Chronicles of Old Singapore

Loh Kah Seng
  • 5.0 (1)
  • History
  • Updated Semiweekly

Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I’m Dr Loh KS, a people’s historian. I’m interested in the history of Singapore and the lives of its people. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their memories of Singapore before it became a global city today. We discuss three topics: 1. People and places. 2. Change and continuity. 3. The importance of heritage. Caveat: this is a podcast based on personal memory. As has been well-documented in oral history, memory is not always reliable and what is recalled here should not be taken as fact.

  1. 1d ago

    Lee Kok Leong – Twakows, Workhorses of the Rivers | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Former naval architect Lee Kok Leong talks about his love for the twakows of his childhood along the Singapore River. These wooden boats, called lighters in English, were vital to Singapore’s trade, carrying cargo over the last mile of water. Kok Leong remembers the masters who built these remarkable boats, the tough men who worked on them, and how the industry folded when loose cargo was replaced by the standardised box called the container in the '70s. https://youtu.be/R9tUS3PP5FU 00:00 Introduction 01:09 Boats of My Childhood 06:03 Tua-kor 10:09 Origins of Twakow 14:10 The Lightermen 21:01 Last Mile of Water 25:28 Workhorses of the Economy 29:05 The Builders 32:37 Sea Coolies 39:32 Cargo & Covers 43:55 Lighter Business 44:59 Container Revolution 50:18 Twakow as Heritage 53:29 Current Projects Lee Kok Leong李国樑: 新加坡河的船事, https://navalants.blogspot.com/2016/05/blog-post_6.html 驳船苦力走过斑驳岁月 Kuli working on lighters, https://navalants.blogspot.com/2017/05/kuli-working-on-lighters.html 新加坡的木船时代, https://navalants.blogspot.com/2021/10/blog-post.html 拥抱新中潮汕情的古老臂弯：粤东第一大港樟林港, https://navalants.blogspot.com/2019/09/blog-post_6.html 广东妈姐, https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/book-detail?cmsuuid=3a55f548-7bb7-43e2-adb2-d7140b6d4327 Toh Lam Huat, Peng Lee Er & Lim Jen Erh, Kindred Waters – Stories of the Jinjiang C****e Community in Singapore (江河情缘), https://singapore.kinokuniya.com/Kindred_Waters:_Stories_of_The_Jinjiang_Coolie_Community_In_Singapore/bw/9789815319880 Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Lee Kok Leong – Twakows, Workhorses of the Rivers | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  2. 4d ago

    Reynold Godwin Pereira – Uncle Choo, Coach of Singapore Part 2 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    In Part 2, Reynold Godwin Pereira recounts one of the most iconic moments in Uncle Choo’s coaching career – winning the Malaysia Cup in 1977. We reflect on how Singapore could build upon Uncle Choo's larger-than-life legacy by giving local coaches more opportunities and support to develop football from the grassroots, as Belgium did with its Golden Generation in the 2000s. Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Reynold Godwin Pereira – Uncle Choo, Coach of Singapore Part 2 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  3. Jul 19

    Matthew Lui – SJI Boy to Harbour Pilot Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Mathew Lui takes us back to post-war Chinatown: his father ran a silk business in South Bridge Road and his family lived upstairs above the shop. He attended a number of Catholic schools, including the historic St. Joseph’s Institution at Bras Basah Road in the early 1960s. He had an unforgettable time and his 1964 cohort organised a homecoming in 2012. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/10ykZ-kUKME Part 2 | https://youtu.be/tm7BLGRysIE Part 3 | https://youtu.be/cmg1KDdGzic 00:00 Introduction 01:52 In a Nutshell 03:20 Father’s Silk Business 13:47 Catholic Schools 16:24 South Bridge Road 22:15 Life in a Shophouse 28:23 My Family 31:49 SJI Class 39:35 1964 Homecoming 43:58 Historic SJI Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Matthew Lui – SJI Boy to Harbour Pilot Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  4. Jul 14

    John & Crispian Ng – Naval Base Stories & Other Shenanigans Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. We continue to celebrate John’s 80th birthday by tracing his family history. He married a Punjabi woman called Vanessa and moved into one of the new JTC flats in Sembawang when the Naval Base closed down. Their son Crispian grew up amidst the football in the area, playing in a team called the ‘No Future Club’. That is far removed from the name today, as John has joined Crispian in Texas, a world away from the old Naval Base and 1960s Singapore. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/uxu6AG0EujE Part 2 | https://youtu.be/73HH1hl3-70 00:00 Punjabi Wife & Mother Vanessa 05:46 JTC Flats in Sembawang 11:59 No Future Club Football Club 19:28 3 Old Clubs 22:38 Naval Base Strikes 28:19 Vanessa & John 29:45 Police Force 36:28 Discipline in Sembawang Shipyard 41:30 Football Team 45:11 Life in the US Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    John & Crispian Ng – Naval Base Stories & Other Shenanigans Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  5. Jul 12

    Chow Khai Shui – TCM & Teck Soon Medical Hall Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore 周启仕 – 中药与德信药行第一集 | 旧新加坡记事录

