “Maggie the Cat” 😉 I wonder how many of our followers out there saw “Maggie” (picture above)! Does anyone know WHO’s the lady in the white dress?

I’m sure many of you out there recognise this building (see below) 🙂 Do you have any stories about wedding dinners in the Imperial Rom for us please and we would also like to know what’s become of the book store? (see close-up below). We look forward to your comments 😉

Warned that something was “up” in Gopeng Road I dropped by this afternoon. But nothing was “up” however – quite the opposite – No 62 was on the way “down”. Yes, the Ipoh demolition team were at it again. So I dropped in on the Chinese foreman who seemed to agree with me that it […]

The Americans termed it “The Witches Hat” by 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 aboutreal playgrounds. The kind we grew up with, the kind that mangled us and taught us life lessons. Playgrounds deemed too […]

In 1999 the Perak State Government published a very nice heritage trail map of Ipoh. It was produced by our good friends from Penang, Lubis and Salma. One of the buildings featured was in Kampong Jawa and clearly the Government thought it had some heritage value as they included it in the map. It was abandoned then, but […]

Here’s another set of photographs from the Macduffs, taken in the 1950s (before they left Malaya). This one shows the boys’ handicap race; Ian is said to be the boy standing 3rd from the left, while Ian and Sheila’s father – Ken Macduff – is the official in the far right (the one with the […]

These lovely ladies (in sunglasses) look REALLY happy! Could it be because of the ‘diamonds’? (see below) I really can’t tell what they’re trying on/ or what they eventually purchased….but I do know that this scene took place at none other than the famed Soon Yik Goldsmith shop!

Well there was one man at least in Ipoh who was very much into it, particularly ‘Kung Fu Karato’. He was known as Leong Fu and he lived at 119 Anderson Road, Ipoh. Not only was he into the art, he was the world champion, having fought in all parts of the Kung Fu world and […]

From what was written at the back of this photograph, we know that: this was taken during the Lions Club dinner on 3rd August 1975 one of the gentlemen in this photograph is Mr Balakrishnan – who worked at the Ipoh High Court Any Lions Club members out there? We’d like to know MORE about […]

When we stumbled upon this picture, I couldn’t help but wonder: WHERE have I seen this place before? Could this be somewhere in New Town? Old Town? Or perhaps even Ipoh Garden? The interior of the store (especially the display case in front) look so familiar…anyone care to make a guess?

Thanks to Ruth Rollitt, we now have some interior pictures of the Lam Looking Bazaar. For those of you who were curious to know what the interior looked like, feast you eyes on these! 🙂 the staircase inside the building left to right: the top floor, which became a cinema hall; the corridor on the […]

This was sent to us some time ago by Sybil de Roquigny-Iragne. I must say, those shop houses in the background seem familiar! Recognise them? On a different note, taking a break and relaxing (like the youths in the picture) at parks/open spaces in Ipoh was once a luxury…..sadly, some of our parks/gardens are now […]

Ruth Rollitt updated us about the moving of the golf club from Golf Club Road to Tiger Lane in a previous blog http://www.ipohworld.org/?p=3056. She also sent the following photographs. Her comment that went with these photos said: “When my father (B M Iversen) arrived in Ipoh in 1930 he was working for the firm of […]

Y K Choong sent us this photo in October last year and it went on the the pile called “Must do site visit”. Well this morning I actually got out to Jalan Theatre in Pasir Pinji to find that nobody 25 years old or less appeared to have ever heard of the place. However an […]

I received the following picture and message by enail. I know many of you tried to help Nicholas find his grandfather’s grave. Well done everybody particularlu Law Siak Hong who did a great service for Nicholas and his family. Dear Ian: Some good news. Thanks to Siak Hong Law, my grandfather’s tombstone was not only […]

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

As we do not have any photos of Ipoh youngsters playing marbles to illustrate the following text from ipohbornkid, I have used this one courtesy of wwwyeohongeng.blogspot.com. Perhaps some of our readers can help us out with similar photos from Ipoh or Perak. And how about some stories about other childhood games please. Definitions […]

This picture was taken on 28th September 1922! It was in conjunction with the birthday of Confucius. Does anyone recognise the shophouses in the background? There aren’t many clues, but perhaps someone out there knows WHERE in Ipoh this is?

Here is a copy of the 2nd Ipoh Heritage Trail Map. If you don’t have a copy of the map, here’s one you can print for your reference

These pictures were sent to us by Lam Lai Meng, an Alumni of MGS. This first picture needs no explanation. The second picture was taken at the Regal Lodge, Ipoh. This large group met on 16th of February 2010, during the Chinese New Year period. Lam had this to say about this picture: “CNY 2010 […]

In a previous blog, we mentioned the Ipoh Tutorial Institute. When Ruth Rollitt sent us this picture (below), we couldn’t help but wonder: Were these institutes one and the same? If so, when did they move to the bigger building? In case some of you are wondering, this building is STILL THERE today…but it’s not […]

We received this picture from a STAR Alumni. The donor of this picture also gave us a list of the marked places in this picture. Marked in green: 1. Tiger Lane (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah) 2. Dairy Road (Jalan Raja Muda Mahadi) 3. Sekolah Izzuddin Shah 4. Pejabat Kaji Bumi & Minerals 5. Canning Garden […]

This is the front cover of the STAR school commemorative book – published by the Old Boys Association of Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh. This book came out in 2007, to mark the school’s 50th Anniversary. This picture shows the very first batch of teachers – way back in 1957! STAR alumni out there, we’d like […]

Some time ago, some of our Readers talked about the ‘Novena Church’ along Tambun Road. Here are two pictures of the said church, taken during the annual procession. The ‘Novena Church’ moved to a new location in the early 1970s – now known as the OMPH Church in Ipoh Garden. The building at Tambun Road […]

Those liviing in and around Lim Gardens would be familiar with this school (see picture below). Yes, it’s none other than Tarcisian Convent – which was yet another ‘sister school’ of the HIJ Convent. We don’t have much about this school, so if anyone out there knows more we’d love to hear from you. Maybe […]

Yes, folks. Time to test your Geographical knowledge of Ipoh 🙂 We were told that this is part of Greentown. Do you know WHERE in Greentown this is? Is 3rd Avenue still there, or has this road been renamed?

During the past weeks we’ve had hints about an up-coming reunion for the ACS and MGS Alumni. Here’s the official advertisement. As stated in the poster, this event is scheduled for the 4th of August 2012 at the Grand Valley Ballroom, Kinta Riverfront Hotel & Suites. The party, themed “Friends Forever”, kicks off at 6pm. Spread […]

To the alumni of NTPS Pasir Puteh: does this (picture below) ring a bell? The lady seated in the front row is none other than the ‘elusive’ Mdm Chow. How many of you remember her? As SK (our donor) told us, Mdm Chow keeps a ‘low profile’. Nevertheless, I’m sure her students will always remember […]

….that the first Elim Gospel Hall was built in 1920? As the assembly increased in number, a bigger hall was needed – there was also the idea of having separate halls for the Chinese and English speaking assemblies as well. The picture we have here is of the first building (1920) which was built by […]

Today we’re featuring the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is along Silibin Road. Long before the idea of a church in Silibin came about, the needs of the Tamil Catholics of Ipoh were taken care of by visiting missionaries of St Michael’s Church. Later on, more families began to settle towards Silibin area […]

The top picture is said to be Form 5 Science, back in 1967. The bottom one is the Anderson School Library Prefectorial Board, also from 1967. Do you see yourself in any/both of these pictures? We’d like to hear from you – perhaps tell us a tale or two about your years at Anderson School, […]

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 […]

This one should bring back some memories 🙂 Can any of you guess what year it is? What about those in the picture? Were they your teachers? (click to enlarge) We’d like to thank Shuen Huey Foo, from Ipoh, for this picture.

