A look at the latest additions to Gwulo...
 

General
 

• Readers' memories:
   
  • Brian Seed, sports teacher at DBS
     
  • Chan Tuck & Co., tailors
     
• Was the Artillery Observation Post on Mount Parker attacked during the fighting in 1941?
   
• Ida Andrews-Levinge's diary of wartime events, covers her time as a VAD nurse, and then the internment in Stanley Camp, 1941-45
   
• The meaning of "Tiffin"
   
• An unusual boundary discovered, that splits Mount Davis in half
   
• This week's upgrade work focused on the maps we use to set the location and outline of a Place or Street. They now have the scanned paper map overlays available, something I've wanted to have for a long time, as it will make working on old buildings so much easier. Here's a look at the new features in action (if the video doesn't show up in your email, please click this link to see it on Youtube). The next job is to get the rest of the maps working the same way - the map we see when we look at an individual Place, and the maps of "Places tagged xyz" that we use to show groups of Places.
  
   

Places on Hong Kong Island
 

• ICI Godowns, 302 Hennessy Road [????-c.1947]
  

  Hong Kong Chemical Factory Kowloon 1930's.jpg, by danielwettling
  
   
• Lung Fu Shan Viewing Compass War Department Boundary Stone ?? [????- ]
   
• Rose Marie Bar, Gloucester Road [????-????]

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A look at the latest additions to Gwulo...

General
 

• The Gwulo upgrade continues, with work completed on the map of all places. You can see how its new features look in the video below (if the video doesn't show up in your email, please click this link to see it on Youtube). I'll still be working with maps for a few more days, updating the maps we see when viewing or editing a Place page.
   
   
• Readers are looking for information about:
   
  • The area covered by Kwan Ti Camp
     
  • How the name "Perfection Place" originated
     
  • Naval tailors Chan Tuck & Co
     
  • An old watertaxi, "Argos 710" from Hong Kong, found in a flea market
    

    Watertaxi.jpg, by Frank-Ulrich Gast
    
     
  • Date and usage of some unusual old bottles found at The Peak:
    

    DairyFarm.jpg, by bob
    
     
• Readers' memories:
   
  • Senior Inspector Ronald John McEwen, Killed in Action November 5, 1967 
     

Places
 

• Kowloon
   
  • Blue Peter Bar / Cafe / Pub [c.1939-????]
     
  • Hung Hom Police Station (1st generation) [c.1875-c.1954]
     
• Hong Kong island
   
  • Alice Memorial Hospital, 77–81 Hollywood Road [1887-????]
     
  • Sincere Department Store [1915-1968]
     
  • St Albert's Priory / Rosary Hill [1935-1962]
     
  • Tai Tam Gap Pillbox 1, Tai Tam Gap [1940- ]
     

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A look at the latest additions to Gwulo...

General
 

• Chris Kilbee has added a valuable new wartime diary to our collection: Lt. L D KILBEE HKRNVR WAR DIARY Dec 1941. Chris's father Lt Laurence Kilbee was in command of Motor Torpedo Boat 08 at the time, and gives us our first account of December 1941 from the perspective of the sailors fighting in Hong Kong.
  

  MTB 08 - Painting by LD Kilbee
  
   
• Peter has worked out the locations of a set of photos taken in the Shek Kip Mei squatter village in 1956. Here's his overview of the area:
  

  SKM-0 Harrison Forman Photos c.1956, by OldTimer
  
   
• Readers are looking for information about:
   
  • The Hong Kong Police band
     
  • Senior Inspector Ronald John McEwen, Killed in Action November 5, 1967
     
  • Percy William Affleck Scott - 1872 to 1962
     
  • John Diamond, believed to have been a policeman in Hong Kong in the late 1800s / early 1900s
     
  • Were "R Clemo" and "Frederick James Duncan CLEMO (aka Freddie)" the same person?
     
• Readers' memories:
   
  • Tricky practices when selling rice
     
  • Danish Vessel Clara Maersk bringing Vietnam Refugees to Hong Kong during Royals visit May 4, 1975
    

    Vietnam Boat People from Clara Maersk at Sea-Land Berth 4 May 1975, by lawhar
    
     
• The Gwulo upgrade continues. Last week I wrote I was working on allowing users to create cropped copies of existing photos on Gwulo without needing to use any external photo editing tools. Unfortunately that didn't work out, so the idea has gone back to the wishlist. I'm currently getting the map of all places working on the new site, and also using this chance to tidy up a few items in the map's appearance. Next I hope to add GPS support, so that users who are out on the streets or hiking in the countryside can centre the map on their current location.
   

Places
 

• Kowloon
   
  • The collapse of 45J Ma Tau Wai Road in 2010
     
  • Hung Hom Police Station (1st generation) [c.1875-c.1954]
     
  • Hung Hom Police Station (2nd generation) [c.1950-1979]
     
  • Melbourne Apartments [????-????]
     
  • Overhead Ropeway (Green Island Cement Co.) [c.1945-c.1972]
    

    green island cement tower by ma tau wai rd.png, by simtang
    
     
  • Portland House, Hunghom [1964-c.1982]
     
• Hong Kong island
   
  • Breezy Point (2nd generation) / 2, Park Road [1915-????]
     
  • Japanese Pillbox / Tunnel on Mt. Cameron [????- ] - with a video of a recent visit
     
  • The Sun Department Store / Dah Sing Department Store [????-1973]
     

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Happy New Year! Before we turn our thoughts to the year ahead, and hopes that the next 12 months see Covid under control, here's a look at what was added to Gwulo in the last week of 2021...

