Farewell MyQueenstown

Farewell MyQueenstown #7 - Farewell KTM Tracks

On 30 Jun 2011 | 6 Comments

Much has been written about KTM Tracks lately. A simple search on Google and Yahoo will bring you to numerous websites such as this and this. After all, this cantankerous relic was Singapore's brave new world in the early 20th century.  I have always been a believer of my secondary school's motto, "Rooted in Tradition, Equipped for the Future."

永别了!女皇镇!#7 一摊油条传三代

On 30 Apr 2011 | 1 Comments

一摊油条传三代 在玛格列熟食中心,“生活公市”说得上是个客至如云的摊子。这个小摊子,不售卖任何煮炒;摊子主人则一年三百六十五天,天天在摊内起个炉炸上一条条的油条。 “生活公市”摊主李马才先生(58岁)是这家油条摊的第三代。 祖父自中国南来便炸油条为业,后来其父亦继承了祖父的业务。“生活公市”自1969年起,正式迁入玛格列熟食中心营业。李先生从小便跟随父亲学手艺,在油锅边打转。 李先生的油条,以香脆爽口闻名。在80年代初,李先生每一日几乎可炸近200条油条。李家一家五人总要齐齐上阵来应付顾客的需要。 如今,虽然李先生的摊子已搬迁到亚历山大村熟食中心,但他对玛格列熟食中心仍然十分怀念。再见了,玛格列熟食中心!

Farewell MyQueenstown #6 - The Taste of Wanton Noodle Lingers...

On 24 Mar 2011 | 18 Comments

Mr. Phoon Hon Sun, 64, and his family started selling barbeque pork from a pushcart at the terminal for Hock Lee bus service no.9 some 53 years ago. The bus terminal was located next to Blocks 6B and 7 along Margaret Close, a cluster of flats which were demolished during the 1990s. A familiar sight no more Every afternoon, residents who lived in the seven

Home Sweet Home @ MyQueenstown

Home Sweet Home #15 - A New Day Has Come =)

On 24 Apr 2011 | 11 Comments

Last week, MyQueenstown team interviewed Mdm Chan about her life in Blk 15 Holland Drive. Under SERS, she was assigned a new apartment in the newly developed blocks just a stone throw sway. Today, we visit Hisham Suni, 38, who moved over from Blk 17 to his new apartment in Blk 18C Holland Drive. Hisham Suni and his son =) Hisham is delighted by his new ap

Home Sweet Home #14 - Farewell Holland Drive

On 17 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

Blk 15, Holland Drive looked vacant and cold when MyQueenstown team visited this morning. The shop houses under the apartment block were all covered with card boards and all that was left were traces of glass panels, which could possibly be a beauty parlor in its place before. The lift was still working. Mdm Chan - a long time resident at Holland Drive A c

Home Sweet Home #13 - Commonwealth 10! Here I Come!

On 10 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

The front door was wide open when MyQueenstown team visited Mr Lee, 78, at his apartment in Blk 74 Commonwealth Drive. Feeling curious, we knocked onto the door and was greeted by a sleepy looking Mr Lee. Mr Lee who lives alone at Block 74 Retired more than a decade ago, Mr Lee is living alone as he prefers being independent to tagging along with his chi

News@MyQueenstown

Response to Straits Times Forum: "Active Citizenry Needs Space to Find Its Feet"

On 26 Aug 2011 | 25 Comments

A week ago, Mr. Eric Tan, Director of the National Archives of Singapore, explained that the archives have generously acceded to our requests for photographs to be published in our website, upcoming book and newsletter. This was not the full story. Last year, we wrote in to the National Archives of Singapore, requesting them to sponsor photographs of the ol

MyQueenstown Celebrates: Consecration Ceremony at Sri Muneeswaran Temple!

On 10 Jul 2011 | 1 Comments

Tanglin Halt residents are wokened up by the vociferous wailing of nadaswaram and thavil ensemble at Sri Muneeswaran Temple this morning. More than 15,000 residents and devotees have gathered at the Southeast Asia's largest Hindu temple worshiping the Muneeswaran god to witness the consecration ceremony. A consecration ceremony is a festive occasion done on

女皇镇1周新闻快讯 - 第二十五期

On 08 Jul 2011 | 6 Comments

女皇弄组屋 同一垃圾糟 两年3纵火  女皇弄组屋走廊垃圾糟,三度起火,居民人心惶惶,警列恶作剧纵火处理。 位于女皇镇一带的女皇弄第21座组屋8楼的电梯口,今早7时15分左右发生大火。 一名住在事发地点附近的居民,惊见滚滚黑烟从该处冒出 最高74万5000元 最低40多万 女皇镇 四房转售价 相差近37万  在热门组屋区女皇镇里,有四房式组屋最近以74万5000元的最高价转售,但也有37万8000元。 组屋溢价回升之际,热门地点如女皇镇的组屋转售价也持续攀升。今年4月,一间位于女皇镇史达拉摩道(Strathmore Ave)的四房式高楼单位,以74万5000元售出。 最后一次乘搭火车北上  火车开动了!该各就各位了吧。经过女皇镇、武吉知马、武吉班让时看到铁路旁站着许

