Tuesday 10 March 2015

My Journey with Foyers - Old Airport Rd/Dakota Crescent

Again, I am  back on my track and this time with friends of Foyers - Lam Chun See and James Seah to meet up at Old Airport Road on the 7th Mar 2015 before catching up with Chun See's UK friends and Victor Koo at 7pm in the evening. Ever since I have been to this place in July last year, that I had blog about this. It has been a long time, I stepped on the unusual, quiet and little creepy place when night falls in 1980s. I remember the old flats at Old Airport road that reminds me of the old runway, parallel to Mountbatten Road, which is now called Old Airport Road. The existing public  housing flats now known as Old Airport or Kallang Airport Estate.
On the fateful year in 1946, one of the Dakota aircraft belonging to the Royal Air Force Police with 20 NCOs on board crashed at the Airport in a storm with no survivors. Dakota Crescent and the Dakota MRT Station are named in commemoration of this disaster.
Blk 99 Old Airport Estate
Old Airport Estates of Blk  93, 95, 97, 99 built by HDB in 1960s are the ownership flats, got MUP in 1992. I believe that they may get SERS around 2017 or later, when the rental blocks will be cleared, the replacement blocks for these 4 blocks will be built here.
The Blocks who received lifts that stop at every floor, does not mean that will be NEVER demolished, but if a upgrading programme took place, the block will be NOT demolished at least 20 years. SERS flat hunters should look for blocks that had no upgrading programmes recently, just like my mum's old blocks had upgrading programmes over times and her neighbourhoods blocks just painted recently.
James Seah at Dakota Crescent
Spotted my friend, James Seah taking pictures of these Dakota estates as if he didn't notice me standing behind him well as least he is spotted on the track with ease. I presume that Block 15 of 17 of SIT blocks will be demolished for an “immediate redevelopment”.
Geylang River with signage
Trash and Debris Collection boat
On 16 March 2014, a heavy downpour had washed litter down the Geylang River behind Dakota Crescent. These litter had collected at a stretch of the riverbank where float booms (shown below) are located.


Float Boom on a Geylang River (Dakota Crescent)
To keep the waterways clean, PUB uses trapping devices such as gratings and floating debris booms to collect litter that flow into the waterways. PUB contractors are deployed daily to clear the litter to prevent it from flowing into the reservoirs.
EtonHouse International School
Opposite of Geylang River, is the Pre-School known as EtonHouse International School built in 1995 to pursuit of excellence and leadership in educational services and practice and celebrates 20 years in March 2015.

Dakota Fluffy Cat
As I was walking along the Dakota estates which near to the Blues Dove sandpit playground, found a cute Fluffy cat with a collar attached to its neck. I presume someone must be taking care of her. So cute as if I am trying to touch her fur as she has lots of fur so soft and silky.
A Joyful Chun See at Dakota Shophouses
A "Joyful" Chun See saw me and waved when I was capturing his photoshot at Dakota Crescent shophouses where one of the three ladies (hidden from view) was doing for video shot not far from where the two ladies were, next to the walking happily Chun See. Chun See was calling out to me about the kitty - a "black" cat that was behind me from where I stood.
Chun See and a "black"Cat
Feeling amused, Chun See loves to take picture of "kitty" whenever he sees it as I thought that most ladies like me loves cats too. And James Seah is no where in sight! Thinking James is busying taking photos of Dakota estates.
Blk 51 Old Airport Foods Centre
Almost 45 mins has passed, we hesitated to walk back as if we haven't completed our mission yet, because we have to meet his "Ang Mo" UK friends for dinner at Old Airport Foods Centre at 7pm. Here we went to Blk 51 Old Airport Market & Food Centre, is one of the oldest, popular and largest food centre in the city, opened in 1973.
James Seah, Victor Koo, Chun See & his "Ang Mo" friends
Finally, after walkabout the Dakota Crescent, we looked around for a empty table to accommodate seven of us including me. I managed to snap a photo-shot of them excluding me, from left - Peter Stubbs, James Seah, Lam Chun See, Victor Koo, John Harper & his wife (from York). We were having a joyful and happy occasion dinner and chatting away for old times sake.
A large bowl of mixed meat porridge
Oh..my..I was served a large bowl of mixed meat porridge by Victor Koo and I am very much appreciated and thanks for his generous and helping to serve all of us for a wonderful meal. It was indeed so delicious and yummy porridge I would recommend for.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for writing this very comprehensive and interesting article on our get-together, Lina. I enjoyed both the article and the meet-up very much.

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    1. Hi, Victor, you are welcome. Hope we would meet up again.

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  2. Thank you Lina, you have enriched what was a wonderful evening with some extra informative detail. Ann and I enjoyed the evening at Old Airport Road tremendously. I have been sorting through the many photos we took during our four week stay in Singapore and will be loading them by topic to Photobucket and posting links on Facebook. Here is the first link to the first topic I have done. Although I am not what we would call a "twitcher" here in the UK a little of the enthusiasm of one my friends who is a confirmed "twitcher" has rubbed off on me, and the first album is on photographs of birds I took during our visit.

    http://s106.photobucket.com/user/jollygreenp/library/Singapore%202015/Birds

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    1. Hi, John (JollyGreenP), it was indeed very nice of meeting you and Ann. It was a wonderful get-together and share the moment of chatting away of our old good days. I am impressed of your albums photos on birds photography of your visit in Singapore. I love birds photography too. Thanks you for sharing. Cheers!

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