Kowloon Junior School [????- ]

Submitted by philk on Tue, 11/11/2008 - 19:35
Current condition
Unknown

Kowloon Junior School currently has two sites, this one next to Argyle Street, and another one over at Begonia Rd in Yau Yat Chuen. The latter is due to close down so the school can operate from a single site (i.e. this one) from 2011.

 Here is Booth's description again: "surrounded by a six-foot chain-link fence on the other side of which was a steep drop to the dusty football field of another school".

Assuming the school hasn't changed location since the fifties (I know, BIG assumption) I wonder if the adjacent football pitch (which belongs to King George V School - the 'other' school perhaps?) is the same one Booth saw. Judging from my road map it is indeed on the lower side of a steep slope that drops down from the KJS grounds.

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Photos that show this Place

Kowloon Junior School
1953
Halloween party..KJS 1957.jpg
1957
KJS 1957 Nov ..Lady Grantham visit.jpg
1957
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Phil, looks like this is the location that Booth knew. This site mentions:

Kowloon Junior School grew from the junior section of the Central British School. Its present buildings at Perth Street were originally occupied in 1950 though they have been extended several times.

Here's a photo of Martin Booth in his classroom, from the Booth's family album. Can anyone recognise any of the other people in his class?

Kowloon Junior School

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Submitted by
S (not verified)
on
Mon, 08/10/2009 - 18:25

Just wanted to let you know,the school is still on Perth Street and has another site on Rose Street. The adjacent football pitch is now a track field. So, it has probably been renovated. It's where KJS have they're annual sports day. I think it is a public sport ground, but definitely not owned my KGV. There are some steep stairs that lead from KJS directly to the track field.

Hope this helps. I used to go to KJS and is studying Gweilo in school (KGV) now. :)

S

hope the link works - rather than directing to a photo in the facebook group (hasnt always registered previously) i have linked to the kjs group where the last pic uploaded is from booth's book with a bit of commentary and a plug to this site.  many of my friends from back then have read and enjoyed the book too, some of the older ones knew booth as well ;)

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=2214343249&ref=ts

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Submitted by
Brian (not verified)
on
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 06:21

Phil - my recollection is that the school on the other side of the fence, at a lower level was in fact a Chinese school. I seem to recall that to get to KGV you had to  actually go up some steps from Perth Street..? Brian

Hi Brian, thanks for the information. I wonder if the CHinese school you refer to was the temporary relocation of LaSalle?

I understand that for a period of time, post-war, the Lasalle school building was used as a military hospital and as a result several temporary structures were created on Perth St to house the displaced students.

It certainly would have been around the time that Booth was attending KJS.

Any thoughts?

Cheers, Phil

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Submitted by
Anonymous (not verified)
on
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 10:54

The original Kowloon Junior School buildings on Perth Street will be demolished this month to make way for a new, larger building. If anyone wants to see what the school looked like during Booth's time I would suggest doing so now!

Hello Phil,

You are right, the field was in the grounds of the temporary La Salle College.  I lived ('53-'56) in a military flat opposite La Salle, and often played football on the pitch ..... bone-hard with not a scrap of grass.

Our flat was well sited for KGV.  A five-minute walk took me from home to class-room.

All the best,

Derek

This is photo of La Salle College during its time on Perth Street (1949-59). 

http://www.lscoba.com/photo.php?imgname=/home/lscoba.com/g2data/albums/lsc00000008917/4571.JPG&type=ori

The road in front of the apartment blocks is Perth Street.  Kowloon Junior would be located somewhere to the right of the photo beyond the small hill. 

Besides being located on Perth Street and Rose Street in Yau Yat Chuen, I believe the Kowloon Junior School rented the annex of La Salle College from April 1947 to the summer of 1950, when the annex would otherwise be left vacant.  The annex was located at the junction of La Salle Road and Boundary Street.  I met one gentleman who studied in KJS while the school was located there.  However, this school location is not related to Martin Booth's time since he arrived after KJS was located there.

Here is a view of the annex (later in 1957 to become La Salle Primary School), while it was used by La Salle Primary, but the building should essentilly be the same, before the building's first extension in 1959.  

http://www.lscoba.com/photo.php?imgname=/home/lscoba.com/g2data/albums/lsc00000008644/lsc00000009152/7784.jpg&type=ori

 

Timeline

1921 - Opened at Gun Club Hill in a building leased from the Military Authorities.

1929 - Moved to two semi-detached houses in Cox's Path i.e. Parkside Up to 1940, enrollment was 110.

1946 - Reopened with 67 pupils in a wing of the Central British School (KGV).

Easter 1947 - Moved to La Salle College Annexe. 

Jan 1950 - Enrollment was 169.

Sep 1950 - Moved to permanent premises at Perth Street. 

Feb 1951 - Enrollment was 206

Source: China Mail 21 February 1951