This picture here was probably taken in the late 1960s or so. I’m just curious: did the clock (behind the little boy) actually work or was it just part of the garden’s landscape? If it did run, is it still there now? Anyone been to the Japanese Garden lately? Do let us know 🙂

Yes, you read it right! These are the kiddies from the Sam Tet Kindergarten – back in 1980 🙂 See yourself in the group? Maybe you were one of the teachers? We can’t wait to hear from you 😉

We’ve come across many photographs of Ipoh. With a little ‘detective work’ and some help from our fans, we usually can guess the places/streets. But this one (picture above) has left us stumped :O Do you know WHERE in Ipoh this place is? Is this place still there now? Amd what about the date? We […]

…seen the inside of the Projector-Room? Perhaps someone out there knows which cinema this is? If YOU are the gentleman in this picture, DO tell us about your experience! We thank Shuen Huey Foo of Ipoh for this picture.

A while ago we featured the Main Convent Primary School (http://www.ipohworld.org/?p=1618) which was housed in Leeton House and under renovation. Today I dropped in to see what had happened to the grand old building and was pleasantly surprised for although not a true restoration the owners/architects/contractors have made a good attempt to retain many of the […]

We have here a 1967 staff photo from Anderson School, Ipoh. Were YOU in this group? Do you recognise the teachers? We’d be glad to have some names (and perhaps a few fond memories too!) 🙂 We thank Chan Weng & Lim Kok Sin for this photo. to get a better view, click the photo 😉 […]

Remember this antique vehicle? This ambulance was apprently donated by Towkay Choo of Kampar, for the St John’s Ambulance (Perak Centre). Does anyone know this generous Towkay? The next picture (below) shows what was probably the first building – before the present hall near YMCA today. From what we know about the St John’s Brigade in […]

Come on Sleuths! I’m sure some of you have seen this unique traffic light (far back) SOMEWHERE in Ipoh 🙂 Know the place? It is at a park? You tell us 😉

Ah yes! MORE pictures showing Ipoh’s pretty lasses 🙂 For those of you who are wondering, this picture was taken at the Tambun Hot Springs – sometime in the early 1970s. A special thanks to Sophie for this picture. Sophie, if you’re reading this: are you in this group? Could you tell us the names […]

We have here the PCADA String Orchestra. Do you remember them? Perhaps they performed for the public (something like our Malaysian Philharmonic althouh a little smaller)? What’s become of them now?

Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you the 1969 cast of ‘My Fair Lady’ – a Michaelian Production of course 😉 Did any of you catch this play? Give us a little review…. Better yet: Were you one of the actors? Or, were you one of those involved in the production (doing the Set / […]

I see a familiar building (towards the bottom of the picture). Recognise it? What ELSE can you ‘detectives’ see? Come on Ipoh-ians 🙂 put those thinking caps on! Note: We thank Charlie Choong for this picture 😉

Enjoy the long awaited Episode 4 recalling UV’s many ‘adventures’ during his career as a teacher! EPISODE 4 – TEACHING IN AND AROUND IPOH Teaching is not essentially academic in nature. It involves an overall development of the child. A teacher is not only expected to teach subjects offered by the school but also to […]

click on picture to enlarge Today, we’re featuring the Form 5 Class of 1966 – from Ave Maria Convent, Ipoh. Do you recognise them? Are YOU in this group? I’m sure we have some former students reading this 🙂

Somewhere along Chamberlain Road, Ipoh…..there is a Post Office. The picture here is what the post office looked like in the 1960s – we think it’s the 1960s, since there is a car parked on the far left, bearing the number plate AC 8426 🙂 From the picture, the main mode of transport in those […]

A big ‘HELLO’ to all Writers out there! I’m sure some of you have done strange/awkward things when trying to overcome writers’-block. I recall one of my online buddys telliing me that he attempted growing his beard and didn’t shower for a week – just to write about a homeless man! Well, what ever works […]

A special thanks to Nicholas Jennings (from Toronto) for this gem. Here we have Nicholas’ father Cedric (holding a briefcase, with some documents tucked under his other arm) talking to a businessman. Anyone knows who this businessman is? While you’re busy with that, can you also guess the building in the background? Come on ‘detectives’… […]

First an SMI Sports Team, but who, which team and when? And next another SMI Class but that is all we know. What we really need here on ipohWorld is a greater number of SMI boys to help us. We have lots of SMI stuff which comes under the category of “Unknown”. Please help if […]

Although we would not normally republish an article from a newspaper for reasons of copyright, in this case we have been asked to do so by local residents who are sick to death of this problem. Having seen the awful state of the park we are glad to help. What is starnge that not so […]

Yes, this is a 1963 picture of Shen Jai Secondary School. This picture was taken from a book which recorded the 1st batch of students who sat for their LCE!

Photograph G And Photograph H Please, anything you can tell us about these will be helpful. Thanks.

Photograph E. Yes, we need help again please, but this one is quite different, a sports team and trophies but who, when and where? Photograph F. And now another class – Class 5B. Definitely SMI but we still need some help with who and when. Please click on the pictures to enlarge.

Here we have two contrasting Ipoh photographs from Sophie. The first she calls “Dressing for the 1940’s to 1950’s. It is no wonder that Ipoh got the name for having all the pretty girls. Just look at these! Sophie describes the photo as “Dressing for 1940’s to 1950’s. Four young ladies, two of them are sisters. The second […]

We recently received a batch of 10 school photographs with almost no information. In order to add them to our database archive we really need your help. If anyone out there can identify the school, class and year that would be a great help. If of course you have names that would also be a […]

Here we have Form 5 Arts 1, of Anderson School Ipoh. The year was 1975, and their Form Teacher was Puan S Koshy (seated, centre). The donor of this picture is Othman Sabirin (seated, second from left). Here’s a list of names….just to help you out (click to enlarge). Calling all Andersonians! Do you recognise […]

We have here the 3rd installment of UV’s account….about his teaching experiences in and around Ipoh. Happy reading 🙂 the waterfall at Buntung Teaching In and Around Ipoh Episode 3 Teaching is not merely the passing on of knowledge to students. It involves and interaction that is rather complicated. A student learns through various ways. [This […]

Was this part of a play? Perhaps a Talentime Competition? All we know is, these pictures below were taken at an event hosted by the Y-Men’s Club! Did you attend this event?

Yes, this is long overdue…..but thank you all for waiting so patiently. Here is Andrew Lin’s article on the other ‘famous brother’ – S P Seenivasagam! Due to the length of the article, only part of it has been put up on the blog. The rest, together with the credits, can be read at our […]

We have seen a number of Ipoh’s young ladies recently and here we step back a generation or two. It is before the war came to Malaya, Hitler is causing problems in Europe while the world is struggling to recover from the 1929 depression. This was the era of the Superman comic (first published in […]

Know this road? Way back in 1945, this was part of the Singapore-Penang route. This picture shows the road passing through Ipoh (although, we don’t know which part of Ipoh this is). Yes, there weren’t many cars on the roads in those days; in the picture are a couple of bullock-carts. Must have been a […]

According to the donor of this photograph – Sybil de Roquigny – this was taken in 1945, sometime after the war. Seated on the left of the Indian girl (wearing a plain samfoo) is Sybil’s aunt Linda Leong Kam Leng (daughter of Leong Eng Khean and granddaughter of Towkay Leong Fee). Seated on the far […]

Seen this place somewhere? Know where it is? Do tell us…. From what we know, this place was probably one of the houses where the British soldiers were billeted after the Japanese left (the photo is dated December 1945). Is this building still around? You tell us 🙂

