What's new and updated on the Gwulo website:

 

Upcoming events

• Hong Kong - Saturday, 15 February - St Stephen's College Heritage Trail Open Day 2025. I had the chance to visit this Heritage Trail several years ago, and I enjoyed it very much. The school's history is interesting in itself, but also because the school was part of the Stanley Internment Camp during WW2. The school maintains a permanent exhibition about the Camp, with many items donated by ex-internees. Details and booking.
  
   
• London - Saturday, 5 April - David presents the Gwulo's Farewell illustrated talk. I gave this talk to 500+ people over three sold-out evenings last summer, just before leaving Hong Kong. The Friends of East Asia have kindly invited me to give the talk again here in the UK, and they welcome guests to attend. Details and booking.

General

•  The Japanese pillbox at Diamond Hill has reappeared at a new location, after spending several years in storage.

• Several readers have investigated when the photo of Dent's Fountain spraying water was taken, and 1897 is a strong candidate.

• A useful research resource of civilian internees and some POWs in WW2 Hong Kong: National Archives UK - World War II Nominal Cards

• If you collect old photos of Hong Kong, the Brighton Belle Collectables store on eBay is well worth a visit. I've bought from them several times over the years, and have always been happy with the photos and quick delivery. Last week there was a hiccup when I received a photo that was different from the one I'd ordered. I wrote to let them know, had a reply in six minutes, the tracking number within a few hours, and the correct item arrived the next morning - excellent service!

• A new video about Admiral Chan Chak's wartime escape from Hong Kong

• Readers are looking for any information about ...

  • Elizabeth MOORE [1884-????], born in Hong Kong, she grew up there as an orphan

  • Where was the British Kowloon College located? This was the in the mid 1890s, and it was the predecessor to the Kowloon British School.

  • Who was Arnold, commemorated by a gravestone on the Deepwater Bay Golf Course?

  • What is the story behind the two statues of animals on Bowen Road near the boundary stone?

  • Looking for the missing first episode, 'Detective' of the 1970s BBC TV series 'Hong Kong Beat'

• And two readers ask for help identifying old photos.

  • The first is believed to be from 1930s Hong Kong

    

  • The second one doesn't look like Hong Kong, but could it be one of the treaty ports?

    

Organisations & People

What's new and updated on the Gwulo website:

 

General

• How several thousand old gramophone needles kept the City Hall opening date on schedule (scroll down to the bottom of that page for the needles story)

• Percy Chittenden thought he'd lost his wartime diary during the fighting in Hong Kong in 1941, but after surviving the years as a POW he was surprised to find his diary waiting for him when he arrived back in the UK, sent to him by a Mrs B Reed. Percy's nephew got in touch with Mrs Reed's daughter to pass on the family's thanks.

• All five volumes of Gwulo's books are back in stock at Amazon UK (this is an affiliate link - it doesn't affect the price you pay but Gwulo earns a small commission from Amazon if you buy via this link)

• There is an ongoing discussion about the early buildings along Broadwood Road - see them on a map, or on a list. In a related thread, the hunt for information about 24 Broadwood Road continues.

• Stuart Braga has posted a biography of Anthony Manuel BRAGA (aka Tony) [1907-1994]  

  

• Eurasian_david introduces the big family that is the issue of Omar Abdool (Razak) Madar (22nd Jul 1871-14th Dec 1923) b. Hong Kong. d. Hong Kong, and his wife Sarah Shirazee (6th Jan 1874-12th Jun 1947) b. Hong Kong d. Shanghai.

• Thank you to Bookazine for interviewing me about Gwulo, my books, and the recent award

• The first horse carriages and the first motor cars in Hong Kong

• HCIIL has posted several stereoviews of Hong Kong from the 1920s, e.g.:

  

• blueheron has posted a selection of photos of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club boats and events in the 1970s. Here's an example:

  

• Readers are looking for any information about ...

  • Stories / photos of the islands around Hong Kong

  • Looking for Renee Ballerand

  • Looking for Arthur Lo, from Hong Kong - he worked in the Peking Restaurant in Wendover, UK, in the late eighties

Organisations & People