Wednesday 15 December 2010

Christmas in Singapore and Malaya


It seems strange shivering in cold, wet England that we once spent our Christmases in the warm, humid atmosphere of Singapore and Malaya. I've featured the photo, shown here, before in my blog but I think it really sums up the heat back then. It's hard to imagine walking around like that nowadays in December in England. Back then, that silver artificial tree seemed huge to me. You used to get some brilliant decorations back then and mum would spend the day decorating the front room. I think that I helped to decorate the tree but probably knocked off more decorations than I put on! We had many of these Christmas decorations until the 1980s but they've all long since disappeared now. This photo would have probably been taken in 1966 when I was about 5 years old. Alan would have been about 10. There was a lot to look forward to back then. Not only all of our super presents on Christmas morning including go-karts, tin robots and cars etc but also the Christmas party at the Naval Base where there would be a Santa, another present, rides, fireworks and a cinema show. There was also the Christmas tv which included Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, I love Lucy, the Three Stooges, Casper, the Flintstones etc. It's amazing that this photo was taken 44 years ago and looking at it today is almost like looking at a totally different person. Certainly a lot has changed since the sixties!

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for a timely blog as its just 2 weeks away from Christmas. The photo of celebration at Christmas in Singapore over 3 decades ago. Fond memories these.

    These photos of the family album precious "memory aids" which lag in time and space of the family, people, events, places.

    More memorable blogs on "Same place. Different Times. Different Journeys (of Singapore, UK and your many other places) to share us for posterity.

    Thanks for your nice greeting card I just received.

    Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family. Cheers!

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  2. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas & a wonderful coming New Year! - One° North Explorers

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  3. That Christmas tree is exactly like the ones back then - with the wooden cube for "stability".
    Did you ever have Santa Clause visit you at your home on Christmas Day? My dad used to be the one who was this visiting Santa in the 60s and 70s. I know that he brought delight and pleasure to hundreds and hundreds of families, but since then, I've met only one person who once had been a "customer" of my dad.
    Also, he sometimes gave magic shows to school children of the service families in Singapore.

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