This was taken in 1945 by the late Geoffrey Clark (of the 4th Regiment Signals Troop). Here we have 3 dulang washers, complete with their wide hats and long sleeved shirts, working hard along the river. On the reverse of the photo he identified the place as Ipoh and guessing that this was taken from […]

This was sent to us by UV, as part of his Teaching in Ipoh series. In the above picture, seated in the centre, is Mr Teh Chin Seong (mentioned in the story below). This picture was taken in 1968 and published in The Argosy 1968 (the school magazine). The lovely lasses in the picture are […]

We have here a picture from Helen Philip (who’s in the far right, with her partner Teh Jung Siang). Also in the picture are: Rosalind Goh (4th from right), and Teng Yoke Leng (10th from right). This event is said to be the ‘most exciting’ event during the RPS annual Sports Day. (Some of you […]

We thank Howard Tang Hoy Wah (from Falim, Perak) for this picture. Howard now lives in the US, and was formerly a student of ACS Ipoh. He was also well connected to the Wesley Methodist Church – his brother, Tang Kin Wah, once served as a Methodist Pastor before he too left for the States. This picture was […]

We received this from Sophie via email. This was taken during Chinese New Year in 1969 – showing the Class of Form 3C of RPS. Sophie has, unfortunately, lost touch with her friends (those in the picture) since she left school. Are you one of those in the picture? Do let us know…..and Sophie if […]

note: picture is RTM Copyright Familiar? Well, for those of you who are still wondering, this is the Perak RTM building 🙂 I heard that there’s some renovations going on at the present site….perhaps anyone who knows more could help us out. Also, we’d like to know a little more about the history of this […]

We received this photograph from Sophie. It was probably taken in 1969 and those in the photograph (left to right) are Sophie’s brother, cousin and neighbour. She also told us that: “The boys are standing facing my house in Jalan Pasir Puteh…..the building behind them used to belong to the late Dato Cheah Fah”. And […]

We’ve had comments about the (sadly) forgotten cinema at Kampong Simee….here’s a recent picture of the building (see picture below). Anyone know WHEN this place closed down? What is it used as now? Perhaps some of you out there could share with us some of the better memories of this place……

For those of you who are wondering about what to do this Friday evening….how about sampling some Korean pop music? Yes, tonight at 8pm at Dewan Leong Wan Chin (Perak Girls’ School Hall) there will be a K-Pop Concert put together by a group of young and gifted Koreans! This concert is in aid of IPOHBUG […]

..well, not quite! This 1914 picture shows the Gunong Cheroh Taoist temple (in the background) and part of Anderson Road (just after where the present YMCA building is). The one driving however is Freda Jennings, wife of Jack Jennings (Editor of Times of Malaya). She can be seen driving (a lovely white car) along the wooden […]

What a treat for a youngster to have an icecream on a hot Ipoh day. Just look at the small boy’s face. But here is another clue to the location. And just look at the face of the mother with folded arms on the left. What is she saying to her daughter? Care to guess. For […]

We are often surprised by what drops on to our desk at ipohWorld. These two photographs came from UK and are said to be current proposals to refurbish/upgrade the historic Ipoh Swimming Club. The new entrance to the club. and the view of the pool. We thought that some of the old-timers that read these […]

Yes, these are girls from Ipoh and Raja Perempuan School. It is 1973 and this is the Community Service Club. It was kindly sent in to us by Helen Philip who we think is standing fourth from the left and next to the tall girl with pigtails directly behind the teacher. Thank you Helen for the […]

You just KNOW you’ve seen this building somewhere before….but can’t quite put your finger on it! Well, put your thinking-caps on folks 🙂 Perhaps a closer look at the picture might give you some clues……

Looking for fresh food with a good bargain? Nothing like visiting the local markets, eh? Here we have a couple of pictures (taken in 1988), showing hawkers at a local market….YOUR task for today – tell us WHERE these pictures were taken! 🙂 Perhaps there are some clues in the background that might help you.

Here’s a short tale, from a Teacher’s point-of-view! Special thanks to UV for sharing his story with us 🙂 MGS Staff, 1968 Teaching in and Around Ipoh – Episode 1 Prologue There are many major schools in Ipoh. The famous ones being the Anglo-Chinese School, Ipoh, The Saint Michael’s Institution, Ipoh, Anderson School, Ipoh, Methodist […]

(This was sent to us by IpohBornKid) This picture was taken way back in 1961. That’s about the only thing we’re sure of. Maybe someone out there could help us with the following questions: Was this taken at the Ipoh Padang? Who are these pretty girls? What was the occasion for the costumes? Come on! […]

MI You may have noticed two comments and a Chatterbox entry from a new reader Yip Chee Whye (Chee Whye Yip) who is looking to find his old school friends of 1956 and in particular he is seeking Mr. Ooi Kim Huat and Mr. Eddie Che. He presently lives in UK but says he will […]

We seem to be getting quite a few old photographs to identify recently and therefore decided to give you all a treat today with an extra Tuesday blog. This well-worn photograph was taken somewhere here in the 1940’s. Just look at the fashion of the day! The question is – where is it? The owner thinks […]

You, our smart readers from across the world have so far managed to identify almost anything we have thrown at you. Now we are becoming so well known that we are being sent some photos that could be anywhere in Malaysia, like this one. But actually it is thought to be in the Ipoh area […]

Bet you didn’t know that THIS (picture above) was what the Turf Club‘s grandstand looked like back in 1919! 😉 Of course it’s different now, after all those renovations. But we’re lucky to have such a unique picture to add to our collection. A special thanks to Nicholas Jennings who sent this to us 🙂

The Kinta Valley Wind Orchestra present to you Around the World in 80 Minutes! This is in conjunction with the Perak Performing Arts Festival 2011. The orchestra will be performing at the Syuen Hotel on 31st July (Sunday) at 8pm. For further enquiries / reservations, do call PSPA 05-5487814 or email them at pspa2011fest@gmail.com

Ah! Some of you might be recalling fond memories of this place 🙂 Yes, this is none other than the Japanese Garden, along Tambun Road (Jalan Raja DiHilir).

And that is just about all we know about this picture which we are led to believe was taken in the 1960s. So come on guys and girls, stop looking at all those Bersih videos and photos and help us out with this one please. Judging by all the cups, shields and other trophys they […]

You know the Sri Maju bus station? Well, this was what the main building looked like before the bus company took over (see picture below). To what we know, this mansion was once the family home of Dato’ Yeoh Kian Teik (Michelle Yeoh’s father). We thank Ian Latham for sending us this picture 🙂

The inaugural Northern Writers was a great success. Why not come along to this second session and meet the writers. See you there? It’s Free.

