Morning walks in the kampong areas of Chestnut Ave

Transcript of 9 July 2018 interview with Pauline Tan (resident of #79 Chestnut Drive from 1971 to late 90s) recorded by Chan Kim Yin : Question: Who were some of the residents that you interacted and became familiar with? Answer: There was the Pangs at #100 Chestnut Drive, we were very close because their daughter and my youngest son were of the same age. Mrs Pang and I would go for walks early in the morning around 5:30-6:30 am after sending off the children to school when the bus came to take them off. We would walk deep into the kampong area (in the direction of Chestnut Avenue) for almost an hour and then we could come back. This was in the early 80s. There was a pond down a valley near the malay kampong which our kids found a delight observing the busyness of the herd of ducks . In the early evenings we could see kampong boys playing sepak takraw. We would walk as far as the PUB station and then walk back. Our German Neighbour Mrs Wicker (who was a tenant of #102 Chestnut Drive) would also join us for walks. She would take me deep into the kampong to the left of Chestnut Avenue where there would be horses in a little paddock. Those would be dirt tracks off Chestnut Avenue. I think those were old/retired racing horses. They were always kept in the paddock whenever we visited the area. Sometimes, Kheng Im, Priscilla Sparks and I would take our children to this wide open space for picnics and kite flying .