Why This Nostalgic Neighbourhood Will Take You Back In Time | Singapore Hour

Key Concepts

• Telok Blangah: A neighbourhood in Singapore known for its blend of art, food, heritage, and natural landscapes.
• Stiltwalking: A traditional cultural practice involving walking on stilts, requiring constant movement for balance.
• Carrot Cake (Singaporean): A dish made from fried preserved radish, eggs, spring onions, and sweet sauce, not a dessert.
• Don Low: A Telok Blangah resident and illustrator who captures urban scenes and people's gestures.
• Gilman Barracks: A lifestyle hub in colonial buildings, formerly British military barracks, now housing art and entertainment spaces.
• Ida's Bar and Event Space: An event space managed by Pamela Devied at Gilman Barracks.
• Charlotte Puxley Flowers: A florist at Gilman Barracks, known for unique floral arrangements inspired by British and Singaporean gardens, valuing quality and creativity.
• WeTuft: A business offering rug tufting workshops, featuring a large yarn wall and a rug wall, aiming to scale the tufting scene in Singapore.
• Rug Tufting: A craft involving threading yarn through a fabric to create designs, described as therapeutic.
• Seah Im Food Centre: A popular food spot known for local dishes.
• Char Kway Teow: A stir-fried noodle dish with flat white noodles, lard, sweet soya sauce, prawns, fishcake, beansprouts, eggs, cockles, and sometimes pork sausages, characterized by "wok hey" (char from the wok).
• Reflections at Bukit Chandu: A museum honouring the Royal Malay Regiment and their role in the Battle of Pasir Panjang during World War II.
• Battle of Pasir Panjang: A significant World War II battle in Singapore involving local troops.
• Royal Malay Regiment: A colonial infantry unit of local soldiers.
• Mount Faber: Telok Blangah's iconic hill, offering panoramic views and recreational activities.
• Old Habits Cafe: A cafe that is part restaurant and part vintage shop, offering locally inspired Western comfort food and a nostalgic experience with vintage items.
• Cable Car: A prominent feature of Mount Faber, offering scenic rides and a connection to Singapore's past.

Telok Blangah: A Neighbourhood of Surprises

Pamela Devied, an events manager residing in Telok Blangah for over 40 years, highlights the neighbourhood's diverse offerings, ranging from art activities and culinary delights to scenic views from its hills.

Cultural Traditions: Stiltwalking

The transcript features a demonstration of traditional stiltwalking, a practice that requires continuous movement for balance. Pamela attempts stiltwalking, experiencing anxiety and fear, and concludes that she is "clearly not cut out for this." She expresses a belief that stiltwalking is "not very well recognised" and suggests that practicing in open spaces could attract more teenagers to continue this cultural tradition.

Culinary Exploration: Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre

Pamela's exploration leads her to Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre, an established food hub. She enjoys a breakfast of "carrot cake," clarifying that it is not a dessert but a dish made from "fried preserved radish that is wok-fried with eggs and spring onions a bit of sweet sauce."

Artistic Encounters: Don Low

During her exploration, Pamela encounters Don Low, a resident illustrator known for capturing urban scenes and people's gestures. Don Low sketches Pamela, who is impressed with the likeness, stating, "That looks like me."

Arts and Lifestyle Hub: Gilman Barracks

A 10-minute walk from Telok Blangah Drive Food Centre leads to Gilman Barracks, a lifestyle hub housed in former British military barracks. This area is described as an "art and entertainment lifestyle hub."

Ida's Bar and Event Space

Pamela manages Ida's Bar and Event Space within Gilman Barracks. Her boss, Charlotte, owns both Ida's and Charlotte Puxley Flowers.

Charlotte Puxley Flowers

Charlotte Puxley Flowers is a florist that curates floral arrangements inspired by British and Singaporean gardens. Charlotte emphasizes blending Singaporean aesthetics, such as orchids, with unique textures to create a distinctive feel. She highlights the use of robust plants like Plumbago and values "quality over quantity" in their custom-made bouquets, emphasizing creativity in each bunch.

WeTuft: Rug Tufting Workshops

Gilman Barracks also hosts WeTuft, a business offering rug tufting workshops. Edmond, the proprietor, notes that the "tufting scene here in Singapore is pretty small" and his aim is to "scale it bigger." WeTuft boasts the "largest yarn wall in Singapore" and a rug wall showcasing works by staff and experienced tufters. The activity is described as "therapeutic," allowing people to "laugh" and "tuft." Pamela attempts to create a tufted logo for Ida's Bar, finding the process challenging, stating, "It's definitely harder than it looks." She notes that some designs can take over eight hours to complete.

Culinary Delights: Seah Im Food Centre

Pamela visits Seah Im Food Centre, a popular food spot, to enjoy "char kway teow." She orders it "extra spicy." The dish is described as a "stir-fried noodle dish with flat white noodles mixed with lard and sweet soya sauce prawns, fishcake, beansprouts, eggs, and even cockles and sometimes pork sausages." The key appeal is the "wok hey," the char imparted from the wok. The vendor has been selling char kway teow for over 35 years.

Historical Reflection: Reflections at Bukit Chandu

Pamela then visits Reflections at Bukit Chandu, a museum dedicated to the Royal Malay Regiment. This unit was a colonial infantry unit of local soldiers who fought in the Battle of Pasir Panjang during World War II. The museum highlights that the Malay Regiment began as an "experimental company" with only 25 selected from thousands of applicants, eventually growing to two battalions of approximately 3,000 men. The Battle of Pasir Panjang is significant as it was a battle fought by "local troops or other troops who were raised in this region." Pamela shares a personal connection, stating her grandfather fought in the war and had his ear "chopped off by one of the Japanese soldiers," leading him to wear a scarf to hide it. She views the place as representing Singapore's history and resilience, and feels proud of her family's connection to this history.

Nostalgic Charm: Old Habits Cafe

Moving to the foothills of Mount Faber, Pamela visits Old Habits Cafe, a unique establishment that is "part restaurant part vintage shop." The owner, Don, explains that the cafe displays vintage items that people can interact with and share stories about. Pamela reminisces about playing with a "tin monkey" wind-up toy, a "blind box" item from her childhood. She describes the cafe as a "treasure hunt" offering a "different taste" and "different memory."

Iconic Views: Mount Faber

Pamela ascends to the peak of Mount Faber, which stands at 106 metres, making it the third-highest peak in Singapore. It serves as both a tourist attraction and a local favourite for dining with panoramic views of Telok Blangah. Mount Faber is also strongly associated with its cable car rides. Pamela recalls taking the "first generation cable car," made about 50 years ago, with her father and being "very, very scared." She decides to take the cable car down to "soak in the magnificent views."

Conclusion: A Vibrant and Evolving Community

Pamela concludes that Telok Blangah offers an "old-world charm of Singapore" but is also a dynamic neighbourhood that is "always pulsing, reinventing, and building new communities." She expresses her enjoyment of living in Telok Blangah for these multifaceted reasons.