We present to you a little tribute to Mr NC Thomas – a man who was both Friend and Mentor to many a youth in Ipoh in the 1950s. We thank IpohBornKid for this write-up! A Tribute to Mr NC Thomas – Pioneer in Youth work Mr NC Thomas came to Malaysia in […]

We had some comments in one of our blogs regarding those weight-cards – the ones which had a picture of a celebrity in the front and the weight written on the reverse. Well, here’s a sample of what some people might called an ‘artifact’ 🙂 Front of card Back of card

Yes, we have another class photo! This time, we’re clueless about the year; all we know is these smiling faces seem to be Prefects from St Michael’s Institution. Are you in this photo? Or, do you know anyone in this photo? Looking forward to your comments 🙂

For those who have been waiting patiently, here is UV’s Episode 8 of ‘Schooling in Ipoh’! 🙂 Episode 8: Schooling in Ipoh Life in Lower Six quickly went by. Soon we became the seniors and new Lower Six students were coming in. Many of those, especially those from MGS Ipoh were my friends from […]

In conjunction with the Perak Choral Festival 2011, the following events will be taking place: A Choral Training Workshop, by Susanna Saw, on 18 June (Saturday) at Garden Villa from 1pm-6pm A Choral Performance by Perak’s Promising Choirs, on 19 June (Sunday) at Dewan Leong Wan Chin (Perak Girls’ School) from 2pm-5pm An evening […]

We thank Ignatius Chew for these pictures – taken at the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) Ipoh, in the 1930s. Perhaps Ignatius or any of the other ‘Old Salts’ (as they call themselves) could tell us MORE? 🙂 Looking forward to your comments! We did better than just comments for AP(at)IpohBornKid sent us the following picture […]

We have here a picture of the interior of Soon Yik Goldsmith shop. This picture was apprently taken when this famous duo (the lady with a knee length dress and the gentleman in a suit) visited the shop. Do you know these celebrities? I’m sure there’s a little story that goes with this picture – if […]

This picture was sent to us by Hasbi, who also provided us with some information: 1. 6th December 1927 – The Grand Hotel building which housed The Anglo-Chinese Girls School turned again into hotel. 2. 29th December 1928 – Grand Hotel new Dance Hall and Lounge were opened Saturday night by Mrs. E. A. Dickson, wife […]

Calling all Sam Tet alumni! Can you guess the year this picture was taken? Do you know WHO they are? Maybe someone out there was once in this happy group…. 🙂 And, what about the flags? We look forward to hearing from you.

Making a rough guess, I think this was taken in the early 1940s (although I could be wrong). Is the arch still there in the present Kinta Swimming Club building? Tell us MORE….especially all you Ipoh-natives out there who know your hometown so well! 🙂

We had a request for a picture of the famous Rose Villa. Here is one taken around 1982 (to see what it looked like inside, click here). This mansion was once owned by Towkay Leong Tian – a miner and philanthropist. Sadly, the mansion (which was along Gopeng Road) is not there anymore. After it […]

We have here a rare picture of the Capitol Cinema, which was along Anderson Road, Ipoh. From what we’ve found out, this cinema was a ‘victim’ of a fire almost 20 years ago. Since then, the vacant site was turned into a car park. Sometime last year, the car park closed and the site is […]

Mark Lay of Kinta Heritage recently informed us about the demolition of these pre-war shophouses – along the corner of Jalan Sultan Abdul Jalil and Jalan Lau Ek Ching . (see pictures below) Notice that in the second picture (above), the frames of the door and windows are STILL in good condition. Sadly, they will soon […]

Here’s part three of our little series! Can you guess the street? There are quite a number of clues in this one…so, keep those comments coming! 🙂

PSPA’s Brand New Musical Show, “Shiny Black Gold” depicts the life of an imaginary coolie who came to Ipoh from China to make his fortune from tin mining. In order to support the show, ipohWorld put on a small exhibition of artifacts which stressed the main aspects of the musical. Above you can see the story of the coolie at […]

Recognise this street? I’m sure you do…..especially those familiar landmarks on either side of the street 😉 For those who don’t know where this place is, keep following our blog – look out for the comments from those who know Ipoh like the back of their hand!

The picture may not be that clear, but do YOU know which part of Ipoh this is? The aerial view shot dates back roughly to 1967/68. On the far left of the picture is the Ipoh Motors Ltd building…THAT should give you all a clue! Happy guessing 🙂

We have here a Malayan Airways airplane, parked near the permetre fence of the airport. I’m sure it brings back memories of the Ipoh Airport a long time ago! From what we’ve heard, there have been plans to revive this airport – anyone know MORE about this? Do share it with us…..it would be a […]

This item was used by an Ipoh based, Kinta Valley surveyor in the 1950s. What is it? Sadly we have no budget for prizes – indeed, very little budget for anything, but if you get it right at least you can walk tall among your friends as the man who knows his Ipoh artifacts. A second […]

Perak Society of Performing Arts presents their very own in-house production titled Shiny Black Gold – a story recalling the ‘glory days’ of tin mining in Perak. Interestingly, the cast of this production are fellow Perakians! This musical will be held at Taman Budaya (along Tambun Road), from Friday 20 May till Sunday 22 May […]

We have here a picture of Cedric and an antique car (note the number plate!). This picture of Cedric and the Austin 7 was sent to us by Nicholas Jennings. Now, what about the building in the background, which is under construction? Here’s a tiny clue: this picture was taken around 1961….so, this building was […]

I’m sure some of you remember what this part of Ipoh looked like – way back in 1967/68. Of course, now….a LOT has changed! The SHELL station has been renovated a number of times. As for the row of shop houses beside the SHELL station; well the half nearer to the junction is now Maybank, […]

Believe it or not, this is what Ipoh’s first railway station looked like in the late 1800s (before the present Taj Mahal-like structure). Amazing isn’t it? It is interesting to note that: “…the first section [railway construction in Perak] was an eight-mile line running between Taiping and Port Weld….[which] opened for traffic in June 1885. […]

…..that back in 1956, the Anderson Road Playground was affected by floods? (see picture below) Notice the cars….as they drive through the water-logged road. Anyone recall this incident? Got any stories to share?

Fancy ‘IPOH’ being written in 4 different languages! To what we know, this picture was taken in 1958; we don’t know the place nor the people in the picture. Have you seen this multi-lingual signboard around the town? We await your comments and feedback!

Here we have a picture of the Ipoh Golf Clubhouse, which was printed on a postcard. Care to guess the year (a rough estimate will do)? I for one don’t remember the club house looking like this… Is this the same club house along Tiger Lane today? Or was there another club house somewhere else in Ipoh?

Back in 1919, there was a terrible flood in Ipoh town (as you see in the picture here, sent to us by Nicholas Jennings). This part of Ipoh is just off Panglima Lane (or Concubine Lane, as it were). What we’re curious to know more about is the name of this particular shop in the […]

This was sent to us by Nicholas Jennings. Does anyone recognise the building in the background? The only clue we have is that: upon close inspection, we noticed that this building was built in 1914. Other than that, we’re stumped! Looking forward to some feedback 🙂

We have here a 1966 class photo from the National Type Primary School of Jalan Pasir Puteh (NTPS JPP). Our donor, Rosebud, told us that Chan Wan Seong (featured in a previous blog – ‘Badminton Hero from Ipoh’) can be seen standing in the back row, 6th from the left. Can you spot anyone else […]

Persatuan Pemulihan dalam Komuniti Buntong & Sutra Foundation proudly present ODISSI STIRRED – from Tradition to Transformations. Odissi Stirred explores the 3 different choreographic styles of: Sharmila Biswas (Kolkata), Madhavi Mudgal (New Delhi) and Ramli Ibrahim and Guna (Malaysia). These 3 styles will give the audience a ‘glimpse of the power and dynamism’ of Indian […]

We thank Nicholas Jennings for this gem – yes, there was a great flood in Ipoh in 1919! I’m sure some of you recognise the street and the famous white building in the background.

Notice the hill in the background? Yes, this is the SAME hill which once ‘advertised’ the Mercedes symbol 🙂 Of course, now the symbol is gone….apparently it’s been replaced with 4 large white letters which spell out IPOH – almost similar to the famous HOLLYWOOD sign in California! But I will always remember the Mercedes symbol […]

From the recent blog posts, we know some of you out there know almost EVERY street in Ipoh! Which is a good thing, since today we have a little mystery for you – do you know which street this (picture above) is? Looking forward to all your comments! 😀

I’m sure many of you recognise the bridge in these two pictures. A lot has changed, hasn’t it? The bridge doesn’t look like this now – and the traffic has increased too! Can anyone guess the year these pictures were taken? Looking forward to your comments 🙂

Can you guess this street? It’s somewhere in Ipoh, to what we know. Anyone knows WHERE?