My Father and I

Former Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate

On 14 May 2011 | 2 Comments

The industrialisation programme took off in Queenstown when the Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate was established to generate employment in the neighbourhood. Initially, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) planned a small industrial estate at Tanglin Halt to provide employment for the new residents. Measuring some 20 acres of land consisting of 38 factories

Queenstown Baptist Church

On 03 May 2011 | 1 Comments

The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) set aside seven sites for religious use and advertised for religious organisations to ballot in the 1950s. Of the ten enquiries received, four withdrew, leaving six Christian organisations. These went on to build the first churches of Queenstown; Queenstown Baptist Church, Queenstown Lutheran Church, Faith Methodist Ch

Archipelago Brewery Company (Anchorpoint)

On 22 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

Established in 1931 by German businessmen, Archipelago Brewery Company was the first commercial brewery in Singapore. It was located next to the Malayan Railway, which provided convenient transportation for exporting the beer in Tanjong Pagar. Archipelago Brewery Company One of the more popular beer produced at Archipelago Brewery Company was Anchor Beer.

Makan Shiok!

Snacks Attack #13 - Ah Luck Bean Curd

On 23 Dec 2010 | 2 Comments

Mr Chua, 25, runs Ah Luck Beancurd in Tanglin Halt market for more than 2 years. He is renting the stall from the original owner who has based his stall in the same area for more than 40 years. Ah Luck Bean Curd offers drinks and deserts such as soya bean drink, grass jelly and the residents' favorite soya bean curd (60 cents). A Delicious Bowl of Bean Curd

Snacks Attack #12 - Satay Mad in Tanglin Halt!

On 16 Dec 2010 | 7 Comments

 Ann, 46 runs the family food stall for over 10 years in Tanglin Halt hawker centre. Serving halal food for over a decade in the same place, Ann has integrated her dishes to suit the taste buds of Queenstown residents, especially the Malay community. The simple food stall offers snacks such as satay, otah and seafood dishes. As a family styled bus

Snacks Attack #11 - Almond & Peanut Paste!

On 09 Dec 2010 | 0 Comments

DessertStory, located in Anchorpoint basement one, has been serving residents tasty snacks and deserts for the past four years. Wendy, the supervisor of the cafe, introduced the various homemade desserts that they offer. A bowl of Almond Paste Hot desserts are mainly the favourite choice among Queenstown residents. Firstly, they have almond paste which is m

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #9 - 7 Funerals in 2 weeks

On 22 May 2011 | 0 Comments

7 funerals in 2 weeks. There is a flurry of "activity" these two weeks for correspondents from My Queenstown. We did not leave our traces in photographs as a mark of respect for the deceased. We did leave our sincere prayers and heartfelt condolences for those present. Quietly and fleetingly, we made our way to some of the funerals and understood that all o

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #8 - Block 39A No More (The Removal of Block 39A Part I)

On 05 Apr 2011 | 8 Comments

On a Friday afternoon three weeks ago, several Bangladeshi workers, presumably from the Town Council, took their tool boxes to the lift lobby of Block 39A. In less than half an hour, they carried a metallic frame on their shoulders and placed it on a lorry parked in front of the apartment block. Farewell Block 39A The letterboxes The stretch of corrid

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #7 - A New Coat of Paint

On 22 Mar 2011 | 1 Comments

The Point Blocks, along with 5 other blocks at Mei Ling Street were given a new coat of paint over the past week. The familiar combination of blue, yellow and orange was a thing of the past as these foreign workers toiled day and night, rain or shine to make Mei Ling Street "attractive again." White seems to be the "in" thing in Queenstown lately. Ten-store

Other Recent Articles

XXX Restricted Access @ MyQueenstown #2 - Palace KTV

By my queenstown on Sunday, October 3, 2010 with 6 comments


Situated at the ground level (or basement for some) of the Former Queenstown Cinema and Bowling Alley, Palace KTV was one of the most contemporary entertainment hotspots in the country. Opened in 1980s, it was the premier location for the booming karaoke culture where any amateurs could sing along with recorded music using a microphone! Palace KTV was also the first generation Karaoke Box which descended in Singapore from Japan. Today, the interior of the once proudest establishment in Queenstown was a shadow of her past. There were neither addictive dance beats nor soothing sentimental ballads. Only dust, dangled wires and broken mirrors remained.

