Sembawang Hill Estate is a small estate off Upper Thomson Road, being founded in the fifties by Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited.
At Jalan Leban, an unique little hut stands here for some forty-plus years. It is the focal point of Sembawang Hill Estate Taxi Services, where in the past the cab drivers would gather here for a chat or drink coffee while waiting for commuters to call and book their services.
Previously owned by Sembawang Hill Estates Limited, the hut is now maintained by a group of old cab drivers, who decorated it with colourful bulbs and lanterns. Bonded by friendship, some of the former drivers, probably in their sixties or seventies now, also gather here once in a while even though their taxi-driving careers are over.
There are two old stone benches in front of the hut. The Chinese wordings on the left and right of each bench indicate that the taxi services station was established in the summer of 1968. Note that the phone number for booking was only five digits during that era (compared to eight now). The Chinese name of Sembawang was also stated as 森峇旺 instead of the current 三巴旺, and it refers Sembawang Hill as a new estate.
Hope this little cozy hut will continue to be maintained and preserved even after the older generation of taxi drivers are no longer around.
Published: 09 June 2011
I remember it very well as in the sixties and seventies I use to go there for the “Sunday” pasar malam (night market). Also the Singapore Grand Prix circuit was there and I was a volunteer track marshall. Chan Lye Choon (race driver) and K C Wong ( motor bike rider), Soh Guan Bee and Chris Proffit-White (England) who won the motorbile Grand Prix one year. I have lived in Perth, WA for the last 30 years but I still have wonderful memories of those days. I used to live in Jalan Pemimpin and opposite The Little Sisters of the Poor (Thomson Rd.) were some good eating shops. There was also Pek San Teng (the Chinese cemetry). Can anyone remember all this?
Yeah mate I know where it was. There was a huge tree at the entrance of Jalan Pemempin @ Upp. Thoson road and few metres away there was a Shell Petrol Station owned by the Ng and See family, very nice people. There used to be a coffee shop under the big tree and they used to serve very good coffee. A lot of memory….!
The cemetary is now part of Raffles Institution!
Brings back so many memories, particularly of old Thompson Road and the Singapore Grand Prix which I watched from the sidelines. Does anyone know the present whereabouts of Chris Proffit-White – a very old flame!!
Most houses around this area were all occupied by British Army and Navy families this is Jalan Leban I’m sure some of you can remember Lucky Store? I was 10 than now reaching 62, I use live about a kilometer and a half from this taxi stand in fact my primary schools is Sembawang Hill Estate School. This taxi stand really brings back old memories I wonder if could anyone remember, just opposite this taxi stand there was a lone push cart hawker selling Mee Pok? I can still remember his mee pok ta. This hawker will take his trouble to decorate the mee with sliced prawns and vege before giving it to his customers that was the best mee pok with soup around before msg was introduced into our local food.
I remember the good days. I lived in Jalan Rukam in Sembawang Hills, just behind the shophouses. Used to go to the pasar malam every sunday night, and also used to watch the grand prix with my family. And yes, British Army families were our neighbours.