1984 - Lamma Island

This is a photo of the primary school at Mo Tat Wan village on Lamma. I'm afraid it's looking a great deal more dilapidated now than it does when this photo was taken. Full of junk and timber - the building is used for storage by villagers. Trees are growing through the structure.

I'm afraid like many, or at least some, of us - it is not destined to be on this earth for much longer.

Shame really. HK Electric Co. Ltd. pat themselves on the back with their claims of what they are doing to enhance the heritage and flora of Lamma - yet are doing nothing to preserve this building other  than place a very small information board in front of it.

I thought I would give a quick update on the situation regarding the village school at Mo Tat Wan, Lamma island. I wrote to both the District Officer Islands and the Islands District Council Secretariat after my earlier post, and I think it fair to say that the matter was referred to the District Lands Office. I have received a somewhat non-committal reply from the latter, to the effect that the building stands within a private lot and is privately managed. My apologies to HK Electric Co. Ltd; there really isn't anything they can with regard to the condition of the building.

I reckon that this means in Government language that the hands of the authorities are tied when it comes to any restoration of the building. Obviously it has not been "listed" or graded by the A.M.O. The reply did go on to say, however, that the matter would be referred to the Buildings Department with regard to its structural safety, i.e. the danger that a collapsing building could cause to people in the vicinity if it came down.

I would suggest that if anyone does want to see the building before the inevitable happens and Mother Nature does what she often does, get your skates on and scoot over to Mo Tat Wan by kaito from Aberdeen fairly quickly!