Hi Annelisic, thank you for that, my photo is now on the site, well two actually as one was taken 10 minutes after the other and you can see how the clouds had rolled in in that time.
Very delighted to have belatedly found this picture showing 'The Bracket' - No.30 Severn Road, The Peak. I have plenty of happy memories living there 1965 to 1973. The Victorian doll house was painted a deep pink with white trimmings for windows & doors. The living room had a high ceiling & four classic columns. The marble fireplace had Victoria Royal engraved - said to have been relocated from the old chamber of the Legco.
When we moved in, there were plenty of colourful Italian tiles leftover by Mrs. Baron, the former tenant, who was an artist. I believe she did the beautiful Way of the Cross mural on the brick wall of the chapel of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong.
Our parents let six of their boys occupy the ensuite penthouse, turning it into some kind of a spacious boarding school dorm. There were plenty of roaming space on the roof. The view overlooking nothing but woodlands all the way down to the two Aberdeen Reservoirs, Aberdeen Harbour, Ap Lei Chau and the sea beyond, was phenomenal. As kids, were were fascinated seeing squirrels & barking deers. There were so many of us that neighbours said they noticed someone at each window every time they walked past.
Walking home from The Peak Tram to the far end of Severn Road in the foggy evenings was really scary for this young person. There was 'hardly a soul around'. The alternative was to wait 'for hours' for the CMB Minibus that went around Plantation Road to Matilda Hospital at Mt Kellett. There was a British military hospital at Mt. Kellett for a while.
The Deputy GM of the Chartered Bank was at 'Kirkendoa' next door. 'Red tycoon' of the time, Henry Fok Ying-tung had a house behind Kirkendoa; it was attached to that of his partner Dr. H. Tang. Dr. Vio, who drove around in his classic ivory colour Mercedes-Benz convertible, kept a zoo at home with long-arm monkeys, racoons, big colourful parrots, eagles, two Afghan hounds and two lapdogs... His houseboys let us carry the monkeys at times. I would never forget the sight of them walking around Severn Road in the evening, zoo et al.
The taipan house of Jardines was 'Strawberry Hill' behind The Peak School. All the Jardine houses were painted grey. The taipan house of HK Bank was 'The Cliff, and the other top brass at 'Undercliffs' ... around The Cliff. HK Bank houses were painted white. The enomous Rolls-Royce Phantom V limo of HK Bank Taipan got stuck at the tricky right angle bend at the end of Severn Road. No one was hurt, but one side of it was quite damaged. We don't know what happened to the chauffer afterwards.
The taipan of Shell was at 51 Pantation Road, named 'The Belvedere'. The taipan of The Chartered Bank was at a lower terrace, off Plantation Road by a pathway next to the half-finished house named 'Fung Shui' (said to belong to the Lui Family formerly operator of KMB). Apparently bad Fung Shui halted the project mid-way. On Sundays, the Union Jack fluttered from every British house.
The Consul General of W.Germany was along Gough Hill Road near the Chief Justice's house. Textile tycoon, Wong Tung-yuan of HK Spinners, had an elegant Spanish style house at the far end of Gough Hill Road just below The Peak Police Station. There were twin government houses along The Peak Road right below the Polcie Station. At that time, they were inhabited by Dr. P.H. Teng, Director of Medical & Health Services, and C.P. Sutcliff, Commissioner of Police.
Much as there are and have been some beautiful and elegant houses up on the Peak over the years there have been some 'howlers' too!
Perhaps a personal dis-favourite would be the rather clumsy and brutal looking 'swiss cottage' style buildings at the top of Gough Hill Road where it meets Pollock Path.
How you can be allowed to, never mind want to, build those blocks in that location beggars belief. Lord knows what they demolished to make way for them...but I better not say to much in case someone on here lives in, owns or heaven forbid designed them!
They look to date from the late 60's or 70's possibly.
Comments
Mt Gough
Was Mt Gough visible from Victoria Barracks as I have a photo, taken by my husband in 1954, which is entitiled Mt Gough from B block.
