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Association Plaque

Thursday, September 22nd, 2011

We have had many requests over the last few years for an Association Plaque showing the IJLB badge from members around the world . We have looked at many options and have generally found that they are simply too expensive , the average cost being around £50 , too much in our opinion . However , our Treasurer , Graham Fowler , has now found a supplier who can produce a good quality plaque which we can sell to you at £20 each and that includes postage and packing . Graham is placing the order and should have the first batch of 25 ready for sale in the next 14 days. Graham’s contact details can be found on the PRI page .

Hong Kong Revisited

Friday, September 9th, 2011

In late November 2010 Pat and I visited Hong Kong for our 40th wedding Anniversary having been stationed at Stanley Fort for 6 months in late 1981 to 1982 with 1SG prior to being posted to BAAT Nigeria leaving Hong Kong, just prior to 2SG capturing the other Stanley!!.

Just a few thoughts and observations on Hong Kong for those who served there or may be thinking of going there.

The Journey now only takes 13 hours on Emirates including a one hour stopover in Dubai instead of the 26 hours with the RAF!! Which included stopovers in Bahrain and Colombo in Sri Lanka .Emirates airlines was paradise compared to the RAF trooping flight which had no videos uncomfortable seats and those dreadful white box haversack rations.

The main Hilton hotel is still in Central and still has its wonderful cocktail bar as is the Mandarin Oriental hotel, the captain bar in the Mandarin is still there even though it has been fully refurbished still retains a colonial feel about it and beer is served in silver tankards exactly as it was back when we lived there.

What was HMS Tamar is a municipal headquarter building and is 300 metres back from the harbour as they have just completed a huge reclamation project on the waterfront and a major four lane runs between Tamar and the harbour.

Stanley is much bigger no shanty town on the hills now replaced by new high rise municipal flats provided for the illegal immigrants that got into Hong Kong under the then government policy of touch base in Hong Kong without being stopped and you will not be returned to mainland China which never made any sense to the Guardsmen who when on border duty spent night after night in mosquito infested swamps near the border trying to apprehend illegal immigrants.

There are also some municipal housing for the Vietnamese boat people who made it to Hong Kong and were held in detention camps whilst we were there, Stanley Fort is occupied by the Chinese PLA and we were not allowed access although they do have an open day each year in August when locals and ex patriates can visit and see what equipment the Chinese army uses. We could still view our married quarter from Stanley waterfront which is now full of chic bistro style restaurants and bars.

The jewellers Ellis Lai who used to visit the Sergeants mess still has a shop in Stanley and Willie Wong who was the Regimental tailoring contractor has retired but his son now runs the business in the Wan Chai

The Smugglers Inn in Stanley is still there, as is what was the Resident Battalion boat club on St Stephens’s beach run so efficiently by Willie Whitten who had a constant supply of ice cold tiger beer for its members .It is now run by a civilian club.

Stanley market was disappointing now selling just tourist tat as the antique stalls, vegetables , live fish and meat stalls are no more, as there is a huge superstore in what is called Stanley Plaza a shopping Mall on the outskirts of Stanley situated between the temple and the road to Central. Cost only 70p to get from Central to Stanley on the number 6 bus which is still a hairy journey around the steep bends and where the cliff edge drop away from the road, the seating is definitely not built for six foot three Guardsmen.

Stanley military Cemetery is well maintained and looked after by the war graves commission some graves had poppies on them as is the War Memorial in Central again well maintained and respected.

The officers married quarters in Repulse bay are long gone and luxury high rise flats have taken their place and there is now a large marina at the east end of the bay.

The Wan Chai is pretty tame to what we knew the red light district is centred on Lockhart Rd however the Pussy Cat Club is still there. This was the Battalions favourite night club defended on many occasions from American sailors on shore leave from the American 7th Fleet. The tattoo parlours are also still on Lockhart road maybe not as many as in our day, but i am sure there are many bitter sweet memories of a tattoo or two done after a night out in the Wan Chai the cost which would include the military fine for having a tattoo without permission and is now the only lasting memory of Hong Kong!!. The famous Bottoms up club made famous by the James Bond film a man with a golden gun has moved from Kowloon side and is now a sports bar in Lockhart road with a mock-up of the original bar in the back bar. The Hopewell centre with its revolving restaurant at the top of its 65th floor and outside lifts is still in the Wan Chai but is due to close for refurbishment we managed to get a booking and the views at night are still breath-taking but i would not recommend the food . Nowadays the Wan Chai is mainly a business district with five star hotels a huge conference centre and tower blocks with international companies located there. Interestingly the American 7th fleet still pull into Hong Kong for visits and of course still visit the Wan chai.

The building of a thousand portholes!! Situated just down from HMS Tamar which was one of the tallest buildings in Hong Kong in our time is dwarfed by its new neighbour which is 185 floors high

Hong Kong’s new airport is on Lantau island. Not an island loved by the Battalion as the Ghurkha Brigade which we came under seemed to insist all test exercises took place there. The island is bigger than Hong Kong Island but with steeper mountains and very little coastal plain for settlement and is now linked to Kowloon side by a series of suspension bridges one of which is the longest suspension bridge in the world. A long road tunnel from the north (airport side) of Lantau island links into these suspension bridges which then go via stonecutters Island (which was the biggest ammunition depot in the Far East in our time for all three services) to Kowloon side Stonecutters island is now the 3rd biggest container port in the world. The commandant House at the highest point of stonecutter’s island is still in use and still has the look and feel of an old colonial house a bit like the Commanding Officers house was in Stanley Fort.

Kai Tak the old airport is being converted into a cruise liner terminal and the old H blocks that we flew between when landing have all gone and replaced by more modern high rise buildings.

The whole island is criss crossed with Tunnels flyovers and new roads you can now get to the New Territories in 45 minutes from Kowloon these days.

The night markets on Kowloon and Central are again just full of tourist tat even the fake designer watches are sold under the counter as the police have been cracking down on counterfeit goods. Due to avian flu they are not allowed to sell poultry or live animals anymore in the markets.

The Jumbo restaurant in Aberdeen is still operating but there are no Sampans in Aberdeen harbour as it is now a Marina housing luxury yachts and i mean luxury yachts owned by wealthy Chinese.

The place is so sterile and spotless no spitting or smoking allowed on the buses or star ferry, smoking is banned from all restaurants bars and public buildings very strictly enforced with fines of £1000 for not complying.

The tram up to the peak now has several stops and the Peak has at least twenty restaurants and numerous shops and a large art gallery all in a high rise complex.

The world’s biggest laser show held every evening at 8 pm is very impressive best viewed from Kowloon side. We went across on star ferry (first class of course on the upper deck which cost 28 pence) but the pier head on Hong Kong island now has 9 piers and ferries all going to different locations on Kowloon side and the islands and not a single rickshaw anywhere.

We saw no visible poverty unlike our day only a thriving bustling 24/7 community with shopping malls in virtually every major building where the rich Chinese from the mainland and tourists worldwide come to shop. To visit these malls you soon become an expert in guiding your way through the Ariel walkways which link all the buildings and road crossings above street level.

Overall a nostalgic trip down memory lane the place still has a British feel about it as street names have stayed the same British double Decker buses still operate the police and customs still wear British style uniforms and people still feel a strong bond with Britain.

Words and photos by Graham Fowler