Storm Warning Signal Card a. | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Storm Warning Signal Card a.

Storm Warning Signal Card a.
Authors: 

In the days before mobile phones and instant communications people were dependent on the storm signals. This card was readily available.

Date picture taken (may be approximate): 
Tuesday, January 1, 1957

Comments

Greetings, and I am impressed Andrew you managed to keep these papers.  My memory of typhoon in five Cantonese words is Hit (declare or in effect) - ten (or other level) - numero - wind - ball, not exactly the same sequence as in English but just as scary.   Looking back I still wonder how I managed to bring those heavy potted plants from the railing to the floor.  Regards,  Peter

Hello Peter,  Yes, I'm afraid that I have been rather a hoarder. One thing that I regret getting rid of was a large 1 inch to the mile colour Ordnance Survey map of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon that I bought in the early 1970s from Stanfords the big map shop in London.  Unfortunately, I had it framed and eventually I gave it away beause it was too large.  In about 2002, I bought a black and white print from the Lands Department in North Point - but it doesn't show the same detail.  Potted plants on balconies must have posed a real threat.  I have been viewing on the Internet the damage done by the latest typhoon at Siu Sai Wan and am amazed at how it underminded the promenade there - maybe just missing exposing the large concrete aerial base that featured on one of my very recent postings. However, it did serve to expose the exact location of pill box 36 at Big Wave Bay, which Rob and I have been puzzling over for several years!  I just missed typhoon Gloria (September 1957). It cannot have caused much damage to the buildings at Little Sai Wan because there was no sign of damage when I arrived at the end of October although, as I have commented elsewhere, it must have been the cause of the wrecking of Pill Box 37.  Thanks for your comments and I hope to see many more clarifications and comments from you and others as I continue uploading more images from my 367 Association friends.  Regards,  Andrew