General
 

• Peter has kindly shared his mother Irene Braudé's reports on the Nursing Detachment of the HKVDC (aka The VADs), 1941-45
   
• Many thanks to Dede who has completed typing up the whole 1940 Jurors List. (If you can spare half an hour, please help make another year's list available by typing up a page of the 1938 Jurors List.)
   
• Details of two of Hong Kong's Rolls of Honour
   
• Readers' questions:
   
  • Which public market Queen Elizabeth visited when she came to Hong Kong in 1975?
     
  • How did the Shek Shan district in To Kwa Wan get its name?
     
  • Hoping to contact R Clemo - looking for any information
     
  • What is the latest development project on the site at the top of Go San Chuen Road, Cheung Chau?
     
• Readers' memories:
   
  • The radar unit on Checkerboard Hill
     
  • Normandie / Kiki Rasmussen / Carol Bateman
     
  • Golden Gate Bakery / Ki Lung Street / Making fluffy cotton for duvets
     
  • Kung Ho Terrace / 共和台
     
• In last week's newsletter I included a video showing the 'photo zoom' and 'add tags' features I've been working on, but I see it got stripped out by the e-mail service. Here's a link to watch the video on Youtube. Since then I've also got the 'add connections' working. Next I'm looking at adding thumbnail photos to People and Places, and allowing users to create those thumbnails from existing photos on Gwulo without needing to use any external photo editing tools.
  
   

Places
 

• Kowloon
   
  • Hung Hom ferry pier to Wanchai & North Point [1979-c.1988]
     
  • Yau Ma Ti / Mong Kok / Mong Kok East Railway Station [????- ]
    

    1977 mongkok kcr station.png, by simtang
    
     
• Hong Kong island
   
  • Blarney Stone (1st generation), Victoria Road [c.1912-????]
     
  • 26-33 Connaught Road Central [c.1903-c.1967], a block of eight houses often seen in views of Hong Kong from the harbour:
    

    1965 Central Reclamation, by eternal1966e
    
     
  • Pillbox 025, Wong Ma Kok [1939- ]
     
  • Spring Garden Lane [c.1859- ]
     
  • Tung Shan Hotel [1927-????]
     
  • Windsor House, Causeway Bay [1979- ]
     
• New Territories
   
  • Charcoal kiln on Wilson Trail, stage 5 (north) [????- ], the second one I've found along this stage
     
  • Pillbox 314 Entrance Tunnel [c.1937- ]
     

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Our Christmas began with Gwulo hitting the airwaves, courtesy of an invitation from Annemarie Evans to take part in the extended edition of her Hong Kong Heritage show that was broadcast on Christmas morning. If you listen to the recording, you'll hear Annemarie talking with her guests about ...
 

• 01:08 - Ralph Goodwin's escape from Shamshuip POW camp in 1944. (Further reading: Ralph Goodwin's account of his escape, with commentary by Gordon Andreassend.)
   
• 19:00 - A look at 100 years of Christmas photos on the Gwulo website. (See all the photos.)
  

  Merry Christmas 1900, by christoph
  
   
• 29:00 - Colin McEwan's escape from Hong Kong by Motor Torpedo Boat on Christmas Day, 1941. (Read this, and other diary pages from Hong Kong, written on 25 December 1941.)
   
• 41:27 - Maps of Asia and Hong Kong, dating from the 16th to the 20th centuries. These are currently on show but the exhibition ends on 8 Jan, so the holidays are a good chance to catch them. (Details of The 33rd annual Mapping of Asia Exhibition, held at Wattis Fine Art on Hollywood Road.)

After breakfast we turned to our own Christmas tree - time to open a present or two!

For the last few weeks I'd received regular orders to STAY OUT OF MY ROOM while my younger daughter worked on my present. I had no idea what to expect, and got a happy surprise when I unwrapped these:

The cloth bags I use when I deliver books to the Post Office and local bookstores are falling apart, so I am now the proud owner of two new sturdy and personalised canvas bags.

We're still on holiday today - with Boxing Day landing on a Sunday we get Monday off too. I hope you've had a peaceful time over the holidays, and enjoyed some good company.

Now, back to what's new on the Gwulo website...

General
 

• The Nutcracker ballet is a regular fixture for a Hong Kong Christmas. Annelise has found that the ballet has been customised to include lots of Hong Kong historical references.
   
• A peak at the progress on the website upgrade, showing the photo zoom and the new 'add tags' feature:
  
   

Places
 

• Kowloon
   
  • Kwun Yum Temple, Hung Hom [1873- ]
    

    kun yan temple after 1958 no hiill.jpg, by simtang
    
     
  • Wuhu Market [c.1900-c.1956]
     
• Hong Kong
   
  • BBQ meat shop 大三元 in Wanchai
     
  • Coronation Annex of the China Fleet Club [1954-1982]
     
  • Harcourt House (2nd Generation) [1987- ]
     
  • Hong Kong Arts Centre [1977- ]
     
  • Windsor House, Causeway Bay [1979- ]
    

    Windsor House (Causeway Bay).jpg, by PaulO
    
     
  • Does this photo show the house named 'The Blarney Stone'?
    

    Ulick Farrell.jpg, by Lydia Turner
  
   
• New Territories
   
  • Japanese Tunnel at Golden Hill [c.1944- ]
    

    PXL_20211220_025121424.jpg, by HighlandPaddyHK
    
     
  • Old Tea Farm on the hilltop of Tai Mo Shan [????- ]
     
  • Were milestones erected every quarter mile along the road near Ting Kok?
    

    Ting Kok Road Undentified MS, by 4ryanLAM
    
     

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