This is the first of nine photographs taken in post-occupation Hong Kong in 1946. This shot is of Central district with the old Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank building centre-frame. In the foreground is the original Hong Kong cricket club and Hong Kong Club. Victoria Peak is in the background. I can remember all of these buildings from my youth – of particular curiosity was the children’s exercise club that took place on Saturday afternoons on the cricket pitch – it was run by Billy somebody-or-other. All the chidren wore whites – including old-fashioned polo shirts. Anybody else remember that?
The photographer is unknown – so the copyright is unclear.
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They were the Billy Tinglers. We were not allowed to join, so stood outside with our noses pressed to the fence, yearning to be dressed in white doing callisthetics and running unfathomable races for (suredly) fantastic prizes. We did go to the Cricket Club occasionally however, to watch cricket (I think) though were too young to have any idea what was going on. The annual Kennedy Road Junior School Sports Day was held there, and I achieved the pinnacle of my sporting career by winning first place in the hula hoop race. I went slow and steady, while everyone else hit the thing wildly and it veered all over the place. I still have my winning badge, and wear it sometimes to confuse people.
Things were never the same after the cricket club moved to Repulse Bay Road.
Interesting picture……..the small building directly next to the HSBC was eventually replaced by the Bank of China Building; the Governor’s residence is clearly visible in the background; the building in the foreground with the dome is the present Legco (used to be the Supreme Court). In the centre of the picture, there is a tram (the alignment of the tram tracks in Des Voeux has not changed and is basically the same even up to the present day). From my own recollection, the H K Cricket Club’s move to Wong Nei Chong Road was made during the construction of the Mass Transit in the 70’s. The place is now called Chater Gardens and used by all kinds of people for holding demonstrations……and by the Filipino maids on Sundays!
Alison could not join the Billy Tinglers because they were always fully subscribed. He was limited to 150 or so. She likes to paint a picture of pre-teenage persecution, although a reluctance to get out of bed early on Saturday mornings may have been another factor for her not joining in the fun at the Cricket Club.
Billy Tingle died some years ago and his funeral service at the cathedral was attended by many of his old Tinglers. I was pleased to be at G.H. when he received his MBE for services to the youth of HK in 1986.
Where is the building I worked in, the Murray Building? It is next to HK Hilton and was moved for the Bank of China.
It was one of the most haunted places in Hong Kong. The Government had to pay for monks to come in to cleanse the building. It was used by the Japanese Military Police, Kempeitai (something like the Gestapo), during the war. Rumor had it that they did all sorts of nasty things in that place.
As the man in charge of security in the old Rating & Valuation Department (housed in Murray Building) I had to go there and inspect the place at night once a month. Nobody worked overtime in that place, even the watchman wasn’t too keen to wander inside. I always had my assistant with me. The two of us walked through each and every room and checked if classified material was left open. He walked ahead and turned on the lights and I sauntered along, never wanted to find out if there was any truth about a Japanese officer with his samurai sword sitting in the corner office on the third floor.
Not only did I attend Billy Tingles Saturday Morning at the Cricket club, where we invariably ended up having lunch as well, but I was also taught to swim by Billy at the LRC too. I had the misfortune one saturday morning to have one of those corner flag spears put through my right foot.
Damn, I remember cold Kit Kats on the steps overlook it all as well.
My mouth still waters when I think about sour plums (wah Mui), lemon peel, dry ginger and watermelon seeds too.
Yes, the Wah Mui, dried mango, dried ginger and dried cuttlefish were our firm favourites too. I also went through a phase of enjoying the fish balls from the Dai Pai Dongs! Thanks for the comments. BTW I was recently in HK again with Mo (see above) and this view (i.e. up Garden Road towards Government House) is unrecognisable.
BTW: Which are your favourite – red or brown Wah Mui?
I am sorry – I feel like a bit of an intruder – like I have opened a door and joined in a conversation somehow…
I am a Billy Tingler too. Ex Gleneally School, love Wah Muis and still eat them when I see the nice big ones! I still live in Hong Kong – and am very interested to know more about you guys?! I was also taught to swim at the LRC by Billy – in fact my father was taught to box and swim by him in Shanghai. My Dad was a pallbearer at Billy’s funeral.
Thanks for the comment. Who are we? Mo, Alison and me are Morgans. The family moved to HK in 1961 and Mo (our father) was in the Civil Service. I was born in Queen Mary’s in 1962 and christened in St John’s Catherdral which is just out of shot on the left. We were variously at Kennedy Road Junior School, Beacon Hill School and KGV. I left in 1980 to go to university in the UK. Regards.
The Cricket Club just did a nice article on Billy Tingle in their Jun 2009 issue:
http://www.hkcc.org/images/PinKun/Jun09/Pinkun_Jun09.pdf
I was taught to swim by Mr. Tingle at the LRC ! And the bamboo pole that you had to dive over. I still think going headfirst into the water is a bad idea