Happy Valley 1923

anonymous-01
Mon, 09/22/2014 - 21:06
prevnextoldernewer
Happy Valley 1923

Was interested to see the recent picture of Happt Valley. Here is one from my family collection. It was sent to my grandfather John Olson in 1923.

Things changed a bit!

The house with the mark above it it 13 Broadwood Road which was the home of my great uncle Charles W. Olson until 1927 or perhaps a little later. Above it on the right on the ridg is The Towers a picture of which I posted some time ago.

This house was built between 1916/1917 and was the home of Charles W.Warren and his wife Hannah who was my great aunt and the half sister of the aforesaid John Olson and Charles W, Olson.

Any information regarding The Towers and it's history after 1923 when Charles Warren died would be appreciated. I think it ended as a school before making way for new high rise buildings.

Date picture taken
1923
Tags
John Olson
Gallery
1920s Hong Kong
Shows place(s)
The Towers, 20 Broadwood Road [1916-1953]
13 Broadwood Road [????-????]
Happy Valley Racecourse [1846- ]
Southwest stand at Happy Valley Racecourse [1919-????]
Black Rock, Happy Valley Racecourse [????- ]
Le Calvaire / St Paul's Primary Catholic School, Happy Valley [1907- ]
Broadwood Terrace [1915-????]
Koon Ma Terrace, 2-14 Wong Nai Chung Road [c.1922-????]

Comments

In 1940, the address provided by Leslie Beal Warren was The Towers, 20 Broadwood Road. It appears that the building was still around prior to the Japanese Occupation.

Again thanks. I am surprised that it was the address provided by Leslie Beal Warren as family history says it was sold in about 1923.

What happened after that I am not sure but I think it survived the War and recall reading somewhere that its final use was as a preparatory school.

My information is that the land the house stood on was at Wongneichong Road overlooking Happy Valley Racecourse. This later became Broadwood Road and was bought from the Government in 1913.  

 

This picture goes back to last year when I posted it and I was rude not to reply to Moddsey to thank him for the information.

The interesting thing about the clipping here is that I think it is possible that the company letting The Towers also bought the headquarters of C.E.Warren in 30-32 Des Boeux Road in the early 20s.

The picture I referred to in my last posting about the The Towers does not have arrows on it. However, if you go to my website www.thehongkonglegacy in the chapter "Growing families growing expectations" you will see the picture I mention with the arrows which may be of help to you. It shows the view from 13 up to 20 Broadwood Road.

Sean

 

Thank you, moddsey, for this information and sorry for the late response. Just to clear up the confusion: The Towers didn't reach its reserve price in July 1924 when it was put up for sale and was left empty. My uncle, Leslie Beal Warren, lived with his family at 'The Cottage' in the grounds until he sent them back to England in 1938. His children used to play in the large empty house. The Towers was sold, as per your newspaper clipping, in 1933. It was subsequently rented by friends of the family, the Dransfields. After 1938 Leslie Warren went to live with them until he left Hong Kong in 1941. I assume that's why he was giving his address as 20 Broadwood Road in 1940. 

Jill

Not sure if the date of demolition of the Towers has been determined. From our home in Happy Valley, where I was born and grew up, the building could be clearly seen from our dining room windows. It was known to us as "Warren's Castle", and was certainly still there after the war - I think until the 1950s.

I wonder if you knew Judith Evans and Roy Spencer who used to play in The Towers when it was derelict in the late '40s/early '50s. Together with the other local children they called it their castle. A favourite game was to "bomb" other children with rocks from the roof. I haven't yet found out the exact date when The Towers was demolished to make way for flats.

Jill

Sorry, no memory of this.

You may be interested in this brief extract from my father's diary, entry for 23rd December, 1941 - "For several days we had with binoculars been watching a sentry near Warren's Castle on Broadwood Ridge across the Valley. He was usually an Indian, and always reassuringly he was looking intently towards the hills. This morning he was looking the other way and he wore a conical steel helmet; he was a Japanese."

Thank you for this vivid and sinister snippet from your father's diary. I don't know what happened to the Dransfield family who had been renting The Towers, but I believe the house was used as a mess for Japanese officers during the war.

I have been trying to find a Happy Valley picture that might show the mansion that was the BCMS Children's Home in 1930.  Being at No 24 Broadwood Road it would be a little further along from the Towers at No 20.  We know it looked down the valley towards the racecourse and had a fabulous view at night.  It must have been a building of some size as it was described as a mansion, so I'm wondering if the building to the right of the Towers in this picture is it? 

Aldi, no. 24 Broadwood Road didn’t yet exist in 1923. Nos. 20 and 21 were the last houses built in Broadwood Road by my grandfather, Charles Warren, who died in 1923. Perhaps Nona Pio-Ulski, whose family later lived in no. 22, might be able to help.

Thank you for those pointers.  Looking at the HKMS map posted by Admin in the 24 Broadwood Road thread there is certainly a building at the top of Broadwood Road in 1922 marked 'B' and labelled as #24, and a building 'A' showing #22/23.  My question is  - in this photo is the large building shown to the right of the Towers #21 or #24?  Or #22/23?  

I'll have to compare the map with the other maps of the area that I have. In the meantime a good photo of no. 21 in relation to no. 20 was posted by Peter Braude at https://gwulo.com/media/30157 

Like no. 21, I believe that nos. 22/23 were also below The Towers, which was right at the top of Broadwood Road. There wouldn't have been any room for another big house. The one shown in the postcard must be in another road. As far as I can tell, the building marked B in the HKMS map is The Towers itself showing the apricot orchard on one side, but after reading moddsey's post I must be mistaken about that.

Below is a photo of the Rate Book page for nos. 11-23 Broadwood Road for the year of 1924-1925.

broadwood road 1924 25
broadwood road 1924 25, by jill

That's very interesting.  Thank you Jill.  So if building A is the Towers, could we say that building C is #21 , D is #22/23 and B is the building at the Top of Broadwood Road, building B on Admin's HKMS map = 24 Broadwood Road?

And is the development along the ridge to the right of building B the continuation of the Tai Hang Road?

The Towers and its neighbours 1923
The Towers and its neighbours 1923, by Aldi

 

Building C appears a bit too low in this photo and the wrong shape. Perhaps it's best if I drop an email to Nona Pio-Ulski and to Peter Braude who will have seen these buildings at firsthand, if somewhat later. You may also be able to find some of their posts on Gwulo and place a query there for them on their threads.

Thanks Jill and Moddsey.  Great find Moddsey!  And exactly the year in question.  Possibly then No 24 could be items C, D (not sure what that is) or E?  I'm still amazed (and grateful) that Team Gwulo was able to identify 24 Broadway Road as the BCMS Children's Home last year.  

1931 Broadwood Ridge
1931 Broadway Ridge, by Aldi

 

I've just managed to get hold of this pic from a friend showing Broadwood Ridge and the Wong Nei Chung Gap between Mt Butler and Mt Cameron, and I'm just wondering if the building on the left is the Towers and the buildings to the right of it are the houses at the top of Broadwood Road and Tai Hang Road.  I think it was taken from Causeway Bay Hill c1950.

c1950 Broadwood Road & Wong Nei chung Gap
Broadwood Road & Wong Nei Chung Gap, by Aldi

The Towers was right at the top of Broadwood Road. The building you identify as The Towers looks similar, but rather precariously perched on the cliff to allow for the garden and the road in between. Where would this photo have been taken from? Where is Mount Caroline Cemetery?