We have here a picture taken outside the Grand Hotel, Ipoh. This picture was taken on Christmas 1917, according to our donor Nicholas Jennings. Recognise anyone in the picture? A relative perhaps? Do let us know. We thank Nicholas for this picture via email.

Here we have a 1960s picture of the Ipoh Swimming Club. Yes, I found it hard to believe it myself! This picture was sent to us by Nicholas Jennings.

Here’s part 5, from UV. Episode 5 – Schooling in Ipoh After two years with the brightest of ACS for this batch of students which included Yee Woon Chee, Nga Tung See and others who constantly hogged the first and second place in the form, my various extra-curricular activities took its toll on me. […]

We received this from Diana McGavin. This picture was taken at her christening, in December 1947, at St Andrew’s Church. In the background is the manse (featured in a previous blog), where Diana and her friends attended Sunday School (around 1955). Like some of our readers, she too hopes that this building will be saved!

From what we’ve heard, Ipoh’s legendary Station Hotel will soon be closed. Does anyone know more? We’d like to know the details, please……. I do wonder what will become of the hotel once it’s closed :-O

Professor Ken Taylor, from AusHeritage, will be presenting a lecture titled “Cultural Landscapes – Tangible and Intengible Heritage”. This lecture will begin at 3pm on 24 March 2011, at the Ungku Omar Polytechnic (Civil Engineering Lecture Hall). This lecture is open to all, entrance is free.

Perak Society for Performing Arts (PSPA) together with Soroptimist International presents “Ipoh Oscar Night”. This charity dinner (accompanied by Broadway Entertainment) is funded by two charities – The New Horizaon Society & Pertubuhan Jagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Setia. Want to get a feel of what an Oscar-night is all about? Join the party at the Crystal […]

The Perak Society for Performing Arts would like to highlight a unique fund raiser – with the help of Ipoh Architect and Author Theresa Lim. Theresa always had a keen interest in art and eventually went on to become Perak’s first woman architect. Together with the Perak Autistic Society, she will be sharing her paintings and writings […]

We have recently learnt that: the vicarage adjacent to St Andrew’s Church will be demolished by the Parish. The church is located at Golf Club Road, Ipoh. The building is said to be ‘too old’ and will be replaced with a more modern structure. This building once housed Tenby School; which was set up in 1960 […]

Here’s part 4 of our series, written by UV. A photo of the Author, in a Boys’ Brigade uniform during a Methodist Intermediate Fellowship programme. The American boy in the picture is the son of Bishop Lundey (Lundey was the pastor of Ipoh Wesley Church then). Episode 4 – Schooling in Ipoh I crossed over into secondary school education at […]

We thank Charlie Choong for this postcard – featuring an aerial view of Ipoh. From the building at the bottom left, you can certainly guess which part of town this is! Also notice that there was once a roundabout near the Ipoh Padang….

Perak Society of Performing Arts presents – A Passion to Perform! All are invited to “explore Shakespeare’s works”, through a stage presentation on 25th March 2011. The presentation starts at 8pm at the ACS Auditorium. For more information, do contact the PSPA at 05-5487814 / pspa2011fest@gmail.com

The Good News: the roof of St John’s Church has been restored. The Better News: the restoration work looks GOOD! (see picture below) The church had previously suffered a ’bout’ of white ants. Now fully restored, it’s standing proud as one of Ipoh’s heritage buildings!

Today’s feature is none other then the Star Barbershop, at Belfield Street. Star Air-Conditioned Hair Dressing Salon, 97 Belfield Street (now Jalan Sultan Yussuf) IPOH 30000 The Star Hair Dressing Salon came into being in 1927, it was started by Megarai Karuppiah with just 2 barbers – Katchiappan and Manickam – and the […]

Some of our fans out there love old photos. Hence we decided to feature this one on our blog today. Here’s one of J A S Jennings (Editor of Times of Malaya) and his wife Freda – being chauffeur driven round the town. In the background is the first Times of Malaya Building.

At Garden Vill, No. 5 Gopeng Road, Ipoh. 20 to 28 February, 1030 to 6.00pm.

Yes, folks! Today’s blog is a tribute to the Ipoh Tree – the picture we have here was taken (by S Y Lee) just outside the Ipoh Railway Station. Below is the plaque with an explanation. Besides the Railway Station, the Ipoh Tree (also known as the Epu / Upas Tree) can also be found at […]

Today we’re featuring the 3rd installment of UV’s Schooling Days. Picture of the ACS Primary Building (from the 1800s), taken from the Kinta Valley book. Episode 3 I didn’t do too well in my first year in ACS Ipoh. I was placed in the ‘B’ class the following year. It knocked the pride out of […]

It is said that the main building of the Angle Chinese School (ACS) was ‘erected and opened in 1914’. It was also said to have a ‘landmark, Edwardian-style building’ which stood ‘parallel to Lahat Road’. Interestingly, this building was designed by C H LaBrooy! (for more on ACS, click here) This picture here was sent […]

Here’s a Day and Night shot of Cathay Theatre (when it was STILL a cinema) – notice that the mall behind Cathay was Ocean (now, it’s The Store). We thank Valerie for these pictures who has now provided the following additional information: “The dayshot was taken in the morning of October 1998 when the street was […]

We have here a picture (sent to us by Phoebe) of the Kinta Lodge. Notice the members in their Freemason Regalia – particularly the interesting designs on the Aprons! From what we’ve gathered, the first Masonic Hall was along Maxwell Road. The building was later taken over by Anderson School. Then, the Masons moved to […]

Here we have two pictures from S Y Lee – teams of the Perak Chinese Recreation Club, Chung Thye Phin Road. You will notice the old wooden building in the photo of the footballers. The present building is quite ugly but functional and built at the minimum price. The Inter CRC Ladies Hockey Champions (1951) SY says: […]

…there was this corner shop (see picture below). Your task for today: tell us a little more about this shop. Is it still there? Perhaps it’s been turned into something else? There also seems to be a tiny booth just outside the shop. I wonder what the booth was for…..

Here we have another picture from Robin Tan’s collection. He is seen here (in red) with some friends at the Ipoh Airport. In the background is the Jetfox 97, and on the extreme left is part of the airport’s control tower. As stated in the caption, Tony (white shirt, with shades) used to airdrop payrolls […]

It was with great sadness that I heard of the passing of Dato’ K. K. Lim on Thursday last as he has been a great friend and supporter to me over the previous 7-years or more. A tough businessman with a stern exterior, he had a heart of gold when it came to those, often […]

Here’s the 2nd Episode from UV-Valiant Knight. Episode 2 The Central Mental Hospital, TR. This picture was taken in 1952; the Writer’s mother is seated next to the Matron (an English Lady). Aerial view of the ACS School, Ipoh Transferring to another location is usually traumatic for some people. I had to […]

Some of you might remember this bungalow – at No.50, Gopeng Road (also known as Midhurst). The bungalow belonged to J A S Jennings (Editor of the Times of Malaya). These pictures (below) were sent to us by Jennings’ grandson Nicholas. We were told that this bungalow was built in the late 1920s. After Jennings’ […]

The Cubs from NTPS, 1960 We thank SK Ong for the above picture. Perhaps some of you out there are in this picture; looking smart in your Cubs uniform and cap 😉 I remember being part of the Red Crescent Society – it took me a while to learn the RIGHT WAY to tie an arm sling! […]

Familiar? For those of you who are stumped, this is the Raja Perempuan School (RPS) – which is along Chung Thye Phin Road (opposite Main Convent Primary School). We’d like you to have a guess at the date of this picture (we don’t know ourselves!). Maybe if anyone of you know the history of the […]

I’m sure the Ipoh-ites out there are grinning at this picture (courtesy of Jeffrey Liew) – especially those who frequently travelled along Club Road (Jalan Panglima Bukit Gantang)! Remember the Milano Tailor? I wonder where he is now…..since this building is no longer around (so much for ‘development’). Yes 🙁 sadly this is now an empty lot […]

Here’s a copy of the 1st Heritage Trail Map. This trail covers Old Town and is held every Saturday morning at 8am, starting at the Ipoh Railway Station. A full size printable copy of this map is now available on our database athttp://db.ipohworld.org/view/id/3875 in PDF format.

