Birkhall Road Primary School - 1960 - 1965

Old Black & White photos from NHB

While researching for my old primary school, Birkhall Road Primary, I came across the above pictures which showed the police clearing illegal stalls around that Margaret Drive area. The school was the building where you could see the scaffolding. Nw, when you go there, it was replaced. The school was closed and combined with Queenstown Primary.

In the 1960s, I remembered the stripped blue shirt and dark blue pants we wore compared to the brown ones of Queenstown Primary, separated by a big field. We Birkhallians used to have stone battles with the Queenstownians. Across the road, there was the monkey-donkey school namely Margaret Drive Primary. It is now been used as a school for the mentally challenged.

From Primary 1 to 3, I walked home to my Margaret Drive home nearby. Later on when I moved to Bukit Ho Swee, I would have to walk across Dawson estate to Alexandra Road to take a bus home. Along the way, I would have to cross a bridge across Alexandra Canal. There was a stall selling tikam tikam and unfailingly I would put my money down.

Birkhall Road Primary School had a big field. 'Kamtam' bola was our favourite game and we would roll on the tall grass of the unkept part of the field. I remembered a class mate by the nme of Kum Chuen who would ran the fastest and throw the hardest with the round hard ball.

In Primary 1 & 2, I was one of the pawns for two love-stuck teachers in the school. I was asked by my male form teacher to bring notes to a lady teacher!!

I alwyas remember the Principal who was Mrs Lucy Low who had a beautiful cursive signature that adorned our report books.

The picture on the right showed the 2-storey houses that were around the Margaret Drive area, opposite where the old Hua Yi Govt High is. Sadly, now, you see only empty areas, ready for new blocks of condos.