April Page:
Let us start with the top left picture. Two men, one bare-bodied, were carrying 3 pails each on bamboo poles over their back and shoulder. What do you reckon they were carrying inside the metal containers?
Anyone like to venture a guess? In case you think they are " night -soil" carriers, you think wrong! The night-soil buckets were not shaped like this. All the night-soil buckets had a standard shape and also the night-soil van would have been close by.
I wonder if anyone can say which part of Serangoon Road this was.The centre photo clearly showed the unloading of rubber tyres.
The photo on the right tells a lot. It clearly shows a young man by the side of his tricycle stall selling water chestnut drink. He had both hot and cold drinks. On either side of his stall were 2 old ladies selling an assortment of tobacco, tobacco paper, cigarettes in packets and tins, matches and perhaps some tid-bits. One brand of the tin can be identified...Lucky Strike!
Three cars were partly hidden from view...so can't really tell the make.
Bottom left photo...an old man milking goat. Could be anywhere.
May page:
Hey...this distinctly looks familiar. The giveaway is the bottom left picture. That junction with the traffic lights is the present SIMON Road and Serangoon Road junction. In the days of old we call this location " 6th milestone ". The only coffeeshop at the corner is still the same one as in the photo! Today, it has that popular Hokkien Mee stall that draws a long queue. This wet market was the old SIMON Road market which was also famous for the many " mouth-watering" hawker stalls like muah chee, Hokkien mee, wanton mee, mee-rebus, pigs' trotters, beef kway teow, etc..
Today, that place is no more.
Where did all the famous hawkers go? Surely, some are still carrying on their business elsewhere right? Anyone care to comment?
Unk Dicko
Posts
I particularly like the mee rebus there. But the line is always so long! I still remember it was fifty cents (late 70s).
ReplyDeleteHokkien Mee is at Old Airport Road now
ReplyDeleteThe mee rebus stallholder did not relocate elsewhere. Before they moved off, I went there to have my last sampling and found that out. They decided to call it a day.
ReplyDeleteAnon...yes, I can confirm that. It was not long after Simon Rd Market closed that someone told me they were at Old Airport Road.
ReplyDeleteI'd been there many times since. Same boss, hokkien mee still v good!
Thanks for visiting.
Hi unk Dicko. My grandfather was once a hawker in this market. He was selling Soyabean and grass jelly drink! May I know if there are pictures of this market still available?
ReplyDeleteDo you know where i can find old pictures of this market?
ReplyDeleteHi Anon...many of us would have been former customers of your grandpa. I still recall that the tau huey and chinchow drinks were v good too. There was also good ching teng.
ReplyDeleteTo check for photos you can try the National Archives website...as given below.
http://picas.nhb.gov.sg/picas/public/internetSearch/index.jsp
There are other sources I'm sure like the section on local History in our public libraries. I've seen many good books with pictures dating from pre-war to the 50's and 60's. Bear in mind almost all the photos within are under copyright.
If you have the patience wait for the official OPENING of the new Library at NEX Serangoon around March 2011.
There will be lots of stuff there on exhibition including heritage photos of these nostalgic places.
The Muah Chee man is at Hougang Ave 8 Block 644!
ReplyDeletehttp://ieatishootipost.sg/2011/10/hougang-6-mile-famous-muah-chee.html
Poh Kee Satay which was supposed to be from 6 mile market is at Blk 212 Hougang St 21
Hi Leslie,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for dropping by and updating the location of this famous Muah Chee and also Poh Kee Satay. I think readers will appreciate your kind action ! By the way, I've continued to enjoy both these food stalls but neglected to update the sites.
You have done a marvellous job with your popular blogsite. Thanks too for putting a link to this post.
Am glad to see you in the Foodage series on Okto recently! I was in it too...in one episode recreating the song "Tng Suah Nang " on my ukulele.