This is the staff of the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS), Ipoh. Could anyone tell us the year (a rough guess would do too)? And, perhaps if you can remember these teachers – we’d love to hear from you 🙂 I’m sure some of you ACS-alumni out there are already searching your ‘database’! We thank Joshua Anantham […]

This was sent to us by Robin Tan. According to Robin, Mr Radcliffe (in white shorts) used to take him sailing when they were not gliding. Yes! Gliding – as the Kinta Valley was a suitable place, since it was blessed with many hills. Even the climate gave the much needed thermal boost for gliding. Plus, […]

Still in the party-mood? Well, these girls are! Looks like they’re all doing the Conga…. 😀 I’m sure some of you recognise the place (judging from the background). The year was 1964 – were you in the Conga line too? Were you at this party?

This was taken at the Ipoh Girl Guides’ Hut (Wisma Pandu Putri), at Greentown – near the Jalan Abdul Jalil football field. The girl guides appear to be dressed in national costumes from around the world, while dancing round the May Pole. Are you in this picture? Do point yourself out – and maybe tell us […]

Remember the old fire brigade at Brewster Road? Here we have two pictures of the fire brigade’s compound – showing the girls from the Main Convent. These girls were part of the Firefighter Cadets Club, which was established in the school in the 1980s. The fire brigade has moved to another premise (opposite the Perak […]

We have here the front page of the Times of Malaya, dated 7 December 1936. Yes, the Times of Malaya was Ipoh’s FIRST NEWSPAPER – which began publication in 1904. Two years after its first publication, the paper welcomed a new Editor; none other than J A S Jennings (picture below). For the next 30 years or so, […]

This myterious bungalow was supposedly built during British rule in the early 20th Century. It was once the home of a rubber estate Manager. Later, a Chinese Miner bought it. Since 1 January 1960, the Perak Local Defense Force used it as its base. Now, this bungalow has become the HQ for the Markas Rejimen […]

Here we have Miss Telekom (centre), with the 1st and 2nd Runners-up. This was back in the 1950s. Do you remember them? The winner and queen of the contest is Ms Asmah and her runner up on the right is Lee Lai Quan (or Kwan). Can anyone give us the name of the other runner […]

…..this little boy got all dressed up and posed for a photograph! This photograph was taken in 1954; notice the large shady trees in the background – something Ipoh once boasted about! Do you know WHERE this place is? Perhaps the fencing would give you a clue…

After ‘reuniting’ those from ACS, Anderson and NTPS Pasir Puteh……we’re now calling out to the “Sons of St Michael’s Institution ” ! Here we have Std. 6 D, all the way from 1969. Come on, Michaelians….don’t be shy. We KNOW some of you out there might have been in this class. Do point yourselves out…and maybe tell […]

This is No.14, Tiger Lane (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah) – back in 1948. To what we know, the Clemetson family lived here and they were well known to the Iversens (B M Iversen‘s family). After the family left, the house remained empty. Sadly, now it is almost ‘invisible’ from the main road – with the grass growing […]

A watch tower? Or maybe (yet) another clock tower? I’m sure you’ve noticed this tower, which is still under construction. The question is: Why? We’re clueless ourselves – why build, not 1 but 4, towers along the Hugh Low Bridge? If you have more information on this project, do let us know!

The Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) was the first English school (and first Christian mission school too!) in the Kinta Valley. This school was established by the Methodist Episcopal Mission in 1895. It was said that just five days after his arrival, Rev W E Horley opened ACS in a small attap-roof Malay house rented from Datoh Panglima […]

This is the first Times of Malaya building, which was along Post Office Road. The first issue of Ipoh’s first newspaper was published on 9th March 1904. 2 years later, the newspaper was taken over by J A S Jennings – who remained the paper’s most influential editor for a good 30 years! In the […]

This picture was sent to us by Ruth Rollit, the daughter of the Danish architect B M Iversen. Familiar? No? This is what the interior of the Lido Cinema looks like today – as you can see, it’s not longer a cinema. Lido has now been converted into Florex Restaurant. In this picture, the raised […]

At that time, this $ 600,000 cinema was considered luxurious. It was declared open by His Highness Raja Sir Izzudin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Jalil (the Sultan of Perak), on the eve of Chinese New Year. Designed by B M Iversen, this fully air-conditioned cinema (with its ‘colossal 75-foot tower of jade tiles’), stood […]

Calling ALL Convent-Alumni!!! As stated in the flyer, there will be a Christmas Party on 11th December 2010, organised by the Convent Old Girls Association (COGA). This party will be at the Convent Primary Hall, from 4 pm till 7 pm. Besides good food and some fun games, this is a chance to revisit your […]

Now this is one event you really must take your children to. Many of the people you will see practising their skills are the last of the line as nobody is prepared to continue their trade. Consequently it may be the only time that your children will get to see this in real life. It’s […]

Recognise this? This picture was taken outside the Secondary School Assembly Hall, of the HIJ Convent, Ipoh. We were also told that this was the 1964 Senior Cambridge Class. It was sent to us by Sybil. Thank you for sharing it. Calling all Convent girls – are you somewhere in this picture? If so, do […]

But as you probably guessed this was Sam Poh back in the 1960’s, not long after the big renovation of the 50’s. No doubt many of you would have been dragged along by your parents to visit and pay respects. According to legend, the cave was discovered in 1890 by a Mahayana Buddhist monk from China […]

Now here’s a sight for sore eyes! It is 1963 and the boys and girls (boys in drag!) of Pasir Puteh are putting on “Old King Cole”. Which one is you? Do write in if you recognise yourself or anyone else. And here we have Standard II in 1961. Wah didn’t you all look like little angels […]

Those were the days: when the traffic in Ipoh was rather scarce, and riding around the town on a bicycle was SAFE! Here we have some youngsters riding past the Lido Cinema. This Iversen building is no longer a cinema now; if I’m not mistaken it’s been turned into Florex Restaurant. Playing in the cinema at […]

This is the 2nd FREE map in this series – the first one was featured in this blog late last year. This map/brochure is published by Kinta Heritage Group Sdn Bhd, in collaboration with Perak Tourism and the Perak State Government. Inside shows another heritage trail which covers: Belfield Street, Cross Street, Leech Street, Treacher Street, Jalan Datoh, and […]

Once upon a time, at the YMCA in Ipoh….. ….men and women (young and old) danced the night away! Was it a competition, or just another social event? When was this event held at the YMCA? Perhaps, some of you out there are in the picture! We await your feedback, especially if you were one of these […]

Wery well known and a beauty from young, when I came across the picture I could not resist putting it up. Who is she and what can you tell us about her.