    欢迎来到旧新加坡记事录。周启仕是一位注册中医师，也是创办于1963年的德信药行的经营者。他讲述了新加坡中医的发展历程，并介绍了各种药材汤品与茶饮—这些有助于人们强身健体、预防疾病的食疗方式。 Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Chow Khai Shui is a registered TCM physician and owner of Teck Soon Medical Hall established in 1963. He talks about the history of TCM in Singapore and different types of herbal soups and teas – food therapies that help people maintain wellness and prevent illness. 第一集 Part 1 | https://youtu.be/-nwkrk8MB2U 第二集 Part 2 | https://youtu.be/syQpSdWZbpE 00:00 介绍 Introduction 00:34 德信药行的历史 Teck Soon’s History 06:36 中药的发展 Growth of TCM 12:49 食疗 Food Therapy 23:09 养肝排毒汤 Liver Nourishing Soup 26:02 参芪麦冬山楂茶 Shenqi Hawthorn Tea 29:03 无花果美颜汤 Snow Fungus and Figs Soup 32:00 补血养肝茶 Blood Nourishing Liver Tea 33:20 灵芝 Ganoderma 35:15 虎乳菌 Tiger Milk Mushroom Teck Soon Medical Hall: https://tecksoonsg.com/ Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Chow Khai Shui – TCM & Teck Soon Medical Hall Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore 周启仕 – 中药与德信药行第一集 | 旧新加坡记事录

  6. Jul 7

    John & Crispian Ng – Naval Base Stories & Other Shenanigans Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. John Ng turns 80 today. He was a policeman in the Naval Base and then in Sembawang Shipyard after the British left; his mother was also a searcher in the Naval Base. He tells me stories of the old Medical quarters where he lived, the creative ways he and his friends learned to make money as kids, the endemic gambling inside the base, and the secret garden behind his house. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/uxu6AG0EujE Part 2 | https://youtu.be/73HH1hl3-70 00:00 Introduction 01:48 Moving to Dallas 03:55 Naval Police to Sembawang Shipyard 09:45 My Mother, a Searcher 18:36 Old Admiralty Quarters & Water Tower 27:20 Boys’ Brigade 32:40 People of Water Tower 44:11 Making Money 49:45 Favourite Pastime 56:57 The End of Gambling

    John & Crispian Ng – Naval Base Stories & Other Shenanigans Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  7. Jul 5

    Wan Chan Peew – H.M. Naval Base Walkthrough Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Might be better to view the video version here: https://youtu.be/RY4-YQ-sUfk Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. So much of the historic Singapore Naval Base has been lost so former Navalite Wan Chan Peew takes us on a walkthrough to document its old places and activities. We started with the gates, then the roads where Asians like him lived, and the docks and other places of work inside the naval dockyard. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/RY4-YQ-sUfk Part 2 | https://youtu.be/MQ22A-iCHW0 00:00 Introduction 02:18 Remembering Naval Base 05:11 The Gates 12:13 Dockyard (Myngs) Gate & Disused Gates 19:01 Nelson House 21:26 Canberra, Madras & Delhi Roads 26:37 Jalan Kedai 28:51 Asian Hospital 30:41 The Dockyard 35:17 Naval Base Cinema 40:34 The Docks 44:54 Premier Dock Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Wan Chan Peew – H.M. Naval Base Walkthrough Part 1 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

  8. Jul 1

    Woon Yew Thong – Jurong Crescent Road & Nanyang University Part 2 | Chronicles of Old Singapore

    Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. Woon Yew Thong remembers old Jurong Road before it was urbanised and leaving the Jurong Crescent Road quarters in 1974. He left behind his Reader’s Digest collection and a warm community of neighbours and friends. In recent years, he found many of them on social media while documenting memories of the Jurong Radio Transmitting Station on his website. Part 1 | https://youtu.be/GVbfvy0vxR0 Part 2 | https://youtu.be/orYO2hFbtX0 00:00 Neighbours & Community 03:49 Leaving Jurong 06:54 Stories of Nantah 08:22 Old Jurong Road 13:50 Rooftop Neighbour 16:00 A Computer Pioneer 20:49 People of the Transmitting Station 23:52 Reunions 26:51 Woon Family Portal 33:03 My Battle with Cancer Jurong Crescent Road – Priceless memories of the 60’s https://woonfamily.com/jurong-crescent-road/ Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I am Dr Loh Kah Seng, the people’s historian, and I document people’s memories of Singapore before it became a global city. Do like the video and subscribe for future episodes. This will help the channel a lot. Write to lkshis@gmail.com if you have any of these stories: • Old places or kampongs. • Communities – their way of life & culture. • Childhood & schools. • Work or business. YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@ChroniclesOldSG Spotify | https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/loh-ks Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/61551786759344 Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/ChroniclesofOldSingapore

    Woon Yew Thong – Jurong Crescent Road & Nanyang University Part 2 | Chronicles of Old Singapore
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Welcome to Chronicles of Old Singapore. I’m Dr Loh KS, a people’s historian. I’m interested in the history of Singapore and the lives of its people. In Chronicles of Old Singapore, I speak to people about their memories of Singapore before it became a global city today. We discuss three topics: 1. People and places. 2. Change and continuity. 3. The importance of heritage. Caveat: this is a podcast based on personal memory. As has been well-documented in oral history, memory is not always reliable and what is recalled here should not be taken as fact.

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