The iconic sign board of Palace KTV

Karaoke singing was one of the most popular pastimes in the 1970s and 80s (even today). A room at the KTV cost $2/hr and throngs of crowd could be spotted along foyer in front of the KTV every weekend nights. Of course, Palace KTV was also a place for the imperious teenagers and gangsters and there were accounts of fights and quarrels outside the KTV. 

Entrance of Palace KTV

There was no single voltage of electricity when the correspondent entered the popular hangout spot. Torches were used but it remained pitch dark. It was quite difficult to locate within the giant hall. 

Wooden Partition that leads to the Main Hall

Victorian style wooden doors greeted the correspondent as he walked his way into the main hall. Just like the cinema theatre featured in Restricted Access lasted week, the concrete floor was wet and there were muddy puddles in the hall. Electric wires hanged aimlessly in the air and spotlight holders were rusty. The hall, which used to be a central karaoke point, was visibly bigger as the sofas and chairs were removed.

Spacious Interior of the Hall

Location of the Bar Counter

What's left of the bar counter were greased walls and protruding wires. The concept of a bar counter were novel during the 1980s. Until that time, beer establishments used to bring the beer to the patron's seat. A bar enabled the manager or bartender to do his paperwork while keeping eye on his customers. Customers could be served more efficiently and the other more private lounges and rooms could still retain their privacy.

Dangling Wires and Wet Concrete Floor

Unlike the main hall, there were many private lounges at the other end of Palace KTV. Some of the private lounges were destroyed and there was 6 such rooms left. A peek into the karaoke rooms revealed the stage of modernity. The walls were sound proof and there were numerous spotlight holders.


One of the Karaoke Rooms

Modern Soundproofing Equipment Used

Early karaoke machines used cassette tapes and manual track changing functions of the television. As MyQueenstown Team understands, technology was not advanced at that point and many low-end entertainment systems have a karaoke mode that attempts to remove the vocal track from regular audio tapes or CDs. The crudeness of this approach is reflected in the reverberation of the voice track and other musical instruments were inadvertently removed. Laserdiscs were introduced in the late 70s and compact discs in the mid-80s. 

Entrance to another Lounge in Palace KTV

The Huge KTV Room

This is the Largest Room

Hexagonal shaped mirrors and glass windows line along the corridor which leads to the other entrance of the KTV. The walls are corroded and it seemed as if the wall was going to fall anytime.

Corridor in Palace KTV

Another Entrance of Palace KTV

All the Credit Card Signs Remained Clear

Much of the ceiling in the complex were weathered and rain seepages had caused the floors to be slippery and smelly. Although there were no lights, no stereo equipment and no furnitures, the wooden entrances remained stout and firm as they creaked open. The signages and the display windows were covered with a thin layer of dust but it did not conceal its glorious past. 

Display Windows at the 2nd Entrance

The Entrance along Commonwealth Avenue

The metal shutters blocked daylight from entering the complex, just like how it had terminated the KTV's request for continued glory and shut it from youths, vibrancy and energy. There were several branches of Palace KTVs in Thomson and Orchard operating at the moment, therefore, it would be rude for us to condemn this leisure spot as a unworthy competitor to those mega KTV chains.   Whatever happens, Palace KTV was once the symbol of our youth and our grace. 

Queenstown was young before...

Read also: Restricted Access@MyQueenstown: Former Queenstown Cinema

What happened to the Bowling Alley and KFC outlet? Don't Forget to Read Restricted Access@MyQueenstown next Sunday!

What are your memories of the KTV? Tell us at our facebook page!


POST COMMENT

6 comments:

Liam said...
October 3, 2010 at 3:39 PM

Good post! keep it coming

Colin Tan said...
October 3, 2010 at 4:49 PM

Makes me so sad about the impending destruction of the cinemas and the bowling alley. time flies

Eriane said...
October 3, 2010 at 6:21 PM

I dont think that Palace KTV was opened in 1976. I could strongly recall that Palace KTV was converted from a bowling shop and a some sort of a lobby in late 90s.

Carrie Wong said...
October 3, 2010 at 7:10 PM

It was opened either in late 70s or early 80s. The KTV closes in late 1990s.

mike said...
December 4, 2013 at 12:47 AM

Late 8o to late 9os. I was a waiter cum barman from 93 to 94. Happy hrs 3pm and late nite sessions til 2am. It is actually in the basement and the cinema on the top level. during breaktime i wil go to the rooftop for a smoke and see mrts passing..memories..so sad.

mike said...
May 13, 2020 at 12:53 PM
This comment has been removed by the author.

Post a Comment