With all the recent blogs about beauty contestants and pretty girls I thought we ought to have a look at some! This photo was very kindly sent in by our good friend Hong. It was taken in our very own Lido Cinema in 1962. They are the final contestants for the Miss Perak competition run […]

Here’s a scene from the old Ipoh Airport. As you can see in the background, there’s an airplane with the words ‘Malayan Airways’ on it. Hence we think this picture was probably taken in the early 1950s – by 1963, the airline was renamed Malaysian Airways Ltd (MAL). I remember in the late 1980s or […]

Familiar? Yes, this is our very own natural jacuzzi! I remember visiting this place once – before Lost World of Tambun was built – and my brother and I would relax in the pool while watching the world go by 🙂 There was a very distinct smell of sulphur in the air, but it didn’t seem to […]

Yes here it is and I am sure that the Hong family were overwhelmed when it was officially opened by Michelle Yeoh just recently for I know how much Hong senior has put into this project. Congratulations! And here it is in all its glory! Submitted by Hong Soon Kheong, there are more photos on […]

Now here is your chance to enjoy Ipoh’s heritage buildings all in one place at the Garden Villa, No 5 Gopeng Road. Here you will see some really great photos of our famous buildings in this heritage architectural photo exhibition. Come and see buildings as others see them, you may be surprised with what you […]

This arch was set up over the Hugh Low Bridge, in Ipoh, somewhere in 1947. This was before the grand parade – which was held in support of the Kuomintang Party (led by General Chiang Kai Shek). Notice the three flags at the top of the arch: the Perak Flag, the Kuomintang Flag and the Union Jack. […]

Familiar? These were what the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) officers looked like in the 1960s – khaki uniform and rattan-woven shields! Looks like they were giving a demonstration for the public – the one kneeling in the centre, facing the camera, was probably the Leader of the platoon (from the stripes on the shoulder, he […]

Running this blog and database is a very interesting thing and sometimes the coincidences that take place are nothing short of amazing. The very same day that I said that I had never heard of a kindie in No 5 Gopeng Road, I visited a relation in Pasir Puteh. And there was an album full […]

This villa was build around 1910, by none other than Eu Tong Sen; Eu used this as an annex to his Chateau (Forest Lodge). We were also told that this Anglo-Malay Bungalow was the home of Japanese senior officers (between 1942-1945), and was where Ipoh residents queued up for rice coupons. Garden Villa was also […]

This exhibition entitled “Ribbon of Life” will open at Garden Villa, No 5 Gopeng Road at 11.00am on 16th October 2010 and run daily from 11.am to 7.00pm until 26th October 2010, not 10.00 to 6.00 as stated on the flyer. All exhibits are for sale and all proceeds raised will be donated to the Pink Champions […]

Those who frequently travel along Tiger Lane (Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah) would have noticed this building (see picture below). This is the Freemason’s Lodge, which was built by B M Iversen in the 1930s. This was the second Lodge; the first one was at Maxwell Road (which was also used by Anderson School in the late […]

Fellow Main Convent Alumni……….recognise this? It is said to be the kitchen. I don’t recognize it……this was WAY before my time 😉 Maybe some of you out there know which part of the Main Convent building this is……do let us know. And do tell us if this building is still there today (perhaps it has […]

Familiar?……..it’s at the lower end of Hume Street, not too far away from the Panglima Mosque. Some of you must be nodding your heads in agreement – “yes, I know this place!”. Well, for those who do know…………do tell us MORE: perhaps there’s a story or two behind this structure.

Clearly the ‘old’ and ‘new’ don’t match here…..one looks like it may fall apart anytime soon, while the other has been left uncompleted! These two ‘neighbours’ live at Brewster Road, Ipoh. We do wonder what the modern building is. Also, we noticed that the building has been ‘windowless’ for some time now! Any ideas? What […]

Does anyone out there know WHO this house once belonged to? It seems to have been abandoned for many years now – notice the plants growing in and around the building! Judging from the design and the land around it, this house must have been the home of a rich Towkay. It’s a pity, such […]

This is an invitation for you all to the opening of a solo art exhibition in the Garden Villa No 5 Gopeng Road Sunday 3rd October at 11am. The exhibition is entitled Love, Dream and Hope 2010 and the artist is Budi Utama Siagian. The exhibition is on from 3rd to 10th October and is open […]

Suddenly one day last week we could hardly believe our ears. Was that really a scissor sharpener’s call just outside our gate? As we rushed outside there he was, riding away on his battered bicycle with his, just as battered, hat on his head. Of course my wife and I ran after him and caught up […]

Eu Tong Sen and Chung Thye Phin (two of Ipoh’s many Towkays) once built a weekend retreat, Forest Lodge, at Gopeng Road. It had a large stable – befitting the common interests of these “blood brothers”, which included motorcars, racehorses, and country houses. Later, when Eu Tong Sen was appointed to the Federal Council, Chung Thye […]

This Friday (24 September 2010), there will be a Heritage Unity Walk – starting out at the Ipoh Railway Station. It’s a special event for 700 underprivilaged Perakian children; these children will be treated to games and a food carnival prior to the walk. And since it’s the Mid Autumn Festival, we’ll be carrying lanterns while we walk […]

We received the following email and a number of family photographs recently from a lady named Judy and, as we usually do, would very much like to help with this enquiry which reads: “I am researching my family history and trying find out as much as possible – of whatever type, good and bad – […]

This is Ms Chung Lai Leng – a pretty Ipoh girl, who gave up selling welfare lottery tickets to become an apprentice with a dressmaking firm. She was photographed by Francis Lee; her picture, along with several other Ipoh beauties, appeared in the 1960s magazine “Ipoh: The Town that Tin Built” (published by the Ipoh […]

These ‘friends’ live at Leech Street – opposite the low cost flats, next door to the old Kinta Aerated Water building. Who owns them now, we wonder….and what’s become of them? We see the one on the extreme right has been painted pink; which now sells groceries (at wholesale price). What about the others? Anyone […]

You don’t see beauties like these anymore! Houses like these are hard to come by; the few that are left either go through EXTREME renovations, or they just end up being torn down and a modern structure replaces them. A little patching up here, some painting over there – and there you have […]

Meet Mr and Mrs Tan – the diligent and creative couple, who produce ‘lion heads’ (and ‘bodies’ too). We featured Mr and Mrs Tan’s store in a previous blog; we can’t help but feature them again – together with some of their masterpieces (pictures below). Such an art seems to be fading as time goes by. It’s […]

I’m sure many of you have seen this place (picture below). It’s said to be near Kok Kee Restaurant. Familiar? Here’s another shot of the mansion, a different angle… Some of you must be smiling and nodding your heads. What we’d like to know is what’s become of this place? We hope it won’t be […]

Those who frequent the Pasar Besar (Main Market) of Ipoh might be familiar with these (picture below) Yes, these shop houses have stood the test of time; and they’re STILL going strong! The 3rd shop from the left is particularly interesting – the one painted yellow, with the words ‘Market Terrace’ at the top. As […]

The above pictures were taken inside Falim House, which was once the abode of Foo Nyit Tse. Much of the old furniture and trimmings have been preserved – which attracted the production crew of the local drama Sybil. The pictures below were taken at the set. For Sybil, Falim House was used as the home […]

Here’s another puzzle for you: where can this (picture above) be found? It’s somewhere around Ipoh town. Is it on a building….or an arch….or above a doorway? I’m sure some of you out there have already guessed it – maybe it’s a little too easy…. 🙂 Happy guessing!

