Yau Ma Tei Pumping Station 2016.jpg
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Submitted by LizB
Date picture taken (may be approximate):
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Connections:
- Yau Ma Tei Pumping Station 2016.jpg shows Place Yau Ma Tei Pumping Station, Shanghai Street [1895- ]
Comments
Yau Ma Tei Pumping Station
Greetings. Thanks Liz, I lost memory of this building until your photo. I saw it from #12 Bus on my way to P1 Wah Nam Elementary on Wai Ching Street.
It looks the same as back then, and deterioration of the brick and mortar is expected given its age. A bit puzzling, I noticed that the 2011 Google street view shows the recent (then) repairs. Liz's 2016 photo shows problems have resurfaced (or are they new?) particularly around the window.
Regards, Peter
Yau Ma Tei Pumping Station
Hello Peter, thanks for the comment about your childhood memories of the building.
I don't know much about the Pumping Station except through Gwulo, but I'm very glad it still exists (even if in the shadow of a massive apartment building). When I visited it a few months ago, the building didn't seem to be generally open to the public, except for a tiny room being used to sell Cantonese opera souvenirs. This was a bit disappointing, as nothing of the interior was visible, but perhaps I was just there at the wrong time.
It's interesting to see that part of the side wall has been retained (you can see it on the left of the photo), serving no apparent purpose now, but obviously part of the original complex of three buildings.
Regards, Liz
Yau Ma Tei Pumping Station
Greetings. Thanks Liz for your response. I also view with interest your photos of Old Cattle Depot buildings which were built in the same period, with same type of bricks, and likely by the same workers.
IDJ (Thanks also) has just posted a photo of this pumping station back in its early days located, necessarily so, next to the water. No wonder they called it Shanghai Street (translation - going up to sea). Today, it is almost a kilometre inland. The locals can confirm my guess that its water facilites have long been retired.
When as a child, we see things and remember in some cases with incorrect details, like the high ceiling in the front of this building. The photos have corrected me that it has a walkout floor.
Regards, Peter