Yes it was. But these
Yes it was. But these buildings faced south, not north toward Victoria Barracks.
Mount Gough
Hi Annelisic, thank you for that, my photo is now on the site, well two actually as one was taken 10 minutes after the other and you can see how the clouds had rolled in in that time.
Pauline.
Mount Gough
Very delighted to have belatedly found this picture showing 'The Bracket' - No.30 Severn Road, The Peak. I have plenty of happy memories living there 1965 to 1973. The Victorian doll house was painted a deep pink with white trimmings for windows & doors. The living room had a high ceiling & four classic columns. The marble fireplace had Victoria Royal engraved - said to have been relocated from the old chamber of the Legco.
When we moved in, there were plenty of colourful Italian tiles leftover by Mrs. Baron, the former tenant, who was an artist. I believe she did the beautiful Way of the Cross mural on the brick wall of the chapel of Wah Yan College, Hong Kong.
Our parents let six of their boys occupy the ensuite penthouse, turning it into some kind of a spacious boarding school dorm. There were plenty of roaming space on the roof. The view overlooking nothing but woodlands all the way down to the two Aberdeen Reservoirs, Aberdeen Harbour, Ap Lei Chau and the sea beyond, was phenomenal. As kids, were were fascinated seeing squirrels & barking deers. There were so many of us that neighbours said they noticed someone at each window every time they walked past.
Walking home from The Peak Tram to the far end of Severn Road in the foggy evenings was really scary for this young person. There was 'hardly a soul around'. The alternative was to wait 'for hours' for the CMB Minibus that went around Plantation Road to Matilda Hospital at Mt Kellett. There was a British military hospital at Mt. Kellett for a while.
The Deputy GM of the Chartered Bank was at 'Kirkendoa' next door. 'Red tycoon' of the time, Henry Fok Ying-tung had a house behind Kirkendoa; it was attached to that of his partner Dr. H. Tang. Dr. Vio, who drove around in his classic ivory colour Mercedes-Benz convertible, kept a zoo at home with long-arm monkeys, racoons, big colourful parrots, eagles, two Afghan hounds and two lapdogs... His houseboys let us carry the monkeys at times. I would never forget the sight of them walking around Severn Road in the evening, zoo et al.
The taipan house of Jardines was 'Strawberry Hill' behind The Peak School. All the Jardine houses were painted grey. The taipan house of HK Bank was 'The Cliff, and the other top brass at 'Undercliffs' ... around The Cliff. HK Bank houses were painted white. The enomous Rolls-Royce Phantom V limo of HK Bank Taipan got stuck at the tricky right angle bend at the end of Severn Road. No one was hurt, but one side of it was quite damaged. We don't know what happened to the chauffer afterwards.
The taipan of Shell was at 51 Pantation Road, named 'The Belvedere'. The taipan of The Chartered Bank was at a lower terrace, off Plantation Road by a pathway next to the half-finished house named 'Fung Shui' (said to belong to the Lui Family formerly operator of KMB). Apparently bad Fung Shui halted the project mid-way. On Sundays, the Union Jack fluttered from every British house.
The Consul General of W.Germany was along Gough Hill Road near the Chief Justice's house. Textile tycoon, Wong Tung-yuan of HK Spinners, had an elegant Spanish style house at the far end of Gough Hill Road just below The Peak Police Station. There were twin government houses along The Peak Road right below the Polcie Station. At that time, they were inhabited by Dr. P.H. Teng, Director of Medical & Health Services, and C.P. Sutcliff, Commissioner of Police.
Thank you Lawrence
Very informative.
Much as there are and have been some beautiful and elegant houses up on the Peak over the years there have been some 'howlers' too!
Perhaps a personal dis-favourite would be the rather clumsy and brutal looking 'swiss cottage' style buildings at the top of Gough Hill Road where it meets Pollock Path.
How you can be allowed to, never mind want to, build those blocks in that location beggars belief. Lord knows what they demolished to make way for them...but I better not say to much in case someone on here lives in, owns or heaven forbid designed them!
They look to date from the late 60's or 70's possibly.
Regards
J