This place was said to have a large hall on the top floor. During the war, the hall was a Japanese mah jong den. Later (after the war), it was turned into classrooms for the Sam Choy Primary School – this was during the day time; at night, it was the venue for the Chinese […]

Most of us are familiar with the Birch Clock Tower (along Post Office Road). In one of our previous posts, we were wondering what building seemed hidden in the background, far left of the picture (see below). Well, the mystery has been solved – the building is none other than the old Court House! Yes, […]

Here is one way of restoring and using a heritage building….. Garden Villa is located at No.5, Jalan Raja Dr Nazrin Shah (Gopeng Road), Ipoh. It was originally an annex to Eu Tong Sen’s mansion (Eu Chateau-Forest Lodge). Now, this place is managed by Kinta Heritage group. This Anglo-Malay architecture can be a venue for […]

Looks familiar? To those who (like me) often visit the Hilltop Cafe (the orange building at the far end, right side of the shady tree), you would have noticed these rows of shop houses – particularly the ones on the right of the picture. (Hilltop Cafe is along Hugh Low Street). These shop houses, on […]

Foo Nyit Tse started off as miner, under Foo Choo Choon; he later opened his first mine in 1898. In the 1920s, Foo Nyit Tse (who by then was a well known mining Towkay) built Falim – ‘a self contained housing estate, with a large num of low cost terrace housing and 40 shop houses’. […]

Remember this shop? Here’s a clue: it’s at Market Street….. If I’m not mistaken, I think the shop is still there – going strong after all these years! They specialized in Kain Pulikat, (the locals might know it as sarong) which was said to be made in India. They also sold Kain Batek (Batik). Here’s another […]

Hugh Low Street was once a 2-way street, and a very busy one too…even today! This picture was taken from a postcard, dated 1985. At the far end, just before the bridge, there used to be an arch – it’s not there now, wonder when it was taken down? Also notice that there were many shops (on […]

It’s that season again; where all Malaysians young and old, some foreigners too, join in the fun. To the die-hard fans out there, yes…we’re talking about DURIANS! Here we have a picture of durians being sold along Osborne Street, Ipoh (in the early 1970s). Were there many stalls selling durians in those days? We’d like […]

While we’re still on the topic of schools, here’s a picture from 1963 – showing the cast of *Les Sylphides (a ‘white ballet’ or ballet blanc). Our donor, Sybil de Roquigny, says this ballet was performed in Ipoh. We think the cast could be from Main Convent – but we could be wrong. Does anyone […]

In one of our previous blogs, Katherine Wong shared with us about fund-raising at her alma mater – Main Convent, Ipoh. Today we thought we’d put up a little something about an ACS fun fair. On the 3rd of August 1957, Anglo Chinese School (ACS), Ipoh, had its first Food and Fun Fair. The event […]

Here we have the Chew Family, who used to live at No.5, Dulcieville Lane, Ipoh. This picture was probably taken between 1958-1960. Back then, Dulcieville Lane used to be a housing area. In the 90s, the area was cleared and is now occupied by Parkson Ipoh Parade. From what we were told, this family ran the famous […]

This postcard is somewhat a continuation from our previous post about the Kinta River. The picture here shows the entrance of the British Residency; the date was rougly in the 1920s. I doubt the building is still there (if it is, it’s probably in ruins)…but does anyone know where it was? It is said to […]

We have here a postcard, from roughly the 1930s. At the top, right, it says “Belfield Street”. The mystery here is this: on the far left of the picture, is a building that says ‘E.W. FMS Hotel’. Was this the location of the 1st FMS Bar and Restaurant? Notice too that almost across the street from […]

Recently the subject of Perak’s vehicle registrations cropped up and as we have a great photo that demonstrates the situation perfectly I thought it was worth putting up to dispell the entirely untrue tale that Perak has the ‘A’ because we had the first cars in Malaya. Absolute rubbish!. Here we have two vehicles side […]

This is a special request for those who asked for pictures of the Kinta River. The picture above is taken from a 1905 postcard – showing the British residency along the river. The British Resident at that time was E W Birch (the eldest son of J W W Birch), who served from 1904 – 1910. Here we […]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Above is the first draft cover of a new book that will be published as soon as we can fill the blank pages with your reminiscences of growing up in Ipoh. Text will be in the English language. ipohWorld will take on the task of collating, editing and dealing with the publishing and […]

Dad, as I kept a lonely vigil beside your hospital bed Stroking your soft white hair, caressing your fatigued face Holding your wrinkled hands, never wanting to let you go I could hear your pale lips murmuring my name softly My heart bled to see your body so weak and frail Tears rolling down […]

Here is a picture taken from Christine Wu Ramsey’s “Days Gone By: Growing Up in Penang“. The picture is from her family album; and the book contains many such high quality photographs from both Ipoh and Penang. These alone make the book a great buy. Ramsey is the great granddaughter of Towkay Leong Fee – who owned the famous […]

…the Sun Cinema was still in one piece! This picture we have here is from around 1985, a little after the Sun Cinema closed its doors to the public. It was located at the corner of Brewster Road and Hale Street (behind the building was the Kinta River). Incidentally, sketches of this cinema were done […]

Landmarks of Perak records the richness and diversity of Perak’s architectural fabric. Structures depicted in the book include palaces, mosques, schools, temples, churches, memorials, government offices, banks, shophouses, bridges, and even private residences. More than 160 landmarks are featured, from each of the State’s nine districts, with particular attention given to the State’s historic urban […]

Back in the 1950s, cinemas were a popular (probably the only) source of entertainment – television sets were not common and not everyone had a radio either! Hence, the cinema-experience was a real treat – especially for the little ones! We received an interesting e-mail from Ignatius Chiew, regarding the ‘soft’ opening of Ipoh’s Cathay […]

This is a front view of No.188, Hugh Low Street – which used to be Ipohgal’s home. The picture was taken by Aaron Ong, who was inspired by Ipohgal’s description of her colourful childhood. The design of this house deserves a special mention – particularly the 2 lions on the roof (see picture below) Like […]

Designed by A B Hubback, who also designed the Ipoh Railway Station, this work-of-art was completed in 1916. The east end of the building was used as the Post and Telegraphs Office in 1928. This building is still used today – be it for concerts, wedding banquets, official functions, etc. It’s also had some restoration […]

This is an 80s picture of the Majlis Perbandaran Ipoh (MBI) swimming pool. The pool is near the Perak Stadium; also part of the sports complex which has a velodrome, hockey stadium and an indoor stadium (Stadium Indera Mulia). The pool is opened to the general public, and it has also been a venue for various swimming competitions. […]

This is one of the many mansions which belonged to one of Ipoh’s rich towkays. I’m sure some of you recognise it! The picture below shows what has become of the place in recent times…. ….a club! Notice the changes, especially the windows and balcony. Anyone know WHEN the mansion was turned into a club?

I’m sure many of you out there recognize this place! Today, it’s mainly a stop for the inter-city buses – since Medan Gopeng now handles the inter-state services. But the place is still BUSY! Such buses (as in the picture) are still around today, along with the new air-conditioned buses too! The roundabout has had […]

…she may have been no more than 20 years old when she left her family (back in the Fujian or Kwungtung Province) to work overseas as a “combination of cleaner, cook, seamstress, nurse and general factotum”. In Ipoh, these Black and White sisters “had their own temple where men were not allowed”. This picture we […]

Hi, The Ipohworld’s World blog is wonderful. I tried to find in your posts information about one building which is located near the roundabout at Gopeng Road and Jalan Tambun, diagonally opposite Yuk Choy Primary School, but I haven’t been able to. A large furniture shop is now built in front of […]

Just behind this wall which is across the road from Chung Thye Phin’s mansion (now the Kinta Medical Centre) is a wonderful old mansion which we hope is under massive restoration rather than renovation. It presently looks like this. What a great house this must have been in its day. But by now you might be […]

Somewhere in the late 1960s, this was part of a low-cost housing scheme in Sungai Rokam (off Gopeng Road), in Ipoh. These houses were constructed mainly of timber, following the traditional Malay-styled home. There were about 410 units of such houses which covered over 100 acres of land. The houses were raised on timber columns, […]

Recognise this bar? Don’t know if it was as popular as the FMS; but it must have had many patrons – judging by their well-stocked bar (see picture below) The bar was at Station Hotel. Wonder, did it have a catchy name? Some of you out there might know more………..