Who am I?
My name is Robin, and Rochor Centre is the place that I grew up which I had many fond memories of. It is a place which I call home for 16 years. My family moved into Rochor Centre in 1977 when it was first completed. I was only 5 years old back then and that it was the same year that my sister was born. We stayed in a 3 room flat in Block 4 (although it is called a 3-room flat, the flat actually has 2 bedrooms, and occupants are my dad, mum, younger brother, younger sister and me). Life was simple back then, and I thoroughly enjoyed my childhood.
I attended Kindergarten at the void deck for 2 years, after which I studied at Selegie Primary School from 1979 till 1985 where I completed my Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). Selegie Primary School was the tallest primary school in Singapore back then. My mum would walk me and my younger brother (he is just 1 year younger than me) to school every day. Times were carefree and we enjoyed every moment of primary school life back then. There were no IPad, and we while our time away catching spiders, crickets, fishes and playing board games.
After I completed my Primary 6 PSLE in 1985, I started my Secondary School education in Monk’s Hill in 1986. I would take bus service 170 from the Bus Interchange at Queen Street to my school in Winstedt road. I remembered the bus conductor collecting fares and then disbursing the bus tickets to us. 4 years flew past very fast, and I obtained my O levels results in 1988. I proceeded to Junior College in 1989 after my O levels.
I was called upon to service my country in March 1990. By the time I complete my 2.5 years of national service in 1993, that was the year that I left Rochor Centre as my parents bought a bigger HDB flat in Tampines. It is only after I moved out that Rochor Centre was given the iconic red, green, yellow and blue paints for each of the blocks in 1994.
Rochor Centre and its colorful past
Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Rochor Centre actually has a “colorful” past! It is just outside the City Centre and it is near to the vibrant Bugis Village and the old shop houses in Ophir Road that transvestites used to hang out. It was quite “happening” in and around Rochor Centre (especially after dark). It is actually due to this that my parents would forbid my siblings and myself to venture out of our home after the sun sets.
During the eve of Chinese New Year, thongs of devotees would decent to the Kwang Im Tong Temple along Waterloo street to make prayers for the new year. As my room is facing waterloo street, I have a bird’s eye view of the “chaotic” scene in Kwang Im Temple.
Hungry ghost festival is another interesting event where the whole Rochor Centre would come “alive”. During the Hungry ghost festival, banquet tables would occupy the first floor void deck of Rochor Centre, and there would be “getai” or live stage performances for the human as well as the ghostly counterparts.
Unfortunately to make way for Urban development, the Singapore Land Authority and Land Transport Authority announced in 16 Nov 2011 that Rochor Centre would be demolished to facilitate the construction of the North-South Expressway. I was naturally saddened when I heard this news. Like the many historical landmark, Rochor Centre will be part of Singapore’s history!
To all who wished to keep memories of Rochor Centre alive!
I had visited Rochor Centre end December 2016 and early January 2017. Although a lot of residents have already moved out of Rochor Centre, I still see people with cameras (some professionals using the high performance SLR camera, or plain ordinary residents using their camera functions in mobile phones) and trying to capture the images of this iconic HDB building before it is gone forever!
I believed many people (especially people who had lived in Rochor Centre before would share the same sentiments as me. This is what prompted me to start this webpage to gather Videos, pictures (new, and especially the old photos), articles so that we can keep the memories of Rochor Centre alive!
You can help by:
- Providing me with Pictures of Rochor Centre especially old photos
- Highly recommend you contribute as a blogger and write an article of anything relating to Rochor Centre
- Rochor Centre related Videos
P.S: Please send me original pictures, videos, and articles that you took/written yourself.
I would appreciate if you could contact me if you have any ideas or suggestions for me to improve this website
Please contact me at poonwk1972@gmail.com