A friend of mine, Gill W sent this description of Caldwell House along with a retrospective of Singapore, years past and today.
The complex [CHIJMES] is big. The whole building is built on three sides. Whether this was the whole house or whether the convent built onto it I’m not sure. Another part upstairs was a Chinese restaurant and yet another an Italian restaurant. It was the Italian part which I originally thought must have been Caldwell House, as it most resembles a house today. You’ll have to see it to decide for yourself.
Singapore as it is today bears no relation to the Singapore we lived in. Orchard road still had trees on either side. There was only one high rise hotel in Orchard road. Raffles was rather shabby then. I loved it. The modern complex doesn’t appeal at all. Singapore river stank to high heaven and had shabby godowns on it. There were lots of Malay kampongs, awful slums, death houses for the Chinese ( it was considered unlucky for a Chinese to die at home ). Changi where we lived was a lovely village with lots of little shop houses selling everything. When Peter had the car I used to tahe a ‘pick up’ taxi into town. You’d flag down a taxi and ask for pick up which meant the driver could pick up other passengers. It saved on cost. I have been known to travel with a cage of hens on my lap.The classroom I taught in had an attap ( straw type) roof with flimsy doors and windows, like the kampong houses.
The old folk hated the kampongs going and being rehoused in high rise flats. One taxi driver we had on a later visit said ‘It’s all f——ed up since you left’. However I don’t think the young Singaporeans see it like that. They are very proud of their modern city. You can also be fined for chewing gum. Looking at the gum smeared streets in our towns, no bad thing. At one time too they would insist on cutting male tourists hair before allowing them entry if it was considered too long. Last time we were there despite heavy fines we actually saw litter in the streets.
Whereas it was cheap when we lived there, in 2012, after spending two weeks in Vietnam and Cambodia we spent 5 days in Singapore and spent almost as much as the time in V and C. We have stayed in a whole range of hotels in Singapore. 3* is not good, even if you go for the best rooms. There is no doubt that Singapore has lost its charm for us. In modernising they have lost nearly all their old buildings. There are a few areas where the buildings look the same, but invariably they have been refurbished, so that is why I cherish the few that are left.
As you can see I haven’t moved with the times. I like to see evidence of the past. That’s what I like about France. They keep the exteriors of their old houses looking old and just modernise the interiors for comfortable living.